Hanyang University
College of Engineering
FacultyResearch Highlights
Prof. Ungyu Baek (Dept of Energy Engineering) Developed core technology for mass production of solar cell |
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In order to convert solar energy to electric energy, 'solar cell' is necessary. Up to now, silicon solar cell has taken up 95% of the solar cell market. Even though the efficiency of silicon solar cell is low, about 24%, it has raised its market share with its cheap production cost. On the other hand, compound semi-conductor solar cell, although its efficiency is two times as high as silicon solar cell, about 40%, has been limitedly used only in specific areas like artificial satellite due to its high production cost. The commercialization possibility of solar energy depends on solar cell technology.
On June 19, 2010, the Korea-US joint research team consisting of Prof. Ungyu Paik (Hanyang University, Department of Energy Engineering) and Prof. John Rogers (University of Illinois) et al. announced that they developed a core technology to produce solar cells with low cost using compound semi-conductor. ¡®Multi-layer growth method¡¯ that compound semi-conductor components are folded into multiple layers on a single wafer is the key part of this technology. When piling components up with the conventional method, 40 components should be grown onto 40 wafers respectively. However, the multi-layer growth technology Prof. Paik and his team developed makes it possible to grow compound semi-conductor layer and separation layer alternately, piling all 40 components on a single wafer. Through this technology, it is possible to reduce wafer production cost and processing time to a tenth of the conventional method. In addition, since it is available to manufacture solar cell on various substrates like plastic wafer with this technology, it is possible to make bendable solar cells. |
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