DEVELOPMENT OF AMORPHOUS Si SOLAR CELLS IN JAPAN.

Abstract

A series of tremendous R & D efforts on amorphous silicon from the basic physics and material preparation technologies to its practical applications has been recently made in Japan. Recent advances in the fields might be characterized, for example, by solar cell performances: 3. 4 - 5. 52% for a-Si:H, and 1. 3 - 2. 7% for a-Si:F:H, both on small-area cells (approximately less than 1 cm**2). Large-area cells, from 7. 5 multiplied by 7. 5 cm**2 to 10 multiplied by 10 cm**2, have been developed and their efficiencies are 3. 6% - 3. 4% New types of high output voltage photovoltaic devices constructed of multilayered and cascade type (integrated type) solar cells have also been developed. A consumer electronic product which is operated by an integrated a-Si solar cell has already been put on the market.