# Fileset

[[Vol. 23]Seeding better efficiencies in monocrystalline silicon solar cells_ WPI-MANA.pdf](https://mdr.nims.go.jp/filesets/813fbaf5-f4d8-4bfd-ba68-164dc4131fdb/download)

## Creator

International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA)

## Rights

In Copyright[In Copyright](http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/)

## Other metadata

[[Research Highlights Vol.23] Seeding better efficiencies in monocrystalline silicon solar cells](https://mdr.nims.go.jp/datasets/8482684d-08d2-41c0-a764-fcd95b8f9ceb)

## Fulltext

2022/04/04 10:18 Seeding better efficiencies in monocrystalline silicon solar cells| MANAhttps://www.nims.go.jp/mana/research/highlights/vol23.html 1/2Previous  Index  NextResearch Highlights[Vol. 23]Seeding better efficiencies in monocrystalline silicon solar cells4 Feb, 2016New ‘single-seed cast method’ for producing high quality monocrystalline solar cells hastremendous potential for the manufacture of low cost, high efficiency silicon solar cells.Figure: Photograph of the silicon ingot grown with theoptimum conditions observed in the current study.Researchers at MANA have developed the ‘single-seed cast method’ that is a new method of siliconcasting. Compared with conventional casting, the new method enabled dramatic improvements inthe crystalline quality of the silicon that are expected to improve the efficiency of silicon solar cells.The conversion efficiency of silicon solar cells --that are the mainstream of commercialphotovoltaics—is now going to reach 20% using single crystalline silicon. Increasing conversionefficiency is recent target for adding higher value to the solar cells. However, it is not possible toachieve such high efficiencies using conventional cast multicrystalline silicon. Furthermore, sincesemiconductor grade single crystal silicon is too expensive for solar cells, there is strong demandfor the development of a ‘third type’ of silicon as an alternative to multicrystalline and single-crystalline semiconductor silicon.As a solution to this problem, a research team led by Takashi Sekiguchi, Group Leader of the NanoDevice Characterization Group, Nano-Electronic Materials Unit, International Center for MaterialsNanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), and Koichi Kakimoto,Professor of Kyushu University, has developed the so-called ‘single-seed cast method’ using a seedcrystal for the silicon cast method. The researchers succeeded in producing high quality, lowimpurity ingots of single crystal silicon (mono-silicon).The new method consists of dissolving silicon feedstock inside a crucible and growing singlecrystalline silicon from a small seed. Notably, production costs can be reduced by this methodcompared with the method to produce dislocation-free single crystal silicon such as Czochralskimethod.https://www.nims.go.jp/mana/research/highlights/vol22.htmlhttps://www.nims.go.jp/mana/research/highlights/index.htmlhttps://www.nims.go.jp/mana/research/highlights/vol24.html2022/04/04 10:18 Seeding better efficiencies in monocrystalline silicon solar cells| MANAhttps://www.nims.go.jp/mana/research/highlights/vol23.html 2/2Importantly, solar cells produced using the new ingots yielded conversion efficiencies of 18.7%,which approach the value of 18.9% obtained with cells produced from semiconductor-silicon (CZsilicon) wafers.In the future, further reductions of crystalline defects and impurities are expected to yieldconversion efficiencies greater than 20 %.Reference"Advantage in solar cell efficiency og high-quality seed cast mono Si ingot"Yoshiji Miyamura, Hirofumi Harada, Karolin Jiptner, Satoshi Nakano, Bing Gao, Koichi Kakimoto,Kyotaro Nakamura, Yoshio Ohshita, Atsushi Ogura, Shin Sugawara and Takashi SekiguchiJournal : Applied Physics Express 8, 062301 (2015).DOI : 10.7567/APEX.8.062301AffiliationsInternational Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for MaterialsScience (NIMS), Namiki 1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, JapanContact informationInternational Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics(WPI-MANA)National Institute for Materials Science1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 JapanPhone: +81-29-860-4710E-mail: mana-pr[AT]ml.nims.go.jphttps://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.7567/APEX.8.062301