• Search Research Projects
  • Search Researchers
  • How to Use
  1. Back to previous page

Low cost production of crystalline silicon thin films for solar cells by CVD process with closed gas recycling.

Research Project

Project/Area Number 15206086
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Reaction engineering/Process system
Research InstitutionThe University of Tokyo

Principal Investigator

OKABE Fumio (2005)  The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Engineering, Associate Professor, 大学院・工学系研究科, 助教授 (10345093)

小宮山 宏 (2003-2004)  東京大学, 大学院・工学系研究科, 教授 (80011188)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) NODA Suguru  The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Engineering, Assistant Professor, 大学院・工学系研究科, 助手 (50312997)
岡田 文雄  東京大学, 大学院・工学系研究科, 助教授 (10345093)
Project Period (FY) 2003 – 2005
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2005)
Budget Amount *help
¥48,230,000 (Direct Cost: ¥37,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥11,130,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥13,650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥10,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥3,150,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥13,650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥10,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥3,150,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥20,930,000 (Direct Cost: ¥16,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,830,000)
Keywordscrystalline silicon solar cells / silicon supply / reactant gas recycling / high yield process / chemical vapor deposition / physical vapor deposition / monocrystalline silicon thin films / epitaxial lift-off / 太陽電池 / CVD / エピタキシャル成長 / クロロシラン / 急速蒸着法 / エピタキシャルリフトオフ / シリコン薄膜 / リサイクルCVD / Siemens法 / SRI Report / シリコン粒子 / 一貫製造化プロセス / 低コストプロセス
Research Abstract

Large-scale photovoltaic power generation is essential to realize future clean energy systems. The bulk silicon type is promising owing to the abundant resource and excellent stability and safety of silicon. This type now accounts for 80- 90 % of the solar cells. High purity silicon is supplied from the semiconductor industry, and the amount of supply is now limiting the further enhancement of solar cell production. In this project, large-scale, low-cost production of solar cells was studied.
Silicon substrates are now industrially fabricated by slicing multi/monocrystalline silicon ingots, and an amount of silicon equivalent to about 500 μm thickness is consumed for each substrate. Substitution of substrates for thin films of 10 μm thickness can be a break through for scale enhancement and cost reduction of the solar cell production. We thus studied the epitaxial lift-off (ELO) method, in which a sacrificial layer and a monocrystalline silicon thin film are successively grown on a mono … More crystalline silicon wafer successively, the thin film and the wafer are separated by etching the sacrificial layer, and the thin film is used as the photovoltaic layer and the wafer is repeatedly used in this ELO process.
In the ELO process, the epitaxial growth method of the monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic layer is very important. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is usually used to grow micrometer-thick epitaxial films, but the utilization ratio of the chlorosilane source gases is small. Chlorosilanes are practically synthesized by reacting metallurgical grade silicon with hydrogen chloride. By recycling the outlet gas of CVD reactor into the reactor of chlorosilane synthesis, an ideal process can be realized in which metallurgical grade silicon is converted into monocrystalline silicon thin films with a minimal material loss. Literature survey of the current production process of chlorosilanes and experimental investigations of the reaction rate processes of chlorosilane synthesis and Si-CVD were performed in parallel, and feasibility of this "CVD process with closed gas recycling" was examined. But the problems came out such as possible contaminations into silicon thin films and degradation of the sacrificial layer used in ELO process. On the other hand, physical vapor deposition (PVD) was suggested effective in the ELO process. Based on a new concept of rapid vapor deposition (RVD), a silicon epitaxial growth rate as large as 10μm/min was confirmed at the substrate temperatures of 800-1000℃.
By coupling ELO and RVD processes, we succeeded to lift-off 5-10μm thick monocrystalline silicon thin films of a limited areal size. This is an achievement leading to the solution of the high-purity silicon shortage and the realization of large-scale, low-cost solar cell production. Less

Report

(4 results)
  • 2005 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 2004 Annual Research Report
  • 2003 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (16 results)

All 2004 2003 Other

All Journal Article (9 results) Book (1 results) Publications (6 results)

  • [Journal Article] Reaction of Si with HCI to form chlorosilanes : Time dependent nature and reaction model.2004

    • Author(s)
      S.Noda, K.Tanabe, T.Tashiro, T.Osawa, H.Komiyama
    • Journal Title

      J. Electrochem Soc. 151(6)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Incubation time during the CVD of Si onto SiO2 from silane.2004

    • Author(s)
      Y.Kajikawa, T.Tsuchiya, S.Noda, H.Komiyama
    • Journal Title

      Chem. Vap. Deposition 10(3)

      Pages: 128-133

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Epitaxial lift-off technology for solar cell application.2004

    • Author(s)
      S.Tsuji, S.Noda, H.Komiyama
    • Journal Title

      Proc. 10th Asian Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineering

    • NAID

      130005052168

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Reaction of Si with HCl to form chlorosilanes : Time dependent nature and reaction model2004

    • Author(s)
      S.Noda, K.Tanabe, T.Yahiro, T.Osawa, H.Komiyama
    • Journal Title

      J.Electrochem.Soc. 151(6)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Incubation time during the CVD of Si onto SiO2 from silane2004

    • Author(s)
      Y.Kajikawa, T.Tsuchiya, S.Noda, H.Komiyama
    • Journal Title

      Chem.Vap.Deposition 10(3)

      Pages: 128-133

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Epitaxial lift-off technology for solar cell application2004

    • Author(s)
      Y.Tsuji, S.Noda, H.Komiyama
    • Journal Title

      Proc.10th Asian Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineering

    • NAID

      130005052168

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Incubation time during chemical vapor deposition: Si films from silane2004

    • Author(s)
      Y.Kajikawa
    • Journal Title

      Chemical Vapor Deposition 10(3)

      Pages: 128-133

    • Related Report
      2004 Annual Research Report
  • [Journal Article] Reaction of silicon with hydrogen chloride to form chlorsilanes : Time dependent nature and reaction model2004

    • Author(s)
      S.Noda
    • Journal Title

      J.Electrochemical Society 151(6)

    • Related Report
      2004 Annual Research Report
  • [Journal Article] Consistent manufacturing process of solar cells.2003

    • Author(s)
      S.Noda, H.Komiyama
    • Journal Title

      Innovation Japan(Edited by Go Japan! Task Force)(Nikkei BP Publications, Tokyo)

      Pages: 280-284

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Book] 「動け!日本」 「太陽電池の大規模一貫製造プロセス」2003

    • Author(s)
      動け!日本タスクフォース編, 野田優, 小宮山宏(分担執筆)
    • Publisher
      日経BP社
    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Noda, S.: "Reaction of silicon with hydrogen chloride to form chlorosilanes : Time dependent nature and reaction model."J.Electrochem.Soc. (accepeted).

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kajikawa, Y.: "Mechanisms controlling preferred orientation of chemical vapor deposited polycrystalline films."Solid St.Phenomena. 93. 411-416 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kajikawa, Y.: "Toward a comprehensive understanding of texture formation mechanism in reactive sputter-deposited nitrides."J.Vac.Sci.Technol.A. 21(6). 1943-1954 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kajikawa, Y: "Incubation time during chemical vapor deposition : Si films from silane."Chem.Vap.Deposition. (accepted).

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Hu, M.: "Amorphous-to-crystalline transition during the early stages of thin film growth of Cr on SiO_2."J.Appl.Phys.. 93(11). 9336-9344 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kajikawa, Y.: "Growth mechanism of abnormal protrusions in chemical vapor deposited films operated under diffusion-limited conditions."Chem.Vap.Deposiiton. (accepted).

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report

URL: 

Published: 2003-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

Information User Guide FAQ News Terms of Use Attribution of KAKENHI

Powered by NII kakenhi