Mitsubishi produces high-efficiency multicrystalline silicon solar cell

Mitsubishi produces high-efficiency multicrystalline silicon solar cell

Mitsubishi Electric announced it has achieved a record photoelectric conversion efficiency rate of 18.6% in a 150-mm-sq. practical-use solar cell, an improvement of 0.6% over the company’s previous record (May 2007). The new design uses a low-reflectivity surface texture on the multicrystalline silicon wafer, with an optimized p-n junction to increase current generation, and uses a special process to print electrodes on the surface of the silicon (metallization), reducing shade loss of front grid electrodes by 25%.

The PV cell is said to be the world’s first developed with a low-reflective honeycomb-textured structure for reduced-light reflectivity. While a honeycomb-textured structure is recognized as suitable for reducing surface reflectivity, Mitsubishi developed a new process method for fabricating the structure using a combination of laser patterning and wet etching. For more information, see global.mitsubishielectric.com.

Jim Harrison