IMEC, Kaneka to Jointly Develop Hetero-Junction Solar Cell Technology

Kaneka Corp of Japan will incorporate its European photovoltaics laboratory at IMEC, the European nanoelectronics research center in Leuven, Belgium

The bilateral cooperation is aimed at the development of a new industrial a-Si:H hetero-junction based high-efficiency solar cell technology, with an expected efficiency of beyond 20% for large cells in an industrial process.

IMEC will combine its silicon wafer process, device technology, and expertise in optics, micromachining and photonics in order to enhance Kaneka's amorphous silicon microcrystalline silicon (a-Si/µc-Si) solar cells.

Under the agreement, a team of engineers from Kaneka and IMEC will install and operate Kaneka equipment in IMEC's photovoltaics labs. Dr Kenji Yamamoto will manage the laboratory.

The Japanese manufacturer said the agreement fits with its strategy to examine the expansion of its solar cell manufacturing capacity to 1GW by 2015. Moreover, the decision to establish a European lab was motivated by the need to have a presence, and in future also a production facility, close to the rapidly growing European PV market.