Welcome  to our  Laboratory

Nowadays, Si is mainly used for solar cells. However, Si-related solar cells have several problems such as high cost, limited material, complex manufacturing process, and so on. For the 21st century, solar cells are required for high conversion efficiency, low-cost, lightweight, and radiation-resistance. Chalcopyrite-structure CuIn_1-xGa_xSe₂ (CIGS) alloy semiconductors have attracted attention as a promising candidate for use in light-absorbing media.

In our laboratory, we have been studied crystal growth and characterization of several materials for solar cells. Now, we are studying (1) chalcopyrite materials CIGS film for solar cells, (1') Earth abandant materials used photoabsorber such as SnS, Cu2SnS3, NiO growth,   (2) transparent conducting oxide (TCO) film for flat displays and solar cells, and (3) the fabrication of pn-junction for solar cells.

Even though researchers have made extraordinary progress over the years, and improved performance, lower costs and reliability still remain as major considerations and challenges. We are striving to produce a uniform single phase absorber layer and a window layer with better optoelectronic properties which together will increase the efficiency of solar cell devices. The ultimate goal of the project is transferring laboratory achievements to the commercial production line which will have a substantial impact on the scientific world and technology.

We collaborate with Prof. S.F.Chichibu (Tohoku Univ.), Prof. T. Nakada (Tokyo Univ. Sci.), Prof. K.T.R.Reddy (Sri Venkateswara Univ., India), Prof. S.Shirakata (Ehime Univ.), for these experiments.

If any questions or requests arise, please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail :  optoelec@rs.noda.tus.ac.jp

Of course, you are welcome to visit us as well !