LG Electronics reveals LID reducing technology for p-type PV
LG Electronics has announced a technology to reduce the Light Induced Degradation (LID) of p-type mono crystalline solar cells by more than 80 per cent. LG Electronics' new technology can be applied to standard production lines without any changes in raw materials as well as structures of p-type mono crystalline silicon solar cells.
LID describes the phenomenon that, under light exposure, the power output of solar cells or panels initially drops. The degradation of output power could be as much as 5 per cent of the initial power. The reason for this is that sunlight causes boron (dopant in the p-type silicon wafer) to react with oxygen (one of the impurities in the silicon wafer) "“ the resulting Boron-Oxygen complex is the main reason for LID. This effect is regarded as unavoidable, especially in commercial photovoltaic products based on boron-doped (p-type) crystalline silicon.
Even though many researchers suggest using gallium-doped silicon wafers and MCz (Magnetic-confined Czochralski) wafers with low oxygen concentration instead of boron-doped wafers to avoid the LID effect, they are not commonly used as they are more expensive and their electrical properties are difficult to control. LG's new technology has the ability to suppress the Boron-Oxygen association and consequently the LID effect by forming a Boron-Hydrogen complex, not affecting the power degradation.
"LG Electronics has continued to invest in fundamental research as well as state-of-art technology for high power modules. LID reduction technology is one of the successful results from the basic research." said Choongho Lee, Senior vice president in LG's solar business division.
"Since our new technology enables photovoltaic panels to generate more power during operation by lowering the initial power drop, we are pleased that LG Electronics will be able to provide customers with even more economical benefit."
