Professor Lee Kang-min of the Catholic University of korea gathers transparent and flexible 'silicon solar cell' technology trends...Presenting Future Energy Blueprints

- Individual studies on transparency and flexibility that have been segmented, integrated into the core design direction of the next-generation energy device platform

- Published a review paper in 'Advanced Energy Materials (IF=26.0), a world-renowned magazine in the energy sector

Figure Description: Professor Lee Kang-min of the Department of Energy and Environmental Engineering at Catholic University

Figure Description: Professor Lee Kang-min of the Department of Energy and Environmental Engineering at Catholic University 

 Catholic University (President Choi Jun-kyu) has demonstrated its world-class research capabilities by presenting key design directions for next-generation energy device platforms that will change the landscape of the solar industry.

 Lee Kang-min, a professor of energy and environmental engineering at Catholic University, published a review paper covering global research trends in expanding crystalline silicon solar cells in a transparent and flexible form in "Advanced Energy Materials" (IF=26.0, top 2.5%), the most prestigious academic journal in the energy sector.

 Crystalline silicon solar cells, which are currently a key technology in the global solar market, boast high efficiency, stability, and abundant material supply chains, but due to their strong light absorption and brittleness, they were perceived as "hard, opaque, and non-bending fixed materials." As a result, there were clear morphological limitations in expanding into various future applications such as urban building windows, outer walls, and wearable electronic devices.

 Through this paper, Professor Lee Kang-min reinterpreted the morphological limitations of existing silicon as an 'engineering design variable' that can be overcome through optical and mechanical design, not as a fixed physical property problem. In the field of transparent silicon solar cells, △selective light transmission technology through microstructure design △ color neutrality transparent design △ electrode structure that reduces light loss △ large area modularization technology, and in the field of flexible silicon solar cells, △ ultra-thin wafer design △ flexible structure design through thickness, structure and stress control △ securing stability in repeated bending environments were analyzed and systematized from an integrated perspective.

 In particular, this paper is differentiated in that it integrated the research on "transparency" and "flexibility," which have been segmented and dealt with individually by academia, into a key design direction for expanding the next-generation energy device platform. In addition, it is evaluated that it has established a technical milestone for the transparent and flexible silicon solar cell field in the future by organically linking next-generation high-efficiency strategies such as Singlelet Fiction and tandem solar cells.

 This achievement is the result of the unique research capabilities and expertise that Professor Lee Kang-min has continuously accumulated in the field of transparent silicon solar cells over the past decade. Professor Lee has led the research flow in the field by experimentally proving that existing silicon solar cells can produce electricity while being as transparent as glass.

 Lee Kang-min, a professor of energy and environmental engineering at Catholic University, said, "This study provides a foundation for the development of distributed energy technology optimized for various applications such as building integrated solar cells (BIPVs), smart windows, wearable electronic devices, lightweight power for vehicles, and curved electronic devices."

"The transparency and flexibility technology presented in this study can be extended not only to solar panels but also to next-generation semiconductor and display technologies, which will contribute to the development of next-generation semiconductor and display platforms in the future," he added.

 This study was carried out with the support of the Korea Research Foundation's Excellent New Research Project and the Information and Communication Planning Evaluation Institute.