Survey: Japan Outpaced by Europe in Organic Semiconductor Solar Cell R&D
by Mami Akasaka, Tech-On!, April 15, 2009
Source: Tech-On English
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20090417/168926/?ST=english_PRINT
The Japan Patent Office announced the results of its survey on trends in solar cell-related patent applications. According to the results, Japanese applicants took the lead in the area of silicon solar cells, while European applicants outpaced the others in the area of organic semiconductor solar cells. About 7,970 solar cell-related patents were filed around the world during the period between 2000 and 2006. By nationality, Japanese applications accounted for 68.4%, far more than European (15.3%) and US (10.6%) applications.
As for types of solar cells, Japanese applications constituted more than 70% in the areas of crystal silicon and thin-film silicon solar cells. Also, they made up more than 50% in both areas of crystal and thin-film compound semiconductor solar cells. However, in the organic semiconductor solar cell area, Japanese applications accounted for about 46%, smaller than the shares in the other areas, falling short of the aggregated US (29%) and European (19%) shares.
Figure: Solar cell-related patent applicants by nationality (from 2000 to 2006)
Of the papers on solar cells (limited to those published in major international journals issued from 2000 to 2007), 861 papers were written by European researchers, while 431 and 386 papers were authored by US and Japanese researchers. By type of solar cells, too, papers submitted by European researchers outnumbered those by Japanese researchers in all of the area.
In particular, in the area of organic semiconductor solar cells, the number of papers from European researchers reached 126, about four times the 29 papers published by Japanese researchers.
The Japan Patent Office pointed out that Japan is considered to be inferior to Europe in technology development for organic semiconductor solar cells. The survey did not include dye-sensitized solar cells.
Table;: The number of papers on solar cells (Published in magazines issued from 2000 to 2007)