Prof. Takahiro Wada from the Department of Materials Chemistry at Ryukoku University in Shiga, Japan, will receive the 2018 PVSEC Award “For his outstanding contributions to photovoltaic science and technology development.”
Takahiro Wada has been one of the world’s leading researchers in polycrystalline thin film solar cells. He entered the field of photovoltaic science with the development of CuInSe2 solar cells in 1991. He then served as a project leader of high-efficiency CIS solar cell research at Matsushita Electric (Panasonic) from 1991 to 1998. He has made many substantial contributions to fabrication and characterization of high-efficiency CIS solar cells, including several novel techniques to improve energy-conversion efficiency. Wada achieved conversion efficiency of about 18% by using originally developed composition-control technology in 1996. His team found that a MoSe2 layer formed at the interface between the CIS absorber and the Mo back electrode in CIS solar cells, and that the MoSe2 layer improved solar cell characteristics. He is currently studying on materials and processing of various kinds of Cu chalcogenide thin film solar cells, such as Cu(In,Ga)Se2, Cu2ZnSnS4 and Cu2SnS3 by combining experimental and theoretical approaches. Outside of his research, Wada has served as program chair of PVSEC 21 (2011, Fukuoka, Japan) and organized PVSEC-27 (2017, Otsu, Japan). He is a fellow of The Japan Society of Applied Physics (JSAP), and a chair of the Professional Group of Multinary Compounds and Solar Cells in JSAP.
Prof. Wada studied at Osaka University, receiving a BSc and MSc in 1976 and 1978, and his PhD in 1986. He worked at Matsushita Electric (Panasonic) from 1978 to 1998, when accepted a position at Ryukoku University, where he continues his research.
Prof. Wada will deliver his PVSEC Award acceptance talk on Tuesday June 12 at 18: 30 during the Conference Outstanding Technical Achievements Awards Ceremony (Monarchy Ballroom). ( http://www.wcpec7.org/WCPEC-7/awards-pvsec.php )より
