Chemical engineer wins Taiwan’s 1st ever Laudise Prize

2016/06/03

Lan Chung-wen, a distinguished professor at National Taiwan University Department of Chemical Engineering, is the nation’s first ever winner of the prestigious Laudise Prize for contributions to the field of crystal growth.

The triennial honor, which recognizes Lan’s work in developing high-performance multicystalline silicon for solar cells, will be presented to the alumnus of Taipei City-based NTU during awarding body International Organization for Crystal Growth’s conference Aug. 8 in Nagoya, Japan.

Lan, the sole ethnic Chinese member of the editorial board of IOCG-published Journal of Crystal Growth, plays a key role in spearheading the growth of Taiwan’s solar cell industry. He leads several national energy research projects and academia-industry programs backed by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

According to the Department of Chemical Engineering, Lan’s research on developing high-performance multicystalline silicon for solar cells is a collaboration with Sino-American Silicon Products Inc., a major manufacturer of silicon wafers in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu City, and Taipei-based solar cell module supplier Solartech Energy Corp.

“Contrary to the traditional method adopted by most silicon wafer manufacturers, Lan proposed producing wafers by growing small grains, a pioneering approach greatly reducing the defects of ingots and enhancing solar cell performance efficiency,” a department official said.

“By cutting production costs, this breakthrough is expected to facilitate development of the solar cell industry while promoting renewable energy,” the official said, adding that the technology has been patented in Taiwan, Japan and the U.S.

First presented in 1989 by IOCG, the Laudise Prize honors significant technological contributions to the field of crystal growth. Past winners include Isamu Akasaki, recipient of the 2014 Nobel Prize in physics, and Junichi Nishizawa, recipient of the 2000 Edison Medal of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=245304&ctNode=2194&mp=9)