METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RESTORATION OF DEFECT OF PHOTOVOLTAIC ELEMENT AS WELL AS PHOTOVOLTAIC ELEMENT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus, for the restoration of the defect of a photovoltaic element, in which a leakage current due to the defect part or the pinhole of an integrated photovoltaic element is reduced, in which an electromotive characteristic in a low-illuminance part is restored, so as to be capable of manufacturing the photovoltaic element having a good characteristic and in which the productivity and the reliability of the photovoltaic element are superior, and to provide the photovoltaic element. SOLUTION: In the restoration method for the defect of the photovoltaic element, the short-circuit part of the photovoltaic element is passivation-restored through a wet electrolytic method. The photovoltaic element is the integrated photovoltaic element in which a plurality of elements are arranged in series on the same substrate. The integrated photovoltaic element is used as an electrode on one side. A counter electrode is arranged so as to be adjacent to the electrode. The integrated photovoltaic element and the counter electrode are immersed in a passivation solution. A constant voltage is applied selectively across the integrated photovoltaic element and the counter electrode. A voltage, which is applied to a part outside the region of the counter electrode, is set at 0.1 or smaller of a voltage which is applied to the region of the counter electrode.