Title :
GaInP2 and GaAs solar cells grown on Si substrate
Author_Institution :
TECSTAR, CA, USA
Abstract :
Large size Si substrates coated with a thin layer of single crystal Ge were used to grow GaAs and GaInP2 solar cells using MOCVD. Preliminary evaluation indicated: (1) both GaAs and GaInP 2 were highly crystalline epi-layers; (2) quantum efficiency of GaInP2 cell on Si substrate can reach 94% of high quality GaInP2 on Ge substrate and that of GaAs cell on Si substrate can reach 83.4%; and (3) a 5000 thermal cycle test of temperature range from +170°C to -100°C did not damage the solar cell. These results showed that a properly prepared Ge layer on Si can relax strain and grow a high quality GaInP2 and GaAs solar cell, with a practical efficiency for space application
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; MOCVD; MOCVD coatings; elemental semiconductors; gallium arsenide; gallium compounds; indium compounds; semiconductor growth; silicon; solar cells; space vehicle power plants; substrates; thermal analysis; 170 to -100 C; 5000 thermal cycle test; GaAs; GaAs solar cells; GaInP2; GaInP2 solar cells; Ge substrate; MOCVD; Si; Si substrate; crystalline epi-layers; photoluminescence; quantum efficiency; single crystal Ge; space application; strain relaxation; temperature range; thin layer; Cities and towns; Costs; Crystallization; Gallium arsenide; MOCVD; Photovoltaic cells; Substrates; Temperature; Testing; X-ray diffraction;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2000. Conference Record of the Twenty-Eighth IEEE
Conference_Location :
Anchorage, AK
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5772-8
DOI :
10.1109/PVSC.2000.916116
