Title :
Next-generation, high-efficiency III-V multijunction solar cells
Author :
King, R.R. ; Karam, N.H. ; Ermer, J.H. ; Haddad, M. ; Colter, P. ; Isshiki, T. ; Yoon, H. ; Cotal, H.L. ; Joslin, D.E. ; Krut, D.D. ; Sudharsanan, R. ; Edmondson, K. ; Cavicchi, B.T. ; Lillington, D.R.
Author_Institution :
Spectrolab Inc., Sylmar, CA, USA
Abstract :
Next-generation solar cell approaches such as AlGaInP/GaAs/GaInNAs/Ge 4-junction cells, lattice-mismatched GaInP/GaInAs/Ge, concentrator cells, and improved 3-junction device structures hold the promise of greater efficiency than even today´s highly successful multijunction cells. Wide-bandgap tunnel junctions, improved heterointerfaces, and other device structure improvements have resulted in several record-efficiency GaInP/GaAs/Ge cell results. Triple-junction (3J) cells grown in this work have demonstrated 29.3% efficiency for space (AMO, 1 sun). Space concentrator 3J cells have efficiency up to 30.0% at low concentration (AMO, 7.6 suns), and terrestrial concentrator cells grown at Spectrolab and processed at NREL have reached 32.3% (AM1.5D, 440 suns)
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; elemental semiconductors; gallium arsenide; gallium compounds; germanium; indium compounds; p-n heterojunctions; solar cells; solar energy concentrators; space vehicle power plants; 29.3 to 32.3 percent; 3-junction device structures; AlGaInP-GaAs-GaInNAs-Ge; AlGaInP/GaAs/GaInNAs/Ge 4-junction cells; GaInP-GaInAs-Ge; NREL; Spectrolab; heterointerfaces; high-efficiency III-V multijunction solar cells; lattice-mismatched GaInP/GaInAs/Ge concentrator cells; next-generation solar cell; space concentrator cells; terrestrial concentrator cells; wide-bandgap tunnel junctions; Crystallization; Electromagnetic wave absorption; Epitaxial layers; Gallium arsenide; III-V semiconductor materials; Photovoltaic cells; Radiative recombination; Sun; Voltage; 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.2000.916054
