Advances in production MBE grown GaInP/GaAs cascade solar cells

Author

Leinonen, P. ; Pessa, M. ; Haapamaa, J. ; Rakennus, K.

Author_Institution

Optoelectron. Res. Centre, Tampere Univ. of Technol., Finland

fYear

2000

fDate

2000

Firstpage

1177

Lastpage

1180

Abstract

GaInP/GaAs cascade solar cells with varying top cell base layer thickness were grown by production solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The MBE growth was optimized with special control over growth related defects resulting in a beginning of life conversion efficiency of 23.2% for a 2×2 cm² solar cell. Consistent results were obtained with a balloon calibration. An end of life efficiency of 19.8% and power remaining factor of 0.91 were obtained for these cells after 10¹⁵ cm^-2 1 MeV electron irradiation. The good radiation resistance was attributed to the GaInP top cell dominated degradation and graded doping profiles of the top cell

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; electron beam effects; gallium arsenide; gallium compounds; indium compounds; molecular beam epitaxial growth; semiconductor device manufacture; semiconductor device measurement; semiconductor device testing; semiconductor doping; semiconductor growth; solar cells; 1 MeV; 19.8 percent; 2 cm; 23.2 percent; GaInP top cell dominated degradation; GaInP-GaAs; MBE grown GaInP/GaAs cascade solar cells; balloon calibration; beginning of life conversion efficiency; electron irradiation; end of life efficiency; graded doping profiles; growth related defects; power remaining factor; production advances; production solid source molecular beam epitaxy; radiation resistance; top cell base layer thickness; Doping; Epitaxial growth; Epitaxial layers; Gallium arsenide; Inductors; Molecular beam epitaxial growth; Optimized production technology; Photovoltaic cells; Solids; Substrates;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2000. Conference Record of the Twenty-Eighth IEEE

Conference_Location

Anchorage, AK

ISSN

0160-8371

Print_ISBN

0-7803-5772-8

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.2000.916098

Filename

916098