Title :
The use of III-V quantum heterostructures in PV: thermodynamic issues
Author :
Mazzer, M. ; Barnham, K.W.J. ; Ekins-Daukes, Ned ; Bushnell, D.B. ; Connolly, James
Author_Institution :
Inst. per la Microelectron., Consiglio Nat. delle Res., UK
Abstract :
Can the efficiency enhancement in (single photon) III-V multi-quantum well photovoltaic cells be explained without violating the second law of thermodynamics? In the first part of the paper we present and discuss a tentative solution of the problem. In the second part, the reduction of power losses associated to carrier thermalisation in high efficiency cells is discussed from the point of view of how to engineer the spectral properties of the radiation source. Particular attention is devoted to a thermodynamic model we have recently develop to explain the behaviour of a wide class of selective emitters for thermophotovoltaic applications.
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; Seebeck effect; alumina; aluminium compounds; erbium; gallium arsenide; hot carriers; nonequilibrium thermodynamics; photoluminescence; semiconductor quantum wells; semiconductor superlattices; solar energy conversion; thermophotovoltaic cells; Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/:Er; AlGaAs-GaAs; III-V multiquantum well; III-V quantum heterostructure; carrier thermalisation; high efficiency cell; photovoltaic cell; power loss reduction; radiation source; selective emitter; spectral properties; tentative solution; thermodynamic model; thermodynamics second law; thermophotovoltaic application;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 2003. Proceedings of 3rd World Conference on
Conference_Location :
Osaka, Japan
Print_ISBN :
4-9901816-0-3
