Title :
Voltage-matched, two-terminal, GaAs (AlGaAs)/CuInSe2 tandem solar cells
Author :
Kim, N.P. ; Stewart, J.M. ; Stanbery, B.J. ; Mickelsen, R.A. ; Devaney, W.E. ; Chen, W.S. ; Burgess, R.M. ; McClelland, R.W. ; Shastry, S. ; Dingle, J. ; Hill, D.S. ; Dingle, B.D. ; Gale, R.P.
Author_Institution :
Boeing Defense & Space, Seattle, WA, USA
Abstract :
Mechanically stacked tandem solar cells based on GaAs thin-film single-crystal top cells and CuInSe2 (CIS) bottom cells were developed to meet the weight and radiation-resistance requirements of advanced spacecraft power systems. Efficiencies over 23% have been demonstrated with these cells in a four-terminal configuration. In order to use the device as a direct replacement for conventional single-junction cells with existing array designs. a two-terminal, voltage-matched tandem cell with 8 cm2 area has been designed and fabricated. Tandem cells with efficiencies over 20% have been demonstrated with this design. AlGaAs high-bandgap cells have been demonstrated with efficiency over 17% for future AlGaAs/ClS tandem cells capable of higher end-of-life efficiency. The performance of the two-terminal tandem cells and the AlGaAs high-bandgap cell are described
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; copper compounds; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; semiconductor thin films; solar cells; space vehicle power plants; ternary semiconductors; AlGaAs high-bandgap; four-terminal configuration; mechanically stacked; radiation-resistance; single-crystal top cells; spacecraft power systems; tandem solar cells; thin-film; two-terminal solar cells; voltage matched; Circuit analysis; Computational Intelligence Society; Fabrication; Gallium arsenide; Integrated circuit interconnections; Low earth orbit satellites; Performance analysis; Photovoltaic cells; Temperature sensors; Voltage;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1991., Conference Record of the Twenty Second IEEE
Conference_Location :
Las Vegas, NV
Print_ISBN :
0-87942-636-5
DOI :
10.1109/PVSC.1991.169184
