Title :
High-efficiency p/n In0.53Ga0.47As solar cell for tandem applications
Author :
Bensaoula, A. ; Medelci, N. ; Vilela, M.F. ; Freundlich, A. ; Taylor, S. ; Beaumont, B.
Author_Institution :
Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center, Houston Univ., TX, USA
Abstract :
InP-based multijunction tandem solar cells show great promise for high conversion efficiency (η) and high radiation resistance. InP and its related ternary and quaternary compound semiconductors such InGaAs and InGaAsP offer desirable combinations of energy bandgap values which are very suitable for multijunction tandem solar cell applications. In this work we present results on an InGaAs solar cell with a very high current density 60 mA/cm2 (the highest ever reported) with a η=10.2% under natural sunlight, an InP solar cell with η=13% under natural sunlight without anti-reflection coating, and preliminary results about a tandem InP/InGaAs solar cell. It is shown that a patterned tunnel junction is necessary to allow current matching in the tandem by avoiding photons absorption in the InGaAs tunnel junction
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; antireflection coatings; current density; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; solar cells; tunnelling; 10.2 percent; 13 percent; In0.53Ga0.47As; InGaAs tunnel junction; InP-InGaAs; InP-based p-n solar cells; anti-reflection coating; current matching; energy bandgap values; high current density; high radiation resistance; high-efficiency cells; multijunction tandem solar cells; patterned tunnel junction; Coatings; Current density; Dielectric materials; Epitaxial growth; Indium gallium arsenide; Indium phosphide; Photoconductivity; Photovoltaic cells; Temperature; Voltage;
Conference_Titel :
Indium Phosphide and Related Materials, 1994. Conference Proceedings., Sixth International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Santa Barbara, CA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-1476-X
DOI :
10.1109/ICIPRM.1994.328221
