P-N and N-P GaInAsP solar cells: technology and material analysis

Author

Hardingham, C. ; Cross, T.A. ; Burrage, J. ; Goodbody, C.

Author_Institution

EEV Ltd., Chelmsford, UK

Volume

2

fYear

1994

fDate

5-9 Dec 1994

Firstpage

2181

Abstract

Ga_xIn_1-xAs_yP_1-y (1.43 to 1.88 eV bandgap) single junction solar cells, lattice matched to GaAs, can be produced, which are tailored to a particular solar spectrum. This enables the use of GaInAsP cells as high efficiency single junction cells, or as a top cell for either mechanically stacked or monolithically grown tandem cells. In this paper we report material properties and large area (4 cm²) device performance of p-n and n-p GaInAsP solar cells, for tandem cell applications, grown by MOVPE and gas-source MBE respectively. Fabrication of solar cell flight samples is described. Planar EBIC imaging, and infrared imaging of the cells in their light emitting diode mode to reveal structural defects, is presented

Keywords

EBIC; III-V semiconductors; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; infrared imaging; molecular beam epitaxial growth; p-n junctions; photovoltaic power systems; semiconductor epitaxial layers; semiconductor growth; semiconductor materials; solar cells; space vehicle power plants; vapour phase epitaxial growth; 1.43 to 1.88 EeV; Ga_xIn_1-xAs_yP_1-y solar cells; GaInAsP; MOVPE; fabrication; gas-source MBE; infrared imaging; light emitting diode mode; mechanically stacked tandem cells; monolithically grown tandem cells; n-p GaInAsP solar cells; p-n GaInAsP solar cells; planar EBIC imaging; single junction solar cells; solar cell flight samples; structural defects; tandem cell applications; Epitaxial growth; Epitaxial layers; Fabrication; Gallium arsenide; Infrared imaging; Lattices; Material properties; Optical imaging; Photonic band gap; Photovoltaic cells;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 1994., Conference Record of the Twenty Fourth. IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - 1994, 1994 IEEE First World Conference on

Conference_Location

Waikoloa, HI

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1460-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/WCPEC.1994.521655

Filename

521655