Title :
A germanium back-contact type cell for thermophotovoltaic applications
Author :
Nagashima, Tomonori ; Okumura, Kenichi ; Murata, Kentaro ; Yamaguchi, Masafumi
Author_Institution :
Future Project Div., Toyota Motor Corp., Shizuoka, Japan
Abstract :
Reducing resistance loss for high current densities caused by high incident light energy is important in thermophotovoltaic cells. In hope of resolving this problem, we propose a Ge back-contact type cell. This cell has no front grid contact preventing light absorption, and has large area contacts at the back. Consequently, this structure is able to reduce resistance loss, and is suitable for thermophotovoltaic applications. Calculated efficiency is about 34% for infrared light with a wavelength range of 1500 - 1600 nm and light energy of 10 W/cm/sup 2/. In experimental results, an efficiency of 6.0% for solar light of AM 1.5G was obtained by using SiN/sub x/ passivation layers. We estimated that efficiency is about 22% for the infrared light.
Keywords :
current density; elemental semiconductors; germanium; passivation; semiconductor device models; silicon compounds; thermophotovoltaic cells; 1500 to 1600 nm; 22 percent; 34 percent; 6.0 percent; Ge-SiN/sub x/; SiN/sub x/ passivation layers; current density; germanium back-contact type cell; incident light energy; infrared light; light absorption; resistance loss; solar light; thermophotovoltaic cell;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 2003. Proceedings of 3rd World Conference on
Conference_Location :
Osaka, Japan
Print_ISBN :
4-9901816-0-3
