Title :
Lattice-matched and metamorphic GaInP/GaInAs/Ge concentrator solar cells
Author :
King, R.R. ; Fetzer, C.M. ; Colter, P.C. ; Edmondson, K.M. ; Law, D.C. ; Stavrides, A.P. ; Yoon, H. ; Kinsey, G.S. ; Cotal, H.L. ; Ermer, J.H. ; Sherif, R.A. ; Emery, K. ; Metzger, W. ; Ahrenkiel, R.K. ; Karam, N.H.
Author_Institution :
Spectrolab Inc., Sylmar, CA, USA
Abstract :
Recent developments in epitaxial III-V multijunction solar cell technology have allowed concentrator and 1-sun cells to reach new heights in efficiency under the terrestrial solar spectrum. The bandgaps of the GaInP and GaInAs subcells are controlled by varying indium content, up to 12% indium in the GaInAs middle cell, or 0.8% lattice mismatch. Shockley-Read-Hall recombination at dislocations in such metamorphic cells has been restricted to lower levels than previously achieved, and is compared to the lattice-matched case. Terrestrial GaInP/GaInAs/Ge 3-junction cells have been produced at Spectrolab with record efficiencies independently verified at NREL, of 31.3% for metamorphic 1-sun cells and 32.0% for lattice-matched 1-sun cells (25/spl deg/C, AM1.5G, 4.00 cm/sup 2/), and 35.2% for lattice-matched concentrator cells under the AM1.5 Direct, low-AOD spectrum (25/spl deg/C, 66 suns, 0.26 cm/sup 2/).
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; energy gap; gallium compounds; indium compounds; solar cells; 1-sun cell; 3-junction cell; 31.3 percent; 32.0 percent; 35.2 percent; GaInP-GaInAs-Ge; Ge; Shockley-Read-Hall recombination; bandgap; concentrator solar cell; dislocation; efficiency; metamorphic cell; terrestrial solar spectrum;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 2003. Proceedings of 3rd World Conference on
Conference_Location :
Osaka, Japan
Print_ISBN :
4-9901816-0-3
