Title :
Lightweight tandem GaAs/CuInSe2 solar cells
Author :
Stanbery, B.J. ; King, B.D. ; Burgess, R.M. ; McClelland, R.W. ; Kim, N.P. ; Gale, R.P. ; Mickelsen, R.A.
Author_Institution :
Boeing Electron., Seattle, WA, USA
fDate :
2/1/1990 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
High-efficiency, ultralightweight, mechanically stacked 4-cm2 thin-film tandem solar cells are discussed. The tandem stack consists of a single-crystal, thin-film Ga(Al)As cell fabricated by the cleavage of lateral epitaxy for transfer (CLEFT) process and adhesively bonded to the top of a CdZnS/CuInSe2 polycrystalline thin-film cell deposited on glass. Maximum tandem efficiency in a four-terminal configuration of 21.6% AM0 have been demonstrated. This represents the highest thin-film cell efficiency reported to date. Individual subcells with efficiencies of 19.5% for CLEFT GaAs and 3.0% for CuInSe2 have also been achieved. Cell specific power as high as 600 W/kg has been achieved with a 4-cm2 cell weight of 188 mg without coverglass, at an efficiency of 20.8% AM0
Keywords :
II-VI semiconductors; III-V semiconductors; cadmium compounds; copper compounds; gallium arsenide; semiconductor junctions; semiconductor technology; solar cells; ternary semiconductors; 188 mg; 21.6 to 19.5 percent; 3 percent; AM0; CLEFT; CdZnS-CuInSe2; GaAlAs; GaAs-CuInSe2; adhesively bonded; cell weight; cleavage of lateral epitaxy for transfer; efficiency; four-terminal configuration; lightweight solar cells; power to mass ratios; specific power; thin-film tandem solar cells; ultralightweight; Coatings; Epitaxial growth; Fabrication; Gallium arsenide; Glass; Photovoltaic cells; Power system measurements; Space technology; Sputtering; Transistors;
Journal_Title :
Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on
