Design of Integrated III-Nitride/Non-III-Nitride Tandem Photovoltaic Devices

Toledo, Nicholas G.; Friedman, Daniel. J.; Farrell, Robert M.; Perl, Emmett E.; Lin, Chieh-Ting; Bowers, John E.; Speck, James S.; Mishra, Umesh K.

doi:10.1063/1.3690907

Title: Design of Integrated III-Nitride/Non-III-Nitride Tandem Photovoltaic Devices

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2012 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3690907· OSTI ID:1047345

Toledo, Nicholas G.; Friedman, Daniel. J.; Farrell, Robert M.; Perl, Emmett E.; Lin, Chieh-Ting ^[1]; Bowers, John E.; Speck, James S.; Mishra, Umesh K.

Tony

The integration of III-nitride and non-III-nitride materials for tandem solar cell applications can improve the efficiency of the photovoltaic device due to the added power contributed by the III-nitride top cell to that of high-efficiency multi-junction non-III-nitride solar cells if the device components are properly designed and optimized. The proposed tandem solar cell is comprised of a III-nitride top cell bonded to a non-III-nitride, series-constrained, multi-junction subcell. The top cell is electrically isolated, but optically coupled to the underlying subcell. The use of a III-nitride top cell is potentially beneficial when the top junction of a stand-alone non-III-nitride subcell generates more photocurrent than the limiting current of the non-III-nitride subcell. Light producing this excess current can either be redirected to the III-nitride top cell through high energy photon absorption, redirected to the lower junctions through layer thickness optimization, or a combination of both, resulting in improved total efficiency. When the non-III-nitride cell's top junction is the limiting junction, the minimum power conversion efficiency that the III-nitride top cell must contribute should compensate for the spectrum filtered from the multi-junction subcell for this design to be useful. As the III-nitride absorption edge wavelength, {lambda}{sub N}, increases, the performance of the multi-junction subcell decreases due to spectral filtering. In the most common spectra of interest (AM1.5G, AM1.5 D, and AM0), the technology to grow InGaN cells with {lambda}{sub N}<520 nm is found to be sufficient for III-nitride top cell applications. The external quantum efficiency performance, however, of state-of-the-art InGaN solar cells still needs to be improved. The effects of surface/interface reflections are also presented. The management of these reflection issues determines the feasibility of the integrated III-nitride/non-III-nitride design to improve overall cell efficiency.

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Solar Energy Technologies Program

DOE Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1047345

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5200-55129; JAPIAU; TRN: US201216%%205

Journal Information:: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 111, Issue 5; Related Information: Article No. 054503; ISSN 0021-8979

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (18)

High quantum efficiency InGaN/GaN solar cells with 2.95 eV band gap Neufeld, Carl J.; Toledo, Nikholas G.; Cruz, Samantha C. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 93, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2988894	journal	October 2008
Simulation of In _0.65 Ga _0.35 N single-junction solar cell Zhang, Xiaobin; Wang, Xiaoliang; Xiao, Hongling Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, Vol. 40, Issue 23 https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/40/23/013	journal	November 2007
Design and characterization of GaN∕InGaN solar cells Jani, Omkar; Ferguson, Ian; Honsberg, Christiana Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 91, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2793180	journal	September 2007
Unusual properties of the fundamental band gap of InN Wu, J.; Walukiewicz, W.; Yu, K. M. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 80, Issue 21 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1482786	journal	May 2002
Optical bandgap energy of wurtzite InN Matsuoka, Takashi; Okamoto, Hiroshi; Nakao, Masashi Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 81, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1499753	journal	August 2002
Absorption coefficient, energy gap, exciton binding energy, and recombination lifetime of GaN obtained from transmission measurements Muth, J. F.; Lee, J. H.; Shmagin, I. K. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 71, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.120191	journal	November 1997
Phase separation in InGaN thick films and formation of InGaN/GaN double heterostructures in the entire alloy composition Singh, R.; Doppalapudi, D.; Moustakas, T. D. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 70, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.118493	journal	March 1997
Modeling of InGaN MOVPE in AIX 200 Reactor and AIX 2000 HT Planetary Reactor Talalaev, R. A.; Yakovlev, E. V.; Karpov, S. Yu. MRS Internet Journal of Nitride Semiconductor Research, Vol. 4, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1557/S1092578300000612	journal	January 1999
Electrical characterization of GaN p-n junctions with and without threading dislocations Kozodoy, P.; Ibbetson, J. P.; Marchand, H. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 73, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.122057	journal	August 1998
Formation of V-shaped pits in InGaN/GaN multiquantum wells and bulk InGaN films Kim, Ig-Hyeon; Park, Hyeong-Soo; Park, Yong-Jo Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 73, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.122229	journal	September 1998
Modeling of two‐junction, series‐connected tandem solar cells using top‐cell thickness as an adjustable parameter Kurtz, Sarah R.; Faine, P.; Olson, J. M. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 68, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.347177	journal	August 1990
Limiting efficiencies of ideal single and multiple energy gap terrestrial solar cells Henry, C. H. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 51, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.328272	journal	August 1980
High external quantum efficiency and fill-factor InGaN/GaN heterojunction solar cells grown by NH3-based molecular beam epitaxy Lang, J. R.; Neufeld, C. J.; Hurni, C. A. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 98, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3575563	journal	March 2011
Accuracy of analytical expressions for solar cell fill factors Green, Martin A. Solar Cells, Vol. 7, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/0379-6787(82)90057-6	journal	December 1982
40.8% efficient inverted triple-junction solar cell with two independently metamorphic junctions Geisz, J. F.; Friedman, D. J.; Ward, J. S. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 93, Issue 12, Article No. 123505 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2988497	journal	September 2008
Small band gap bowing in In1−xGaxN alloys Wu, J.; Walukiewicz, W.; Yu, K. M. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 80, Issue 25 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1489481	journal	June 2002
High quantum efficiency InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well solar cells with spectral response extending out to 520 nm Farrell, R. M.; Neufeld, C. J.; Cruz, S. C. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 98, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3591976	journal	May 2011
High internal and external quantum efficiency InGaN/GaN solar cells Matioli, Elison; Neufeld, Carl; Iza, Michael Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 98, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3540501	journal	January 2011

Similar Records

Ultra-Thin, Triple-Bandgap GaInP/GaAs/GaInAs Monolithic Tandem Solar Cells

Conference · Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2007 · OSTI ID:1047345

Wanlass, M W; Ahrenkiel, S P; Albin, D S; +8 more

Realization of GaInP/Si dual-junction solar cells with 29.8% 1-sun efficiency

Journal Article · Wed Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics · OSTI ID:1047345

Essig, Stephanie; Steiner, Myles A.; Allebe, Christophe; +13 more

Triple-junction solar cells with 39.5% terrestrial and 34.2% space efficiency enabled by thick quantum well superlattices

Journal Article · Wed May 18 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Joule · OSTI ID:1047345

France, Ryan M.; Geisz, John F.; Song, Tao; +4 more

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ABSORPTION
CONVERSION
DESIGN
EFFICIENCY
GALLIUM NITRIDES
INDIUM NITRIDES
LAYERS
MATERIALS
OPTIMIZATION
PERFORMANCE
PHOTOCURRENTS
PHOTONS
POWER
QUANTUM EFFICIENCY
REFLECTION
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SOLAR CELLS
SPECTRA
THICKNESS
USES
VISIBLE RADIATION
solar cells
converters
spectral methods
quantum efficiency
band gap
photovoltaics
acoustic filters
photoconductivity
nitrides
tectonophysics

Title: Design of Integrated III-Nitride/Non-III-Nitride Tandem Photovoltaic Devices

Citation Formats

References (18)

Similar Records

Related Subjects