Single P-N junction tandem photovoltaic device

Walukiewicz, Wladyslaw; Yu, Kin Man

Single P-N junction tandem photovoltaic device

Patent · 18 October 2011

OSTI ID:1028778

Walukiewicz, Wladyslaw ^[1]; Yu, Kin Man ^[2]

Kensington, CA
Lafayette, CA

A single P-N junction solar cell is provided having two depletion regions for charge separation while allowing the electrons and holes to recombine such that the voltages associated with both depletion regions of the solar cell will add together. The single p-n junction solar cell includes an alloy of either InGaN or InAlN formed on one side of the P-N junction with Si formed on the other side in order to produce characteristics of a two junction (2J) tandem solar cell through only a single P-N junction. A single P-N junction solar cell having tandem solar cell characteristics will achieve power conversion efficiencies exceeding 30%.

View Patent

Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

DOE Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

Assignee:: RoseStreet Labs Energy, Inc. (Phoenix, AZ)

Patent Number(s):: 8,039,740

Application Number:: 11/777,963

OSTI ID:: 1028778

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (24)

Synthesis of GaNxAs1−x thin films by pulsed laser melting and rapid thermal annealing of N+-implanted GaAs Yu, K. M.; Walukiewicz, W.; Scarpulla, M. A. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 94, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1582393	journal	July 2003
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
Growth of InN and InGaN on Si substrate for solar cell applications Yamaguchi, T.; Morioka, C.; Mizuo, K. 2003 International Symposium on Compound Semiconductors: Post-Conference Proceedings (IEEE Cat. No.03TH8767) https://doi.org/10.1109/ISCSPC.2003.1354457	conference	January 2004
Multicolor Light-Emitting Diodes Based on Semiconductor Nanocrystals Encapsulated in GaN Charge Injection Layers Mueller, Alexander H.; Petruska, Melissa A.; Achermann, Marc Nano Letters, Vol. 5, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1021/nl050384x	journal	June 2005
The role of the interfacial layer in Schottky barrier solar cells Swami, N. K.; Srivastava, S.; Ghule, H. M. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, Vol. 12, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/12/5/018	journal	May 1979
Electrical characteristics of InAsSb/GaSb heterojunctions Srivastava, A. K.; Zyskind, J. L.; Lum, R. M. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 49, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.97077	journal	July 1986
Limitations and Possibilities for Improvement of Photovoltaic Solar Energy Converters: Part I: Considerations for Earth's Surface Operation Wolf, M. Proceedings of the IRE, Vol. 48, Issue 7, p. 1246-1263 https://doi.org/10.1109/JRPROC.1960.287647	journal	July 1960
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
III–V compound multi-junction solar cells: present and future Yamaguchi, M. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 75, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0927-0248(02)00168-X	journal	January 2003
Characterization and analysis of InGaN photovoltaic devices Jani, O.; Honsberg, C.; Asghar, A. Conference Record of the Thirty-first IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2005.1488064	conference	January 2005
Schottky‐barrier solar‐cell calculations Pulfrey, D. L.; McOuat, R. F. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 24, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1655138	journal	February 1974
Third-derivative modulation spectroscopy with low-field electroreflectance Aspnes, D. E. Surface Science, Vol. 37 https://doi.org/10.1016/0039-6028(73)90337-3	journal	June 1973
Fermi-level stabilization energy in group III nitrides Li, S. X.; Yu, K. M.; Wu, J. Physical Review B, Vol. 71, Issue 16 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.71.161201	journal	April 2005
Structure and electronic properties of InN and In-rich group III-nitride alloys Walukiewicz, W.; Ager, J. W.; Yu, K. M. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, Vol. 39, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/39/5/R01	journal	February 2006
Peaked Schottky‐barrier solar cells by Al‐Si metallurgical reactions Card, H. C.; Yang, E. S.; Panayotatos, P. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 30, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.89269	journal	June 1977
Superior radiation resistance of In1−xGaxN alloys: Full-solar-spectrum photovoltaic material system Wu, J.; Walukiewicz, W.; Yu, K. M. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 94, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1618353	journal	November 2003
In _{1− x} Ga _x As‐GaSb _{1− y} As _y heterojunctions by molecular beam epitaxy Sakaki, H.; Chang, L. L.; Ludeke, R. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 31, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.89609	journal	August 1977
Increasing the Efficiency of Ideal Solar Cells by Photon Induced Transitions at Intermediate Levels Luque, Antonio; Martí, Antonio Physical Review Letters, Vol. 78, Issue 26 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.5014	journal	June 1997
Design, Growth, Fabrication and Characterization of High-Band Gap InGaN/GaN Solar Cells Jani, Omkar; Honsberg, Christiana; Huang, Yong 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conference https://doi.org/10.1109/WCPEC.2006.279337	conference	May 2006
Valence‐band discontinuities of wurtzite GaN, AlN, and InN heterojunctions measured by x‐ray photoemission spectroscopy Martin, G.; Botchkarev, A.; Rockett, A. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 68, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.116177	journal	April 1996
n ‐indium tin oxide/ p ‐indium phosphide solar cells Sree Harsha, K. S.; Bachmann, K. J.; Schmidt, P. H. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 30, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.89270	journal	June 1977
29.5%‐efficient GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cells Bertness, K. A.; Kurtz, Sarah R.; Friedman, D. J. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 65, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.112171	journal	August 1994
Projected performance of three- and four-junction devices using GaAs and GaInP Kurtz, S. R.; Myers, D.; Olson, J. M. Conference Record of the Twenty Sixth IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - 1997 https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.1997.654226	conference	January 1997
Band Anticrossing in GaInNAs Alloys Shan, W.; Walukiewicz, W.; Ager, J. W. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 82, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.1221	journal	February 1999

Similar Records

Single P-N junction tandem photovoltaic device

Patent · 2012 · OSTI ID:1039888

Tandem solar cell

Thesis/Dissertation · 1985 · OSTI ID:6819216

The spectral p-n junction model for tandem solar-cell design

Journal Article · 1987 · IEEE Trans. Electron Devices; (United States) · OSTI ID:5629198

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY

Single P-N junction tandem photovoltaic device

Citation Formats

References (24)

Similar Records

Related Subjects