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

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

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 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.

Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (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

Journal Information:: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 111; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
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Design of Integrated III-Nitride/Non-III-Nitride Tandem Photovoltaic Devices

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