InGaSb Defect Filter Layer to Improve Performance of GaSb Solar Cells Grown on GaAs Substrates

Mansoori, Ahmad; Addamane, Sadhvikas Jayachandra; Renteria, Emma J.; Shima, Darryl M.; Balakrishnan, Ganesh

doi:10.1007/s11664-020-08490-3

InGaSb Defect Filter Layer to Improve Performance of GaSb Solar Cells Grown on GaAs Substrates

Journal Article · Tue Oct 06 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Journal of Electronic Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-020-08490-3· OSTI ID:1760369

Mansoori, Ahmad ^[1]; Addamane, Sadhvikas Jayachandra ^[2]; Renteria, Emma J. ^[1]; Shima, Darryl M. ^[1]; Balakrishnan, Ganesh ^[1]

Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

The reduction of the threading dislocation density in metamorphic GaSb grown on GaAs substrates through the use of InGaSb defect filter layers has been investigated. More specifically, we study the effects of strain and thickness on the ability of a InGaSb defect filter layer to reduce threading dislocations in GaSb solar cells grown on GaAs substrates. The strain between the GaSb metamorphic layer on GaAs substrate (99.5% relaxed) and the InGaSb defect filter layer is varied by changing the indium composition in the InGaSb layer. Here, it is demonstrated that an InGaSb defect filter layer with 0.6% strain is more effective for blocking threading dislocations compared with higher-strain layers, resulting in improved short-circuit current (J_sc) and open-circuit voltage (V_oc) for the metamorphic GaSb solar cell. The optimization of the defect filter layer involves varying the thickness of the layer to achieve the lowest possible threading dislocation density. This also takes into account the critical thickness of the InGaSb layer on GaSb to avoid generation of threading dislocations from the InGaSb layer itself. It is shown that adding an In_0.11Ga_0.89Sb defect filter layer with thickness of 250 nm and 0.6% strain beneath a GaSb solar cell grown on a GaAs substrate improves V_oc from 0.1 V to 0.16 V and J_sc from 19.7 mA/cm² to 24.7 mA/cm².

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

OSTI ID:: 1760369

Report Number(s):: SAND--2020-13825J; 692979

Journal Information:: Journal of Electronic Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Electronic Materials Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 49; ISSN 0361-5235

Publisher:: SpringerCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (26)

Wafer bonded four-junction GaInP/GaAs//GaInAsP/GaInAs concentrator solar cells with 44.7% efficiency: Wafer bonded four-junction concentrator solar cells with 44.7% efficiency Dimroth, Frank; Grave, Matthias; Beutel, Paul Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, Vol. 22, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.2475	journal	January 2014
Corrigendum to ‘Solar cell efficiency tables (version 49)’[Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl. 2017; 25:3-13]: Corrigendum to ‘Solar cell efficiency tables (version 49)’[Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl. 2017; 25:3-13] Green, Martin A. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, Vol. 25, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.2876	journal	February 2017
Solar cell efficiency tables (version 52) Green, Martin A.; Hishikawa, Yoshihiro; Dunlop, Ewan D. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, Vol. 26, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.3040	journal	June 2018
InGaP/GaAs-based multijunction solar cells Takamoto, Tatsuya; Kaneiwa, Minoru; Imaizumi, Mitsuru Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, Vol. 13, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.642	journal	January 2005
The measurement of threading dislocation densities in semiconductor crystals by X-ray diffraction Ayers, J. E. Journal of Crystal Growth, Vol. 135, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0248(94)90727-7	journal	January 1994
Use of misfit strain to remove dislocations from epitaxial thin films Matthews, J. W.; Blakeslee, A. E.; Mader, S. Thin Solid Films, Vol. 33, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-6090(76)90085-7	journal	April 1976
Progress and challenges for next-generation high-efficiency multijunction solar cells Friedman, D. J. Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science, Vol. 14, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cossms.2010.07.001	journal	December 2010
Dependence of the AlSb buffers on GaSb/GaAs(001) heterostructures Kim, H. S.; Noh, Y. K.; Kim, M. D. Journal of Crystal Growth, Vol. 301-302 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2006.11.223	journal	April 2007
Reducing threading dislocation density in GaSb photovoltaic devices on GaAs by using AlSb dislocation filtering layers Mansoori, A.; Addamane, S. J.; Renteria, E. J. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 185 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2018.05.008	journal	October 2018
Antimonide-based compound semiconductors for electronic devices: A review Bennett, Brian R.; Magno, Richard; Boos, J. Brad Solid-State Electronics, Vol. 49, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sse.2005.09.008	journal	December 2005
Molecular beam epitaxy of GaSb on GaAs substrates with AlSb/GaSb compound buffer layers Hao, Ruiting; Deng, Shukang; Shen, Lanxian Thin Solid Films, Vol. 519, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2010.08.001	journal	October 2010
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
Estimating the band discontinuity at GaInSb/GaSb heterojunction by investigation of single-quantum well photoluminescence Donati, G. P.; Kaspi, R.; Malloy, K. J. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 93, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1527972	journal	January 2003
2.0 μm wavelength InAs quantum dashes grown on a GaAs substrate using a metamorphic buffer layer Balakrishnan, Ganesh; Huang, Shenghong; Rotter, Thomas J. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 84, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1669067	journal	March 2004
40% efficient metamorphic GaInP∕GaInAs∕Ge multijunction solar cells King, R. R.; Law, D. C.; Edmondson, K. M. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 90, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2734507	journal	April 2007
Transmission electron microscopy investigation of dislocation bending by GaAsP/GaAs strained‐layer superlattices on heteroepitaxial GaAs/Si Whelan, J. S.; George, T.; Weber, E. R. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 68, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.347049	journal	November 1990
Strain relief at the GaSb/GaAs interface versus substrate surface treatment and AlSb interlayers thickness Wang, Y.; Ruterana, P.; Desplanque, L. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 109, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3532053	journal	January 2011
GaSb solar cells grown on GaAs via interfacial misfit arrays for use in the III-Sb multi-junction cell Nelson, George T.; Juang, Bor-Chau; Slocum, Michael A. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 111, Issue 23 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4991548	journal	December 2017
Calculation of critical layer thickness versus lattice mismatch for Ge _x Si _{1− x} /Si strained‐layer heterostructures People, R.; Bean, J. C. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 47, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.96206	journal	August 1985
AlAsSb/GaSb doped distributed Bragg reflectors for electrically pumped VCSELs emitting around 2.3 µm Perona, A.; Garnache, A.; Cerutti, L. Semiconductor Science and Technology, Vol. 22, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1088/0268-1242/22/10/010	journal	September 2007
Reduction of hetero-interface resistivity in n-type AlAsSb/GaSb distributed Bragg reflectors Dier, O.; Reindl, C.; Bachmann, A. Semiconductor Science and Technology, Vol. 23, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1088/0268-1242/23/2/025018	journal	January 2008
Four-Junction Wafer-Bonded Concentrator Solar Cells Dimroth, Frank; Tibbits, Thomas N. D.; Niemeyer, Markus IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, Vol. 6, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2015.2501729	journal	January 2016
AlGaSb-Based Solar Cells Grown on GaAs: Structural Investigation and Device Performance Vadiee, E.; Renteria, E.; Zhang, C. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, Vol. 7, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2756056	journal	November 2017
High-Performance $\hbox{In}_{0.5}\hbox{Ga}_{0.5} \hbox{As/GaAs}$ Quantum-Dot Lasers on Silicon With Multiple-Layer Quantum-Dot Dislocation Filters Yang, Jun; Bhattacharya, Pallab; Mi, Zetian IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 54, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1109/TED.2007.906928	journal	November 2007
Analysis of atomic structure in InAs quantum dashes grown on AlGaAsSb metamorphic buffers Balakrishnan, Ganesh; Huang, Shenghong; Dawson, L. R. Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures, Vol. 22, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1116/1.1755710	journal	January 2004
Dislocation Density Reduction in GaSb Films Grown on GaAs Substrates by Molecular Beam Epitaxy Qian, W.; Skowronski, M.; Kaspi, R. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, Vol. 144, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1149/1.1837606	journal	April 1997

Similar Records

Study of a 1 eV GaNAsSb photovoltaic cell grown on a silicon substrate

Journal Article · Mon Mar 10 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Applied Physics Letters · OSTI ID:22257066

Vapor-grown InGaP/GaAs solar cells

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1978 · Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States) · OSTI ID:6748495

Ultra-thin GaAs single-junction solar cells integrated with a reflective back scattering layer

Journal Article · Wed May 28 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics · OSTI ID:22304315

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
GaSb solar cell
defect filter layer
interfacial misfit dislocation
threading dislocation reduction

InGaSb Defect Filter Layer to Improve Performance of GaSb Solar Cells Grown on GaAs Substrates

Citation Formats

References (26)

Similar Records

Related Subjects