An approach toward 25-percent efficient GaAs heteroface solar cells

Journal Article · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/16.30927· OSTI ID:5418153

Ringel, S A; Rohatgi, A ^[1]; Tobin, S P ^[2]

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1. Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta, GA (USA). School of Electrical Engineering
2. Spire Corp., Bedford, MA (USA)

In order to approach one-sun 25-percent efficiency in GaAs solar cells, it is necessary to improve the basic understanding of internal loss mechanisms by a combination of characterization techniques and computer models. A methodology is developed to measure and evaluate minority-carrier transport properties such as lifetime and recombination velocity throughout the device structure in a 21.2-percent GaAs cell. It is found that this cell has a recombination velocity of 1.25 X 10/sup 5/ cm/s at the AlGaAs/GaAs interface and a base minority-carrier lifetime of 8 ns. Guidelines are provided to increase the efficiency of this cell to 24 percent with slightly increased surface passivation and base lifetime using effective recombination velocity and device modeling computer programs. Further device modeling is performed to show that efficiencies of 25 percent can be obtained using a modified heteroface structure with a moderate surface recombination velocity of 1 X 10/sup 4/ cm/s if lifetime limiting mechanisms and their relation to device design are fully understood.

• OSTI ID: 5418153
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion; (USA), Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion; (USA) Vol. 36:7; ISSN 0885-8969; ISSN ITCNE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360603 -- Materials-- Properties
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200 -- Mathematics & Computers
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
CARRIER MOBILITY
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DESIGN
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
EQUIPMENT
GALLIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
HETEROJUNCTIONS
INTERFACES
JUNCTIONS
LIFETIME
MOBILITY
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
RECOMBINATION
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SIMULATION
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT