Inverted AlGaAs/GaAs Patterned-Ge Tunnel Junction Cascade Concentrator Solar Cell: Final Subcontract Report, 1 January 1991 - 31 August 1992
This report describes work to develop inverted-grown Al[sub 0.34]Ga[sub 0.66]As/GaAs cascades. Several significant developments are reported on as follows: (1) The AM1.5 1-sun total-area efficiency of the top Al[sub 0.34]Ga[sub 0.66]As cell for the cascade was improved from 11.3% to 13.2% (NREL measurement [total-area]). (2) The cycled'' organometallic vapor phase epitaxy growth (OMVPE) was studied in detail utilizing a combination of characterization techniques including Hall-data, photoluminescence, and secondary ion mass spectroscopy. (3) A technique called eutectic-metal-bonding (EMB) was developed by strain-free mounting of thin GaAs-AlGaAs films (based on lattice-matched growth on Ge substrates and selective plasma etching of Ge substrates) onto Si carrier substrates. Minority-carrier lifetime in an EMB GaAs double-heterostructure was measured as high as 103 nsec, the highest lifetime report for a freestanding GaAs thin film. (4) A thin-film, inverted-grown GaAs cell with a 1-sun AM1.5 active-area efficiency of 20.3% was obtained. This cell was eutectic-metal-bonded onto Si. (5) A thin-film inverted-grown, Al[sub 0.34]Ga[sub 0.66]As/GaAs cascade with AM1.5 efficiency of 19.9% and 21% at 1-sun and 7-suns, respectively, was obtained. This represents an important milestone in the development of an AlGaAs/GaAs cascade by OMVPE utilizing a tunnel interconnect and demonstrates a proof-of-concept for the inverted-growth approach.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 6744462
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/TP-411-5289; ON: DE93000073
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Development of an IR-transparent, inverted-grown, thin-film, Al[sub 0. 34]Ga[sub 0. 66]As/GaAs cascade solar cell
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Related Subjects
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
BONDING
CARRIER LIFETIME
CHARGE CARRIERS
CONVERSION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY CONVERSION
EPITAXY
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FILMS
GALLIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
JOINING
JUNCTIONS
LIFETIME
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERSION
PNICTIDES
PROGRESS REPORT
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CONCENTRATORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SUBSTRATES
THIN FILMS
concentrator
photovoltaics
solar cells
tunnel junction