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Title: Thermophotovoltaic energy conversion device

Abstract

A thermophotovoltaic device and a method for making the thermophotovoltaic device. The device includes an n-type semiconductor material substrate having top and bottom surfaces, a tunnel junction formed on the top surface of the substrate, a region of active layers formed on top of the tunnel junction and a back surface reflector (BSR). The tunnel junction includes a layer of heavily doped n-type semiconductor material that is formed on the top surface of the substrate and a layer of heavily doped p-type semiconductor material formed on the n-type layer. An optional pseudomorphic layer can be formed between the n-type and p-type layers. A region of active layers is formed on top of the tunnel junction. This region includes a base layer of p-type semiconductor material and an emitter layer of n-type semiconductor material. An optional front surface window layer can be formed on top of the emitter layer. An optional interference filter can be formed on top of the emitter layer or the front surface window layer when it is used.

Inventors:
 [1];  [1];  [2]
+ Show Inventor Affiliations
  1. Clifton Park, NY
  2. Burnt Hills, NY
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL), Niskayuna, NY (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
871553
Patent Number(s):
5753050
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
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DOE Contract Number:  
AC12-76SN00052
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
thermophotovoltaic; energy; conversion; device; method; n-type; semiconductor; material; substrate; top; bottom; surfaces; tunnel; junction; formed; surface; region; active; layers; reflector; bsr; layer; heavily; doped; p-type; optional; pseudomorphic; base; emitter; front; window; interference; filter; active layers; doped p-type; doped n-type; p-type layer; thermophotovoltaic device; window layer; n-type semiconductor; tunnel junction; emitter layer; heavily doped; interference filter; bottom surfaces; top surface; semiconductor material; photovoltaic device; energy conversion; front surface; base layer; bottom surface; active layer; p-type semiconductor; conversion device; thermophotovoltaic energy; n-type layer; layers formed; surface window; material formed; type semiconductor; photovoltaic energy; material substrate; /136/257/438/

Citation Formats

Charache, Greg W, Baldasaro, Paul F, and Egley, James L. Thermophotovoltaic energy conversion device. United States: N. p., 1998. Web.
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Charache, Greg W, Baldasaro, Paul F, & Egley, James L. Thermophotovoltaic energy conversion device. United States.
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Charache, Greg W, Baldasaro, Paul F, and Egley, James L. Tue . "Thermophotovoltaic energy conversion device". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/871553.
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@article{osti_871553,
title = {Thermophotovoltaic energy conversion device},
author = {Charache, Greg W and Baldasaro, Paul F and Egley, James L},
abstractNote = {A thermophotovoltaic device and a method for making the thermophotovoltaic device. The device includes an n-type semiconductor material substrate having top and bottom surfaces, a tunnel junction formed on the top surface of the substrate, a region of active layers formed on top of the tunnel junction and a back surface reflector (BSR). The tunnel junction includes a layer of heavily doped n-type semiconductor material that is formed on the top surface of the substrate and a layer of heavily doped p-type semiconductor material formed on the n-type layer. An optional pseudomorphic layer can be formed between the n-type and p-type layers. A region of active layers is formed on top of the tunnel junction. This region includes a base layer of p-type semiconductor material and an emitter layer of n-type semiconductor material. An optional front surface window layer can be formed on top of the emitter layer. An optional interference filter can be formed on top of the emitter layer or the front surface window layer when it is used.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1998},
month = {5}
}
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Works referenced in this record:

Experimental assessment of low temperature voltaic energy conversion
conference, January 1995

  • Baldasaro, Paul F.; Brown, Edward J.; Depoy, David M.
  • The first NREL conference on thermophotovoltaic generation of electricity, AIP Conference Proceedings
  • https://doi.org/10.1063/1.47032

A technique for producing epitaxial films on reuseable substrates
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High-efficiency thin-film AlGaAs-GaAs double heterostructure solar cells
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Thin-film GaAs solar cells by epitaxial lift-off
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GaAsSb-based heterojunction tunnel diodes for tandem solar cell interconnects
conference, January 1994

  • Zolper, J. C.; Klem, J. F.; Plut, T. A.
  • Proceedings of 1994 IEEE 1st World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion - WCPEC (A Joint Conference of PVSC, PVSEC and PSEC)
  • https://doi.org/10.1109/WCPEC.1994.520724

Type II heterojunctions in the GaInAsSb/GaSb system
journal, July 1994

Extreme selectivity in the lift‐off of epitaxial GaAs films
journal, December 1987

Peeled film GaAs solar cell development
conference, January 1990

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