High-efficiency solar cell and method for fabrication

Hou, Hong Q; Reinhardt, Kitt C

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Title: High-efficiency solar cell and method for fabrication

Abstract

A high-efficiency 3- or 4-junction solar cell is disclosed with a theoretical AM0 energy conversion efficiency of about 40%. The solar cell includes p-n junctions formed from indium gallium arsenide nitride (InGaAsN), gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium gallium aluminum phosphide (InGaAlP) separated by n-p tunnel junctions. An optional germanium (Ge) p-n junction can be formed in the substrate upon which the other p-n junctions are grown. The bandgap energies for each p-n junction are tailored to provide substantially equal short-circuit currents for each p-n junction, thereby eliminating current bottlenecks and improving the overall energy conversion efficiency of the solar cell. Additionally, the use of an InGaAsN p-n junction overcomes super-bandgap energy losses that are present in conventional multi-junction solar cells. A method is also disclosed for fabricating the high-efficiency 3- or 4-junction solar cell by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD).

Inventors:

Hou, Hong Q ^[1]; Reinhardt, Kitt C ^[1]

Albuquerque, NM

Issue Date:: 1999-01-01

Research Org.:: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)

OSTI Identifier:: 872483

Patent Number(s):: 5944913

Assignee:: Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)

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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H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/02167 - {for solar cells}
H01L31/03042 - {characterised by the doping material}
H01L31/03046 - {including ternary or quaternary compounds, e.g. GaAlAs, InGaAs, InGaAsP}
H01L31/0687 - Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
H01L31/1852 - {comprising a growth substrate not being an AIIIBV compound}

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
Y02E10/544 - Solar cells from Group III-V materials

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DOE Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: high-efficiency; solar; cell; method; fabrication; 3-; 4-junction; disclosed; theoretical; am0; energy; conversion; efficiency; 40; p-n; junctions; formed; indium; gallium; arsenide; nitride; ingaasn; gaas; aluminum; phosphide; ingaalp; separated; n-p; tunnel; optional; germanium; junction; substrate; grown; bandgap; energies; tailored; provide; substantially; equal; short-circuit; currents; eliminating; current; bottlenecks; improving; overall; additionally; overcomes; super-bandgap; losses; conventional; multi-junction; cells; fabricating; metal-organic; chemical; vapor; deposition; mocvd; tunnel junctions; indium gallium; efficiency solar; gap energy; p-n junctions; energy losses; tunnel junction; p-n junction; conversion efficiency; chemical vapor; solar cell; solar cells; vapor deposition; energy conversion; substantially equal; gallium arsenide; provide substantially; multi-junction solar; junction solar; overall energy; metal-organic chemical; bandgap energy; organic chemical; energy loss; high-efficiency solar; gallium aluminum; /136/

Citation Formats


                    Hou, Hong Q, and Reinhardt, Kitt C. High-efficiency solar cell and method for fabrication.  United States: N. p., 1999. 
        Web.

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                    Hou, Hong Q, & Reinhardt, Kitt C. High-efficiency solar cell and method for fabrication.  United States.

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                    Hou, Hong Q, and Reinhardt, Kitt C. Fri .  
        "High-efficiency solar cell and method for fabrication".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/872483.

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@article{osti_872483,

  title        = {High-efficiency solar cell and method for fabrication},

  author       = {Hou, Hong Q and Reinhardt, Kitt C},

  abstractNote = {A high-efficiency 3- or 4-junction solar cell is disclosed with a theoretical AM0 energy conversion efficiency of about 40%. The solar cell includes p-n junctions formed from indium gallium arsenide nitride (InGaAsN), gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium gallium aluminum phosphide (InGaAlP) separated by n-p tunnel junctions. An optional germanium (Ge) p-n junction can be formed in the substrate upon which the other p-n junctions are grown. The bandgap energies for each p-n junction are tailored to provide substantially equal short-circuit currents for each p-n junction, thereby eliminating current bottlenecks and improving the overall energy conversion efficiency of the solar cell. Additionally, the use of an InGaAsN p-n junction overcomes super-bandgap energy losses that are present in conventional multi-junction solar cells. A method is also disclosed for fabricating the high-efficiency 3- or 4-junction solar cell by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD).},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1999},

  month        = {1}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

GaInNAs: A Novel Material for Long-Wavelength-Range Laser Diodes with Excellent High-Temperature Performance
journal, February 1996

Kondow, Masahiko; Uomi, Kazuhisa; Niwa, Atsuko
Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 35, Issue Part 1, No. 2B
https://doi.org/10.1143/JJAP.35.1273

Room-Temperature Operation of GaInNAs/GaInP Double-Heterostructure Laser Diodes Grown by Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition
journal, May 1997

Sato, Shun-ichi; Osawa, Yasuhiro; Saitoh, Tetsuro
Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 36, Issue Part 1, No. 5A
https://doi.org/10.1143/JJAP.36.2671

Experimental results of GaInP/sub 2//GaAs/Ge triple junction cell development for space power systems
conference, January 1996

Chiang, P. K.; Ermer, J. H.; Nishikawa, W. T.
Conference Record of the Twenty Fifth IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - 1996
https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.1996.563977

29.5%‐efficient GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cells
journal, August 1994

Bertness, K. A.; Kurtz, Sarah R.; Friedman, D. J.
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 65, Issue 8
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.112171

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Similar Records

Title: High-efficiency solar cell and method for fabrication

Abstract

Citation Formats

GaInNAs: A Novel Material for Long-Wavelength-Range Laser Diodes with Excellent High-Temperature Performance journal, February 1996

Room-Temperature Operation of GaInNAs/GaInP Double-Heterostructure Laser Diodes Grown by Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition journal, May 1997

Experimental results of GaInP/sub 2//GaAs/Ge triple junction cell development for space power systems conference, January 1996

29.5%‐efficient GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cells journal, August 1994

GaInNAs: A Novel Material for Long-Wavelength-Range Laser Diodes with Excellent High-Temperature Performance
journal, February 1996

Room-Temperature Operation of GaInNAs/GaInP Double-Heterostructure Laser Diodes Grown by Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition
journal, May 1997

Experimental results of GaInP/sub 2//GaAs/Ge triple junction cell development for space power systems
conference, January 1996

29.5%‐efficient GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cells
journal, August 1994