Multijunction Ga0.5In0.5P/GaAs solar cells grown by dynamic hydride vapor phase epitaxy

Schulte, Kevin L.; Simon, John; Ptak, Aaron J.

doi:10.1002/pip.3027

Title: Multijunction Ga_0.5In_0.5P/GaAs solar cells grown by dynamic hydride vapor phase epitaxy

Abstract

We report the development of Ga_0.5In_0.5P/GaAs monolithic tandem solar cells grown by dynamic hydride vapor phase epitaxy, a III-V semiconductor growth alternative to metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy with the potential to reduce growth costs. The tandem device consists of 3 components: a 1.88 eV band gap (E_G) Ga_0.5In_0.5P top cell, a p-Ga_0.5In_0.5P/n-GaAs tunnel junction, and a 1.41 eV rear heterojunction GaAs cell. The open circuit voltage (VOC) and fill factor are 2.40 V and 88.4%, respectively, indicative of high material quality. Electroluminescence measurements show that the individual V_OC of the top and bottom cell are 1.40 and 1.00 V, respectively, yielding EG-voltage offsets (W_OC) of 0.48 and 0.41 V. The W_OC of the top cell is higher because of an unpassivated front surface rather than the bulk material quality. The Ga_0.5In_0.5P top cell limits the current of this series-connected device for this reason to a short-circuit current density (JSC) of 11.16 +/- 0.15 mA/cm² yielding an overall efficiency of 23.7% +/- 0.3%. We show through modeling that thinning the emitter will improve the present result, with a clear pathway toward 30% efficiency with the existing material quality. This result is a promising step toward the realization of high-efficiency III-V multijunctionmore » devices with reduced growth cost.« less

Authors:

^[1];

^[1]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Publication Date:: 2018-06-13

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:: 1478619

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1454277

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5J00-71357
Journal ID: ISSN 1062-7995

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Progress in Photovoltaics

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 26; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 1062-7995

Publisher:: Wiley

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; hydride vapor phase epitaxy; III-V semiconductors; tandem solar cell

Citation Formats


                    Schulte, Kevin L., Simon, John, and Ptak, Aaron J. Multijunction Ga0.5In0.5P/GaAs solar cells grown by dynamic hydride vapor phase epitaxy.  United States: N. p., 2018. 
Web.  doi:10.1002/pip.3027.

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                    Schulte, Kevin L., Simon, John, & Ptak, Aaron J. Multijunction Ga0.5In0.5P/GaAs solar cells grown by dynamic hydride vapor phase epitaxy.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.3027

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                    Schulte, Kevin L., Simon, John, and Ptak, Aaron J. Wed .  
"Multijunction Ga0.5In0.5P/GaAs solar cells grown by dynamic hydride vapor phase epitaxy".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.3027.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1478619.

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@article{osti_1478619,

  title        = {Multijunction Ga0.5In0.5P/GaAs solar cells grown by dynamic hydride vapor phase epitaxy},

  author       = {Schulte, Kevin L. and Simon, John and Ptak, Aaron J.},

  abstractNote = {We report the development of Ga0.5In0.5P/GaAs monolithic tandem solar cells grown by dynamic hydride vapor phase epitaxy, a III-V semiconductor growth alternative to metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy with the potential to reduce growth costs. The tandem device consists of 3 components: a 1.88 eV band gap (EG) Ga0.5In0.5P top cell, a p-Ga0.5In0.5P/n-GaAs tunnel junction, and a 1.41 eV rear heterojunction GaAs cell. The open circuit voltage (VOC) and fill factor are 2.40 V and 88.4%, respectively, indicative of high material quality. Electroluminescence measurements show that the individual VOC of the top and bottom cell are 1.40 and 1.00 V, respectively, yielding EG-voltage offsets (WOC) of 0.48 and 0.41 V. The WOC of the top cell is higher because of an unpassivated front surface rather than the bulk material quality. The Ga0.5In0.5P top cell limits the current of this series-connected device for this reason to a short-circuit current density (JSC) of 11.16 +/- 0.15 mA/cm2 yielding an overall efficiency of 23.7% +/- 0.3%. We show through modeling that thinning the emitter will improve the present result, with a clear pathway toward 30% efficiency with the existing material quality. This result is a promising step toward the realization of high-efficiency III-V multijunction devices with reduced growth cost.},

  doi          = {10.1002/pip.3027},

  journal      = {Progress in Photovoltaics},

  number       = 11,

  volume       = 26,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2018},

  month        = {6}

}

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Cited by: 28 works

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Figure 1: Schematic of the Ga_0.5In_0.5P/GaAs tandem solar cell analyzed in this study.

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Works referenced in this record:

Tunnel Junction Development Using Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy
journal, January 2018

Ptak, Aaron J.; Simon, John; Schulte, Kevin L.
IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, Vol. 8, Issue 1
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Techno-economic analysis of three different substrate removal and reuse strategies for III-V solar cells: Techno-economic analysis for III-V solar cells
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Development of GaInP Solar Cells Grown by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy
journal, July 2017

Schulte, Kevin L.; Simon, John; Mangum, John
IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, Vol. 7, Issue 4
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Schmieder, Kenneth J.; Armour, Eric A.; Lumb, Matthew P.
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Steiner, M. A.; Perl, E. E.; Geisz, J. F.
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Solar cell efficiency tables (version 51)
journal, December 2017

Green, Martin A.; Hishikawa, Yoshihiro; Dunlop, Ewan D.
Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, Vol. 26, Issue 1
DOI: 10.1002/pip.2978

Upright and Inverted Single-Junction GaAs Solar Cells Grown by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy
journal, January 2017

Simon, John; Schulte, Kevin L.; Jain, Nikhil
IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, Vol. 7, Issue 1
DOI: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2016.2614122

Recent advances in visible LED'S
journal, September 1975

Bhargava, R. N.
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Structural properties and composition control of GaAsyP1−y grown by MBE on VPE GaAs0.63P0.37 substrates
journal, November 1982

Woodbridge, K.; Gowers, J. P.; Joyce, B. A.
Journal of Crystal Growth, Vol. 60, Issue 1
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Enhanced external radiative efficiency for 20.8% efficient single-junction GaInP solar cells
journal, July 2013

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Works referencing / citing this record:

A facile light‐trapping approach for ultrathin GaAs solar cells using wet chemical etching
journal, December 2019

Eerden, Maarten; Bauhuis, Gerard J.; Mulder, Peter
Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, Vol. 28, Issue 3
DOI: 10.1002/pip.3220

Gallium arsenide solar cells grown at rates exceeding 300 µm h−1 by hydride vapor phase epitaxy
journal, July 2019

Metaferia, Wondwosen; Schulte, Kevin L.; Simon, John
Nature Communications, Vol. 10, Issue 1
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11341-3

Figures / Tables found in this record:

Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.

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Similar Records

Title: Multijunction Ga0.5In0.5P/GaAs solar cells grown by dynamic hydride vapor phase epitaxy

Abstract

Citation Formats

Figures / Tables:

Tunnel Junction Development Using Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy journal, January 2018

Techno-economic analysis of three different substrate removal and reuse strategies for III-V solar cells: Techno-economic analysis for III-V solar cells journal, May 2016

Deposition of high quality GaAs films at fast rates in the LP-CVD system journal, March 1989

Band gap-voltage offset and energy production in next-generation multijunction solar cells journal, November 2010

Development of GaInP Solar Cells Grown by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy journal, July 2017

Detailed Balance Limit of Efficiency of p‐n Junction Solar Cells journal, March 1961

Effect of Growth Temperature on GaAs Solar Cells at High MOCVD Growth Rates journal, January 2017

Effect of gas‐phase stoichiometry on the minority‐carrier diffusion length in vapor‐grown GaAs journal, August 1976

Apparent bandgap shift in the internal quantum efficiency for solar cells with back reflectors journal, April 2017

Solar cell efficiency tables (version 51) journal, December 2017

Upright and Inverted Single-Junction GaAs Solar Cells Grown by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy journal, January 2017

Recent advances in visible LED'S journal, September 1975

Structural properties and composition control of GaAsyP1−y grown by MBE on VPE GaAs0.63P0.37 substrates journal, November 1982

Enhanced external radiative efficiency for 20.8% efficient single-junction GaInP solar cells journal, July 2013

Carrier Generation and Recombination in P-N Junctions and P-N Junction Characteristics journal, September 1957

Dark current analysis and characterization of In/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/As/InAs/sub y/P/sub 1-y/ graded photodiodes with x<0.53 for response to longer wavelengths (<1.7 mu m) journal, January 1992

A facile light‐trapping approach for ultrathin GaAs solar cells using wet chemical etching journal, December 2019

Gallium arsenide solar cells grown at rates exceeding 300 µm h−1 by hydride vapor phase epitaxy journal, July 2019

Title: Multijunction Ga_0.5In_0.5P/GaAs solar cells grown by dynamic hydride vapor phase epitaxy

Tunnel Junction Development Using Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy
journal, January 2018

Techno-economic analysis of three different substrate removal and reuse strategies for III-V solar cells: Techno-economic analysis for III-V solar cells
journal, May 2016

Deposition of high quality GaAs films at fast rates in the LP-CVD system
journal, March 1989

Band gap-voltage offset and energy production in next-generation multijunction solar cells
journal, November 2010

Development of GaInP Solar Cells Grown by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy
journal, July 2017

Detailed Balance Limit of Efficiency of p‐n Junction Solar Cells
journal, March 1961

Effect of Growth Temperature on GaAs Solar Cells at High MOCVD Growth Rates
journal, January 2017

Effect of gas‐phase stoichiometry on the minority‐carrier diffusion length in vapor‐grown GaAs
journal, August 1976

Apparent bandgap shift in the internal quantum efficiency for solar cells with back reflectors
journal, April 2017

Solar cell efficiency tables (version 51)
journal, December 2017

Upright and Inverted Single-Junction GaAs Solar Cells Grown by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy
journal, January 2017

Recent advances in visible LED'S
journal, September 1975

Structural properties and composition control of GaAsyP1−y grown by MBE on VPE GaAs0.63P0.37 substrates
journal, November 1982

Enhanced external radiative efficiency for 20.8% efficient single-junction GaInP solar cells
journal, July 2013

Carrier Generation and Recombination in P-N Junctions and P-N Junction Characteristics
journal, September 1957

Dark current analysis and characterization of In/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/As/InAs/sub y/P/sub 1-y/ graded photodiodes with x<0.53 for response to longer wavelengths (<1.7 mu m)
journal, January 1992

A facile light‐trapping approach for ultrathin GaAs solar cells using wet chemical etching
journal, December 2019

Gallium arsenide solar cells grown at rates exceeding 300 µm h−1 by hydride vapor phase epitaxy
journal, July 2019