Photoelectrochemical water splitting using strain-balanced multiple quantum well photovoltaic cells

Steiner, Myles A.; Barraugh, Collin; Aldridge, Chase; Barraza, Isabel; Friedman, Daniel J.; Ekins-Daukes, Nicholas J.; Deutsch, Todd G.; Young, James

doi:10.1039/C9SE00276F

Title: Photoelectrochemical water splitting using strain-balanced multiple quantum well photovoltaic cells

Abstract

Starting from the classical GaInP/GaAs tandem photoelectrochemical water splitting device, higher solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies can be pursued by extending photon absorption to longer wavelengths. We incorporate strain-balanced GaInAs/GaAsP quantum wells into the bottom GaAs junction, to increase the range of photon absorption. The inclusion of 1.34 eV quantum wells in the depletion region of the bottom cell extends the absorption edge to 930 nm. With a corresponding increase in the thickness of the top cell for current matching, the light-limiting photocurrent increases by >8%. The estimated solar-to-hydrogen efficiency is 13.6 ± 0.5%, and we show a pathway to further improvement. With the semiconductor device remaining on the growth substrate, this quantum well architecture may enable improved stability and durability of the photoelectrochemical electrodes.

Authors:

^[1];

^[1]; Barraza, Isabel ^[1];

^[1]; Ekins-Daukes, Nicholas J. ^[2];

^[1];

^[1]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Univ. of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW (Australia)

Publication Date:: Wed Jul 31 00:00:00 EDT 2019

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

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:: 1559779

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1557905

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5900-73750
Journal ID: ISSN 2398-4902; SEFUA7

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Sustainable Energy & Fuels

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 3; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 2398-4902

Publisher:: Royal Society of Chemistry

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; photoelectrochemical water splitting; III-V; quantum well; photovoltaic cells

Citation Formats


                    Steiner, Myles A., Barraugh, Collin, Aldridge, Chase, Barraza, Isabel, Friedman, Daniel J., Ekins-Daukes, Nicholas J., Deutsch, Todd G., and Young, James. Photoelectrochemical water splitting using strain-balanced multiple quantum well photovoltaic cells.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
Web.  doi:10.1039/C9SE00276F.

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                    Steiner, Myles A., Barraugh, Collin, Aldridge, Chase, Barraza, Isabel, Friedman, Daniel J., Ekins-Daukes, Nicholas J., Deutsch, Todd G., & Young, James. Photoelectrochemical water splitting using strain-balanced multiple quantum well photovoltaic cells.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1039/C9SE00276F

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                    Steiner, Myles A., Barraugh, Collin, Aldridge, Chase, Barraza, Isabel, Friedman, Daniel J., Ekins-Daukes, Nicholas J., Deutsch, Todd G., and Young, James. Wed .  
"Photoelectrochemical water splitting using strain-balanced multiple quantum well photovoltaic cells".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1039/C9SE00276F.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1559779.

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@article{osti_1559779,

  title        = {Photoelectrochemical water splitting using strain-balanced multiple quantum well photovoltaic cells},

  author       = {Steiner, Myles A. and Barraugh, Collin and Aldridge, Chase and Barraza, Isabel and Friedman, Daniel J. and Ekins-Daukes, Nicholas J. and Deutsch, Todd G. and Young, James},

  abstractNote = {Starting from the classical GaInP/GaAs tandem photoelectrochemical water splitting device, higher solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies can be pursued by extending photon absorption to longer wavelengths. We incorporate strain-balanced GaInAs/GaAsP quantum wells into the bottom GaAs junction, to increase the range of photon absorption. The inclusion of 1.34 eV quantum wells in the depletion region of the bottom cell extends the absorption edge to 930 nm. With a corresponding increase in the thickness of the top cell for current matching, the light-limiting photocurrent increases by >8%. The estimated solar-to-hydrogen efficiency is 13.6 ± 0.5%, and we show a pathway to further improvement. With the semiconductor device remaining on the growth substrate, this quantum well architecture may enable improved stability and durability of the photoelectrochemical electrodes.},

  doi          = {10.1039/C9SE00276F},

  journal      = {Sustainable Energy & Fuels},

  number       = 10,

  volume       = 3,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Jul 31 00:00:00 EDT 2019},

  month        = {Wed Jul 31 00:00:00 EDT 2019}

}

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https://doi.org/10.1039/C9SE00276F

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Cited by: 8 works

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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 : (a) Bandgap and lattice constant of common III-V binary and ternary alloys. The alloys used in the QWs, along with their relaxed lattice constants, are indicated. (b) Relationship between relaxed and coherently-strained layers. The GaInAs layers are compressively strained, the GaAsP layers are tensile strained. The sizesmore » are exaggerated for clarity.

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Works referenced in this record:

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

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Similar Records

Title: Photoelectrochemical water splitting using strain-balanced multiple quantum well photovoltaic cells

Abstract

Citation Formats

Figures / Tables:

Molybdenum Disulfide as a Protection Layer and Catalyst for Gallium Indium Phosphide Solar Water Splitting Photocathodes journal, May 2016

A quantum-well superlattice solar cell for enhanced current output and minimized drop in open-circuit voltage under sunlight concentration journal, December 2012

Minority Carrier Transport and Their Lifetime in InGaAs/GaAsP Multiple Quantum Well Structures journal, August 2013

Strain-balanced GaAsP/InGaAs quantum well solar cells journal, December 1999

Design and comparison of GaAs, GaAsP and InGaAlAs quantum-well active regions for 808-nm VCSELs journal, January 2011

100-period InGaAsP/InGaP superlattice solar cell with sub-bandgap quantum efficiency approaching 80% journal, August 2017

Optimizing "Artificial Leaf" Photoanode-Photocathode-Catalyst Interface Systems for Solar Water Splitting journal, August 2016

Investigations on Al$_{\bm x}$Ga$_{\bm {1-x}}$As Solar Cells Grown by MOVPE journal, January 2015

A Monolithic Photovoltaic-Photoelectrochemical Device for Hydrogen Production via Water Splitting journal, April 1998

Direct solar-to-hydrogen conversion via inverted metamorphic multi-junction semiconductor architectures journal, March 2017

Recent results for single-junction and tandem quantum well solar cells journal, January 2011

Strain-Balanced Criteria for Multiple Quantum Well Structures and Its Signature in X-ray Rocking Curves † journal, July 2002

Enhanced Current Collection in 1.7 eV GaInAsP Solar Cells Grown on GaAs by Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy journal, May 2017

Short-circuit current enhancement in Bragg stack multi-quantum-well solar cells for multi-junction space cell applications journal, January 2003

Quantum Well Solar Cells: Principles, Recent Progress, and Potential journal, March 2019

Sunlight absorption in water – efficiency and design implications for photoelectrochemical devices journal, January 2014

Investigation of Carrier Recombination Dynamics of InGaP/InGaAsP Multiple Quantum Wells for Solar Cells via Photoluminescence journal, May 2017

High-efficiency inverted metamorphic 1.7/1.1 eV GaInAsP/GaInAs dual-junction solar cells journal, January 2018

Demonstration of Photon Coupling in Dual Multiple-Quantum-Well Solar Cells journal, January 2012

Steady-state carrier escape from single quantum wells journal, June 1993

GaInP/GaAs Tandem Solar Cells With InGaAs/GaAsP Multiple Quantum Wells journal, March 2014

Efficient direct solar-to-hydrogen conversion by in situ interface transformation of a tandem structure journal, September 2015

Molybdenum Disulfide as a Protection Layer and Catalyst for Gallium Indium Phosphide Solar Water Splitting Photocathodes
journal, May 2016

A quantum-well superlattice solar cell for enhanced current output and minimized drop in open-circuit voltage under sunlight concentration
journal, December 2012

Minority Carrier Transport and Their Lifetime in InGaAs/GaAsP Multiple Quantum Well Structures
journal, August 2013

Strain-balanced GaAsP/InGaAs quantum well solar cells
journal, December 1999

Design and comparison of GaAs, GaAsP and InGaAlAs quantum-well active regions for 808-nm VCSELs
journal, January 2011

100-period InGaAsP/InGaP superlattice solar cell with sub-bandgap quantum efficiency approaching 80%
journal, August 2017

Optimizing "Artificial Leaf" Photoanode-Photocathode-Catalyst Interface Systems for Solar Water Splitting
journal, August 2016

Investigations on Al$_{\bm x}$Ga$_{\bm {1-x}}$As Solar Cells Grown by MOVPE
journal, January 2015

A Monolithic Photovoltaic-Photoelectrochemical Device for Hydrogen Production via Water Splitting
journal, April 1998

Direct solar-to-hydrogen conversion via inverted metamorphic multi-junction semiconductor architectures
journal, March 2017

Recent results for single-junction and tandem quantum well solar cells
journal, January 2011

Strain-Balanced Criteria for Multiple Quantum Well Structures and Its Signature in X-ray Rocking Curves ^†
journal, July 2002

Enhanced Current Collection in 1.7 eV GaInAsP Solar Cells Grown on GaAs by Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy
journal, May 2017

Short-circuit current enhancement in Bragg stack multi-quantum-well solar cells for multi-junction space cell applications
journal, January 2003

Quantum Well Solar Cells: Principles, Recent Progress, and Potential
journal, March 2019

Sunlight absorption in water – efficiency and design implications for photoelectrochemical devices
journal, January 2014

Investigation of Carrier Recombination Dynamics of InGaP/InGaAsP Multiple Quantum Wells for Solar Cells via Photoluminescence
journal, May 2017

High-efficiency inverted metamorphic 1.7/1.1 eV GaInAsP/GaInAs dual-junction solar cells
journal, January 2018

Demonstration of Photon Coupling in Dual Multiple-Quantum-Well Solar Cells
journal, January 2012

Steady-state carrier escape from single quantum wells
journal, June 1993

GaInP/GaAs Tandem Solar Cells With InGaAs/GaAsP Multiple Quantum Wells
journal, March 2014

Efficient direct solar-to-hydrogen conversion by in situ interface transformation of a tandem structure
journal, September 2015