Modeling and design of III-V heterojunction solar cells for enhanced performance

Schulte, Kevin L.; Simon, John; Steiner, Myles A.; Ptak, Aaron J.

doi:10.1016/j.xcrp.2023.101541

Title: Modeling and design of III-V heterojunction solar cells for enhanced performance

Journal Article · 23 August 2023 · Cell Reports Physical Science

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2023.101541 · OSTI ID:1998630

^[1]; Simon, John ^[1]; Steiner, Myles A. ^[1]; Ptak, Aaron J. ^[1]

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Heterojunctions can increase the efficiency of solar cell devices relative to homojunctions, but there is a large parameter space with significant tradeoffs that must be considered. Here, we present an experimental and computational study of III-V heterojunction solar cells and show how the emitter doping, emitter band gap, and heteroband offsets impact device efficiency. Efficiency is maximized by pushing the junction depletion region into the wider band gap material while minimizing the effects of heteroband offsets through optimized choice of emitter band gap, emitter electron affinity, and/or emitter doping density. We use these results to guide optimization of devices grown by halide vapor phase epitaxy, achieving 27% efficiency in a GaAs/GaInPAs heterojunction device. We also show that heterojunctions yield proportionally larger efficiency improvements in lower-quality materials. Although the modeling was developed and validated using III-V materials, the results are theoretically applicable to materials systems outside III-Vs.

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Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOD; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1998630

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA--5900-86147; MainId:86920; UUID:50e5733f-93d2-45a7-a46e-def98cf432d2; MainAdminID:70069

Journal Information:: Cell Reports Physical Science, Journal Name: Cell Reports Physical Science Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 4; ISSN 2666-3864

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
III-V photovoltaics
PV
device modeling
device physics
heterojunctions
hydride vapor phase epitaxy
organometallic vapor phase epitaxy

Title: Modeling and design of III-V heterojunction solar cells for enhanced performance

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