Final Report for PV Incubator Subcontract No. NAT-7-77015-05: October 19, 2007 - July 30, 2009
The Solar America Initiative (SAI) is intended to provide numerous technological routes towards a lower levelized cost of solar-generated electricity (LCOE). MicroLink's planned contribution towards the SAI is to provide a method of lowering the cost of GaAs-based solar cells, which are a major contributor to the cost of concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules. MicroLink's unique approach is touse an epitaxial liftoff (ELO) process to completely remove the active solar cell from the substrate while preserving the performance and yield of the cell. The substrate accounts for approximately half the cost of conventional, multijunction GaAs-based solar cells. By using ELO, the substrate can be reused several times for additional solar cell growths, thereby reducing the cost ofmultijunction solar cells by up to 50%. The achievement of high efficiency has significantly increased the acceptance of MicroLink Devices as a future supplier of high-efficiency dual-junction and IMM (inverted metamorphic) triple-junction ELO solar cells. MicroLink entered the SAI program with a 10% efficiency GaAs solar cell (1-sun AM 1.5) and finished the program with an NREL-verified IMMtriple-junction ELO solar cell (1-sun AM 1.5).
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Solar Energy Technologies Program
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 1039826
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/SR-5200-54691; NAT-7-77015-05; TRN: US201210%%171
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: Work performed by MicroLink Devices, Niles, Illinois
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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