High-efficiency space and terrestrial multijunction solar cells through bandgap control in cell structures

被引:59
作者
King, RR [1 ]
Fetzer, CM [1 ]
Colter, PC [1 ]
Edmondson, KM [1 ]
Ermer, JH [1 ]
Cotal, HL [1 ]
Yoon, H [1 ]
Stavrides, AP [1 ]
Kinsey, G [1 ]
Krut, DD [1 ]
Karam, NH [1 ]
机构
[1] Spectrolab Inc, Sylmar, CA 91342 USA
来源
CONFERENCE RECORD OF THE TWENTY-NINTH IEEE PHOTOVOLTAIC SPECIALISTS CONFERENCE 2002 | 2002年
关键词
D O I
10.1109/PVSC.2002.1190685
中图分类号
TE [石油、天然气工业]; TK [能源与动力工程];
学科分类号
0807 ; 0820 ;
摘要
Using the energy bandgap of semiconductors as a design parameter, is critically important for achieving highest efficiency multijunction. solar cells. The bandgaps of laftice-matched semiconductors that are most convenient to use are rarely those which would result in the highest theoretical efficiency. For both the space and terrestrial solar spectra, the efficiency of 3-junction GaInP/GaAs/Ge solar cells can be increased by a lower bandgap middle cell as for GaInAs middle cells, as well as by using higher bandgap top cell materials. Wide-bahdgap and indirect-gap materials used in parasitically absorbing layers such as tunnel junctions help to increase transmission of light to the active cell layers beneath. Control of bandgap in such cell structures has been instrumental in achieving solar cell efficiencies of 29.7% under the AMO space spectrum (0. 1353 W/cm(2), 28degreesC) and 34% under the concentrated terrestrial spectrum (AM 1.5G, 150-400 suns, 25degreesC), the highest yet achieved for solar cells built on a single substrate.
引用
收藏
页码:776 / 781
页数:6
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