Abstract

Laterally-arranged multiple bandgap (LAMB) solar cells based on InGaN nanowires or pillars with spatial composition-grading over a broad range over the surface of a single substrate were designed and simulated using Silvaco ATLAS software. The p-n junction is formed by n-type InGaN and a p-type GaP emitter, which is predicted to have a valence band well-aligned to In-rich InGaN based on a simple electron affinity band alignment model. Both three and six subcell designs were evaluated at various levels of solar concentration up to 240 suns. Efficiencies ranged from 32.9% to 40.2% for the three-subcell design and from 33.8% to 40.4% for the six-subcell design as the solar concentration was increased from one to 240 suns. A similar design utilizing a p-i-n structure rather than a simple p-n junction achieved 29.3% to 40.2% with three subcells and 36.1% to 46.2% with six subcells. The much greater benefit of increasing the number of subcells in the p-i-n design as compared to the p-n structure is attributed to more efficient carrier extraction, which enhances current-matching between subcells.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProgram - 38th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2012
Pages2518-2520
Number of pages3
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 26 2012
Event38th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2012 - Austin, TX, United States
Duration: Jun 3 2012Jun 8 2012

Publication series

NameConference Record of the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference
ISSN (Print)0160-8371

Other

Other38th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2012
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityAustin, TX
Period6/3/126/8/12

Keywords

  • Gallium nitride
  • nanowires
  • photovoltaic cells
  • semiconductor device modeling
  • solar power generation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Control and Systems Engineering
  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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