TY - GEN
T1 - Ultra-thin GaAs single-junction solar cells integrated with an AlInP layer for reflective back scattering
AU - Yang, Weiquan
AU - Becker, Jacob
AU - Kuo, Ying Shen
AU - Li, Jing Jing
AU - Liu, Shi
AU - Landini, Barbara
AU - Campman, Ken
AU - Zhang, Yong-Hang
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - This paper proposes and demonstrates the use of a textured and lattice-matched semiconductor layer coated with a Au reflector for reflective back scattering to enhance the efficiency of single-junction solar cells with ultra-thin absorbers. The device structure studied in this work consists of an In0.49Ga0.51P/GaAs/In0.49Ga0.51P double-heterostructure single-junction solar cell with a GaAs absorber of either 300 nm or 1000 nm thick, as well as a textured Al0.52In 0.48P layer coated with a highly reflective Au film. The devices, areas ranging from 0.3×0.3 mm2 to 1×1 mm2, are flip-chip bonded onto Si carrier substrates, covered by a contact metal grid (with a 9.7% or 10.7% shadow area for the 300 nm and 1000 nm devices, respectively) and a MgF2/ZnS anti-reflective coating. Both types of device designs demonstrate an open-circuit voltage of 1.00 V, short-circuit current densities of 24.5 and 26.1 mA/cm2, and power conversion efficiencies of 19.1% and 20.6%, respectively; these measurements are carried out under 1 sun solar radiation (AM 1.5G, 0.1 W/cm2). It is reasonable to expect that the short-circuit current densities and conversion efficiencies of these devices could reach 26.6 mA/cm2 and 28.6 mA/cm2, and 20.7% and 22.6%, respectively, when a typical contact grid layout with 2% surface coverage is used. These short-circuit current densities are only 3.6 and 1.6 mA/cm2 lower than the maximum theoretical value 30.2 mA/cm2, respectively.
AB - This paper proposes and demonstrates the use of a textured and lattice-matched semiconductor layer coated with a Au reflector for reflective back scattering to enhance the efficiency of single-junction solar cells with ultra-thin absorbers. The device structure studied in this work consists of an In0.49Ga0.51P/GaAs/In0.49Ga0.51P double-heterostructure single-junction solar cell with a GaAs absorber of either 300 nm or 1000 nm thick, as well as a textured Al0.52In 0.48P layer coated with a highly reflective Au film. The devices, areas ranging from 0.3×0.3 mm2 to 1×1 mm2, are flip-chip bonded onto Si carrier substrates, covered by a contact metal grid (with a 9.7% or 10.7% shadow area for the 300 nm and 1000 nm devices, respectively) and a MgF2/ZnS anti-reflective coating. Both types of device designs demonstrate an open-circuit voltage of 1.00 V, short-circuit current densities of 24.5 and 26.1 mA/cm2, and power conversion efficiencies of 19.1% and 20.6%, respectively; these measurements are carried out under 1 sun solar radiation (AM 1.5G, 0.1 W/cm2). It is reasonable to expect that the short-circuit current densities and conversion efficiencies of these devices could reach 26.6 mA/cm2 and 28.6 mA/cm2, and 20.7% and 22.6%, respectively, when a typical contact grid layout with 2% surface coverage is used. These short-circuit current densities are only 3.6 and 1.6 mA/cm2 lower than the maximum theoretical value 30.2 mA/cm2, respectively.
KW - Gallium arsenide
KW - Photovoltaic cell
KW - Surface texture
KW - Thin film devices
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U2 - 10.1109/PVSC.2013.6745163
DO - 10.1109/PVSC.2013.6745163
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84896452790
SN - 9781479932993
T3 - Conference Record of the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference
SP - 3329
EP - 3332
BT - 39th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2013
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 39th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2013
Y2 - 16 June 2013 through 21 June 2013
ER -