Influence of the base layer thickness and the graded buffer layer thickness on the conversion efficiency of a metamorphic triple-junction solar cell

Minghui Song; Hu Wang; Yankai Xiong; Yuqin Sun; Chenhui Yu; Zhihao Wu; Changqing Chen

doi:10.1117/12.845428

12 October 2009 Influence of the base layer thickness and the graded buffer layer thickness on the conversion efficiency of a metamorphic triple-junction solar cell

Minghui Song, Hu Wang, Yankai Xiong, Yuqin Sun, Chenhui Yu, Zhihao Wu, Changqing Chen

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7518, Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM) 2009: Solar Cells, Solid State Lighting, and Information Display Technologies; 75180L (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.845428
Event: Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings 2009, 2009, Wuhan, China

Abstract

Metamorphic multiple-junction soalr cells based on III-V compound semiconductor have advantages of more degree of freedom in selection of bandgaps of subcells. Recently, Spectrolab, Inc. reported a high conversion efficiency of 40.7% in a triple-junction Ga_0.44In_0.56P/Ga_0.92In_0.08As/Ge solar cell where the top and middle cells are lattice-mismatched to Ge substrate. Optimization of device structure of such metamorphic Ga_0.44In_0.56P/Ga_0.92In_0.08As/Ge solar cell is important to increase its efficiency. In this work, two-dimensional simulation has been performed on the metamorphic Ga_0.44In_0.56P/Ga_0.92In_0.08As/Ge solar cell. Efficiency dependence of the Ga_0.44In_0.56P/Ga_0.92In_0.08As/Ge triple-junction solar cell on the base layer thickness and the InGaAs graded buffer layer thickness has been investigated. It has been found that the efficiency depends significantly on the thickness of the GaInP base layer. The metamorphic triple junction solar cell has hightest efficiency when the thicknesses of the GaInP base layer, the GaInAs base layer and the GaInAs graded buffer layer connecting the Ge substrate and GaInAs middle-cell are 0.35 μm, 2.5 μm and 0.15 μm, respectively.

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Minghui Song, Hu Wang, Yankai Xiong, Yuqin Sun, Chenhui Yu, Zhihao Wu, and Changqing Chen "Influence of the base layer thickness and the graded buffer layer thickness on the conversion efficiency of a metamorphic triple-junction solar cell", Proc. SPIE 7518, Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM) 2009: Solar Cells, Solid State Lighting, and Information Display Technologies, 75180L (12 October 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.845428

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