An Al_xIn_1−xAs/GaAs heterojunction ultra-thin film solar cell with 20% efficiency

Abstract

An ultra-thin film photovoltaic cell, which incorporates an Al_xIn_1−xAs/GaAs heterojunction, is simulated using Adept 1D simulation tool, and it is with an energy conversion efficiency of 20.06% (under 1 sun, AM1.5G illumination) for 604 nm cell thickness (excluding the substrate thickness), and optimized layer thickness and doping concentration for each layer of the device. The device has an n-type AlAs window layer (highly doped), an n-type Al_xIn_1−xAs emitter layer and a p-type GaAs base layer. Germanium (Ge) substrate is used for the structure. The device parameters are optimized separately for each layer. Based on these optimizations, the ultra-thin film solar cell design is proposed after careful consideration of lattice mismatch between two adjacent layers of the device.

Keywords

GaAs / Solar Cell / Thin Film Solar Cell / Emitter Layer / Window Layer

References

[1] SchermerJ J, BauhuisG J, MulderP, HaverkampE J, van DeelenJ, van NiftrikA T J, LarsenP K. Thin Solid Films, 2006, 511: 645

[2] LeiteM S, WooR L, HongW D, LawD C, AtwaterH A. InAlAs Epitaxial Growth for Wide Band Gap Solar CellsIEEE Proc. 37th Photovolt. Specialists Conf., 2011, 780

[3] PeopleR, BeanJ C. Appl. Phys. Lett., 1985, 47: 322

[4] GrayJ L, McLennanM. Adept, 2008,

[5] GreenM A. Solid-State Electronics, 1981, 24: 788

[6] HossainM S, AminN, MatinM A, AliyuM M, RazykovT, SopianK. Chalcogenide Lett., 2011, 8: 263

[7] AiguoL, JianningD, NingyiY, ShuboW, GuangguiC, ChaoL. J. Semicond., 2012, 33: 023002

[8] WolfM. High Efficiency Silicon Solar CellsIEEE Proc. 14th Photovolt. Specialists Conf., 1980, 674

[9] LeeC, EfstathiadisH, RaynoldsJ E, HaldarP. Two-Dimensional Computer Modeling of Single Junction a-Si:H Solar CellsIEEE Proc. 34th Photovolt. Specialists Conf., 2009, 1118