Design and modeling of an efficient metamorphic dual-junction InGaP/GaAs solar cell

In this work the impact of variation in mole fraction of tunnel junction and doping concentration of top window layer are investigated on the photovoltaic performance of dual junction InGaP/GaAs solar cell on silicon substrate. How does the Si substrate help this structure to act as a low cost concentrator cell for terrestrial application is also discussed. The detailed analysis of the cell is carried out through the performance measurement such as external quantum efficiency, internal quantum efficiency, fill factor, open circuit voltage, short circuit current density, spectral density and reflectance. This simulation model provides efficiency of 30.40 % at AM1.5G spectrum under 1 sun. It provides a path to the researcher for the development of III–V multi junction solar cell at a low cost.     

GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cells with highly Te- and Mg-doped GaAs tunnel junctions grown by MBE

We report a GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cell with a novel GaAs tunnel junction(TJ) with using tellurium(Te) and magnesium(Mg) as n- and p-type dopants via dual-filament low temperature effusion cells grown by molecular beam epitaxy(MBE) at low temperature. The test Te/Mg-doped GaAs TJ shows a peak current density of 21 A/cm2. The tandem solar cell by the Te/Mg TJ shows a short-circuit current density of 12 m A/cm2, but a low open-circuit voltage range of1.4 V~1.71 V under AM1.5 illumination. The secondary ion mass spectroscopy(SIMS) analysis reveals that the Te doping is unexpectedly high and its doping profile extends to the Mg doping region, thus possibly resulting in a less abrupt junction with no tunneling carriers effectively. Furthermore, the tunneling interface shifts from the intended Ga As n++/p++junction to the AlGaInP/GaAs junction with a higher bandgap AlGaInP tunneling layers, thereby reducing the tunneling peak. The Te concentration of ~ 2.5 × 1020 in GaAs could cause a lattice strain of 10-3 in magnitude and thus a surface roughening,which also negatively influences the subsequent growth of the top subcell and the GaAs contacting layers. The doping features of Te and Mg are discussed to understand the photovoltaic response of the studied tandem cell.     

Comprehensive studies of InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors with different thickness of setback layers

The performances of InGaP/GaAs heterostructure bipolar transistors (HBTs) with different thickness of setback layers are theoretically studied. The appropriate thickness of the setback layer is an important factor in high-speed HBTs. In this work, it is found that the HBT device with a 60–90 Å setback layer has better DC and RF characteristics due to the absence of potential spike and reduced transit time. In addition, the studied devices with appropriate setback layer thickness have lower offset voltage, reverse saturation voltage, and base and collector current ideality factor.     

808nmInGaAsP／InGaP／GaAs激光器列阵

研制出３０个单元的ＩｎＧＡａＳｐ／ＩｎＧａＰ／ＧａＡｓ分别限制双异质结单量子阱激光器列阵,器件外微分量子效率达７８％,发向波长８０８ｎｍ,准连续输出的光功率达２７Ｗ。     

Comparative study of InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) with different base surface treatments

The interesting InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) with different surface passivations on the base surface are fabricated and studied. Experimentally, the HBT device with sulfur treatment passivation displays the lowest offset voltage. However, the device with a 0.02 μm-thick emitter ledge structure reveals better transistor behaviors such as higher current gain and lower base surface recombination current. In addition, it also exhibits improved thermal stability. For the reliability test, the device with a 0.02 μm-thick emitter ledge structure shows the best performance. Therefore, from experimental results, the HBT device performance could be improved by appropriate base surface treatments, e.g., sulfur passivation and emitter ledge structure.     

Depth-resolved cathodoluminescence characterization of buried InGaP/GaAs heterointerfaces

As a new approach for contactless and non-destructive characterization method of buried multi-layer heterointerfaces, acceleration voltage-dependence of cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra is investigated for various InGaP/GaAs multi-layer heterostructures. The plot of CL intensity vs. acceleration voltage for a multi-layer heterostructure is defined as the cathodoluminescence in-depth spectrum (CLIS). Experimental CLIS spectra on InGaP/GaAs single heterostructures and quantum well structures grown on GaAs by MOVPE and by GSMBE using TBP as the P source demonstrate that CLIS technique is very powerful to obtain depth-resolved information on multi-layer heterostructures.     

p-n 型GaInP2/GaAs叠层太阳电池研究

报道了对p-n型 GaInP2/GaAs叠层太阳电池的研究结果.采用低压金属有机物化学气相沉积工艺制备电池样品.通过对GaInP2顶电池中场助收集效应的计算机模拟，提出用p+p-n-n+结构取代常用的p+n 结构，显著改善了GaInP2顶电池和GaInP2/GaAs叠层太阳电池的光伏性能，使其光电转换效率(Eff)分别达到14.26% 和23.82% (AM0, 25℃, 2×2cm2). 关键词： 场助收集效应 镓铟磷 砷化镓 叠层太阳电池     

p-n型GaInP_2/GaAs叠层太阳电池研究

报道了对p n型GaInP2 GaAs叠层太阳电池的研究结果 .采用低压金属有机物化学气相沉积工艺制备电池样品 .通过对GaInP2 顶电池中场助收集效应的计算机模拟 ,提出用p p- n- n 结构取代常用的p n结构 ,显著改善了GaInP2 顶电池和GaInP2 GaAs叠层太阳电池的光伏性能 ,使其光电转换效率 (Eff)分别达到 14 2 6 %和 2 3 82 %(AM0 ,2 5℃ ,2× 2cm2 )     

Modelling tunnel diodes for computer aided design

A SPICE macromodel for simulating tunnel diode current-voltage characteristic is presented. An example is given to verify the model.     

Metal-clad ridge waveguide structure InGaP/InGaAIP visible laser diodes

InGaP/InGaAIP visible-light laser diodes with a metal-clad ridge waveguide structure have been fabricated. Compressively strained SCH-MQW structures were grown by low-pressure MOCVD and the lasing wavelength was 690 nm. The threshold current was 28 mA at 25°C for a 400 m cavity and 5 m stripe width. CW operation was obtained as the cleaved device by employing thick gold layer as a heat spreader. The light-output power versus CW current was linear up to a maximum light output power of 38 mW. Stable operation of the fundamental transverse optical mode was maintained up to 30 mW. These results show that this metal-clad ridge waveguide structure provides sufficient current confinement even under high light output power operation.     

Ordering effects in InGaP/GaAs and InGaAsP/GaAs heterostructures grown by LP-MOVPE

Summary The cationic ordering in InGaP epilayers grown by low-pressure vapour phase epitaxy on GaAs substrates has been investigated by X-ray diffraction. The effects of both the substrate miscut and the doping with Si and Zn have been studied. It has been found that ordering effects occur inside relatively small domains on (1–11) and (−111) planes; however, by increasing the miscut angle the domains of the first kind tend to increase their dimensions, while the second ones tend to disappear. Moreover, doping with impurities substituting cations is seen to destroy the order. Photoluminescence anomalies have been revealed and correlated to the size and ordering degree of the ordered domain.     

Highly efficient ARC less InGaP/GaAs DJ solar cell numerical modeling using optimized InAlGaP BSF layers

An effective BSF is a key structural element for an efficient solar cell, either in a multi-junction or in a single-junction device. In this paper, two important materials AlGaAs and InAlGaP with their varied thickness (i.e. 0.05–1.0)?μm both for top BSF and bottom BSF cells are investigated using the computational numerical modeling TCAD tool Silvaco ATLAS. It has been found that under the current matching condition with the relatively thinner (30?nm) top BSF layer and the thicker (1,000?nm) bottom BSF layer, the cell exhibit an overall enhancement of short-circuit current density J_sc and open circuit voltage Voc thereby improving the overall efficiency of the cell. A wide band gap material In_0.5(Al_0.7 Ga_0.3)_0.5P is proved to be a better choice for both window and BSF layer by increasing 6.2% more efficiency than using other widely used Al_0.7 Ga_0.3 As material under the same cell configuration because of its high photo generation rate. For this optimized cell structure, the maximum J_sc = 16.10?mA/cm², V_oc =?2.392V, and fill factor = 87.52% are obtained under AM1.5G illumination, exhibiting a maximum conversion efficiency of 32.1964% (1 sun) and 36.6781% (1,000 suns). This work reports the Influence of different BSF material and structures on the characteristics and efficiency of Multi-Junction solar cells. The detail photo-generation rates and EQE in this optimized ARC less DJ solar cell structure are also observed. The major stages of the modeling are explained and the simulation results are validated with published experimental data to demonstrate the accuracy of our results produced by the model utilizing this technique.     

Optical characterization of InGaAsN/GaAsN/GaAs quantum wells with InGaP cladding layers

Optical properties of InGaAsN/GaAs and InGaAsN/GaAsN/GaAs quantum well structures with InGaP cladding layers were studied by photoreflectance at various temperatures. The excitonic interband transitions of the InGaAsN/GaAsN/GaAs QW systems were observed in the spectral range above hν=E_g(InGaAsN). The confinement potential of the system with strain compensating GaAsN barriers became one step broader, thus more quantum states and larger optical transition rate were observed. A matrix transfer algorithm was used to calculate the subband energies numerically. Band gap energies, effective masses were adopted from the band anti-crossing model with band-offset values adjusted to obtain the subband energies to best fit the observed optical transition features. A spectral feature below and near the GaAs band gap energy from GaAs barriers is enhanced by the GaAs/InGaP interface space charge accumulation induced internal field.     

Raman study of InAs/GaAs quantum dot solar cells

We report polarized and resonant Raman study of InAs/GaAs quantum dot solar cell (QDSC) structures. Raman spectra obtained from the top surfaces of the samples suggested that the formation of InAs QDs induced tensile strain in the overgrown GaAs layers. Furthermore, a longitudinal optical phonon-plasmon (LPP) coupled modes were observed in the p-type GaAs layers. The tensile strain was increased with an increase in the QD size. The hole concentrations estimated by fitting the individual LPP coupled modes were in the range of 2.4–3.5 × 10¹⁸ cm^?3. Resonant Raman spectra obtained from the cleaved sides, where the QDs were located, showed a 225 cm^?1 mode in parallel polarization configurations. Based on accurate analysis, this mode was identified as the LA(X) phonon of GaAs.     

Antiphase disorder in GaAs/Ge heterostructures for solar cells

Antiphase disorder in metal organic vapour phase epitaxy grown GaAs/(100)Ge heterostructures has been studied both in as-grown materials and in GaAs solar cells by chemical etching, transmission electron microscopy, and cathodoluminescence. All the samples are single domains at the surface due to the self-annihilation of antiphase domains whose size decreases as the misorientation angle increases. Completely antiphase domain-free epitaxy has been achieved for substrate miscuts greater than 3 degrees off towards [111]. A reversal in sublattice location has been found in the GaAs layers varying the misorientation angle and the growth temperature. A model to explain this result has been proposed based on the role of surface steps in the nucleation process. Strong interaction between antiphase boundaries and misfit dislocations has been found in all the heterostructures. In solar cells antiphase domains have been observed in high densities in the initial layer of GaAs deposited on Ge. The successful realisation of high efficiency solar cells is due to the overgrowth of these domains by single phase material over most of the wafer area.     

Study of defects in proton irradiated GaAs/AlGaAs solar cells

The properties of GaAs/AlGaAs solar cells irradiated with 40, 70, 100 and 170 keV protons have been studied. Current-voltage (IV) measurement showed that the worst degradation was found in the cells irradiated by 100 keV protons. The degradation was found defect dependent. Defect profile was obtained by the stopping and range of ions in matter (SRIM) simulation and deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurement. In order to obtain the deep-level defect profile in depletion layer by DLTS measurement, the traditional calculation formula of defect concentration has been modified. DLTS measurement showed good agreement with that of the SRIM simulation.     

Effect of AlGaAs barrier layer on the characteristics of InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple junction solar cells

As an effort to improve the conversion efficiency of InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple junction solar cells, we investigated the effect of AlGaAs barrier layer on the cell performance under concentrated light condition. Three different solar cells having upper tunnel junctions (TJs) as n⁺⁺-GaAs/p⁺⁺-AlGaAs layers, n⁺⁺-GaAs/p⁺⁺-GaAs layers and n⁺⁺-GaAs/p⁺⁺-GaAs/p⁺⁺-AlGaAs layers were prepared. Under concentrated light condition, open-circuit voltage (V_OC), fill factor (FF) and conversion efficiencies were higher for the sample with an AlGaAs barrier layer than the samples without an AlGaAs barrier layer. For the sample with an AlGaAs barrier layer, external quantum efficiency was higher than other two samples. Most of all, the sample with a TJ as n⁺⁺-GaAs/p⁺⁺-GaAs layers showed a very poor electrical performance, which was associated with an imperfect crystalline quality of the InGaP top cell layers.     

Generation of self-sustained pulsations of radiation in InGaAs/GaAs/InGaP quantum-well lasers

We studied the dynamic characteristics of InGaAs/GaAs/InGaP quantum-well lasers generating at two wavelengths of about 1 μm with a spectral separation of 15–40 nm. We observed experimentally regimes of jumplike switching and self-sustained pulsations of radiation. The influence of ballistic transfer of carriers during intraband absorption on the production of positive feedback in the dynamic system is studied theoretically. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 4, pp. 533–536, July–August, 2007.