High Efficiency Inverted GaAs and GaInP/GaAs Solar Cells With Strain‐Balanced GaInAs/GaAsP Quantum Wells

• Published in: Advanced energy materials Vol. 11; no. 4
• Main Authors: Steiner, Myles A., France, Ryan M., Buencuerpo, Jeronimo, Geisz, John F., Nielsen, Michael P., Pusch, Andreas, Olavarria, Waldo J., Young, Michelle, Ekins‐Daukes, Nicholas J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-01-2021
• Subjects: Circuits; Efficiency; Energy gap; Epitaxial growth; Gallium arsenide; Gallium arsenide phosphide; Gallium indium phosphide; Heterojunctions; III‐V; Indium gallium arsenides; photovoltaic; Photovoltaic cells; Quantum wells; Radiative recombination; solar cell efficiency; Solar cells; strain‐balancing; tandem
• ISSN: 1614-6832; 1614-6840
• DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202002874

High‐efficiency solar cells are essential for high‐density terrestrial applications, as well as space and potentially vehicle applications. The optimum bandgap for the terrestrial spectrum lies beyond the absorption range of a traditional dual junction GaInP/GaAs cell, with the bottom GaAs cell having higher bandgap energy than necessary. Lower energy bandgaps can be achieved with multiple quantum wells (QWs), but such a pathway requires advanced management of the epitaxial growth conditions in order to be useful. Strain‐balanced GaAsP/GaInAs QWs are incorporated into a single junction GaAs solar cell and a dual junction GaInP/GaAs solar cell, leading to 27.2% efficiency in the single junction device and a one‐sun record 32.9% efficiency in the tandem device. Good carrier collection and low non‐radiative recombination are observed in the cells with up to 80 QWs. The GaAs cells employ a rear‐heterojunction architecture to boost the open‐circuit voltage to over 1.04 V in the quantum well device, despite the large number of QWs.
Strain‐balanced GaAsP/GaInAs quantum wells are incorporated into GaAs and GaInP/GaAs solar cells, with high material quality and low non‐radiative recombination. The GaAs single junction cells demonstrate 27.2% efficiency, and the GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cells demonstrate a one‐sun record 32.9% efficiency.