III-V-Semiconductor Subcell Absorbers in Silicon-Based Triple-Junction Solar Cells

von Patrick Schygulla

289 Seiten, Taschenbuch

Kurzbeschreibung des Verlags

Tandem solar cells are required for higher photovoltaic module efficiencies and thus reduced costs and land demand. This thesis was concerned with the development of a two-terminal III-V//Si triple-junction solar cell. Two compound semiconductors, AlGaAs and GaInAsP, were investigated. The samples were grown lattice matched on GaAs substrates using metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. GaInAsP exhibited a high performance with a minimum loss to the radiative limit of 18 mV in a rear-heterojunction solar cell. An optical parameter morphing method was optimised to generate continuous refractiv index data for arbitrary absorber compositions. The robustness of the method was experimentally confirmed by a comparison to literature values as well as spectral ellipsometry, external quantum efficiency, and reflection measurements. With the complex refractive index data the target absorber thicknesses in multi-junction solar cells were adjusted by transfer matrix modelling to achieve current match between the subcells. The triple-junction solar cell achieved a power conversion efficiency of 35.9 % under the AM1.5g solar spectrum, the highest efficiency for monolithic silicon based cells to date.

• Reihe: Solare Energie- und Systemforschung / Solar Energy and Systems Research
• ISBN: 9783839619865
• Sprache: Englisch
• Erscheinungsdatum: 05.03.2024
• Genre: Technik/Wärmetechnik, Energietechnik, Kraftwerktechnik
• Verlag: Fraunhofer Verlag
• Herausgegeben von: Fraunhofer ISE