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US 10,896,982 B2Granted
Method of forming a multijunction metamorphic solar cell assembly for space applications
AssigneeSolAero Technologies Corp.
InventorDaniel Derkacs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multijunction solar cell assembly and its method of manufacture including interconnected first and second discrete semiconductor body subassemblies disposed adjacent and parallel to each other, each semiconductor body subassembly including first top subcell, second (and possibly third) lattice matched middle subcells; a graded interlayer adjacent to the last middle solar subcell; and a bottom solar subcell adjacent to said graded interlayer being lattice mismatched with respect to the last middle solar subcell; wherein the interconnected subassemblies form at least a four junction solar cell by a series connection being formed between the bottom solar subcell in the first semiconductor body and the bottom solar subcell in the second semiconductor body.
Claims19
A multijunction solar cell assembly having a terminal of a first polarity and a terminal of a second polarity comprising:
- (a) a first semiconductor body including:
- an upper first solar subcell (A1) composed of a semiconductor material having a first band gap, and including a top contact on the top surface thereof,
- a second solar subcell (B1) adjacent to said first solar subcell (A1) and composed of a semiconductor material having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap and being lattice matched with the upper first solar subcell (A1);
- a third solar subcell (C1) adjacent to said second solar subcell (B1) and composed of a semiconductor material having a third band gap smaller than the second band gap and being lattice matched with the second solar subcell (B1);
- an interlayer adjacent to said third solar subcell (C1), said interlayer having a fourth band gap or band gaps greater than said third band gap;
- and
- a fourth solar subcell (D1) adjacent to said interlayer and composed of a semiconductor material having a fifth band gap smaller than the fourth band gap and being lattice mismatched with the third solar subcell (C1), and including a first contact on the top surface thereof, and a second contact on the bottom surface thereof,
- (b) a second semiconductor body disposed adjacent and parallel to the first semiconductor body and including:
- an upper first solar subcell (A2) composed of a semiconductor material having a first band gap, and including a top contact on the top surface thereof,
- a second solar subcell (B2) adjacent to said first solar subcell (A2) and composed of a semiconductor material having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap and being lattice matched with the upper first solar subcell (A2);
- a third solar subcell (C2) adjacent to said second solar subcell (B2) and composed of a semiconductor material having a third band gap smaller than the second band gap and being lattice matched with the second solar subcell (B2) and having a bottom contact;
- an interlayer adjacent to said third solar subcell (C2), said interlayer having a fourth band gap greater than said third band gap;
- and
- a fourth solar subcell (D2) adjacent to said interlayer and composed of a semiconductor material having a fifth band gap smaller than the fourth band gap and being lattice mismatched with the third solar subcell (C2), and including a first contact on the top surface thereof, and a second contact on the bottom surface thereof connected to the terminal of a second polarity;
- (c) wherein the top contact of the first semiconductor body is electrically coupled with the top contact of the second semiconductor body and to a terminal of first polarity;
- wherein the first contact on the top surface of the fourth solar subcell (D1) of the first semiconductor body is electrically coupled with the bottom contact of the third solar subcell (C2) of the second semiconductor body;
- the second contact on the bottom surface of the fourth solar subcell (D1) of the first semiconductor body is electrically coupled with the first contact on the top surface of the fourth solar subcell (D2) of the second semiconductor body thereof so as to form a five junction solar cell;
- and wherein the interlayer in each of the first and second semiconductor bodies is compositionally graded to substantially lattice match the third solar subcell (C1, C2) on one side and the lower fourth solar subcell (D1, D2) on the other side, and is composed of any of the As, P, N, Sb based III-V compound semiconductors subject to the constraints of having the in-plane lattice parameter less than or equal to that of the third solar subcell (C1, C2) and greater than or equal to that of the lower fourth solar subcell (D1, D2).
15 more elements
A multijunction solar cell assembly having a terminal of a first polarity and a terminal of a second polarity comprising:
- (a) a first semiconductor body including:
- an upper first solar subcell (A1) composed of a semiconductor material having a first band gap, and including a top contact on the top surface thereof;
- a second solar subcell (B1) adjacent to said first solar subcell (A1) and composed of a semiconductor material having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap and being lattice matched with the upper first solar subcell (A1);
- a third solar subcell (C1) adjacent to said second solar subcell (B1) and composed of a semiconductor material having a third band gap smaller than the second band gap and being lattice matched with the second solar subcell (B1);
- a fourth solar subcell (D1) adjacent to said interlayer and composed of a semiconductor material having a fifth band gap smaller than the fourth band gap, and including a first contact on the top surface thereof, and a second contact on the bottom surface thereof;
- (b) a second semiconductor body disposed adjacent and parallel to the first semiconductor body and including:
- an upper first solar subcell (A2) composed of a semiconductor material having a first band gap, and including a top contact on the top surface thereof;
- a second solar subcell (B2) adjacent to said first solar subcell (A2) and composed of a semiconductor material having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap and being lattice matched with the upper first solar subcell (A2);
- a third solar subcell (C2) adjacent to said second solar subcell (B2) and composed of a semiconductor material having a third band gap smaller than the second band gap and being lattice matched with the second solar subcell (B2) and having a bottom contact;
- a fourth solar subcell (D2) adjacent to said interlayer and composed of a semiconductor material having a fifth band gap smaller than the fourth band gap, and including a first contact on the top surface thereof, and a second contact on the bottom surface thereof connected to the terminal of a second polarity;
- (c) wherein the top contact of the first semiconductor body is electrically coupled with the top contact of the second semiconductor body and to a terminal of first polarity;
- wherein the first contact on the top surface of the fourth solar subcell (D1) of the first semiconductor body is electrically coupled with the bottom contact of the third solar subcell (C2) of the second semiconductor body;
- the second contact on the bottom surface of the fourth solar subcell (D1) of the first semiconductor body is electrically coupled with the first contact on the top surface of the fourth solar subcell (D2) of the second semiconductor body thereof so as to form a five junction solar cell;
- wherein the first and second semiconductor bodies further comprise a first highly doped lateral conduction layer disposed adjacent to and above the fourth solar subcell (D1) and a blocking p-n diode or insulating layer disposed adjacent to and above the first highly doped lateral conduction layer, and a second highly doped lateral conduction layer disposed adjacent to and above the blocking p-n diode or insulating layer.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.