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US 12,598,817 B2Granted
Stacked iii-v multi-junction solar cell
AssigneeAZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH
InventorsWolfgang Koestler, Benjamin Hagedorn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stacked III-V multi-junction solar cell with a top and a bottom. A metallic top contact area is formed at the top and has a first layer of metal, a flat metallic bottom contact area formed on the bottom. An opening extends continuously from the top to the bottom and has an upper edge area formed at the top and a lower edge area formed at the bottom. The upper edge area is adjacent to the top contact area and the side wall and the two edge areas are covered with a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer has a top and a bottom. A first metallic top layer is formed on a surface of the first metal layer and on the top of the dielectric layer and a second metallic top layer is formed on a part of the first metal layer adjacent to the upper edge area.
Claims19
A stacked III-V multi-junction solar cell comprising:
- a substrate layer formed on a bottom of the multi-junction solar cell;
- a first solar cell arranged above the substrate layer with a first band gap;
- a second solar cell arranged above the first solar cell with a second band gap, the second band gap being larger than the first band gap;
- a tunnel diode formed between the first solar cell and the second solar cell;
- a metallic top contact area formed at a top of the multi-junction solar cell, the top contact area comprising a first metal layer;
- a flat metallic bottom contact area to electrically connect the substrate, the multi-junction solar cell being electrically connected via the top contact area and the bottom contact area;
- an oval opening extending continuously from the top to the bottom of the multi-junction solar cell, the opening having a circumferential side wall and an upper edge area formed on the top and a lower edge area formed on the bottom, the upper edge area being adjacent to the top contact area, the side wall and the two edge areas being completely covered with a dielectric layer, the dielectric layer having a top and a bottom and the dielectric layer forming a material-tight bond with a semiconductor material on the bottom in an area of the side wall;
- a first metallic top layer formed on a surface of the first metal layer, the first metallic top layer having a thickness in a range between 5 nm and 300 nm;
- a second metallic top layer formed on the top of the dielectric layer and on a part of the first metal layer adjacent to the upper edge area, the second metallic top layer having a thickness in a range between 10 nm and 100 nm;
- and
- a second metal layer arranged on the second metallic top layer in a part adjacent to the upper edge area, the upper edge area and in an area of the side wall adjacent to the upper edge area, the second metal layer forming a material-tight bond with the second metallic top layer,
- wherein the first metallic top layer is formed over a top surface and each side surface of the first metal layer.
9 more elements
A stacked III-V multi-junction solar cell comprising:
- a substrate layer formed on a bottom of the multi-junction solar cell;
- a first solar cell arranged above the substrate layer with a first band gap;
- a second solar cell arranged above the first solar cell with a second band gap, the second band gap being larger than the first band gap;
- a tunnel diode formed between the first solar cell and the second solar cell;
- a metallic top contact area formed at a top of the multi-junction solar cell, the top contact area comprising a first metal layer;
- a flat metallic bottom contact area to electrically connect the substrate, the multi-junction solar cell being electrically connected via the top contact area and the bottom contact area;
- an oval opening extending continuously from the top to the bottom of the multi-junction solar cell, the opening having a circumferential side wall and an upper edge area formed on the top and a lower edge area formed on the bottom, the upper edge area being adjacent to the top contact area, the side wall and the two edge areas being completely covered with a dielectric layer, the dielectric layer having a top and a bottom and the dielectric layer forming a material-tight bond with a semiconductor material on the bottom in an area of the side wall;
- a first metallic top layer formed on a surface of the first metal layer, the first metallic top layer having a thickness in a range between 5 nm and 300 nm;
- a second metallic top layer formed on the top of the dielectric layer and on a part of the first metal layer adjacent to the upper edge area, the second metallic top layer having a thickness in a range between 10 nm and 100 nm;
- and
- a second metal layer arranged on the second metallic top layer in a part adjacent to the upper edge area, the upper edge area and in an area of the side wall adjacent to the upper edge area, the second metal layer forming a material-tight bond with the second metallic top layer,
- wherein the first metallic top layer covers an entirety of a top surface and each side surface of the first metal layer.
9 more elements
A stacked III-V multi-junction solar cell comprising:
- a substrate layer formed on a bottom of the multi-junction solar cell;
- a first solar cell arranged above the substrate layer with a first band gap;
- a second solar cell arranged above the first solar cell with a second band gap, the second band gap being larger than the first band gap;
- a tunnel diode formed between the first solar cell and the second solar cell;
- a metallic top contact area formed at a top of the multi-junction solar cell, the top contact area comprising a first metal layer;
- a flat metallic bottom contact area to electrically connect the substrate, the multi-junction solar cell being electrically connected via the top contact area and the bottom contact area;
- an oval opening extending continuously from the top to the bottom of the multi-junction solar cell, the opening having a circumferential side wall and an upper edge area formed on the top and a lower edge area formed on the bottom, the upper edge area being adjacent to the top contact area, the side wall and the two edge areas being completely covered with a dielectric layer, the dielectric layer having a top and a bottom and the dielectric layer forming a material-tight bond with a semiconductor material on the bottom in an area of the side wall;
- a first metallic top layer formed on a surface of the first metal layer, the first metallic top layer having a thickness in a range between 5 nm and 300 nm;
- a second metallic top layer formed on the top of the dielectric layer and on a part of the first metal layer adjacent to the upper edge area, the second metallic top layer having a thickness in a range between 10 nm and 100 nm;
- and
- a second metal layer arranged on the second metallic top layer in a part adjacent to the upper edge area, the upper edge area and in an area of the side wall adjacent to the upper edge area, the second metal layer forming a material-tight bond with the second metallic top layer,
- wherein the second metallic top layer and the second metal layer are formed only partially along the side wall and do not extend to a bottom of the side wall.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.