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US 2004/0200523 A1Published application
Multijunction photovoltaic cell grown on high-miscut-angle substrate
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsRichard R. King, James H. Ermer, Peter C. Colter, Chris Fetzer
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Abstract
The present invention provides a photovoltaic cell comprising a GaInP subcell comprising a disordered group-III sublattice, a Ga(In)As subcell disposed below the GaInP subcell, and a Ge substrate disposed below the Ga(In)As subcell comprising a surface misoriented from a (100) plane by an angle from about 8 degrees to about 40 degrees toward a nearest (111) plane.
Claims47
A photovoltaic cell, comprising:
- a GaInP subcell comprising a disordered group-III sublattice base;
- a Ga(In)As subcell disposed below the GaInP subcell;
- and
- a semiconductor growth substrate disposed below the Ga(In)As subcell comprising a surface misoriented from a (100) plane by an angle from about 8 degrees to about 40 degrees toward a nearest (111) plane.
1 more element
A photovoltaic cell, comprising:
- a GaInP subcell;
- a Ga(In)As subcell disposed below the GaInP subcell;
- and
- a Ge substrate disposed below the Ga(In)As subcell, the Ge substrate comprising a surface misoriented from a (100) plane by an angle from about 8 degrees to about 40 degrees toward at least one of a following plane from a group consisting of:
- a nearest {111} plane;
- a nearest {110} plane;
- and
- a continuum of planes between {111} planes.
5 more elements
A photovoltaic cell, comprising:
- a AlInP top subcell window layer;
- a GaInP top subcell emitter layer disposed below the AlInP top subcell window layer;
- a GaInP top subcell base layer disposed below the GaInP top subcell emitter layer;
- a AlGaInP or AlGaAs top subcell BSF layer disposed below the GaInP top subcell base layer;
- a tunnel junction comprising a GaInP tunnel junction layer disposed below the top subcell BSF layer;
- a GaInP middle subcell window layer disposed below the tunnel junction that is disposed below the top subcell BSF layer;
- a Ga(In)As middle subcell emitter layer disposed below the middle subcell window layer;
- a Ga(In)As middle subcell base layer disposed below the Ga(In)As middle subcell emitter layer;
- a GaInP or AlGaAs BSF layer disposed below the Ga(In)As middle subcell base layer;
- a tunnel junction comprising a Ga(In)As tunnel junction layer disposed below the middle subcell BSF layer;
- a Ga(In)As buffer layer disposed below the tunnel junction that is disposed below the middle subcell BSF layer;
- a GaInP nucleation layer and bottom subcell window layer disposed below the Ga(In)As buffer layer;
- a Ge bottom subcell emitter layer disposed below the GaInP nucleation layer and bottom subcell window layer;
- and
- a Ge bottom subcell base layer and high-miscut-angle substrate disposed below the Ge bottom subcell emitter layer, the substrate comprising a (115) surface.
12 more elements
A photovoltaic cell, comprising:
- a Ge substrate comprising a surface misoriented from a (100) plane by an angle from about 8 degrees to about 40 degrees toward a nearest (111) plane;
- and
- at least one of a following group of subcells disposed above the Ge substrate:
- GaInP/Ga(In)As/GaInNAs;
- GaInP (thin)/GaInP(As)(thick)/Ga(In)As;
- and
- GaInP (thin)/GaInP(As)(thick)/Ga(In)As/GaInNAs.
4 more elements
A photovoltaic cell, comprising:
- a subcell window layer;
- a subcell emitter layer disposed below the top subcell window layer;
- a subcell base layer disposed below the top subcell emitter layer;
- and
- a subcell BSF layer disposed below the top subcell base layer;
- and
- a subcell base layer and a high-miscut-angle growth substrate disposed below the subcell BSF layer, the substrate comprising a (115) surface;
- wherein the window layer, the emitter layer, the base layer, and the BSF layer may comprise a plurality of materials including:
- AlInP, AlAs, AlP, AlGaInP, AlGaAsP, AlGaInAs, AlGaInPAs, GaInP, GaInAs, GaInPAs, AlGaAs, AlInAs, AlInPAs, GaAsSb, AlAsSb, GaAlAsSb, AlInSb, GaInSb, AlGaInSb, AlN, GaN, InN, GaInN, AlGaInN, GaInNAs, AlGaInNAs, Ge, Si, SiGe, ZnSSe, and CdSSe.
6 more elements
A device comprising a high-miscut-angle growth substrate that can be used to enhance the performance of the device or reduce the cost of the device via disordering, increased doping, improved mechanical yield, or increased growth rate, the device comprising at least one of a following element disposed above the substrate from a group consisting of:
- photodetectors with higher bandgap window layers due to disordering;
- heterojunction bipolar transistors with higher bandgap emitters, collectors, or heavier doping in a base layer;
- high-electron-mobility transistors that make use of a higher bandgap of a gate layer and a different band offset between gate and channel layers that results from disordering;
- semiconductor edge-emitting lasers and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with higher bandgap lasing regions, higher bandgap charge confinement layers, and/or higher refractive index contrast for light confinement or Bragg reflectors resulting from disordering;
- photonic waveguide devices with different refractive index contrast or sensitivity of index to an applied electric field as a result of disordering;
- avalanche photodiodes with higher bandgap and/or different electron/hole ionization ratios in a multiplication layer or other regions resulting from disordering;
- and
- quantum well photovoltaic cells, lasers, and other devices with higher bandgap barrier layers for the wells resulting from disordering.
5 more elements
A solar cell system, comprising:
- a solar array having at least one solar cell, the solar cell comprising:
- a disordered AlInP window layer;
- a disordered GaInP emitter layer disposed below the AlInP window layer;
- a disordered GaInP base layer disposed below the GaInP emitter layer;
- a disordered AlGaInP BSF layer disposed below the GaInP base layer;
- a disordered GaInP tunnel junction layer disposed below the AlGaInP BSF layer;
- a Ga(In)As buffer layer disposed below the GaInP tunnel junction layer;
- a disordered GaInP nucleation layer and window layer disposed below the Ga(In)As buffer layer;
- a Ge diffused region layer disposed below the GaInP nucleation layer and window layer;
- and
- a Ge high-miscut-angle substrate disposed below the Ge diffused region layer, the substrate comprising a (115) surface.
8 more elements
A solar cell system, comprising:
- a solar array having at least one solar cell, the solar cell comprising:
- a AlInP top subcell window layer;
- a GaInP top subcell emitter layer disposed below the AlInP top subcell window layer;
- a GaInP top subcell base layer disposed below the GaInP top subcell emitter layer;
- a AlGaInP or AlGaAs top subcell BSF layer disposed below the GaInP top subcell base layer;
- a tunnel junction comprising a GaInP tunnel junction layer disposed below the top subcell BSF layer;
- a GaInP middle subcell window layer disposed below the tunnel junction that is disposed below the top subcell BSF layer;
- a Ga(In)As middle subcell emitter layer disposed below the middle subcell window layer;
- a Ga(In)As middle subcell base layer disposed below the Ga(In)As middle subcell emitter layer;
- a GaInP or AlGaAs BSF layer disposed below the Ga(In)As middle subcell base layer;
- a tunnel junction comprising a Ga(In)As tunnel junction layer disposed below the middle subcell BSF layer;
- a Ga(In)As buffer layer disposed below the tunnel junction that is disposed below the middle subcell BSF layer;
- a GaInP nucleation layer and bottom subcell window layer disposed below the Ga(In)As buffer layer;
- a Ge bottom subcell emitter layer disposed below the GaInP nucleation layer and bottom subcell window layer;
- and
- a Ge bottom subcell base layer and high-miscut-angle substrate disposed below the Ge bottom subcell emitter layer, the substrate comprising a (115) surface.
13 more elements
A satellite system, comprising:
- a satellite;
- and
- a solar cell array operably coupled to the satellite, the solar cell array having at least one photovoltaic cell comprising:
- a disordered AlInP window layer;
- a disordered or partially disordered GaInP subcell disposed below the AlInP window layer, the GaInP subcell comprising a bandgap of about 1.9 eV;
- a disordered AlGaInP BSF layer disposed below the GaInP subcell;
- a disordered GaInP tunnel junction layer disposed below the AlGaInP BSF layer;
- a Ga(In)As buffer layer disposed below the GaInP tunnel junction layer;
- a disordered GaInP nucleation layer and window layer disposed below the Ga(In)As buffer layer;
- a Ge diffused region layer disposed below the GaInP nucleation layer and window layer;
- and
- an about 16 degree miscut Ge substrate disposed below the Ge diffused region layer.
9 more elements
A satellite system, comprising:
- a satellite;
- and
- a solar cell array operably coupled to the satellite, the solar cell array having at least one photovoltaic cell comprising:
- a disordered AlInP window layer;
- a disordered or partially disordered GaInP subcell disposed below the AlInP window layer, the GaInP subcell comprising a bandgap of about 1.9 eV;
- a disordered AlGaInP BSF layer disposed below the GaInP subcell;
- a disordered GaInP tunnel junction layer disposed below the AlGaInP BSF layer;
- a Ga(In)As buffer layer disposed below the GaInP tunnel junction layer;
- a GaInP middle subcell window layer disposed below the Ga(In)As buffer layer;
- a Ga(In)As middle subcell emitter layer disposed below the middle subcell window layer;
- a Ga(In)As middle subcell base layer disposed below the Ga(In)As middle subcell emitter layer;
- a GaInP or AlGaAs BSF layer disposed below the Ga(In)As middle subcell base layer;
- a tunnel junction comprising a Ga(In)As tunnel junction layer disposed below the middle subcell BSF layer;
- a Ga(In)As buffer layer disposed below the tunnel junction that is disposed below the middle subcell BSF layer;
- a disordered GaInP nucleation layer and window layer disposed below the tunnel junction;
- a Ge diffused region layer disposed below the GaInP nucleation layer and window layer;
- and
- an about 16 degree miscut Ge substrate disposed below the Ge diffused region layer.
15 more elements
A method for increasing a GaInP top subcell bandgap, comprising:
- providing a Ge substrate with a miscut angle;
- growing a photovoltaic cell, including the GaInP top subcell, on the Ge substrate;
- and
- positioning the miscut angle toward a {111} plane to disorder and increase the bandgap of the GaInP top subcell.
1 more element
A method for producing a GaInP top subcell with a higher bandgap, thereby causing said GaInP top subcell to have a short cutoff wavelength in external quantum efficiency measurements, a higher open-circuit voltage and a higher maximum-power-point voltage, comprising:
- preparing a Ge substrate with a 15.8-degree miscut angle;
- and
- growing the GaInP top subcell on the 15.8-degree-miscut Ge substrate, resulting in a higher bandgap and a an external quantum efficiency of about zero percent for wavelengths longer than about 675 nm.
A method for increasing a conversion efficiency in a solar cell, comprising:
- preparing a Ge substrate with a 15.8-degree miscut angle;
- and
- growing a GaInP top subcell on the 15.8-degree miscut Ge substrate, resulting in an efficiency of about 29.5% and an open-circuit voltage of about 2.7V.
A method for increasing at least one of a doping and a growth rate on a III-V device, comprising disposing the device upon a nominal (001) Ge substrate where a miscut angle is greater than 8° and less than 40° toward a nearest {111} direction.
A photovoltaic cell, comprising:
- a first subcell comprising a disordered group-III sublattice base;
- a second subcell disposed below the first subcell;
- and
- a semiconductor growth substrate disposed below the second subcell comprising a surface misoriented from a (100) plane by an angle from about 8 degrees to about 40 degrees toward a nearest (111) plane.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.