# US 2019/0378950 A1 · Solar cell structures for improved current generation and collection

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- Number: US 2019/0378950 A1
- Document ID: US20190378950A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/538,733
- Filed: 2019-08-12
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-14
- Assignees: The Boeing Company
- Applicants: The Boeing Company
- Inventors: Richard R. King; Christopher M. Fetzer; Daniel C. Law; Xing-Quan Liu; William D. Hong; Kenneth M. Edmondson; Dimitri D. Krut; Joseph C. Boisvert; Nasser H. Karam
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190378950A1

## CPC

- H10F 10/161: comprising multiple PN heterojunctions, e.g. tandem cells
- H10F 10/142: comprising multiple PN homojunctions, e.g. tandem cells
- H10F 10/163: comprising only Group III-V materials, e.g. GaAs/AlGaAs or InP/GaInAs photovoltaic cells
- H10F 77/14: Shape of semiconductor bodies; Shapes, relative sizes or dispositions of semiconductor regions within semiconductor bodies
- H10F 77/143: {comprising quantum structures}
- H10F 77/1433: {Quantum dots}
- H10F 77/1437: {Quantum wires or nanorods}
- Y02E 10/544: Solar cells from Group III-V materials
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

In one aspect, optoelectronic devices are described herein. In some implementations, an optoelectronic device comprises a photovoltaic cell. The photovoltaic cell comprises a space-charge region, a quasi-neutral region, and a low bandgap absorber region (LBAR) layer or an improved transport (IT) layer at least partially positioned in the quasi-neutral region of the cell.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optoelectronic device comprising a photovoltaic cell, the photovoltaic cell comprising:
a space-charge region;
a quasi-neutral region; and
a low bandgap absorber region (LBAR) layer or an improved transport (IT) layer forming a first portion of a base layer of the cell;
a window layer;
a back-surface-field (BSF) layer;
an emitter layer; and
a second portion of the base layer,
wherein the first portion of the base layer is disposed between the emitter layer and the second portion of the base layer, the second portion of the base layer being adjacent the BSF layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the base layer is at least partially positioned in the quasi-neutral region of the cell.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the base layer is entirely positioned in the quasi-neutral region of the cell.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the base layer is entirely positioned in the space-charge region of the cell.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the base layer is positioned partially in the space-charge region of the base layer and partially in the quasi-neutral region of the base layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the base layer has a lower bandgap than the second portion of the base layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein the first portion of the base layer has a lower bandgap than the emitter layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the LBAR layer has a lower bandgap than an immediately adjacent semiconductor layer of the cell.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the LBAR layer has a lower bandgap than two immediately adjacent semiconductor layers of the cell.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the emitter comprises AlGaInP.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein the first portion of the base layer comprises aluminum free GaInP.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The device of claim 11, wherein the second portion of the base layer comprises AlGaInP.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the LBAR is ordered.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The device of claim 13, wherein the emitter layer and the second portion of the base layer are disordered.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein first portion of the base layer comprises ordered (Al)GaInP.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15, wherein emitter and the second portion of the base layer comprise disordered (Al)GaInP.

### Claim 17

An optoelectronic device comprising a photovoltaic cell, the photovoltaic cell comprising:
a space-charge region;
a quasi-neutral region; and
a low bandgap absorber region (LBAR) layer or an improved transport (IT) layer forming a first portion of a base layer of the cell;
a window layer;
a back-surface-field (BSF) layer;
an emitter layer;
a second portion of the base layer; and
a third portion of the base layer
wherein the first portion of the base layer is disposed between the second portion of the base layer and the third portion of the base layer, the second portion of the base layer being adjacent the emitter layer, the third portion of the base layer being disposed between the first portion of the base layer and the BSF layer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The device of claim 17, wherein the first portion of the base layer comprises an ordered (Al)GaInP.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the first portion of the base layer is within the quasi-neutral region of the base.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein emitter layer, the second portion of the base layer and the third portion of the base layer each comprise a disordered (Al)GaInP.