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Ingap heterojunction barrier solar cells (Document No: 20100036562)
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Welser, Roger E. |
| Copyright Year | 2010 |
| Description | A new solar-cell structure utilizes a single, ultra-wide well of either gallium arsenide (GaAs) or indium-gallium-phosphide (InGaP) in the depletion region of a wide bandgap matrix, instead of the usual multiple quantum well layers. These InGaP barrier layers are effective at reducing diode dark current, and photogenerated carrier escape is maximized by the proper design of the electric field and barrier profile. With the new material, open-circuit voltage enhancements of 40 and 100 mV (versus PIN control systems) are possible without any degradation in short-circuit current. Basic tenets of quantum-well and quantum- dot solar cells are utilized, but instead of using multiple thin layers, a single wide well works better. InGaP is used as a barrier material, which increases open current, while simultaneously lowering dark current, reducing both hole diffusion from the base, and space charge recombination within the depletion region. Both the built-in field and the barrier profile are tailored to enhance thermionic emissions, which maximizes the photocurrent at forward bias, with a demonstrated voltage increase. An InGaP heterojunction barrier solar cell consists of a single, ultra-wide GaAs, aluminum-gallium-arsenide (AlGaAs), or lower-energy-gap InGaP absorber well placed within the depletion region of an otherwise wide bandgap PIN diode. Photogenerated electron collection is unencumbered in this structure. InGaAs wells can be added to the thick GaAs absorber layer to capture lower-energy photons. |
| File Size | 98378 |
| Page Count | 2 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_20100036562 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t5s80c121 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 2010-10-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Energy Production And Conversion Solar Cells Quantum Dots Barrier Layers Quantum Wells Heterojunction Devices Indium Diodes Augmentation Gallium Phosphides Aluminum Gallium Arsenides Depletion Indium Phosphides Dark Current Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Technical Report |
