AlGaSb based solar cells grown on GaAs by molecular beam epitaxy

Ehsan Vadiee, Chaomin Zhang, Nikolai N. Faleev, Sadhvikas Addamane, Shuo Wang, Fernando Ponce, Ganesh Balakrishnan, Christiana Honsberg

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

A goal for concentrating photovoltaics is to realize efficiencies over 50%. Recent 4J bonded solar cells show a path to such high efficiency devices by separately growing the top and bottom solar cells. Present experimental devices use InP-based materials for the bottom junctions. III-Sb solar cells can be good candidates for bottom solar cells. Sb-containing III-V alloys have shown high electron mobility, wide band gap range including small band gaps, flexible band alignment, and small effective electron mass [1]. In addition, GaSb alloys can be grown with low defect densities on GaAs. This paper investigates GaSb-based solar cells. We show AlGaSb based solar cells grown directly on semi-insulator GaAs (001) substrates by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE). Device and structural investigations have been performed to assess the electrical properties and material quality. Devices in the GaSb material system show Woc of 0.30, a very high value for a low band gap solar cell. To control the device properties, GaSb based solar cells grown on GaAs (100) substrates were compared to the devices grown on GaSb substrates.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication2017 IEEE 44th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2017
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages1498-1503
Number of pages6
ISBN (Electronic)9781509056057
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017
Event44th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2017 - Washington, United States
Duration: Jun 25 2017Jun 30 2017

Publication series

Name2017 IEEE 44th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2017

Other

Other44th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2017
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityWashington
Period6/25/176/30/17

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

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