Current-limiting behavior in multijunction solar cells

Braun, Avi; Szabó, N.; Schwarzburg, Klaus; Hannappel, Thomas; Katz, Eugene A.; Gordon, Jeffrey M.

doi:10.1063/1.3596444

Cited by 27 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 9 publications

(15 reference statements)

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“…This is attributed to the non-zero slope photocurrent of the dilute nitride subcell both at near short circuit conditions and in reverse bias (between -2.5V and 0V) as a result of the electric-field assisted collection which is dependent on voltage. Similar trends have been already reported for a GaInAsP/InGaAs dual-junction solar cell [13]. Therefore, it can be concluded that the electric field-assisted increase of the carrier collection and Jsc is not useful to increase the efficiency of this subcell.…”

Section: Modeling the Performance Of 4-junction Solar Cellssupporting

confidence: 67%

Modelling of lattice matched dilute nitride 4-junction concentrator solar cells on Ge substrates

Ochoa¹,

García²,

Lombardero³

et al. 2016

AIP Conference Proceedings

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Abstract. Technology Computer Aided Design modeling is used to examine the performance under light concentration of a 4-J solar cell Ge-based that includes a 1-eV MBE-grown dilute nitride subcell. The 1-eV solar cell is modeled and examined by using material parameters extracted from detailed electro-optical characterization prior to be included into a multijunction structure. The modelling reveals the impact of the electric field-assisted collection in the performance of single junction solar cells and its effect when included in a 4-Junction solar cells. This effect is responsible for the lower FF (~15% lower) in the 4J when including the dilute nitride subcell, especially if it limits the photocurrent. Finally, an optimization procedure based on dilute nitrides with higher material quality is performed resulting in a 4-Junction solar cell with an efficiency of 47% for concentrations between 1000-2000 suns direct terrestrial spectrum.

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Section: Modeling the Performance Of 4-junction Solar Cellssupporting

confidence: 67%

Modelling of lattice matched dilute nitride 4-junction concentrator solar cells on Ge substrates

Ochoa¹,

García²,

Lombardero³

et al. 2016

AIP Conference Proceedings

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“…In that situation, the current density from the tandem should be larger or equal to the smallest one from the two subcells. 4,19 In the present configuration, the small-molecule subcell has lower J sc ¼ 3.94 mA/cm 2 than the polymer cell J sc ¼ 6.38 mA/ cm 2 . However, the tandem cell delivers J sc ¼ 2.78 mA/cm 2 , which is only 70% of the limiting cell current, meanwhile the fill factor of the tandem is 45%, which is quite close to the 47% of the limiting cell.…”

mentioning

confidence: 65%

Air stable hybrid inverted tandem solar cell design

Liu

Nunzi

2011

Applied Physics Letters

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In order to get an air stable solar cell with high open circuit voltage (Voc), we fabricated an inverted tandem solar cell based on hybrid wet chemistry and vacuum thermal deposition techniques. A thin metallic interfacial layer was applied to improve charge recombination and maximize both the fill factor and Voc of the tandem solar cell. A cationic dye doped electron transport layer was used to minimize space charge induced Voc loss. The tandem cell Voc reached 1.02 V, which equals the sum of the two subcells’ Voc. Increase of the metal nanoparticles’ layer thickness reduces the short circuit current density of the tandem owing to increasing light extinction. Our tandem cell design offers superior air stability due to additional encapsulation effect from top metal oxide layers. It retains about 80% of its original efficiency after storage in air for three months.

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“…A supplemental, suitably filtered, illumination source (test lamp) is added to the setup, with an emission spectrum strictly matched to the absorption range of the top subcell. When the intensity of the supplemental illumination is increased, if the multijunction sample cell is top limited, its J sc short‐circuit current will increase until the value of the current produced by the middle subcell, a point we call the “current match.” If this supplemental illumination is further raised, the sample will become middle limited: The measured new J sc will coincide with the current of middle subcell (with excellent approximation). Therefore, the trend of the short‐circuit current as a function of the supplemental illumination given by the test lamp provides information about the limiting subcell together with an estimation of the effective limiting current.…”

Section: Principles Of the Techniquementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Principles Of the Techniquementioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement of the limiting subcell in multijunction space solar devices by restricted‐wavelength‐range illumination

Arcadi

Parravicini

Campesato

et al. 2018

Progress in Photovoltaics

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During their employment in space applications, InGaP/InGaAs/Ge‐based multijunction solar cells undergo strong particle bombardments that decrease their performances. As InGaP is more resistant to radiation, the whole device is usually designed in “top‐limited” configuration. Then the development of high‐efficiency and reliable devices needs standard techniques for identifying the limiting subcell before and after irradiation. We here present a specific method to determine the limiting subcell and matching current in multijunction solar cell. This approach is based on using simultaneously a solar simulator and a suitable supplemental lamp for illuminating the cell in a restricted wavelength range where the top subcell only responds. The technique is tested on beginning‐of‐life and irradiated 3‐junction InGaP/InGaAs/Ge solar cells, and its reliability is discussed.

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Current-limiting behavior in multijunction solar cells

Cited by 27 publications

References 9 publications

Modelling of lattice matched dilute nitride 4-junction concentrator solar cells on Ge substrates

Modelling of lattice matched dilute nitride 4-junction concentrator solar cells on Ge substrates

Air stable hybrid inverted tandem solar cell design

Measurement of the limiting subcell in multijunction space solar devices by restricted‐wavelength‐range illumination

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