Flexible Encapsulation and Module of Thin‐Film GaInP/GaAs/InGaAs Solar Cells

Abstract

Lightweight and flexible III–V solar cells create new opportunities for application in satellites, drones, and wearable devices. In this article, a module manufacturing scheme based on resistance welding and lamination technology is proposed to meet the demands of practical application. A combined laminate structure of ethylene–tetrafluoroethylene plus ethylene octene copolymer and polyimide is used to encapsulate flexible III–V solar cells. In laboratory measurements with a spectrum close to AM1.5G, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the flexible solar cell is 34.4% with an open‐circuit voltage of 3.04 V, and the efficiency of the flexible module is 32.7% with a weight density of 469 g m−2. The electroluminescence measurements show good performance of the flexible solar cell module, which is expected to achieve large‐size flexible III–V solar cells encapsulation.

The fabrication of flexible and large‐size inverted metamorphic five‐junction solar cells

“…And the copper thin film was adhered to the temporary handle. Note that the low‐temperature bonding reduces stress between heterogeneous substrates, thereby reducing stress‐induced defects on the epitaxial materials 33,34 . After that, the GaAs substrate and GaInP etch stop layer (ESL) were sequentially etched.…”

Electrostatically Sprayed Flexible Encapsulation for High‐Performance III–V Solar Cells

“…Instead of glass, flexible solar cells are typically encapsulated using flexible and transparent polymer materials like polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or fluoropolymer films. [18][19][20] These polymers can be in the form of films or coatings that provide protection against the environments while still allowing the solar cells to flex and bend. The choice of encapsulation material for flexible solar cells is critical to ensure the longevity and performance of the cells.…”

Accelerated aging of unencapsulated flexible GaInP/GaAs/InGaAs solar cells by means of damp heat and thermal cycling tests

“…However, there are few studies on the reliability of solar cells with unencapsulated flexible thin-film metal substrates under complex environmental stresses such as high temperature, high humidity and thermal cycling. With the development of the techniques such as inverted epitaxial growth [ [22] , [23] , [24] ], epitaxial lift-off (ELO) [ 25 , 26 ], and bonding between different homogeneous materials [ 27 , 28 ], the transfer of thin-film inverted epitaxial layer from a rigid substrate to a flexible substrate is realized, and the greater power-to-mass ratio is obtained [ 29 ]. The focus of our preliminary works is to simplify and optimize the fabrication art of flexible solar cells and to prepare devices with good performance.…”