Ideal GaP/Si heterostructures grown by MOCVD: III-V/active-Si subcells, multijuntions, and MBE-to-MOCVD III-V/Si interface science

Ringel, S. A.; Carlin, John A.; Grassman, Tyler J.; Galiana, B.; Carlin, Andrew M.; Ratcliff, Chris; Chmielewski, Daniel J.; Yang, Limei; Mills, Michael J.; Mansouri, Al; Bremner, Stephen; Ho‐Baillie, Anita; Hao, Xiaojing; Mehrvarz, Hamid; Conibeer, Gavin; Green, Michael A

doi:10.1109/pvsc.2013.6745175

“…An additional important role of the initial III-V layer on Si is to serve as effective window layer, allowing sufficient optical transmission, surface passivation, majority carrier conduction and minority carrier reflection. Emitter formation in the Si substrate can be challenging, and different approaches are being explored, such as in-situ epitaxial phosphorus diffusion (Garcia-Tabares et al 2011), in-situ epitaxial growth of Si emitter (Ringel et al 2013) and ex-situ conventional diffusion. The in-situ phosphorus diffusion from the gas phase was found to be less intense for optimal junction formation in Si (Ringel et al 2013), translating to epitaxially grown or ex-situ diffused junctions being more efficient.…”

Section: Iii-v and Si Solar Cell Design And Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

III–V Multijunction Solar Cell Integration with Silicon: Present Status, Challenges and Future Outlook

Jain¹,

Hudait²

2018

Energyo

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Achieving high-efficiency solar cells and at the same time driving down the cell cost has been among the key objectives for photovoltaic researchers to attain a lower levelized cost of energy (LCOE). While the performance of silicon (Si) based solar cells have almost saturated at an efficiency of~25%, III-V compound semiconductor based solar cells have steadily shown performance improvement at~1% (absolute) increase per year, with a recent record efficiency of 44.7%. Integration of such high-efficiency III-V multijunction solar cells on significantly cheaper and large area Si substrate has recently attracted immense interest to address the future LCOE roadmaps by unifying the high-efficiency merits of III-V materials with low-cost and abundance of Si. This review article will discuss the current progress in the development of III-V multijunction solar cell integration onto Si substrate. The current state-of-the-art for III-Von-Si solar cells along with their theoretical performance projections is presented. Next, the key design criteria and the technical challenges associated with the integration of III-V multijunction solar cells on Si are reviewed. Different technological routes for integrating III-V solar cells on Si substrate through heteroepitaxial integration and via mechanical stacking approach are presented. The key merits and technical challenges for all of the till-date available technologies are summarized. Finally, the prospects, opportunities and future outlook toward further advancing the performance of III-V-on-Si multijunction solar cells are discussed. With the plummeting price of Si solar cells accompanied with the tremendous headroom available for improving the III-V solar cell efficiencies, the future prospects for successful integration of III-V solar cell technology onto Si substrate look very promising to unlock an era of next generation of high-efficiency and low-cost photovoltaics.

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“…The performance of the solar cell was limited by the high TDD of 9.4 Â 10 7 cm −2 , which translated to a relatively high bandgap-voltage offset, W oc of 0.73 eV (Geisz et al 2012). Ringel et al (2013) and Grassman et al (2009) have focused efforts on improving the quality of GaP/Si interface to minimize the heterovalent nucleation-related defects, including APDs, stacking faults and microtwins for structures grown by both MBE and MOCVD. Phosphorus diffusion during GaP-on-Si epitaxy was found to be inefficient in forming a diffused emitter to realize an active bottom Si subcell.…”

Section: Gaas X P 1-x Graded Buffersmentioning

confidence: 99%

III–V Multijunction Solar Cell Integration with Silicon: Present Status, Challenges and Future Outlook

Jain

¹

,

Hudait

²

2014

Energy Harvesting and Systems

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Achieving high-efficiency solar cells and at the same time driving down the cell cost has been among the key objectives for photovoltaic researchers to attain a lower levelized cost of energy (LCOE). While the performance of silicon (Si) based solar cells have almost saturated at an efficiency of~25%, III-V compound semiconductor based solar cells have steadily shown performance improvement at~1% (absolute) increase per year, with a recent record efficiency of 44.7%. Integration of such high-efficiency III-V multijunction solar cells on significantly cheaper and large area Si substrate has recently attracted immense interest to address the future LCOE roadmaps by unifying the high-efficiency merits of III-V materials with low-cost and abundance of Si. This review article will discuss the current progress in the development of III-V multijunction solar cell integration onto Si substrate. The current state-of-the-art for III-Von-Si solar cells along with their theoretical performance projections is presented. Next, the key design criteria and the technical challenges associated with the integration of III-V multijunction solar cells on Si are reviewed. Different technological routes for integrating III-V solar cells on Si substrate through heteroepitaxial integration and via mechanical stacking approach are presented. The key merits and technical challenges for all of the till-date available technologies are summarized. Finally, the prospects, opportunities and future outlook toward further advancing the performance of III-V-on-Si multijunction solar cells are discussed. With the plummeting price of Si solar cells accompanied with the tremendous headroom available for improving the III-V solar cell efficiencies, the future prospects for successful integration of III-V solar cell technology onto Si substrate look very promising to unlock an era of next generation of high-efficiency and low-cost photovoltaics.

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“…Coolaborators at the Ohio State University have pioneered the growth of III-V cells on silicon for solar applications [2][3][4] through metamorphic structures based on graded GaAs y P 1-y or Ge y Si 1-y buffer layers (Fig. 3a).…”

Section: Metamorphic Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Also shown is the improved infrared response of a FZ Si bottom layer cell developed for this work[2].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Silicon wafer-based tandem cells: The ultimate photovoltaic solution?

Green

¹

2014

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Recent large price reductions with wafer-based cells have increased the difficulty of dislodging silicon solar cell technology from its dominant market position. With market leaders expected to be manufacturing modules above 16% efficiency at $0.36/Watt by 2017, even the cost per unit area ($60-$70/m 2 ) will be difficult for any thin-film photovoltaic technology to significantly undercut. This may make dislodgement likely only by appreciably higher energy conversion efficiency approaches. A silicon wafer-based cell able to capitalize on on-going cost reductions within the mainstream industry, but with an appreciably higher than present efficiency, might therefore provide the ultimate PV solution. With average selling prices of 156 mm quasi-square monocrystalline Si photovoltaic wafers recently approaching $1 (per wafer), wafers now provide clean, low cost templates for overgrowth of thin, wider bandgap high performance cells, nearly doubling silicon's ultimate efficiency potential. The range of Si-based tandem approaches is reviewed together with recent results and ultimate prospects.

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Ideal GaP/Si heterostructures grown by MOCVD: III-V/active-Si subcells, multijuntions, and MBE-to-MOCVD III-V/Si interface science

Cited by 14 publications

References 9 publications

III–V Multijunction Solar Cell Integration with Silicon: Present Status, Challenges and Future Outlook

III–V Multijunction Solar Cell Integration with Silicon: Present Status, Challenges and Future Outlook

III–V Multijunction Solar Cell Integration with Silicon: Present Status, Challenges and Future Outlook

Silicon wafer-based tandem cells: The ultimate photovoltaic solution?

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