InAs quantum dot enhancement of GaAs solar cells

Hubbard, Seth M.; Plourde, Chelsea; Bittner, Zac; Bailey, Christopher G.; Harris, Mike; Bald, Tim; Bennett, Mitchell F.; Forbes, David V.; Raffaelle, Ryne P.

doi:10.1109/pvsc.2010.5614053

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 13 publications

(19 reference statements)

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“…While up to now the incorporation of QDs improves the solar cell's performance just by a few percent [12], we demonstrated that QDs with the built-in charge of approximately six electrons per dot provide a 50% increase in photovoltaic efficiency [11]. We also observed approximately 25 times increase of the photoresponse of QDIP when the built-in-dot charge increases from one electron to six electrons per dot [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…In very recent works, we have reported a radical improvement on the responsivity of QD infrared photodetectors [QDIP] [ 10 ] and QD solar cell efficiency [ 11 ] due to strong inter-dot doping, which creates substantial built-in-dot charge. While up to now the incorporation of QDs improves the solar cell's performance just by a few percent [ 12 ], we demonstrated that QDs with the built-in charge of approximately six electrons per dot provide a 50% increase in photovoltaic efficiency [ 11 ]. We also observed approximately 25 times increase of the photoresponse of QDIP when the built-in-dot charge increases from one electron to six electrons per dot [ 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, intensive experimental efforts to improve the performance of intermediate-band solar cells show limited success. In comparison with a reference cell, the short-circuit photocurrent of the QD intermediate-band cells increases only by a few percent [ 12 ]. It is well understood that the addition of QDs significantly increases the absorption of IR radiation, but simultaneously, QDs drastically increase recombination processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effective harvesting, detection, and conversion of IR radiation due to quantum dots with built-in charge

et al. 2011

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We analyze the effect of doping on photoelectron kinetics in quantum dot [QD] structures and find two strong effects of the built-in-dot charge. First, the built-in-dot charge enhances the infrared [IR] transitions in QD structures. This effect significantly increases electron coupling to IR radiation and improves harvesting of the IR power in QD solar cells. Second, the built-in charge creates potential barriers around dots, and these barriers strongly suppress capture processes for photocarriers of the same sign as the built-in-dot charge. The second effect exponentially increases the photoelectron lifetime in unipolar devices, such as IR photodetectors. In bipolar devices, such as solar cells, the solar radiation creates the built-in-dot charge that equates the electron and hole capture rates. By providing additional charge to QDs, the appropriate doping can significantly suppress the capture and recombination processes via QDs. These improvements of IR absorption and photocarrier kinetics radically increase the responsivity of IR photodetectors and photovoltaic efficiency of QD solar cells.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effective harvesting, detection, and conversion of IR radiation due to quantum dots with built-in charge

et al. 2011

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“…On the other hand, tensile-strained barriers have been studied to balance out or compensate for the compressive strain induced in QD active regions. [107][108][109][110][111][112][113][114]150,151 This growth method is called the strain-compensation or strainbalance technique. Oshima et al have studied multi-stacked InAs QDs layers on GaAs substrates by using straincompensation, in which GaNAs dilute nitride spacer layers were used as strain compensating layer (SCL).…”

Section: Fabrication Techniques Of Multi-stacking Qds Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, strain-compensation growth techniques have shown a significantly improved multi-stacked QD quality as well as characteristics of QDSCs even after stacking of 50 QD layers by S-K growth on GaAs substrate. 113,114 On InP substrate, high material quality has been reported in 300 layers stacked InAs QDs using AlGaInAs strain-compensation layer. 152…”

Section: Fabrication Techniques Of Multi-stacking Qds Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intermediate band solar cells: Recent progress and future directions

Okada

Ekins-Daukes

Kita

et al. 2015

Applied Physics Reviews

336

235

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Extensive literature and publications on intermediate band solar cells (IBSCs) are reviewed. A detailed discussion is given on the thermodynamics of solar energy conversion in IBSCs, the device physics, and the carrier dynamics processes with a particular emphasis on the two-step inter-subband absorption/recombination processes that are of paramount importance in a successful implementation high-efficiency IBSC. The experimental solar cell performance is further discussed, which has been recently demonstrated by using highly mismatched alloys and high-density quantum dot arrays and superlattice. IBSCs having widely different structures, materials, and spectral responses are also covered, as is the optimization of device parameters to achieve maximum performance.

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