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

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (3-4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikhil Jain ◽  
Mantu K. Hudait
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Si Substrate ◽  
Future Outlook ◽  
Si Solar Cells ◽  
Multijunction Solar Cells ◽  
The Future ◽  
Multijunction Solar Cell

AbstractAchieving 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–V-on-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.

scholarly journals A Brief Review of High Efficiency III-V Solar Cells for Space Application

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Li ◽  
A. Aierken ◽  
Y. Liu ◽  
Y. Zhuang ◽  
X. Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Radiation Damage ◽  
Radiation Resistance ◽  
Radiation Effects ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Space Application ◽  
Cell Structures ◽  
Multijunction Solar Cells ◽  
Multijunction Solar Cell

The demands for space solar cells are continuously increasing with the rapid development of space technologies and complex space missions. The space solar cells are facing more critical challenges than before: higher conversion efficiency and better radiation resistance. Being the main power supply in spacecrafts, III-V multijunction solar cells are the main focus for space application nowadays due to their high efficiency and super radiation resistance. In multijunction solar cell structure, the key to obtaining high crystal quality and increase cell efficiency is satisfying the lattice matching and bandgap matching conditions. New materials and new structures of high efficiency multijunction solar cell structures are continuously coming out with low-cost, lightweight, flexible, and high power-to-mass ratio features in recent years. In addition to the efficiency and other properties, radiation resistance is another sole criterion for space solar cells, therefore the radiation effects of solar cells and the radiation damage mechanism have both been widely studied fields for space solar cells over the last few decades. This review briefly summarized the research progress of III-V multijunction solar cells in recent years. Different types of cell structures, research results and radiation effects of these solar cell structures under different irradiation conditions are presented. Two main solar cell radiation damage evaluation models—the equivalent fluence method and displacement damage dose method—are introduced.

High-Efficiency Multijunction Solar Cells

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 230-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Dimroth ◽  
Sarah Kurtz
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Photovoltaic Device ◽  
New Materials ◽  
Multijunction Solar Cells ◽  
Multijunction Solar Cell ◽  
High Absorption Coefficient ◽  
High Absorption

AbstractThe efficiency of a solar cell can be increased by stacking multiple solar cells with a range of bandgap energies, resulting in a multijunction solar cell with a maximum the oretical efficiency limit of 86.8% III–V compound semiconductors are good candidates for fabricating such multijunction solar cells for two reasons: they can be grown with excellent material quality; and their bandgaps span a wide spectral range, mostly with direct bandgaps, implying a high absorption coefficient. These factors are the reason for the success of this technology, which has achieved 39% efficiency, the highest solar-to-electric conversion efficiency of any photovoltaic device to date. This article explores the materials science of today's high-efficiency multijunction cells and describes challenges associated with new materials developments and how they may lead to next-generation, multijunction solar cell concepts.

Solar Spectrum Splitting Parallel Junction High Efficiency Concentrating Photovoltaics

2012 ◽  
Vol 1391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lirong Z. Broderick ◽  
Marco Stefancich ◽  
Dario Roncati ◽  
Brian R. Albert ◽  
Xing Sheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Linear Array ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Spectral Band ◽  
Solar Spectrum ◽  
Optical Loss ◽  
Single Element ◽  
Si Substrate ◽  
Spectrum Splitting

ABSTRACTA compact, single element concentrator comprising a near linear array of prisms has been designed to simultaneously split and concentrate the solar spectrum. Laterally aligned solar cells with different bandgaps are devised to be fabricated on a common Si substrate, with each cell absorbing a different spectral band optimized for highest overall power conversion efficiency. Epitaxial Ge on Si is used as a low cost virtual substrate for III-V materials growth. Assuming no optical loss for the prism concentrator, no shadowing and perfect carrier collection for the solar cells, simulations show that 39% efficiency can be achieved for a parallel four-junction (4PJ) InGaP-GaAs-Si-Ge cell under 200X concentration, and higher efficiency is possible with more junctions.

Surface Passivation of c-Si by Nanoengineered AlOx toward Low-Cost, High-Efficiency c-Si Solar Cells

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Lee ◽  
N. Sawamoto ◽  
K. Ueda ◽  
Y. Enomoto ◽  
K. Arafune ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Surface Passivation ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Si Solar Cells

scholarly journals Introduction, Past and Present Scenario of Solar Cell Materials

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
M. Rizwan
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Quantum Dot ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Organic Hybrid ◽  
2Nd Generation ◽  
Multijunction Solar Cells ◽  
The Stability

Solar cells convert sunlight into electricity directly. It is a reliable, non-toxic and pollution free source of electricity. Since 19th century researchers have been trying to investigate different materials for solar cell devices. Commercially, Si based solar are predominate in this field, however, with passage of time different materials have been reported. Solar cell techniques are based on three different generations. 1st generation is based on Si and 2nd generation includes thin-films of CuInGaSe, GaAs, CdTe and GaInP etc. whereas 3rd generation is based on organic, hybrid perovskites, quantum dot (QD)-sensitizers & dye-sensitizers solar cells. Among all these, the 3rd generation solar cells are the most efficient and more cost effective than 1nd and 2nd generation solar cells. The 2nd generation is less costly but also less efficient compared to 1st generation. 3rd generation faces degradation of the photovoltaic materials which is a major problem. In this chapter different reported materials since 19th century for solar cells are mentioned. The past and present scenarios of solar cells are discussed comprehensively. It is observed that Si-based and multijunction solar cells dominate the market. Although, theoretically it is reported that hybrid perovskites and quantum dot materials for solar cell are the most efficient materials for photovoltaic PV devices. In spite of the high efficiency the stability of organic, hybrid perovskites, QD-sensitizers &dye-sensitizer materials is a big challenge.

Advanced, Thin, Polycrystalline Silicon-Film™ Solar Cells on Low-Cost Substrates

1996 ◽  
Vol 426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert B. Hall ◽  
Allen M. Barnett ◽  
Jeff E. Cotter ◽  
David H. Ford ◽  
Alan E. Ingram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Polycrystalline Silicon ◽  
Silicon Solar Cell ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Silicon Film ◽  
Silicon Layer ◽  
Thin Polycrystalline

AbstractThin, polycrystalline silicon solar cells have the potential for the realization of a 15%, lowcost photovoltaic product. As a photovoltaic material, polycrystalline material is abundant, benign, and electrically stable. The thin-film polycrystalline silicon solar cell design achieves high efficiency by incorporating techniques to enhance optical absorption, ensure electrical confinement, and minimize bulk recombination currents. AstroPower's approach to a thin-film polycrystalline silicon solar cell technology is based on the Silicon-Film™ process, a continuous sheet manufacturing process for the growth of thin films of polycrystalline silicon on low-cost substrates. A new barrier layer and substrate have been developed for advanced solar cell designs. External gettering with phosphorus has been employed to effect significant improvements leading to effective minority carrier diffusion lengths greater than 250 micrometers in the active silicon layer. Light trapping has been observed in 60-micrometer thick films of silicon grown on the new barrier-coated substrate. An efficiency of 12.2% in a 0.659 cm2 solar cell has been achieved with the advanced structure.

scholarly journals Hybrid Materials for Solar Cells

2021 ◽  
pp. 149-174
Author(s):  
U. Fegade
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Organic Solar Cells ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Space Applications ◽  
Tandem Solar Cells ◽  
Low Efficiency ◽  
Sensitized Solar Cells

Solar energy is an attractive renewable energy source across the globe that can help overcome the energy crises and has the ability to replace conventional resources. Hybrid solar cells have higher conversion efficiency. In the current chapter the research related to the carbon nanotubes, organic and inorganic solar cell, dye-sensitized solar cells and tandem solar cells are reviewed. The organic solar cells are most suitable and economic, but it has low efficiency of up to 15%. The inorganic solar cells are very expensive and have high efficiency of up to 46% and are used in space applications. The hybrid solar cell is the third type and the perovskite tandem has already proven to be quite efficient (17%) and low cost, mostly because of the cheap materials that are being used.

scholarly journals Tandem Solar Cells Based on Cu2O and c-Si Subcells in Parallel Configuration: Numerical Simulation

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihai Răzvan Mitroi ◽  
Valerică Ninulescu ◽  
Laurenţiu Fara
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Output Power ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Maximum Output Power ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Maximum Output ◽  
Parallel Configuration

A tandem solar cell consisting of a bottom c-Si high-efficiency subcell and a top low-cost Cu2O subcell in parallel configuration is evaluated for the first time by a use of an electrical model. A numerical simulation based on the single-diode model of the solar cell is performed. The numerical method determines both the model parameters and the parameters of the subcells and tandem from the maximization of output power. The simulations indicate a theoretical limit value of the tandem power conversion efficiency of 31.23% at 298 K. The influence of temperature on the maximum output power is analyzed. This tandem configuration allows a great potential for the development of a new generation of low-cost high-efficiency solar cells.

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