Receiver unit

• US 10,566,490 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH (5N Plus, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH (5N Plus, Inc.)
• Inventors: Waechter, Clemens, Fuhrmann, Daniel, Guter, Wolfgang, Peper, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Nikmanesh, Seahvosh
• Application Number:
  US16/059,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20180351026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/142 Energy conversion devices photovoltaic modules or arrays of single photovoltaic cells comprising bypass diodes integrated or directly associated with the devices H01L31/0443; photovoltaic modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate H01L31/046
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0304 including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, only AIIIBV compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/167 the light sources and the devices sensitive to radiation all being semiconductor devices characterised by potential barriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/544 Solar cells from Group III-V materials

Abstract

A receiver component having a number of partial voltage sources implemented as semiconductor diodes connected to one another in series, so that the number of partial voltage sources generate a source voltage, and each of the partial voltage sources has a semiconductor diode with a p-n junction, and the semiconductor diode has a p-doped absorption layer. The p absorption layer is passivated by a p-doped passivation layer with a larger band gap than the band gap of the p absorption layer, and the semiconductor diode has an n absorption layer that is passivated by an n-doped passivation layer with a larger band gap than the band gap of the n absorption layer. The partial source voltages of the individual partial voltage sources have a deviation of less than 20% from one another, and a tunnel diode is formed between each sequential pair of partial voltage sources.

Claims

1. A receiver component comprising:

a number N of partial voltage sources implemented as semiconductor diodes connected to one another in series, so that a number N of partial voltage sources generate a source voltage, each of the partial voltage sources have a semiconductor diode with a p-n junction, the semiconductor diode having a p-doped absorption layer, the p absorption layer being passivated by a p-doped passivation layer with a larger band gap than a band gap of the p absorption layer, the semiconductor diodes having an n absorption layer that is passivated by an n-doped passivation layer with a larger band gap than a band gap of the n absorption layer; and

a tunnel diode formed between each sequential pair of partial voltage sources,

wherein the partial voltage sources and the tunnel diodes are monolithically integrated together and jointly form a first stack with a top and a bottom,

wherein the number N of partial voltage sources is greater than or equal to two,

wherein light strikes the first stack on the top on the surface of the first stack, the first stack having a first electrical contact on the surface and a second electrical contact on the bottom,

wherein the first stack has a total thickness of less than 12 μ

m,

wherein the stack is arranged on a semiconductor substrate,

wherein a semiconductor material of the semiconductor diodes is made of III-V materials,

wherein the substrate of the receiver component includes germanium or gallium arsenide, and

wherein a continuous, shoulder-like edge is formed in a vicinity of the bottom of the first stack of the receiver component,

wherein the tunnel diode has, between the semiconductor diodes, at least two semiconductor layers with a higher band gap than a band gap of the p/n absorption layers of the semiconductor diodes,

wherein the partial source voltages of the individual partial voltage sources have a deviation of less than 20% from one another,

wherein the semiconductor substrate is monolithically connected to the stack and to a transistor,

wherein a control input of the transistor is connected to one of the two electrical contacts, and

wherein the receiver component does not have a quantum well structure.

2. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein the transistor is arranged on the surface of the first stack or laterally adjacent to the first stack.

3. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein the transistor is arranged between the first stack and the substrate.

4. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein a spacing is formed between the transistor and the first stack.

5. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein the transistor is formed as part of an integrated circuit.

6. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein a size of an illuminated surface on the stack top corresponds essentially to a size of an area of the first stack on the top.

7. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein the first stack has, at 300 K, a source voltage of greater than 2.3 volts as long as the first stack is irradiated with light with a certain wavelength, and wherein a total thickness of the p and n absorption layers of a semiconductor diode increases from a topmost diode to a bottommost diode in a direction of incident light from the top of the first stack to the bottom of the stack.

8. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein the partial source voltages of the partial voltage sources of the receiver component have a deviation of less than 10% from one another.

9. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor diodes of the receiver component each have the same semiconductor material.

10. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein the first stack has a base area smaller than 2 mm² or smaller than 1 mm².

11. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein a first contact is formed on the top of the first stack as a continuous, metal contact in a vicinity of an edge or as a single contact area on the edge.

12. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein the second contact is formed by the substrate.

13. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein a second stack is formed in the receiver component, wherein the first stack and the second stack are arranged next to one another on the substrate, wherein the first and second stacks are connected to one another in series so that the source voltage of the first stack and the source voltage of the second stack add together.

14. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein an intrinsic layer is formed between the p absorption layer and the n absorption layer in one of the semiconductor diodes of the receiver component.

15. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layers of the stack of the receiver component include arsenide-containing layers and phosphide-containing layers.

16. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein, in the tunnel diode, the semiconductor layers with a higher band gap are each made of a material with modified stoichiometry and/or a different elemental composition than the p/n absorption layers of the semiconductor diode.

17. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein the transistor is a lateral or vertical component.

18. The receiver component according to claim 1, wherein the receiver component and the transistor do not have a multiple quantum well structure.