Wide-bandgap, lattice-mismatched window layer for a solar conversion device

• US 20030145884A1
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Ermer, James H., Colter, Peter C., King, Richard Roland, Haddad, Moran, Karam, Nasser H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,119,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/255
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02168 the coatings being antireflective or having enhancing optical properties for the solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03046 including ternary or quaternary compounds, e.g. GaAlAs, InGaAs, InGaAsP
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03048 comprising a nitride compounds, e.g. InGaN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0687 Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0725 Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1852 comprising a growth substrate not being an AIIIBV compound
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/544 Solar cells from Group III-V materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells

Abstract

A photovoltaic cell or other optoelectronic device having a wide-bandgap semiconductor used in the window layer. This wider bandgap is achieved by using a semiconductor composition that is not lattice-matched to the cell layer directly beneath it and/or to the growth substrate. The wider bandgap of the window layer increases the transmission of short wavelength light into the emitter and base layers of the photovoltaic cell. This in turn increases the current generation in the photovoltaic cell. Additionally, the wider bandgap of the lattice mismatched window layer inhibits minority carrier injection and recombination in the window layer.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic cell comprising:

at least one subcell, at least one of said at least one subcells having an emitter layer, said emitter layer composed of a first material having a first material lattice constant; and

a lattice-mismatched window layer positioned directly adjacent to said emitter layer, wherein the lattice-mismatched window layer is composed of a second material having a second material lattice constant wherein said first material lattice constant and said second material lattice constant differ in material lattice constant values by at least greater than approximately 1.0%.

2. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein said second material lattice constant of said lattice mismatched window layer is less than said first material lattice constant.

3. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein said second material lattice constant of said lattice mismatched window layer is greater than said first material lattice constant.

4. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein said lattice mismatched window layer is fully relaxed with respect to said emitter layer by virtue of dislocations in the crystal structure of said lattice mismatched window layer.

5. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein a strain value of said lattice mismatched window layer is intermediate between a fully relaxed strain value and a fully strained strain value with respect to said emitter layer.

6. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the composition of said lattice-mismatched window layer is selected from the group consisting of AlInP, AlAs, AlP, AlGaInP, AlGaAsP, AlGaInAs, AlGaInPAs, GaInP, GaInAs, GaInPAs, AlGaAs, AlInAs, AlInPAs, GaAsSb, AlAsSb, GaAlAsSb, AlInSb, GaInSb, AlGaInSb, AlN, GaN, InN, GaInN, AlGaInN, GaInNAs, AlGaInNAs, Ge, Si, SiGe, ZnSSe, and CdSSe.

7. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic cell is a single-junction photovoltaic cell.

8. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic cell is a multijunction photovoltaic cell.

9. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein said emitter layer is a heterojunction emitter layer.

10. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein said emitter layer is a homojunction emitter layer.

11. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1 further comprising a bottom subcell located below said at least one subcell, said bottom subcell having a base layer composed of a growth substrate.

12. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1 further comprising one or more layers of an anti-reflection coating optically coupled to said lattice-mismatched window layer.

13. A photovoltaic cell comprising:

at least one subcell, at least one of said at least one subcells having an emitter layer and a base layer, said base layer composed of a first material having a first material lattice constant;

wherein said emitter layer is a heterojunction emitter layer composed of a second material, said second material having a second material lattice constant that is not equal to said first material lattice constant and wherein said first material lattice constant and said second material lattice constant differ in material lattice constant values by at least greater than approximately 1.0%.

14. The photovoltaic cell of claim 13 further comprising a lattice-mismatched window layer positioned directly adjacent to said heterojunction emitter layer, wherein said lattice-mismatched window layer is composed of a third material, said third material having a second material lattice constant that is not equal to said second material lattice constant and wherein said third material lattice constant and said second material lattice constant differ in material lattice constant values by at least greater than approximately 1.0%.

15. The photovoltaic cell of claim 13 further comprising a window layer positioned directly above said heterojunction emitter layer, wherein said window layer is composed of a fourth material, said fourth material having a fourth material lattice constant that is equal to said second material lattice constant and wherein said fourth material lattice constant and said second material lattice constant differ in material lattice constant values by at least greater than approximately 1.0%.

16. The photovoltaic cell of claim 13, wherein the composition of said heterojunction emitter layer is selected from the group consisting of AlInP, AlAs, AlP, AlGaInP, AlGaAsP, AlGaInAs, AlGaInPAs, GaInP, GaInAs, GaInPAs, AlGaAs, AlInAs, AlInPAs, GaAsSb, AlAsSb, GaAlAsSb, AlInSb, GaInSb, AlGaInSb, AlN, GaN, InN, GaInN, AlGaInN, GaInNAs, AlGaInNAs, Ge, Si, SiGe, ZnSSe, and CdSSe.

17. A photovoltaic cell comprising:

at least one subcell, at least one of said at least one subcells having an emitter layer and a base layer and a BSF layer, said base layer composing a second material having a second lattice constant;

wherein said BSF layer is composed of a first material, said first material having a first material lattice constant that is not equal to said second material lattice constant and wherein said BSF layer is lattice mismatched by a material lattice constant value of at least greater than approximately 1.0% to said base layer.

18. The photovoltaic cell of claim 17, wherein the composition of said at least one of said at least one BSF layers is selected from the group consisting of AlInP, AlAs, AlP, AlGaInP, AlGaAsP, AlGaInAs, AlGaInPAs, GaInP, GaInAs, GaInPAs, AlGaAs, AlInAs, AlInPAs, GaAsSb, AlAsSb, GaAlAsSb, AlInSb, GaInSb, AlGaInSb, AlN, GaN, InN, GaInN, AlGaInN, GaInNAs, AlGaInNAs, Ge, Si, SiGe, ZnSSe, and CdSSe.

19. A photovoltiac cell comprising:

at least one subcell, at least one of said at least one subcells having an emitter layer and a base layer, said base layer of said at least one subcell composed of a second material having a second material lattice constant,

wherein at least one of said emitter layers is a lattice-mismatched heterojunction emitter layer composed of a first material, said first material having a first material lattice constant that is not equal to said second material lattice constant and wherein said first material lattice constant and said second material lattice constant differ in material lattice constant values by at least greater than approximately 1.0%.

20. A photovoltiac cell comprising:

at least one subcell, at least one of said at least one subcells having an emitter layer and a base layer; and

a lattice mismatched window layer positioned directly adjacent to said emitter layer, wherein said lattice mismatched window layer is composed of a first material, said first material having a first material lattice constant that is not equal to a second material lattice constant of a second material composing said emitter layer and is not equal to a third material lattice constant of a third material composing said base layer, wherein said first material lattice constant and said second material lattice constant differ in material lattice constant values by at least approximately 1.0% and wherein said first material lattice constant and said third material lattice constant differ in material lattice constant values by at least greater than approximately 1.0%.

21. A method for increasing current generation in a photovoltaic cell or other optoelectronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one subcell layer, wherein at least one of said at least one subcell layers has an emitter layer; and

growing a lattice-mismatched window layer positioned directly adjacent to said emitter layer, wherein the lattice-mismatched window layer is composed of a first material, said first material having a first material lattice constant that is not equal to a second material lattice constant of a second material composing said emitter layer and wherein said first material lattice constant and said second material lattice constant differ in material lattice constant values by at least greater than approximately 1.0%.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of introducing an anti-reflection coating composed of one or more layers to a top surface of said lattice mismatched window layer.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of providing a bottom cell having a bottom cell base layer composed of a portion of a growth substrate, wherein said first material lattice constant is not equal to a fourth material lattice constant of a fourth material composing said bottom cell base layer and wherein said first material lattice constant and said fourth material lattice constant differ in material lattice constant values by at least greater than approximately 1.0%.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the photovoltaic cell or other optoelectronic device is selected from the group consisting of a space photovoltaic cell, a terrestrial photovoltaic cell, a single-junction photovoltaic cell, a multijunction photovoltaic cell, a non-concentrator photovoltaic cell, a concentrator photovoltaic cell, a homojunction photovoltaic cell, a heterojunction photovoltaic cell, a light detector, and an optoelectronic device.