Solar cell with epitaxially grown quantum dot material
First Claim
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1. A photovoltaic solar cell comprising:
- a Ge base with a Ge lattice constant; and
a plurality of semiconductor layers formed on the Ge base, the plurality of semiconductor layers including;
first layers of a first semiconductor material, the first semiconductor material comprising InAs, the first layers each having a thickness of about 0.40 nm, the first semiconductor material having a first lattice constant;
second layers of a second semiconductor material, the second semiconductor material comprising GaAs, the second layers each having a thickness of about 32.8 nm, the second semiconductor material having a second lattice constant, the second layers being interposed between the first layers; and
at least one semiconductor spacer layer comprising InGaAs with an indium concentration of about 1.15%, each of the at least one semiconductor spacer layer having a respective spacer layer lattice constant equal to the Ge lattice constant, the first layers and the second layers being arranged in at least two groupings, each grouping comprising alternating first and second layers that define multiple adjoining pairs of layers, the at least two groupings being separated from each other by one of the at least one semiconductor spacer layer.
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Abstract
A solar cell with spaced apart groupings of self-assembled quantum dot layers interposed with barrier layers. Such groupings allow improved control over the growth front quality of the solar cell, the crystalline structure of the solar cell, and on the performance metrics of the solar cell.
32 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A photovoltaic solar cell comprising:
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a Ge base with a Ge lattice constant; and a plurality of semiconductor layers formed on the Ge base, the plurality of semiconductor layers including; first layers of a first semiconductor material, the first semiconductor material comprising InAs, the first layers each having a thickness of about 0.40 nm, the first semiconductor material having a first lattice constant; second layers of a second semiconductor material, the second semiconductor material comprising GaAs, the second layers each having a thickness of about 32.8 nm, the second semiconductor material having a second lattice constant, the second layers being interposed between the first layers; and at least one semiconductor spacer layer comprising InGaAs with an indium concentration of about 1.15%, each of the at least one semiconductor spacer layer having a respective spacer layer lattice constant equal to the Ge lattice constant, the first layers and the second layers being arranged in at least two groupings, each grouping comprising alternating first and second layers that define multiple adjoining pairs of layers, the at least two groupings being separated from each other by one of the at least one semiconductor spacer layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A photovoltaic solar cell comprising:
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a Ge base with a Ge lattice constant equal to aGe; and a plurality of semiconductor layers formed on the Ge base, the plurality of semiconductor layers including; first layers of a first semiconductor material, the first semiconductor material comprising InGaAs, the first layers each having a thickness tInGaAs less than about 1 nm, the first semiconductor material having a first lattice constant equal to aInGaAs; second layers of a second semiconductor material, the second semiconductor material comprising GaAs, the second semiconductor material having a second lattice constant aGaAs, the second layers being interposed between the first layers; and at least one semiconductor spacer layer comprising InGaAs with an indium concentration of about 1.15%, each of the at least one semiconductor spacer layer having a respective spacer layer lattice constant equal to the Ge lattice constant, the first layers and the second layers being arranged in at least two groupings, each grouping comprising alternating first and second layers that define multiple adjoining pairs of layers, the at least two groupings being separated from each other by one of the at least one semiconductor spacer layer, the second layers each having a thickness tGaAs selected to satisfy the equation - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification