Low-bandgap, monolithic, multi-bandgap, optoelectronic devices

• US 9,231,135 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alliance For Sustainable Energy LLC
• Original Assignee: Alliance For Sustainable Energy LLC
• Inventors: Wanlass, Mark W., Carapella, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mowla, Golam
• Application Number:
  US14/285,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20140332848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 136/249, 136/255, 136/256, 136/261, 136/262, 438/57, 438/93, 438/98, 438/705, 438/718, 438/745, 438/752, 438/753, 257/53, 257/184, 257/190, 257/191, 257/200, 257/201
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/043 Mechanically stacked PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/046 PV modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0475 PV cell arrays made by cells in a planar, e.g. repetitive, configuration on a single semiconductor substrate; PV cell microarrays PV modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate H01L31/046
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0687 Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/06875 inverted grown metamorphic [IMM] multiple junction solar cells, e.g. III-V compounds inverted metamorphic multi-junction cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/544 Solar cells from Group III-V materials

Abstract

Low bandgap, monolithic, multi-bandgap, optoelectronic devices (10), including PV converters, photodetectors, and LED'"'"'s, have lattice-matched (LM), double-heterostructure (DH), low-bandgap GaInAs(P) subcells (22, 24) including those that are lattice-mismatched (LMM) to InP, grown on an InP substrate (26) by use of at least one graded lattice constant transition layer (20) of InAsP positioned somewhere between the InP substrate (26) and the LMM subcell(s) (22, 24). These devices are monofacial (10) or bifacial (80) and include monolithic, integrated, modules (MIMs) (190) with a plurality of voltage-matched subcell circuits (262, 264, 266, 270, 272) as well as other variations and embodiments.

Claims

1. A monolithic, integrated, module (MIM), comprising:

a plurality of monolithic, multi-bandgap, photovoltaic converters, each of which comprises;

(i) a first subcell with a first bandgap and a first lattice constant;

(ii) a second subcell with a second bandgap and a second lattice constant, wherein the second bandgap is less than the first bandgap and the second lattice constant is greater than the first lattice constant; and

(iii) a lattice constant transition material positioned between the first subcell and the second subcell, said lattice constant transition material having a bandgap at least as large as the first bandgap and a lattice constant that changes from the first lattice constant to the second lattice constant; and

a common substrate with a substrate bandgap and a substrate lattice constant, said common substrate being positioned between the first subcell and the lattice constant transition material of each of the monolithic, multi-bandgap, photovoltaic converters, wherein the substrate bandgap is at least as large as the first bandgap and the substrate lattice constant is equal to the first lattice constant.

2. The monolithic, integrated, module (MIM) of claim 1, wherein the first subcells are grown epitaxially on a front side of the substrate, and wherein the lattice constant transition materials and the second subcells are grown epitaxially on a back side of the substrate.

3. The monolithic, integrated, module (MIM) of claim 1, wherein each of the first subcells comprises GaInAs(P), each of the second subcells comprises GaInAs(P), each of the lattice constant transition materials comprises InAs_yP₁₋

y, and the substrate comprises InP.

4. The monolithic, integrated, module (MIM) of claim 1, further comprising a tunnel junction positioned between the first subcell and the second subcell of each of the monolithic, multi-bandgap, photovoltaic converters.

5. The monolithic, integrated, module (MIM) of claim 4, wherein the tunnel junction is positioned between the first subcell and the substrate.

6. The monolithic, integrated, module (MIM) of claim 1, further comprising an isolation layer positioned between the first subcell and the second subcell of each of the monolithic, multi-bandgap, photovoltaic converters.

7. A monolithic, multi-bandgap, photovoltaic converter comprising:

a first subcell with a first bandgap and a first lattice constant;

a second subcell with a second bandgap and a second lattice constant, wherein the second bandgap is less than the first bandgap and the second lattice constant is greater than the first lattice constant;

a lattice constant transition material positioned between the first subcell and the second subcell, said lattice constant transition material having a bandgap at least as large as the first bandgap and a lattice constant that changes from the first lattice constant to the second lattice constant; and

a substrate with a substrate bandgap and a substrate lattice constant, said substrate being positioned between the first subcell and the lattice constant transition material, wherein the substrate bandgap is at least as large as the first bandgap and the substrate lattice constant is equal to the first lattice constant.

8. The monolithic, multi-bandgap, photovoltaic converter of claim 7, wherein the first subcell is grown epitaxially on a front side of the substrate, and wherein the lattice constant transition material and the second subcell are grown epitaxially on a back side of the substrate.

9. The monolithic, multi-bandgap, photovoltaic converter of claim 7, wherein the first subcell comprises GaInAs(P), the second subcell comprises GaInAs(P), the lattice constant transition material comprises InAs_yP₁₋

y, and the substrate comprises InP.

10. The monolithic, multi-bandgap, photovoltaic converter of claim 7, further comprising a tunnel junction positioned between the first subcell and the second subcell.

11. The monolithic, multi-bandgap, photovoltaic converter of claim 10, wherein the tunnel junction is positioned between the first subcell and the substrate.

12. The monolithic, multi-bandgap, photovoltaic converter of claim 7, further comprising an isolation layer positioned between the first subcell and the second subcell.