Group-IV solar cell structure using group-IV or III-V heterostructures

• US 9,947,823 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2015
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: King, Richard R., Fetzer, Christopher M., Karam, Nasser H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bakhtiari, Niki
• Application Number:
  US14/807,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20160013350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 136243-265
• 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 31/0735 comprising only AIIIBV compound semiconductors, e.g. GaAs/AlGaAs or InP/GaInAs solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/074 comprising a heterojunction with an element of Group IV of the Periodic Table, e.g. ITO/Si, GaAs/Si or CdTe/Si solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0745 comprising a AIVBIV heterojunction, e.g. Si/Ge, SiGe/Si or Si/SiC solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/078 including different types of potential barriers provided for in two or more of groups H01L31/062 - H01L31/075
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/544 Solar cells from Group III-V materials

Abstract

Device structures, apparatuses, and methods are disclosed for photovoltaic cells that may be a single junction or multijunction solar cells, with at least a first layer comprising a group-IV semiconductor in which part of the cell comprises a second layer comprising a III-V semiconductor or group-IV semiconductor having a different composition than the group-IV semiconductor of the first layer, such that a heterostructure is formed between the first and second layers.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic cell comprising:

a first layer comprising an n-type group IV primary photogeneration layer, the first layer having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface;

a second layer comprising a p-type group III-V layer; and

a third layer comprising an n-type group III-V layer;

wherein the second layer directly contacts the first major surface of the first layer and the third layer directly contacts the second major surface of the first layer;

wherein the first layer forms a photoactive p-n heterojunction with the second layer; and

wherein the first layer is an epitaxial layer grown on the second layer.

2. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic cell is a subcell within a multijunction solar cell.

3. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the first layer is formed from Ge.

4. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the second layer is formed from carbon-doped GaAs or carbon-doped AlGaAs.

5. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein group V elements of the third layer provide n-type doping for the first layer.

6. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the third layer is closer to a sunward surface of the photovoltaic cell than are the first layer and the second layer.

7. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the first layer is closer to a sunward surface of the photovoltaic cell than is the second layer.