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

• US 9,997,659 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• 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): Gonzalez Ramos, Mayla
• Application Number:
  US13/617,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20140076387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,097 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 31/074 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: 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 a group-IV emitter layer having a doping type selected from the group consisting of;

p-type doping and n-type doping; and

a second layer comprising III-V tunnel junction layers with opposite doping type relative to the first layer,

wherein a p-n junction is formed at the heterojunction between the first and second layers.

2. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, further comprising:

a base layer;

wherein a photogenerated current density in the emitter layer is greater than a photogenerated current density in the base layer.

3. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, further comprising:

an n-type emitter layer comprising a group-IV element selected from the group consisting of;

Ge, Si, SiGe, CGe, GeSn, SiGeSn, CSiGeSn, and combinations thereof; and

a p-type III-V semiconductor layer selected from the group consisting of;

a base layer, a back-surface-field layer, and or back-heterostructure layer, said p-type III-V semiconductor layer made from a material selected from the group consisting of;

GaAs, AlGaAs, GalnAs, AlGaInAs, InP, GaP, GaInP, GaInPAs, AlInP, AlGaInP, InAs, InPAs, AlInAs, AlAs, GaSb, GaAsSb, InSb, GaInAsSb, GaInNAs, GaInNAsSb, GaN, AN, InN, GaInN, AlGaN, AlInN, AlGaInN, and combinations thereof.

4. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, further comprising:

an n-type emitter layer comprising a group-IV element selected from the group consisting of;

Ge, Si, SiGe, CGe, GeSn, SiGeSn, CSiGeSn, and combinations thereof; and

a p-type group-IV semiconductor base layer selected from the group consisting of;

Ge, Si, SiGe, CGe, GeSn, SiGeSn, CSiGeSn, and combinations thereof;

wherein the composition of the n-type emitter and p-type base layer differs.

5. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the III-V tunnel junction layers are formed from a material selected from the group consisting of:

GaAs, AlGaAs, GaInAs, AlGaInAs, InP, GaP, GaInP, GaInPAs, AlInP, AlGaInP, InAs, InPAs, AlInAs, AlAs, GaSb, GaAsSb, InSb, GaInAsSb, GaInNAs, GaInNAsSb, GaN, AN, InN, GaInN, AlGaN, AlInN, AlGaInN, and combinations thereof.

6. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the III-V tunnel junction layers are selected from the group consisting of:

p+GaAs/n+GaAs tunnel junctions;

p+AlGaAs/n+GaAs tunnel junctions;

p+GaAs/n+AlGaAs tunnel junctions;

p+AlGaAs/n+AlGaAs tunnel junctions;

p+AlGaAs/n+GaInP tunnel junctions;

p+AlGaAs/n+AlGaInP tunnel junctions; and

p+AlGaInP/n+AlGaInP tunnel junctions.

7. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the emitter layer is doped with an element selected from the group consisting of:

a column-III element and a column-V element.

8. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein at least one column-IV element included in the emitter layer dopes one or more of the III-V tunnel junction layers.

9. A vehicle comprising the photovoltaic cell of claim 1.

10. An energy storage system comprising the photovoltaic cell of claim 1.

11. An energy generation system comprising the photovoltaic cell of claim 1.

12. A method for energy generation comprising the steps of:

providing a photovoltaic cell comprising;

a first layer comprising a group-IV emitter layer having a doping type selected from the group consisting of;

p-type doping and n-type doping; and

a second layer comprising III-V tunnel junction layers with opposite doping type relative to the first layer;

wherein a p-n junction is formed at a heterojunction between the first and second layers.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

providing a base layer;

wherein a photogenerated current density in the emitter layer is greater than a photogenerated current density in the base layer.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

providing a n-type emitter layer comprising a group-IV element selected from the group consisting of;

Ge, Si, SiGe, CGe, GeSn, SiGeSn, CSiGeSn and combinations thereof; and

providing a p-type III-V semiconductor base layer made from a material selected from the group consisting of;

GaAs, AlGaAs, GaInAs, AlGaInAs, InP, GaP, GaInP, GaInPAs, AlInP, AlGaInP, InAs, InPAs, AlInAs, AlAs, GaSb, GaAsSb, InSb, GaInAsSb, GaInNAs, GaInNAsSb, GaN, AN, InN, GaInN, AlGaN, AlInN, AlGaInN, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

providing a n-type emitter layer comprising a group-IV element selected from the group consisting of;

Ge, Si, SiGe, CGe, GeSn, SiGeSn, CSiGeSn, and combinations thereof; and

providing a p-type group-IV semiconductor base layer selected from the group consisting of;

Ge, Si, SiGe, CGe, GeSn, SiGeSn, CSiGeSn, and combinations thereof;

wherein the composition of the n-type emitter and p-type base layer differs.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the III-V tunnel junction layers are formed from a material selected from the group consisting of:

GaAs, AlGaAs, GaInAs, AlGaInAs, InP, GaP, GaInP, GaInPAs, AlInP, AlGaInP, InAs, InPAs, AlInAs, AlAs, GaSb, GaAsSb, InSb, GaInAsSb, GaInNAs, GaInNAsSb, GaN, AN, InN, GaInN, AlGaN, AlInN, AlGaInN, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the III-V tunnel junction layers are selected from the group consisting of:

p+GaAs/n+GaAs tunnel junctions;

p+AlGaAs/n+GaAs tunnel junctions;

p+GaAs/n+AlGaAs tunnel junctions;

p+AlGaAs/n+AlGaAs tunnel junctions;

p+AlGaAs/n+GaInP tunnel junctions;

p+AlGaAs/n+AlGaInP tunnel junctions; and

p+AlGaInP/n+AlGaInP tunnel junctions.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said emitter layer is doped with an element selected from the group consisting of:

a column-III element and a column-V element.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one column-IV element included in the emitter layer dopes one or more of the III-V tunnel junction layers.

20. A vehicle comprising the photovoltaic cell made according to claim 12.

21. An energy storage system comprising the photovoltaic cell made according to claim 12.

22. An energy generation system comprising the photovoltaic cell made according to claim 12.