27.6 percent efficiency (1 sun, air mass 1.5) monolithic Al(0.37)Ga(0.63)As/GaAs two-junction cascade solar cell with prismatic cover glass

A 27.6 percent efficiency measured under 1 sun, air mass 1.5 illumination has been achieved in a two-terminal, monolithic two-junction cascade solar cell consisting of an Al(0.37)Ga(0.63)As (Eg = 1.93 eV) upper cell and a GaAs lower cell. The component cells were electrically connected together usin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics letters 1989-10, Vol.55, p.1741-1743
Main Authors: Chung, B-C, Virshup, G F, HIKIDO, S, KAMINAR, N R
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:A 27.6 percent efficiency measured under 1 sun, air mass 1.5 illumination has been achieved in a two-terminal, monolithic two-junction cascade solar cell consisting of an Al(0.37)Ga(0.63)As (Eg = 1.93 eV) upper cell and a GaAs lower cell. The component cells were electrically connected together using a metal-interconnect contact fabricated during post-growth processing. Also, a prismatic cover glass was bonded to the front surface of the cascade structure to minimize the obscuration effect introduced by the grid lines and metal-interconnect contacts. As the cascade cell was operated under air mass O illumination, an efficiency of 23.0 percent was obtained. Both results represent the highest 1 sun efficiencies ever reported. The implications of achieving this high efficiency in a two- junction cascade solar cell for terrestrial and space applications are also described. (Author)
ISSN:0003-6951