On the development of high-efficiency thin-film GaAs and GaInP2 cells

• Published in: Journal of crystal growth 2007, Vol.298, p.772-776
• Main Authors: VAN DEELEN, J, BAUHUIS, G. J, SCHERMER, J. J, MULDER, P, HAVERKAMP, E. J, LARSEN, P. K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Integrated circuits; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Other semiconductors; Physics; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Specific materials; Surface conductivity and carrier phenomena
• ISSN: 0022-0248; 1873-5002
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2006.10.094

This work presents an overview of recent results obtained in the field of III-V solar cell research as performed at the Radboud University Nijmegen. An n-type AlxGa1-xInP2 window layer with x=1 was found to give the highest GaAs cell performance, in spite of a low doping carrier concentration as compared to GaInP2. As a result of the optimization of the GaAs cell structure obtained by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and subsequent processing, thin-film cells transferred from their native GaAs substrate to a foreign carrier, were achieved with a conversion efficiency of 24.5%. This is a world record for single-junction thin-film cells. Difficulties in the processing of thin-film GaInP2 cells, due to anomalous etching behavior of these layers in HCl, have been overcome by using a HBr/Br2/H2O mixture as an etchant. Thin-film GaInP2 cells with efficiencies up to 11.4% were obtained.