Abstract
Simulated and experimental properties of a Ga1−xInxAs1−yNy nipi solar cell involving V-grooves for contact formation are reported. In particular, using a drift–diffusion model, we simulate the conversion efficiency, the short-circuit current density (JSC), and the open-circuit voltage (VOC) as a function of the number of nipi junctions. Based on the modelling results, optimized nipi solar cell incorporating five n–p junction pairs was grown on a p-type GaAs (100) substrate using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The bandgap of the nipi structure was determined to be 1 eV. The metal contacts of the nipi solar cell structure were processed in the form of mesa and V-groove. These shapes enable both vertical and horizontal carrier transport within the solar cell. The effect of thermal annealing on J–V characteristics of both type of devices is finally assessed. The results point out that the V-groove sample has better photovoltaic characteristics than the mesa structure sample.
Notes
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by TUBITAK with the project no: 115F419, and Istanbul University Scientific Research Project Coordination Unit with the project no: 53196.
References
- 1.A. Erol, Dilute III–V nitride semiconductor and material systems (Springer, Berlin, 2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 2.M. Kondow, K. Uomi, A. Niwa, T. Kitatani, S. Watahiki, Yazawa, Y 1996 GaInNAs: a novel material for long-wavelength-range laser diodes with excellent high-temperature performance Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 35 1273–5Google Scholar
- 3.D.J. Friedman, J.F. Geisz, S.R. Kurtz, J.M. Olson 1998 1-eV GaInNAs solar cells for ultrahigh- efficiency multijunction devices 2nd World Conference and Exhibition on Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conversion pp 3–7Google Scholar
- 4.S. Kurtz, A.A. Allerman, E.D. Jones, J.M. Gee, J.J. Banas, B.E. Hammons, InGaAsN solar cells with 1.0 eV band gap, lattice matched to GaAs. Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 729–731 (1999)CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
- 5.S. Kurtz, J.F. Geisz, D.J. Friedman, J.M. Olson, A. Duda, N.H. Karam, R.R. King, J.H. Ermer, D.E. Joslin Modeling of electron diffusion length in GaInAsN solar cells Conference Record of the Twenty-Eighth IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference—2000 (Cat. No.00CH37036) (IEEE) pp 1210–3Google Scholar
- 6.O. Donmez, F. Sarcan, S.B. Lisesivdin, M.P. Vaughan, A. Erol, M. Gunes, M.C. Arikan, J. Puustinen, M. Guina, Analytic modeling of temperature dependence of 2D carrier mobility in as-grown and annealed GaInNAs/GaAs quantum well structures. Semicond. Sci. Technol. 29, 125009 (2014)CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
- 7.D.J. Friedman, J.F. Geisz, W. Metzger, K, S.W. Johnston, Trap-dominated minority-carrier recombination in GaInNAs pn junctions. Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 698–700 (2003)CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
- 8.S.Y. Xie, S.F. Yoon, S.Z. Wang, Effects of thermal annealing on deep-level defects and minority-carrier electron diffusion length in Be-doped InGaAsN. J. Appl. Phys. 97, 73702 (2005)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 9.K. Volz, D. Lackner, I. Németh, B. Kunert, W. Stolz, C. Baur, F. Dimroth, A.W. Bett, Optimization of annealing conditions of (GaIn)(NAs) for solar cell applications. J. Cryst. Growth 310, 2222–2228 (2008)CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
- 10.A. Aho, R. Isoaho, A. Tukiainen, G. Gori, R. Campesato, M. Guina 2018 Dilute nitride triple junction solar cells for space applications: Progress towards highest AM0 efficiency. Prog. Photovoltaics Res. Appl. 6–10Google Scholar
- 11.B. Royall, Balkan, N 2009 Dilute nitride n-i-p-i solar cells Microelectronics J. 40 396–8Google Scholar
- 12.R.E. Williams, Gallium arsenide processing techniques (ARTECH HOUSE, INC), Dedham, 1984)Google Scholar
- 13.A. Al-Bustani, M.Y. Feteha, Triple heterojunction ALGaAs-GaAs solar cells with front V-groove surface. Renew. Energy 8, 348–353 (1996)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 14.C.D. Cress, S.J. Polly, S.M. Hubbard, R.P. Raffaelle, R.J. Walters, Demonstration of a nipi-diode photovoltaic. Prog. Photovoltaics Res. Appl. 19, 552–559 (2011)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- 15.S. Mazzucato, B. Royall, R. Ketlhwaafetse, N. Balkan, J. Salmi, J. Puustinen, M. Guina, A. Smith, Gwilliam, R 2012 Dilute nitride and GaAs n-i-p-i solar cells. Nanoscale Res. Lett. 7 631Google Scholar
- 16.M.A. Slocum, D.V. Forbes, J.S. McNatt, S.M. Hubbard 2011 Epitaxial regrowth contacts for the nipi photovoltaic device Conf. Rec. IEEE Photovolt. Spec. Conf. 001914–8Google Scholar
- 17.M. Wagner, J.P. Leburton 1984 Superlattices and multilayer structures for high efficiency solar cells Google Scholar
- 18.B. Royall, N. Balkan, Modelling of multijunction solar cells with dilute nitride n-i-p-i junctions. Phys. Status Solidi Basic Res. 248, 1203–1206 (2011)CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
- 19.S.M. Sze, Physics of semiconductor devices (Wiley, New Jersey, 1981)Google Scholar