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Fabrication and simulation of GaInAs Solar cells using compositionally step-graded AlGaInAs buffers on GaAs substrate

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Abstract

In the direction of the industrial application of invert metamorphic GaInAs/AlGaInAs/GaAs/GaInP quadruple junction solar cells, another 0.67 eV band gap lattice-mismatched GaInAs junction was added into the three-junction 1.8/1.4/1.0 eV solar cells. In this paper, we performed an investigation of a 0.67 eV-GaInAs solar cell on the compositionally step-graded InP/AlGaInxAs/GaAs virtual substrate in order to identify the metamorphic buffers qualities after growing the solar cell. The transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscope were carried out to analyze material structure properties. The high surface roughness is observed and a region where a significant number of external dislocations are formed in the InGaAs tunnel junction of solar cells is identified. The I–V and EQE characterizations of metamorphic 0.67 eV InGaAs solar cell were measured under 1 sun AM1.5D conditions. To research the impact of threading dislocation densities on the InGaAs solar cell, the simulation results of I–V and EQE have also been discussed with Crosslight APSYS’s some applicable features.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Changzhou Sci&Tech Program (Grant No: CJ20190010), the University-level scientific research projects of Changzhou College of Information Technology [Grant Numbers: CXZK201806Q], the CCIT Key Laboratory of Industrial IoT (KYPT201803Z) and Changzhou Key Laboratory of advanced technology (CM20183004).

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  1. School of Electronic Engineering, Changzhou College of Information Technology, No. 22 Middle Mingxin Road, Wujin District, Changzhou, 213164, China

    Yang He

  2. Basic Courses Department, Changzhou College of Information Technology, No. 22 Middle Mingxin Road, Wujin District, Changzhou, 213164, China

    Wei Yan

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He, Y., Yan, W. Fabrication and simulation of GaInAs Solar cells using compositionally step-graded AlGaInAs buffers on GaAs substrate. Opt Quant Electron 52, 372 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-020-02502-6

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