Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Thermophotovoltaic cells for conversion of thermal radiation and concentrated sunlight to electricity

  • Symposium on the Efficient Use of Solar Radiation in Photovoltaic Power Engineering (St. Petersburg, November 3–4, 2003)
  • Published:
Semiconductors Aims and scope Submit manuscript

    We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.

    Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.

Abstract

The potential of the thermophotovoltaic conversion of thermal and solar energy to electricity using narrow-gap semiconductor photoconverters is shown. Liquid-phase epitaxy, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, and Zn diffusion from the vapor phase are used to fabricate thermophotovoltaic converters based on GaSb and GaAs/Ge structures and characterized by increased values of both photocurrent and open-circuit voltage. This circumstance made it possible to obtain thermophotovoltaic cells that were based on the aforementioned structures and had efficiencies of 25% (GaSb) and 16% (GaAs/Ge) at a blackbody-radiation temperature of T=1473 K under the condition of 100% return of low-energy photons to the emitter.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A. W. Bett, S. Keser, G. Stollwerck, and O. V. Sulima, in Proceedings of 14th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (Barcelona, Spain, 1997).

    Google Scholar 

  2. K. W. Stone, N. S. Fatemi, L. M. Garverick, et al., in Proceedings of 25th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Washington, 1996 (IEEE, New York, 1996), p. 1421.

    Google Scholar 

  3. V. M. Andreev, V. P. Khvostikov, O. A. Khvostikova, et al., in Proceedings of 17th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (Munich, Germany, 2001), p. 219.

    Google Scholar 

  4. T. J. Coutts, M. W. Wanlass, J. S. Ward, and S. Johnson, in Proceedings of 25th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Washington, 1996 (IEEE, New York, 1996), p. 25.

    Google Scholar 

  5. J. L. Gray and A. El-Husseini, in Proceedings of 2nd NREL Conference on Thermophotovoltaic Generation of Electricity (Colorado Springs, USA, 1995), p. 3.

    Google Scholar 

  6. H. Yugami, H. Sai, K. Nakamura, et al., in Proceedings of 28th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Anchorage, Alaska, 2000 (IEEE, New York, 2000), p. 1214.

    Google Scholar 

  7. N.-P. Harder and P. Wufel, Semicond. Sci. Technol. 18(5), S151 (2003), Special Issue on Thermophotovoltaics, Ed. by K. Barnham, J. Connoly, and C. Rohr.

  8. I. Tobias and A. Luque, IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 49, 2024 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. T. J. Coutts, M. W. Wanlass, J. S. Ward, and S. Johnson, in Proceedings of 25th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Washington, 1996 (IEEE, New York, 1996), p. 25.

    Google Scholar 

  10. J. Aschaber, C. Herbling, and J. Luther, Semicond. Sci. Technol. 18(5), S158 (2003), Special Issue on Thermophotovoltaics, Ed. by K. Barnham, J. Connoly, and C. Rohr.

  11. L. M. Fraas, J. E. Avery, H. X. Huang, and R. V. Martinelli, Semicond. Sci. Technol. 18(5), S165 (2003), Special Issue on Thermophotovoltaics, Ed. by K. Barnham, J. Connoly, and C. Rohr.

  12. V. D. Rumyantsev, in Proceedings of 2nd Workshop on the Path to Ultra-High Efficient Photovoltaics (JRC Ispra, Italy, 2002), p. 133.

    Google Scholar 

  13. V. D. Rumyantsev, V. P. Khvostikov, S. V. Sorokina, et al., in Proceedings of 4th NREL Conference on Thermophotovoltaic Generation of Electricity, Ed. by T. J. Coutts, C. S. Allman, and J. P. Benner (AIP, New York, 1999), AIP Conf. Proc., Vol. 460, p. 384.

    Google Scholar 

  14. V. M. Andreev, V. P. Khvostikov, V. D. Rumyantsev, et al., in Proceedings of 28th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Anchorage, Alaska, 2000 (IEEE, New York, 2000), p. 1265.

    Google Scholar 

  15. V. M. Andreev, V. P. Khvostikov, V. R. Larionov, et al., in Proceedings of 2nd World Conference and Exhibition on Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conversion (Vienna, 1998), p. 330.

  16. V. M. Andreev, V. P. Khvostikov, O. A. Khvostikova, and E. V. Oliva, in Proceedings of 5th Conference on Thermophotovoltaic Generation of Electricity, Ed. by T. J. Coutts, G. Guazzoni, and J. Luther (AIP, New York, 2003), AIP Conf. Proc., Vol. 653, p. 383.

    Google Scholar 

  17. S. P. Tobin, S. M. Vernon, C. Bajgar, et al., IEEE Electron Device Lett. 9, 405 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. B. I. Boltaks, Diffusion in Semiconductors (Fizmatgiz, Moscow, 1961; Academic, New York, 1963).

    Google Scholar 

  19. V. M. Andreev, V. P. Khvostikov, N. A. Kalyuzhnyi, et al., Fiz. Tekh. Poluprovodn. (St. Petersburg) 38, 369 (2004) [Semiconductors 38, 355 (2004)].

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ioffe Physicotechnical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Politekhnicheskaya ul. 26, St. Petersburg, 194021, Russia

    V. P. Khvostikov, O. A. Khvostikova, M. Z. Shvarts, V. D. Rumyantsev & V. M. Andreev

  2. Volgodonsk Institute of the South-Russia State Technical University, Volgodonsk, 347340, Russia

    P. Yu. Gazaryan

Authors
  1. V. P. Khvostikov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. O. A. Khvostikova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Yu. Gazaryan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. Z. Shvarts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. V. D. Rumyantsev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. V. M. Andreev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

__________

Translated from Fizika i Tekhnika Poluprovodnikov, Vol. 38, No. 8, 2004, pp. 988–993.

Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Khvostikov, Khvostikova, Gazaryan, Shvarts, Rumyantsev, Andreev.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Khvostikov, V.P., Khvostikova, O.A., Gazaryan, P.Y. et al. Thermophotovoltaic cells for conversion of thermal radiation and concentrated sunlight to electricity. Semiconductors 38, 950–955 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1134/1.1787118

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/1.1787118

Keywords

Search

Navigation