Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

GaTlAs Quantum Well Solar Cells for Sub-band Gap Absorption

  • Published:
MRS Advances Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite the improvements seen in efficiency of GaAs cells over the years, there remains room for improvement for it to approach the theoretical single junction limit posited by Shockley and Quiesser decades ago. One of the more pursued options is the growth of quantum wells within the structure of GaAs to enhance its photon absorption below its bandgap. Multiple Quantum Wells (MQW) have been an ongoing topic of research and discussion for the scientific community with structures like InGaAs/GaAs and InGaP/GaAs quantum wells producing promising results that could potentially improve overall energy conversion. Here, we used WEIN2K, a commercial density functional theory package, to study the ternary compound Ga1-xTlxAs and determine its electronic properties. Using these results combined with experimental confirmation we extend these properties to simulate its application to form a MQW GaAs/ Ga1-xTlxAs solar cell. Ga1-xTlxAs is a tunable ternary compound, with its bandgap being strongly dependent on the concentration of Tl present. Concentrations of Tl as low as 7% can reduce the bandgap of Ga1-xTlxAs to roughly 1.30 eV from GaAs’s 1.45 eV at room temperature with as little as a 1.7% increase in lattice constant. The change in bandgap, accompanied by the relatively small change in lattice constant makes Ga1-xTlxAs a strong candidate for a MQW cell with little to no strain balancing required within the structure to minimize unwanted defects that impede charge collection within the device. Our GaAs photodiode with TlGaAs MQWs shows an expanded absorption band and improved conversion efficiency over the standard GaAs photovoltaic cell with dilute concentrations of Tl incorporated into the compound.

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. J. P. Connolly et al., “Optimisation of High Efficiency AlxGa1-xAs MQW Solar Cells {[}arXiv],” in arXiv, 2016, no. October 2018, p. 12 pp.

  2. H. Ohtsuka, T. Kitatani, Y. Yazawa, and T. Warabisako, “Numerical prediction of InGaAs/GaAs MQW solar cell characteristics under concentrated sunlight,” Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells, vol. 50, no. 1–4, pp. 251–257, 1998.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. R. Dahal, B. Pantha, J. Li, J. Y. Lin, and H. X. Jiang, “InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well solar cells with long operating wavelengths,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 94, no. 6, pp. 2009–2011, 2009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. N. Watanabe, M. Mitsuhara, H. Yokoyama, J. Liang, and N. Shigekawa, “Influence of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well structure on photovoltaic characteristics of solar cell,” Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., vol. 53, no. 11, pp. 1–9, 2014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. J. S. Roberts et al., “Photovoltaic characterisation of GaAsBi/GaAs multiple quantum well devices,” Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells, vol. 172, no. July, pp. 238–243, 2017.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. H. M. A. Mazouz, A. Belabbes, A. Zaoui, and M. Ferhat, “First-principles study of lattice dynamics in thallium-V compounds,” Superlattices Microstruct., vol. 48, no. 6, pp. 560–568, 2010.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. M. Van Schilfgaarde, A. B. Chen, S. Krishnamurthy, and A. Sher, “InTlP - A proposed infrared detector material,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 65, no. 21, pp. 2714–2716, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. S. Krishnamurthy, A. B. Chen, A. Sher, and A. Sher, “Near band edge absorption spectra of narrowgap III–V semiconductor alloys,” vol. 4045, 1996.

  9. M. Takushima et al., “Thallium incorporation during TlInAs growth by low-temperature MBE,” J. Cryst. Growth, vol. 301–302, no. SPEC. ISS., pp. 117–120, 2007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Y. Kajikawa, N. Kobayashi, and H. Terasaki, “Limits in growing TlGaAs/GaAs quantum-well structures by low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy,” Mater. Sci. Eng. B Solid-State Mater. Adv. Technol., vol. 126, no. 1, pp. 86–92, 2006.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Y. Kajikawa et al., “Effect of Tl content on the growth of TlGaAs films by low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy,” J. Appl. Phys., vol. 93, no. 3, pp. 1409–1416, 2003.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. K. Schwarz and P. Blaha, “Solid state calculations using WIEN2k,” vol. 28, pp. 259–273, 2003.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. F. Tran, R. Laskowski, P. Blaha, and K. Schwarz, “Performance on molecules, surfaces, and solids of the Wu-Cohen GGA exchange-correlation energy functional,” Phys. Rev. B, vol. 75, no. 115131, pp. 1–14, 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  14. H. Asahi, H. Koh, K. Takenaka, K. Asami, K. Oe, and S. Gonda, “Gas source MBE growth and characterization of TlInGaP and TlInGaAs layers for long wavelength applications,” vol. 202, pp. 1069–1072, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  15. H. Asahi, H. Koh, K. Takenaka, K. Asami, K. Oe, and S. Gonda, “Gas source MBE growth and characterization of TlInGaP and TlInGaAs layers for long wavelength applications,” J. Cryst. Growth, vol. 201, pp. 1069–1072, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Y. Arakawa, H. Sakaki, M. Nishioka, J. Yoshino, and T. Kamiya, “Recombination lifetime of carriers in GaAs-GaAlAs quantum wells near room temperature,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 46, no. 5, pp. 519–521, 1985.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. A. Mukhtarova et al., “Dependence of the photovoltaic performance of pseudomorphic InGaN/GaN multiple-quantum-well solar cells on the active region thickness,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 108, no. 16, 2016.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Renewable Energy and Applied Photonics Laboratory, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Tufts University Medford, Massachusetts, 02155, USA

    Ahmed Zayan & Thomas E. Vandervelde

Authors
  1. Ahmed Zayan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Thomas E. Vandervelde
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas E. Vandervelde.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zayan, A., Vandervelde, T.E. GaTlAs Quantum Well Solar Cells for Sub-band Gap Absorption. MRS Advances 4, 2015–2021 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2019.334

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2019.334

Search

Navigation