Development of a 2.0 eV AlGaInP solar cell grown by OMVPE

Abstract

AlGaInP solar cells with a bandgap (Eg) of ∼2.0 eV are developed for use in next-generation multijunction photovoltaic devices. This material system is of great interest for both space and concentrator photovoltaics due to its high bandgap, which enables the development of high-efficiency five-junction and six-junction devices and is also useful for solar cells operated at elevated temperatures. In this work, we explore the conditions for the Organometallic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (OMVPE) growth of AlGaInP and study their effects on cell performance. A ∼2.0 eV AlGaInP solar cell is demonstrated with an open circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.59V, a bandgap-voltage offset (WOC) of 420mV, a fill factor (FF) of 88.0%, and an efficiency of 14.8%. These AlGaInP cells have attained a similar FF, WOC and internal quantum efficiency (IQE) to the best upright GaInP cells grown in our lab to date.