Investigation of 1.9 μm GINA Simulated as Intrinsic Layer in a GaAs Homojunction: From 25% Towards 32.4% Conversion Yield

Abstract

Based on a PC1D (Personal Computer One-Dimensional) simulator device, we have investigated three solar prototypes of gallium arsenide structures labeled as SPI, SPII and SPIII, under AM1.5G condition at one sun irradiation. The PC1D simulation predicts 25% and 25.9% efficiency for n-p and n-i-p GaAs unit solar cells, which is comparable to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) measurement (27.6% for 1 cm2 GaAs solar cell). An experimental investigation of 1.9 μm GaInNAs (GINA) through the photoluminescence (PL) technique shows that the investigated quaternary is promising for solar application (Eg = 1.2 eV). Therefore, the i-GINA film sandwiched between n-GaAs and p-GaAs semiconductors is numerically simulated for an area of 1 cm2. The insertion of a GINA layer increases the light-to-electricity yield to 32.4%. The other solar parameters of the cell prototypes are estimated as the following: $$ V_{\rm{oc}}^{{{\rm{SP}}_{\rm{I}} }} = 1.024\;{\hbox{V}} $$ , $$ J_{\rm{sc}}^{{{\rm{SP}}_{\rm{I}} }} = 32.04\;{\hbox{mA}}/{\hbox{cm}}^{2} $$ , FF = 70.7%, $$ V_{\rm{oc}}^{{{\rm{SP}}_{\rm{II}} }} = 1.004\;V $$ , $$ J_{\rm{sc}}^{{{\rm{SP}}_{\rm{II}} }} = 32.11\;{\hbox{mA}}/{\hbox{cm}}^{2} $$ and FF = 66.3% and $$ V_{\rm{oc}}^{{{\rm{SP}}_{\rm{III}} }} = 0.818\;{\hbox{V}} $$ , $$ J_{\rm{sc}}^{{{\rm{SP}}_{\rm{III}} }} = 32.42\;{\hbox{mA}}/{\hbox{cm}}^{2} $$ and FF = 70.2%. An optimization of GINA thickness for a 0.3 μm n-GaAs/4 μm p-GaAs junction consists of a 2.2 μm layer to achieve the highest photovoltaic yield η = 32.6%.