The study of voltage loss reasons in GaAs solar cells with embedded InGaAs quantum dots

Abstract

In the work the effect of the number of In0.8Ga0.2As stacked quantum dots (QDs) embedded in a single-junction GaAs solar cell (SC) on its photoelectric characteristics has been studied. A series of GaAs SC structures, which differed by a number of embedded QD layers, were grown using metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. By analyzing the electroluminescence spectra and the current–voltage characteristics of the obtained structures the main reason for the voltage loss in SC with QDs has been established which is an increase in recombination through the QD levels with an increase the number of QD layers.