Multi-Terminal GaInP/GaInAs/Ge Solar Cells for Subcells Characterization

Thomas Bidaud, Farah Ayari, Paul Ferreol, Corentin Jouanneau, Artur Turala, Solene Moreau, Maïté Volatier, Vincent Aimez, Simon Fafard, Abdelatif Jaouad, Maxime Darnon () and Gwenaëlle Hamon
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Thomas Bidaud: Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 0A5, Canada
Farah Ayari: Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 0A5, Canada
Paul Ferreol: Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 0A5, Canada
Corentin Jouanneau: Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 0A5, Canada
Artur Turala: Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 0A5, Canada
Solene Moreau: Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 0A5, Canada
Maïté Volatier: Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 0A5, Canada
Vincent Aimez: Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 0A5, Canada
Simon Fafard: Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 0A5, Canada
Abdelatif Jaouad: Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 0A5, Canada
Maxime Darnon: Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 0A5, Canada
Gwenaëlle Hamon: Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 0A5, Canada

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-9

Abstract: Improvement of triple-junction (3J) III-V/Ge solar cells efficiency is hindered by the low current produced by the top and middle cells relative to the bottom cell (Ge). This can be explained by the difficulty of characterizing, on an individual basis, the subcells. We investigate the fabrication process of multi-terminal multi-junction solar cells (MTMJSC) and its potential as a promising architecture to independently characterize subcells of multi-junction solar cells. Here, we study monolithic triple-junction solar cells, with an InGaP top cell, an InGaAs middle cell and a Ge bottom cell interconnected by tunnel junctions. We demonstrate a fabrication process for MTMJSC on commercial wafers for characterization applications purposes. I-V measurements, under illumination, of two-terminals and MTMJSC were compared to validate that the MTMJSC fabrication process does not degrade the cells’ performance. The dark current of each subcell was also measured and an ideal-diode model used to determine the subcells electrical parameters. The results suggest a method to measure the relative absorption and the opto-electrical couplings between the subcells unambiguously, through EQE and electroluminescence measurements, based on basic micro-fabrication processes.

Keywords: multijunction solar cell; multiterminals solar cell; characterization; external quantum efficiency (EQE) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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