Memorias de investigación
Research Publications in journals:
Back reflectors based on buried Al2O3 for enhancement of photon recycling in monolithic, on-substrate III-V solar cells
Year:2014

Research Areas
  • Electric engineers, electronic and automatic (eil)

Information
Abstract
Photon management has been shown to be a fruitful way to boost the open circuit voltage and efficiency of high quality solar cells. Metal or low-index dielectric-based back reflectors can be used to confine the reemitted photons and enhance photon recycling. Gaining access to the back of the solar cell for placing these reflectors implies having to remove the substrate, with the associated added complexity to the solar cell manufacturing. In this work, we analyze the effectiveness of a single-layer reflector placed at the back of on-substrate solar cells, and assess the photon recycling improvement as a function of the refractive index of this layer. Al2O3-based reflectors, created by lateral oxidation of an AlAs layer, are identified as a feasible choice for on-substrate solar cells, which can produce a V-oc increase of around 65% of the maximum increase attainable with an ideal reflector. The experimental results obtained using prototype GaAs cell structures show a greater than two-fold increase in the external radiative efficiency and a V-oc increase of similar to 2% (similar to 18 mV), consistent with theoretical calculations. For GaAs cells with higher internal luminescence, this V-oc boost is calculated to be up to 4% relative (36 mV), which directly translates into at least 4% higher relative efficiency.
International
Si
JCR
Si
Title
Applied Physics Letters
ISBN
0003-6951
Impact factor JCR
3,515
Impact info
Volume
105
10.1063/1.4897149
Journal number
13
From page
133507-1
To page
133507-5
Month
SIN MES
Ranking
Participants
  • Autor: Ivan Garcia Vara UPM
  • Autor: C.F. Kearns-McCoy
  • Autor: J.S. Ward
  • Autor: M.A. Steiner
  • Autor: J.F. Geisz
  • Autor: S.R. Kurtz

Research Group, Departaments and Institutes related
  • Creador: Grupo de Investigación: Semiconductores III-V
  • Departamento: Electrónica Física
  • Centro o Instituto I+D+i: Instituto de Energía Solar