Patent · US Expired

Gallium arsenide phosphide top solar cell

US4582952A · kind A · utility

40Cited by
4References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 30, 1984
Grant dateApr 15, 1986
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 30, 2004

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E10/544

Abstract

An improved tandem solar cell includes a gallium arsenide phosphide top solar cell and silicon bottom solar cell. The gallium arsenide phosphide solar cell is fabricated on a transparent gallium phosphide substrate and either placed in series with the silicon solar cell for a two terminal device or wired separately for a four terminal device. The top solar cell should have an energy gap between 1.77 and 2.09 eV for optimum energy conversion efficiency. A compositionally graded transition layer between the gallium phosphide substrate and the active semiconductor layers reduces dislocations in the active region. A gallium phosphide cap layer over the gallium arsenide phosphide solar cell reduces surface recombination losses.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.