Multijunction solar cell having a lattice mismatched GrIII-GrV-X layer and a composition-graded buffer layer

US7807921B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Boeing Company · US

Inventors

• Christopher M. Fetzer · Valencia, US
• Richard R. King · Thousand Oaks, US
• Peter C. Colter · Santa Clarita, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 15, 2004
• Grant date: Oct 5, 2010
• Expiry date: May 31, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E10/544

Abstract

A multijunction solar cell includes a first photoactive subcell layer having a first-subcell lattice parameter and a composition including (a) at least one Group III element, at least one Group V element other than (nitrogen, phosphorus), and (nitrogen, phosphorus), or (b) a material selected from the group including GaInAsBi, GaInAsSb, GaInAsP, ZnGeAs2, or BGaInAs. The multijunction solar cell also has a substrate having a substrate lattice parameter different from the first-subcell lattice parameter, and a composition-graded buffer layer between the first photoactive subcell layer and the substrate and having a buffer-layer lattice parameter graded between the first-subcell lattice parameter and the substrate lattice parameter. The substrate may be a second photoactive subcell layer having a second-subcell lattice parameter different from the first-subcell lattice parameter and sensitive to a second-photoactive-subcell-layer wavelength, and the buffer layer is transparent to the second-photoactive-subcell-layer wavelength.