The application of quantum well solar cells to thermophotovoltaics

Publication Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-1998

Abstract

We discuss the advantages of quantum well solar cells (QWSCs) for thermophotovoltaic (TPV) applications and illustrate them with InP/lnGaAs and GaInAsP/InGaAs QWSCs which were designed for other applications and have not been optimised for TPV. It is shown that an InP p-i-n solar cell with 15 lattice matched InGaAs quantum wells (QWs) in the i region has an increase in open circuit voltage (V-oc) of (1.7 +/- 0.1) times that of a control cell of InP with InGaAs in the i-region under an illuminating spectrum close to that expected from an ideal ytterbia emitter. Also, using an InGaAsP quaternary cell of band gap wavelength of 1.1 mu m with 60 InGaAs QWs under the same illuminating spectrum the current density is increased by a factor of (2.4 +/- 0.1) over that of the InP QWSC. The quaternary cell also absorbs longer wavelengths without any significant loss in V-oc. Better temperature coefficients for the former quantum well solar cell than the control cell are observed in a spectrum approximating a black body at 3000 K. Further advantages of QWs for narrow band and broad band illuminating spectra are discussed.

Keywords

quantum well solar cells, thermophotovoltaics

Discipline

Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Research Areas

Information Systems and Management

Publication

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

Volume

50

Issue

1-4

First Page

213

Last Page

219

ISSN

0927-0248

Identifier

10.1016/S0927-0248(97)00150-5

Additional URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0927-0248(97)00150-5

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