Tunnel Junction Interconnects in GaAs-Based Multijunction Solar Cells

K. A. Bertness, D. J. Friedman, J. M. Olson

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

17 Scopus Citations

Abstract

Monolithic multijunction solar cell performance and manufacturing can be significantly affected by the scheme used to connect the component subcells. In our recent record GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cells, we developed a GaAs tunnel junction interconnect doped with carbon and selenium that had a specific resistance at zero bias of <1 mΩ-cm2 after annealing at 700°C for 15 minutes, the approximate conditions for growing the upper cell in the tandem structure. The specific resistance of the unannealed tunnel junction is about an order of magnitude lower than previously reported results for GaAs tunnel junctions. When incorporated into a solar cell structure, the tunnel junction displays non-ideal characteristics, including the absence of a negative resistivity region and poorer conductance for large reverse bias than for similar-magnitude forward bias. These characteristics are shown to originate in a nearby heterojunction formed when the tunnel junction is incorporated in the tandem cell device structure.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages1859-1862
Number of pages4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1994
Event1994 IEEE First World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion: Twenty-Fourth IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - Waikoloa, Hawaii
Duration: 5 Dec 19949 Dec 1994

Conference

Conference1994 IEEE First World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion: Twenty-Fourth IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference
CityWaikoloa, Hawaii
Period5/12/949/12/94

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/CP-451-7415

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