Effect of junction depth on the parameters of GaAs shallow-homojunction solar cells
Abstract
A diagnostic study of the photovoltaic parameters of the GaAs shallow-homojunction solar cell has been carried out. Two types of n(+)/p/p(+) cells, 'deep' and 'shallow', were fabricated for the study. The former used as-grown MOCVD structures with n(+) layer thickness ranging from 750 to 14,450 A; for the latter, a device with a 600 A n(+) layer was thinned down to failure by successive chemical etching. The deep devices exhibited an approximately exponential decrease of JSC over the whole range of junction depth. The light-dependent parameters of the shallow cells exhibited maxima at slightly different n(+) thicknesses. The maximum in efficiency occurred at about 400 A. Computer modeling was able to predict the dependence of JSC on junction depth for both shallow and deep cells. This dependence was different in the two cases because the material properties of the two sets of devices were different.
- Publication:
-
IN: Photovoltaic Specialists Conference
- Pub Date:
- 1985
- Bibcode:
- 1985pvsp.conf..146B
- Keywords:
-
- Gallium Arsenides;
- P-N Junctions;
- Short Circuit Currents;
- Solar Cells;
- Vapor Deposition;
- Volt-Ampere Characteristics;
- Current Density;
- Energy Conversion Efficiency;
- Open Circuit Voltage;
- Organometallic Compounds;
- Quantum Efficiency;
- Electronics and Electrical Engineering