Monolithic multiple solar cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11329182-B2
Application number	US-202117209905-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2021
Priority date	Jan 4, 2005
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A monolithic multiple solar cell includes at least three partial cells, with a semiconductor mirror placed between two partial cells. The aim of the invention is to improve the radiation stability of said solar cell. For this purpose, the semiconductor mirror has a high degree of reflection in at least one part of a spectral absorption area of the partial cell which is arranged above the semiconductor mirror and a high degree of transmission within the spectral absorption range of the partial cell arranged below the semiconductor mirror.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A III-V solar cell comprising:
a first cell formed of a plurality of first layers, the first cell having a first band gap energy for individual current generation by the first cell;
a second cell formed of a plurality of second layers, the second cell having a second band gap energy for individual current generation by the second cell;
a third cell formed of a plurality of third layers, the third cell individually generating current; and
a Bragg reflector arranged between the second cell and the third cell and formed of a plurality of fourth layers, the fourth layers partially reflecting incident light back to the first cell and partially passing the incident light to the third cell.

2. The III-V solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the solar cell is a monolithic solar cell.

3. The III-V solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fourth layers contain between 10 layers and 50 layers.

4. The III-V solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fourth layers have at least two layers that have a different thickness or a different refraction index or are made of different materials.

5. The III-V solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the Bragg reflector has materials with a band gap energy that is equal with or greater than the first cell and the second cell.

6. The III-V solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the solar cell is a single solar cell stack.

7. The III-V solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein no additional cell is formed between the first cell, second cell, and the Bragg reflector.

8. The III-V solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of light passes through the first cell and the second cell, then the Bragg reflector, and then to the third cell.

9. The III-V solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two of the first layers of the first cell are lattice-mismatched, and wherein the at least two of the second layers of the second cell are lattice-mismatched.

10. The III-V solar cell according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate disposed adjacent to the third cell, wherein the first cell has a first surface facing outward, and wherein the first cell has a second surface facing the substrate.

11. The III-V solar cell according to claim 10 , wherein the partially reflected light travels back towards the first cell at least partially through the second cell.

12. The III-V solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the second band gap energy is equal to or less than the first band gap energy.

13. A III-V solar cell having three or more partial cells, comprising:
a first cell formed of a plurality of first layers, at least two of the first layers being doped and having a different doping from one another;
a second cell formed of a plurality of second layers, at least two of the second layers being doped and having a different doping from one another;
a third cell formed of a plurality of third layers, at least two of the third layers being doped and having a different doping from one another; and
a Bragg reflector arranged between the second cell and the third cell and formed of a plurality of fourth layers, the fourth layers operating as a long pass filter.

14. The III-V solar cell according to claim 13 , wherein each of the first cell, the second cell, and the third cell individually generate current.

15. The III-V solar cell according to claim 13 , wherein the Bragg reflector is directly adjacent to the second cell and the third cell.

16. The III-V solar cell according to claim 13 , wherein at least one of the three or more partial cells is a GalnAs partial cell, and wherein layers of the GalnAs partial cell are lattice mismatched.

Assignees

• Azur Space Solar Power Gmbh

Inventors

• Meusel Matthias
• Strobl Gerhard
• Dimroth Frank
• Bett Andreas

Classifications

• Y02E10/544

  Solar cells from Group III-V materials · CPC title

• Y02E10/52

  PV systems with concentrators · CPC title

• H10F77/1248

  having three or more elements, e.g. GaAlAs, InGaAs or InGaAsP · CPC title

• H10F77/488

  Reflecting light-concentrating means, e.g. parabolic mirrors or concentrators using total internal reflection · CPC title

• H10F77/413

  directly associated or integrated with the devices, e.g. back reflectors (directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells H10F77/42) · CPC title