Two-junction photovoltaic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11367802-B2
Application number	US-201916269848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2019
Priority date	Feb 8, 2018
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a photovoltaic (PV) device that includes a first junction constructed with a first alloy and having a bandgap between about 1.0 eV and about 1.5 eV, and a second junction constructed with a second alloy and having a bandgap between about 0.9 eV and about 1.3 eV, where the first alloy includes III-V elements, the second alloy includes III-V elements, and the PV device is configured to operate in a thermophotovoltaic system having an operating temperature between about 1500° C. and about 3000° C.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic (PV) device for a thermophotovoltaic system, the PV device comprising:
a light absorbing stack configured to absorb radiant heat emitted from an emitter operating at a temperature between about 1500° C. and 3000° C.; wherein:
the light absorbing stack consists of:
a first junction constructed with a first alloy having a bandgap between about 1.1 eV and about 1.5 eV;
a second junction constructed with a second alloy having a bandgap between about 0.9 eV and about 1.2 eV;
a tunnel junction positioned between the first junction and the second junction; and
a buffer layer positioned between the first junction and the second junction and comprising between two and 15 individual layers and having a final layer that is lattice-matched to the first junction, wherein:
the first alloy comprises Al x Ga y In 1-x-y As, where 0.05≤x≤0.25 and 0.45<y≤0.65,
the second alloy comprises Ga w In 1-w As, where 0.60<w≤0.80, and
each individual layer in the buffer layer comprises Ga a In 1-a P, where 0.20≤a≤0.51.

2. The PV device of claim 1 , wherein the second alloy comprises about Ga 0.7 In 0.3 As.

3. The PV device of claim 1 , wherein the tunnel junction comprises at least two of gallium, indium, arsenide, or antimony.

4. The PV device of claim 1 , further comprising a substrate, wherein at least one of the substrate or the buffer layer is configured to be removed from the PV device.

5. A thermophotovoltaic system comprising:
an emitter operating at a temperature between about 1900° C. and about 2400° C.; and
a photovoltaic (PV) device, wherein:
the PV device is configured to receive radiant heat from the emitter, and
the PV device comprises:
a light absorbing stack configured to absorb radiant heat emitted from an emitter operating at a temperature between about 1500° C. and 3000° C.; wherein:
the light absorbing stack consists of:
a first junction comprising a first alloy having a bandgap between about 1.1 eV and about 1.5 eV;
a second junction comprising a second alloy having a bandgap between about 0.9 eV and about 1.2 eV,
a tunnel junction, and
a buffer layer comprising between two and 15 individual layers and having a final layer that is lattice matched to the first junction; wherein:
the first alloy comprises Al x Ga y In 1-x-y As z , where 0.05≤x≤0.25 and 0.45<y≤0.65,
the second alloy comprises Ga w In 1-w As, where 0.60<w≤0.80, and
the individual layers in the buffer layer comprise Ga x In 1-x P where 0.20≤x≤0.51.

6. A method comprising:
operating an emitter at a temperature between about 1900° C. and about 2400° C. to create radiant energy;
transferring at least a portion of the radiant energy to a photovoltaic (PV) device; and
converting at least a portion of the transferred radiant energy to electricity, wherein:
the PV device comprises:
a light absorbing stack configured to absorb radiant heat emitted from an emitter operating at a temperature between about 1500° C. and 3000° C.; wherein:
the light absorbing stack consists of:
a first junction comprising a first alloy having a bandgap between about 1.1 eV and about 1.5 eV;
a second junction comprising a second alloy having a bandgap between about 0.9 eV and about 1.2 eV,
a tunnel junction,
a buffer layer comprising between two and 15 individual layers and having a final layer that is lattice matched to the first junction; wherein:
the first alloy comprises Al x Ga y In 1-x-y As z P 1-z , where 0.05≤x≤0.25, 0.45<y≤0.65,
the second alloy comprises Ga w In 1-w As, where 0.60<w≤0.80, and
the individual layers in the buffer layer comprise Ga x In 1-x P where 0.20≤x≤0.51.

Assignees

• Alliance Sustainable Energy
• Georgia Institute Of Tech
• Georgia Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Steiner Myles Aaron
• Friedman Daniel Joseph
• France Ryan Matthew
• Henry Asegun

Classifications

• H10F71/139

  using temporary substrates · CPC title

• H10F10/161

  comprising multiple PN heterojunctions, e.g. tandem cells · CPC title

• H10F10/163 Primary

  comprising only Group III-V materials, e.g. GaAs/AlGaAs or InP/GaInAs photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H02S10/30 Primary

  Thermophotovoltaic systems (photovoltaic cells specially adapted for conversion or sensing of infrared [IR] radiation H10F10/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00) · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title