Light Receiving Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016149060-A1
Application number	US-201414900094-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 19, 2014
Priority date	Jun 19, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A photovoltaic device having an active region comprising a III-V material including Bismuth and one or more other group V elements, the band gap energy of the material is in the range of from 0.4 to 1.4 eV and the spin-orbit splitting energy of the material is in the range of from 0.3 to 0.8 eV.

First claim

1 . A photovoltaic device comprising:
having an active region comprising a III-V material including Bismuth and one or more other group V elements, a band gap energy of the material being in a range of from 0.4 to 1.4 eV and a spin-orbit splitting energy of the material being in a range of from 0.3 to 0.8 eV.

2 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 1 , wherein the III-V material includes Ga and As.

3 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 1 , wherein a percentage of atoms of Bismuth to atoms of the other group V elements in the material is less than 11.5%.

4 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 1 , wherein the III-V material comprises a Ga—As—Bi based material, having a formula: GaAs 1−x Bi x , wherein 0≦x≦0.15.

5 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 4 , wherein the band gap energy of the active material is in a range of from approximately 1 to 1.1 eV and the spin-orbit splitting energy of the material is in a range of from 0.6 to 0.7 eV, and 0.05≦x≦0.07.

6 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 1 , wherein the III-V material comprises a GaAsBiN based material.

7 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 6 , wherein the band gap energy of the active material is in a range of from approximately 0.8 to 1.4 eV and the spin-orbit splitting energy of the material is in a range of from 0.3 to 0.8 eV.

8 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 6 , wherein the GaAsBiN based material includes less than 10% Bi and less than 6% Ni based on the amount of As.

9 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 4 , wherein the III-V material is grown on a GaAs substrate or a Ge substrate.

10 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 1 , wherein the III-V material comprises a GaInAsBi based material.

11 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 10 , wherein the GaInAsBi based material includes less than 5% Bi and In ranging from 30 to 60% based on the amount of As.

12 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 10 , wherein the GaInAsBi based material is grown on a InP substrate.

13 . A photovoltaic device comprising:
an active region comprising a III-V material including Antimony and one or more other group V elements, a band gap energy of the material being in a range of from 0.4 to 1.4 eV and a spin-orbit splitting energy of the material being in a range of from 0.3 to 0.8 eV.

14 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 13 , wherein a percentage of atoms of Antimony to atoms of the other group V elements in the material is less than 25%, and wherein the III-V material includes Ga and As.

15 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 13 , wherein the III-V material forms the active region of a single junction cell or one junction of a multijunction cell.

16 . A light receiving semiconductor device comprising:
an active region comprising a III-V material including Bismuth and one or more other group V elements, such that the a spin-orbit splitting energy of the material being within 10% of a band gap energy of the material.

17 . The light receiving semiconductor device according to claim 16 , wherein a percentage of atoms of Bismuth to atoms of the other group V elements in the material is less than 11.5%.

18 . The light receiving semiconductor device according to claim 16 , wherein the III-V material includes Ga and As.

19 . The light receiving semiconductor device according to claim 16 , wherein the spin-orbit splitting energy of the material is within 10% of the band gap energy of the material.

20 . The light receiving semiconductor device according to claim 16 , wherein the spin-orbit splitting energy of the material is substantially equal to the band gap energy of the material.

21 . The light receiving semiconductor device according to claim 16 , wherein the spin-orbit splitting energy is in a range of from 0.3 to 1.0 eV.

22 . The light receiving semiconductor device according to claim 16 , wherein the III-V material comprises a Ga—As—Bi based material, having a formula of GaAs 1−x Bi x , wherein the spin-orbit splitting energy of the material is in a range of from 0.7 to 0.9 eV, and 0.09≦x≦0.11.

23 . The light receiving semiconductor device according to claim 16 , wherein the III-V material comprises a GaAsBiN based material.

24 . The light receiving semiconductor device according to claim 23 , wherein the band gap energy of the active material is in a range of from approximately 0.3 to 0.9 eV, and the GaAsBiN based material includes 3 to 10% Bi and less than 6% Ni based on an amount of As.

25 . The light receiving semiconductor device according to claim 16 , wherein the III-V material is grown on a GaAs substrate or a Ge substrate.

26 . The light receiving semiconductor device according to claim 16 , wherein the III-V material comprises a GaInAsBi based material.

27 . The light receiving semiconductor device according to claim 26 , wherein the GaInAsBi based material includes 2 to 4% Bi and In ranging from 51 to 55% based on the amount of As, and having a spin-orbit splitting energy in a range of from 0.5 to 0.6 eV.

28 . The light receiving semiconductor device according to claim 26 , wherein the GaInAsBi based material is grown on a InP substrate.

29 . A light receiving semiconductor device comprising:
an active region comprising a III-V material including Antimony and one or more other group V elements, such that the a spin-orbit splitting energy of the material being within 10% of a band gap energy of the material, optionally within 5% of the band gap energy of the material.

30 . The light receiving semiconductor device according to claim 29 , wherein a percentage of atoms of Antimony to atoms of the other group V elements in the material is less than 25%, and wherein the III-V material includes Ga and As.

31 . A light receiving semiconductor device having an active region comprising a III-V material including Bismuth and one or more other group V elements, an amount of Bismuth being controlled to produce a band gap energy of the material appropriate for absorbing light at a first wavelength and to produce a spin-orbit splitting energy of the material capable of absorbing light at a second wavelength.

32 . A method of manufacturing a light receiving semiconductor device arranged to absorb light at a first wavelength and a second wavelength, the method comprising:
providing an active layer comprising a III-V material including Bismuth and one or more other group V elements; and controlling an amount of Bismuth in the III-V material to produce a band gap energy of the material appropriate for absorbing light at a first wavelength and to produce a spin-orbit splitting energy of the material capable of absorbing light at a second wavelength.

33 . A light receiving semiconductor device having an active region comprising a III-V material including Antimony and one or more other group V elements, an amount of Antimony being controlled to produce a band gap energy of the material appropriate for absorbing light at a first wavelength and to produce a spin-orbit splitting energy of the material capable of absorbing light at a second wavelength.

34 . A method of manufacturing a light receiving semiconductor device arranged to absorb light at a first wavelength

Assignees

• Univ Surrey

Inventors

• Sweeney Stephen
• Hild Konstanze

Classifications

• Y02E10/544

  Solar cells from Group III-V materials · CPC title

• Y02E10/548

  Amorphous silicon PV cells · CPC title

• H10F77/12485

  comprising nitride compounds, e.g. InGaN · CPC title

• H10F77/1248 Primary

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

• H10F71/1278

  comprising nitrides, e.g. GaN · CPC title