Metamorphic two-junction photovoltaic devices with removable graded buffers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022069157-A1
Application number	US-202117460829-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2021
Priority date	Aug 28, 2020
Publication date	Mar 3, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a device, where the device includes, in order, a metamorphic contact layer, a first metamorphic junction, a metamorphic tunnel junction, and a second metamorphic junction. To produce the device, the manufacturing includes, in order, a first depositing of a buffer layer onto a substrate, a second depositing of the metamorphic contact layer, a third depositing of the first metamorphic junction, a fourth depositing of the metamorphic tunnel junction, a fifth depositing of the second metamorphic junction, and the removing of the buffer layer and the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
manufacturing a device, wherein the device comprises, in order:
a metamorphic contact layer;
a first metamorphic junction;
a metamorphic tunnel junction; and
a second metamorphic junction, wherein:
the manufacturing comprises, in order:
a first depositing of a buffer layer onto a substrate;
a second depositing of the metamorphic contact layer;
a third depositing of the first metamorphic junction;
a fourth depositing of the metamorphic tunnel junction;
a fifth depositing of the second metamorphic junction; and
removing the buffer layer and the substrate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer comprises a continuous graded buffer layer or a plurality of step-graded buffer layers.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, between the first depositing and the second depositing, the depositing of a sacrificial layer capable of degradation in the presence of a chemical etchant.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the sacrificial layer comprises AlInP.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the removing comprises applying the chemical etchant to the sacrificial layer.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the chemical etchant comprises an acid.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the acid comprises hydrochloric acid.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a first intermediate depositing of a strain overshoot layer having a 1 μm thickness, performed after the first depositing and before the second depositing.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising a second intermediate depositing of a step-back layer lattice-matched to the in-plane lattice constant of the overshoot layer and having a 1 μm thickness, performed after the first intermediate depositing and before the second depositing.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the strain overshoot layer comprises Ga (1-z) In z P and 0.5≤z≤0.8.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the step-back layer comprises an alloy comprising at least one two of gallium, indium, aluminum, arsenic, antimony, nitrogen, or phosphorous.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metamorphic contact layer comprises at least three of gallium, indium, aluminum, arsenic, or phosphorous.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the metamorphic contact layer comprises Ga (1-x) In x As and 0.6≤x≤0.8.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the metamorphic contact layer comprises about Ga 0.31 In 0.69 As.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the metamorphic contact layer further comprises nitrogen.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the metamorphic contact layer is doped with selenium.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the metamorphic contact layer has a thickness between about 0.05 μm and about 0.50 μm.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the second depositing comprises:
a first growing step; and
a second growing step, wherein:
the first growing step is performed at a temperature between about 400° C. and about 800° C., and the second growing step is performed at a temperature between about 600° C. and about 800° C.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the first growing produces a highly-Se-doped first layer having between about 1e18 and about 1e20 Se atoms per cubic centimeter and a thickness between about 0.1 μm and about 1.0 μm and the Se is provided by an H 2 Se gas.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the second growing produces a lower-Se-doped second layer having between about 1e17 and about 1e19 Se atoms per cubic centimeter and a thickness between greater than zero μm and about 1.0 μm and the Se is provided by an H 2 Se gas.

21 . A device comprising, in order:
a metamorphic contact layer; a first metamorphic junction; a metamorphic tunnel junction; and a second metamorphic junction.

Assignees

• Alliance Sustainable Energy
• Massachusetts Inst Of Technonlogy

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H10F71/139

  using temporary substrates · CPC title

• H10F10/1425

  Inverted metamorphic multi-junction [IMM] photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F77/1248

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

• H10F71/1272 Primary

  comprising at least three elements, e.g. GaAlAs or InGaAsP · CPC title

• Y02E10/544

  Solar cells from Group III-V materials · CPC title