Theoretical study of c-GaN/GaAs single heterojunction solar cells

Materia

López, Máximo López¹  Puente, Gerardo Contreras²  Rodríguez, Guillermo Santana³  Peredo, Luis Zamora⁴  Torres, Julián Hernández⁴  Cruz, Ana Gabriela Galicia⁴  González, Leandro García⁴  Solís, Mario Díaz⁴ 

[1] Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, México City, Mexico;Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas del IPN, México City, Mexico;Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, Mexico;Universidad Veracruzana, Boca del Río, Mexico

关键词: GaN/GaAs;    heterostructures;    TCAD modeling;    I-V curves;    solar cell.;   

DOI  :  10.1590/s1517-707620170004.0221

学科分类：工程和技术（综合）

来源: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro * Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao de Engenharia

【 摘 要 】

In this work a theoretical study of electrical behavior for a c-GaN/GaAs heterostructure as a photovoltaic device through a two-dimensional (2D) finite element numerical simulation is presented for a first time. I-V curves and electrical parameters like short circuit current (Isc), open circuit voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF) and efficiency (η) were obtained for n-i-p and n-p heterostructures with different thicknesses and doping of the layers by modeling heterostructures with characteristics parameters of this materials previously reported. As a result, an increment on Isc was observed by extending the thickness of i-GaAs layer from 12 mA/cm2 for thinner heterostructures to a maximum of ~32 mA/cm2 for heterostructures with i-GaAs layer >3000 nm and a decrease in Voc and FF in the range from ~1.06 V and 0.89 for n-p heterostructures to 0.75 V and 0.7 respectively for thicker i-GaAs layers allowing estimate maximum efficiencies between 23 and 25% for n-i-p and n-p configurations, respectively. This study allows demonstrating the potential of this type of heterostructures for solar cells applications, considering the possibility of using p-doping GaAs substrates for photovoltaics based in GaN.

【 授权许可】

CC BY