四结叠层太阳电池中AlGaAs/GaAs隧穿结的特性和表现

III-V族化合物叠层太阳电池是具有超高转换效率的第三代新型太阳电池。四结叠层电池GaInP/GaAs/InGaAs/Ge,各子电池的带隙分别为1.8, 1.4, 1.0, 0.7(ev)。为了使各子电池之间电流匹配,在各子电池之间以隧穿结互相连接。本文主要探索研究了四结叠层电池GaInP/GaAs/InGaAs/Ge隧穿结的特性,三个隧穿结的材料选取,探讨了隧穿结对整体叠层电池的特性的补偿作用,对各子电池电流密度的影响,以及在此基础上对整体电池效率的增加。选用AlGaAs/GaAs作为隧穿结运用PC1D进行电池的整体模拟仿真,得到各子电池电流密度分别为16.02mA/cm²,17.12 mA/cm²,17.75 mA/cm²,17.45 mA/cm²,电池在AM0下的开路电压Voc为3.246V,转换效率为33.9%。     

非晶硅/微晶硅叠层电池的模拟研究

电流匹配和隧穿复合结是影响氢化非晶硅/氢化微晶硅叠层电池性能的两个关键因素.文章采用wxAMPS模拟软件研究了氢化非晶硅/氢化微晶硅叠层电池中顶电池与底电池的厚度匹配对电池短路电流的影响,以及隧穿复合结的中间缺陷态密度和掺杂浓度对叠层电池性能的影响.研究发现当顶电池和底电池的本征层厚度分别为200和2 000 nm、中间缺陷态提高到1017 cm-3·eV-1以上,且掺杂浓度提高到5×1019 cm-3时,叠层电池获得最佳性能:换效率为15.60％,短路电流密度为11.68 mA/cm2,开路电压为1.71V.     

高斜率效率隧道结叠层激光器的研制

隧道结叠层激光器技术具有广泛的应用空间,如高斜率效率、高功率密度、多波长激光器等。采用LP-MOCVD系统生长隧道结材料,CCl4作为p型掺杂源,SiH4作为n型掺杂源,并采用δ掺杂技术,使得n+-GaAs的掺杂浓度大于1×1019/cm3,隧道结的面电阻率小于2×10-4Ω.cm2。设计生长了双叠层、三叠层材料,该材料制作的900nm双叠层激光器在200ns脉宽、20A工作电流下输出功率35W,斜率效率1.8W/A,是单层材料的1.8倍,隧穿结引入的压降约为0.15V;860nm三叠层激光器的斜率效率大于2.7W/A,是单层材料的2.7倍。     

MBE生长碲镉汞的砷掺入与激活

采用As掺杂和激活技术制备的p+-on-n异质结材料是获得高性能长波碲镉汞红外焦平面器件的关键技术之一,得到了广泛关注.采用变温IV拟合的方法,对不同As掺入浓度与器件结性能相关性进行了分析,发现降低结区内As掺杂浓度可以有效抑制器件的陷阱辅助隧穿电流.拟合结果表明,较高浓度的Nt很可能与高浓度As掺入相关.因此As的稳定均匀掺入和激活被认为是主要技术挑战.实验研究了分子束外延过程中Hg/Te束流比与As掺入效率的关系,发现相对富Hg的外延条件有助于提高As掺杂效率.研究还发现As的晶圆内掺杂均匀性与Hg/Te束流比的均匀性密切相关.对As的激活退火进行了研究,发现在饱和Hg蒸汽压中采用300℃/16h+420℃/1 h+240℃/48 h的退火条件能明显提升碲镉汞中As原子的激活率.     

分子束外延碲镉汞探测器的变结面积I-V测试研究

碲镉汞红外探测器的表面钝化处理对器件暗电流有较大影响,决定了器件的探测性能。为了研究表面钝化层不同生长方式对暗电流的抑制效果,使用分子束外延(Molecular Beam Epitaxy, MBE)系统在Si基衬底上生长碲镉汞材料,分别通过磁控溅射和原位钝化方法生长CdTe/ZnS钝化膜层。采用半导体工艺在碲镉汞材料上制备了变面积光伏探测器。通过测试不同钝化膜层器件的暗电流,分析零偏电阻和面积乘积(R₀A)与周长面积之比(p/A)的关系。结果表明,磁控溅射生长钝化层的Si基碲镉汞器件存在较大的隧穿电流,而原位钝化生长钝化层的Si基碲镉汞器件能更有效地抑制表面漏电流。拟合器件R₀A因子随PN结面积的变化,得出原位生长钝化层的器件具有更好的钝化效果。变面积器件的制备和测试能够有效且直观地反映器件性能。     

碲镉汞p-on-n长波异质结探测器材料的制备研究

报道了碲镉汞p+-on-n长波双层异质结材料和异质结台面器件的研究结果,重点研究了p+-on-n型双层异质结材料制备技术。通过水平滑舟富碲液相外延生长的方法在碲锌镉衬底上原位生长In掺杂碲镉汞n型吸收层材料,然后再采用富汞垂直液相外延技术制备p型As原位掺杂的碲镉汞cap层材料,从而获得p+-on-n型双层异质结材料,并通过湿法腐蚀、台面刻蚀以及钝化等工艺得到碲镉汞 p+-on-n长波异质结台面型器件。p+-on-n异质结器件结构可以有效克服少子寿命偏低等问题,在长波及甚长波波段具有更低的暗电流和更高的R0A值,这对于解决目前长波碲镉汞红外探测器暗电流大、结阻抗低的问题,提高长波及甚长波波段碲镉汞红外焦平面器件的性能具有重要的意义。     

带间共振隧穿二极管(RITD)

带间共振隧穿二极管(RITD)是导带与价带间发生共振隧穿的两端器件,其特点是启始电压VT和峰值电压Vp较低,电流峰谷比PVCR较大。在导出RITD物理模型和其电流密度方程的基础上重点介绍了InAs/AlSb/GaSbⅡ类异质结RITD、n+InAlAs/InGaAs/InAlAs/In-GaAs/p+InAlAsp-n结双势阱Ⅰ类RITD以及δ掺杂RITD三种RITD的器件结构、材料结构、工作原理、器件特性和参数等,并对这三种RITD的特点进行了比较和讨论。     

高峰谷电流比的高掺杂发射区In0.53Ga0.47As/AlAs共振隧穿二极管

利用空气桥工艺设计和制作了高掺杂发射区In0.53Ga0.47As/AlAs共振隧穿二极管（RTD）。在室温下,器件的峰谷电流比大于40,峰值电流密度为24kA/cm2。建立了RTD器件等效电路模型,并从直流和微波测试结果中提取出器件参数。高峰谷电流比的RTD器件具有非常小的电容,有利于在微波/太赫兹领域中的应用。     

InP衬底AlAs/In0.53Ga0.47As RTD的研制

报道了InP衬底AlAs/In0.53Ga0.47As/AlAs两垒一阱结构共振隧穿二极管(RTD)器件的研制.结构材料由分子束外延制备,衬底片为(001)半绝缘InP单晶片,器件制作选用台面结构.测得室温下的峰值电流密度为1.06×105 A/cm2,峰-谷电流比为7.4,是国内报道的首例InP材料体系RTD器件.     

InP衬底AlAs/In0.53Ga0.47As RTD的研制

报道了InP衬底AlAs/In0.53Ga0.47As/AlAs两垒一阱结构共振隧穿二极管(RTD)器件的研制.结构材料由分子束外延制备,衬底片为(001)半绝缘InP单晶片,器件制作选用台面结构.测得室温下的峰值电流密度为1.06×105 A/cm2,峰-谷电流比为7.4,是国内报道的首例InP材料体系RTD器件.     

Performance comparison of AlGaAs,GaAs and InGaP tunnel junctions for concentrated multijunction solar cells

Four tunnel junction (TJ) designs for multijunction (MJ) solar cells under high concentration are studied to determine the peak tunnelling current and resistance change as a function of the doping concentration. These four TJ designs are: AlGaAs/AlGaAs, GaAs/GaAs, AlGaAs/InGaP and AlGaAs/GaAs. Time‐dependent and time‐average methods are used to experimentally characterize the entire current–voltage profile of TJ mesa structures. Experimentally calibrated numerical models are used to determine the minimum doping concentration required for each TJ design to operate within a MJ solar cell up to 2000‐suns concentration. The AlGaAs/GaAs TJ design is found to require the least doping concentration to reach a resistance of <10⁻⁴ Ω cm² followed by the GaAs/GaAs TJ and finally the AlGaAs/AlGaAs TJ. The AlGaAs/InGaP TJ is only able to obtain resistances of ≥5 × 10⁻⁴ Ω cm² within the range of doping concentrations studied. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Growth condition of iodine-doped n+-CdTe layers in metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy

Iodine doping of CdTe layers grown on (100) GaAs by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) was studied using diethyltelluride (DETe) and diisopropyltelluride (DiPTe) as tellurium precursors and ethyliodine (EI) as a dopant. Electron densities of doped layers increased gradually with decreasing the growth temperature from 425°C to 325°C. Doped layers grown with DETe had higher electron densities than those grown with DiPTe. When the hot-wall temperature was increased from 200°C to 250°C at the growth temperature of 325°C, doped layers grown with DETe showed an increase of the electron density from 3.7×10¹⁶ cm⁻³ to 2.6×10¹⁸ cm⁻³. On the other hand, such an increase of the electron density was not observed for layers grown with DiPTe. The mechanisms for different doping properties for DETe and DiPTe were studied on the basis of the growth characteristics for these precursors. Higher thermal stability of DETe than that of DiPTe was considered to cause the difference of doping properties. With increasing the hot-wall temperature from 200°C to 250°C, the effective ratio of Cd to Te species on the growth surface became larger for layers grown with DETe than those grown with DiPTe. This was considered to decrease the compensation of doped iodine and to increase the electron density of layers grown with DETe. The effective ratio of Cd to Te species on the growth surface also increased with decreasing growth temperature. This was considered to increase the electron density with decreasing growth temperature.     

Ultra‐thin,high performance tunnel junctions for III–V multijunction cells

Tunnel junctions (TJ) made of p‐Al_0.1 Ga_0.9As/n‐GaAs are used because of their high peak current and low series resistance, but are not fully transparent. The influence of reducing the thickness of these tunnel junctions on the characteristics of InGaP/GaAs tandem cells was investigated. It was found that ultra‐thin TJs with excellent performance can be realized. Even for a 7.5/6‐nm thick TJ, which is the thinnest possible in our growth reactor, the peak current density is at least 600 A/cm². The series resistance of the TJs was found to be at a constant level of 0.6 ± 0.2 mΩ cm² for all total thicknesses of the TJ in the 13.5–40 nm range. Because of a lower absorption in the TJ, a tandem cell with a 7.5/6‐nm thick TJ, compared with a cell with a 20/20‐nm thick TJ, gained 0.53 ± 0.05 mA/cm² in short circuit current to a value of 14.8 mA/cm². Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Highly conductive p + + ‐AlGaAs/n + + ‐GaInP tunnel junctions for ultra‐high concentrator solar cells

Tunnel junctions are key for developing multijunction solar cells (MJSC) for ultra‐high concentration applications. We have developed a highly conductive, high bandgap p ^{+ +} ‐AlGaAs/n ^{+ +} ‐GaInP tunnel junction with a peak tunneling current density for as‐grown and thermal annealed devices of 996 A/cm ² and 235 A/cm ², respectively. The J–V characteristics of the tunnel junction after thermal annealing, together with its behavior at MJSCs typical operation temperatures, indicate that this tunnel junction is a suitable candidate for ultra‐high concentrator MJSC designs. The benefits of the optical transparency are also assessed for a lattice‐matched GaInP/GaInAs/Ge triple junction solar cell, yielding a current density increase in the middle cell of 0.506 mA/cm ² with respect to previous designs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pushing the limits of concentrated photovoltaic solar cell tunnel junctions in novel high‐efficiency GaAs phototransducers based on a vertical epitaxial heterostructure architecture

A monolithic compound semiconductor phototransducer optimized for narrow‐band light sources was designed for achieving conversion efficiencies exceeding 50%. The III‐V heterostructure was grown by metal‐organic chemical vapor deposition, based on the vertical stacking of 5 partially absorbing GaAs n/p junctions connected in series with tunnel junctions. The thicknesses of the p‐type base layers of the diodes were engineered for optimal absorption and current matching for an optical input with wavelengths centered near 830 nm. Devices with active areas of ~3.4 mm² were fabricated and tested with different emitter gridline spacings. The open circuit voltage (Voc) of the electrical output is five times or more than that of a single GaAs n/p junction under similar illumination. The device architecture allows for improved Voc generation in the individual base segments because of efficient carrier extraction while simultaneously maintaining a complete absorption of the input photons with no needs for complicated fabrication processes or reflecting layers. With illumination powers in the range of a few 100 mW, the measured fill factor (FF) varied between 88 and 89%, and the Voc reached over 5.75 V. The data also demonstrated that a proper combination of highly doped emitter and window layers without gridlines is adequate for sustaining such FF values for optical input powers of several hundred milliwatts. As the optical input power is further increased and approaches 2 W (intensities ~58 W/cm²), the multiple tunnel junctions sequentially exceed their peak current densities in the case for which typical (n++)GaInP/ (p++)AlGaAs concentrated photovoltaic tunnel junctions are used. Lower bandgap tunnel junctions designed with improved peak current densities result in phototransducer devices having high FF and conversion efficiencies for up to 5 W optical input powers (intensities ~144 W/cm²). Measurements at different temperatures revealed a Voc reduction of −6 mV/°C at ~59 W/cm². Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of AsH3 surface treatment for the improvement of ultra-shallow area-selective regrown GaAs sidewall tunnel junction

Low-temperature (290°C) area-selective regrowth by molecular layer epitaxy (MLE) was applied for the fabrication of an ultra-shallow sidewall (50 nm) GaAs tunnel junction. Fabricated tunnel junctions have shown a record peak current density up to 35,000 A/cm². It is shown that the tunnel junction characteristics are strongly dependent on the sidewall orientation and the AsH₃ surface treatment conditions just prior to regrowth. The effects of AsH₃ surface treatment are discussed in view of the control of surface stoichiometry.     

Properties and use of cycled grown OMVPE GaAs:Zn,GaAs:Se,and GaAs:Si layers for high-conductance GaAs tunnel junctions

Heavily doped GaAs layers for high conductance GaAs tunnel junctions have been grown by atmospheric pressure organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) using Zn as the dopant for thep ⁺ regions and either Se or Si as the dopant for then ⁺ regions. At a growth temperature of 700° C using a “cycled” growth technique for the Zn-dopedp ⁺⁺-GaAs layer, both the conductance and the peak current density of the tunnel diode has been increased by a factor of ∼65 compared to a tunnel junction with a continuously grown Zn-doped p⁺-GaAs. The conductance of the tunnel junction, which is maximized at a growth temperature of 650° C using cycled growth, is comparable to the best reported values for tunnel junctions grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Cycled growths forn ⁺ Se-doped regions are found to reduce the conductance of a tunnel junction by more than two orders of magnitude. However, cycled growth for the n⁺-GaAs regions with Si doping show no conductance degradation. A model based on incorporation sites of these dopants during OMVPE growth of GaAs is presented to account for the experimental observations.     

Tunnel Junction with Autodoped AlGaAs on InP

We describe the low resistance of tunnel junction structures with a p ⁺-AlGaAs layer grown on an InP substrate using the autodoping technique. An Al_0.4Ga_0.6As layer showed a hole concentration of 2.4 × 10²⁰ cm^?3 without additional material sources. We demonstrated that the proposed tunnel junction structure with a p ⁺-Al_0.4Ga_0.6As/In_0.52Al_0.48As multiple-quantum-well layer on an InP substrate exhibited a low resistance of 2.5 × 10^?5 Ω cm², as estimated from reverse current–voltage characteristics, and a tunnel peak current density of 170 A/cm².     

MOCVD-grown InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs laser structures with a broad-area contact

A metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) technique is developed for a diode laser heterostructure in a system of InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs solid solutions; the optimal sizes and the doping profile of the structure are determined to minimize the internal optical losses. Mesa-strip diode lasers with a threshold density of current J _th=150–200 A/cm², internal optical loss factor α_i=1.6–1.9 cm^?1, and an internal quantum yield η_i=85–95% were fabricated. In the continuous lasing mode of a diode laser with a 100-µm-wide aperture and a wavelength of 0.98 µm, the optical power output was as high as 6.5 W and was limited by the catastrophic optical degradation of mirrors. The radiation divergence in the plane normal to the p-n junction amounts to θ_⊥. The use of wide-gap waveguide layers, which deepens the potential electron well in the active region, is shown to reduce the temperature sensitivity of the InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs laser heterostructures in the temperature range from 0 to 70°C.