An integrated tandem solar cell includes a first solar cell including a rear electrode, a light absorption layer disposed on the rear electrode, and a buffer layer disposed on the light absorption layer; a recombination layer including a first transparent conductive layer disposed on the buffer layer; a nanoparticle layer that is transparent and conductive, that is disposed on the first transparent conductive layer, and that planarizes the first solar cell; and a second transparent conductive layer disposed on the nanoparticle layer; and a second solar cell that is a perovskite solar cell including a perovskite layer and that is disposed on and bonded to the second transparent conductive layer of the recombination layer. The recombination layer electrically joins the first and second solar cells and planarizes the first solar cell so that the second solar cell is uniformly deposited in all regions thereof.

An optoelectronic device grown on a miscut of GaN, wherein the miscut comprises a semi-polar GaN crystal plane (of the GaN) miscut x degrees from an m-plane of the GaN and in a c-direction of the GaN, where −15<x<−1 and 1<x<15 degrees.

Photovoltaic (PV) cell structures are disclosed. In one example embodiment, a PV cell includes an emitter layer, a base layer adjacent to the emitter layer, and a back surface field (BSF) layer adjacent to the base layer. The BSF layer includes a first layer, and a second layer adjacent to the first layer. The first layer includes a first material and the second layer includes a second material different than the first material.

A solar cell device includes a supporting substrate, and an epitaxial active structure that is disposed on the supporting substrate. The epitaxial active structure has a bottom surface adjacent to the supporting substrate and a top surface opposite to the bottom surface, and is formed with an isolation section that extends from the top surface to the bottom surface. A method for producing the solar cell device is also disclosed.

This disclosure relates to methods of growing crystalline layers on amorphous substrates by way of an ultra-thin seed layer, methods for preparing the seed layer, and compositions comprising both. In an aspect of the invention, the crystalline layers can be thin films. In a preferred embodiment, these thin films can be free-standing.

Embodiments of the invention generally relate to photovoltaic devices. In one embodiment, a method for forming a gallium arsenide based photovoltaic device includes providing a semiconductor structure, the structure including an absorber layer comprising gallium arsenide. A bypass function is provided in a p-n junction of the semiconductor structure, where under reverse-bias conditions the p-n junction breaks down in a controlled manner by a Zener breakdown effect.

The present disclosure relates to a composition that includes a III-V planar substrate having a surface aligned with and parallel to a reference plane, where the surface includes a plurality of terraces, each terrace includes a first surface positioned between a first boundary and a second boundary, each boundary is substantially parallel to the other boundaries and positioned substantially parallel to the reference plane, and each terrace is separated from an adjacent terrace by a second surface positioned between the second boundary of the terrace and the first boundary of the adjacent terrace.

The present disclosure is directed to photovoltaic junctions and methods for producing the same. Embodiments of the disclosure may be incorporated in various devices for applications such as solar cells and light detectors and may demonstrate advantages compared to standard materials used for photovoltaic junctions such as silica. An example embodiment of the disclosure includes a photovoltaic junction, the junction including a light absorbing material, an electron acceptor for shuttling electrons, and a metallic contact. In general, embodiments of the disclosure as disclosed herein include photovoltaic junctions which provide absorption across one or more wavelengths in the range from about 200 nm to about 1000 nm, or from near IR (NIR) to ultra-violet (UV). Generally, these embodiments include a multi-layered light absorbing material that can be formed from quantum dots that are successively deposited on the surface of an electron acceptor (e.g., a semiconductor).

Disclosed are a solar cell including an upper cell includes an upper passivation layer disposed on an upper surface of a functional layer, a transparent electrode disposed on an upper surface of the upper passivation layer, an upper first charge transport layer disposed on an upper surface of the transparent electrode, an upper electrode disposed on the upper first of the transparent electrode to be adjacent to the upper surface charge transport layer, an upper second charge transport layer disposed on the upper surface of the functional layer to be spaced apart from the upper passivation layer, the transparent electrode, the upper first charge transport layer, and the upper electrode, and an upper absorption layer disposed on the upper passivation layer, the transparent electrode, the upper first charge transport layer, and the upper second charge transport layer.

A compound-semiconductor photovoltaic cell includes a first photoelectric conversion cell made of a first compound-semiconductor material which lattice matches with GaAs or Ge; a first tunnel junction layer arranged on a deep side farther than the first photoelectric conversion cell in a light incident direction, and including a first p-type (Al.sub.x1Ga.sub.1-x1).sub.y1In.sub.1-y1As (0≤x1<1, 0<y1≤1) layer and a first n-type (Al.sub.x2Ga.sub.1-x2).sub.y2In.sub.1-y2P (0≤x2<1, 0<y2<1) layer; and a second photoelectric conversion cell arranged on a deep side farther than the first tunnel junction layer in the light incident direction, and made of a second compound-semiconductor material which is a GaAs-based semiconductor material. The first photoelectric conversion cell and the second photoelectric conversion cell are joined via the first tunnel junction layer, and a lattice constant of the first n-type (Al.sub.x2Ga.sub.1-x2).sub.y2In.sub.1-y2P layer is greater than a lattice constant of the first photoelectric conversion cell.