Semiconductor devices comprising a semiconductor edge filter, a first light absorbing region overlying the semiconductor edge filter and a second light absorbing region underlying the semiconductor edge filter are disclosed. The semiconductor edge filter has a high reflectivity over a first wavelength range absorbed by the overlying light absorbing region and a high transmission over a second wavelength range absorbed by the underlying light absorbing region.

The present disclosure provides methods of fabricating a multijunction solar cell panel in which one or more of the steps are performed using an automated process. In some embodiments, the automated process uses machine vision.

A multijunction solar cell including an upper first solar subcell having a first band gap; a second solar subcell adjacent to the first solar subcell and having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; a first graded interlayer adjacent to the second solar subcell; the first graded interlayer having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; and a third solar subcell adjacent to the first graded interlayer, the third subcell having a fourth band gap smaller than the second band gap such that the third subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell. A second graded interlayer is provided adjacent to the third solar subcell; the second graded interlayer having a fifth band gap greater than the fourth band gap; and a lower fourth solar subcell is provided adjacent to the second graded interlayer, the lower fourth subcell having a sixth band gap smaller than the fourth band gap such that the fourth subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the third subcell.

A multi-junction solar cell having at least three partial cells having an emitter and a base. The first partial cell comprises a first layer of a compound containing at least the elements GaInP, and the energy band gap of the first layer is greater than 1.75 eV, and wherein the second partial cell has a second layer of a compound having at least the elements GaAs and the lattice constant of the second layer is in the range between 5.635 and 5.675 , and wherein the third partial cell has a third layer of a compound having at least the elements GaInAs and the energy band gap of the third layer is smaller than 1.25 eV and the lattice constant of the third layer is greater than 5.700 .

A multijunction solar cell including an upper first solar subcell having a first band gap; a second solar subcell adjacent to the first solar subcell and having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; a first graded interlayer adjacent to the second solar subcell; the first graded interlayer having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; and a third solar subcell adjacent to the first graded interlayer, the third subcell having a fourth band gap smaller than the second band gap such that the third subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell. A second graded interlayer is provided adjacent to the third solar subcell; the second graded interlayer having a fifth band gap greater than the fourth band gap; and a lower fourth solar subcell is provided adjacent to the second graded interlayer, the lower fourth subcell having a sixth band gap smaller than the fourth band gap such that the fourth subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the third subcell.

A method of forming a multijunction solar cell comprising at least an upper subcell, a middle subcell, and a lower subcell, the method including forming a first alpha layer over said middle solar subcell using a surfactant and dopant including selenium, the first alpha layer configured to prevent threading dislocations from propagating; forming a metamorphic grading interlayer over and directly adjacent to said first alpha layer; forming a second alpha layer using a surfactant and dopant including selenium over and directly adjacent to said grading interlayer to prevent threading dislocations from propagating; and forming a lower solar subcell over said grading interlayer such that said lower solar subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to said middle solar subcell.

The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a solar cell including: providing a first substrate and a second substrate; depositing on the first substrate a sequence of layers of semiconductor material forming a solar cell including a top subcell and a bottom subcell; forming a back metal contact over the bottom subcell; applying a conductive polyimide adhesive to the second substrate; attaching the second substrate on top of the back metal contact; and removing the first substrate to expose the surface of the top subcell.

A solar cell including a sequence of layers of semiconductor material forming a solar cell; a metal contact layer over said sequence of layers; a permanent supporting substrate composed of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer utilizing a conductive polyimide binding resin disposed directly over said metal contact layer and permanently bonding thereto.

A method for separating a structure from a substrate through electromagnetic irradiations (EI) belonging to a spectral range comprises the steps of a) providing the substrate, b) forming an absorbent separation layer on the substrate, c) forming the structure to be separated on the separation layer, d) exposing the separation layer to the electromagnetic irradiations (EI) via the substrate such that the separation layer breaks down under the effect of the heat stemming from the absorption, the method being notable in that it comprises a step b1) of forming a transparent thermal barrier layer on the separation layer, the exposure period and the thickness of the thermal barrier layer being adapted such that the temperature of the structure to be separated remains below a threshold during the exposure period, beyond which threshold, faults are likely to appear in the structure.

The disclosure describes multi-junction solar cell structures that include two or more graded interlayers.