Metamorphic layers in multijunction solar cells

Abstract

A multijunction solar cell includes an InGaAs buffer layer and an InGaAlAs grading interlayer disposed below, and adjacent to, the InGaAs buffer layer. The grading interlayer achieves a transition in lattice constant from one solar subcell to another solar subcell.

Claims

1. A multijunction solar cell comprising: a first solar subcell having a first band gap; a second solar subcell disposed below the first solar subcell and having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; an InGaAs buffer layer disposed below the second solar subcell, wherein the InGaAs buffer layer is composed of a crystalline structure, the crystalline structure of the buffer layer consisting of indium, gallium and arsenic; an InGaAlAs grading interlayer disposed below, and adjacent to, the InGaAs buffer layer, wherein the InGaAlAs grading interlayer is composed of multiple layers each of which has a crystalline structure, wherein the crystalline structure of each of the multiple layers of the InGaAlAs grading interlayer consists of indium, gallium, arsenic and aluminum, and wherein the InGaAlAs grading interlayer has a constant third band gap throughout its thickness greater than the second band gap; and a third solar subcell disposed below the InGaAlAs interlayer that is lattice mismatched with respect to second solar subcell and having a fourth band gap smaller than the third band gap, wherein the InGaAlAs grading interlayer achieves a transition in lattice constant from the second subcell to the third subcell, and wherein each of the first solar subcell, the second solar subcell, the InGaAs buffer layer, the InGaAlAs grading interlayer and the third solar subcell comprises one or more epitaxial layers of a same integrated semiconductor structure.

2. A multijunction solar cell as defined in claim 1, wherein the constant band gap of the InGaAlAs grading interlayer is 1.5 eV.

3. A multijunction solar cell as defined in claim 1 wherein the InGaAlAs grading interlayer has a monotonically changing lattice constant.

4. A multijunction solar cell as defined in claim 1 wherein the InGaAs buffer layer has a thickness on the order of 1 m.

5. A multijunction solar cell as defined in claim 1, wherein the first solar subcell is composed of InGaP.

6. A multijunction solar cell as defined in claim 1, wherein the first solar subcell includes an InGa(Al)P emitter region and an InGa(Al)P base region, and the second solar subcell includes an InGaP emitter layer.

7. A multijunction solar cell as defined in claim 1 further including a bottom contact layer below the third solar subcell and making electrical contact therewith.

8. A multijunction solar cell as defined in claim 1 further including a tunnel diode disposed below the second solar subcell and over the InGaAs buffer layer.

9. A multijunction solar cell as defined in claim 8 wherein the tunnel diode is a p++/n++ tunnel diode.

10. A multijunction solar cell as defined in claim 1 wherein the InGaAlAs grading interlayer includes a compositionally step-graded InGaAlAs series of layers.

11. A multijunction solar cell assembly comprising: a cover glass; a multjunction solar cell below the cover glass, the multijunction solar cell including: one or more grid lines; a first contact layer below the one or more grid lines; a window layer below the first contact layer; a first solar subcell disposed below the window layer and having a first band gap; a second solar subcell disposed below the first solar subcell and having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; an InGaAs buffer layer disposed below the second solar subcell, wherein the InGaAs buffer layer is composed of a crystalline structure, the crystalline structure of the buffer layer consisting of indium, gallium and arsenic; an InGaAlAs grading interlayer disposed below, and adjacent to, the InGaAs buffer layer, wherein the InGaAlAs grading interlayer is composed of multiple layers each of which has a crystalline structure, wherein the crystalline structure of each of the multiple layers of the InGaAlAs grading interlayer consists of indium, gallium, arsenic and aluminum, and wherein the InGaAlAs grading interlayer has a constant third band gap throughout its thickness greater than the second band gap; a third solar subcell disposed below the InGaAlAs interlayer that is lattice mismatched with respect to second solar subcell and having a fourth band gap smaller than the third band gap, wherein the InGaAlAs grading interlayer achieves a transition in lattice constant from the second subcell to the third subcell; and a second contact layer below the third solar subcell and making electrical contact therewith.

12. A multijunction solar cell assembly as defined in claim 11 including an antireflective coating over the one or more grid lines.

13. A multijunction solar cell assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the constant band gap of the InGaAlAs grading interlayer is 1.5 eV.

14. A multijunction solar cell assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein the InGaAlAs grading interlayer has a monotonically changing lattice constant.

15. A multijunction solar cell assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein the InGaAs buffer layer has a thickness on the order of 1 m.

16. A multijunction solar cell assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the first solar subcell is composed of InGaP.

17. A multijunction solar cell assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the first solar subcell includes an InGa(Al)P emitter region and an InGa(Al)P base region, and the second solar subcell includes an InGaP emitter layer.

18. A multijunction solar cell assembly as defined in claim 11 further including a bottom contact layer below the third solar subcell and making electrical contact therewith.

19. A multijunction solar cell assembly as defined in claim 11 further including a tunnel diode disposed below the second solar subcell and over the InGaAs buffer layer.

20. A multijunction solar cell assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein the InGaAlAs grading interlayer includes a compositionally step-graded InGaAlAs series of layers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) These and other features and advantages of this invention will be better and more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the solar cell according to the present invention at the end of the process steps of forming the layers of the solar cell;

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 1 after the next process step according to the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 2 after the next process step according to the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 3 after the next process step according to the present invention in which a surrogate substrate is attached;

(6) FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 4 after the next process step according to the present invention in which the original substrate is removed;

(7) FIG. 5B is another cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 4 after the next process step according to the present invention in which the original substrate is removed;

(8) FIG. 6A is a top plan view of a wafer in which the solar cells according to the present invention are fabricated;

(9) FIG. 6B is a bottom plan view of a wafer in which the solar cells according to the present invention are fabricated;

(10) FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the wafer of FIG. 6B after the next process step according to the present invention;

(11) FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 5B after the next process step according to the present invention;

(12) FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 8 after the next process step according to the present invention;

(13) FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 9 after the next process step according to the present invention;

(14) FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 10 after the next process step according to the present invention;

(15) FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 11 after the next process step according to the present invention;

(16) FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 12 after the next process step according to the present invention;

(17) FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 13 after the next process step according to the present invention;

(18) FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 14 after the next process step according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(19) Details of the present invention will now be described including exemplary aspects and embodiments thereof. Referring to the drawings and the following description, like reference numbers are used to identify like or functionally similar elements, and are intended to illustrate major features of exemplary embodiments in a highly simplified diagrammatic manner. Moreover, the drawings are not intended to depict every feature of the actual embodiment nor the relative dimensions of the depicted elements, and are not drawn to scale.

(20) FIG. 1 depicts the multijunction solar cell according to the present invention after formation of the three subcells A, B and C on a substrate. More particularly, there is shown a substrate 101, which may be either gallium arsenide (GaAs), germanium (Ge), or other suitable material. In the case of a Ge substrate, a nucleation layer 102 is deposited on the substrate. On the substrate, or over the nucleation layer 102, a buffer layer 103, and an etch stop layer 104 are further deposited. A contact layer 105 is then deposited on layer 104, and a window layer 106 is deposited on the contact layer. The subcell A, consisting of an n+ emitter layer 107 and a p-type base layer 108, is then deposited on the window layer 106.

(21) It should be noted that the multijunction solar cell structure could be formed by any suitable combination of group III to V elements listed in the periodic table subject to lattice constant and band gap requirements, wherein the group III includes boron (B), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In), and thallium (T). The group IV includes carbon (C), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), and tin (Sn). The group V includes nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), and bismuth (Bi).

(22) In the preferred embodiment, the substrate 101 is gallium arsenide, the emitter layer 107 is composed of InGa(Al)P, and the base layer is composed of InGa(Al)P.

(23) On top of the base layer 108 is deposited a back surface field (BSF) layer 109 used to reduce recombination loss.

(24) The BSF layer 109 drives minority carriers from the region near the base/BSF interface surface to minimize the effect of recombination loss. In other words, a BSF layer 109 reduces recombination loss at the backside of the solar subcell A and thereby reduces the recombination in the base.

(25) On top of the BSF layer 109 is deposited a sequence of heavily doped p-type and n-type layers 110 which forms a tunnel diode which is a circuit element to connect cell A to cell B.

(26) On top of the tunnel diode layers 110 a window layer 111 is deposited. The window layer 111 used in the subcell B also operates to reduce the recombination loss. The window layer 111 also improves the passivation of the cell surface of the underlying junctions. It should be apparent to one skilled in the art, that additional layer(s) may be added or deleted in the cell structure without departing from the scope of the present invention.

(27) On top of the window layer 111 the layers of cell B are deposited: the emitter layer 112, and the p-type base layer 113. These layers are preferably composed of InGaP and In.sub.0.015GaAs respectively, although any other suitable materials consistent with lattice constant and band gap requirements may be used as well.

(28) On top of the cell B is deposited a BSF layer 114 which performs the same function as the BSF layer 109. A p++/n++ tunnel diode 115 is deposited over the BSF layer 114 similar to the layers 110, again forming a circuit element to connect cell B to cell C. A buffer layer 115a, preferably InGaAs, is deposited over the tunnel diode 115, to a thickness of about 1.0 micron. A metamorphic buffer layer 116 is deposited over the buffer layer 115a which is preferably a compositionally step-graded InGaAlAs series of layers with monotonically changing lattice constant to achieve a transition in lattice constant from cell B to subcell C. The bandgap of layer 116 is 1.5ev constant with a value slightly greater than the bandgap of the middle cell B.

(29) In one embodiment, as suggested in the Wanless et al. paper, the step grade contains nine compositionally graded steps with each step layer having a thickness of 0.25 micron. In the preferred embodiment, the interlayer is composed of InGaAlAs, with monotonically changing lattice constant.

(30) FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 1 after the next process step according to the present invention in which a metal contact layer 122 is deposited over the p+ semiconductor contact layer 121. The metal is preferably a sequence of Ti/Au/Ag/Au layers.

(31) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 2 after the next process step according to the present invention in which an adhesive layer 123 is deposited over the metal layer 122. The adhesive is preferably GenTak 330 (distributed by General Chemical Corp.).

(32) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 3 after the next process step according to the present invention in which a surrogate substrate, preferably sapphire, is attached. In the preferred embodiment, the surrogate substrate is about 40 mils in thickness, and is perforated with holes about 1 mm in diameter, spaced 4 mm apart, to aid in subsequent removal of the substrate.

(33) FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 4 after the next process step according to the present invention in which the original substrate is removed by a sequence of lapping and/or etching steps in which the substrate 101, the buffer layer 103, and the etch stop layer 104, are removed. The etchant is growth substrate dependent.

(34) FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 5A from the solar cell of FIG. 5A from the orientation with the surrogate substrate 124 being at the bottom of the Figure.

(35) FIG. 6A is a top plan view of a wafer in which the solar cells according to the present invention are implemented.

(36) FIG. 6B is a bottom plan view of the wafer with four solar cells shown in FIG. 6A. In each cell there are grid lines 501 (more particularly shown in FIG. 10), an interconnecting bus line 502, and a contact pad 503.

(37) FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the wafer of FIG. 6B after the next process step in which a mesa 510 is etched around the periphery of each cell using phosphide and arsenide etchants.

(38) FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 5B after the next process step according to the present invention in which the sacrificial buffer layer has been removed with 4 citric 1 H.sub.2O.sub.2 solution.

(39) FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 8 after the next process step according to the present invention in which the etch stop layer 104 is removed by HCl/H.sub.2O solution.

(40) FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 9 after the next process step according to the present invention in which a photoresist mask (not shown) is placed over the contact layer 105 as the first step in forming the grid lines 501. The mask 200 is lifted off to form the grid lines 501.

(41) FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 10 after the next process step according to the present invention in which grid lines 501 are deposited via evaporation and lithographically patterned and deposited over the contact layer 105. The grid lines are used as a mask to etch down the surface to the window layer 106 using a citric acid/peroxide etching mixture.

(42) FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 11 after the next process step according to the present invention in which an antireflective (ARC) dielectric coating layer 130 is applied over the entire surface of the bottom side of the wafer with the grid lines 501.

(43) FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 12 after the next process step according to the present invention in which the mesa 501 is etched down to the metal layer 122 using phosphide and arsenide etchants. The cross-section in the figure is depicted as seen from the A-A plane shown in FIG. 7.

(44) One or more silver electrodes are welded to the respective contact pads.

(45) FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 13 after the next process step according to the present invention after the surrogate substrate 124 and adhesive 123 are removed by EKC 922. Perforations are made over the surface, each with a diameter is 0.033 inches and separated by 0.152 inches.

(46) The perforations allow the flow of etchant through the surrogate substrate 124 to permit its lift off.

(47) FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell of FIG. 14 after the next process step according to the present invention in which an adhesive is applied over the ARC layer 130 and a coverglass attached thereto.

(48) It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, also may find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types of constructions differing from the types described above.

(49) While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a multijunction solar cell, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

(50) Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.