MULTIJUNCTION METAMORPHIC SOLAR CELL ASSEMBLY FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS

摘要

A multijunction solar cell and its method of manufacture including interconnected first and second discrete semiconductor regions disposed adjacent and parallel to each other in a single semiconductor body, including first top subcell, second (and possibly third) lattice matched middle subcells; a graded interlayer adjacent to the last middle solar subcell; and a bottom solar subcell adjacent to said graded interlayer being lattice mismatched with respect to the last middle solar subcell; wherein the interconnected regions form at least a four junction solar cell by a series connection being formed between the bottom solar subcell in the first semiconductor region and the bottom solar subcell in the second semiconductor region.

主权项

1. A multijunction solar cell having a terminal of a first polarity and a terminal of a second polarity comprising a semiconductor body including:
(a) a first semiconductor region including:
an upper first solar subcell composed of a semiconductor material having a first band gap, and including a top contact on the top surface thereof;a second solar subcell adjacent to said first solar subcell and composed of a semiconductor material having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap and being lattice matched with the upper first solar subcell;a third solar subcell adjacent to said second solar subcell and composed of a semiconductor material having a third band gap smaller than the second band gap and being lattice matched with the second solar subcell;an interlayer adjacent to said third solar subcell, said interlayer having a fourth band gap or band gaps greater than said third band gap; anda fourth solar subcell adjacent to said interlayer and composed of a semiconductor material having a fifth band gap smaller than the fourth band gap and being lattice mismatched with the third solar subcell, and including a first contact on the top surface thereof, and a second contact on the bottom surface thereof; (b) a second semiconductor region disposed adjacent and parallel to the first semiconductor region and including:
an upper first solar subcell composed of a semiconductor material having a first band gap, and including a top contact on the top surface thereof;a second solar subcell adjacent to said first solar subcell and composed of a semiconductor material having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap and being lattice matched with the upper first solar subcell;a third solar subcell adjacent to said second solar subcell and composed of a semiconductor material having a third band gap smaller than the second band gap and being lattice matched with the second solar subcell and having a bottom contact;an interlayer adjacent to said third solar subcell, said interlayer having a fourth band gap greater than said third band gap; anda fourth solar subcell adjacent to said interlayer and composed of a semiconductor material having a fifth band gap smaller than the fourth band gap and being lattice mismatched with the third solar subcell, and including a first contact on the top surface thereof, and a second contact on the bottom surface thereof connected to the terminal of a second polarity; (c) wherein the top contact of the first semiconductor region is electrically coupled with the top contact of the second semiconductor region and to a terminal of first polarity;
wherein the first contact on the top surface of the fourth solar subcell of the first semiconductor region is electrically coupled with the bottom contact of the third solar subcell of the second semiconductor region; andthe second contact on the bottom surface of the fourth solar subcell of the first semiconductor region is electrically coupled with the first contact on the top surface of the fourth solar subcell of the second semiconductor region thereof so as to form a five junction solar cell.