FOUR JUNCTION SOLAR CELL FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS

摘要

A four junction solar cell having an upper first solar subcell composed of a semiconductor material having a first band gap; 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 a fourth solar subcell adjacent to said third solar subcell and composed of a semiconductor material having a fourth band gap smaller than the third band gap; wherein the fourth subcell has a direct bandgap of greater than 0.75 eV.

主权项

1. A four junction solar cell comprising:
an upper first solar subcell composed of indium gallium aluminum phosphide and having a first band gap; a second solar subcell adjacent to said first solar subcell including an emitter layer composed of indium gallium phosphide or aluminum gallium arsenide, and a base layer composed of aluminum gallium arsenide and having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap and being lattice matched with the upper first solar subcell, wherein the emitter and base layers of the second solar subcell form a photoelectric junction; a third solar subcell adjacent to said second solar subcell and composed of indium gallium arsenide and having a third band gap smaller than the second band gap and being lattice matched with the second solar subcell; and a fourth solar subcell adjacent to said third solar subcell and composed of germanium and having a fourth band gap smaller than the third band gap.