Advantages of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well solar cells with stepped-thickness quantum wells

doi:10.1088/1674-1056/22/7/078402

Abstract InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) solar cells with stepped-thickness quantum wells (SQW) are designed and grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The stepped-thickness quantum wells structure, in which the well thickness becomes smaller and smaller along the growth direction, reveals better crystalline quality and better spectral overlap with the solar spectrum. Consequently, the short-circuit current density (J_sc) and conversion efficiency of the solar cell are enhanced by 27.12% and 56.41% compared with the conventional structure under illumination of AM1.5G (100 mW/cm²). In addition, approaches to further promote the performance of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well solar cells are discussed and presented.

Keywords: metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) GaN based solar cells stepped-thickness quantum wells

Received: 01 February 2013
Revised: 04 March 2013
Accepted manuscript online:

PACS:	84.60.Jt	(Photoelectric conversion)
	85.35.Be	(Quantum well devices (quantum dots, quantum wires, etc.))
	85.30.De	(Semiconductor-device characterization, design, and modeling)

Fund: Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51172079), the Science and Technology Program of Guangdong Province, China (Grant Nos. 2010B090400456 and 2010A081002002), and the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou, China (Grant No. 2011J4300018).

Corresponding Authors: Li Shu-Ti
E-mail: lishuti@scnu.edu.cn

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Chen Xin (陈鑫), Zhao Bi-Jun (赵璧君), Ren Zhi-Wei (任志伟), Tong Jin-Hui (童金辉), Wang Xing-Fu (王幸福), Zhuo Xiang-Jing (卓祥景), Zhang Jun (章俊), Li Dan-Wei (李丹伟), Yi Han-Xiang (易翰翔), Li Shu-Ti (李述体) Advantages of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well solar cells with stepped-thickness quantum wells 2013 Chin. Phys. B 22 078402

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Advantages of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well solar cells with stepped-thickness quantum wells

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