III-V solar cells

The German specialty glass and materials manufacturer announced a new cerium-doped solar cover glass that is compatible with a range of space solar cell technologies, including III-V and silicon-based concepts. It was developed for use in multiple satellite orbits.

Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada have proposed protocols for standardized testing to avoid skewed results. The validated recommendations cover procedures for key measurements and the use of the indoor PV reference cell method.

The PV device is based on a indium gallium phosphide absorber with an energy bandgap of 1.9 eV. It is intended for use in autonomous Internet of Things (IoT) applications that operate indoors without an external wired power supply.

Researchers at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Spain evaluated 12 PV devices from 11 suppliers for indoor use, identifying several systems capable of powering remote sensor nodes with a 10 cm² surface area and advancing to testing under natural indoor light.

The proposed cell is based on indium gallium phosphide (InGaP), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) and germanium (Ge) and has an active area of 0.25 mm2. It can be used for applications in micro-concentrator photovoltaics (CPV).

Scientists in Spain have analyzed the impact of temperature and spectral conditions on III-V solar cells employed in concentrator photovoltaic modules. They claim to have assessed the cell behavior under unprecedented operating condition.

Fraunhofer ISE researchers utilized a new front metallization technique to produce a III-V gallium arsenide solar cell. For mask and plate front metallization, they used a new two-step printing scheme that reportedly allows for the realization of extremely narrow mask openings.

Chinese researchers have used metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to produce a 12 cm2, five-junction solar cell with a minimal number of mismatch dislocations. The cell has an open-circuit voltage of 4.727 V, a short-circuit current density of 860 mA/m2, and a fill factor of 86.38%.

US scientists used spalled germanium instead of gallium arsenide, as the former reportedly reduces several issues associated with GaAs spalling. The cell achieved an open-circuit voltage of 1.019 V, a short-circuit current density of 28.49 mA cm−2, and a fill factor of 80.45%.

Scientists at the Nankai University in China have provided a comprehensive overview of current research on silicon heterojunction-based tandem solar cells (SHJ-TSCs) and shared their expectations of future developments in this field.