Collaborative Research: Low Cost, High Performance Ultrathin GaAs Solar Cells for Terrestrial Photovoltaics

合作研究：用于地面光伏发电的低成本、高性能超薄砷化镓太阳能电池

• 批准号: 1509508
• 负责人: Minjoo Lee
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: Yale University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-06-15 至 2017-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1509508&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Low; Cost; Performance

Abstract:Low Cost, High Performance Ultrathin Gallium Arsenide Solar Cells for Terrestrial PhotovoltaicsNontechnical: Despite their impressive performance reaching near the theoretical limit, the practical application of gallium arsenide solar cells in on-earth applications remains a formidable challenge largely due to the excessively high cost of growing device-quality epitaxial materials. The research outlined in this proposal aims to address the future energy demand of global society by developing a practical solution that can balance the high performance of gallium arsenide solar cells with their production cost, and therefore enable their large-scale deployment in terrestrial photovoltaics. The highly multidisciplinary themes of the proposed research will be intimately integrated with comprehensive teaching and outreach efforts. PI Yoon will work with the Center for Engineering Diversity at the University of Southern California to establish laboratory internship opportunities for educationally-disadvantaged middle and high school students in the inner city of Los Angeles. Co-PI Lee will partner with Yale Science Outreach on two particular programs: Science on Saturdays for families and the general public and the Pathways to Science program for middle and high school students. Training both undergraduate and graduate student researchers will be a primary educational goal, where the PIs will continue to support and encourage broadening participation of female students and students from underrepresented groups. Technical:The goal of this collaborative research is to demonstrate high performance, cost-competitive GaAs solar cells for their large-scale deployment in terrestrial photovoltaics. To achieve this goal, we will develop novel strategies of materials growth and device fabrication exploiting (1) an ultrathin device platform that enables efficient use of expensive source materials, (2) multilayer epitaxial growth that can significantly reduce the cost of epitaxial materials, (3) bifacial nanophotonic light manipulation that can enhance the absorption, (4) high yield printing techniques that permits large-area distribution over low cost substrates. Specifically, Task 1 will explore the growth of multiple device stacks of ultrathin GaAs solar cells in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) targeting uniform materials properties and device performance of multilayer-grown epitaxial stacks. Task 2 will seek to establish fundamental understanding and optimization of the epitaxial design for ultrathin GaAs solar cells to enhance the carrier collection and maximize the effectiveness of light trapping. Task 3 will focus on developing integrated schemes of bifacial photon management for light trapping and photon recycling. Successful completion of the proposed research will lead to the development of high performance, economically viable GaAs solar cells for terrestrial applications and also strengthen fundamental understanding of: materials behaviors and dopant diffusion in MBE-grown multilayer epitaxial assemblies; optimized layer structures of ultrathin GaAs solar cells for the most efficient photovoltaic energy conversion; multifunctional optical designs for maximized light absorption in the optically thin absorber.

摘要：用于地面光伏的低成本、高性能超薄砷化镓太阳能电池非技术：尽管其令人印象深刻的性能接近理论极限，但砷化镓太阳能电池在地面上的实际应用仍然是一个巨大的挑战，这主要是由于生长器件质量外延材料的成本过高。本提案中概述的研究旨在通过开发一种实用的解决方案来解决全球社会未来的能源需求，该解决方案可以平衡砷化镓太阳能电池的高性能与生产成本，从而使其能够在地面光伏中大规模部署。拟议研究的高度多学科主题将与全面的教学和推广工作密切结合。PI Yoon将与南加州大学工程多样性中心合作，为洛杉矶市中心教育条件差的初高中学生提供实验室实习机会。李副主任将与耶鲁大学科学推广中心合作开展两个特别项目：面向家庭和公众的周六科学项目，以及面向初高中学生的科学之路项目。培训本科生和研究生研究人员将是一项主要的教育目标，在这方面，pi将继续支持和鼓励扩大女学生和来自代表性不足群体的学生的参与。技术：这项合作研究的目标是展示高性能、具有成本竞争力的砷化镓太阳能电池，以便在地面光伏发电中大规模部署。为了实现这一目标，我们将开发新的材料生长和器件制造策略，利用(1)超薄器件平台，使昂贵的源材料能够有效利用；(2)多层外延生长，可以显着降低外延材料的成本；(3)双面纳米光子光操作，可以增强吸收；(4)高产量印刷技术，允许在低成本衬底上大面积分布。具体来说，任务1将探索超薄砷化镓太阳能电池在分子束外延（MBE）中的多器件堆叠的生长，目标是多层外延堆叠的均匀材料特性和器件性能。任务2将寻求建立对超薄砷化镓太阳能电池外延设计的基本理解和优化，以增强载流子收集和最大化光捕获的有效性。任务3将侧重于开发用于光捕获和光子回收的双面光子管理集成方案。该研究的成功完成将导致高性能、经济可行的地面应用砷化镓太阳能电池的发展，并加强对以下方面的基本理解：mbe生长的多层外延组件中的材料行为和掺杂物扩散；优化超薄砷化镓太阳能电池层结构，实现最高效的光伏能量转换；在光学薄吸收器中实现最大光吸收的多功能光学设计。