Effects of thermal cycle annealing on reduction of defect density in lattice-mismatched InGaAs solar cells

T. Sasaki; K. Arafune; H. S. Lee; N. J. Ekins-Daukes; S. Tanaka; Y. Ohshita; M. Yamaguchi

doi:10.1016/j.physb.2005.12.158

Effects of thermal cycle annealing on reduction of defect density in lattice-mismatched InGaAs solar cells

T. Sasaki, K. Arafune, H. S. Lee, N. J. Ekins-Daukes, S. Tanaka, Y. Ohshita, M. Yamaguchi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › peer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Lattice-mismatched In_0.16Ga_0.84As solar cells were grown on GaAs substrates using graded In_xGa_1- _xAs buffer layers and homogenous In_0.16Ga _0.84As buffer layers. The indium composition x in the graded buffer changed from 0% to 16% continuously. Thermal cycle annealing (TCA) was performed after the growth of the graded buffer layers. The effects of TCA on the solar cell open-circuit voltage and quantum efficiency have been investigated. The minority carrier lifetime is observed to increase in the p-type In_0.16Ga_0.84As layer after applying the TCA process. Electron-beam-induced current microscopy also shows a related reduction in dislocation density in the p-type In_0.16Ga _0.84As layer after TCA processing. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy performed on the graded buffer layer suggests that the strain present in the cell layers is reduced after the TCA process, implying that the TCA treatment promotes strain relaxation in the graded buffer layers.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	626-629
Number of pages	4
Journal	Physica B: Condensed Matter
Volume	376-377
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2005.12.158
Publication status	Published - 2006 Apr 1
Externally published	Yes
Event	Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Defects in Semiconductors - Duration: 2005 Jul 24 → 2005 Jul 29

Keywords

Graded buffer
InGaAs
Solar cells
Thermal cycle annealing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1016/j.physb.2005.12.158

Cite this

@article{1635aaf788a042e6b3d097a8b2939d51,

title = "Effects of thermal cycle annealing on reduction of defect density in lattice-mismatched InGaAs solar cells",

abstract = "Lattice-mismatched In0.16Ga0.84As solar cells were grown on GaAs substrates using graded InxGa1- xAs buffer layers and homogenous In0.16Ga 0.84As buffer layers. The indium composition x in the graded buffer changed from 0% to 16% continuously. Thermal cycle annealing (TCA) was performed after the growth of the graded buffer layers. The effects of TCA on the solar cell open-circuit voltage and quantum efficiency have been investigated. The minority carrier lifetime is observed to increase in the p-type In0.16Ga0.84As layer after applying the TCA process. Electron-beam-induced current microscopy also shows a related reduction in dislocation density in the p-type In0.16Ga 0.84As layer after TCA processing. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy performed on the graded buffer layer suggests that the strain present in the cell layers is reduced after the TCA process, implying that the TCA treatment promotes strain relaxation in the graded buffer layers.",

keywords = "Graded buffer, InGaAs, Solar cells, Thermal cycle annealing",

author = "T. Sasaki and K. Arafune and Lee, {H. S.} and Ekins-Daukes, {N. J.} and S. Tanaka and Y. Ohshita and M. Yamaguchi",

note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Dr. T. Takamoto and Dr. T. Agui. This work is partially supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a Private University Academic Frontier Research Center Program “Super High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Research Center” 2002–2006.; Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Defects in Semiconductors ; Conference date: 24-07-2005 Through 29-07-2005",

year = "2006",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.physb.2005.12.158",

language = "English",

volume = "376-377",

pages = "626--629",

journal = "Physica B: Condensed Matter",

issn = "0921-4526",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Effects of thermal cycle annealing on reduction of defect density in lattice-mismatched InGaAs solar cells

AU - Sasaki, T.

AU - Arafune, K.

AU - Lee, H. S.

AU - Ekins-Daukes, N. J.

AU - Tanaka, S.

AU - Ohshita, Y.

AU - Yamaguchi, M.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Dr. T. Takamoto and Dr. T. Agui. This work is partially supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a Private University Academic Frontier Research Center Program “Super High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Research Center” 2002–2006.

PY - 2006/4/1

Y1 - 2006/4/1

N2 - Lattice-mismatched In0.16Ga0.84As solar cells were grown on GaAs substrates using graded InxGa1- xAs buffer layers and homogenous In0.16Ga 0.84As buffer layers. The indium composition x in the graded buffer changed from 0% to 16% continuously. Thermal cycle annealing (TCA) was performed after the growth of the graded buffer layers. The effects of TCA on the solar cell open-circuit voltage and quantum efficiency have been investigated. The minority carrier lifetime is observed to increase in the p-type In0.16Ga0.84As layer after applying the TCA process. Electron-beam-induced current microscopy also shows a related reduction in dislocation density in the p-type In0.16Ga 0.84As layer after TCA processing. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy performed on the graded buffer layer suggests that the strain present in the cell layers is reduced after the TCA process, implying that the TCA treatment promotes strain relaxation in the graded buffer layers.

AB - Lattice-mismatched In0.16Ga0.84As solar cells were grown on GaAs substrates using graded InxGa1- xAs buffer layers and homogenous In0.16Ga 0.84As buffer layers. The indium composition x in the graded buffer changed from 0% to 16% continuously. Thermal cycle annealing (TCA) was performed after the growth of the graded buffer layers. The effects of TCA on the solar cell open-circuit voltage and quantum efficiency have been investigated. The minority carrier lifetime is observed to increase in the p-type In0.16Ga0.84As layer after applying the TCA process. Electron-beam-induced current microscopy also shows a related reduction in dislocation density in the p-type In0.16Ga 0.84As layer after TCA processing. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy performed on the graded buffer layer suggests that the strain present in the cell layers is reduced after the TCA process, implying that the TCA treatment promotes strain relaxation in the graded buffer layers.

KW - Graded buffer

KW - InGaAs

KW - Solar cells

KW - Thermal cycle annealing

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33645165379&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.physb.2005.12.158

DO - 10.1016/j.physb.2005.12.158

M3 - Conference article

AN - SCOPUS:33645165379

SN - 0921-4526

VL - 376-377

SP - 626

EP - 629

JO - Physica B: Condensed Matter

JF - Physica B: Condensed Matter

IS - 1

T2 - Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Defects in Semiconductors

Y2 - 24 July 2005 through 29 July 2005

ER -

Effects of thermal cycle annealing on reduction of defect density in lattice-mismatched InGaAs solar cells

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this