Shaoqiang Chen

Characterizations of radiation damages in multi-junction solar cells focused on subcell internal luminescence quantum yields via absolute electroluminescence measurements

Via absolute electroluminescence (EL) measurements, we characterized degradations of internal luminescence quantum yields in respective subcells in GaInP/GaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells after radiation damages by proton irradiations with different energy and fluence. Compared with typical open-circuit-voltage characterizations, the internal luminescence quantum yield turned out to be a sensitive, high-dynamic-range, quantitative, and fair indicator of radiation damage, since it purely represents material-quality change due to radiation damage, independently from small differences in band-gap energy due to alloy composition fluctuations and in other cell structures.

Conversion efficiency limits and bandgap designs for multi-junction solar cells with internal radiative efficiencies below unity.

We calculated the conversion-efficiency limit ηsc and the optimized subcell bandgap energies of 1 to 5 junction solar cells without and with intermediate reflectors under 1-sun AM1.5G and 1000-sun AM1.5D irradiations, particularly including the impact of internal radiative efficiency (ηint) below unity for realistic subcell materials on the basis of an extended detailed-balance theory. We found that the conversion-efficiency limit ηsc significantly drops when the geometric mean ηint* of all subcell ηint in the stack reduces from 1 to 0.1, and that ηsc degrades linearly to logηint* for ηint* below 0.1. For ηint*<0.1 differences in ηsc due to additional intermediate reflectors became very small if all subcells are optically thick for sun light. We obtained characteristic optimized bandgap energies, which reflect both ηint* decrease and AM1.5 spectral gaps. These results provide realistic efficiency targets and design principles.

Solar-cell radiance standard for absolute electroluminescence measurements and open-circuit voltage mapping of silicon solar modules

In this work, we propose and demonstrate a durable and distributable Lambertian light-emitter secondary standard using the electroluminescence (EL) of a Si solar cell. This standard is useful for calibration of the absolute sensitivity of an EL-imaging infrared camera used to acquire quick on-site measurements of the absolute EL efficiencies of individual Si solar cells in modules and arrays. The developed method enables the realization of quantitative open-circuit voltage mapping.

Absolute electroluminescence imaging of multi-junction solar cells and calibration standards

We developed absolute electroluminescence (EL) calibration standards to evaluate absolute radiative-emission rates from subcells in multi-junction (MJ) solar cells. The absolute-EL-measurement system consists of an EL imaging setup and an emission-intensity-calibrated planar light-emitting diode with a circular open aperture as an emission-intensity standard. We applied this system to the measurements of the absolute EL imaging of a monolithic satellite-use InGaP/GaAs/Ge MJ solar cell. From the observed absolute EL images, we characterized external EL quantum efficiencies and internal open-circuit voltages of InGaP and GaAs subcells.

Investigation of deep-level defects in CuGaSe_2 thin-film solar cells using photocapacitance methods

Properties of deep-level defects in CuGaSe2 thin-film solar cells were investigated using photocapacitance methods. By measuring the transient photocapacitance spectra, a deep-level defect centered at around 0.8xa0eV above the valence band and a defect band located around 1.54xa0eV above the valence band were determined. A configuration coordinate model was used to explain the thermal quenching effect of the two defects. By measuring the steady-state photocapacitance, a fast increase, followed by a slow increase, was observed in the photocapacitance transient when the sample was illuminated by light with a photon energy of 0.8xa0eV at low temperature. Upon re-exposure by sub-bandgap light, an extra slow decrease in photocapacitance transient was observed. These observations were interpreted using a configuration coordinate model assuming two states for the 0.8xa0eV defect: a stable state D and a metastable state D* with a large lattice relaxation. The variation of the photocapacitance transients was attributed to the different optical transition processes of carriers between the two states of the 0.8xa0eV defect and the valence and conduction bands.

Characterization and modeling of radiation damages via internal radiative efficiency in multi-junction solar cells

In order to understand the radiation effects in space-used multi-junction solar cells, we characterized degradations of internal radiative efficiency (ηint i ) in respective subcells in InGaP/GaAs double-junction solar cells after 1-MeV electron irradiations with different electrons fluences (Φ) via absolute electroluminescence (EL) measurements, because ηint i purely represents material-quality change due to radiation damage, independently from cell structures. We analyzed the degradation of ηint i under different Φ and found that the data of ηint i versus Φ in moderate and high Φ regions are very similar and almost independent of subcell materials, while the difference in beginning-of-life qualities of InGaP and GaAs materials causes dominant difference in sub-cell sensitivity to the low radiation damages. Finally, a simple model was proposed to explain the mechanism in degradation of ηint i, and also well explained the degradation behavior in open-circuit voltage for these multi-junction solar cells.

Absolute Electroluminescence Imaging Diagnosis of GaAs Thin-Film Solar Cells

A spatially resolved absolute electroluminescence (EL) imaging method was utilized to analyze the photovoltaic properties and resistive loss properties of a GaAs thin-film solar cell. The I–V relation was extrapolated from the absolute EL efficiency measurements in conjunction with the external-quantum-efficiency (EQE) measurements; the EL extrapolated I–V relation has a merit over the conventional I–V relation measured with a solar simulator that it could eliminate the series resistance effect caused by external probe contact. Then, the mapping of the internal voltage of the solar cell and the sheet resistance of the window layer of the solar cell were obtained from the calibrated absolute EL imaging method. Finally, optic electroconversion losses of the solar cell including radiative loss, nonradiative loss, thermalization loss, transmission loss, and junction loss were quantified given by the EL and EQE measurements.

Calibration standards and measurement accuracy of absolute electroluminescence and internal properties in multi-junction and arrayed solar cells

We developed methodologies and calibration standards for absolute electroluminescence (EL) measurements for CONTACT-LESS evaluation of various internal properties of multi-junction and arrayed solar cells, such as open-circuit voltages, external and internal radiative efficiencies, and luminescence-coupling efficiency. Several independent calibration methods were compared that used: 1) a calibrated EL imaging system, 2) proximity measurement with a large-area photodiode, 3) an integrating-sphere system, and 4) planar light-emitting diodes with a circular aperture. The comparison clarified the advantages and disadvantages of each method, and showed consistency within 30% uncertainty, resulting in a 7-meV uncertainty in open-circuit voltage measurements.

Multi-junction-solar-cell designs and characterizations based on detailed-balance principle and luminescence yields

We developed a straightforward method based on detailed balance relations to analyze individual subcells in multi-junction solar cells via measuring absolute electroluminescence quantum yields. This method was applied to characterization of a InGaP/GaAs/Ge 3-junction solar cell for satellite use. In addition to subcell I-V characteristics and internal luminescence yields, we derived balance sheets of energy and carriers, which revealed respective subcell contributions of radiative and nonradiative recombination losses, junction loss, and luminescence coupling. These results provide important diagnosis and feedback to fabrications. We calculated conversion-efficiency limit and optimized bandgap energy in 2-, 3-, and 4-junction tandem solar cells, including finite values of sub-cell internal luminescence quantum yields to account for realistic material qualities in sub-cells. With reference to the measured internal luminescence quantum yields, the theoretical results provide realistic targets of efficiency limits and improved design principles of practical tandem solar cells.

Transient gain analysis of gain-switched semiconductor lasers during pulse lasing.

We analyzed the transient gain properties of three gain-switched semiconductor lasers with different materials and cavity structures during pulse lasing. All the semiconductor lasers were pumped with impulse optical pumping, and all the generated gain-switched output pulses were well described by exponential functions in their rise parts, wherein the transient gains were derived according to the rate-equation theoretical model. In spite of the different laser structures and materials, the results consistently demonstrated that a higher transient gain produces shorter output pulses, indicating the dominant role of higher transient gain in the generation of even shorter gain-switched pulses with semiconductor lasers.