Understanding/Modelling of Thermal and Radiation Benefits of Quantum Dot Solar Cells

Abstract

The radiation and thermal dependence of strain compensated InAs QD/ GaAs solar cells have been investigated. Strain compensation is a key step in realizing high efficiency quantum dots solar cells (QDSC). InAs quantum dots (QDs) are grown using the Stranski-Krastenov growth mode which relies on strain, resulting from the mismatch between the InAs and the GaAs lattice parameters, to initiate three-dimensional growth. The generation of QDs does reduce the local strain but it is not completed alleviated. Therefore, as additional layers of InAs QDs are grown a significant tensile strain is builtup. During solar cell growth, this strain is naturally relieved by forming misfit boundaries and threading dislocations, which can damage the depletion region of the device. Strain relief is accomplished by growing the proper thickness of a compressively strained GaP, between each successive QD array.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 11, 2008
Accession Number
ADA483934

Entities

People

  • Ryne P. Raffaelle

Organizations

  • Rochester Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alpha Particles
  • Cell Physiological Processes
  • Cells
  • Energy
  • Energy Bands
  • Equations
  • Materials
  • Momentum Transfer
  • Physical Properties
  • Potential Energy
  • Quantum Dot Solar Cells
  • Quantum Dots
  • Radiation
  • Radiation Effects
  • Simulations
  • Solar Cells
  • Tensile Strain

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics of Materials.
  • Quantum Dot Semiconductor Device Photonics and Graphene Optoelectronic Materials and THz Physics.
  • Semiconductor Device Technology

Technology Areas

  • Quantum Computing