Open AccessEfficiency of GaInAs thermophotovoltaic cells: the effects of incident radiation, light trapping and recombinations
Author(s) -
P. Jurczak,
Arthur Onno,
Kimberly Sablon,
Huiyun Liu
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.23.0a1208
Subject(s) - thermophotovoltaic , common emitter , trapping , materials science , optics , semiconductor , optoelectronics , auger effect , radiative transfer , radiation , dislocation , auger , physics , atomic physics , ecology , composite material , biology
The radiative limit model, based on the black body theory extended to semiconductors and the flow equilibrium in the cell, has been adapted for Ga(x)In(1-x)As thermophotovoltaic devices. The impact of the thermal emitter temperature and the incident power density on the performance of cells for different Ga/In ratios has been investigated. The effects of the thickness of the cell and of light trapping have been investigated as well. A theoretical maximum efficiency of 24.2% has been calculated for a dislocation-free 5-μm-thick cell with a 0.43 eV bandgap illuminated by a source at 1800 K. The model also takes into account Auger recombinations and threading dislocations-related Shockley-Read-Hall recombinations.