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Analysis of Strain Compensation in Quantum Dot Embedded GaAs Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Christopher Bailey ,
Cory Cress ,
Ryne Raffaelle ,
Seth Hubbard ,
William Maurer ,
David Wilt  and
Sheila Bailey
Christopher Bailey
Affiliation:
cgb3325@rit.edu, Rochester Institute of Technology, NanoPower Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, 85 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY, 14623, United States
Cory Cress
Affiliation:
cdc2798@rit.edu, Rochester Institute of Technology, NanoPower Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, 85 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY, 14623, United States
Ryne Raffaelle
Affiliation:
rprsps@rit.edu, Rochester Institute of Technology, NanoPower Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, 85 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY, 14623, United States
Seth Hubbard
Affiliation:
smhsps@rit.edu, Rochester Institute of Technology, NanoPower Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, 85 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY, 14623, United States
William Maurer
Affiliation:
William.F.Maurer@nasa.gov, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, 44135, United States
David Wilt
Affiliation:
David.M.Wilt@nasa.gov, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, 44135, United States
Sheila Bailey
Affiliation:
Sheila.G.Bailey@nasa.gov, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, 44135, United States
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Abstract

The effects of strain within stacked layers of InAs quantum dots (QDs) were investigated. InAs QD test structures with and without strain compensation (SC) were analyzed using atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The affects of strain compensation on test structure morphology and on GaAs-based QD solar cell performance was studied as a function of the thickness of the SC layer. X-ray diffraction analysis of the QD embedded test structures reveals a relationship between the SC thickness and the observed crystalline quality. Air mass zero illuminated current vs. voltage data and spectral responsivity measurements were used for the solar cell comparison. When SC is employed, QD insertion shows a lower open circuit voltage, in reference to a baseline device without QDs, but leads to an enhancement in the short circuit current of the device.

Keywords

photovoltaicIII-Vx-ray diffraction (XRD)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1031: Symposium H – Nanostructured Solar Cells , 2007 , 1031-H13-18
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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