III-V/Silicon Lattice-Matched Tandem Solar Cells

A two-junction device consisting of a 1.7-eV GaNPAs junction on a 1.1-eV silicon junction has the theoretical potential to achieve nearly optimal efficiency for a two-junction tandem cell. We have demonstrated a monolithic III-V-on-silicon tandem solar cell in which most of the III-V layers are nearly lattice-matched to the silicon substrate. The cell includes a GaNPAs top cell, a GaP-based tunnel junction (TJ), and a diffused silicon junction formed during the epitaxial growth of GaNP on the silicon substrate. To accomplish this, we have developed techniques for the growth of high crystalline quality lattice-matched GaNPAs on silicon by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy