Nitride-Based Thin-Film Solar Cells for High Efficiency
BluGlass Ltd,Australia,intends to expand the market potential of its remote plasma chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) manufacturing technology to thin-film solar cells incorporating group III-nitride materials. The firm currently develops and commercializes RPCVD for depositing thin films such as gallium nitride (GaN) and indium gallium nitride (InGaN) in the production of LEDs.
Group III nitride semiconductors have many advantages over current materials, such as,
Group III nitride semiconductors have many advantages over current materials, such as,
- The alloy indium gallium nitride (InGaN) having a direct energy bandgap with wide tunability, giving the potential to convert almost the full spectrum of sunlight (infrared, visible and ultraviolet radiation) to electrical current.Such properties hence allow more energy from the solar spectrum to be captured efficiently by a solar cell and converted to electrical power.Research has established that InGaN solar cells could produce efficiencies of more than 50% [Jani et al. Applied Physics Letters 91, 132117-3 (2007)].
- Being a low-temperature process, it is suited to the growth of InGaN: during the growth process, the alloy's fragile bonds crack at high temperature, leading to poor-quality material. A low-temperature process would hence allow indium-rich InGaN layers to be grown.
- InGaN also has superior resistance to energy radiation and high-temperature tolerance. Hence nitride solar cells could maintain high performance under extreme conditions, including space applications such as powering satellites and space probes.
If successful, InGaN solar cells promise to be long lasting, relatively inexpensive and highly efficient.Following recent research on InGaN, BluGlass aims to develop a prototype high-efficiency solar cell for industrial testing.
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Labels: efficiency, electricity, energy, solar
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