IGF::OT::IGF MICROLINK DEVICES WILL INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF MULTI-JUNCTION SOLAR CELLS BY DESIGNING AND…

Public award description

IGF::OT::IGF MICROLINK DEVICES WILL INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF MULTI-JUNCTION SOLAR CELLS BY DESIGNING AND DEMONSTRATING ADVANCED ANTI-REFLECTION COATINGS (ARCS) THAT WILL PROVIDE A BETTER BROADBAND SPECTRAL RESPONSE THAN THAT OF CONVENTIONAL ANTI-REFLECTION COATINGS. ADVANCED COATINGS OF THIS NATURE ARE NEEDED TO REALIZE THE FULL PERFORMANCE OF THE FORTHCOMING GENERATION OF MULTI-JUNCTION SOLAR CELLS, WHICH WILL CONTAIN FOUR OR MORE JUNCTIONS. TWO APPROACHES TO IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ANTIREFLECTION COATINGS WILL BE INVESTIGATED: * DEVELOP MULTILAYER DIELECTRIC ANTIREFLECTION COATINGS INCORPORATING LATIO3 TO ACHIEVE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED OPTICAL COUPLING BETWEEN THE COVERGLASS AND CELL AT THE ULTRAVIOLET AND INFRARED ENDS OF THE SPECTRAL RANGE OF INTEREST; AND * DEVELOP A STRUCTURE AND CORRESPONDING FABRICATION PROCESS TO OXIDIZE THE AL-CONTAINING WINDOW LAYER IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE ABSORPTION OF LIGHT AT THE SHORT-END OF THE SPECTRAL RANGE OF INTEREST, THUS PROVIDING EXTRA USEABLE PHOTONS TO THE CELL. THESE TWO TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO A HYBRID DESIGN WHICH WILL PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE COUPLING OF LIGHT FROM COVER GLASS TO CELL IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE EFFICIENCY IN NEXTGENERATION DEVICES CONTAINING FOUR OR MORE JUNCTIONS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE NEW COATINGS WILL ENABLE A RELATIVE EFFICIENCY INCREASE OF AT LEAST 7%, CORRESPONDING TO A 2.5% ABSOLUTE EFFICIENCY INCREASE. THE RELIABILITY AND RADIATION TOLERANCE OF THESE MATERIALS AND THE SOLAR CELLS INCORPORATING THE NEW DESIGNS WILL BE TESTED.