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High efficiency GaInP/GaAs Tandem wafer bonded solar cell on silicon

Objective

Direct conversion of photons into electricity is a promising clean energy solution to answer the challenge of energy supply security, competitiveness of the EU industry, electricity prices and climate change. Monocrystalline silicon (c-Si), the dominant technology on the photovoltaic (PV) market, benefits from a strong industry and record power conversion efficiency of 25%, with a cost decreasing every year. However, c-Si technology, mainly limited by material properties, has very little room for efficiency improvement. Much higher efficiencies has been achieved by stacking diodes made of III-V semiconductors; but for cost and availability reasons, the III-V solar cells are restricted to specific markets (space & terrestrial concentration). A hybrid solution combining the advantages III-V multi-junction cells with the benefits of Si, the most wide-spread PV material, offers great opportunities. Indeed, efficiencies up to 35% under 1-sun AM1.5G conditions is expected for a triple junction device based on conventional c-Si cells combined with additional (Al)GaAs and GaInP pn-junctions (4 µm of III-V material on top of a c-Si wafer). However the direct epitaxial growth of (Al)GaAs & GaInP on Si is highly mismatched and sufficient material quality has not been achieved so far. The innovative approach proposed in this project bypass the mismatch and enables to combine high crystal quality III-V compounds with Si through wafer bonding: III-V layers are grown lattice matched on GaAs or Ge and then bonded to Si, followed by substrate lift-off & re-use. The validity of the approach has been proven at Fraunhofer ISE with un-optimized GaInP/GaAs//Si triple-junction solar cells with >25% efficiency. This research project, relying on modeling and experimental work to optimize the cell structure (light trapping, bond interface quality, current matching, etc.), targets the significant breakthrough of a GaInP/GaAs//Si triple junction reaching >30% efficiency on large areas (>4cm2).

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2014

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Coordinator

FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 159 460,80
Address
HANSASTRASSE 27C
80686 MUNCHEN
Germany

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Region
Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 159 460,80
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