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Utilizing Polarization Induced Band Bending for InGaN Solar Cell Design

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Balakrishnam R Jampana ,
Ian T Ferguson ,
Robert L Opila  and
Christiana B Honsberg
Balakrishnam R Jampana
Affiliation:
balu@udel.edu, University of Delaware, Materials Science and Engineering, Newark, Delaware, United States
Ian T Ferguson
Affiliation:
ian.ferguson@ece.gatech.edu, Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Robert L Opila
Affiliation:
opila@udel.edu, University of Delaware, Materials Science and Engineering, Newark, Delaware, United States
Christiana B Honsberg
Affiliation:
honsberg@asu.edu, Arizona State University, Electrical Engineering, Tempe, Alabama, United States
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Abstract

Strong polarization effects observed in III-nitride materials can invert the surface carrier type. The corresponding band bending can be used to design InGaN solar cells. Similar surface inversion was observed in the past with silicon-based Schottky-barrier solar cells, but was limited by Fermi level pinning. The formation of two-dimensional electron gas by polarization fields in III-nitrides has been reported. Using a similar idea, the growth of a thin AlN capping layer on p-InGaN has resulted in band bending, hence depletion region, under the surface that can be used separate any generated photo-carriers. Hall measurements at different depths on these structures confirm the inversion of surface carrier type. Solar cells based on this concept have resulted in an open circuit voltage of 2.15 V and short circuit current of 21.8 μA.

Keywords

nitridephotovoltaicsemiconducting
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1167: Symposium O – Compound Semiconductors for Energy Applications and Environmental Sustainability , 2009 , 1167-O01-04
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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