The reduction of antiphase boundary defects by the surfactant antimony and its application to the III–V multi-junction solar cells

• Published in: Solar energy materials and solar cells Vol. 144; pp. 418 - 421
• Main Authors: Tong, Shih-chang, Wang, Jyh-Shyang, Wu, Chii-Bin, Wu, Chih-Hung, Chang, Jung-Ting, Wei, Pai-Chun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Antimony; Antiphase boundaries; Antiphase boundary; Devices; Open circuit voltage; Order disorder; Photoluminescence; Photovoltaic cells; Solar cells; Surfactants; Time resolved spectroscopy; Solar cells; Antiphase boundary; Time resolved spectroscopy; Surfactants; Photoluminescence
• ISSN: 0927-0248; 1879-3398
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2015.09.047

The CuPtB ordering and the antiphase boundaries (APBs) in GaInP2 epifilms were found to be diminished by the addition of the surfactant antimony (Sb) during the epitaxy. This is evidenced by the disappearance of the APBs related deep level peak in the Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectra, as well as the significantly increased lifetime of the minority carriers. The GaInP2/metamorphic (MM)-GaInAs/Ge multi-junction solar cells made by this method possess enhanced short circuit current density and show a narrower distribution of the open circuit voltage. We believe the use of surfactant Sb to control APBs during the growth of InGaP2 would be very useful for designing GaInP2-based devices, such as solar cells, laser diodes and light-emitting diodes. •Surfactant Sb can diminish CuPtB ordering and antiphase boundaries in GaInP2 epifilm.•Minority carrier lifetimes are largely increased as antiphase boundaries disappeared.•The performance and uniformity of GaInP2–based solar cells are enhanced by adding Sb.