Engineering topics

Leburton, J. P.

Publications and source records attributed to Leburton, J. P..

17 records

NASA NTRS1988

Multijunction upper subcell cascade photovoltaics for space applications

A new class of cascade high-efficiency photovoltaics designed for space-based applications is proposed. The design improves upper subcell performance and avoids electrical and optical losses associated with an intercell ohmic contact. Multijunction upper subcells reduce bulk recombination of photogenerated minority carriers by decreasing the average collection distance, yielding improved spectral response and radiation tolerance. A three-terminal design is employed which circumvents the need for a monolithic intercell contact and, thus, the losses associated with such a contact. Problems related to array interconnection of three-terminal devices may be solved by creating a two-terminal cell from complementary pairs (n-p-n and p-n-p) of three-terminal cells. Simulations of lattice-matched AlGaAs-GaAs and lattice-mismatched AlGaAs-InGaAs cascade cells show that one-sun AM0 efficiencies in excess of 26 and 28 percent, respectively, are possible.

Educato, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Superstructure high efficiency photovoltaics

A novel class of photovoltaic cascade structures is introduced which features multijunction upper subcells. These superstructure high efficiency photovoltaics (SHEP's) exhibit enhanced upper subcell spectral response because of the additional junctions which serve to reduce bulk recombination losses by decreasing the mean collection distance for photogenerated minority carriers. Two possible electrical configurations were studied and compared: a three-terminal scheme that allows both subcells to be operated at their individual maximum power points and a two-terminal configuration with an intercell ohmic contact for series interconnection. The three-terminal devices were found to be superior both in terms of beginning-of-life expectancy and radiation tolerance. Realistic simulations of three-terminal AlGaAs/GaAs SHEP's show that one sun AMO efficiencies in excess of 26 percent are possible.

Wagner, M.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Index of refraction of GaAs-Al(x)Ga(1-x)As superlattices and multiple quantum wells

A theoretical study of the index of refraction of superlattices and its variation as a function of frequency and the superlattice parameters, i.e., layer width and AlAs composition, is presented. Gamma-region exciton and valence-band mixing effects are included in the model. It is found that these two effects have an important influence on the value of the index of refraction and that superstructure effects rapidly decrease for energies greater than the superlattice potential barriers. Because of the quasi-two-dimensional character of the Gamma-region excitons, the results indicate that the superlattice index of refraction can vary by about two percent at the quantized, bound-exciton, transition energies. Overall, the theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Kahen, K. B.↗

NASA NTRS1987

AlGaAs-InGaAs SHEP's for space applications

The authors propose a novel class of cascade photovoltaics which are intended to overcome two problems with current cascade solar cell designs: poor upper subcell performance and excessive joule losses in the intercell ohmic contact (IOC). The devices feature multijunction upper subcells which improve spectral response by reducing the mean collection distance for photogenerated carriers. They circumvent the need for a monolithic IOC by using npn and pnp three-terminal cells arranged in a complementary configuration. Emphasis is on the AlGaAs-InGaAs system, which allows optimal partitioning of the solar spectrum to attain maximum possible efficiency for a two-gap cascade design. Computer simulations of these cells show that one-sun beginning-of-life efficiencies in excess of 27 percent are possible.

Educato, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Semiconductor superlattice photodetectors

Superlattice photodetectors were investigated. A few major physical processes in the quantum-well heterostructures related to the photon detection and electron conduction mechanisms, the field effect on the wave functions and the energy levels of the electrons, and the optical absorption with and without the photon assistance were studied.

Chuang, S. L.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Proposal for superstructure based high efficiency photovoltaics

A novel class of cascade structures is proposed which features multijunction upper subcells, referred to as superstructure high-efficiency photovoltaics (SHEPs). The additional junctions enhance spectral response and improve radiation tolerance by reducing bulk recombination losses. This is important because ternary III-V alloys, which tend to have short minority-carrier diffusion lengths, are the only viable materials for the high-bandgap upper subcells required for cascade solar cells. Realistic simulations of AlGaAs SHEPs show that one-sun AM0 efficiencies in excess of 26 percent are possible.

Wagner, M.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Exciton effects in the index of refraction of multiple quantum wells and superlattices

Theoretical calculations of the index of refraction of multiple quantum wells and superlattices are presented. The model incorporates both the bound and continuum exciton contributions for the gamma region transitions. In addition, the electronic band structure model has both superlattice and bulk alloy properties. The results indicate that large light-hole masses, i.e., of about 0.23, produced by band mixing effects, are required to account for the experimental data. Furthermore, it is shown that superlattice effects rapidly decrease for energies greater than the confining potential barriers. Overall, the theoretical results are in very good agreement with the experimental data and show the importance of including exciton effects in the index of refraction.

Kahen, K. B.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Semiconductor superlattice photodetectors

Technical progress made in the study of superlattice photoconductors is summarized and papers submitted for publication are listed. Since the quantum-well regions may contain several subbands, each of which may be occupied by electrons depending on the doping concentrations, it is important to include the multi-subbands in calculating the impact ionization rate. The electrons occupying the higher subbands require a smaller amount of energy to get out of the quantum well; thus, those higher level subband electrons contribute significantly to the impact ionization rate. The results of the subbands have been calculated. Results concerning the nonparabolicity effect of the band structure, the effect of the quantum-well size, and the effect of the band-edge discontinuity and doping are also summarized.

Chuang, S. L.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Optical constants of GaAs-AlGaAs superlattices and multiple quantum wells

The optical properties of GaAs-Al sub x Ga sub 1-xAs superlattices are calculated as a function of the frequency and superlattice structure. The comutations are performed using a partition method which combines the vectors k.p method with the pseudopotential technique. The influence of the super-structure on the electronic properties of the systems is accounted for by appropriate quantization conditions. The anisotropy and structure dependence of the dielectric constant result mainly from the contribution of the gamma region while the contributions of the other regions of the Brillouin zone are rather insensitive to the superlattice structure. The superlattice index of refraction values are shown to attain maxima at the various quantized transition energies, where for certain structures, the difference between the refractive indices of the superlattices and its corresponding Al sub x Ga sub 1-xAs alloy can be as large as 2%. In general results are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Kahen, K. B.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Superlattices and NiPi structures in new forms of cascade solar cells

The activity in the field of photovoltaic semiconductor superstructures is described. Progress was accomplished in the two principal directions previously defined in our initial proposal, i.e.: (1) Theoretical investigation of the optical properties of superlattices; and (2) New solar cell concepts and device modeling. Although important information concerning the optical constants of superlattices and multiple quantum well structures was obtained from our computer model, most of the theoretical efforts have progressively shifted from the former to the latter aspect of the project because of the discovery of a new kind of photovoltaic device which may exhibit improved performances with respect to conventional solar cells.

Leburton, J. P.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Semiconductor superlattice photodetectors

During the past half-year, the research effort centered on further investigating both the new superlattice photomultiplier with tunneling-assisted impact ionization and the photodetector based on the real space transfer mechanism. A brief outline of the current status of these projects is presented. Detailed analyses are included in Appendices A and B. New results of the tunneling-assisted impact ionization are presented.

Chuang, S. L.↗

NASA NTRS1985

General theory of the transverse dielectric constant of III-V semiconducting compounds

A general model of the transverse dielectric constant of III-V compounds is developed using a hybrid method which combines the kp method with a nonlocal pseudopotential calculation. In this method the Brillouin zone is partitioned into three regions by expanding the energy bands and matrix elements about the F, X, and L symmetry points. The real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant are calculated as a sum of the individual contributions of each region. By using this partition method, it is possible to get good insight into the dependence of the dielectric constant on the shape of the band structure.

Kahen, K. B.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Structure variation of the index of refraction of GaAs-AlAs superlattices and multiple quantum wells

A detailed calculation of the index refraction of various GaAs-AlAs superlattices is presented for the first time. The calculation is performed by using a hybrid approach which combines the k-p method with the pseudopotential technique. Appropriate quantization conditions account for the influence of the superstructures on the electronic properties of the systems. The results of the model are in very good agreement with the experimental data. In comparison with the index of refraction of the corresponding AlGaAs alloy, characterized by the same average mole fraction of Al, the results indicate that the superlattice index of refraction values attain maxima at the various quantized transition energies. For certain structures the difference can be as large as 2 percent. These results suggest that the waveguiding and dispersion relation properties of optoelectronic devices can be tailored to design for specific optical application by an appropriate choice of the superlattice structure parameters.

Kahen, K. B.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Semiconductor superlattice photodetectors

Two novel types of superlattice photodetectors were studied. The first was a superlattice photomultiplier and the second a photodetector based on the real space transfer mechanism. A summary of the results is presented.

Chuang, S. L.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Superlattices and multilayer structures for high efficiency solar cells

Possible applications of superlattices to photovoltaic structures are discussed. A new concept based on doping superstructures (NIPI) can be exploited to significantly reduce recombination losses in III-V compound solar cells. A novel multijunction structure with lateral current transport is proposed. A computer simulation has been performed which shows that by optimizing the multilayer structure, short circuit current is substantially increased with minimum drop in open circuit voltage. An additional advantage of the structure is enhanced radiation tolerance. It is anticipated that this multilayer structure can be incorporated in multibandgap cells to achieve high efficiencies.

Wagner, M.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Superstructures and multijunction cells for high efficiency energy conversion

Potential applications of superlattices to photovoltaic structures are discussed. A single-bandgap, multijunction cell with selective electrodes for lateral transport of collected carriers is proposed. The concept is based on similar doping superlattice (NIPI) structures. Computer simulations show that by reducing bulk recombination losses, the spectral response of such cells is enhanced, particularly for poor quality materials with short diffusion lengths. Dark current contributions of additional junctions result in a trade-off between short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage as the number of layers is increased. One or two extra junctions appear to be optimal.

Wagner, M.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Semiconductor superlattice photodetectors

A superlattice photomultiplier and a photodetector based on the real space transfer mechanism were studied. The wavelength for the first device is of the order of a micron or flexible corresponding to the bandgap absorption in a semiconductor. The wavelength for the second device is in the micron range (about 2 to 12 microns) corresponding to the energy of the conduction band edge discontinuity between an Al/(sub x)Ga(sub 1-x)As and GaAs interface. Both devices are described.

Chuang, S. L.↗