High bandgap window layer for gaas solar cells and fabrication process

Abstract

The specification describes a semiconductor solar cell and fabrication process therefor wherein a thin N-type gallium arsenide layer is deposited on a larger P-type substrate layer which is selected from the group of III-V ternary compounds consisting of aluminum phosphide antimonide, AlPSb, and aluminum indium phosphide, AlInP. P-type impurities are diffused from the substrate layer into a portion of the thin N-type gallium arsenide layer to form P-type region therein which defines a PN junction in the thin gallium arsenide layer. Thus, the quantity of gallium arsenide required to provide this PN photovoltaic junction layer in the cell is minimized, and the P-type substrate serves as a high bandgap window layer for the cell. Such high bandgap of this window material is especially well suited for efficiently transmitting the blue spectrum of sunlight to the PN junction, thus enhancing the power conversion efficiency of the solar cell.