Characterization and modeling of InGaAs/InAsP thermophotovoltaic converters under high illumination intensities

Thermophotovoltaic converters based on In0.69Ga0.31As/InAs0.34P0.66 have been fabricated, characterized experimentally, and modeled. Good device performance has been achieved with an open-circuit voltage of 1.46 V, short-circuit current density of 1.06 A/cm2, and a fill factor of 71.3% for a four-junction cell under an optical power density of 3.4 W/cm2. Key material parameters have been extracted from measured device characteristics, providing a detailed quantitative understanding of the dependence of device performance on the electro-optical properties of the InGaAs/InAsP material system. Extracted minority carrier lifetimes of 106 ns in the p-type base and 0.3 ns in the n-type emitter regions were obtained, limited by radiative and Auger recombination, respectively. The recombination velocity for the InGaAs/InAsP interface is found to be below 2000 cm/s. The parameter analysis provides guidance for the design of a high-efficiency monolithically integrated module for use under high illumination intensities.

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