Matching Items (2)
Description
The state of the solar industry has reached a point where significant advancements in efficiency will require new materials and device concepts. The material class broadly known as the III-N's have a rich history as a commercially successful semiconductor. Since discovery in 2003 these materials have shown promise for the field of photovoltaic solar technologies. However, inherent material issues in crystal growth and the subsequent effects on device performance have hindered their development. This thesis explores new growth techniques for III-N materials in tandem with new device concepts that will either work around the previous hindrances or open pathways to device technologies with higher theoretical limits than much of current photovoltaics. These include a novel crystal growth reactor, efforts in production of better quality material at faster rates, and development of advanced photovoltaic devices: an inversion junction solar cell, material work for hot carrier solar cell, ground work for a selective carrier contact, and finally a refractory solar cell for operation at several hundred degrees Celsius.
ContributorsWilliams, Joshua J (Author) / Honsberg, C. (Christiana B.) (Thesis advisor) / Goodnick, Stephen M. (Thesis advisor) / Williamson, Todd L. (Committee member) / Alford, Terry L. (Committee member) / King, Richard R. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
The pseudo-binary alloy of indium((x))gallium((1-x))nitride has a compositionally dependent bandgap ranging from 0.65 to 3.42 eV, making it desirable for light emitting diodes and solar cell devices. Through modeling and film growth, the authors investigate the use of InxGa1-xN as an active layer in an induced junction. In an induced junction, electrostatics are used to create strong band bending at the surface of a doped material and invert the bands. The authors report modeling results, as well as preliminary film quality experiments for an induced junction in InGaN by space charge effects of neighboring materials, piezoelectric effects, and spontaneous polarization. (C) 2013 American Vacuum Society.
ContributorsWilliams, Joshua (Author) / Williamson, Todd L. (Author) / Hoffbauer, Mark A. (Author) / Fischer, Alec M. (Author) / Goodnick, Stephen (Author) / Faleev, Nikolai (Author) / Ghosh, Kunal (Author) / Honsberg, Christiana (Author) / Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering (Contributor)
Created2013-09-18