Low-Cost Approaches to III–V Semiconductor Growth for Photovoltaic Applications

Autor: Shannon W. Boettcher, Ann L. Greenaway, Jason W. Boucher, Christopher J. Funch, Sebastian Z. Oener
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Zdroj: ACS Energy Letters. 2:2270-2282
ISSN: 2380-8195
DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.7b00633
Popis: III–V semiconductors form the most efficient single- and multijunction photovoltaics. Metal–organic vapor-phase epitaxy, which uses toxic and pyrophoric gas-phase precursors, is the primary commercial growth method for these materials. In order for the use of highly efficient III–V-based devices to be expanded as the demand for renewable electricity grows, a lower-cost approach to the growth of these materials is needed. This Review focuses on three deposition techniques compatible with current device architectures: hydride vapor-phase epitaxy, close-spaced vapor transport, and thin-film vapor–liquid–solid growth. We consider recent advances in each technique, including the available materials space, before providing an in-depth comparison of growth technology advantages and limitations and considering the impact of modifications to the method of production on the cost of the final photovoltaics.
Databáze: OpenAIRE