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Simulations of Gallium Antimonide (GaSb) p-B-n Thermophotovoltaic Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2011

Dante F. DeMeo  and
Thomas E. Vandervelde
Dante F. DeMeo
Affiliation:
The Renewable Energy and Applied Photonics Laboratories, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tufts University Medford, MA 02155, U.S.A.
Thomas E. Vandervelde*
Affiliation:
The Renewable Energy and Applied Photonics Laboratories, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tufts University Medford, MA 02155, U.S.A.
*
*Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The focus of this paper is the characterization of novel thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell designs which employ a monovalent barrier layer in the p-n junction. The use of a barrier layer enables these cells to operate at longer wavelengths, higher efficiencies, and higher operating temperatures. Initial designs have been made using gallium antimonide (GaSb), which is one of the more common TPV materials. Simulations were performed using Sentaurus by Synopsys to determine barrier materials as well as to optimize the cell. The p-B-n cell was then compared to a simple p-n junction. The simulations show that a p-B-n cell outperforms a typical p-n junction. Additionally, we expect to see increased performance differentials from this device structure when moving to longer wavelength devices.

Keywords

barrier layerphotovoltaicsimulation
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1329: Symposium I – Nanoscale Heat Transfer–Thermoelectrics, Thermophotovoltaics and Emerging Thermal Devices , 2011 , mrss11-1329-i11-10
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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