Realizing the next generation of CPV cells using transfer printing

Abstract

Transfer-printing is an important, commercial technology for manufacturing state of the art CPV modules, and has emerged recently as a key enabling technology for the realization of ultra-high-efficiency, mechanically stacked III-V solar cells with low cost. This paper presents the latest results for microscale CPV cells grown on GaAs, InP and GaSb substrates for ultra-high-efficiency, four-terminal, mechanically stacked architectures. The latest findings from a combination of modeling, growth, processing and characterization of single and multijunction solar cells are described, and the roadmap to the long-term goal of using transfer-printing to produce the first solar cell with 50% conversion efficiency is outlined.