Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society (한국진공학회지)

The Korean Vacuum Society (한국진공학회)
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Influence of Carrier Trap in InAs/GaAs Quantum-Dot Solar Cells

InAs/GaAs 양자점 태양전지에서 전하트랩의 영향

  • Han, Im Sik (Department of Physics, Yeungnam University) ;
  • Kim, Jong Su (Department of Physics, Yeungnam University) ;
  • Park, Dong Woo (Faculty of New Materials Engineering, Chonbuk National University) ;
  • Kim, Jin Soo (Faculty of New Materials Engineering, Chonbuk National University) ;
  • Noh, Sam Kyu (Nano Materials Evaluation Center, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science)
  • 한임식 (영남대학교 물리학과) ;
  • 김종수 (영남대학교 물리학과) ;
  • 박동우 (전북대학교 신소재공학부) ;
  • 김진수 (전북대학교 신소재공학부) ;
  • 노삼규 (한국표준과학연구원 나노소재평가센터)
  • Received : 2012.11.18
  • Accepted : 2013.01.29
  • Published : 2013.01.30
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Abstract

In order to investigate an influence of carrier trap by quantum dots (QDs) on the solar parameters, in this study, the $p^+-QD-n/n^+$ solar cells with InAs/GaAs QD active layers are fabricated, and their characteristics are investigated and compared with those of a GaAs matrix solar cell (MSC). Two different types of QD structures, the Stranski-Krastanow (SK) QD and the quasi-monolayer (QML) QD, have been introduced for the QD solar cells, and the parameters (open-circuit voltage ($V_{OC}$), short-cirucuit current ($I_{SC}$), fill factor (FF), conversion efficiency (CE)) are determined from the current-voltage characteristic curves under a standard solar illumination (AM1.5). In SK-QSC, while FF of 80.0% is similar to that of MSC (80.3%), $V_{OC}$ and $J_{SC}$ are reduced by 0.03 V and $2.6mA/cm^2$, respectively. CE is lowered by 2.6% as results of reduced $V_{OC}$ and $J_{SC}$, which is due to a carrier trap into QDs. Though another alternative structure of QML-QD to be expected to relieve the carrier trap have been firstly tried for QSC in this study, it shows negative results contrary to our expectations.

본 연구에서는 양자점(quantum dot, QD)에서의 전하트랩이 태양전지의 특성에 미치는 영향을 조사하기 위하여, GaAs 모체 태양전지(MSC)의 활성층에 InAs/GaAs QD을 삽입한 $p^+-QD-n/n^+$ 태양전지(QSC)를 제작하여 그 특성을 비교 조사하였다. Stranski-Krastanow (SK)와 준단층(quasi-monolayer, QML)의 2종류 QD를 도입하였으며, 표준 태양광(AM1.5)에서 얻은 전류-전압 곡선으로부터 태양전지의 특성인자(개방전압($V_{OC}$), 단락전류($I_{SC}$), 충만도(FF), 변환효율(CE))를 결정하였다. SK-QSC의 FF값은 80.0%로 MSC의 값(80.3%)과 비슷한 반면, $V_{OC}$와 $J_{SC}$는 각각 0.03 V와 $2.6mA/cm^2$만큼 감소하였다. $V_{OC}$ 및 $J_{SC}$ 감소 결과로 CE는 2.6% 저하되었는데, QD에 의한 전하트랩이 주요 원인으로 지적되었다. 전하트랩을 완화시키기 위한 구조로서 QML-QD 기반 태양전지를 본 연구에서 처음 시도하였으나, 예측과는 달리 부정적 결과를 보였다.

Keywords

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