US 12,068,425 B2
Two-junction photovoltaic devices
Myles Aaron Steiner, Denver, CO (US); Daniel Joseph Friedman, Lakewood, CO (US); Ryan Matthew France, Golden, CO (US); and Asegun Henry, Boston, MA (US)
Assigned to Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, Golden, CO (US); and Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, Golden, CO (US); and Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on Aug. 23, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/454,171.
Application 18/454,171 is a division of application No. 17/664,085, filed on May 19, 2022, granted, now 11,777,047.
Application 17/664,085 is a continuation of application No. 16/269,848, filed on Feb. 7, 2019, granted, now 11,367,802, issued on Jun. 21, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/627,837, filed on Feb. 8, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0038918 A1, Feb. 1, 2024
Int. Cl. H01L 31/0735 (2012.01); H01L 31/0725 (2012.01); H01L 31/18 (2006.01); H02S 10/30 (2014.01)
CPC H01L 31/0735 (2013.01) [H01L 31/0725 (2013.01); H01L 31/1892 (2013.01); H02S 10/30 (2014.12)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A thermophotovoltaic (TPV) device comprising, in order:
a first junction having a first composition comprising AlxGa1-xAs;
a tunnel junction having a second composition comprising at least one of GaAs or AlGaAs;
a buffer layer having a third composition comprising at least one of GayIn1-yP or AlaGabIn1-a-bAs; and
a second junction having a fourth composition comprising GacIn1-cAs, wherein:
the first junction has a bandgap between 1.3 eV and 1.5 eV,
the second junction has a bandgap between 1.1 eV and 1.3 eV,
0≤x≤0.45,
0.20<y<0.51,
0.15≤a≤0.70,
0.25≤b≤0.60,
0.70≤c≤0.95, and
the TPV device is configured to absorb light from a blackbody operating at a temperature, Tw, between 1500° C. and 3000° C.