New Publication from the SUNLAB: IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics

Earlier this summer, SUNLAB senior research scientist Dr. Chris Valdivia and SUNLAB director Dr. Karin Hinzer published new designs for multijunction solar cells by using subcell segmentation.

Subcell segmentation is a method to obtain nearly ideal current-matching while employing nonideal bandgap combinations in high-efficiency multijunction solar cells. By splitting each subcell into multiple semitransparent pn junctions, called segments, current-matching can be satisfied by layer design rather than material selection. This architecture replaces the standard requirement for an optimal combination of bandgaps with a simpler requirement for optimal layer thicknesses in each series-connected segment.

Find more details in this article in the IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics.

C. E. Valdivia and K. Hinzer, Subcell segmentation for current matching and design flexibility in multijunction solar cells, IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics (2020). DOI: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2020.3005630.