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We report high-performance lattice-matched GaInAsSb/GaSb thermophotovoltaic (TPV) devices with a 0.5 eV band gap. The TPV structures were grown on GaSb substrates by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy at a lower temperature (525 °C compared to 550 °C) to improve the quality of the metastable GaInAsSb alloy. The 0.5 eV TPV devices exhibit external quantum efficiency as high as 60%, which corresponds to an internal quantum efficiency of 90%, assuming 35% reflection losses. This efficiency is comparable to the value measured for 0.53 eV devices. The ratio of the open circuit voltage to band-gap energy ratio decreases from 0.57 for 0.53 eV devices to 0.48 for 0.5 eV devices.

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government. AbstractThe hotside operating temperatures for many projected thennophotovoltaic (TPV) conversion system applications are approximately 10oO 'C, which sets an upper limit on the TPV diode bandgap of 0.6 eV from efficiency and power density considerations. This bandgap requirement has necessitated the development of new diode material systems, never previously considered for energy generation. To date, InGaAsSb quaternary diodes grown lattice-matched on GaSb substrates have achieved the highest performance. This report relates observed diode performance to electrooptic properties such as minority carrier lifetime, diffusion length and mobility and provides initial links to microstructural properties. This analysis has bounded potential diode performance improvements. For the 0.52 eV InGaAsSb diodes used in this analysis the measured dark current is 2 x Ncm2 (no photon recycling), and an absolute thermodynamic limit of 1.4 x A/cm2. These dark currents are equivalent to open circuit voltage gains of 20 mV (7%), 60 mV (20%) and 140 mV (45%), respectively.

Abstract-In

This report presents an assessment of the efficiency and power density limitations of thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion systems for both ideal (radiative-limited) and practical (defect-limited) systems. Thermodynamics is integrated into the unique process physics of TPV conversion, and used to define the intrinsic tradeoff between power density and efficiency. The results of the analysis reveal that the selection of diode bandgap sets a limit on achievable efficiency well below the traditional Carnot level. In addition it is shown that filter performance dominates diode performance in any practical TPV system and determines the optimum bandgap for a given radiator temperature. It is demonstrated that for a given radiator temperature, lower bandgap diodes enable both higher efficiency and power density when spectral control limitations are included. The goal of this work is to provide a better understanding of the basic system limitations that will enable successfiil long-term development of TPV energy conversion technology.