Advanced grid concept with external busbars applied on III-V multijunction solar cells

We report on the development of an advanced front contact grid design applied on GaInP/GaAs/GaInNAsSb solar cells. Unlike in a conventional grid pattern, the busbars are placed outside the active area of the solar cell. This enables minimizing the shadowing effect caused by the contact grid pattern as well as reaching smaller-active-area solar cells for concentrated photovoltaics, ultimately leading to higher conversion efficiencies. The quality of the solar cells was characterized by electroluminescence and current-voltage measurements. The concept was proven as a viable option for boosting the performance of multijunction solar cells.