Efficient thermophotovoltaic solar cells on bent substrates

Thermophotovoltaic devices show promise as a method of reclaiming waste industrial heat and may provide a competitive and quiet low output heat conversion power supply for remote rural areas. GaSb based devices are well matched to a 1500-2000$^{\circ}$C blackbody emission temperature as well as to the solar spectrum when paired with GaAs. The growth of GaSb on GaAs proceeds via the Stranski-Krastanow mechanism, resulting in rectangular islands of GaSb with their edges orientated along the \textless 110\textgreater directions. The size of the islands is dependent on the growth temperature with smaller islands being produced for lower temperatures. The rectification behavior of p-GaSb/n-GaAs heterojunctions is also strongly dependent on the growth temperature. Possible mechanisms for the rectification at low temperature include more rapid turnover of interface dislocations and a corresponding reduction in carrier generation/recombination processes or passivation of defect centres by greater incorporation of impurities such as hydrogen. By optimizing the growth conditions, efficient p-GaSb/n-GaAs thermophotovoltaic devices have been produced. A series of GaSb and GaAs epilayers grown onto substrates has been used to investigate the effect of bent substrate on external quantum efficiency and spectral response.