Status of Four-Junction Cell Development at Fraunhofer ISE

Four-junction solar cells are being developed for space applications as they promise higher efficiencies compared to the present GaInP/GaInAs/Ge triple-junction industry standard. There are multiple technological routes to achieve four-junction cells with the ideal bandgap combination of 1.9 eV, 1.4 eV 1.05 eV and 0.7 eV. This includes metamorphic growth concepts and direct semiconductor wafer bonded technology. All cell designs have their specific advantages and challenges. Therefore, at Fraunhofer ISE a plurality of different four-junction cell concepts is under investigation. The current status of the development and a discussion of so far achieved characteristics are presented in this work.