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Virginia Tech

GaInN/GaN Schottky Barrier Solar Cells

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

GaInN has the potential to revolutionize the solar cell industry, enabling higher efficiency solar cells with its wide bandgap range spanning the entire solar spectrum. However, material quality issues stemming from the large lattice mismatch between its binary endpoints and questionable range of p-type doping has thus far prevented realization of high efficiency solar cells. Nonetheless, amorphous and multi-crystalline forms of GaInN have been theorized to exhibit a defect-free bandgap, enabling GaInN alloys at any indium composition to be realized. But the range of possible p-type doping has not yet been determined and no device quality material has been demonstrated thus far. Nonetheless, a Schottky barrier design (to bypass the p-type doping issue) on single-crystal GaInN can be used to provide some insight into the future of amorphous and micro-crystalline GaInN Schottky barrier solar cells. Through demonstration of a functional single crystalline GaInN Schottky barrier solar cell and comparison of the results to the best published reports for more conventional p-i-n GaInN solar cells, this work aims to establish the feasibility of amorphous and multi-crystalline GaInN solar cells.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph. D.
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Electrical Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2015

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Chern, Kevin Tsun-Jen
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Guido, Louis J.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Lu, Guo Quan
  • Ngo, Khai D.
  • Asryan, Levon V.
  • Brown, Gary S.

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:5154
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/52899

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Chern, Kevin Tsun-Jen. GaInN/GaN Schottky Barrier Solar Cells. doctoral thesis, Virginia Tech, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/52899