Tunnel junctions for InP-on-Si solar cells

Growing, by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, a tunnel junction is described, which makes possible and ohmic back contact in an n-on-p InP solar cell on a silicon substrate. The junction between heavily doped layers of p-type InGaAs and n-type InP shows resistance low enough not to affect the performance of these cells. InP solar cells made on n-type Si substrates with this structure were measured with an efficiency of 9.9 percent. Controls using p-type GaAs substrates showed no significant difference in cell performance, indicating that the resistance associated with the tunnel junction is less than about 0.1 ohm/sq cm.