Multi-terminal multi-junction solar cells (MJSC) offer higher efficiency potential than series connected (two-terminal) ones. In addition, for terrestrial applications, the efficiency of multi-terminal solar cells is less sensitive to solar spectral variations than the two-terminal series-connected one. In space, generally, cells are always illuminated with AM0 spectrum and no impact is expected from spectral variations. Still, in space, the multi-terminal approach offers some advantages in comparison with the series-connected architecture approach derived from a higher end of life (EOL) efficiency. In this work we review the potential of multi-terminal solar cells for achieving extended EOL efficiencies with emphasis in the potential of the three-terminal heterojunction bipolar transistor solar cell, a novel multi-terminal MJSC architecture with a simplified structure not requiring, for example, tunnel junctions.
@article{arxiv.2006.01089,
title = {Potential of the three-terminal heterojunction bipolar transistor solar cell for space applications},
author = {Antonio Martí and Pablo García-Linares and Marius Zehender and Simon A. Svatek and Irene Artacho and Ana Belén Cristóbal and José R. González and Carsten Baur and Iñigo Ramiro and Federica Cappelluti and Elisa Antolín},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2006.01089},
year = {2020}
}