Thermal Photovoltaic Cells

The organization of this paper as follow: The development situation and applicationsand professional foreground are described in section one. The principle of TPV cell thatcan produce power under near infrared light rays is studied in section two. Ge and GaSbare selected, two kinds of narrow gap semiconductors, to produce homo-junction TPV withthe heat diffusion. The manufacture processes and crafts are described, including substratepreparation, superficial cleaning, forming of junctions by diffusion process, peripheralcorrosion, design and manufacture of electrode, making lithograph plates. Finally, someparameters of semiconductors and finished battery are tested.Making process and testing methods of TPV cell are studied in this paper, especiallysome practical experimental approaches, which is the foundation of the advanced research.Some valuable experimental data of Ge and GaSb TPV cell with the heat diffusion havebeen achieved. At the same time, hetero-junction thermal infrared photon-cell is studied,which are made by growing InGaAs on InP base through Molecular beam epitaxy. Theexperimental results show that the opening-circuit voltage can reach 0.25V and the voltageis stable. This paper is an opening point of the "11th Five-Year Plan", some methods andconcepts of which require much more research and improvements.TPV cell can supply power for satellite by series-parallel connection, provide portablepower for small military equipments and charge up storage batteries as well as generateelectricity for jumping-offs. With the reduction of the cost and the development of moderntechnology, TPV cell is promised to play more critical and important roles in applicationsand widen fields.