US based technology company MicroLink Devices says it has achieved a 37.75% power conversion efficiency for a three-junction epitaxial lift-off (ELO) thin-film solar cell. This, it says, is the highest reported efficiency level for a triple junction ELO solar cell produced on a 6-inch GaAs substrate production platform.
ELO is a proprietary process of MicroLink that can take away thin layers of active solar cell material that were deposited on a GaAs semiconductor substrate, which can be reused multiple times to lower manufacturing costs.
The 37.75% ELO solar cell design comes with an impressive mass density of 3000 W/kg under 1-sun AMO spectrum, which is a 'world record in comparison to any other solar cell technology', it says. The technology is being used by Airbus Defence and Space in the UK for its Zephyr HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance) platform.
The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has officially certified and tested the device performance under air mass 1.5 global (AM1.5G) simulated 1-Sun solar spectrum.
MicroLink says its ELO technology has been supported by several US agencies, including NASA, Air Force Research Laboratory, Office of Naval Research, Department of Energy.
"Our triple-junction IMM ELO solar cells combine the highest efficiency with the lowest mass density of any solar cell technology available today. This represents a compelling solution for demanding unmanned aerial vehicle and satellite applications," said Noren Pan, Founder and President of MicroLink Devices.