New concepts for III-V antimonide thermophotovoltaics

We survey and assess new concepts for ''next-generation'' GaSb-based thermophotovoltaic (TPV) devices. The objectives are new device structures with novel back mirror designs to better utilize photon recycling effects, isolation schemes to realize monolithic, series-interconnected TPV arrays, and reduced cost by the use of surrogate substrates in place of GaSb or InAs wafers. The processes considered include 1. liquid-phase epitaxial lateral overgrowth on patterned, masked substrates, 2. epitaxial film transfer or wafer fusion techniques, 3. epitaxial growth of GaSb alloys on high resistivity (lattice matched) ZnTe, 4. realization of semi-insulating III-V antimonides, 5. selective wet oxidation of Al-containing antimonides (e.g., AlAsSb) wherein a the semiconducting epitaxial layer is converted to Al2O3 to form a buried insulating layer, and 6. GaSb- and InAs-on-silicon heteroepitaxy.