H. J. Hovel Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-11-05
A semiconductor researcher whose work with Jerry M. Woodall improved gallium arsenide solar cells using a heterojunction. A surface layer reduced surface recombination while transmitting much of the useful incident light. Comparing the spectral response before and after removing that layer exposed how surface losses suppress charge collection, connecting device efficiency with a measurable microscopic loss mechanism.[ref]
High-efficiency Ga1-xAlxAs-GaAs solar cells by Jerry M. Woodall and H. J. Hovel. pp. 379–381, especially Fig. 1 and discussion of layer removal
Jerry M. Woodall Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-11-05
A researcher in semiconductor devices whose joint work with H. J. Hovel demonstrated heterojunction solar cells made from gallium arsenide and an aluminum-containing alloy. The additional layer admits useful light while reducing surface recombination and electrical resistance. Their 1972 experiment illustrates why an efficient solar cell depends on controlling what happens to generated carriers at a surface, as well as on absorbing incident light.[ref]
High-efficiency Ga1-xAlxAs-GaAs solar cells by Jerry M. Woodall and H. J. Hovel. Abstract and introduction: heterojunction structure, surface-recombination losses and series resistance