Radiation-hard, lightweight 12% AM0 BOL InP/Si solar cells

Author

Wojtczuk, S. ; Colter, P. ; Karam, N.H. ; Serreze, H.B. ; Summers, G.P. ; Walters, R.J.

Author_Institution

Spire Corp., Bedford, MA, USA

fYear

1996

fDate

13-17 May 1996

Firstpage

151

Lastpage

155

Abstract

Indium phosphide (InP) space solar cells were made by Spire on lightweight Si wafers to greatly increase the cell end-of-life (EOL) power density. A NASA-measured best cell efficiency of 12.5% was obtained at one-sun AM0 beginning-of-life (BOL) for a 2×4 cm cell. Average efficiency for fifteen 2×2 cm InP heteroepitaxial cells on 16 mil Si wafers tested by NASA was 12.3%. Data are presented comparing 1 MeV electron and 3.9 MeV alpha particle irradiation showing relatively little cell power output degradation out to a very high fluence (less than 20% after a fluence of about 4×10¹⁶ 1 MeV electrons/cm², about 40× the “standard” fluence). Calculations are presented which show that in very high radiation environments (e.g. van Allen proton belts), these cells can provide over twice as much EOL power density than GaAs/Ge or Si cells

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; alpha-particle effects; electron beam effects; elemental semiconductors; indium compounds; photovoltaic power systems; semiconductor materials; silicon; solar cells; space vehicle power plants; 1 MeV; 12.3 percent; 12.5 percent; 2 cm; 3.9 MeV; 4 cm; EOL power density; InP-Si; InP/Si solar cells; Si; Spire; alpha particle irradiation; cell efficiency; end-of-life power density; heteroepitaxial cells; lightweight Si wafers; one-sun AM0 beginning-of-life; power output degradation; radiation-hard solar cells; space solar cells; van Allen proton belts; very high radiation environments; Alpha particles; Belts; Degradation; Electrons; Gallium arsenide; Indium phosphide; NASA; Photovoltaic cells; Protons; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1996., Conference Record of the Twenty Fifth IEEE

Conference_Location

Washington, DC

ISSN

0160-8371

Print_ISBN

0-7803-3166-4

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.1996.563970

Filename

563970