Photon Induced Degradation of Electron and Proton Irradiated Silicon Solar Cells

Infra red photon-induced electrical performance degradation of several types of commonly used silicon solar cells has been studied with respect to 1 Mev electron fluence dependance, photon intensity, dopant atom type and concentration, and silicon growth (crucible grown or float zone). Proton irradiated cells have also been studied. Laboratory electronphoton degradation data is compared with flight data from the ESRO satellite HEOS A1 and the U.K. Satellite PROSPERO. The culprit minority carrier recombination centres remain, as yet, unidentified but it has been found possible to fabricate stable silicon solar cells by employing either high quality, low dislocation density silicon or aluminium rather than boron doped base silicon.