The effect of damaging radiation (p, e, {gamma}) on photovoltaic and tunneling GaAs and GaSb p-n junctions
- Russian Academy of Sciences, Ioffe Physicotechnical Institute (Russian Federation)
The properties of multiple-junction solar cells depend on the properties of the constituent photovoltaic and tunneling p-n junctions. In this study, the properties of the space-charge region for photovoltaic and tunneling p-n junctions were examined using the dark current-voltage characteristics for two semiconductors: GaSb (a narrow-gap semiconductor) and GaAs (a wide-gap semiconductor). The effects of irradiation with protons (the energy of 6.78 MeV and the maximum fluence of 3 x 10{sup 12} cm{sup -2}), electrons (the energy of 1 MeV and the maximum fluence of 3 x 10{sup 16} cm{sup -2}), and {gamma}-ray photons (the energy of 1.17-1.33 MeV and the maximum dose of 17 Mrad) on the lifetime of charge carriers in the space-charge region of photovoltaic p-n junctions and on the peak current of connecting tunneling p-n junctions were studied. The coefficients of the damage for the inverse lifetime are determined for photovoltaic p-n junctions. The coefficients of equivalence between the used types of radiation are determined; these coefficients are found to be almost independent, on the order of magnitude, of the type and material of the p-n-junction (and nearly equal for photovoltaic GaAs p-n junctions and tunneling GaAs and GaSb p-n junctions)
- OSTI ID:
- 21088041
- Journal Information:
- Semiconductors, Vol. 41, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1134/S1063782607060231; Copyright (c) 2007 Nauka/Interperiodica; Article Copyright (c) 2007 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-7826
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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