Development of InP solar cells on inexpensive Si wafers
- Spire Corp., Bedford, MA (United States)
- Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (United States)
- SFA, Inc., Landover, MD (United States)
Both PN and NP InP solar cells on Si wafers were made with AM0 one-sun efficiencies up to 11%. Cells were irradiated to an equivalent fluence of 4 {times} 10{sup 16} 1 MeV electrons/cm{sup 2} with alpha particles from an Am-241 source, losing only {approximately}25% of their BOL output power. Although the BOL efficiency is about half that of GaAs/Ge cells, InP/Si cells have power outputs exceeding typical GaAs/Ge cells at very high fluences, and are intended for use in high radiation orbits where EOL power of GaAs/Ge cells is inadequate. SIMS data shows zinc diffusion from a InGaAs contact cap controls junction depth in PN InP/Si cells, while an epitaxial emitter layer controls the junction depth in NP cells. NP cells have much lower emitter sheet resistance, but require a tunnel junction near the InP/Si interface because of Si diffusing out from the wafer, doping the initial InP n-type.
- OSTI ID:
- 191105
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-941203--; ISBN 0-7803-1459-X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CURRENT DENSITY
DOPED MATERIALS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FABRICATION
FILL FACTORS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
INDIUM ARSENIDES
INDIUM PHOSPHIDE SOLAR CELLS
ION MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
IRRADIATION
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
PERFORMANCE
RADIATION EFFECTS
SELENIUM
SILICON
ZINC