CHARGED PARTICLE RADIATION DAMAGE IN SEMI-CONDUCTORS. V. EFFECT OF 1-Mev ELECTRON BOMBARDMENT ON SOLAR CELLS

Technical Report · Mon Feb 11 04:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:4648486

Denney, J M; Downing, R G; Hoffnung, W I; Van Atta, W K

Solar cell devices including both contemporary and experimental cells were irradiated with 1-Mev electrons. Measurements of I-V characteristics, short circuit current densities, spectral response characteristics, and minority carrier diffusion lengths were obtained as a function of integrated electron flux. The results indicate that the critical fluxes required to produce 25 per cent damage in short circuit current range from 1 x 10/sup 13/ e/cm/sup 2/ for the most sensitive 1 ohm-cm p on n Si solar cells to about 1 x 10/sup 15/ for the most radiation resistant contemporary 10 ohm-cm n on p Si solar cells. Experimental Si solar cells were observed to exhibit critical fluxes as high as 4 x 10/sup 15/ e/cm/sup 2/. In addition, gallium arsenide solar cells and cadmium sulphide solar cells were tested. The gallium arsenide solar cells exhibited critical fluxes approximately equal to that of the contemporary high resistivity n on p cells although the observed degradation rate was almost twice that of the silicon solar cells. The cadmium sulphide cells indicated negligible damage at integrated fluxes of 5 x 10/sup 16/ e/cm/sup 2/. (auth)

• Research Organization: Space Technology Lab., Inc., Redondo Beach, Calif.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-034488
• OSTI ID: 4648486
• Report Number(s): NP-13014
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM SULFIDES
CARRIERS
CIRCUITS
CURRENTS
DIFFUSION LENGTH
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRON BEAMS
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
MEV RANGE
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
RADIATION EFFECTS
SEMICONDUCTORS
SENSITIVITY
SILICON
SPECTRA
SUN
TESTING