Automated assembly of Gallium Arsenide and 50-micron thick silicon solar cell modules

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5586080

Mesch, H G

The TRW automated solar array assembly equipment was used for the module assembly of 300 GaAs solar cells and 300 50 micron thick silicon solar cells (2 x 4 cm in size). These cells were interconnected with silver plated Invar tabs by means of welding. The GaAs cells were bonded to Kapton graphite aluminum honeycomb graphite substrates and the thin silicon cells were bonded to 0.002 inch thick single layer Kapton substrates. The GaAs solar cell module assembly resulted in a yield of 86% and the thin cell assembly produced a yield of 46% due to intermittent sticking of weld electrodes during the front cell contact welding operation. (Previously assembled thin cell solar modules produced an overall assembly yield of greater than 80%).

• Research Organization: TRW Space Technology Labs., Redondo Beach, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5586080
• Report Number(s): N-85-17364; NASA-CR-174331
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
AUTOMATION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
GALLIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
JOINING
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
WELDING