Space radiation effects in InP solar cells

Conference · Sat Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 1991 · IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States)

OSTI ID:5832447

Walters, R J; Summers, G P ^[1]; Messenger, S R ^[2]; Burke, E A; Keavney, C J ^[3]

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1. Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (United States)
2. SFA, Inc., Landover, MD (US)
3. Spire Corp., Bedford, MA (United States)

This paper reports InP solar cells and mesa diodes grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) have been irradiated with electrons and protons at room temperature. The radiation induced defects (RID's) were characterized by Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS), and the degradation of the solar cell performance was determined through I-V measurements. The nonionizing energy loss (NIEL) of electrons and protons in InP was calculated as a function of energy from 1-200 MeV and compared to the measured defect introduction rates. A linear dependence was evident. InP solar cells showed significantly more radiation resistance than c-Si or GaAs/Ge cells under 1 MeV electron irradiation. Using the calculated InP damage rates and measured damage factors, the performance of InP solar cells as a function of orbital altitude and time in orbit was predicted and compared with the performance of c-Si solar cells in the same environment. In all cases, the InP cells showed highly superior radiation resistance.

• OSTI ID: 5832447
• Report Number(s): CONF-910751--
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States), Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States) Vol. 38:6; ISSN 0018-9499; ISSN IETNA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140400 -- Solar Energy-- Environmental Aspects
42 ENGINEERING
426000 -- Engineering-- Components
Electron Devices & Circuits-- (1990-)
440200* -- Radiation Effects on Instrument Components
Instruments
or Electronic Systems
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
661320 -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BARYONS
CHEMICAL COATING
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
DEPOSITION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY LOSSES
ENERGY RANGE
EQUIPMENT
FERMIONS
HADRONS
INDIUM PHOSPHIDE SOLAR CELLS
IONIZATION
LEPTONS
LOSSES
MEV RANGE
MEV RANGE 01-10
NUCLEONS
PERFORMANCE
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PROTONS
RADIATION EFFECTS
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR DIODES
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPACE
SURFACE COATING
TEMPERATURE RANGE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K