Radiation damage and hardening in metal insulator-N silicon-P silicon solar cells

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6646868

Banerjee, S

This study involved fabrication and investigation of radiation tolerance of a fairly new class of silicon solar cells, viz. Metal Insulator-N silicon-P silicon (MINP) solar cells. These devices have shown better photovoltaic conversion efficiency in as fabricated devices. It was of considerable interest to study their radiation degradation behavior in order to assess their potential for space application. The devices were fabricated on high quality B doped p-type silicon substrates with an average resistivity of 0.1-0.3 ohm-cm. The junction was fabricated by a low temperature diffusion technique. The devices were completed by fabricating the front and the back contact for the electrical connections. A single layer antireflection coating was used. The primary aim was to study and improve the radiation tolerance of these devices. In order to understand the radiation damage in these devices conduction mechanisms in as-fabricated and radiation damaged devices were studied by temperature dependence of current voltage characteristics. The temperature and irradiation fluence dependence of the series and shunt resistances were included in this work which was never considered in the past. The photovoltaic properties were used as a performance check at different stages of irradiation. The various conduction mechanisms were identified as diffusion and space charge recombination at the deep defect centers before the radiation damage.

• Research Organization: State Univ. of New York, Buffalo (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6646868
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360605* -- Materials-- Radiation Effects
ANTIREFLECTION COATINGS
COATINGS
CONVERSION
DAMAGE
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY CONVERSION
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
HARDENING
JUNCTIONS
P-N JUNCTIONS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION EFFECTS
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT