Examination of laser-produced pressure pulses in a gallium arsenide solar cell. Master's thesis

Technical Report · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:7324906

Jacobson, J F

Pressure pulses caused by irradiation of a model gallium arsenide solar cell with a carbon dioxide TEA laser were examined using power densities of the order of 10/sup 7/ power watts/sq cm. The pressure pulses were monitored with a Sandia type quartz pressure gauge. It was discovered that the relatively low power densities used were capable of removing the silicon dioxide antireflective and gold contact layers of the solar cell after only a few shots of the laser. An exponential relationship between the initial thicknesses of these layers and the pressure pulse generated in the gallium arsenide substrate was indicated for gold contact layers of less than 5000 A thickness. Evidence was found that the principal pressure generation mechanism is thermo-mechanical. Gold films of thickness greater than 5000 A were found to be able to absorb the power densities used with no apparent damage.

• Research Organization: Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7324906
• Report Number(s): AD-A031893
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
ANTIREFLECTION COATINGS
CARBON DIOXIDE LASERS
CHALCOGENIDES
COATINGS
DIMENSIONS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
GALLIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
GAS LASERS
GOLD
LASER RADIATION
LASERS
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
PULSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SOLAR CELLS
TESTING
THICKNESS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS