Abstract
InGaP/GaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells were irradiated with 5.1 MeV alpha particles with different fluences. The degradations of the optical and electrical properties of InGaP/GaAs/Ge solar cells were described in terms of the variation in the short-circuit current (Isc), the open-circuit voltage (Voc), the maximum power (Pmax), the spectral response (SR), and the photoluminescence (PL) versus the 5.1 MeV alpha-particle fluences. The degradation modeling of the Isc and Voc under 1 MeV, 3 MeV, and 5.1 MeV alpha-particle irradiation was performed by calculating the introduction rate of non-radiative recombination centers, and the minority-carrier capture cross section, and the results were in good agreement with experimental data. For comparison, the degradations of the Isc and Voc were presented under 1 MeV and 3 MeV proton irradiation.
Highlights
The near-earth space radiation environment in which solar cells are located mainly consists of electrons and protons trapped in the earth’s radiation belts
It is necessary to study the response of solar cells under different types of particle irradiation in an effort to satisfy the requirements of high reliability and long life for spacecrafts
The results indicated that the open-circuit voltages of the InGaP and Ge subcells showed only a little degradation, but a significant drop was observable for the InGaAs middle subcell
Summary
The near-earth space radiation environment in which solar cells are located mainly consists of electrons and protons trapped in the earth’s radiation belts. Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) consist of 87% protons, 12% alpha particles, and 1% heavier ions, while solar particle events (SPEs) consist of 96.4% protons, 3.5% alpha particles, and 0.1% heavier ions [1]. When the particles in GCRs and SPEs travel through the earth’s atmosphere, they interact with the electrons and the nuclei of atoms in the atmosphere, resulting in the production of secondary particles [2]. These secondary particles can cause the degradation of solar cells. It is necessary to study the response of solar cells under different types of particle irradiation in an effort to satisfy the requirements of high reliability and long life for spacecrafts
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