Effect of conductive coatings on current collection by solar cells

Abstract

Summary form only given, as follows. The Solar Array Module Plasma Interactions Experiment (SAMPIE) was flown on the shuttle mission STS-62 in March 1994. Among the various solar cell samples carried was a twelve cell coupon of the advanced photovoltaic solar array (APSA). As with all of SAMPIE samples, this coupon was biased to a variety of high voltages to study plasma interactions effects. Previous ground tests with this coupon had shown unusually large electron current collection, believed to be caused by the use of a Germanium coating on the array blanket. This coating, added for protection against the effects of atomic oxygen, is weakly conducting and was believed to considerably alter normal sheath effects at high voltage. We will present the flight data, compare with ground test data, and that it is very important that AO coatings be measured for plasma effects prior to selection.