Gamma-ray irradiation hardness of arrayed silicon microhole-based radial p–n junction solar cells

Abstract

The γ-ray irradiation hardness of arrayed silicon microhole-based radial p–n junction (ASMRJ) solar cells (SCs) has been experimentally studied. It was found that the sidewall morphology of the microhole arrays had an important effect on the radiation hardness, so the 4 µm-pitch ASMRJ SCs with hole arrays' sidewalls both unpassivated and passivated were made and referred to as 4 µm-U-ASMRJ and -P-ASMRJ SCs, respectively. On increasing the radiation doses, in contrast with the monotonous and rapid degradation of short circuit current density and open circuit voltage for the planar SCs, these parameters for the 4 µm-U-ASMRJ SCs show a small increase in the initial stage of γ-ray irradiation and then a slow decline. Average conversion efficiency shows an initial slight ascent by 4.5%. Additionally, the average conversion efficiency for the 2 µm-U-ASMRJ SCs shows an initial slight ascent by 5.7%. When the radiation doses grow to 8 × 106 rad, the average conversion efficiency degradation rates for the 2 µm- and 4 µm-U-ASMRJ SCs are 14% and 15%, respectively, whereas it is 39% for the planar SCs. The radiation-gettering mechanism is suggested to explain the radiation-hardened properties of the U-ASMRJ SCs.