Abstract

Metal matrix composites consisting of multi-walled carbon nanotubes embedded in a sliver matrix are successfully integrated onto commercial triple junction photovoltaic cells. The performance of triple junction cells with composite gridlines is analyzed; the fill factor and efficiency closely match those of cells with standard evaporation-based metallization. The cells are then intentionally cracked, using external mechanical stress. We observe substantially enhanced crack tolerance in composite-enhanced cells in comparison to standard triple junction cells. Upon introducing cracks, the control cell result in a loss of 54% in the short circuit current, whereas no significant loss is observed for the composite-enhanced cells. The composite metal gridlines show strong potential to improve the lifetime of space photovoltaic cells against stress-induced fracture.

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