Numerical simulation analysis of low energy proton irradiation mechanism of In x Ga1-x As (x = 0.2, 0.3, 0.53) solar cell

Abstract

In this paper, we present an approach to study the electrical and spectral degradation properties of In x Ga1-x As (x = 0.2, 0.3, 0.53) solar cell under 150 keV proton irradiation based on numerical simulation. First, the structures of In x Ga1-x As solar cell were optimized by adjusting the doping concentration of base layer and modifying the thickness of base and emitter layer. The structural parameter related to providing higher conversion efficiency was figured out. Then, the degradation of electrical parameters such as short-circuit current density (Jsc ), open-circuit voltage (Voc ), maximum output power (P max), fill factor (FF), as well as the spectral response were obtained. The degradation correlation with radiation-induced defects was built to reveal the damage mechanism under 150 keV proton irradiation. This study provides constructive model of In x Ga1-x As to be applied in multi-junction solar cells, and the predicted degradation behavior could contribute to design the radiation-hardened space devices.