Optoelectronic Performance Analysis of Low-Energy Proton Irradiation and Post-Thermal Annealing Effects on InGaAs Solar Cell

Y Zhuang,J H Mo,S Y Zhang,X B Shen,X Yang,J Li,Q Q Lei,M Heini,L Fang,A Aierken,J Guo,Q Guo,Q Y Chen,R K Fan

doi:10.3389/fphy.2020.585707

Abstract

The electrical and spectral properties of 150 KeV proton-irradiated MBE-grown In0.53Ga0.47As single junction solar cell and its post-thermal annealing properties were investigated. Both simulation and experimental methods were applied to analyze the irradiation-induced displacement damage and degradation mechanism of cell performance. The results show that most protons would penetrate through the In0.53Ga0.47As emitter and stop in the base region, causing differing extents of electric and spectral degredation. When proton fluence were 1 x 10(12) and 5 x 10(12) p/cm(2), the remaining factor of I-sc, V-oc, P-max,P- and FF were degraded to 0.790, 0.767, 0.558, 0.921 and 0.697, 0.500, 0.285, 0.817, respectively. Severer degradation was found in short wave lengths compared to long wave lengths of the solar cell spectral response. After annealing treatments, the normalized I-sc, V-oc, P-max, and FF, significantly recovered from 0.697, 0.500, 0.285, and 0.817 to 0.782, 0.700, 0.499, and 0.912 (fluence: 5 x 10(12) p/cm(2)), and the irradiation-induced defects in the whole emission area and part of the base area were annihilated, so the observed recovery of the short wavelength of the solar cell was greater than the long wavelength. The performance analysis in this work provided valuable ways to improve the photoelectric efficiency of space solar cells.

Highlights

III-V-based multi-junction solar cells as a direct energy provider are currently used for different space applications; radiation resistance of the solar cell will directly determine the service life of spacecraft and satellites
The GaInP/GaAs//InGaAsP/InGaAs four-junction solar cell fabricated by using the wafer bonding technique fixed the lattice mismatch issue of multi-junction solar cells, and obtained high photoelectric conversion efficiency compared to other new-type cells, and so is expected to become the main direction for developing the generation of space solar cells [10, 11]
In0.53Ga0.47As single junction solar cells were subjected to 150 KeV proton radiation with different fluence

Summary

INTRODUCTION

III-V-based multi-junction solar cells as a direct energy provider are currently used for different space applications; radiation resistance of the solar cell will directly determine the service life of spacecraft and satellites. The GaInP/GaAs//InGaAsP/InGaAs four-junction solar cell fabricated by using the wafer bonding technique fixed the lattice mismatch issue of multi-junction solar cells, and obtained high photoelectric conversion efficiency compared to other new-type cells, and so is expected to become the main direction for developing the generation of space solar cells [10, 11]. There is no report about InGaAs subcells subjected to low-energy proton irradiation, especially InGaAs sub-cell designed for GaInP/GaAs//InGaAsP/InGaAs four-junction wafer bonded solar cell. The degradation properties of the main solar cell parameters for 150 KeV low-energy proton-irradiated In0.53Ga0.47As single junction solar cells have been clearly discussed and the physical mechanism was well investigated. Thermal annealing treatments at 150°C for 20, 60, 120, 180, and 360 min were carried out

Simulation Results

CONCLUSION

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT