Multijunction solar cell iso-junction dark current study

Single-crystal multijunction solar cells show great promise for achieving 30-40% conversion efficiency under air mass zero (AM0) conditions, and have been identified as an enabling technology for next-generation government and commercial satellites. In this note we report on an approach to better understand the dark current-voltage (I-V) behavior in multijunction solar cells and it´s effect on conversion efficiency. This technique is based on determining the impact of dark-current behavior within individual p-n junctions on monolithic triple-junction GaInP₂/GaAs/Ge solar cell performance. The GaInP₂/GaAs/Ge tandem solar cells used in this study were developed, in part, under the US Air Force´s Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program and exhibited measured efficiencies of 24-25% (AM0)