Title :
Analysis of damage to silicon solar cells by high fluence electron irradiation
Author :
Yamaguchi, Masafumi ; Taylor, Stephen J. ; Matsuda, Sumio ; Kawasaki, Osamu ; Ando, Koshi
Author_Institution :
Toyota Technol. Inst., Nagoya, Japan
Abstract :
Over a narrow interval of fluence of 1 MeV electron irradiation (from 1×1016 cm-2 to 1×1017 cm-2) incident upon n on p silicon space solar cells, we have observed an anomalous increase in ISC, followed by an abrupt decrease and cell failure. Whereas usually the principal effect of irradiation on the output characteristics of solar cells is due to the degradation of the minority carrier diffusion length, in this case the removal of majority carriers due to the introduction of trap centres is seen to have a dominating influence
Keywords :
electron beam effects; elemental semiconductors; photovoltaic power systems; semiconductor materials; short-circuit currents; silicon; solar cells; space vehicle power plants; Si; Si solar cells; cell failure; high fluence electron irradiation; majority carriers removal; n on p silicon space solar cells; radiation damage; short circuit current increase; trap centres; Belts; Degradation; Electron traps; Engines; Equations; Photovoltaic cells; Satellites; Silicon; Spontaneous emission; Testing;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1996., Conference Record of the Twenty Fifth IEEE
Conference_Location :
Washington, DC
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-3166-4
DOI :
10.1109/PVSC.1996.563973
