The effect of dislocations on the open-circuit voltage of gallium arsenide solar cells

The effect of dislocations on GaAs solar cell performance is modeled with a focus on open-circuit voltage as a measure of device quality. On the basis of the properties of GaAs grain boundaries and surfaces, dislocations in n-type GaAs are assumed to be arsenic-rich regions that form inverted p-type regions. The inverted regions are assumed to form a low-voltage Schottky barrier or heterojunction with the metal or conductive substrate at the n-type surface. This approach successfully predicts the open-circuit voltage of GaAs solar cells on Si substrates at their reported dislocation density