Recovery of Short Circuit Current of 3J Solar Cells by Current Injection at Low Temperature
InGaP/GaAs/Ge triple-junction (3J) solar cells designed for space applications were irradiated with 10 MeV protons at 3times1013 /cm2 at 210 K. Current at 0.25 A/cm2 was injected into the irradiated 3J solar cells after irradiation at 210 K to avoid the thermal annealing effects. The short circuit current (Isc) recovered with increasing current injection time, and the recovery saturated at current injection times above 1000 sec. The saturated Isc was 98% of the initial value. The defect annealing rate (A) was estimated to be between 0.003 and 0.01/s from the fitting of the current injection time dependence of the recovery of I sc
Deep-level defects introduced by 1 MeV electron radiation in AlInGaP for multijunction space solar cells
Presented in this paper are 1 MeV electron irradiation effects on wide-band-gap (1.97 eV) (Al0.08Ga0.92)0.52In0.48P diodes and solar cells. The carrier removal rate estimated in p-AlInGaP with electron fluence is about 1cm−1, which is lower than that in InP and GaAs. From high-temperature deep-level transient spectroscopy measurements, a deep-level defect center such as majority-carrier (hole) trap H2 (Eν+0.90±0.05eV) was observed. The changes in carrier concentrations (Δp) and trap densities as a function of electron fluence were compared, and as a result the total introduction rate, 0.39cm−1, of majority-carrier trap centers (H1 and H2) is different from the carrier removal rate, 1cm−1, in p-AlInGaP. From the minority-carrier injection annealing (100mA∕cm2), the annealing activation energy of H2 defect is ΔE=0.60eV, which is likely to be associated with a vacancy-phosphorus Frenkel pair (Vp‐Pi). The recovery of defect concentration and carrier concentration in the irradiated p-AlInGaP by injection relat...
Analysis of recombination centers in (AlxGa1−x)0.5In0.5P quaternary alloys
We studied nonradiative recombination centers in undoped (AlxGa1−x)0.5In0.5Pgrown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy using transient capacitance spectroscopy. We found three deep energy levels, including a mid‐gap level. We drew an equation to get a capture cross section for minority carriers, and obtained it using isothermal capacitance transient spectroscopy measurement. The mid‐gap level had an electron capture cross section of 2 × 10−10 cm2 and a hole capture cross section of 1 × 10−15 cm2. The time constant of nonradiative recombination through the mid‐gap level was found to be comparable to that of radiative recombination. We concluded that the mid‐gap level is an effective nonradiative recombination center that reduces photoluminescence intensity.