1988 · 11 citations · 1 references
EngineeringElectrical EngineeringMaterials ScienceOptoelectronicsSemiconductor DevicesSemiconductor MaterialsChemical Vapor DepositionPhotovoltaic DevicesSemiconductor Device MaterialsSolar Cell MaterialsSolar CellsSolar Photovoltaic SystemsConcentrator PhotovoltaicsGallium ArsenideHeterostructure Solar CellsHigh-temperature Device OperationHigh-temperature StabilitySemiconductor StabilitySolar Cell CharacterizationSolar Concentrators
The development of GaAs/AlGaAs double-heterostructure concentrator solar cells for space operation that are capable of surviving 5 min thermal excursions to temperatures well beyond 500 degrees C without significant degradation is presented. The cells are formed epitaxially using the organometallic chemical vapor deposition growth process. The design utilizes a contact system that yields high stability at elevated temperature, and AM0 efficiency of up to 20% has been obtained with this approach. The efficiency is observed to change by less than 10% after a 5 min excursion to temperatures as high as 700 degrees C. Stability at higher temperatures and for longer times is discussed, and a comparison is made to the stability of conventional concentrator cells characterized by AM0 efficiencies of up to 23%.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
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