Numerical analysis for radiation-resistant GaAs heteroface solar cell structures

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Abstract
Experimental studies and numerical analyses are carried out to optimize A1GaAs-GaAs heteroface solar cell structures. Carrier removal rate and damage constant for diffusion length in n-GaAs due to 1-MeV electron irradiation are found to be larger than those in p-GaAs. These results are explained by taking into account deep-level traps associated with radiation-induced defects. Numerical analysis shows that n++-n+-p heteroface cell structure is relatively radiation resistant in a shallow junction solar cell (below 0.2 μm) with a substrate carrier concentration above 3×1015cm−3. In the p++-p+-n heteroface solar cell, optimum junction depth and substrate carrier concentration are 0.2–0.3 μm and 2–5×1015 cm−3, while those in the n++-n+-p heteroface solar cell are less than 0.1 μm and 3–10×1015 cm−3.