Spacecraft are subject to harsh environments and their radiation resistance is one of the most important issues [1]. Therefore, radiation response of any components for use in space should be evaluated before their launch to predict their reliability and lifetime in space. For solar cells, electron and proton irradiation experiments are usually carried out to clarify their radiation degradation [2]. Although electrons/protons have energy spectra in space, electron/proton irradiation with mono-energy is used for ground testing due to the limitation of the capability of currently existing standard particle accelerators. Then relative damage coefficients (RDCs), which is a kind of conversion factors to understand degradation values to the standard electron/proton energy (1 MeV for electrons and 10 MeV for electrons), are estimated. Recently, multi-junction solar cells consisting of multilayer of sub-cells, such as InGaP/GaAs/Ge solar cells, are installed onto spacecraft. RDCs for multi-junction solar cells is not monotonic behaviors since their degradation strongly depends on the penetration depth of electrons/protons. Thus, they show large RDCs values when the penetration depth is close to pn junction for each sub cell. This indicates that it is necessary to make irradiation testing with many energies to clarify their degradation in space. If we can use electron/proton beams with energy spectra similar to space environment, the time and cost for the ground testing can reduce as well as radiation degradation of multi-junction solar cells can be predicted with high accuracy. We are expecting laser-driven particle acceleration technology to realized particle beams with energy spectra similar to space environments.
Particle irradiation is a popular methodology for the functionalization of materials. For example, nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond is known as a spin defect which can be applied to the quantum technology, e.g. quantum bit (qubit) and quantum sensor. To create NV centers, we need to introduce vacancies and/or N atoms. Particle irradiation (N ion implantation) is a key technology [3]. For quantum sensing, the sensitivity improves with increasing amounts of NV centers. Thus, for realizing quantum sensing with high sensitivity, it is necessary to create the certain thickness of a NV center layer. Since particle (N ion) beams with energy spectra can introduce damage (N atoms) in diamond by one experiment, laser-driven particle beam acceleration technology is also useful from the point of view of material functionalization.
[1] C. Morioka, et al., First flight demonstration of film-laminated InGaP/GaAs and CIGS thin-film solar cells by JAXA’s small satellite in LEO, Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl., 19 (2011) 825.
[2] M. Imaizumi, et al., Radiation degradation characteristics of component subcells in inverted metamorphic triple-junction solar cells irradiated with electrons and protons, Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl., 25 (2017) 161.
[3] Y. Yamazaki, et al., Chapter 4 “Color Centers in Wide-Gap Semiconductors for Quantum Technology” of Defect in Functional Materials, Edited by F. C-C Ling et al., World Scientific Publishing Co.Pte. Ltd (2020) 93.
We developed methodologies and calibration standards for absolute electroluminescence (EL) measurements for CONTACT-LESS evaluation of various internal properties of multi-junction and arrayed solar cells, such as open-circuit voltages, external and internal radiative efficiencies, and luminescence-coupling efficiency. Several independent calibration methods were compared that used: 1) a calibrated EL imaging system, 2) proximity measurement with a large-area photodiode, 3) an integrating-sphere system, and 4) planar light-emitting diodes with a circular aperture. The comparison clarified the advantages and disadvantages of each method, and showed consistency within 30% uncertainty, resulting in a 7-meV uncertainty in open-circuit voltage measurements.
In order to understand the radiation effects in space-used multi-junction solar cells, we characterized degradations of internal radiative efficiency (ηint i ) in respective subcells in InGaP/GaAs double-junction solar cells after 1-MeV electron irradiations with different electrons fluences (Φ) via absolute electroluminescence (EL) measurements, because ηint i purely represents material-quality change due to radiation damage, independently from cell structures. We analyzed the degradation of ηint i under different Φ and found that the data of ηint i versus Φ in moderate and high Φ regions are very similar and almost independent of subcell materials, while the difference in beginning-of-life qualities of InGaP and GaAs materials causes dominant difference in sub-cell sensitivity to the low radiation damages. Finally, a simple model was proposed to explain the mechanism in degradation of ηint i, and also well explained the degradation behavior in open-circuit voltage for these multi-junction solar cells.
KEYWORDS: Solar cells, Solar radiation, Solar energy, Silicon, Solar radiation models, Indium gallium phosphide, Gallium arsenide, Thin film solar cells, Thin films, Multijunction solar cells
Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) together with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has developed an insitu evaluation technique for understanding radiation response of space solar cells, by which the electrical characteristics of solar cells can be measured under AM0 light illumination during proton/electron irradiation experiments (Simultaneous method). Using the simultaneous method, we revealed the radiation degradation of multi-junction solar cells such as InGaP/GaAs/Ge triple junction (3J) solar cells. A modeling of the radiation degradation of 3J solar cells based on the Non-Ionizing Energy Loss (NIEL) concept was established. Flexible multi-junction solar cells are under development for space applications.
Two types of space solar cells, silicon single-junction and InGaP/GaAs/Ge triple-junction (3J) solar cells, have been primarily adopted for spacecraft. The conversion efficiencies of the solar cells under AM0, 1 sun condition are ~17% for silicon and ~30% for 3J cells. Radiation degradation occurs in space due to high-energy electrons and protons existing in space environment. The degradation is caused by radiation induced crystal defects which act as minority-carrier recombination centers and majority-carrier trap centers. The 3J cells are superior radiation resistant to the silicon cells, and this is mainly because the InGaP top-subcell has property of very high radiation resistance.
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