CORRELATIONS FOR DAMAGE IN DIFFUSED-JUNCTION INP SOLAR-CELLS INDUCED BY ELECTRON AND PROTON IRRADIATION

The damage to diffused-junction n(+)-p InP solar cells induced by elec tron and proton irradiations over a wide range of energy from 0.5 to 3 MeV and 0.015 to 20 MeV, respectively, has been examined. The experim ental electron and proton damage coefficients have been analyzed in te rms of displacement damage dose, which is the product of the particle fluence and the calculated nonionizing energy loss [G. P. Summers, E. A. Burke, R. Shapiro, S. R. Messenger, and R. J. Waiters, IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. 40, 1300 (1993).] Degradation of InP cells due to irradiati on with electrons and protons with energies of more than 0.5 MeV show a single curve as a function of displacement damage dose. Based on the deep-level transient spectroscopy analysis, damage equivalence betwee n electron and proton irradiation is discussed. InP solar cells are co nfirmed to be substantially more radiation resistant than Si and GaAs- on-Ge cells. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.