Theoretical optimization of base doping concentration for radiation resistance of InGaP subcells of InGaP/GaAs/Ge based on minority-carrier lifetime

One of the fundamental objectives for research and development of space solar cells is to improve their radiation resistance. InGaP solar cells with low base carrier concentrations under low-energy proton irradiations have shown high radiation resistances. In this study, an analytical model for low-energy proton radiation damage to InGaP subcells based on a fundamental approach for radiative and nonradiative recombinations has been proposed. The radiation resistance of InGaP subcells as a function of base carrier concentration has been analyzed by using the radiative recombination lifetime and damage coefficient K for the minority-carrier lifetime of InGaP. Numerical analysis shows that an InGaP solar cell with a lower base carrier concentration is more radiation-resistant. Satisfactory agreements between analytical and experimental results have been obtained, and these results show the validity of the analytical procedure. The damage coefficients for minority-carrier diffusion length and carrier removal rate with low-energy proton irradiations have been observed to be dependent on carrier concentration through this study. As physical mechanisms behind the difference observed between the radiation-resistant properties of various base doping concentrations, two mechanisms, namely, the effect of a depletion layer as a carrier collection layer and generation of the impurity-related complex defects due to low-energy protons stopping within the active region, have been proposed. (author)