Peculiarities of the influence of high- and low-energy proton and electron irradiations on the characteristics of silicon solar cells
Experimental data on degradation of photovoltaic and photoenergetic characteristics of silicon solar cells exposed by high-energy electrons and protons as well as low-energy protons have been obtained. The previously proposed theoretical model that can describe degradation of the solar cell chara...
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Інститут фізики напівпровідників імені В.Є. Лашкарьова НАН України
2010
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| Назва видання: | Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics |
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| Цитувати: | Peculiarities of the influence of high- and low-energy proton and electron irradiations on the characteristics of silicon solar cells /V.V. Chernenko // Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics. — 2010. — Т. 13, № 3. — С. 273-275. — Бібліогр.: 10 назв. — англ. |
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irk-123456789-1184032017-05-31T03:07:01Z Peculiarities of the influence of high- and low-energy proton and electron irradiations on the characteristics of silicon solar cells Chernenko, V.V. Experimental data on degradation of photovoltaic and photoenergetic characteristics of silicon solar cells exposed by high-energy electrons and protons as well as low-energy protons have been obtained. The previously proposed theoretical model that can describe degradation of the solar cell characteristics under the influence of irradiation, including that creating spatially inhomogeneous defect distribution over the structure thickness, has been experimentally confirmed. It was ascertained that in the cases of 1 MeV energy electron and 20 MeV energy proton irradiations, when there is a relatively homogeneous defect distribution over the silicon solar cell thickness, its shortcircuit current degrades faster than the open-circuit voltage. On the contrary, in the case of low-energy 0.1 MeV proton irradiation, when the distribution of defects is spatially inhomogeneous, the open-circuit voltage degrades faster than the short-circuit current. 2010 Article Peculiarities of the influence of high- and low-energy proton and electron irradiations on the characteristics of silicon solar cells /V.V. Chernenko // Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics. — 2010. — Т. 13, № 3. — С. 273-275. — Бібліогр.: 10 назв. — англ. 1560-8034 PACS 88.40.jj http://dspace.nbuv.gov.ua/handle/123456789/118403 en Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics Інститут фізики напівпровідників імені В.Є. Лашкарьова НАН України |
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Digital Library of Periodicals of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine |
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DSpace DC |
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English |
| description |
Experimental data on degradation of photovoltaic and photoenergetic
characteristics of silicon solar cells exposed by high-energy electrons and protons as well
as low-energy protons have been obtained. The previously proposed theoretical model
that can describe degradation of the solar cell characteristics under the influence of
irradiation, including that creating spatially inhomogeneous defect distribution over the
structure thickness, has been experimentally confirmed. It was ascertained that in the
cases of 1 MeV energy electron and 20 MeV energy proton irradiations, when there is a
relatively homogeneous defect distribution over the silicon solar cell thickness, its shortcircuit
current degrades faster than the open-circuit voltage. On the contrary, in the case
of low-energy 0.1 MeV proton irradiation, when the distribution of defects is spatially
inhomogeneous, the open-circuit voltage degrades faster than the short-circuit current. |
| format |
Article |
| author |
Chernenko, V.V. |
| spellingShingle |
Chernenko, V.V. Peculiarities of the influence of high- and low-energy proton and electron irradiations on the characteristics of silicon solar cells Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics |
| author_facet |
Chernenko, V.V. |
| author_sort |
Chernenko, V.V. |
| title |
Peculiarities of the influence of high- and low-energy proton and electron irradiations on the characteristics of silicon solar cells |
| title_short |
Peculiarities of the influence of high- and low-energy proton and electron irradiations on the characteristics of silicon solar cells |
| title_full |
Peculiarities of the influence of high- and low-energy proton and electron irradiations on the characteristics of silicon solar cells |
| title_fullStr |
Peculiarities of the influence of high- and low-energy proton and electron irradiations on the characteristics of silicon solar cells |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Peculiarities of the influence of high- and low-energy proton and electron irradiations on the characteristics of silicon solar cells |
| title_sort |
peculiarities of the influence of high- and low-energy proton and electron irradiations on the characteristics of silicon solar cells |
| publisher |
Інститут фізики напівпровідників імені В.Є. Лашкарьова НАН України |
| publishDate |
2010 |
| url |
http://dspace.nbuv.gov.ua/handle/123456789/118403 |
| citation_txt |
Peculiarities of the influence of high- and low-energy proton and
electron irradiations on the characteristics of silicon solar cells /V.V. Chernenko // Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics. — 2010. — Т. 13, № 3. — С. 273-275. — Бібліогр.: 10 назв. — англ. |
| series |
Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT chernenkovv peculiaritiesoftheinfluenceofhighandlowenergyprotonandelectronirradiationsonthecharacteristicsofsiliconsolarcells |
| first_indexed |
2025-07-08T13:54:43Z |
| last_indexed |
2025-07-08T13:54:43Z |
| _version_ |
1837087205007294464 |
| fulltext |
Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics, 2010. V. 13, N 3. P. 273-275.
PACS 88.40.jj
Peculiarities of the influence of high- and low-energy proton and
electron irradiations on the characteristics of silicon solar cells
V.V. Chernenko
V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, NAS of Ukraine
45, prospect Nauky, 03028 Кyiv, Ukraine,
Phone +380 (44) 525-5043, fax +380 (44) 525-5788; e-mail: vvch@isp.kiev.ua
Abstract. Experimental data on degradation of photovoltaic and photoenergetic
characteristics of silicon solar cells exposed by high-energy electrons and protons as well
as low-energy protons have been obtained. The previously proposed theoretical model
that can describe degradation of the solar cell characteristics under the influence of
irradiation, including that creating spatially inhomogeneous defect distribution over the
structure thickness, has been experimentally confirmed. It was ascertained that in the
cases of 1 MeV energy electron and 20 MeV energy proton irradiations, when there is a
relatively homogeneous defect distribution over the silicon solar cell thickness, its short-
circuit current degrades faster than the open-circuit voltage. On the contrary, in the case
of low-energy 0.1 MeV proton irradiation, when the distribution of defects is spatially
inhomogeneous, the open-circuit voltage degrades faster than the short-circuit current.
Keywords: silicon solar cell, irradiation, degradation.
Manuscript received 14.04.10; accepted for publication 08.07.10; published online 30.09.10.
1. Introduction
The problem of radiation resistance of semiconductor
devices attracts an increased interest due to considerable
changes in properties of semiconductors under
irradiation, on the one hand, and the need of wide
application of semiconductor devices under conditions
of radiation, such as space, nuclear power plants, etc., on
the other hand. Therefore, there is a need to increase the
radiation hardness of silicon solar cells (SC) used the
space applications.
The main manifestation of radiation damage in
SCs is increase in the concentration of recombination-
active defects leading to a reduced efficiency of
photovoltaic energy conversion in them. Investigation of
radiation effects in silicon SCs showed that their
radiation resistance depends on the energy and kind of
radiation particles [1]. The reason for the damage is that
the high-energy particles create numerous structural
defects in the crystal lattice of semiconductor: vacancies,
interstitial atoms, defect clusters and different types of
vacancy-impurity complexes. Under certain
circumstances, these defects can act as surface and bulk
recombination-active centers and thus modify the
electrical characteristics of semiconductor [1-5].
The exposure with high-energy protons and
electrons is known to lead to a homogeneous distribution
of radiation defects over the SC thickness, while the
irradiation with heavy particles, such as protons, having
the path length smaller than the SC thickness, results in
distribution of radiation defects that can be
inhomogeneous in depth. In [6], the influence of
irradiation on the basic photovoltaic characteristics of
silicon SCs, namely: the short-circuit current and the
open-circuit voltage for arbitrary relation between the
damaged layer depth, the diffusion length of minority
carriers before the exposure, and the structure thickness,
was theoretically studied. A theoretical three-layer
model of heterogeneous recombination in depth was
proposed. This model takes into account an increase of
the number of defects created by a proton at the end of
path length and can describe the degradation changes of
the characteristics of silicon SCs under irradiation,
which causes spatially heterogeneous distribution of
defects. Using the proposed model, peculiarities of the
influence of irradiation on the photoelectric
characteristics of silicon SCs for highly and weakly
absorbed particles were theoretically ascertained [6]. In
particular, it was shown that the exposure of SCs with
low-energy protons with a path length of several
micrometers results in faster degradation of open-circuit
voltage as compared to that of short-circuit current and
that the result is just the contrary in the case of exposure
with electrons or high-energy protons. In the
© 2010, V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
273
Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics, 2010. V. 13, N 3. P. 273-275.
intermediate case, i.e. when irradiating the silicon SCs
with protons possessing the path length within the range
10 to 100 micrometers, the relative behaviour of these
characteristics can be different and is determined by the
path length of radiation particles, the heterogeneity of
defect distribution and radiation dose.
The purpose of this work was to make experimental
verification of the proposed theoretical model and to
study the peculiarities of the influence of electron and
proton irradiations on the basic photoelectric and
photoenergetic characteristics of silicon SCs with
diffusion-field surface barriers.
2. Samples and experimental technique
The experimental samples were highly efficient (external
efficiency η = 14-16% under AM0 spectral conditions)
silicon diffusion-field type SCs [7, 8] with bases of both
types of conductivity, made of KDB-10 and KBE-2
types of silicon with the area 2.33 cm2.
SC samples were irradiated with the high-energy
electrons possessing the energy E = 1 MeV as well as
with the high-energy protons possessing the energy E =
20 MeV, which creates a practically uniform distribution
of radiation defects over the depth of SC, and with the
low-energy protons with the energy E = 0.1 MeV,
creating an inhomogeneous distribution of radiation
defects over the depth of SC due to the path length of
0.1 MeV energy protons not exceeding few micrometers
in silicon [3, 4]. The irradiation was directed onto the SC
front side oriented perpendicular to the particle flow.
The exposure doses were collected step-by-step.
© 2010, V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
1013 1014
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
3
1
2 6
I SC
,
V O
C
, P
M
,
re
l.
un
.
5
4
Fe , cm-2
Fig. 1. Typical dependences of the short-circuit current ІSC
(1, 4), open-circuit voltage VOC (2, 5) and maximum output
power РМ (3, 6) normalized to the initial (before irradiation)
values of respective variables for the SCs with the n- (1, 2, 3)
and p-base (4, 5, 6) versus dose of 1 MeV electron fluxes.
1010 1011 1012 1013 1014
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
Fp , cm-2
I S
C
, V
O
C
, P
M
,
re
l.
un
. 2
5
4
63
1
Fig. 2. Typical dependences of the short-circuit current ІSC
(1, 4), open-circuit voltage VOC (2, 5) and maximum output
power РМ (3, 6) normalized to the initial (before irradiation)
values of respective variables for the SCs with the n- (1, 2, 3)
and p-base (4, 5, 6) versus dose of 20 MeV proton fluxes.
Investigations of the degradation characteristics of
SCs were performed at the Test Center for Solar Cells
and Photovoltaic Batteries of V. Lashkaryov ISP, NAS
of Ukraine, certified by the bodies of the State Consumer
Standard of Ukraine [9]. The current-voltage
characteristics under illumination were measured before
irradiation and after each stage of exposure. From the
measured current-voltage characteristics under
illumination, the main photoelectric and photoenergetic
characteristics of SCs, namely: the short-circuit current,
the open-circuit voltage and maximum output power
were calculated.
3. Experimental results and discussion
Typical dependences of the short-circuit current ISC,
open-circuit voltage VOC and maximum output power PM
of diffusion-field type SCs with bases of both types of
conductivity on the dose of electron flux with the energy
E = 1±0.1 MeV are shown in Fig. 1. It is known that the
SCs with the p-type base have higher radiation resistance
as compared to those with the n-type base [10]. Indeed,
the results of irradiation experiments with electron
fluxes showed that the n-base SCs made of KBE-2
silicon have lower radiation resistance as compared to
that of p-base SCs. Already at the dose of 1 MeV
irradiating electrons Fe = 1⋅1013 cm-2, the value of the
current ISC of n-type base SC was decreased by 32…34%
and the value of voltage VOC – by 12…13% with respect
to their values before irradiation, respectively. These
changes can be compared with the decrease of the values
of these characteristics by 1 to 2% for p-type base SCs.
Upon further increase of the dose, stronger dependences
of the degradation degree for the current ISC and voltage
VOC for the n-type base SCs (Fig. 1, curves 1 and 2) were
observed, as compared to the p-base SCs (Fig. 1, curves
4 and 5). Due to this behaviour of these two
characteristics at the dose Fe = 2⋅1014 cm-2, the value of
degradation of the maximum output power PM for n-base
SCs was more than 60% against approximately 20% for
p-base SCs (Fig. 1, curves 3 and 6). The results
presented in Fig. 1 show that the SC current ISC degrades
more rapidly than its voltage VOC with increasing the
dose of high-energy electron irradiation.
Degradation changes of these SC characteristics
under study had similar character in the cases of
irradiation of SCs with bases of both types of conductivity
with high-energy protons possessing the energy
274
Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics, 2010. V. 13, N 3. P. 273-275.
1012 1013 101
0.55
0.60
0.65
0.70
0.75
0.80
0.85
0.90
0.95
1.00
FP , cm-2
I SC
,
V O
C ,
P M
,
re
l.
un
.
3
2
1
Fig. 3. Typical dependences of the short-circuit current ІSC (1),
open-circuit voltage VOC (2) and maximum output power РМ
(3) normalized to the initial (before irradiation) values of
respective variables for the p-base SC versus the dose of
0.1 MeV proton fluxes.
E = 20±1 MeV (see Fig. 2). The main difference between
the results of exposures with the high-energy electrons
and high-energy protons was that the dose of protons
required for the same degradation of the open-circuit
voltage and short-circuit current of SC was around 3 to 4
orders of magnitude lower than that for electron
irradiation. This is consistent with the results of other
studies, according to which irradiation with the high-
energy protons and electrons causes appearance of similar
defects, the main difference being the different rates of
such defect formation [1, 4]. The SC current ISC degrades
also more rapidly than its voltage VOC with increasing the
dose in the case of high-energy 20 MeV proton
irradiation, similar to the case of 1 MeV electron
irradiation.
Typical dependences of normalized values for the
open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current of SCs
versus the dose of irradiation with the low-energy
protons possessing the energy E = 100±0.1 keV are
presented in Fig. 3. These results show that unlike the
case of high-energy proton irradiation, the open-circuit
voltage decreases more rapidly than the short-circuit
current with increasing the dose of low-energy proton
irradiation when the defect layer created by radiation is
located within a relatively narrow frontal near-surface
region of SC.
4. Conclusion
© 2010, V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
The peculiarities of the influence of irradiations with the
high-energy and low-energy protons and electrons on
characteristics of silicon SCs were experimentally studied.
It was ascertained that in the case of high-energy
radiation, when the radiation particles pass through the
entire SC and create a relatively homogeneous distribution
of defects over its thickness, there takes place more rapid
degradation of the short-circuit current in SC as compared
to its open-circuit voltage. In the case of exposure with
low-energy protons, when the radiation particles create a
spatially inhomogeneous defect distribution with defect
localization within the frontal near-surface region of SC,
there takes place more rapid degradation of the open-
circuit voltage of SC as compared to its short-circuit
current. The experimental data on radiation induced
degradation of the photovoltaic characteristics of SCs
obtained in this paper are qualitatively consistent with the
results of the theoretical analysis performed earlier [6].
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