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Studies of Degradation Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells by 1 MeV Electrons Irradiation

  • SOLAR ENGINEERING MATERIALS SCIENCE
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Abstract

This article attempts to assess the radiation resistance of heterostructure silicon solar cells to the effects of 1 MeV electrons and discusses their prospects for power supply of the global low-orbit satellite communication system. The data obtained from this study allow us to identify the most promising types of heterostructure silicon solar cells for use in low-orbit spacecraft. These are n-α-Si:H-(p)c-Si:Ga-p-α-Si:H and n-µc-Si:H-(p)c-Si:Ga-p-α-Si:H solar cells. The degradation in efficiency of these structures was less than 30% by 1 × 1015 cm–2 fluence of 1 MeV electrons.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to the employees of the Ioffe Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences and the Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University ETU-LETI for valuable advice when discussing the results of scientific research.

Funding

This work was supported by ongoing institutional funding. No additional grants to carry out or direct this particular research were obtained.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ioffe Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 194021, St. Petersburg, Russia

    V. S. Kalinovskii, E. I. Terukov, S. N. Abolmasov, K. K. Prudchenko, E. V. Kontrosh, I. A. Tolkachev & A. S. Titov

  2. R&D Center of Thin Film Technologies in Energetics, 194021, St. Petersburg, Russia

    E. I. Terukov, S. N. Abolmasov, A. V. Kochergin & A. S. Titov

  3. St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University ETU-LETI, 197376, St. Petersburg, Russia

    E. I. Terukov & A. V. Kochergin

  4. Semiconductor Physics and Microelectronics Research Institute, 100057, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

    O. K. Ataboev

  5. Nukus Branch of Tashkent University of Information Technologies named after Muhammad al-Khwarizmi, 230100, Nukus, Uzbekistan

    O. K. Ataboev

Authors
  1. V. S. Kalinovskii
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  2. E. I. Terukov
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  3. S. N. Abolmasov
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  4. K. K. Prudchenko
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  5. E. V. Kontrosh
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  6. I. A. Tolkachev
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  7. A. V. Kochergin
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  8. A. S. Titov
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  9. O. K. Ataboev
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Correspondence to V. S. Kalinovskii.

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Kalinovskii, V.S., Terukov, E.I., Abolmasov, S.N. et al. Studies of Degradation Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells by 1 MeV Electrons Irradiation. Appl. Sol. Energy 59, 604–611 (2023). https://doi.org/10.3103/S0003701X23600984

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