Interdigitated Back Contact Silicon Solar Cell Analysis and Design Recommendations for Space Use
Abstract
The Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) solar cell is a relatively new design which has shown unprecedentedly high efficiencies. Silicon Interdigitated Back Contact cells have been fabricated that show greater than 25% efficiency at 100 suns Air Mass 1.5. This is far superior to conventional silicon concentrator cells which are approximately 18% efficient. The purpose of this report is to describe briefly the differences between this technology and conventional cells, demonstrate a near optimum design achieved by two-dimensional numerical simulation, and assess the utility of these cells for space application. The end of life (EOL) performance of this cell design in the radiation environment of space is a critical issue since the high efficiency of the design is predicated on the use of very high quality, long-diffusion length silicon. The radiation- induced degradation of this material is expected to lead to severe efficiency losses. The optimization of cell design to minimize these losses was carried out using a modified version of the 2-dimensional PISCES semiconductor simulator. The final designs presented here show that the performance of IBC cells in space can significantly exceed that of conventional cells. PISCES Simulator, Electric power production, Power supplies, Solar cells, Semiconductors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA220414
Entities
People
- D. C. Marvin
- S. L. Froedge
Organizations
- The Aerospace Corporation