The damage which was caused to diffused-junction n+-p solar cells by electron and proton irradiation at energies ranging from 0.5 to 3MeV, and from 0.015 to 20MeV, respectively, was determined. The experimentally estimated electron and proton damage coefficients were analyzed in terms of the displacement damage dose, which was defined to be the product of the particle fluence and the estimated non-ionizing energy loss. The degradation of cells, due to irradiation with electrons and protons with energies of more than 0.5MeV, fell on a single curve as a function of displacement damage dose. On the basis of deep-level transient spectroscopy, the equivalence of the damage which was caused by electron or proton irradiation was determined. It was noted that the present material was considerably more radiation-resistant than were Si or GaAs/Ge.

M.Yamaguchi, T.Takamoto, S.J.Taylor, R.J.Walters, G.P.Summers, D.J.Flood, M.Ohmori: Journal of Applied Physics, 1997, 81[9], 6013-8