Activities on simulation and characterization of multijunction solar cells for space applications in Argentina

M. BARRERA; J. GARCÍA; H. SOCOLOVSKY; F. RUBINELLI; E. GODFRIN; J. PLÁ

Valencia, España

Conferencia; 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference; 2008

This work is an overview of the activities performed in the issues of simulation and characterization of III-V solar cells for space applications within the cooperation agreement between the Argentine National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) and the Argentine National Commission for Space Activities (CONAE), which is addressed in these first stages to SAOCOM and SAC-D satellites. These activities include numerical simulation of III-V homojunction solar cells (InGaP and GaAs) and Ge cells, and its virtual interconnection in order to simulate a triple junction (TJ) InGaP/GaAs/Ge cell, the same type that will be used in the solar arrays of the next CONAE satellites. The simulation tools developed here can be extended to other multijunction devices and can also be used for their optimization. On the other hand, while electrical characterization of TJ cells was presented in other contributions, here the development of an equipment to measure the spectral response on triple junction III-V solar cells based on interference narrow band filters and dichroic lamps as polarization light to select the subcell to bemeasured is showed. Results in both activities are demonstrated.