The effect of crystal defects on the performance of gaas solar cells

The nature and the effect of crystal defects on the performance of GaAs/GaAlAs solar cells fabricated by MOCVD production reactors have been evaluated. Intrinsic threading dislocations from the GaAs substrates propagate through the junction and are believed to act as recombination centers reducing both the short circuit current density and the open circuit voltage of the device. These defects, at a concentration level exceeding 2 × 10⁴ cm⁻², detrimentally affect the electrical performance of the solar cells.