I-V-T ANALYSIS OF RADIATION DAMAGE IN HIGH EFFICIENCY Si SOLAR CELLS.

High efficiency surface passivated N** plus -P junction solar cells show deterioration in photovoltaic performance when subjected to 1 MeV electron irradiation. This change could be attributed to an increase in the dark saturation current after irradiation. A detailed analysis of the excess current using a thermal spectroscopic method reveals that the recombination mechanisms responsible for this effect can be identified as bulk recombination and space charge recombination through shallow traps.