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Conway, E. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Conway, E. J..

At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

GaAs solar cells for space applications

GaAs solar cells offer substantial advantages for space photovoltaic power over Si solar cells in the areas of efficiency, elevated temperature operation, and radiation damage stability. A mission cost comparison is made for GaAs and Si solar cells. For Si cell arrays, the total mission cost is found to be a minimum for a solar concentration of 2.9. For GaAs, modes of operation and construction are investigated. Modes having lower mission costs than the minimum Si mission cost are defined. These include higher concentrations, lightweight cells, and simultaneous power generation and annealing. The technological progress necessary for GaAs to operate in these modes is identified.

Conway, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Study of process technology for GaAlAs/GaAs heteroface solar cells

Two processes were considered: the infinite melt process and the finite melt process. The only technique that is developed to the point that 10,000 cells could be produced in one year is the infinite melt liquid phase epitaxy process. The lowest cost per cell was achieved with the advanced metal organic chemical vapor deposition process. Molecular beam epitaxy was limited by the slow growth rate. The lowest cost, an 18 percent efficient cell at air mass zero, was approximately $70 per watt.

Conway, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Simultaneous radiation damage and annealing of GaAs solar cells

In this report, concepts and equations are developed to describe the simultaneous radiation damage and annealing of solar cells. The annealing characteristics of three types of defects are employed to study three examples of continuous irradiation and annealing. One example shows that the effective damage could be reduced by a factor of fifty. The difficulty of a laboratory experiment properly simulating the effects in space are discussed. Potential advantages of continuous annealing such as reduction of stable defect formation and omission of radiation cover glasses are presented.

Heinbockel, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

High temperature properties of GaAlAs/GaAs heteroface solar cells

The properties of p-GaAlAs/p-GaAs/n-GaAs heteroface solar cells were determined in the temperature range from 25 C to 350 C. Illumination air mass zero (AM0) current-voltage measurements show that the short circuit current increases as a function of temperature up to 210 C and then decreases up to 350 C. The open circuit voltage and fill factor decrease linearly with increasing temperature. The spectral response shifts toward higher wavelengths with increasing temperature.

Walker, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Annealing kinetics of electron-irradiated GaAs heteroface solar cells in the range 175-200 C

Annealing of electron-irradiation damage in GaAs solar cells is important for space applications. This paper describes studies conducted to understand this annealing process. GaAs heteroface solar cells were irradiated with 10 to the 15th 1-MeV electrons/sq cm followed by thermal annealing. An activation energy for annealing of 1.25 + or - 0.14 eV and a frequency factor of (3.7 + or - 1.9) x 10 to the 9th per sec were determined. A small component of the irradiation damage which does not anneal measurably at 200 C was observed.

Walker, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Langley program of GaAs solar cells

A brief overview of the development of GaAs solar cell technology is provided. An 18 to 20 percent AMO efficiency, stability under radiation and elevated-temperature operation, and high power-to-weight ratio are among the factors studied. Cell cost and availability are also examined.

Conway, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Radiation damage in GaAs solar cells

Recent results of electron and proton irradiation and annealing of GaAs solar cells are presented along with some implications of these results. A comparison between the energy-levels produced by protons and by electrons which are not stopped in the material indicate that the damage produced by protons and electrons may be qualitatively different. Thus, annealing of proton damage may be very different from the annealing of electron damage.

Conway, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

NO2 measurement by chemiluminescence

Compact device monitors specific chemiluminescent reaction of heated solid material such as 3,5 diaminobezoic or polyvinyl alcohol after contact with gas sample to detect and quantify nitrogen dioxide concentration.

Conway, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Recovery of shallow junction GaAs solar cells damaged by electron irradiation

Solar cells operated in space are subject to degradation from electron and proton radiation damage. It has been found that for deep junction p-GaAlAs/p-GaAs solar cells some of the electron radiation damage is removed by annealing the cells at 200 C. The reported investigation shows that shallow junction p-GaAlAs/p-GaAs/n-GaAs heteroface solar cells irradiated with 1 MeV electrons show a more complete recovery of short-circuit current than do the deep junction cells. The heteroface p-GaAlAs/p-GaAs/n-GaAs solar cells studied were fabricated using the etch-back epitaxy process.

Walker, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Annealing of GaAs solar cells damaged by electron irradiation

Measurements of thermal annealing of GaAlAs/GaAs solar cells damaged by 1 MeV electron irradiation are reported, and the magnitude of the short-circuit current recovery is discussed. The damaged cells are annealed in a vacuum at 200 C. A cell irradiated at 10 to the 13th power electrons per sq cm recovers all its lost short-circuit current after 15 hours of annealing. Possible application of the annealing process to solar cells in space is also considered.

Walker, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Short circuit current changes in electron irradiated GaAlAs/GaAs solar cells

Heteroface p-GaAlAs/p-GaAs/n-GaAs solar cells with junction depths of 0.8, 1.5, and 4 microns were irradiated with 1 MeV electrons. The short-circuit current for the 4 micron junction depth cells is significantly reduced by the electron irradiation. Reduction of the junction depth to 1.5 microns improves the electron radiation resistance of the cells while further reduction of the junction depth to 0.8 microns improves the stability of the cells even more. Primary degradation is in the blue region of the spectrum. Considerable recovery of lost response is obtained by annealing the cells at 200 C. Computer modeling shows that the degradation is caused primarily by a reduction in the minority carrier diffusion length in the p-GaAs.

Walker, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Simplified ozone detection by chemiluminescence

Ozone is detected by film coated with solid, such as rubrene, that reacts with ozone to degree proportional to concentration in sample gas. Gas flow is stopped, and film is heated to produce light (chemiluminescence) in proportion to amount of reacted material on sensor.

Conway, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

High efficiency GaAs solar cells

The present status of the GaAlAs/GaAs heteroface solar cell program is reported. Studies have been concentrated on GaAlAs/GaAs heteroface solar cells; however, some research has been conducted on thin junction, diffused GaAs solar cells. Emphasis has been on obtaining high efficiency (18% to 20%) GaAs solar cells. Two problems that have limited the efficiency of GaAs solar cells are the high recombination velocity of carriers near the surface and the low minority carrier diffusion length in n-GaAs.

Walker, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Rise kinetics of light-induced modulation of absorption for a CdS crystal

An experimental study has been made of the rise kinetics for changes in optical absorption in a single crystal of CdS which was bulk excited by pulsed laser light. The experimental data were compared to calculations from a simple model involving a bimolecular process. Experimental and calculated values agreed to within the experimental error and confirmed that light-induced modulation of absorption is a bimolecular process.

Long, E. R., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Method for detecting pollutants

A method is described for detecting and measuring trace amounts of pollutants of the group consisting of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide in a gaseous environment. A sample organic solid material that will undergo a chemical reaction with the test pollutant is exposed to the test environment and thereafter, when heated in the temperature range of 100-200 C., undergoes chemiluminescence that is measured and recorded as a function of concentration of the test pollutant. The chemiluminescence of the solid organic material is specific to the pollutant being tested.

Rogowski, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Optical absorption components of light-modulated absorption spectrum of CdS

The amplitude and decay coefficient of light-induced modulation of absorption (LIMA) was measured as a function of wavelength from 535 to 850 nm for single-crystal CdS. The decay coefficient exhibited a discontinuous resonance at 710 nm which was due to the overlap and cancellation of two opposing absorption changes. A method was developed to separate these opposing absorption changes using the measured decay coefficients. The discrete-level-to-band energy for one absorption change was found to be 1.64 eV. An improved model was developed which contains two associated levels in the band gap separated by 0.32 eV.

Conway, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Electrical contacts to ion cleaned n-type gallium arsenide.

The electrical current through silver contacts evaporated onto n-type gallium arsenide is reported as a function of surface treatment. Contacts to untreated gallium arsenide exhibit the expected high resistance. Surface cleaning by argon ion bombardment reduces the resistance by three orders of magnitude. The electrical resistance beyond 850 eV increases rapidly with ion bombardment energy. The resistance minimum at 850 eV is explained semiquantitatively in terms of a balance between cleaning and surface damage.

Walker, G. H.↗