Mild versatile and radiation resistant natural photo voltaic cells for area
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 13, 2025
Radiation exams counsel that carbon-based natural photo voltaic cells may surpass conventional silicon and gallium arsenide cells in effectivity and sturdiness for area purposes, in keeping with a College of Michigan examine.
Earlier analysis primarily examined how radiation affected the power conversion effectivity of natural photo voltaic cells. This new examine delved into molecular-level adjustments that degrade efficiency.
“Silicon semiconductors aren’t steady in area due to proton irradiation coming from the solar,” defined Yongxi Li, first creator of the examine and a former U-M affiliate analysis scientist in electrical and laptop engineering. “We examined natural photovoltaics with protons as a result of they’re thought-about essentially the most damaging particles in area for digital supplies.”
Whereas gallium arsenide is favored for its effectivity and resilience towards proton injury, its weight, inflexibility, and excessive value pose challenges. Natural photo voltaic cells, alternatively, are light-weight, versatile, and probably extra inexpensive. This examine is a part of ongoing efforts to evaluate the reliability of natural supplies for crucial area missions.
Natural photo voltaic cells constructed from small molecules demonstrated sturdy resistance to proton radiation, exhibiting no efficiency degradation after simulated publicity equal to 3 years in area. In distinction, cells made with polymer-based supplies misplaced half their effectivity over the identical interval.
“We discovered that protons cleave a few of the facet chains, and that leaves an electron entice that degrades photo voltaic cell efficiency,” stated Stephen Forrest, the Peter A. Franken Distinguished College Professor of Engineering at U-M and lead corresponding creator. These traps seize electrons generated by mild, lowering the stream of electrical energy to the electrodes.
Forrest famous that heating the photo voltaic cells, a course of generally known as thermal annealing, can restore the injury by restoring damaged molecular bonds. “You’ll be able to heal this by thermal annealing, or heating the photo voltaic cell. However we would discover methods to fill the traps with different atoms, eliminating this drawback,” he added.
The examine means that photo voltaic cells uncovered to daylight in area may self-repair at temperatures round 100C. Nonetheless, questions in regards to the effectiveness of this self-healing in a vacuum and its reliability for prolonged missions stay. The crew can be exploring methods to design supplies that forestall the formation of electron traps altogether.
Li, now an incoming affiliate professor of superior supplies and manufacturing at Nanjing College in China, plans to additional examine these avenues.
The analysis acquired funding from Common Show Corp and the U.S. Workplace of Naval Analysis. The units had been fabricated on the Lurie Nanofabrication Facility, examined with proton beams on the Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory, and analyzed on the Michigan Heart for Supplies Characterization.
U-M Innovation Partnerships is helping the crew in patent purposes, with Common Show licensing the know-how and submitting further patents. Forrest holds a monetary curiosity in Common Show Corp.
Analysis Report:Radiation hardness of organic photovoltaics
Associated Hyperlinks
Michigan Center for Materials Characterization.
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