Results of a real-time irradiation of lithium P/N and conventional N/P silicon solar cells.

Eight types of lithium-diffused P/N and three types of conventional 10 ohm-cm N/P silicon solar cells were irradiated at four different temperatures with a strontium-90 radioisotope at a rate typical of that expected in earth orbit. The six-month irradiation confirmed earlier accelerator results, showed that certain cell types outperform others at the various temperatures, and, in general, verified the recent improvements and potential usefulness of lithium solar cells. The experimental approach and statistical methods and analyses employed yielded increased confidence in the validity of the results. Injection level effects were observed to be significant.