Definitive Contract NNX11CC58C

FIREFLY, IN COLLABORATION WITH ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, PROPOSES DEVELOPING A SPACE SOLAR CELL HAVING RECORD EFFICIENCY EXCEEDING 40% (AM0) BY THE INTRODUCTION OF NANOWIRES WITHIN THE ACTIVE REGION OF THE CURRENT LIMITING SUB-CELL. THE INTRODUCTION OF THESE NANOSCALE FEATURES WILL ENABLE REALIZATION OF AN INTERMEDIATE BAND SOLAR CELL (IBSC), WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY INCREASING THE EFFECTIVE ABSORPTION VOLUME THAT CAN OTHERWISE LIMIT SHORT-CIRCUIT CURRENT GENERATED BY THIN QUANTIZED LAYERS. THE TRIPLE JUNCTION CELL FOLLOWS CONVENTIONAL DESIGNS COMPRISED OF BOTTOM GE CELL (0.67EV), A CURRENT-LIMITING MIDDLE GAAS (1.43EV) CELL, AND A TOP INGAP (1.90EV) CELL. THE GAAS CELL WILL BE MODIFIED TO CONTAIN INAS NANOWIRES TO ENABLE AN IBSC, WHICH IS PREDICTED TO DEMONSTRATE ~45% EFFICIENCY UNDER 1-SUN AM0 CONDITIONS. THE INAS NANOWIRES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN-SITU WITHIN THE EPITAXY ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT INNOVATION RELATIVE TO CONVENTIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR NANOWIRE GENERATION USING EX-SITU GOLD NANOPARTICLES. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PROPOSED WORK WILL RESULT IN ULTRA-HIGH EFFICIENCY, RADIATION-TOLERANT SPACE SOLAR CELLS THAT ARE COMPATIBLE WITH EXISTING MANUFACTURING PROCESSES. SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS ARE EXPECTED WITH HIGHER EFFICIENCY CELLS, ENABLING INCREASED PAYLOAD CAPABILITY AND LONGER MISSION DURATIONS.