Test production of GaInP/GaAs cascade space solar cells by a high-throughput molecular beam epitaxy system

GaInP/GaAs cascade solar cells were grown, for the first time, with a production scale V100 molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) reactor. The reactor uses solid elemental sources in contrary to typical toxic gases used in metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). In these first test production runs, more than 120 cascade solar cells were grown, processed, and tested. Cell efficiency and other parameter distributions, as well as yields. were evaluated. The results showed that cascade solar cells with 18-21 % AM0 conversion efficiencies (the average was around 19.7 %) could be produced with better than 90 % yield.