Evaluation of n-GaAs polycrystalline layers for solar cells using an electrochemical technique

Thin layers of n-GaAs polycrystalline material grown by metalorganic CVD have been evaluated using an electrochemical technique. The technique is based upon an analysis of the time behavior of the anodizing current and it is capable of giving spatial information about the breakdown voltage of the material. A correlation has been established between the percentage of area with low breakdown voltage and the efficiency of solar cells fabricated on the polycrystalline layers.