Evaluation of ESD Susceptibility of Solar Cells with a Monolithic Bypass Diode

The combination of solar cell and bypass diode is a determining factor in a product's resistance to on orbit damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD). In this paper, Emcore's bypass diode integration strategies and the effects of ESD on fully interconnected ATJ and ATJM solar cells is discussed. Results from pulse-injection ESD testing are presented for solar cells incorporating various diodes to illustrate the dependence of ESD damage threshold on diode design. ATJM products display a range of results during pulse-injection testing, with some designs showing no performance degradation after repeated exposures to >150 A discharges. Damage thresholds for the products are quantified and shown to be less dependent on bypass diode type than on 010 circuit series resistance. The result provides a means by which ATJM products can be tailored to withstand severe ESD conditions