Cap thickness effects on Al/sub 0.37/Ga/sub 0.63/As and GaAs diode solar cells

The average device yield for high efficiency Al/sub 0.37/Ga/sub 0.63/As and GaAs n-p diode solar cells was increased, from below 25% to above 75%, by doubling the thickness of the GaAs cap layer to 0.6 /spl mu/m. Low yields were characterized by a nonlinear shunting mechanism, which partially shorted the junction of the solar cell, independent of the various contact metals and thermal treatments used for ohmic contact formation.