Epitaxial lift-off monocrystalline CdTe/MgCdTe double heterostructures and proton radiation study for space applications

An epitaxial lift-off (ELO) technology has been demonstrated for monocrystalline CdTe/MgCdTe double-heterostructure (DH) with the assistant of photoresist. The increased photoluminescence (PL) intensity is observed from the lift-off thin films, and confirms that the CdTe/MgCdTe DHs maintain high optical quality after ELO. The proton radiation hardness of CdTe/MgCdTe DH samples is also studied. Compared with a reference sample without being irradiated, the DH samples bombarded with 63-MeV protons show increased PL intensity and decay time. Our findings indicate that the CdTe/MgCdTe DH thin-film solar cells are expected to be radiation-robust and suitable for space applications.