Examination of laser-produced pressure pulses in a gallium arsenide solar cell.

摘要

Pressure pulses caused by irradiation of a model galliumarsenide solar cell with a Carbon Dioxide TEA Laserwere examined using power densities of the order of10 7 watts/cm2 . The pressure pulses were monitored with aSandia type quartz pressure gauge. It was discoveredthat the relatively low power densities used were capableof removing the silicon dioxide antireflective and goldcontact layers of the solar cell after only a few shotsof the laser. An exponential relationship between theinitial thicknesses of these layers and the pressurepulse generated in the gallium arsenide substrate wasindicated for gold contact layers of less than 5000 Athickness. Evidence was found that the principal pressuregeneration mechanism is thermomechanical. Gold films ofthickness greater than 5000 A were found to be able toabsorb the power densities used with no apparent damage.