KETI Develops Aluminum-Doped Zinc Oxide Coating for Space Photovoltaic Module Durability

A research team from the Korea Electronic Technology Institute (KETI) has developed a quartz glass coated with thermally annealed aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) that provides electron radiation shielding for III-V space photovoltaic modules. The study shows that the AZO-coated glass outperforms traditional cerium-doped cover glass by enhancing durability and reducing electrostatic discharge risks.

Two post-treatment methods, ultraviolet treatment and thermal annealing, were evaluated, with thermal annealing proving more effective in enhancing crystallinity and radiation shielding. Tests on large-area modules demonstrated a 2.37% degradation in power conversion efficiency for the AZO-coated glass after electron irradiation, compared to a 4.18% reduction for bare quartz. The AZO films were deposited using a spray-coating method suitable for large-area processing, supporting future mass production for space PV modules.