Thin and Flexible Triple Junction Cells 30% Efficient: Qualification Results and Future Space Applications

InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple junction solar cells with AM0 efficiency class 30% are the baseline for all the space missions since 2010. Next spacecraft generations demand low cost power ($/W), more specific power (W/g) and bendable/flexible solar arrays. For these reasons, new solar cells, based on multi junction III-V architecture characterized by a reduced thickness to make them bendable and flexible, have been developed and qualified. The main advantage of the developed technology lies in the possibility to strongly decrease the thickness of the solar cell without altering the high efficiency, their space reliability and the manufacturing yield and cost. In this paper we will present the qualification results of triple junction solar cells named CTJ30-80, characterized by a reduced thickness of 80 um.