Mechanical properties of multi-scale germanium specimens from space solar cells under electron irradiation

During long-term service in space, Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) solar cells are directly exposed to electron irradiation which usually causes a dramatic decrease in their performance. In the multilayer structure of solar cells, the germanium (Ge) layer occupies the majority of the thickness as the substrate. Due to the intrinsic brittleness of semiconductor material, there exist various defects during the preparation and assembly of solar cells, the influences of which tend to be intensified by the irradiation effect. In this work, first, Ge specimens for mechanical tests were prepared at scales from microscopic to macroscopic. Then, after different doses of electron irradiation, the mechanical properties of the Ge specimens were investigated. The experimental results demonstrate that electron irradiation has an obvious effect on the mechanical property variation of Ge in diverse scales. The four-point bending test indicates that the elastic modulus, fracture strength, and maximum displacement of the Ge specimens all increase, and reach the maximum value at the irradiation dose of 1 × 10¹⁵ e/cm². The micrometer scale cantilever and nanoindentation tests present similar trends for Ge specimens after irradiation. Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) also observed the change in surface roughness. Finally, a fitting model was established to characterize the relation between modulus change and electron irradiation dose.