SolAero Technologies Corp.

A method of fabricating a space vehicle including a solar cell array panel, the method comprising: providing a plurality of multijunction solar cells; dispensing an uncured silicone coaling on each of the solar cells using an automated process with visual recognition; picking a cover glass from a cartridge stack and mounting the cover glass over the discrete respective solar cell to form a discrete Cell-Interconnect-Cover Glass (CIC) assembly; curing the silicone coating on each of the solar cells to mount it to the panel; and mounting the panel on the space vehicle.

A multijunction solar cell including an upper first solar subcell having an emitter and base layers forming a photoelectric junction; a second solar subcell disposed under and adjacent to the upper first solar subcell, and having an emitter and base layers forming a photoelectric junction; and a third solar subcell disposed under and adjacent to the second solar subcell and having an emitter and base layers forming a photoelectric junction; wherein at least one of the base and emitter layers of at least a particular solar subcell from among the upper first solar subcell, the second solar subcell, and the third solar subcell has a graded band gap throughout at least a portion of thickness of its active layer adjacent to the photoelectric junction and being in a range of 20 to 300 MeV less than a band gap in the active layer in both the emitter layer and the base layer spaced away from the photoelectric junction.

A multijunction solar cell including an upper first solar subcell having an emitter and base layers forming a photoelectric junction; a second solar subcell disposed under and adjacent to the upper first solar subcell, and having an emitter and base layers forming a photoelectric junction; and a third solar subcell disposed under and adjacent to the second solar subcell and having an emitter and base layers forming a photoelectric junction; wherein at least one of the base and emitter layers of at least a particular solar subcell from among the upper first solar subcell, the second solar subcell, and the third solar subcell has a graded band gap throughout at least a portion of thickness of its active layer adjacent to the photoelectric junction and being in a range of 20 to 300 MeV greater than a band gap in the active layer in both the emitter layer and the base layer spaced away from the photoelectric junction.

A method of fabricating a four junction solar cell by identifying the composition and band gaps of the upper first, second and third subcells that maximizes the efficiency of the solar cell at a predetermined time after initial deployment by simulation; fabricating one or more four-junction test solar cells in accordance with the identified composition and band gaps of the upper first, second and third subcells; performing one or more optical or electrical tests on the fabricated one or more four-junction test solar cells; based on results of the tests, determining one or more properties of at least one of the upper first, second or third subcells to be modified in subsequent fabrication of four-junction solar cells, including the band gap, doping level and profile, and thickness of each of the subcell layers; and fabricating a further four-junction solar cell in accordance with the modified properties of at least one of the upper first, second or third subcells to optimize the efficiency of the solar cell at the predetermined time.

A method of fabricating a solar cell array module or panel comprising providing a support, providing a face sheet having a top side and an opposite bottom side, mounting the bottom side of the face sheet on the support, dispensing an adhesive on a plurality of discrete predefined regions on the top side of the face sheet where a string of solar cell assemblies is to be mounted using an automated process, positioning and mounting an interconnected string of solar cell assemblies on the adhesive regions on the top side of the face sheet using machine vision, and applying heat or pressure to bond the interconnected string of solar cell assemblies to the adhesive regions on the top side of the face sheet.

A method of fabricating a solar cell array module or panel comprising providing a support, providing a face sheet having a top side and an opposite bottom side, mounting the bottom side of the face sheet on the support, dispensing an adhesive on a plurality of discrete predefined regions on the top side of the face sheet where a string of solar cell assemblies is to be mounted using an automated process, positioning and mounting an interconnected string of solar cell assemblies on the adhesive regions on the top side of the face sheet using machine vision, and applying heat or pressure to bond the interconnected string of solar cell assemblies to the adhesive regions on the top side of the face sheet.

A multijunction solar cell including an upper first solar subcell having an emitter and base layers forming a photoelectric junction; a second solar subcell disposed under and adjacent to the upper first solar subcell, and having an emitter and base layers forming a photoelectric junction; and a third solar subcell disposed under and adjacent to the second solar subcell and having an emitter and base layers forming a photoelectric junction; wherein at least one of the base and emitter layers of at least a particular solar subcell from among the upper first solar subcell, the second solar subcell, and the third solar subcell has a graded band gap throughout at least a portion of thickness of its active layer adjacent to the photoelectric junction and being in a range of 20 to 300 MeV greater than a band gap in the active layer in both the emitter layer and the base layer spaced away from the photoelectric junction.

A multijunction solar cell including an upper first solar subcell having a first band gap and positioned for receiving an incoming light beam; and a second solar subcell disposed below and adjacent to and lattice matched with said upper first solar subcell, and having a second band gap smaller than said first band gap; wherein at least one of the solar subcells has a graded band gap throughout the thickness of at least a portion of its emitter layer and base layer.

A plurality of space vehicles forming a satellite constellation, each space vehicle comprising a housing having a first side and an opposite side, and an axis; a first elongated, rectangular sheet including an array of transducer devices including multijunction solar cells mounted on, and extending from a surface of the first side of the housing, and a second elongated rectangular sheet including an array of transducer devices including multijunction solar cells mounted on and extending from a surface of the second side of the housing in a direction opposite to that of the first elongated rectangular sheet, wherein the selection of the composition of the subcells and their band gap of the multijunction solar cells maximizes the efficiency of the solar cell at the end-of-life EOL in the application of one of (i) a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite that typically experiences radiation equivalent to 5×10 14 electron fluence per square centimeter (“e/cm 2 ”) over a five year EOL, or (ii) a geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) satellite that typically experiences radiation in the range of 5×10 14 e/cm 2 to 1×10 15 e/cm 2 over a fifteen year EOL, with the efficiency of the multijunction solar cells being less at the beginning-of-life (BOL) than the end-of-life (EOL).

A method of fabricating four junction solar cell wherein the selection of the composition of the subcells and their band gaps maximizes the efficiency at high temperature (in the range of 50 to 100 degrees Centigrade) in deployment in space at a specific predetermined time after initial deployment (referred to as the beginning of life or BOL), such predetermined time being referred to as the end-of-life (EOL), and being at least five years after the BOL, such selection being designed not to maximize the efficiency at BOL but to increase the solar cell efficiency at the EOL while disregarding the solar cell efficiency achieved at the BOL, such that the solar cell efficiency designed at the BOL is less than the solar cell efficiency at the BOL that would be achieved if the selection were designed to maximize the solar cell efficiency at the BOL.