Antiphase boundaries in GaAs/Ge solar cells

The interfacial recombination velocity parameter was measured for many antiphase boundaries (APBs) in GaAs/Ge solar cells using the Donolato theory for the EBIC contrast. The values covered a wide range. Low temperature cathodoluminescence imaging and spectral results are also reported. The APBs occured only in narrow bands round the wafer periphery. Cross-sectional TEM showed many small antiphase domains at the interface were soon grown over except in these bands, where some APBs extended up through the GaAs layer. These results are discussed.