High-Efficiency, Radiation-Hard, Lightweight IMM Solar Cells

In the proposed Phase II project, MicroLink and its collaborator, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), will incorporate quantum dots (QDs) in the GaAs and InGaAs subcells of an InGaP/GaAs/InGaAs triple-junction solar cell to increase the radiation tolerance and thereby improve the end-of-life performance of the solar cell by >5%. The quantum dot solar cell will be grown in an inverted metamorphic (IMM) format on GaAs and will be compatible with MicroLink's epitaxial lift-off (ELO) process. The resulting solar cells will be lightweight, flexible, and radiation tolerant. Mechanically, they will resemble a sheet of thin metal foil. Innovative light management techniques such as reflective metal back contact and silver nanoparticle-enhanced reflectivity will be employed to increase absorption in the solar cell

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.