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Methods for formulating and depositing a sol-gel coating onto a surface of a solar cell to provide improved radiation damage resistance. The sol-gel contains a solvent, alkoxyzirconium and an organosilane, with an organic acid catalyst and optionally a surfactant. The sol-gel coating can be deposite

Methods for formulating and depositing a sol-gel coating onto a surface of a solar cell to provide improved radiation damage resistance. The sol-gel contains a solvent, alkoxyzirconium and an organosilane, with an organic acid catalyst and optionally a surfactant. The sol-gel coating can be deposited by spraying and the sol-gel coating is cured. The invention reduces manufacturing steps and overall weight of the solar cell array.

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1. A method for improving radiation damage resistance of a solar cell comprising:providing a solvent;introducing into said solvent an organosilane, alkoxide, wherein the ratio of alkoxide to organosilane is about 2 parts by volume organosilane to about 1 part by volume alkoxide, and a catalyst to fo

1. A method for improving radiation damage resistance of a solar cell comprising:providing a solvent;introducing into said solvent an organosilane, alkoxide, wherein the ratio of alkoxide to organosilane is about 2 parts by volume organosilane to about 1 part by volume alkoxide, and a catalyst to form a mixture;introducing cerium into said solvent, said cerium being in a water soluble form;processing said mixture to provide an aqueous sol-gel solution;concentrating said solution to form a sol-gel coating;providing a solar cell having at least one surface;depositing said sol-gel coating onto a surface of the solar cell; andcuring said sol-gel coating on the surface of the solar cell. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the solvent is deionized water. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the organosilane comprises 3-glycidoxypropytrimethoxysilane. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyst comprises acetic acid. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing a surfactant into said solvent. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said cerium is introduced in a form chosen from the group consisting of cerium oxide, cerium acetate, cerium acetylacetonate, cerium 2-ethylhexonate, cerium hydroxide, cerium nitrate, cerium oxalate, cerium stearate, and cerium trifluoroacetylacetonate and mixtures thereof. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing into said solvent indium tin oxide. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein concentrating said solution comprises evaporating said solvent out of the solution. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the concentrating of the sol-gel solution provides a sol-gel coating having about 30% weight concentration of the sol-gel solution. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of filtering said sol-gel coating. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein filtering of said sol-gel coating is by vacuum filtering. 12. A solar cell made by the method of claim 1. 13. The solar cell of claim 12, wherein said surface of said solar cell comprises a semi-conductive material. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing said sol-gel coating comprises spraying said sol-gel coating onto said surface of said solar cell to form said coating. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing said sol-gel coating comprises spraying said sol-gel coating with a high volume low-pressure spray. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein said sol-gel coating measures about 1 to about 10 mils in thickness. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the solar cell comprises gallium arsenide. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the solar cell comprises silicon. 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the solar cell comprises gallium arsenide and germanium. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the solar cell comprises indium gallium and gallium arsenide. 21. A method for improving radiation damage resistance of a solar cell comprising:providing a solvent;introducing into said solvent an organosilane, alkoxide, wherein the ratio of alkoxide to organosilane is about 2 parts by volume organosilane to about 1 part by volume alkoxide, and a catalyst to form a mixture;introducing indium tin oxide into said solvent;processing said mixture to provide an aqueous sol-gel solution;concentrating said solution to form a sol-gel coating;providing a solar cell having at least one surface;depositing said sol-gel coating onto a surface of the solar cell; andcuring said sol-gel coating on the surface of the solar cell. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the solvent is deionized water. 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the organosilane comprises 3-glycidoxypropytrimethoxysilane. 24. The method of claim 21, wherein the catalyst comprises acetic acid. 25. The method of claim 21, further comprising introducing a surfactant into said solvent. 26. The method of claim 21, further comprising introducing cerium into said solvent, said cerium being in a water soluble form. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein said cerium is introduced in a form chosen from the group consisting of cerium oxide, cerium acetate, cerium acetylacetonate, cerium 2-ethylhexonate, cerium hydroxide, cerium nitrate, cerium oxalate, cerium stearate, and cerium trifluoroacetylacetonate and mixtures thereof. 28. The method of claim 21, wherein concentrating said solution comprises evaporating said solvent out of the solution. 29. The method of claim 21, wherein the concentrating of the sol-gel solution provides a sol-gel coating about 30% weight concentration of the sol-gel solution. 30. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of filtering said sol-gel coating. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein filtering of said sol-gel coating is by vacuum filtering. 32. A solar cell made by the method of claim 21. 33. The solar cell of claim 32, wherein said surface of said solar cell comprises a semi-conductive material. 34. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of depositing said sol-gel coating comprises spraying said sol-gel coating onto said surface of said solar cell to form said coating. 35. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of depositing said sol-gel coating comprises spraying said sol-gel coating with a high volume low-pressure spray. 36. The method of claim 21, wherein said sol-gel coating measures about 1 to about 10 mils in thickness. 37. The method of claim 21, wherein the solar cell comprises gallium arsenide. 38. The method of claim 21, wherein the solar cell comprises silicon. 39. The method of claim 21, wherein the solar cell comprises gallium arsenide germanium. 40. The method of claim 21, wherein the solar cell comprises indium gallium and gallium arsenide.