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Title: Temperature-Dependent Photoluminescence Imaging and Characterization of a Multi-Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Defect Area: Preprint

Conference ·

Photoluminescence (PL) imaging is used to detect areas in multi-crystalline silicon that appear dark in band-to-band imaging due to high recombination. Steady-state PL intensity can be correlated to effective minority-carrier lifetime, and its temperature dependence can provide additional lifetime-limiting defect information. An area of high defect density has been laser cut from amulti-crystalline silicon solar cell. Both band-to-band and defect-band PL imaging have been collected as a function of temperature from~85 to 350 K. Band-to-band luminescence is collected by an InGaAs camera using a 1200-nm short-pass filter, while defect band luminescence is collected using a 1350-nm long pass filter. The defect band luminescence is characterized by cathodo-luminescence.Small pieces from adjacent areas within the same wafer are measured by deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). DLTS detects a minority-carrier electron trap level with an activation energy of 0.45 eV on the sample that contained defects as seen by imaging.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1019167
Report Number(s):
NREL/CP-5200-50706; TRN: US201114%%655
Resource Relation:
Conference: Presented at the 37th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC 37), 19-24 June 2011, Seattle, Washington
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English