skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Imaging, microscopic analysis, and modeling of a CdTe module degraded by heat and light

Journal Article · · Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  2. Bowling Green State Univ., KY (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Photoluminescence (PL), electroluminescence (EL), and dark lock-in thermography are collected during stressing of a CdTe module under one-Sun light at an elevated temperature of 100 degrees C. The PL imaging system is simple and economical. The PL images show differing degrees of degradation across the module and are less sensitive to effects of shunting and resistance that appear on the EL images. Regions of varying degradation are chosen based on avoiding pre-existing shunt defects. These regions are evaluated using time-of-flight secondary ion-mass spectrometry and Kelvin probe force microscopy. Reduced PL intensity correlates to increased Cu concentration at the front interface. Numerical modeling and measurements agree that the increased Cu concentration at the junction also correlates to a reduced space charge region.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1419630
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1496354
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5K00-70699
Journal Information:
Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 178, Issue C; ISSN 0927-0248
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 11 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Figures / Tables (7)

Fig. 1(p. 16)figure Fig. 1
Fig. 2(p. 17)figure Fig. 2
Fig. 3(p. 18)figure Fig. 3
Fig. 4(p. 19)figure Fig. 4
Fig. 5(p. 20)figure Fig. 5
Fig. 6(p. 21)figure Fig. 6
Fig. 7(p. 22)figure Fig. 7

Similar Records

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
accelerated aging
cadmium telluride
imaging
microscopy
modeling
photoluminescence