Diffusion lengths of silicon solar cells from luminescence images

Journal Article · Fri Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 2007 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2749201· OSTI ID:20979437

Wuerfel, P; Trupke, T; Puzzer, T; Schaeffer, E; Warta, W; Glunz, S W ^[1]

---

1. Centre of Excellence for Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia)

A method for spatially resolved measurement of the minority carrier diffusion length in silicon wafers and in silicon solar cells is introduced. The method, which is based on measuring the ratio of two luminescence images taken with two different spectral filters, is applicable, in principle, to both photoluminescence and electroluminescence measurements and is demonstrated experimentally by electroluminescence measurements on a multicrystalline silicon solar cell. Good agreement is observed with the diffusion length distribution obtained from a spectrally resolved light beam induced current map. In contrast to the determination of diffusion lengths from one single luminescence image, the method proposed here gives absolute values of the diffusion length and, in comparison, it is much less sensitive to lateral voltage variations across the cell area as caused by local variations of the series resistance. It is also shown that measuring the ratio of two luminescence images allows distinguishing shunts or surface defects from bulk defects.

• OSTI ID: 20979437
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 101; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
CARRIER LIFETIME
CHARGE CARRIERS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DIFFUSION LENGTH
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTROLUMINESCENCE
IMAGES
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
VARIATIONS
VISIBLE RADIATION