A new confocal scanning laser MACROscope/Microscope applied to the characterization of solar cells

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:417729

Ribes, A C; Dixon, A E; Brodie, D E ^[1]; Duttagupta, S P; Fauchet, P M ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Waterloo, Ontario (Canada). Dept. of Physics
2. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Dept. of Electrical Engineering

Scanning stage microscopes have traditionally been used to provide high resolution, large area photocurrent mapping of solar cells and detectors. This imaging method, while very useful in the characterization and quality control of solar cells, is unfortunately slow (image acquisition takes several minutes). This paper describes a confocal scanning beam MACROscope-Microscope which can image specimens from 25 x 25 {micro}m up to 7.5 x 7.5 cm in size, a zoom factor of 3,000, using reflected light, photoluminescence, and optical beam induced current in less than 10s. Resolutions range from 0.25 to 10 {micro}m laterally and 0.5 to 300 {micro}m axially depending upon whether microscope of MACROscope mode is used. This instrument can therefore be used to characterize and provide quick and efficient quality control for solar cells and detectors at a microscopic and macroscopic level. A brief description of the MACROscope-Microscope is given. The MACROscope-Microscope`s many abilities are highlighted by showing various reflected-light, photoluminescence and optical beam induced current images from CdZnS/CuInSe{sub 2} thin film solar cells and porous silicon devices.

• OSTI ID: 417729
• Report Number(s): CONF-960401--; ISBN 1-55899-329-0
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
42 ENGINEERING
CADMIUM SULFIDES
COPPER SELENIDES
INDIUM SELENIDES
LASERS
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
QUALITY CONTROL
SI SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
SOLAR CELLS
SPECTRAL RESPONSE
ZINC SULFIDES