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

Title: System for characterizing semiconductor materials and photovoltaic devices through calibration

Abstract

A method and apparatus for measuring characteristics of a piece of material, typically semiconductor materials including photovoltaic devices. The characteristics may include dislocation defect density, grain boundaries, reflectance, external LBIC, internal LBIC, and minority carrier diffusion length. The apparatus includes a light source, an integrating sphere, and a detector communicating with a computer. The measurement or calculation of the characteristics is calibrated to provide accurate, absolute values. The calibration is performed by substituting a standard sample for the piece of material, the sample having a known quantity of one or more of the relevant characteristics. The quantity measured by the system of the relevant characteristic is compared to the known quantity and a calibration constant is created thereby.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [3]
  1. Denver, CO
  2. Arvada, CO
  3. Littleton, CO
  4. Golden, CO
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
871581
Patent Number(s):
US 5757474
Assignee:
Midwest Research Institute (Kansas City, MO)
DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-83CH10093
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
characterizing; semiconductor; materials; photovoltaic; devices; calibration; method; apparatus; measuring; characteristics; piece; material; typically; including; dislocation; defect; density; grain; boundaries; reflectance; external; lbic; internal; minority; carrier; diffusion; length; light; source; integrating; sphere; detector; communicating; computer; measurement; calculation; calibrated; provide; accurate; absolute; values; performed; substituting; standard; sample; quantity; relevant; measured; characteristic; compared; constant; created; carrier diffusion; photovoltaic devices; diffusion length; grain boundaries; semiconductor materials; light source; semiconductor material; photovoltaic device; minority carrier; materials including; absolute value; provide accurate; integrating sphere; characterizing semiconductor; /356/

Citation Formats

Sopori, Bhushan L, Allen, Larry C, Marshall, Craig, Murphy, Robert C, and Marshall, Todd. System for characterizing semiconductor materials and photovoltaic devices through calibration. United States: N. p., 1998. Web.
Sopori, Bhushan L, Allen, Larry C, Marshall, Craig, Murphy, Robert C, & Marshall, Todd. System for characterizing semiconductor materials and photovoltaic devices through calibration. United States.
Sopori, Bhushan L, Allen, Larry C, Marshall, Craig, Murphy, Robert C, and Marshall, Todd. 1998. "System for characterizing semiconductor materials and photovoltaic devices through calibration". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/871581.
@article{osti_871581,
title = {System for characterizing semiconductor materials and photovoltaic devices through calibration},
author = {Sopori, Bhushan L and Allen, Larry C and Marshall, Craig and Murphy, Robert C and Marshall, Todd},
abstractNote = {A method and apparatus for measuring characteristics of a piece of material, typically semiconductor materials including photovoltaic devices. The characteristics may include dislocation defect density, grain boundaries, reflectance, external LBIC, internal LBIC, and minority carrier diffusion length. The apparatus includes a light source, an integrating sphere, and a detector communicating with a computer. The measurement or calculation of the characteristics is calibrated to provide accurate, absolute values. The calibration is performed by substituting a standard sample for the piece of material, the sample having a known quantity of one or more of the relevant characteristics. The quantity measured by the system of the relevant characteristic is compared to the known quantity and a calibration constant is created thereby.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/871581}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue May 26 00:00:00 EDT 1998},
month = {Tue May 26 00:00:00 EDT 1998}
}

Works referenced in this record:

A New Defect Etch for Polycrystalline Silicon
journal, January 1984


Use of optical scattering to characterize dislocations in semiconductors
journal, January 1988