Photoluminescence-based quality control for thin film absorber layers of photovoltaic devices
Abstract
A time-resolved photoluminescence-based system providing quality control during manufacture of thin film absorber layers for photovoltaic devices. The system includes a laser generating excitation beams and an optical fiber with an end used both for directing each excitation beam onto a thin film absorber layer and for collecting photoluminescence from the absorber layer. The system includes a processor determining a quality control parameter such as minority carrier lifetime of the thin film absorber layer based on the collected photoluminescence. In some implementations, the laser is a low power, pulsed diode laser having photon energy at least great enough to excite electron hole pairs in the thin film absorber layer. The scattered light may be filterable from the collected photoluminescence, and the system may include a dichroic beam splitter and a filter that transmit the photoluminescence and remove scattered laser light prior to delivery to a photodetector and a digital oscilloscope.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1190914
- Patent Number(s):
- 9075012
- Application Number:
- 13/673,581
- Assignee:
- Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC (Golden, CO)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01R - MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 2012 Nov 09
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS
Citation Formats
Repins, Ingrid L., and Kuciauskas, Darius. Photoluminescence-based quality control for thin film absorber layers of photovoltaic devices. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web.
Repins, Ingrid L., & Kuciauskas, Darius. Photoluminescence-based quality control for thin film absorber layers of photovoltaic devices. United States.
Repins, Ingrid L., and Kuciauskas, Darius. Tue .
"Photoluminescence-based quality control for thin film absorber layers of photovoltaic devices". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1190914.
@article{osti_1190914,
title = {Photoluminescence-based quality control for thin film absorber layers of photovoltaic devices},
author = {Repins, Ingrid L. and Kuciauskas, Darius},
abstractNote = {A time-resolved photoluminescence-based system providing quality control during manufacture of thin film absorber layers for photovoltaic devices. The system includes a laser generating excitation beams and an optical fiber with an end used both for directing each excitation beam onto a thin film absorber layer and for collecting photoluminescence from the absorber layer. The system includes a processor determining a quality control parameter such as minority carrier lifetime of the thin film absorber layer based on the collected photoluminescence. In some implementations, the laser is a low power, pulsed diode laser having photon energy at least great enough to excite electron hole pairs in the thin film absorber layer. The scattered light may be filterable from the collected photoluminescence, and the system may include a dichroic beam splitter and a filter that transmit the photoluminescence and remove scattered laser light prior to delivery to a photodetector and a digital oscilloscope.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2015},
month = {7}
}
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