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Abstract Light beam induced current (LBIC) measurement is performed by illuminating small spots throughout
the whole solar cell area, while measuring the photo-induced current. Results are presented as a map of local
performance distribution of the cell and provide information about various defects, which compromise the overall
cell performance.
The construction of the LBIC apparatus and measuring methodology are explained. Measurement results of two
different solar cells and two mini-modules are presented and discussed. Polycrystalline silicon solar cell local
efficiency map clearly shows crystal boundaries while results for dye-sensitized solar cell indentify local
imperfections and inhomogeneities of hand-made TiO2 layers. LBIC results of PV modules show differences
between performance of cells connected in series in polycrystalline silicon mini-module whereas in the case of the
amorphous silicon PV module an important role of the TCO resistance and the effect of built-in resistance between
the adjacent bottom TCO layers in the monolithic contact are revealed.
269
45th International Conference on Microelectronics, Devices and Materials
& The Workshop on Advanced Photovoltaic Devices and Technologies
9 11 September 2009, Postojna, Slovenia
270
45th International Conference on Microelectronics, Devices and Materials
& The Workshop on Advanced Photovoltaic Devices and Technologies
9 11 September 2009, Postojna, Slovenia
The application features a modular design. Each reveals that the axes of the collimator, the z-axis
computer controlled component of the setup translation stage and the lens are not sufficiently
communicates with its own software module. This aligned. Further improvements are necessary and are
design approach allows simple setup modifications. already under way. The collimator is being replaced
At the start-up, the application initializes all the with an adjustable one and the focusing lens is being
modules and sets all the positioning stages in their mounted onto a z-axis translation stage via 6-axis
home position. In order to keep the spot size the same adjustable mount. This will allow us to adjust the
throughout the whole specimen area, the exact collimator and the lens mount precisely, so we can
position of specimen plane has to be defined. This ensure accurate optical axis alignment and reach a
allows correction of the focusing lens position during diffraction limited performance of the optical system
the measurement and keeps the spot size constant. and a smaller spot size.
Beam diameter is measured with a knife-edge
technique [10]. Light beam is focused onto a photo-
detector. The response current is measured while the
knife blocks the beam in small steps. The distance
between the positions with 10 % and 90 % of the
maximal response current value is defined as a beam
width. Instead of the actual knife, a contact finger, a
sharp cell edge or a defect can be used to block the
beam, thus measuring the beam width exactly on the
surface plane of the specimen. The beam diameter
has to be approximately the same as the measurement
step in order to uniformly cover the whole cell area.
1 D and 2 D measurement methods are Figure 4: Beam width vs. lens position.
implemented. The results of the first one are
presented as a magnitude vs. position graph, while 3.2. Microcrystalline solar cell
the results of the second one are presented on a y vs. The first measurement was carried out over the
x graph where the magnitude is presented either on whole area of microcrystalline silicon (Si) solar cell
the z axis or in a colour intensity scale. (100 mm by 52 mm). For that we chose a resolution
To enable repeatability of the measurements and to of 500 m, which resulted in 20,800 measurement
allow for additional calculations, measured values are points. The results are shown in Fig. 5.
stored raw together with all the configuration Typical structure of the solar cell with metal
parameters. contact fingers is observed. The horizontal contact
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION fingers are not perfectly aligned with the scanning
x-axis, therefore aliasing effect is noticeable along
3.1. Beam focusing, spot size them. The boundaries between adjacent crystals with
With this equipment we achieved the minimal spot lower performance in short-circuit current are clearly
width of 27 m, as shown in Fig. 3. seen, and differences in efficiency between crystals
are also evident. The zero current area at the bottom
is not the defect, but a shadow of measuring
equipment. There is another defect visible at
(x = 138000 m, y = 20000 m) which cannot be
attributed to a single crystal or optical defect.
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45th International Conference on Microelectronics, Devices and Materials
& The Workshop on Advanced Photovoltaic Devices and Technologies
9 11 September 2009, Postojna, Slovenia
3.3. Dye-sensitized solar cell lower cell in Fig. 7 with positive response was
directly connected into the measuring circuit, as
A measurement of a small 55 mm2 dye-sensitized
marked with (1) in Fig. 8. Surprisingly, the upper
solar cell was performed, where a 100 m resolution
cell, marked with (2) in Fig. 8, was not directly
was chosen. A cell that gave insufficient results was
connected into the measuring circuit, but nonetheless
chosen among a series of cells, fabricated in our
generated a response. This can be explained by the
laboratory [11].
nature of monolithic contact, as shown in Fig. 8. The
Results in Fig. 6 show large variations in local
resistances (3, 4) across the isolation cut (where the
performance distribution and even some almost dead
front TCO on glass substrate is removed) are low
areas. One of the reasons for such inhomogeneous
enough to provide an auxiliary path for the current
response lays in the hand-made production.
and the back TCO to front TCO resistance (5) is high
enough to form a current divider. Then, the current is
measured with a negative sign.
Figure 6: LBIC measurement results of the DSSC Figure 8: Schematic cross-section of three adjacent
(Relative response). cells.
3.4. Cell in amorphous silicon module The influence of the TCO and the contact resistance
One cell of the amorphous silicon module is evident in the results. On the top of the lower cell,
represents typical conventional thin-film solar cells. from x = 90000 m to x = 75000 m the contact to
Although one cell is only 5 mm long, a larger area of measuring wire supports good current collection and
16x35 mm2 was chosen for the scan, which included consequently good performance. Next 10 mm to the
a neighbouring cell as well. The cell was contacted left, the silver paste and the TCO collect the current,
via a layer of silver paste 25 mm long, but only the therefore the performance is decreasing. Further to
first 15 mm of the layer from the right side was the left, only TCO collects the current, but the
contacted by a measuring wire. This contact resistance is too high and the performance is very
configuration allows observation of how the contact poor.
quality influences cell performance. The measured 3.5. Crystalline mini module
area was scanned with a resolution of 500 m and the For observing the local efficiency measurement on
results are shown in Fig. 7. a module of cells connected in series the crystalline
silicon mini module combined of 8 cells was
measured with the resolution of 500 m. The results
on Fig. 9 clearly show all 8 cells. Single cell is
observed as a thick vertical bar of approximately the
same local efficiency; in addition, between the cells a
line of lower local efficiency is visible, because the
cells are not accurately positioned close to each
other. One might assume that the cell which generates
the biggest LBIC response contributes the most to the
overall module efficiency. However, because of the
Figure 7: LBIC measurement results of the cell in
influence of other cells connected in series, this is not
amorphous silicon module (Relative response).
necessarily true. Further measurements and
Interesting effects, caused by the monolithic contact simulations must be conducted to give the correct
structure, were noticed on the neighbouring cell. The interpretation of the results.
272
45th International Conference on Microelectronics, Devices and Materials
& The Workshop on Advanced Photovoltaic Devices and Technologies
9 11 September 2009, Postojna, Slovenia
References
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More work will be done on improving the setup and Efficiency Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Solar
on development of the simulation equipment, which Energy Materials & Solar Cells, vol. 93, pp. 379-
will help us to better understand the measurements. 381, 2009.
[12] I. L. Eisgruber, J. R. Sites, Extraction of
Acknowledgments Individual-Cell Photocurrents and Shunt
The development of this setup was funded by Resistances in Encapsulated Modules using
Slovenian Research Agency. The authors would like Large-Scale Laser Scanning, Progress in
to thank the DSSC team of LPVO for providing a Photovoltaics: Research and Application, vol. 4,
DSSC solar cell for measurements. pp. 63-75, 1996.
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