Why is photoluminescence measurement important for solar cells?

During the development of solar cells or in industrial production, it is desirable to know already the quality of the absorber alone. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements of the absorber can provide information about the open circuit voltage and the fill factor, which the absorber is able to produce when made into a solar cell.

Can luminescence mapping be used to characterize solar PV cells and modules?

When characterizing solar PV cells and modules, it might be useful to combine both EL and PL. Luminescence mapping can be used to determine the distribution of the most important solar cell parameters and identify loss mechanisms.

Can luminescence detect processing faults in high-efficiency solar cells?

Although these new solar cell architectures require a more complex manufacture, the use of the luminescence techniques to characterize these high-efficiency solar cells is rather straightforward, and there are already a few examples of the use of EL and PL to detect processing faults in these [ 46, 47, 48 ].

What is electroluminescence imaging in solar cells?

Recently, electroluminescence (EL) imaging technique has been developed, which can provide spatially resolved information about the optical, electrical, and material properties of the solar cells (Chen et al., 2015; Gerber et al., 2015, Li et al., 2012; Fuyuki and Kitiyanan, 2009 ).

How are luminescence measurements used in the PV industry?

Section 3 describes in detail how luminescence (photo- and electroluminescence) measurements are applied in the complete value chain of the PV industry, from ingot, to wafer, to device, to module, to complete infield systems. Section 4 briefly describes how luminescence is also relevant for emerging thin-film photovoltaic technologies.

How do breakdown mechanisms affect the performance of solar cells?

However, due to the lack of Si cell samples with different manufacturing processes, it is still unclear how these breakdown mechanisms affect the performance (such as short-circuit current density, fill factor, conversion efficiency, etc.) of solar cells respectively.