Local optical and electric characteristics of solar cells

Today photovoltaic cells are divided into two principal types: higher-efficiency but quite expensive crystalline silicon solar cells (either monocrystalline or multicrystalline), and lower-cost thin-film solar cells, usually composed of amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, or copper indium gallium diselenide. In both cases their operation is based on a large-area pn junction. Their efficiency is generally limited by defects and impurities, which include grain boundaries, dislocations, and transition metals. A wide variety of defects can be formed in a silicon crystals during and after their growth. Some of defects arise on cell surface during its life-time such as scratches. These surface damages are origin of lower light-trapping efficiency. Many of defects do not cause cell malfunction, but generate local microplasmas, which are conductive and hence reduce overall cell efficiency. A number of defects of various kinds, some of them being of local character only, can not be observed with classical methods in such large-area junctions. Therefore a use of more precise scanning probe microscopes represents a novel approach to surface investigations with superresolving features. The paper presents results of experimental study of high resolution map of induced photocurrent and local electroluminescence in monocrystalline silicon solar cells. Photovoltaic solar cells are evaluated by I-V electric measurement, Far-field and Near-field Optical Beam Induced photocurrent (NOBIC), as well as by Scanning Near-field Optical Microscope (SNOM) topography and reflection. The correlation between reflection and transport characteristics indicates power of this diagnostic tool.