Comparison of luminescence imaging and illuminated lock-in thermography on silicon solar cells

Abstract

Spatially resolved electroluminescence (EL) and photoluminescence (PL) images of solar cells are compared to spatially resolved power loss images obtained by illuminated lock-in thermography (ILIT). A significant difference is shown for a solar cell with shunts, while series resistance and charge carrier recombination cause only minor differences in the images. The PL image of a solar cell with shunts appears highly blurred in the shunted region. The origin of this effect is discussed, and a circuit simulation with an appropriate solar cell model is performed. The authors conclude that the blurring of shunted regions is inherent in the method of EL/PL imaging and that ILIT is advantageous for localizing shunts.