Solar Cells, 2nd Edition

Chapter IIA-1

Characterization and Diagnosis of Silicon Wafers, Ingots, and Solar Cells

Andrés Cuevas^a, Daniel Macdonald^a and Ronald A. Sinton^b

^aSchool of Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200

^bSinton Instruments, Boulder, CO, USA

Chapter Outline

1. Introduction

2. Factors Affecting Carrier Recombination

3. Measurement of the Minority-Carrier Lifetime

3.1. Lifetime-Testing Methods

3.2. Interpretation of Effective Lifetime Measurements

3.2.1. Surface Recombination Velocity

3.2.2. Emitter Saturation Current Density

3.3. Lifetime Measurements in Silicon Ingots

3.4. Lifetime Instabilities and Measurement Artifacts

3.4.1. Lifetime Changes in Boron-Doped CZ Silicon and Iron-Contaminated Silicon

3.4.2. High Apparent Lifetime ...