Thin-film solar cells have the potential to significantly decrease cost of photovoltaics. Light trapping is particularly critical in such thin-film crystalline silicon order increase light absorption and hence cell efficiency. In this article we investigate suitability localized surface plasmons on silver nanoparticles for enhancing absorbance cells. We find that can spectral response over almost entire spectrum. At wavelengths close band gap Si observe a significant enhancement both...

One of the major loss mechanisms leading to low energy conversion efficiencies solar cells is thermalization charge carriers generated by absorption high-energy photons. These losses can largely be reduced in a cell if more than one electron–hole pair per incident photon. A method realize multiple generation photon proposed this article. Incident photons with energies larger twice band gap are absorbed luminescence converter, which transforms them into two or lower The theoretical efficiency...

A system for solar energy conversion using the up-conversion of sub-band-gap photons to increase maximum efficiency a single-junction conventional, bifacial cell is discussed. An up-converter located behind and absorbs transmitted via sequential ground state absorption/excited absorption processes in three-level system. This generates an excited from which are emitted subsequently absorbed generate electron-hole pairs. The this radiative limit calculated different geometries illumination...

Erbium-doped sodium yttrium fluoride (NaYF4:Er3+) up-conversion phosphors were attached to the rear of a bifacial silicon solar cell enhance its reponsivity in near-infrared. The incident wavelength and light intensity varied resulting short circuit current was measured. A close match between spectral features external quantum efficiency phosphor absorption is consistent with energy transfer process. peak measured be (2.5±0.2)% under 5.1 mW laser excitation at 1523 nm, corresponding an internal 3.8%.

Photoluminescence imaging is demonstrated to be an extremely fast spatially resolved characterization technique for large silicon wafers. The spatial variation of the effective minority carrier lifetime measured without being affected by trapping or excess carriers in space charge regions, effects that lead experimental artifacts other techniques. contactless and can therefore used process monitoring before after individual processing stages, example, photovoltaics research. also enough as...

A method for spatially resolved measurement of the minority carrier diffusion length in silicon wafers and solar cells is introduced. The method, which based on measuring ratio two luminescence images taken with different spectral filters, applicable, principle, to both photoluminescence electroluminescence measurements demonstrated experimentally by a multicrystalline cell. Good agreement observed distribution obtained from spectrally light beam induced current map. In contrast...

The radiative recombination coefficient B(T) of intrinsic crystalline silicon is determined as a function temperature over the range 77–300 K. We observe that decreases and we compare our results to previously published contradictory data from literature. calculated absorption for band-to-band transitions, which determine at different temperatures photoluminescence spectra measured on planar high resistivity float zone wafers. Photoluminescence could be detected large more than five orders...

Excitation of surface plasmons on metallic nanoparticles has potential for increasing the absorption and emission from thin Si devices. We report an eight-fold enhancement in electroluminescence silicon-on-insulator light-emitting diodes at 900nm via excitation plasmon resonance silver nanoparticles, along with a redshift by 70nm overcoating ZnS. The is due to coupling between electromagnetic excitations waveguide modes.

The fast determination of the spatially resolved series resistance silicon solar cells from luminescence images is demonstrated. Strong lateral variation determined taken on an industrial screen printed cell confirmed qualitatively by a Corescan measurement and quantitatively comparison with total obtained terminal characteristics cell. Compared to existing techniques that measure resistance, imaging has advantage it nondestructive orders magnitude faster.

Imaging the band-to-band photoluminescence of silicon wafers is known to provide rapid and high-resolution images carrier lifetime. Here, we show that such images, taken before after dissociation iron-boron pairs, allow an accurate image interstitial iron concentration across a boron-doped p-type wafer be generated. Such can obtained more rapidly than with existing point-by-point mapping techniques. However, because technique best used at moderate illumination intensities, it important adopt...

Photoluminescence (PL) imaging is a versatile technique for the characterisation of silicon samples across almost entire photovoltaic (PV) value chain. Within only few years after first demonstration PL on large-area wafers at University New South Wales in 2005, this measurement principle has quickly evolved into standard method process monitoring R&D and now being used most PV research institutes leading wafer solar cell manufacturers. The part paper provides brief overview discusses some...

A technique for fast and spatially resolved measurement of the effective series resistance silicon solar cells from luminescence images is introduced. Without compromising speed existing based imaging methods, this method offers significant advantages in that it more robust against variations local diode characteristics. Lateral an industrial screen printed multicrystalline cell obtained show excellent correlation with a Corescan are also shown to be unaffected by lateral properties.

Abstract To operate photovoltaic power plants at maximum capacity, it is desirable to identify cell or module failures in the field earliest possible stage. Currently used inspection methods cannot detect many of electronic defects that can be revealed with luminescence‐based techniques. In this work, photoluminescence images are acquired using sun as sole illumination source by separating weak luminescence signal from much stronger ambient sunlight signal. This done an appropriate choice...

Due to its indirect bandstructure, bulk crystalline silicon is generally regarded as a poor light emitter. In contrast this common perception, we report here on surprisingly large external photoluminescence quantum efficiencies of textured wafers up 10.2% at T=130 K and 6.1% room temperature. Using theoretical model calculate the escape probability for internally generated photons, can conclude from these experimental figures that radiative recombination or internal luminescence efficiency...

Abstract Recently electroluminescence (EL) and photoluminescence (PL) imaging were reported to allow detection of strong ohmic shunts in silicon solar cells. Comparing lock‐in thermography (LIT) images with luminescence various shunted cells, measured under different conditions, the ability techniques for shunt is investigated. Luminescence allows identifying only if they reach a certain strength. The limit PL measurements linear was estimated be order 15 mA at 0·5 V bias point‐like...

An experimental method is introduced by which relative photoluminescence or photoconductance signals can be converted into an absolute excess carrier concentration. This demonstrated comparison of self-consistently calibrated quasi-steady-state measurements with transient and on silicon samples. The simplifies lifetime the recently Suns-photoluminescence technique as it allows these techniques to used in a self-contained way, without previous requirement for separate calibration. Important...

Abstract Luminescence imaging is a non‐destructive, fast, and versatile method for spatially resolved solar cell material characterization. In this paper, we investigate its ability to detect shunts on silicon cells. We give detailed description of the relation between local junction voltage luminescence signal. This important because drain majority currents causing drops across surrounding series resistances that way affect images. To effects related currents, describe apply simulation...

Abstract Fast camera‐based luminescence‐imaging measurements on perovskite solar cells are presented. The fundamental correlation between the luminescence intensity and open circuit voltage predicted by generalised Planck law is confirmed, enabling various quantitative methods for detection of efficiency‐limiting defects to be applied this new cell structure. Interstinegly, it found that valid only light‐soaked devices. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The radiative recombination coefficient B in crystalline bulk silicon is enhanced by the Coulomb attraction between electrons and holes. This effect weakened at high carrier densities due to screening. We measure resulting dependence of on free-carrier density (i) reinterpreting published data (ii) with photoluminescence photovoltaic measurements. calculate enhancement determining electron-hole pair correlation function zero interparticle distance, assuming a Debye interaction potential....

In good silicon solar cells, the separation of quasi-Fermi energies Δη in bulk is equivalent to cell voltage. Photoluminescence used measure both bifacial cells and partly processed cells. The are demonstrate that simultaneous measurement photoluminescence signal variable incident light intensity yields pseudo current-voltage characteristics, Suns-open circuit voltage (VOC) measurements, but contactless mode. applicability this method unfinished without need for a structure, demonstrated on...

The excess carrier density at which the lifetime in crystalline silicon remains unchanged after dissociating iron-boron pairs, known as crossover point, is reported a function of boron dopant concentration. Modeling this doping dependence with Shockley-Read-Hall model does not require knowledge iron concentration and suggests possible refinement values capture cross sections for electrons holes acceptor level pairs. In addition, photoluminescence-based measurements were found to offer some...

Photoluminescence and photoconductance lifetime measurements on multicrystalline silicon wafers are presented. It is demonstrated experimentally that the large overestimation of at low carrier concentrations due to trapping observed in not found photoluminescence data. This explained theoretically by dependence product sum, respectively, minority majority densities. Based this analysis, it shown significantly affected most practical cases while implied current-voltage curves obtained from...

Two methods for spatially resolved measurement of the bulk minority carrier lifetime on side faces block cast silicon bricks, both based photoluminescence imaging, are presented. The first method uses a single image which is normalized variations in background doping density. second ratio two images taken with different spectral filters front CCD camera. This advantageous over since it not dependent an absolute luminescence intensity and does require separate resistivity measurement. It...