Infrared Camera-based Imaging Techniques for Solar-grade Silicon

A major challenge for the rapidly growing§photovoltaic market is the reduction of production§costs. Fast and reliable characterisation techniques§for base materials are one possibility. This book is§focused on both developing and investigating the§capabilities of infrared (IR) camera-based§characterisation techniques feasable of measuring the§efficiency limiting parameters of crystalline silicon§solar cell material. Three techniques are§investigated, which measure the IR emission of either§photogenerated or bias-induced free excess carriers§using lock-in thermography. The ILM technique§measures the spatially resolved lifetime of charge§carriers in solar-grade silicon. Based on our§improved setup lifetimes as short as 1µs are§measurable in only 1s. The ITM technique allows the§investigation of spatially distributed§minority-carrier trapping centres in silicon wafers,§whereas the ICM technique measures the spatially§resolved capacitance, which can be used to generate§mappings of the base-doping concentration of solar§cells. This book is addressed to researchers as well§as companies in the field of photovoltaics and other§bussinesses willingly to apply camera-based imaging§techniques.