Correlating Multicrystalline Silicon Defect Types Using Photoluminescence, Defect-band Emission, and Lock-in Thermography Imaging Techniques

A set of neighboring multicrystalline silicon wafers has been processed through different steps of solar cell manufacturing and then images were collected for characterization. The imaging techniques include band-to-band photoluminescence (PL), defect-band or subbandgap PL (subPL), and dark lock-in thermography (DLIT). Defect regions can be tracked from as-cut wafers throughout processing to the finished cells. The finished cell's defect regions detected by band-to-band PL imaging correlate well to diffusion length and quantum efficiency maps. The most detrimental defect regions, type A, also correlate well to reversebias breakdown areas as shown in DLIT images. These type A defect regions appear dark in band-to-band PL images, and have subPL emissions. The subPL of type A defects shows strong correlations to poor cell performance and high reverse breakdown at the starting wafer steps (as-cut and textured), but the subPL becomes relatively weak after antireflection coating (ARC) and on the finished cell. Type B defects are regions that have lower defect density but still show detrimental cell performance. After ARC, type B defects emit more intense subPL than type A regions; consequently, type B subPL also shows better correlation to cell performance at the starting wafer steps rather than at the ARC process step and in the finished cell.