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Series resistance imaging in solar cells by lock‐in thermography
Author(s) -
Breitenstein O.,
Rakotoniaina J. P.,
van der Heide A. S. H.,
Carstensen J.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/pip.623
Subject(s) - equivalent series resistance , thermography , series (stratigraphy) , common emitter , resistance (ecology) , computer science , materials science , optics , optoelectronics , electrical engineering , engineering , physics , geology , infrared , biology , voltage , paleontology , ecology
Two operation modes of lock‐in thermography are introduced to detect regions of high series resistance in solar cells. These are differential techniques, working in the dark and under illumination, where images taken under two different conditions are used to calculate an image, which is especially sensitive to series resistance variations. Though the series resistance cannot be measured quantitatively by these techniques, regions of increased emitter contact resistance can be reliably detected. A realistic electrothermal modelling of a series resistance defect in a solar cell with and without illumination is presented. The new thermographic techniques are compared with established techniques for series resistance imaging. Especially the technique working under illumination gives results that agree very well with those of other methods. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.