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Cover Picture: The role of stacking faults for the formation of shunts during potential‐induced degradation of crystalline Si solar cells (Phys. Status Solidi RRL 5/2013)
Author(s) -
Naumann Volker,
Lausch Dominik,
Graff Andreas,
Werner Martina,
Swatek Sina,
Bauer Jan,
Hähnel Angelika,
Breitenstein Otwin,
Großer Stephan,
Bagdahn Jörg,
Hagendorf Christian
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
physica status solidi (rrl) – rapid research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.786
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1862-6270
pISSN - 1862-6254
DOI - 10.1002/pssr.201390013
Subject(s) - stacking , pid controller , degradation (telecommunications) , crystalline silicon , monocrystalline silicon , materials science , silicon , shunting , optoelectronics , chemistry , electrical engineering , engineering , mechanical engineering , medicine , temperature control , organic chemistry
Potential‐induced degradation (PID) of photovoltaic solar modules gained a lot of interest during the last three years. Many PID‐affected modules based on crystalline silicon show intense shunting of the solar cells. In the past, character and origin of these PID‐shunts have not been clear. In the contribution by Naumann et al. ( see pp. 315–318 ) monocrystalline and multicrystalline silicon solar cells have been prepared with PID of the shunting type. In plan view, SEM using electron beam induced current and secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements reveal local PID‐shunts correlated with sodium accumulations. Detailed TEM investigations at cross sections of PID‐shunts reveal stacking faults in silicon decorated with sodium. It is concluded that the sodium decorated stacking faults provide paths with high conductivity across the p–n junction, thus leading to the observed shunting.