Effect of non-uniformity of the electric potential within crystalline Si bare cells and correction of I-V curves for measurement error

The effects of non-uniformity of the electric potential on the front and rear surfaces of crystalline silicon (c-Si) bare cells on the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics are investigated. During I-V measurement, c-Si bare cells have a surface distribution of electric potential that can significantly influence the fill factor and maximum power. The potential distribution is sensitively dependent on the configuration of the current and the voltage probes of the sample stage used for measurement. We demonstrate an experimental procedure to correct the measured I-V curves with respect to the potential distribution.