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 reverse-bias 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.