Mapping the Local Photoelectronic Properties of Polycrystalline Solar Cells Through High Resolution Laser-Beam-Induced Current Microscopy

To boost the efficiency of thin-film polycrystalline solar cells that are microscopically inhomogeneous, it is imperative to understand how the grain interiors (GIs) and grain boundaries (GBs) within these materials affect its overall electronic properties. By using an apertured near-field scanning optical microscope in an illumination mode, we determined the local photocurrent that is generated within the GIs and at the GBs with nanoscale resolution and correlate the results with surface morphology and composition.