Rapid Research Letter

Hot spots in multicrystalline silicon solar cells: avalanche breakdown due to etch pits

  1. J. Bauer1,*,
  2. J.-M. Wagner1,
  3. A. Lotnyk1,
  4. H. Blumtritt1,
  5. B. Lim2,
  6. J. Schmidt2,
  7. O. Breitenstein1

Article first published online: 12 DEC 2008

DOI: 10.1002/pssr.200802250

Issue

physica status solidi (RRL) - Rapid Research Letters

physica status solidi (RRL) - Rapid Research Letters

Volume 3, Issue 2-3, pages 40–42, March 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Bauer, J., Wagner, J.-M., Lotnyk, A., Blumtritt, H., Lim, B., Schmidt, J. and Breitenstein, O. (2009), Hot spots in multicrystalline silicon solar cells: avalanche breakdown due to etch pits. physica status solidi (RRL) - Rapid Research Letters, 3: 40–42. doi: 10.1002/pssr.200802250

Author Information

  1. 1

    Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik, Weinberg 2, 06120 Halle, Germany

  2. 2

    Institut für Solarenergieforschung Hameln/Emmerthal (ISFH), Am Ohrberg 1, 31860 Emmerthal, Germany

*Phone: +49-345-5582 979, Fax: +49-345-5511223

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 5 MAR 2009
  2. Article first published online: 12 DEC 2008
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 5 DEC 2008
  4. Manuscript Revised: 4 DEC 2008
  5. Manuscript Received: 17 NOV 2008

Funded by

  • German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU)
  • All industry partners within the research cluster SolarFocus (projects 0327650 C and D; ) [http://www.solarfocus.org]

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Keywords:

  • 61.72.Lk;
  • 68.37.Hk;
  • 68.37.Lp;
  • 77.22.Jp;
  • 84.60.Jt

Graphical Abstract

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Hot spots in solar cells limit their usability since they lead to the destruction of the module. In this Letter the authors present a combined lock-in thermography, lock-in electron-beam-induced current, scanning and transmission electron microscopy investigation revealing hot spots in acidic-textured multicrystalline Si cells as being due to etch pits.

Abstract

Multicrystalline silicon solar cells typically show hard breakdown beginning from about –13 V bias, which leads to the well-known hot-spot problem. Using special lock-in thermography techniques, hard breakdown has been found to occur in regions of avalanche multiplication. A systematic study of these regions by various electron microscopy techniques has shown that the avalanche breakdown occurs at cone-shaped holes, located at dislocations and caused by acidic texture etch. At their bottom, these etch pits lead to a strongly curved p–n junction exhibiting an electrostatic tip effect which quantitatively explains the field enhancement needed for enabling avalanche breakdown. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

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