Challenge PDF
Challenge PDF
Challenge PDF
Ronald A. Sinton, Adrienne L. Blum, Justin Dinger, Wes Dobson, Cassidy Sainsbury
and Harrison W. Wilterdink
Abstract — The most basic and important characterization of a an approach of relegating details of traceability and absolute
solar cell is the power output. Within industry, the I-V test is measurement accuracy to the calibration laboratory, resulting
perhaps the only detailed characterization that is uniformly in relatively simple procedures for production line assessment.
performed on 100% of the product. At calibration laboratories,
this is the basis for benchmarking R&D with efficiency records Results from an experiment demonstrating this principle are
and the source of traceability for a ~100B US$ industry. This paper described. Second, the opportunities for implementing device
compares and contrasts methodologies used in calibration physics models into the production testing in order to quickly
laboratories with production facilities. It will highlight optimize the production with root-cause identification of the
opportunities to optimize the information available in production power losses are presented. Third, the relevance of letter-grade
in order to best serve both the requirements of accurate nameplate
ratings and provide relevant information for process control and simulator ratings to this process are briefly discussed.
continuous improvement of the crystalline silicon production.
Specific topics will include minimizing uncertainties in reported
values and advanced characterization of the parameters relevant II. CALIBRATION LABORATORY VS. PRODUCTION TESTING
to full device physics models for root-cause identification of Table I illustrates some of the key uncertainties for traceable
process variation.
measurements of the power of a cell or module at standard test
Index Terms — silicon, measurement, photovoltaic cells,
capacitance. conditions (STC). Uncertainties come from several sources,
and include both systematic and random effects. For contrast,
consider a module production line, where traceability is
I. INTRODUCTION determined essentially by a transfer of measured power from a
Traditionally, cells are measured in production in order reference module to production modules. Systematic effects on
to rate them for efficiency and bin them in order to optimize the left-hand side of Table I may impact production line
module production. Modules are primarily rated for power, measurements; however, the systematic uncertainty associated
representing the value of the production. The framework for with each effect ratios out of the total as long as the effect is
these measurement procedures has often come from calibration identical for the reference module and production modules.
laboratories, with an emphasis on traceability of measurements. This condition is generally satisfied when the reference module
The uncertainty analysis for this process is very complex, as the same product as the production modules. In this case, the
shown in Table I. In contrast, solar cell R&D has developed production line uncertainty assessment is vastly simplified:
detailed characterization techniques based on device physics total uncertainty will depend primarily on the reference module
understanding. This differs from the traceability approach in uncertainty (treated as a systematic uncertainty by the
that the measurements use detailed device physics models that production line) and random uncertainties added at the factory
are specific to the material and device designs. The results can (which can be determined by reproducibility testing on site).
include a detailed model of the devices under test, instead of a This principle of ratioing out select uncertainties is well
simple report of current and voltage at one sun conditions. known, for example, with spectral mismatch effects. In the
This paper will present three related concepts. First, we calibration laboratory, there are uncertainties that must be
discuss methods for production line uncertainty analysis, with calculated based on the spectrum of the light source, the
TABLE I: CALIBRATION OF REFERENCE MODULE IN CALIBRATION LABORATORY VS. PRODUCTION POWER RATING
Reference Calibration Laboratory Production Line Power Rating
Irradiance accuracy and traceability (e.g., WPVS reference cell) Calibration module accuracy (from calibration laboratory)
Voltage accuracy and traceability Reproducibility of testing
Current accuracy and traceability
Temperature uniformity, accuracy, and traceability
Illumination non-uniformity
Spectrum measurement accuracy
EQE reference cell and EQE device under test
Reproducibility of testing
Fig. 5 (left) and Fig. 6 (right). Ideal limits for solar cell performance to allow for reference points for a power loss analysis. The “Ideal Limit”
curve is shown at left and the Suns-Voc ultimate limit curve is shown at right.