Application Solutions

13
EDUCATIONAL
LABORATORY SOLUTIONS

Photoresponse Mapping of Photovoltaic Cells

MATERIAL
CHARACTERIZATION

For a full description of the experiment, please see Application Note 40 on our website.

Accurate efficiency calculations

Photovoltaic prototyping
Process control
Detection of flaws, cracks,
inclusions

ULTRAFAST PULSE
CHARACTERIZATION

Applications

PV CELL CALIBRATION,
TESTING & CERTIFICATION

Newports Photoresponse Mapping Kit is designed to scan a photovoltaic cell up to

200 cm2 with a monochromatic beam of light and map the cells response to that light.
Various wavelengths can be employed, thus the contribution to photo current by the
cell at different depths can be probed. The kit comes with example software which
displays the photoresponse map as a 3D surface and as a contour plot. Researchers
developing a photovoltaic process can quickly learn important information about the
uniformity of response over the surface of the cell and visualize flows.

RAMAN
SPECTROSCOPY
BEAM
STABILIZATION

Schematic diagram of the set-up. P - polarizer, WP - _ wave plate, PD - photodiode, F - filter wheel,
M - turning mirror, L - focusing lens, BS - beamsplitter.

Measured EQE% of the various PV cells by

the Newport QE/IPCE Measurement Kit.
Vertical color lines correspond to wavelengths
of the lasers used in the experiment.

NONLINEAR
IMAGING
POWER AND ENERGY
CONTROL SOLUTIONS

The example software user interface is shown. A 16 mm x 16 mm scan

is shown.

Email: sales@newport.com Web: newport.com

PV METROLOGY
PRODUCTS

A picture of the PV cell scanner. XPS motion controller not shown.

BS - beamsplitter. P - polarizer, WP - _ wave plate, PD - photodiode,
F - filter wheel, M - turning mirror, L - focusing lens, BS - beamsplitter

Application Solutions

Photograph of the Si cell and photocurrent maps at 532 nm, 375 nm and 632 nm.

NONLINEAR
IMAGING

BEAM
STABILIZATION

RAMAN
SPECTROSCOPY

ULTRAFAST PULSE
CHARACTERIZATION

PV CELL CALIBRATION,
TESTING & CERTIFICATION

MATERIAL
CHARACTERIZATION

EDUCATIONAL
LABORATORY SOLUTIONS

14

Photograph (a) and photocurrent maps of an organic PV cell at different

wavelengths: 532 nm (b), 375 nm (c) and 632 nm (d).

A photoresponse scan of the experimental CIGS PV cell. A drop off of the

signal is seen in the upper right-hand corner even though upon visual
inspection the cell appeared to be uniform. The colors represent
photocurrent and are in arbitrary units.

PV METROLOGY
PRODUCTS

POWER AND ENERGY

CONTROL SOLUTIONS

Ordering Information
Model

Description

PRM-KT (M-PRM-KT)

Photoresponse Mapping of Photovoltaic Cells

Please see Application Note 40.

Phone: 1-877-835-9620 Fax: 1-949-253-1680

Application Solutions

15

Electrical performance measurements are performed

according to the American Society for Testing
Materials (ASTM) standard E948.

Absolute or relative external quantum efficiency (300 nm to

1100 nm) with white light bias

I-V measurements to derive standard electrical performance

parameters (% efficiency , FF, Pmax, Isc, and Voc)

EQE and I-V curves of your device

Electrical performance parameters of your device
Irradiance spectrum of our solar simulator
Spectral response of our reference detector
Expanded uncertainties
In addition to the TAC-PV Labs dedicated facility for PV cell
calibration, Newports Technology and Application Center (TAC) is
equipped with modern ultrafast lasers, spectroscopy and
multiphoton imaging instruments that enable us to perform many
advanced studies including transient absorption, pump-probe,
non-linear ultrafast spectroscopy, multiphoton imaging, and other
material characterization techniques. These tools and techniques
have allowed us to understand the properties of materials used
in photovoltaic cells on molecular and atomic level.

Ordering Information
Model

Description

PVCERT

Solar Cell Characterization and Certification

NONLINEAR
IMAGING

Precision total area measurement of device

Measured total area of your device

BEAM
STABILIZATION

The Newport TAC-PV Lab uses state of the art equipment

including the Oriel Class AAA 8 x 8 Sol3A Solar Simulator and
the Oriel QE-PV-SI (QE Measurement Kit) based on the Oriel
CS260 scanning grating monochromator. Using these
instruments, we perform the following measurements:

Your ISO/IEC 17025 Accredited Calibration Certificate

will include:

RAMAN
SPECTROSCOPY

The Newport TAC-PV Lab practices quality control techniques for

monitoring the validity of tests and calibrations undertaken
including participation in inter-laboratory comparisons or
proficiency-testing programs. All measurements made by the
Newport TAC-PV Lab are traceable to the International System of
Units (SI). All of the customers data is kept confidential.

We welcome requests for prototype PV device performance

measurements or for PV reference cell calibration. Expedited
measurement service is available.

ULTRAFAST PULSE
CHARACTERIZATION

The Newport Technology & Applications Centers Photovoltaic

(TAC-PV) Lab is accredited by the American Association for
Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) to ISO/IEC 17025. We measure
the electrical performance of photovoltaic cells under simulated
sunlight according to the American Society for Testing Materials
(ASTM) standard E948, and make spectral responsivity
measurements of photovoltaic devices according to ASTM
E1021. All measurements are performed under standard
reporting conditions (SRC) with a temperature of 25C, a total
irradiance of 1 Sun (1000 W/m2), and spectral irradiance AM1.5G
(IEC 60904-3).

PV CELL CALIBRATION,
TESTING & CERTIFICATION

Measurements are performed under standard AM1.5G

1 Sun conditions

MATERIAL
CHARACTERIZATION

The TAC-PV Lab is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited by the

American Association for Laboratory Accreditation
(A2LA).

EDUCATIONAL
LABORATORY SOLUTIONS

PV Cell Calibration and Certification Services

POWER AND ENERGY

CONTROL SOLUTIONS
PV METROLOGY
PRODUCTS

Email: sales@newport.com Web: newport.com