Comparing lifetime and photoluminescence imaging pattern recognition methodologies for predicting solar cell results based on as‐cut wafer properties

Wafer quality is extremely important in determining yield and efficiency of solar cells. Ideally, this wafer quality should be determined for incoming wafers before solar cell fabrication based on the electronic quality of the wafers. Recent papers have discussed methodologies for doing this by using lifetime measurement and pattern recognition of photoluminescence (PL) images. This paper compares results from quasi-steady-state photoconductance (QSSPC) lifetime measurements with PL imaging pattern recognition of dislocations. By using a more complete analysis of the lifetime and the PL data than performed in some recent publications, a more detailed physical picture is presented here, which reconciles contradictions between previous results. In particular, the differences between PL and QSSPC lifetime measurements on as-cut wafers are discussed. The trends in voltage prediction based on measured lifetime, doping, and PL-determined dislocation densities are shown. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.