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Journal of New Technology and Materials (JNTM), Vol. 01, N°00 (2011)

Special issue of NMCA’2011

Photovoltaic applications of Light Beam Induced Current technique

Y. Sayad^(a), A. Kaminski^(b), D. Blanc^(c), B. Bazer-Bachi^(c) , M. Lemiti^(c) and A. Nouiri^(d)

(a) Institut des Sciences et Technologies, Centre Universitaire de Souk Ahras, Algérie

(b) IMEP-LAHC, Grenoble INP, Minatec, 3 rue Parvis Louis Néel - BP 257 – 38016 Grenoble Cedex 1, France

(c) Université de Lyon, Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon, INL-UMR5270, CNRS, INSA Lyon, 69621 Villeurbanne, France.

(d) Département de Physique, Faculté des Sciences, Université Larbi Ben M’hidi, Oum El-Bouaghi, Algérie

Corresponding author: Tel. : +213.30.95.29.35 ; email : yassine.sayad@cu-soukahras.dz, say_phy@yahoo.fr

Received: 23 May 2011, accepted: 30 September 2011

Abstract:

Light or Laser beam induced current technique (LBIC) is conventionally used to measure minority charge carrier’s diffusion length L_D by scanning a light spot away from collector (abrupt pn junction or Schottky contact). We show here the necessary precautions to be taken in order to apply this method on materials used in photovoltaics. We talk about SRLBIC or spectral response LBIC when this technique is combined with spectral reflectivity to allow determination of cells quantum efficiency. From internal quantum efficiency analysis, one deduces an effective carrier diffusion length, L_eff, including bulk and surface recombinations. LBIC is, also, often used to reveal electrically active extended defects such as grain boundaries and dislocations, and to check passivation efficiency of fabricated cells.

Key words: LBIC, solar cells, crystalline silicon, diffusion length, extended defects, surface passivation.