Light-beam-induced-current characterization of CdTe solar cells

In this work, light-beam-induced-current (LBIC) measurements are discussed as a characterization tool for nonuniformities in solar cells. A modification of the measurement procedure has reduced the measurement time by at least a factor of 5, which results in a 10 minute scan time for a 10,000-pixel image. A general strategy for using LBIC and electroluminescence as a nonuniformity characterization suite is presented, which allows for thorough characterization of nonuniformities and identification of their causes. These tools are presented in the specific context of CdTe solar cells.