New Method for Quality Evaluation of Mc-Si Wafers Implied in the Fabrication of Photovoltaic Cells

We have developed a new method for quality evaluation of mc-Si wafers implied in the fabrication of photovoltaic cells. This method is based on the exploitation of the variation of the sheet resistance (∆R□) of chemically etched wafers. We have presented specific classification connecting directly ∆R□  bands to the crystalline defect types and densities. These results are in good accordance to physically observed defect density and grain boundaries repartition. Previously, with special process experimentation, we have shown that the best sensitivity to crystalline extended defects in mc-Si material is supported by the (Secco Etch) chemical solution. This chemical is very sensitive to crystalline defects and was applied to the development of our new characterization method of mc-Si wafers .