High-resolution x-ray and light beam induced current (LBIC) measurements of multcrystalline silicon solar cells

High-resolution, spatially-resolved x-ray Laue patterns and high-resolution light beam induced current (LBIC) measurements are combined to study two multicrystalline solar cells made from the Heat Exchanger Method (HEM) and the Sting Ribbon Growth technique. The LBIC measurements were made at 4 different wavelengths (488, 633, 780, and 980 nm), resulting in penetration depths ranging from <;1 μm to >100 μm. There is a strong correlation between the x-ray and LBIC measurements, showing that some twins and grain boundaries are effective in the reduction of local quantum efficiency, while others are benign.