Electroluminescence characterization of III–V multi-junction solar cells

Characterization is a key process in attaining high efficiency in the state-of-the-art multi-junction solar cells. This work will summarize our efforts in using eletroluminescence for characterising multijunction solar cells. This study will present the possibilities of electroluminescence (EL) spectroscopy as a fast and simple characterization technique which is able to provide extensive information about the solar cell´s performance. Finally, four of the applications of this technique will be presented: band gap estimation, barrier effect for minority carriers, information on the thermal performance of encapsulated devices and determination of the shunt resistance of each cell in a dual junction device.