Shunt detection and characterization with fluorescent microthermal imaging

Defects originating from the solar cell substrate material or created during the solar cell production process can act as parasitic resistances. These defects reduce the performance of solar cells and can in extreme cases cause serious reliability problems in finished solar modules. Some defects will generate heat locally when a bias voltage is applied to the solar cells. Thermal imaging techniques can therefore be used to obtain information about the location, and hence the origin, of such defects. In this work, fluorescent microthermal imaging (FMI) is used to characterize shunted crystalline silicon solar cells. After an introduction to the technique, the suitability of FMI for solar cell diagnostics is demonstrated