Advanced Characterization Techniques for Thin Film Solar Cells

Content: PART I. Introduction     INTRODUCTION TO THIN-FILM PHOTOVOLTAICS   Introduction   The Photovoltaic Principle   Functional Layers in Thin-Film Solar Cells   Comjparison of Various Thin-Film Solar-Cell Types   Conclusions     PART II. Device Characterization     FUNDAMENTAL ELECTRICAL CHARACTERIZATIONS OF THIN-FILM SOLAR CELLS   Introduction   Current/Voltage Curves   Quantum-Efficiency Measurements     ELECTROLUMINESCENCE ANALYSIS OF SOLAR CELLS AND SOLAR MODULES   Introduction   Basics   Spectrally Resolved EL   Spatially Resolved EL of c-Si Solar Cells   EL Imaging of Thin-Film Solar Cells and Modules   Electromodulated Luminescence under Illumination     CAPACITANCE SPECTROSCOPY OF THIN-FILM SOLAR CELLS   Introduction   Admittance Basics   Sample Requirements   Instrumentation   CV Profiling and the Depletion Approximation   Admittance Response of Deep States   The Influence of Deep States on CV Profiles   Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy   Admittance Spectroscopy   Drive-Level Capacitance Profiling   Photocapacitance   The Meyer-Neldel Rule   Spatial Inhomogeneities and Interface States   Metastability     TIME-OF-FLIGHT ANALYSIS   Introduction   Fundamentals of TOF Measurements   Experimental Details   Analysis of TOF Results     TRANSIENT OPTOELECTRONIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THIN-FILM SOLAR CELLS   Introduction   Measurement Setup   Charge Extraction and Transient Photovoltage   CE with Linearly Increased Voltage   Time-Delayed Collection Field Method     STEADY-STATE PHOTOCARRIER GRATING METHOD   Introduction   Basic Analysis of SSPG and Photocurrent Response   Experimental Setup   Data Analysis   Results   DOS Determination   Data Collection by Automization and Combination with other Experiments   Summary     PART III. Materials Characterization     ABSORPTION AND PHOTOCURRENT SPECTROSCOPY WITH HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE   Introduction   Photothermal Deflection Spectroscopy   Fourier Transform Photocurrent Spectroscopy     SPECTROSCOPIC ELLIPSOMETRY   Introduction   Theory   Ellipsometry Instrumentation   Data Analysis   Spectroscopic Ellipsometry forThin-Film Photovoltaics   Summary and Outlook     CHARACTERIZING THE LIGHT-TRAPPING PROPERTIES OF TEXTURED SURFACES WITH SCANNING NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL MICROSCOPY   Introduction   How Does a Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscope Work?   The Role of Evanescent Modes for Light Trapping   Analysis of Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy Images by Fast Fourier Transformation   Investigation of Individua lWaveguide Modes   Light Propagation inThin-Film Solar Cells Investigated with Dual-Probe SNOM   Conclusion     PHOTOLUMINESCENCE ANALYSIS OF THIN-FILM SOLAR CELLS   Introduction   Experimental Issues   Basic Transitions   Case Studies     ELECTRON-SPIN RESONANCE (ESR) IN HYDROGENATED AMORPHOUS SILICON (a-Si:H)   Introduction   Basics of ESR   How to Measure ESR   The g Tensor and Hyperfine Interaction in Disordered Solids   Discussion of Selected Results   Alternative ESR Detection   Concluding Remarks     SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY ON INORGANIC THIN FILMS FOR SOLAR CELLS   Introduction   Experimental Background   Selected Applications   Summary     ELECTRON MICROSCOPY ON THIN FILMS FOR SOLAR CELLS   Introduction   Scanning Electron Microscopy   Transmission Electron Microscopy   Sample Preparation Techniques     X-RAY AND NEUTRON DIFFRACTION ON MATERIALS FOR THIN-FILM SOLAR CELLS   Introduction   Diffraction of X-Rays and Neutron by Matter   Grazing Incidence X-Ray Diffraction (GIXRD)   Neutron Diffraction of Absorber Materials for Thin-Film Solar Cells   Anomalous Scattering of Synchrotron X-Rays     IN SITU REAL-TIME CHARACTERIZATION OF THIN-FILM GROWTH   Introduction   Real-Time In Situ Characterization Techniques for Thin-Film Growth   X-Ray Methods for Real-Time Growth Analysis   Light Scattering and Reflection   Summary     RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPY ON THIN FILMS FOR SOLAR CELLS   Introduction   Fundamentals of Raman Spectroscopy   Vibrational Modes in Crystalline Materials   Experimental Considerations   Characterization of Thin-Film Photovoltaic Materials   Conclusions     SOFT X-RAY AND ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY: A UNIQUE "TOOL CHEST" TO CHARACTERIZE THE CHEMICAL AND ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES OF SURFACES AND INTERFACES   Introduction   Charact