Quantitative Recombination and Transport Properties in Silicon from Dynamic Luminescence

Harmonically modulated luminescence combines the advantages of highly sensitive luminescence metrology with an immediate dynamic access to carrier lifetime in semiconductors at a minimum of required a priori information. The present work covers theoretical, conceptual, and experimental advances of the harmonically modulated luminescence technique. Theoretical constraints of dynamic carrier lifetime techniques are rigorously elaborated, including the proof of their differential nature and their characteristics at nonuniform spatial distributions of recombination rate. The pathway toward a unified, reliable, and versatile harmonically modulated carrier lifetime metrology is delineated - covering the entire solar cell production chain from bare ingots to finished solar cells. Accurate access to miscellaneous relevant recombination and transport properties via harmonically modulated luminescence is demonstrated and experimentally validated, embracing injection-dependent carrier lifetimes at extremely low injection conditions, a spatially resolved carrier lifetime calibration of luminescence images, and accurate approaches to both net dopant concentration and minority carrier mobility.

Autorentext
Johannes Giesecke studied Physics in Konstanz, Lausanne, and Freiburg, where he also conducted his dissertation on both theoretical and experimental aspects of dynamic carrier lifetime measurements at the Fraunhofer Institut für Solare Energiesysteme. He currently holds a postdoctoral research position at Fraunhofer ISE.

Inhalt
Introduction.- Solar Cell Operation.- Dynamics of Charge Carriers.- Luminescence of Silicon.- Harmonically Modulated Lifetime.- Constraints of Dynamic Carrier Lifetime Techniques.- Evolution of the Experimental Setup.- Conceptual Advances: Recombination Properties.- Conceptual Advances: Transport Properties.- Summary and Outlook.