Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


mirra_thesis (2).pdf (8.41 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Ultraviolet-Induced Degradation of PERC and TOPCon Architectures: Design of a Rapid Screening Process and Investigation of Degradation Signatures

Rasmussen, Mirra Marie
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5895-5051
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1721730465726878

Abstract Details

2024, Master of Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Materials Science and Engineering.
As photovoltaic (PV) installations continue to rise and cell technologies evolve, understanding cell-level contributions to module-level failure is going to become increasingly important. Advanced Si PV architectures incorporate different materials and design combinations that influence degradation modes. Ultraviolet-induced degradation (UVID) has been identified as an understudied degradation mode for advanced cell architectures and is of increasing concern in industry due to the increasing use of UV-transparent encapsulation and bifacial technologies. In order to confidently adopt these new and evolving technologies, novel component materials and processing techniques must be evaluated and designed for long-term stability in addition to the conventional design focus on efficiency. The work presented here is three-fold and includes a review of literature relevant to known and suspected UV and light- and elevated temperature-induced degradation (LETID) mechanisms in passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) and tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) devices, the development of a study protocol and research framework for the rapid screening of unencapsulated devices against UVID, and the results of the application of that framework to PERC and TOPCon architectures to determine device- and materials-level signatures of degradation. The literature review (Chapter 2) discusses the evolution of crystalline silicon architectures from aluminum back surface field (Al-BSF) to more current tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and silicon heterojunction (SHJ) devices. UVID and LeTID mechanisms specific to PERC and TOPCon devices are reviewed. Unencapsulated PERC and TOPCon devices were aged under different UV irradiance intensities and measured via conventional non-destructive electrical characterization methods to assess performance degradation according to the rapid screening protocol developed and outlined in section 3.1 and Chapter 4. Based on the results obtained through this study, protocol efficacy and recommendations for further study are discussed. This protocol was applied to subsets of PERC and TOPCon architectures to investigate device-level signatures of UVID (both across architectures and devices of nominally the same architecture). In addition to conventional non-destructive characterization, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed to assess changes in surface chemistry as a function of aging and potential materials signatures of UVID. This work is part of a broader effort to develop rapid screening processes that cut across architectures and exposure conditions to aid module manufacturers in vetting new materials choices for long-term stability.
Ina Martin (Committee Chair)
Hyeji Im (Committee Member)
Laura Bruckman (Committee Member)
86 p.
Energy; Engineering; Materials Science
PERC; TOPCon; Accelerated aging; Ultraviolet-induced degradation; XPS; Study protocol

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Rasmussen, M. M. (2024). Ultraviolet-Induced Degradation of PERC and TOPCon Architectures: Design of a Rapid Screening Process and Investigation of Degradation Signatures [Master's thesis, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1721730465726878

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Rasmussen, Mirra. Ultraviolet-Induced Degradation of PERC and TOPCon Architectures: Design of a Rapid Screening Process and Investigation of Degradation Signatures. 2024. Case Western Reserve University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1721730465726878.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Rasmussen, Mirra. "Ultraviolet-Induced Degradation of PERC and TOPCon Architectures: Design of a Rapid Screening Process and Investigation of Degradation Signatures." Master's thesis, Case Western Reserve University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1721730465726878

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1721730465726878
458
© 2024, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Ultraviolet-Induced Degradation of PERC and TOPCon Architectures: Design of a Rapid Screening Process and Investigation of Degradation Signatures by Mirra Marie Rasmussen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.