Effect of Cracks on Spatially Resolved c-Si Solar Cell Parameters

Although EL images of modules with cracked cells may initially show no sign of power loss; closed cracks tend to progressively open up in the field, causing various levels of power loss revealed in the various shades of regions bound by cracks. This work investigates the effect of cracks on spatially-resolved non-encapsulated solar cell electrical parameters and to show how these relate to the observed power loss. We rely on bias-PL and EQE measurements to map out solar cell electrical parameters of cracked solar cells. The main findings were that the severity of the crack impacted solar cell parameters in different ways. Such novel approaches to looking at cracks may provide a path and classify the criticality of cracks early in the process.