Proceedings of International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics (HOPV23)
Publication date: 30th March 2023
We introduce a method for microscopically resolved imaging of the photocurrent and the charge extraction efficiency. As derived from basic physical considerations and demonstrated on near-to-ideal III-V solar cells, we demonstrate that electrical-bias-dependent photoluminescence (PL) images reveal fundamental information on charge extraction of photovoltaic devices. This characterization is especially relevant to liquid-processed optoelectrical devices such es perovskite solar cells, where inhomogeneities in layer deposition are a key factor that limits device performance. For such perovskite devices, we show how voltage-dependent photoluminescence (PL(V)) images can be translated into maps of local current-density voltage (J(V)) curves. Furthermore, we demonstrate how the assessment can be used to identify four characteristic morphological defects, such as degraded perovskite or interrupted coating of contact layers, that reduce local charge extraction or induce non-radiative recombination. As this method can be implemented with only a photoluminescence microscope and a source meter, it can be a powerful research tool for a deeper understanding of the working properties of perovskite solar cells as well as for the performance optimization linked to layer deposition and interface formation.