Quality control of roll-to-roll processed polymer solar modules by complementary imaging methods

• Published in: Solar energy materials and solar cells Vol. 97; pp. 176 - 180
• Main Authors: Rösch, Roland, Krebs, Frederik C., Tanenbaum, David M., Hoppe, Harald
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.02.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical power engineering; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Lock-in thermography; Luminescence imaging; Natural energy; Organic photovoltaic; Photoelectric conversion; Photovoltaic conversion; Polymer solar module; Quality control; Roll-to-roll processing; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Roll-to-roll processing; Luminescence imaging; Lock-in thermography; Organic photovoltaic; Polymer solar module; Quality control; Interfacial layer; Interlayers; High resolution; Luminescence; Photoluminescence; Electroluminescence; Review; Organic solar cells; Deposition process; Imaging; Photovoltaic array; Growth from solution; Heterojunction; Thermography; Optical imaging; Polymer; Failures; Roll-to-roll process; Manufacturing process; Fullerenes; Thermal imaging
• ISSN: 0927-0248; 1879-3398
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2011.10.005

We applied complementary imaging methods to investigate processing failures of roll-to-roll solution processed polymer solar modules based on polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunctions. For investigation of processing deficiencies in solar modules we employed dark lock-in thermography (DLIT), electroluminescence (ELI) and photoluminescence/reflection imaging (PLI/RI) complemented by optical imaging (OI). The combination of all high resolution images allowed us to allocate the origin of processing errors to a specific deposition process, i.e. the insufficient coverage of an electrode interlayer. The investigation can be divided into a fast DLIT overview of the module and a successive more detailed analysis of the suspicious region by all imaging methods. ► Investigation of processing failures of polymer solar modules. ► Combination of several high resolution imaging techniques. ► Creation of failure mechanism model.