Ultra-fast determination of quantum efficiency of a solar cell

• US 8,239,165 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2008
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Midwest Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Alliance For Sustainable Energy LLC
• Inventors: Young, David L., Stradins, Pauls, Egaas, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Phuong
• Application Number:
  US12/237,452
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 702 57- 67, 702182-189
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/10 Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells testing of semiconductor devices during manufacturing H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring quantum efficiency (QE) of solar cells. The apparatus includes a light source including an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that each emit light corresponding to a differing portion of a test spectrum and each LED is driven by a sinusoidal power supply that operates at a unique frequency. The light source includes an optical coupling focusing the LED light into a test beam targeted on a solar cell, and a signal conditioner converts analog current signals generated by the solar cell into digital voltage signals. A QE measurement module determines a QE value corresponding to each of the LEDs based on the digital voltage signals using a Fast Fourier Transform module that processes the digital voltage signals to generate values for each operating frequency. The QE measurement module determines the QE values by applying a conversion factor to these values. Since all the LEDs can be power-modulated simultaneously and the corresponding cell responses to each of the LEDS can be analyzed simultaneously, the QE spectrum measurement time is greatly shortened as compared to conventional methods.

Claims

1. A light source for use in testing of solar cells and other optical spectroscopy applications, comprising:

an array of light sources emitting light corresponding with a differing portion of a test spectrum; and

a power supply comprising modulated power supplies coupled to each of the light sources, wherein the modulated power supplies operate at unique operating frequencies to drive sets of one or more of the light sources at the differing portions of the test spectrum;

wherein the unique operating frequencies are not multiples of each other and wherein the modulated power supplies are configured to selectively vary power levels delivered to select an intensity of the light emitted from each of the LEDS, whereby the test spectrum can be matched to a particular spectrum.

2. The light source of claim 1, wherein the modulated power supplies comprise one or more of sinusoidal power supplies and square wave power supplies.

3. The light source of claim 1, wherein the test spectrum comprises the full spectrum and the array of light sources comprises two or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to emit light ranging from UV light to IR light.

4. The light source of claim 1, wherein modulated power supplies are configured such that one or more power supplies may be turned on in dc mode and one or more power supplies may be turned on in a modulated mode.

5. The light source of claim 2, wherein the unique operating frequencies of the modulated power supplies are selected according to a cell response time of a solar cell under test such that the solar cell under test is capable of responding to the operating frequencies.

6. The light source of claim 3, further comprising an optical coupling connected to the array of LEDs configured to focus the light emitted from the LEDs into a test beam.

7. An apparatus for measuring full spectrum quantum efficiency (QE) of a solar cell, comprising

a light source emitting light corresponding with differing portions of a test spectrum and an optical coupling focusing the emitted light into a test beam;

a signal conditioning assembly receiving analog current signals responsive to the test beam striking the solar cell and converting the analog current signals into digital voltage signals; and

a QE determination system in communication with the signal conditioning assembly comprising a processor running a QE measurement module determining a QE value corresponding to each of the differing portions of the test spectrum based on the digital voltage signals, wherein all wavelengths of light are applied simultaneously to the solar cell, wherein the analog current signal responses of the solar cell from various wavelengths are collected simultaneously.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the light source comprises an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) each configured to emit light corresponding to one of the differing portions of the test spectrum.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the light source further comprises a power source comprising a modulated power supply coupled to each of the LEDs, wherein each of the modulated power supplies is configured to operate at a unique operating frequency to drive each of the LEDs.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the QE determination system further comprises a frequency spectrum analyzer configured to process the digital voltage signals to generate values with amplitudes associated with each of the operating frequencies.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the frequency spectrum analyzer comprises a module configured to be run by the processor to apply a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm to the digital voltage signals.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the QE measurement module is configured to determine the QE values by applying a conversion factor to the FFT algorithm amplitudes output by the module for the operating frequencies.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the test spectrum comprises the full spectrum and the array of the LEDs are configured to emit light ranging from UV light to IR light.

14. A method of performing optical spectroscopy of a test subject, comprising:

providing a light source powered by a modulated power supply;

positioning the test subject proximate an output of the light source;

operating the light source to emit light corresponding with a plurality of wavelengths in a test spectrum, wherein the emitted light is focused in a test beam upon a surface of the test subject; and

determining a plurality of test result values responsive to the test beam striking the surface of the test subject wherein the determining of the test result values comprises converting analog current signals generated by the test subject into digital voltage signals and determining a quantum efficiency (QE) value corresponding to each of the wavelengths in the test spectrum based on the digital voltage signals.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining of the QE values comprises applying a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to the digital voltage signals.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) with one or more of the LEDs emitting light at each of the wavelengths.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the modulate power supply powers the LEDs associated with each of the wavelengths at a differing operating frequency and wherein the differing operating frequencies are not multiples of each other.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising varying the differing operating frequencies beyond a characteristic cell response frequency for the test subject and gathering data related to a material or a device quality of the test subject.

19. An optical spectroscopy system configured to perform ultra-fast determinations or measurements of characteristics of a test object, the optical spectroscopy system comprising

a light source configured to emit light corresponding with differing portions of a test spectrum and an optical coupling configured to focus emitted light into a test beam;

a signal conditioning assembly configured to receive analog current signals responsive to the test beam striking the test object and converting analog current signals into digital voltage signals; and

a quantum efficiency (QE) determination system in communication with the signal conditioning assembly, the QE determination system comprising a processor configured to run a QE measurement module, wherein the QE measurement module is configured to determine a QE value corresponding to each of the differing portions of the test spectrum based on the digital voltage signals, wherein all wavelengths of light are applied simultaneously to the test object, wherein the analog current signal responses of the test object from various wavelengths are collected simultaneously.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the light source comprises an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) each emitting light corresponding to one of the differing portions of the test spectrum.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the light source further comprises a power source comprising a modulated power supply coupled to each of the LEDs, wherein each of the modulated power supplies operates at a unique operating frequency to drive the LEDs.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the QE determination system further comprises a frequency spectrum analyzer processing the digital voltage signals to generate values with amplitudes associated with each of the operating frequencies.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the frequency spectrum analyzer comprises a module run by the processor to apply a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm to the digital voltage signals.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the QE measurement module determines the QE values by applying a conversion factor to the FFT algorithm amplitudes output by the module for the operating frequencies.

25. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the test spectrum comprises the full spectrum and the array of LEDs are configured to emit light ranging from UV light to IR light.

26. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the test object comprises a single junction solar cell or multi junction solar cells.