Isra Solar Vision, a business unit of Isra Vision, Darmstadt, Germany, has introduced a new generation of contactless photoluminescence (PL) inspection systems, Solarscan-Yieldmaster PL. Inspection of series resistance and other efficiency measurements is contactless, which avoids defects (cracks, breaks, etc.) caused by electrical contacting units.
The photoluminescence inspection method is capable of characterising solar elements in mass production and provides a reliable distinction between material defects (dislocations, changes in the material, foreign objects in the silicon, etc.), and process defects (cracks, finger interruptions, low efficiency regions, scratches, etc.). For high speed operation, an on-the-fly configuration is available. The modular system can be used for both solar cells and solar wafers, enabling cell manufacturers to improve the quality control of the basic material which leads to a significant increase in high-quality yield.
Due to the fact that neither highly accurate positioning nor contacting time is required, the handling time is reduced significantly. The system can inspect more than 3,600 solar cells per hour and false defects are at less than 0.5 per cent, resulting in a significantly higher output.
