Metrology and Simulation

Our work in the research topic "Metrology and Simulation" is characterized by our expertise in the analysis of solar cells and modules, based on our many years of experience in the fields of technology and metrology and physics. We have detailed knowledge of solar cell structures and physics, metrological concepts and simulation methods, as well as extensive data collections on solar cell parameters. In addition, we use powerful machine learning and artificial intelligence approaches for data analysis.  

Our work focuses on the development of measuring devices and analysis methods to improve materials, solar cells and modules and to optimize inspection and quality assurance in production. We develop solutions together with and for measurement technology and sensor manufacturers, material, cell and module manufacturers, providers of data analysis systems and research institutes.  

We offer solutions in the areas of quality assurance, automated process and production control, measurement method and measurement system development, material and cell analysis, simulation and modeling, as well as automated data analysis and image processing/artificial intelligence. We offer certified solar cell measurements in our independent and accredited calibration laboratory CalLab PV Cells.

Fields of Work

In the research topic "Metrology and Simulation" we focus on the following fields of work:

Simulation and Modeling of Cells and Modules

Process Simulation

Measurement Methods for Material and Process Analyses

Measurement Methods for Cell Analysis

Measurement Methods for Module Analysis

R&D Infrastructure

At Fraunhofer ISE, we benefit from this infrastructure for our research and development activities:

CalLab PV Cells

Certified Measurements

Precise measurement of solar cells and modules is of crucial importance in photovoltaics. The photovoltaic calibration laboratory "CalLab PV Cells" at Fraunhofer ISE is one of the leading laboratories worldwide in this field. We measure all types of solar cells and PV modules precisely and reliably in accordance with international standard.

 

Photovoltaic Technology Evaluation Center – PV-TEC

Inline Measurement Technology

For wafer, process and cell inspection, high-performance and highly flexible inline measuring machines are available, which are equipped with extensive, mostly imaging measurement technology for the electrical and optical characterization of wafers and cells and enable the processing of a wide range of wafer/cell formats at high throughput, including wafer-specific measurement data assignment via active or virtual wafer tracking. The systems provide efficient and precise analyses for checking quality and performance. Our customers benefit from meaningful data that supports them in optimizing their solar cell production and creates the data basis for inline loss analysis.

Offline Analysis Methods

Our analysis methods for determining the causes of material and cell losses include global, camera-based and local methods with high spatial resolution. In addition to commercially available measurement systems, we use methods developed and refined in-house that overcome the limitations of conventional approaches. With our innovative analysis techniques, we provide precise insights into the causes of losses, enabling targeted measures to improve components in research and production. 

 

Simulation Methods, Data Analysis

Our work includes the use of powerful simulation tools such as Sentaurus TCAD for detailed modeling of solar cell physics. We work with the Quokka3 simulation software to model entire solar cells and have a large number of our own simulation and evaluation tools for quantitative cell analysis. We develop customized approaches for solar cell analysis in the fields of machine learning, automated image recognition and artificial intelligence. These enable efficient data analysis and process optimization, which we offer our customers as tailor-made solutions.

Selected Research Projects

 

KATANA

Calibration of Large-Area Tandem Solar Cells and Modules for Industrial Perovskite Silicon Market Entry

Current Publications on the Topic "Metrology and Simulation"