Time-resolved photoluminescence for evaluating laser-induced damage during dielectric stack ablation in silicon solar cells

Selective laser ablation of dielectric layers on crystalline silicon wafers was investigated for solar cell fabrication. Laser processing was performed on Al2O3, and bi-layers Al2O3/SiNX:H with a nanosecond UV laser at various energy densities ranging from 0.4 to 2 J cm−2. Ablation threshold was correlated to the simulated temperature at the interface between the dielectric coatings and the silicon substrate. Laser-induced damage to the silicon substrate was evaluated by time-resolved photoluminescence. The minority carrier lifetime deduced from time-resolved photoluminescence was related to the depth of the heat affected zone in the substrate.