Solar cells in various stages of production, e.g., silicon feedstock; polycrystalline castings; single and multicrystalline wafers and sheets; and solar cells with texture etching, screen-printed metal contacts, and anti-reflection coatings offer instructive examples for using machine vision for quality assurance, materials and device characterization, and solar cell diagnostics. The solar cell proves an effective ‘vehicle’ for demonstrating and exploring various aspects of materials science (grain size and texture and other features of microstructure, optical manifestations of defects, metallurgy of electrical contacts), thin-film technology (screen printing, coatings, texturization, optics, surface metrology, rational cleaning methods, Further, the solar cell fabrication processes are typically automated with conveyer belts and robotics, offering many industrially-relevant opportunities for applying machine vision techniques for inspection, process control, and product sorting. In this paper, we describe various aspects of image capture, processing, and analysis using low-cost CCD cameras and thermal infrared cameras as instructive case studies in materials science, thin film technology, and machine vision for quality assurance.
Michael Mauk is Assistant Professor in Drexel University's Engineering Technology program.
Dr. Richard Chiou is Professor within the Engineering Technology Department at Drexel University College of Engineering, Philadelphia, USA. He received his Ph.D. degree in the G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology.
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