The Photovoltaics Laboratory
The Technion Photovoltaics (PV) Laboratory is a central Technion Facility established jointly by the Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP) and the Russel Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI) aims to facilitate investigations and innovative methods for the fabrication and characterization of photovoltaic devices.
The PV facility consists of two laboratories: a device fabrication lab for the fabrication of photovoltaic cells in the Clean Room complex, and the device characterization lab for the characterization of these cells. Both labs are located at the Micro and Nano Fabrication Center (MNFC) in the Zisapel Building.
The Laboratory services include both technical services and assistance in the design, fabrication and characterization of organic, inorganic and hybrid PV devices to harvest sunlight. The lab serves Technion’s general PV community, Israeli academia and industry. Over the years, many tech companies have used the services of the lab, not only to help them characterize their devices but also to help them fabricate new ones.
Major Equipment:
Solar Simulator used to measure the power output (I-V curves) of solar cells as large as 6″X6″ under controlled operation conditions with simulated solar radiation and controlled temperature. This is the main tool for measuring the actual performances of solar cells like the power conversion efficiency (PCE), the output current, and the nominal maximum power which the solar cell can yield (located at the Characterization Laboratory).
Quantum Efficiency Measurement System measures the spectral response of solar cells in order to get an insight into their electro-optical performance, by measuring how effectively and at what spectrum range the absorbed light is converted into electrical power in the cell (located at the Characterization Laboratory).
Controlled Intensity Modulated Photocurrent Spectroscopy (CIMPS) System provides impedance measurements during modulations of the light intensity at different wavelengths and analyzing this response as a function of the modulation frequency (located at the Characterization Laboratory).
The UV-VIS-NIR Spectrophotometer capable of measuring the diffuse and specular transmission and reflection as well as the absorption of the different materials that are used in solar cells covering a wide range of wavelengths (200-3300nm) (located at the Characterization Laboratory).
VUV-VASE (Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometer System) used for measuring the optical properties (the real and imaginary dielectric functions) of different components in the solar cell, for example: transparent electrodes, anti-reflecting coating, and semiconductor absorber (located at the Fabrication Laboratory).
ATC 2200 Sputtering System 2X designed to hold up to 14 targets, 7 DC magnetron guns and 7 RF magnetron guns in order to deposit different films from a variety of materials including metals and dielectrics in Ar, N2, and O2 environments at temperatures ranging from RT up to 1000⁰C on different substrates up to 4” in diameter (located at the Fabrication Laboratory).
Molecular Vapor Deposition (MVD) System (MVD100E, Applied Microstructure Inc.). A specialized deposition system used in depositing different materials (organic and inorganic materials) on different substrates at low temperatures (35⁰C). The system has 3 cylinders, each containing a different precursor, and 1 cylinder for DI water working as a catalyst (located at the Fabrication Laboratory).