6533b859fe1ef96bd12b815e

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Effects of Masking on Open-Circuit Voltage and Fill Factor in Solar Cells

subject

description

Guidelines for the correct measurement protocol of novel photovoltaic technologies such as perovskites are becoming more frequent in literature. This because, as will be confirmed in this perspective, it is not straightforward to correctly measure the efficiency parameters of these and many other novel solar cells. This is particularly the case for small area research devices which are prone to overestimate the short circuit current density, due to edge effects of various types. To reduce the inaccuracy of current density determination, the common recommended practice is to utilize masks with well‐defined apertures, often smaller than the device active area. Herein we show both experimentally and theoretically that this common practice however always leads to the erroneous determination of both open circuit voltage and fill factor, which are equally important figures of merit as the short circuit current density. Although the errors induced in voltage and fill factor by using a mask are generally smaller than what the errors in current can amount to when not using a mask, they are on the other hand omnipresent and can be quite well described.