LIGHT-ASSISTED ELECTROCHEMICAL SHUNT PASSIVATION FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES

摘要

A method and apparatus for passivating any performance-reducing shunting defects in a photovoltaic cell having one or more layers of a thin film semiconductor material and layer of a superposed electrode includes immersing at least a portion of the photovoltaic cell in a conversion reagent, illuminating at least a portion of the immersed photovoltaic cell with a suitable source of illumination, and applying an appropriate electrical bias on the immersed photovoltaic cell with a suitable source of illumination, and applying an appropriate electrical bias on the immersed photovoltaic cell.