Patent ID: 8797058

Claim:
A method for performing a solar cell electrical characterization, comprising the steps of: opening a shutter of a solar simulator to cause light to be emitted from the solar simulator, the solar simulator being part of a solar cell characterization system having the solar simulator and a continuous neutral density filter having regions of varying light attenuation levels ranging from transparent to opaque, wherein the continuous neutral density filter is located between the solar simulator and a solar cell under test; positioning a transparent region of the continuous neutral density filter having no light attenuation between the solar simulator and the solar cell under test; obtaining light J-V data from the solar cell under test; moving the continuous neutral density filter to position a region of higher light attenuation between the solar simulator and the solar cell under test; obtaining Jsc-Voc data from the solar cell under test; closing the shutter to prevent light from being emitted from the solar simulator; obtaining dark J-V data from the solar cell under test; opening the shutter to cause light to be emitted from the solar simulator; moving the continuous neutral density filter to position a plurality of regions of lower light attenuation between the solar simulator and the solar cell under test; and obtaining three J-V curves from the solar cell under test to obtain RsX data for the solar cell under test.