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Measurements and Characterization
Photovoltaic Research About Measurements & Characterization Analytical Microscopy Device Performance Measurement Electro-Optical Characterization Surface Analysis Research Staff Working with Us

NREL's Photovoltaic research supports the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Program.
Feature Science and Technology Facility

The Measurements and Characterization group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the National Center for Photovoltaics consists of four primary research groups:

  • Analytical Microscopy
  • Device Performance
  • Electro-Optical Characterization
  • Surface Analysis

In the spirit of the Solar America Initiative to achieve market competitiveness in photovoltaics by 2015, we are eager to share our knowledge base from each of these four research areas, as well as ways we can apply our technique development and capabilities.

In working with you, we can transmit data and analyses on your samples via a password-protected ftp site. For help in using this ftp site, contact Keith Emery.

Analytical Microscopy - Rotating set of three photographs of National Renewable Energy Laboratory Photovoltaic Measurements and Characterization scientists and equipment: one of a scanning probe microscope, one of a transmission electron microscope, and one of a scanning electron microscope. Device Performance - Rotating set of three photographs of National Renewable Energy Laboratory Photovoltaic Measurements and Characterization scientists and equipment: one of a large-area continuous solar simulator, one of a Spectrolab X-25 adjustable solar simulator , and one of an outdoor primary-reference-cell calibration test bed. Electro-Optical Characterization - Rotating set of three photographs of National Renewable Energy Laboratory Photovoltaic Measurements and Characterization scientists and equipment: one of a large-scale laser scanner, one of a minority-carrier lifetime spectroscopy system, and one of a scanning defect mapping system. Surface Analysis - Rotating set of three photographs of National Renewable Energy Laboratory Photovoltaic Measurements and Characterization scientists and equipment: two of a time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometer, and one of an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic system.
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