Andor Technology has launched the Ikon-M PV inspector, a dedicated CCD camera designed for in-line electroluminescence and photoluminescence inspection of photovoltaic (PV) cells.
The 1,024 x 1,024 back-illuminated deep depletion sensor array of the PV inspector offers >90 per cent quantum efficiency (QE) beyond 800nm and incorporates Fringe Suppression Technology to minimise fringing effects in the NIR.
High throughput is achieved via rapid readout speeds up to 5MHz, combined with a dual exposure ring mode that allows fast switching between two exposure times without any timing overheads.
The PV inspector is said to benefit from thermoelectric cooling down to -70C for minimisation of darkcurrent.
Andor's Ultravac hermitic vacuum process provides both sustained cooling and longevity through absolute protection of the exposed sensor surface.
A lockable USB interface ensures a secure, vibration-resistant connectivity.
The camera, which cools automatically on power-up, also offers acquisition capability within the Halcon machine vision imaging software from MVtec Software.
Dr Colin Coates, product manager within Andor Technology, said: 'The enhanced NIR sensitivity and high-speed modes will enable dual exposure EL inspection at rates in excess of one cell per second, ideally suited for very-high-throughput PV cell inspection systems as found in stringers and cell sorters.'
