Quality control on photovoltaic panels is carried out most efficiently by non-contact optical means through measurement of various parameters on solar cells:

a) Roughness of the outer surface before laser scribing;
b) Width and depth of the laser scribed mark;
c) Width and depth of the contact placed after "co-firing" - the procedure of placing the contact;
d) Width and height profile of the "shadow" region created by the contact.

PhaseView has unique capabilities to measure both surfaces featuring low roughness (characteristic of the surface of photovoltaic cells) in conditions of low light returning from generally light-absorbing cover layer of the cells and height steps (characteristic of contact laser scribing marks and deposed contacts).

Roughness with Sa below 1nm or profiles up to 400 μm height can be measured in less than 1 second for 1M measurement points in area of 130 x 100 μm, with high accuracy and repeatability.