Effect of microstructure and processing parameters on mechanical strength of multicrystalline silicon solar cells

Popovich, Vera; Yunus, Azwar; Janssen, M.; Bennett, I.J.; Richardson, I.M.

doi:10.1109/pvsc.2010.5616046

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The characteristic strengths and Weibull moduli for these wafers are calculated and listed in Table 1. The overall characteristic strength of the mc-Si wafers is in the range of 141 to 164MPa, which is higher than the commonly published results [4,5,7,10]. The Weibull modulus of ~8 indicates good consistency among the wafers tested.…”

Section: IIImentioning

confidence: 51%

“…In addition to kerf loss, the sawing process produces other defects such as surface roughening, surface and subsurface micro-cracks, local residual stress, phase transformation, among others [1]. The impact of these defects on the mechanical strength of silicon wafers has been studied by various authors from different viewpoints, including the effects of grit size, shape and distribution [2][3][4], wafer type and sawing orientation [5,6], crystallinity [7], post-sawing processes [8,9], and fracture mechanics-based prediction [10]. However, the majority of these studies are performed on full-size wafers or large samples, which tend to exacerbate the effect of wafer tapering commonly observed in as-sawn wafers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fracture strength analysis of slurry cut mc-Si wafers

Yang

Melkote

Danyluk

et al. 2012

2012 38th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference

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The fracture strength variation across the surface of multi-crystalline silicon (mc-Si) wafers cut by multi-wire slurry sawing (MWSS) was studied in this paper. As-sawn 156x156mm 2 mc-Si wafers were diced in two orthogonal orientations relative to the wire speed direction to yield small rectangular samples whose fracture strength was measured using the four line bending method. It is shown that the fracture strength of the wafer increases gradually from wire entry to wire exit along the wire speed direction whereas the variation in strength in the wire feed direction is small. Wafer samples bent in the orientation perpendicular to the wire speed direction show a slightly higher fracture strength than those bent parallel to the wire speed direction. Wafer samples from an interior and a corner brick show similar fracture strength variation. The results also reveal the critical role of abrasive-induced surface damage and the associated fracture strength of the silicon wafers.Index Terms -Silicon wafering, slurry, mc-Si wafer, fracture strength, surface morphology.

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Section: IIImentioning

confidence: 51%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fracture strength analysis of slurry cut mc-Si wafers

Yang

Melkote

Danyluk

et al. 2012

2012 38th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference

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“…Resonance ultrasonic vibration (RUV) [37,38] Scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) [37,38] Transmission electron microscopy [23,41] Angle polishing followed by defect etching [42] Insufficient saw damage removal Atomic force microscopy (AFM) [23,43] Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) [23,41,44,45] Confocal microscopy [46][47][48] Optical profilometry [18] Compromised mechanical strength or excessive stress…”

Section: Cracking µ-Cracks Formed During Waferingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manufacturing metrology for c-Si module reliability and durability Part II: Cell manufacturing

Davis

Rodgers

Scardera³

et al. 2016

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

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This article is the second article in a three-part series dedicated to reviewing each process step in crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing process: feedstock and wafering, cell fabrication, and module manufacturing. The goal of these papers is to identify relevant metrology techniques that can be utilized to improve the quality and durability of the final product. The focus of this article is on the cell fabrication process. In this review, the fabrication of c-Si PV cells is divided into four steps: (1) wet chemical processes; (2) emitter formation; (3) anti-reflection coating (ARC) and passivation deposition; and (4) metallization. Each of these processing steps can impact the final reliability and durability of PV modules deployed in the field, and here the failure modes and degradation mechanisms induced during cell manufacturing are explored. Additionally, a literature review of relevant measurement techniques aimed at reducing or eliminating the probability of such failures occurring is presented along with an assessment of potential gaps wherein the PV community could benefit from new research and demonstration efforts.

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“…The mechanical strength of a cell is dependent on the processing parameters and cell crystallinity. Four-point bending tests have been conducted on cell specimens of varying etching conditions during manufacturing, crystallinity, aluminum paste type and aluminum paste thickness [19]. From these studies, the bending tensile stresses at fracture in both aluminum paste and silicon is investigated and a range of values obtained.…”

Section: Stresses In Pv Module Under the Sunmentioning

confidence: 99%

Finite element thermal stress analysis of a solar photovoltaic module

Lee

Tay

2011

2011 37th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference

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One of the principal causes of failure in photovoltaic (PV) modules is delamination at interfaces in a PV module formed by several layers of different materials. As delamination is driven by stress, it is important to determine the nature and magnitude of such stresses within a PV module. Such stresses can arise during the lamination of the PV module when layers of glass, ethylvinylacetate (EVA), solar cells, EVA and Tedlar backsheet are bonded together at about 150°C. When the PV module is cooled down to room temperature, residual stresses will be induced due to the mismatch in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). When the PV panel is subsequently exposed to sunlight, the temperature distribution redistributes the residual stress. In this paper, finite element analysis is conducted to determine the stresses induced in the PV module during lamination and subsequent exposure to sunlight. In the analysis of the illuminated PV module, optical parameters are considered to determine the heat dissipation on the areas exposed directly to sunlight. Heat losses by convection and radiation are also considered. The results show that the area around the corners of the glass cover experience high tensile principal stresses which may cause it to fracture. The peeling stresses at the interfaces in the PV laminate are found to increase from the center towards the edges. This trend suggests that delamination -if it occurswill most likely start from the edges of the laminate.

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Effect of microstructure and processing parameters on mechanical strength of multicrystalline silicon solar cells

Cited by 8 publications

References 4 publications

Fracture strength analysis of slurry cut mc-Si wafers

Fracture strength analysis of slurry cut mc-Si wafers

Manufacturing metrology for c-Si module reliability and durability Part II: Cell manufacturing

Finite element thermal stress analysis of a solar photovoltaic module

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