Evaluation and modeling of the potential effects of a module manufacturing anomaly

Michael D. Kempe, Dirk C. Jordan

Index: 10.1002/pip.2908

Full Text: HTML

Abstract

A manufacturing anomaly was found in a subset of modules deployed in a large utility scale project. This potential failure mode was identified during periodic testing of modules during the production run. This potential failure mode was characterized by an interaction between the solder flux and the metallization resulting in electroluminescence dark spots, decreases in fill factor, and increases in series resistance. To assess the potential impact, modules were exposed to varying conditions of high temperature and high humidity to allow for extrapolation to the field environment. This study indicates a low probability that this problem will be seen over the project lifetime and thus is a good case study as to why failure in damp heat should be followed up by further experimentation to assess its relevance.