Thin-Film Module Reverse-Bias Breakdown Sites Identified by Thermal Imaging

Steven Johnston; Dana Kern; Harvey Guthrey; Lorelle Mansfield; Timothy Silverman; Mowafak Al-Jassim; Elizabeth Palmiotti; Andreas Gerber; Angus Rockett; Jun Liu

doi:10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547766

Thin-Film Module Reverse-Bias Breakdown Sites Identified by Thermal Imaging

Steven Johnston, Dana Kern, Harvey Guthrey, Lorelle Mansfield, Timothy Silverman, Mowafak Al-Jassim, Elizabeth Palmiotti, Andreas Gerber, Angus Rockett, Jun Liu

Materials Science

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review

16 Scopus Citations

Abstract

Thin-film module sections are stressed under reverse bias to simulate partial shading conditions. Such stresses can cause permanent damage in the form of 'wormlike' defects due to thermal runaway. When large reverse biases with limited current are applied to the cells, dark lock-in thermography (DLIT) can detect where spatially-localized breakdown initiates before thermal runaway leads to permanent damage. Predicted breakdown defect sites have been identified in both CIGS and CdTe modules using DLIT. These defects include small pinholes, craters, or voids in the absorber layer of the film that lead to builtin areas of weakness where high current densities may cause thermal damage in a partial-shading event.

Original language	American English
Pages	1897-1901
Number of pages	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547766 https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547766
State	Published - 26 Nov 2018
Event	7th IEEE World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC 2018 - Waikoloa Village, United States Duration: 10 Jun 2018 → 15 Jun 2018

Conference

Conference	7th IEEE World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC 2018
Country/Territory	United States
City	Waikoloa Village
Period	10/06/18 → 15/06/18

Bibliographical note

See NREL/CP-5K00-70866 for preprint

NREL Publication Number

NREL/CP-5K00-73714

Keywords

Accelerated aging
breakdown voltage
electroluminescence
II-VI semiconductor materials
imaging
photoluminescence
photovoltaic cells
reliability
thermal analysis

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Johnston, S., Kern, D., Guthrey, H., Mansfield, L., Silverman, T., Al-Jassim, M., Palmiotti, E., Gerber, A., Rockett, A., & Liu, J. (2018). Thin-Film Module Reverse-Bias Breakdown Sites Identified by Thermal Imaging. 1897-1901. Paper presented at 7th IEEE World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC 2018, Waikoloa Village, United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547766, https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547766

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abstract = "Thin-film module sections are stressed under reverse bias to simulate partial shading conditions. Such stresses can cause permanent damage in the form of 'wormlike' defects due to thermal runaway. When large reverse biases with limited current are applied to the cells, dark lock-in thermography (DLIT) can detect where spatially-localized breakdown initiates before thermal runaway leads to permanent damage. Predicted breakdown defect sites have been identified in both CIGS and CdTe modules using DLIT. These defects include small pinholes, craters, or voids in the absorber layer of the film that lead to builtin areas of weakness where high current densities may cause thermal damage in a partial-shading event.",

keywords = "Accelerated aging, breakdown voltage, electroluminescence, II-VI semiconductor materials, imaging, photoluminescence, photovoltaic cells, reliability, thermal analysis",

author = "Steven Johnston and Dana Kern and Harvey Guthrey and Lorelle Mansfield and Timothy Silverman and Mowafak Al-Jassim and Elizabeth Palmiotti and Andreas Gerber and Angus Rockett and Jun Liu",

note = "See NREL/CP-5K00-70866 for preprint; 7th IEEE World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC 2018 ; Conference date: 10-06-2018 Through 15-06-2018",

year = "2018",

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doi = "10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547766",

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Johnston, S , Kern, D , Guthrey, H , Mansfield, L , Silverman, T , Al-Jassim, M, Palmiotti, E, Gerber, A, Rockett, A & Liu, J 2018, 'Thin-Film Module Reverse-Bias Breakdown Sites Identified by Thermal Imaging', Paper presented at 7th IEEE World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC 2018, Waikoloa Village, United States, 10/06/18 - 15/06/18 pp. 1897-1901. https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547766, https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547766

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AU - Johnston, Steven

AU - Kern, Dana

AU - Guthrey, Harvey

AU - Mansfield, Lorelle

AU - Silverman, Timothy

AU - Al-Jassim, Mowafak

AU - Palmiotti, Elizabeth

AU - Gerber, Andreas

AU - Rockett, Angus

AU - Liu, Jun

N1 - See NREL/CP-5K00-70866 for preprint

PY - 2018/11/26

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N2 - Thin-film module sections are stressed under reverse bias to simulate partial shading conditions. Such stresses can cause permanent damage in the form of 'wormlike' defects due to thermal runaway. When large reverse biases with limited current are applied to the cells, dark lock-in thermography (DLIT) can detect where spatially-localized breakdown initiates before thermal runaway leads to permanent damage. Predicted breakdown defect sites have been identified in both CIGS and CdTe modules using DLIT. These defects include small pinholes, craters, or voids in the absorber layer of the film that lead to builtin areas of weakness where high current densities may cause thermal damage in a partial-shading event.

AB - Thin-film module sections are stressed under reverse bias to simulate partial shading conditions. Such stresses can cause permanent damage in the form of 'wormlike' defects due to thermal runaway. When large reverse biases with limited current are applied to the cells, dark lock-in thermography (DLIT) can detect where spatially-localized breakdown initiates before thermal runaway leads to permanent damage. Predicted breakdown defect sites have been identified in both CIGS and CdTe modules using DLIT. These defects include small pinholes, craters, or voids in the absorber layer of the film that lead to builtin areas of weakness where high current densities may cause thermal damage in a partial-shading event.

KW - Accelerated aging

KW - breakdown voltage

KW - electroluminescence

KW - II-VI semiconductor materials

KW - imaging

KW - photoluminescence

KW - photovoltaic cells

KW - reliability

KW - thermal analysis

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DO - 10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547766

M3 - Paper

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EP - 1901

T2 - 7th IEEE World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC 2018

Y2 - 10 June 2018 through 15 June 2018

ER -

Thin-Film Module Reverse-Bias Breakdown Sites Identified by Thermal Imaging

Abstract

Conference

Bibliographical note

NREL Publication Number

Keywords

Access to Document

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