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Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol.107, 403-406, 2012
Glass transition temperature as an in situ cure index of electrically conductive adhesives in solar photovoltaic module interconnect assemblies
Electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) offer a low-temperature alternative to solder processes for interconnection of photovoltaic cells. The curing conversion of the ECA bond can significantly influence its mechanical performance and electrical conductivity. This study developed a method to measure ECA curing conversion in situ of interconnected solar cell assemblies. First, the relationship between the glass transition temperature (T-g) and the curing conversion was established using neat ECA specimens that were pre-cured to different degrees. Then, the torsional dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was used to measure the T-g of the actual ECA bond in the cell interconnect assemblies. Finally, the in situ curing conversion of the ECA bond was estimated through the T-g-conversion relationship. Regardless of the extremely high silver filler content (> 70 wt%) in a typical ECA and little material available in the actual bondline (similar to 10 vol%), this method provided high sensitivity and ease of implementation. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords:Electrically conductive adhesive;In situ cure index;Glass transition temperature;Solar module interconnect;Dynamic mechanical analysis