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9104758 
Journal Article 
The effect of moisture on the degradation mechanism of multi-crystalline silicon photovoltaic module 
Kim, TH; Park, NC; Kim, DH 
2013 
1 
Microelectronics Reliability
ISSN: 0026-2714 
53 
9 
1823-1827 
Moisture can diffuse into a photovoltaic (PV) module through its breathable back-sheet and its ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) sheet. Therefore moisture-induced degradation mechanism is investigated with multi-crystalline (m-Si) silicon PV module. Three types of accelerated tests (ATs) were conducted to evaluate the effect of temperature and humidity on the degradation of m-Si PV module. The thermal activation energy for degradation, 0.492eV, was calculated. Electroluminescence image shows that moisture has an effect on the module degradation. Electrical measurements, Dark IV and Suns Voc indicate that series resistance (Rs) contributes to drop in power output. The results of SEM&EDX and Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) reveal that corrosion occurred at the region of solder joint and also show that the oxide concentration on the metal electrode increased after the AT. 
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