Evaluation of Thermal Stability of Electrically Conductive Adhesives for Flexible Thin-Film Solar Cells

Abstract

In recent years, pre-cut thin strips of solar cells have been assembled into gapless solar modules in a shingle-like manner, one on top of the other. This technique is called shingling technology, and is gaining increasing market attention. In particular, efficient packing that leaves no space between cells is preferred since it yields an economic gain. One of the biggest market opportunities is the use of electrically conductive adhesives (ECA), which act as a glue between pre-cut cells. Although there are many studies on ECA with a silicon solar cell area, research needs to be expanded in the area of a flexible solar cell that is more sensitive to heat stress. This study explores two types of silver-based ECA materials. The curing time varied from 30 to 60 s, and the curing temperature from 130 to 170°C. The assembled flexible solar cells were evaluated using temperature cycling tests.