Abstract
: The present study applied Sn-0.7Cu-0.2Zn alloy solders to a photovoltaic ribbon. Intermetallic compounds of Cu(6)Sn(5) and Ag(3)Sn formed at the Cu/solder/Ag interfaces of the module after reflow. Electron probe microanalyzer images showed that a Cu-Zn solid-solution layer (Zn accumulation layer) existed at the Cu/solder interface. After a 72 h current stress, no detectable amounts of Cu(6)Sn(5) were found. However, a small increase in Ag(3)Sn was found. Compared with a Sn-0.7Cu photovoltaic module, the increase of the intermetallic compounds thickness in the Sn-0.7Cu-0.2Zn photovoltaic module was much smaller. A retard in the growth of the intermetallic compounds caused the series resistance of the module to slightly increase by 9%. A Zn accumulation layer formed at the module interfaces by adding trace Zn to the Sn-0.7Cu solder, retarding the growth of the intermetallic compounds and thus enhancing the lifetime of the photovoltaic module.