Optimization of thermo-mechanical reliability of solder joints in crystalline silicon solar cell assembly

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dc.contributor.authorZarmai, MT
dc.contributor.authorEkere, NN
dc.contributor.authorOduoza, Chike
dc.contributor.authorAmalu, EH
dc.date.accepted2015-12-21
dc.date.accessioned2019-11-18T09:35:00Z
dc.date.available2019-11-18T09:35:00Z
dc.date.issued2015-12-28
dc.date.updated2019-11-13T08:35:08Z
dc.descriptionThis is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Elsevier in Microelectronics Reliability on 28/12/2015, available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microrel.2015.12.031 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.
dc.description.abstract© 2015 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved. A robust solder joint in crystalline silicon solar cell assembly is necessary to ensure its thermo-mechanical reliability. The solder joint formed using optimal parameter setting accumulates minimal creep strain energy density which leads to longer fatigue life. In this study, thermo-mechanical reliability of solder joint in crystalline silicon solar cell assembly is evaluated using finite element modelling (FEM) and Taguchi method. Geometric models of the crystalline silicon solar cell assembly are built and subjected to accelerated thermal cycling utilizing IEC 61215 standard for photovoltaic panels. In order to obtain the model with minimum accumulated creep strain energy density, the L9 (33) orthogonal array was applied to Taguchi design of experiments (DOE) to investigate the effects of IMC thickness (IMCT), solder joint width (SJW) and solder joint thickness (SJT) on the thermo-mechanical reliability of solder joints. The solder material used in this study is Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu and its non-linear creep deformation is simulated using Garofalo-Arrhenius creep model. The results obtained indicate that solder joint thickness has the most significant effect on the thermo-mechanical reliability of solder joints. Analysis of results selected towards thermo-mechanical reliability improvement shows the design with optimal parameter setting to be: solder joint thickness - 20 μm, solder joint width - 1000 μm, and IMC thickness - 2.5 μm. Furthermore, the optimized model has the least damage in the solder joint and shows a reduction of 47.96% in accumulated creep strain energy density per cycle compared to the worst case original model. Moreover, the optimized model has 16,264 cycles to failure compared with the expected 13,688 cycles to failure of a PV module designed to last for 25 years.en
dc.description.sponsorshipThe authors acknowledge funding provided by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF, PTDF/E/OSS/PHD/ZMT/623/12), Nigeria used in carrying out this study.en
dc.description.versionPublished version
dc.formatapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationZarmai, M. T., Ekere, N. N., Oduoza, C. F. and Amalu, E. H. (2016) Optimization of thermo-mechanical reliability of solder joints in crystalline silicon solar cell assembly, Microelectronics Reliability, 59 (April 2016), pp. 117-125.en
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.microrel.2015.12.031en
dc.identifier.issn0026-2714en
dc.identifier.journalMicroelectronics Reliabilityen
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2436/622928
dc.languageen
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherElsevieren
dc.relation.urlhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002627141530278X?via%3Dihuben
dc.source.beginpage117
dc.source.endpage125
dc.source.volume59
dc.subjectSolar cell assemblyen
dc.subjectSolder jointsen
dc.subjectOptimizationen
dc.subjectThermo-mechanical reliabilityen
dc.subjectFinite element methoden
dc.subjectTaguchi methoden
dc.titleOptimization of thermo-mechanical reliability of solder joints in crystalline silicon solar cell assemblyen
dc.typeJournal articleen
refterms.dateFCD2019-11-18T09:34:41Z
refterms.dateFOA2019-11-18T09:35:00Z
refterms.versionFCDAM
rioxxterms.funderJiscen
rioxxterms.identifier.projectPTDF/E/OSS/PHD/ZMT/623/12en
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate2019-11-18en
rioxxterms.licenseref.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/en
rioxxterms.versionAMen
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