Estimation of Time to PID-Failure by Characterisation of Module Leakage Currents

Abstract

In a screening procedure we identified PID sensitive modules of all relevant technologies by exposing them in an environmental chamber with 85°C/85%RH (DH) and 60°C/85%RH under -1000V bias voltage. Leakage currents of various modules were characterized in a chamber from 20 to 85°C and 20 to 95%RH and from an outdoor test. For CIGS and c-Si modules lab-test PID is correlated with the transferred charge, independent whether the stress test was performed at 60 or 85°C. For Si-TF a correlation between PID (TCO-corrosion) and charge is not valid. Only for c-Si modules it was found that thermal annealing at 60°C significantly recovers low power after PID. This could simply explain the stable behavior of a module in the field, whereas the stress test in the lab identified a PID-susceptible module type.