Innovation

for a Better Life

LIFETIME WARRANTY TEST METHOD CONSIDERING POTENTIAL

INDUCED DEGRADATION RECOVERY BEHAVIOR
Kyung Chan Kang, Byong Su Kim, Sang Hwan Park, Sung Ho Chang
LG Electronics, 168, Suchul-daero, Gumi-si 730-903, Korea, Tel : +82-54-469-0407, E-mail : kcpv.kang@lge.com

Motivation
 To verify no PID Effect on particular N-type module with illumination
 To figure out the recovery characteristic after PID occurred on PV modules
 To suggest the test method considering recovery characteristics

LG NeON® model PID Characterization

(A) Electrochemical Corrosion (B) Polarization Effect
Na+ Capacitor-Like

ARC
Light
(+) (+) (+) (+) (+) (+) NeON®n-Type
LG NeON n-Type metal (+) (+)
(+) (+) (+) (+) (+)(+)(+)(+) (+) (+)
p-type emitter
Na+ ARC
Na ions
Na ionscan’t
can’tbebe
moving
moving (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)
Junction Field e- (-)(-) (-)(-)
n-type bulk p-type emitter
ARC
Junction Field Junction Field Junction Field
emitter
n-type bulk
Na+
Junction Field
bulk ARC
Conventional p-Type Dark
Dark : - Polarization
Polarization – Reversible PID
(Reversible)
Na+
(-) (-) Na+ (-) (-) Conventional p-Type
LightLight
: No –Polarization effect
Na+ n-type emitter Ion Migration – Irreversible PID - Weaken
Na+
Ion Migration – Irreversible PID
- Weakenp-n junction
p-n field field
junction No Polarization effect
- Na ions form shunting channel - Increase recombination in emitter
Junction Field - Na ions form shunting channel - Increase recombination in emitter
- Cumulated Charges for Polarization
p-type bulk - Cumulated Charges for Polarization

 The + ion cannot shunt LG n-type NeON® cells, which have a p-type emitter on  Although LG n-type NeON® cells do show the power degradation under normal
its top surface, as opposed to the n-type emitter that most p-type modules have PID Test condition, they naturally prevent the charge from building up while
on their top surfaces. As a result, Electrochemical Corrosion cannot be found on under irradiance, eliminating any effects from polarization.
LG n-type NeON® modules.

Test set-up & Results

Step 1 : PID Test acc. to IEC TC 62804 ed. 1 Step 3 : PID- / With Light Source Step 4 : Leakage Current Monitor
Step 2 : PID- / Light-Recovery Sequence
 Recovery Sequence : 10 sequences
1st : Under lighting 5 hours (20°C/50 % rh.),
- During the light phase, the power of the module will be monitored.
2nd : After then, without lighting 3 hours (40°C/90% rh.)
3rd : IV measurement Chamber
60℃/85%RH
M03 Light / Dark
Isc Voc Imp Vmp Pmax FF eff DC Power
[A] [V] [A] [V] [W] [%] [%] Supply
Initial Measurement 9.93 40.64 9.32 33.11 308.68 76.49 18.82 1000V
PID Test 96 hours at -1000 V
After 96 hrs PID Test 9.76 40.14 9.16 32.34 296.24 75.59 18.06
Deviation to initial [%] -1.70 -1.20 -1.80 -2.30 -4.00 -1.20 -4.00 R V
Recovery Procedure at -1000 V

After Recovery 9.99 40.64 9.34 33.00 308.26 75.91 18.80 Figure : PID test with light source
Deviation to initial [%] 0.60 0.00 0.20 -0.30 -0.10 -0.80 -0.10
M07
M04 Isc Voc Imp Vmp Pmax FF eff
Isc Voc Imp Vmp Pmax FF eff [A] [V] [A] [V] [W] [%] [%]
Initial Measurement 10.07 40.52 9.56 32.76 313.24 76.76 19.10
[A] [V] [A] [V] [W] [%] [%]
PID Test 96 hours at -1000 V
Initial Measurement 9.99 40.66 9.36 33.00 308.80 76.06 18.83
with light (200W/m2) Figure : Schematic of leakage current measurement system
PID Test 96 hours at -1000 V
After 96 hrs PID Test 10.09 40.43 9.65 32.46 313.30 76.76 19.10
After 96 hrs PID Test 9.87 40.39 9.24 32.64 301.73 75.70 18.40
Deviation to initial [%] 0.21 -0.21 0.94 -0.92 0.02 0.00 0.00
Deviation to initial [%] -1.20 -0.70 -1.20 -1.10 -2.30 -0.50 -2.30
M08 Leakage Current During PID test
Recovery Procedure at -1000 V Isc Voc Imp Vmp Pmax FF eff
After Recovery 10.00 40.70 9.38 33.05 310.00 76.20 18.90 [A] [V] [A] [V] [W] [%] [%]
Deviation to initial [%] 0.10 0.10 0.20 0.20 0.40 0.20 0.40 Initial Measurement 10.07 40.48 9.57 32.75 313.26 76.86 19.10
PID Test 96 hours at -1000 V
Measurement Uncertainty [%] ± 1.9 ± 0.6 ± 2.2 ± 1.2 ± 2.1 ± 1.6 ± 2.2 with light (1,000W/m2)
After 96 hrs PID Test 10.04 40.41 9.48 32.85 311.36 76.76 19.00
Table : Performance measurement at STC, PID test with -1000 V Deviation to initial [%] -0.33 -0.16 -0.92 0.30 -0.61 -0.13 -0.53

Table : Performance measurement at STC, PID test with -1000 V with light source
25℃  60℃/85%
Light
60℃/85% Stay section
Dark

Time

Figure : Leakage current comparison (light / dark)

Before PID test After PID test (-1000V) After recovery Before PID test After PID test (-1000V) Before PID test After PID test (-1000V)  Examining the leakage current during PID test, a
Figure : Electroluminescence images of module M03, M04 Figure : Electroluminescence images of module M07, M08
current profile of the dark state’s module similar to
 +1000V : not occurred PID  0.2 / 1 sun : not occurred PID that of a capacitor is observed, on the other hand a
 - 1000V : slightly occurred power drop, however  low irradiance : verified no polarization effect current of the light state’s module is not observed.
found recovery after additional sequence. with light.

Conclusions
The behavior described above shows clearly that the modules recover fast when exposed to light and that a simulated day-night sequence, as applied
in the scope of this study, does not lead to a continuous decrease in power. And we confirmed that ‘Polarization Effect’ does not show in light state
according to cell type, result from the measurement of leakage current, EL and module power after test. The test result indicates that the PID effect will
be equalized in the field to the largest extent. The modules show different results depend on cell types, it requires new lifetime warranty test method
considering potential induced degradation recovery behavior.