Tensile Properties of PV Ribbons with Sn-Pb Coatings

Global escalating demand for energy is opening up the opportunities for utilization of solar energy, while photovoltaic (PV) cell is considered as one of the finest ways to harness the solar power. PV ribbon, which is a copper ribbon coated with tin-lead or lead-free solders, is one of the key PV cell components to connect cells. In this paper, tensile properties of PV ribbons coated with Sn-Pb were investigated through tensile testing and micro structural characterization with scanning electron microscope and optical metallography. The effect of tensile rate on the tensile strength, elongation and fracture mechanism was focused. It was found that the tensile strength increased with increase of the tensile rate. Whereas, the elongation decreased with increase of the tensile rate. Different grain deformation was found under different tensile rate.