Stability investigations of Cz-PERC modules during damp heat testing and transport: The impact of the boron-oxygen defect

This work investigates the stability of boron-oxygen stabilized Cz-PERC modules during damp heat testing and Q.ANTUM modules during transport. While during field operation elevated module temperatures are always accompanied by illumination and excess carrier injection, during damp heat testing and transport high temperatures can be present in the dark. High temperatures without illumination can lead to destabilization of stabilized boron-oxygen defects. Degradation values of 5 to 6 %rel. in Cz-PERC modules due to destabilization during damp heat testing and subsequent current-induced degradation tests were measured. By using the actual damp heat test specified by the IEC norm, an effect was measured, which must be interpreted as an artifact. We suggest two ways to avoid this artifact. Current injection during damp heat testing or an additional final stabilization step to avoid the destabilization effect during damp heat tests in laboratory. Furthermore, this work shows that Q.ANTUM modules are stable during transport and also in the worst-case conditions of outdoor storage of parceled modules in hot climates before installation. It is shown that Q.ANTUM technology reliably suppresses, both, light-induced degradation due to boron-oxygen defect formation and Light and elevated Temperature Induced Degradation.