Mechanical Properties of Solar Cell Structures

The interplay between mechanical and optoelectronic properties is becoming very interesting reliability evaluation of solar cells. Emerging flexible and stretchable solar cells also required an in-depth understanding of mechanical properties of layered thin film constituents. This article explores the mechanical properties of solar cell structures. The roles of mechanical properties in solar cell structures are presented before elucidating the effects of processing on mechanical properties. The mechanical testing techniques are presented before highlighting the interfacial fracture and its applications in lamination of layered solar cell structures. The salient conclusions are summarized for use in the design of rigid and flexible/stretchable solar cells.