The mechanical, electrical and thermal quality of ribbon bonds to the silicon solar cell they are mounted to is important to optimise yield, electrical efficiency and life expectancy. Such bonds can be tested using a ribbon peel test where the force required to peel (break) them and the observed failure mode are used to characterise quality.
Testing is often difficult due to the fragility of the silicon. The silicon is normally thin and may have micro cracks when soldered due to thermal mismatch during cooling. To peel the ribbon an opposing force must be applied to the silicon. Providing an opposing force by clamping the silicon often results in the silicon breaking. Consequently the strength of the bond is unknown. The xyztectest method avoids this problem by applying the opposing force through the ribbon.
