The invention provides a process for brazing two or three parts. A braze with a composition consisting of Ni.sub.resCr.sub.aB.sub.bP.sub.cSi.sub.d with 20 atomic percent<a<22 atomic percent; 1.2 atomic percentb3.6 percent; 12.5 atomic percentc14.5 atomic percent; 0 atomic percentd<1.5 atomic percent; incidental impurities0.5 atomic percent; and residual Ni is inserted between two or more parts to be joined to form a joint, the parts to be joined having a higher melting temperature than the braze. The joint is heated to a temperature of between 1020 C. and 1070 C. and cooled to form a brazed joint between the parts.

According to various embodiments, a particle containing structured solder material is provided as solder material for joining a solar cell connector with a solar cell. That is why for example, the light incident on the solder material is reflected diffusely and thus partially delivered back to the solar cell, whereby the light captured by the solar cell is increased. Less of the solar cell surface is shadowed based on the solder material or the solar cell connector.

A flux formulation includes an activator and a protic solvent. The activator may be glutaric acid, levulinic acid, 2-ketobutyric acid, 2-oxovaleric acid, or mixtures thereof. Suitable protic solvents include alkanediol, alkoxy propanol and alkoxy ethanol. The flux formulation may be a no-clean flux formulation that may be used in the soldering of electronic circuit board assemblies, for example, in conjunction with a support fixture having a planar back surface that minimizes vibrations during processing that might otherwise cause misalignment between a chip and a substrate prior to solder reflow.

A steam reflow apparatus includes a heating furnace including a preheating zone, a uniform heating zone, a melting zone and a cooling zone to which superheated steams are respectively supplied. The apparatus further includes a furnace-inlet-side dew condensation prevention zone and a furnace-outlet-side dew condensation prevention zone, to which air or nitrogen gas with 100 C. or higher heated by a heater is supplied, respectively adjacently provided with an upstream side of the preheating zone and a downstream side of the cooling zone. Atmospheric pressures of the furnace-inlet-side dew condensation prevention zone and the furnace-outlet-side dew condensation prevention zone are higher than atmospheric pressures of the preheating zone and the cooling zone.

A steam reflow apparatus includes a heating furnace including a preheating zone, a uniform heating zone, a melting zone and a cooling zone to which superheated steams are respectively supplied. The apparatus further includes a furnace-inlet-side dew condensation prevention zone and a furnace-outlet-side dew condensation prevention zone, to which air or nitrogen gas with 100 C. or higher heated by a heater is supplied, respectively adjacently provided with an upstream side of the preheating zone and a downstream side of the cooling zone. Atmospheric pressures of the furnace-inlet-side dew condensation prevention zone and the furnace-outlet-side dew condensation prevention zone are higher than atmospheric pressures of the preheating zone and the cooling zone.

Methods are disclosed for assembling PV modules using connectors that have strain relief elements. Strings can be inspected individually and dimensional information can be obtained to layup the strings into a PV module in a specific manner. Portions of the strings can be soldered using elevators to lift connectors into place, and then applying heat to both sides of the connector.

Methods are disclosed for assembling PV modules using connectors that have strain relief elements. Strings can be inspected individually and dimensional information can be obtained to layup the strings into a PV module in a specific manner. Portions of the strings can be soldered using elevators to lift connectors into place, and then applying heat to both sides of the connector.

A photovoltaic module can be constructed from one or more strings, with each of the strings being constructed from a plurality of cascaded solar cells. A connector can electrically connect the strings to one another. The connector can include strain relief connectors that extend between the connector and the strings to help reduce effects caused by thermal expansion.

A heating apparatus includes a gas supply for providing a base gas, a generator configured to excite the base gas to produce a metastable gas mixture that includes a metastable gas, and a housing. The housing includes a wall shaped to contain the metastable gas mixture and selectively enclose a reactive element of a target component. Interaction between the metastable gas and at least one of a coupling material and the reactive element transfers energy to selectively heat the at least one of the coupling material and the target component.

A heating apparatus includes a gas supply for providing a base gas, a generator configured to excite the base gas to produce a metastable gas mixture that includes a metastable gas, and a housing. The housing includes a wall shaped to contain the metastable gas mixture and selectively enclose a reactive element of a target component. Interaction between the metastable gas and at least one of a coupling material and the reactive element transfers energy to selectively heat the at least one of the coupling material and the target component.