We studied the various characteristics of Sn-In (wt%) Pb-free solders for photovoltaic ribbon application. The solders near the eutectic composition of Sn₄₈In₅₂ (wt%) existed in InSn₄ and In₃Sn alloy phases, and in In crystal phase, but not in Sn crystal phase. In addition, the InSn4 phase (γ-alloy) existed separately from the In₃Sn (β-alloy) and the In phase confirmed by an SEM-EDS-mapping. The melting temperature of the eutectic solder of Sn₄₈In₅₂ (wt%) was 119.2℃, and when the Sn content decreased in reference to the eutectic composition, it slightly increased to 121.4℃, but when the Sn content increased, it remained almost constant at 119.1℃. The peel strength of the ribbon plated with the Sn₄₂In₅₈ (wt%) solder was 38.7 N/㎟, and it tended to increase when the Sn content increased. The peel strength of the eutectic Sn₄₈In₅₂ (wt%) solder was 53.6 N/㎟, and that of the Sn₅₁In₄₉ (wt%) solder was 61.6 N/㎟ that was the highest.

In this paper, semiconducting shield specimens for a DC cable os fabricated and characterized by measurement of volume resistance, tensile strength, and the coefficient of expansion to show the electrical and mechanical characteristics of the semiconducting shield. Due to the PTC phenomenon, the volume resistance at 25℃ increases rapidly in comparison to the volume resistance at 90℃. Since the compounding ration of carbon black is low, the tensile strength and density become lower and the coefficient of expansion is increased. As the general specification of the tensile strength and density is 0.8 kgf/mm2 and 150%, respectively, the fabricated specimen in this paper has excellent mechanical characteristic.