Metallization of N-Type Silicon Solar Cells Using Fine Line Printing Techniques

Kalio, A.; Richter, Armin; Hörteis, M.; Glunz, Stefan W.

doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2011.06.184

Cited by 27 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Various film thicknesses were tested between 10 and 100 nm. It must be noted here that the CVD of tungsten by pyrolysis of W(CO) 6 has been extensively studied in the past at atmospheric pressure also [27], with similar results as for low pressure. Therefore, this process can be easily implemented in the manufacturing of PV cells because of its simplicity and because it does not involve poisonous, corrosive, or explosive gases.…”

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confidence: 55%

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Screen‐printed copper for front‐ and back‐side metallization of single‐ and multi‐crystalline silicon solar cells

Dapei

Papadimitropoulos

Varvitsiotis³

et al. 2015

Physica Status Solidi (a)

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The metallization of multi‐crystalline and single‐crystalline Si (m‐ and sc‐Si, respectively) photovoltaic (PV) solar cells was investigated by using copper screen print pastes designed for electronics packaging applications. For this purpose, Cu features were printed on m‐Si and sc‐Si silicon substrates using low pressure chemically vapor deposited (LPCVD) tungsten layers as adhesion promoters and barriers against Cu diffusion, and self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) of (3‐mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) as adhesion promoters. It was found that pastes may be annealed at temperatures of the order of 600 °C, in primary vacuum and under reducing ambient to give acceptable Cu/Si contacts that pass the Scotch test and standard metallic strips may be soldered on them. Contacts of the form Cu/MPTMS/m‐Si were proved of limited lifetime; their study has shown that the Schottky barrier height was of the order of 0.45 eV. Screen‐printed Cu/LPCVD W/Si (substrate) contacts proved stable in time for sc‐Si but were found unstable for m‐Si. Cu was also printed on the Al layer used for the creation of the back‐surface field in industrial m‐Si PV cells by using SAMs of 11‐mercaptodouncyl phosphorus acid (MDTA) as adhesion promoters. The corresponding contacts did not affect the performance of cells and proved stable for a time period of the order of 1 month.

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confidence: 55%

“…The tungsten layers used as adhesion promoters and diffusion barriers for the SP Cu were deposited by thermal decomposition of W(CO) 6 vapors at 550 8C and at a pressure of 0.1 Torr [25]. These LPCVD films adhere strongly to Si and related materials, while Cu adheres well to them.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Screen‐printed copper for front‐ and back‐side metallization of single‐ and multi‐crystalline silicon solar cells

Dapei

Papadimitropoulos

Varvitsiotis³

et al. 2015

Physica Status Solidi (a)

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“…Metallization was done by aerosol jet printing of 40-μm-wide fingers with a pitch of 1.5 mm, using a silver lead glass ink [2], [11]. The wafers were fired in a rapid thermal processing furnace at measured peak temperatures between 700 • C and 850 • C in 30 K steps.…”

Section: Contact Formationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For bifacial n-type silicon solar cells, this is especially problematic due to the fact that paste or ink penetrates Manuscript different dielectric layers and thicknesses in a co-firing step. Typical boron-diffused emitters are fast fired at 50-80 • C (peak temperature) less than solar cells with a phosphorus-diffused emitter [2]- [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of Dielectric Layers for Bifacial n-type Silicon Solar Cells with Regard to Optical Properties, Surface Passivation Quality, and Contact Formation

Kalio

Richter

Schmiga

et al. 2014

IEEE J. Photovoltaics

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We have studied surface passivation layers for the application on n-type p + nn + bifacial silicon solar cells. Thereby, we have examined their optimal composition and thickness with regards to passivation quality, optical properties, and especially the contact formation during a co-firing step. These parameters were addressed in separate investigations: 1) simulation of the optical properties of a bifacial silicon solar cell, 2) measurement of the passivation quality on lifetime samples, 3) measurement of contact resistance (of aerosol printed fingers) to analyze the contact formation during the co-firing process, and 4) differential scanning calorimetry measurement were conducted to fundamentally understand reactions during contact formation in a fast firing furnace. The passivation layers tested were silicon nitride (SiN x ), titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), and silicon oxide (SiO 2 ) on lowly phosphorus-doped silicon n + -layers, whereas aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) stacks, capped with SiN x and TiO 2 , were studied on lowly boron-doped silicon p + -layers. The results show that a dielectric stack, consisting of 10-nm-thick Al 2 O 3 and 60-nm-thick SiN x layers on the borondiffused silicon front side and a single 50-nm SiN x layer on the phosphorus-diffused silicon rear side, provides low emitter saturation current density (J 0e ) , high optical absorption current density, and low contact resistance for printed and co-fired contacts.

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“…Examples of particle‐based inks that etch though an ARC are, e.g., the SISC‐ink (seed layer ink for the metallization of solar cells) that was developed by Hörteis et al The ink consists of Ag powder from Alfa Aeser and bismuth oxide (Bi 2 O 3 ) powder from Sigma–Aldrich, which are dispersed in glycol ether and N ‐methylpyrrolidone . The ink was intentionally developed for aerosol jet applications and has been used in numerous works . Having mean particle sizes below 1 μm and a viscosity below 1 Pa s, they are easily adaptable for inkjet‐printing requirements.…”

Section: Inkjet Structuring Concepts and Suitable Inksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inkjet Technology for Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics

et al. 2014

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The world's ever increasing demand for energy necessitates technologies that generate electricity from inexhaustible and easily accessible energy sources. Silicon photovoltaics is a technology that can harvest the energy of sunlight. Its great characteristics have fueled research and development activities in this exciting field for many years now. One of the most important activities in the solar cell community is the investigation of alternative fabrication and structuring technologies, ideally serving both of the two main goals: device optimization and reduction of fabrication costs. Inkjet technology is practically evaluated along the whole process chain. Research activities cover many processes, such as surface texturing, emitter formation, or metallization. Furthermore, the inkjet technology itself is manifold as well. It can be used to apply inks that serve as a functional structure, present in the final device, as mask for subsequent structuring steps, or even serve as a reactant source to activate chemical etch reactions. This article reviews investigations of inkjet-printing in the field of silicon photovoltaics. The focus is on the different inkjet processes for individual fabrication steps of a solar cell. A technological overview and suggestions about where future work will be focused on are also provided. The great variety of the investigated processes highlights the ability of the inkjet technology to find its way into many other areas of functional printing and printed electronics.

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Metallization of N-Type Silicon Solar Cells Using Fine Line Printing Techniques

Cited by 27 publications

References 4 publications

Screen‐printed copper for front‐ and back‐side metallization of single‐ and multi‐crystalline silicon solar cells

Screen‐printed copper for front‐ and back‐side metallization of single‐ and multi‐crystalline silicon solar cells

Study of Dielectric Layers for Bifacial n-type Silicon Solar Cells with Regard to Optical Properties, Surface Passivation Quality, and Contact Formation

Inkjet Technology for Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics

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