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The formation mechanism for printed silver-contacts for silicon solar cells
- Source :
- Nature Communications, Nature Communications, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2016)
- Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- Screen-printing provides an economically attractive means for making Ag electrical contacts to Si solar cells, but the use of Ag substantiates a significant manufacturing cost, and the glass frit used in the paste to enable contact formation contains Pb. To achieve optimal electrical performance and to develop pastes with alternative, abundant and non-toxic materials, a better understanding the contact formation process during firing is required. Here, we use in situ X-ray diffraction during firing to reveal the reaction sequence. The findings suggest that between 500 and 650 °C PbO in the frit etches the SiNx antireflective-coating on the solar cell, exposing the Si surface. Then, above 650 °C, Ag+ dissolves into the molten glass frit – key for enabling deposition of metallic Ag on the emitter surface and precipitation of Ag nanocrystals within the glass. Ultimately, this work clarifies contact formation mechanisms and suggests approaches for development of inexpensive, nontoxic solar cell contacting pastes.<br />The mechanism of contact formation during the firing of screen-printed contacts to Si solar cells remains elusive. Here, Fields et al. use in situ X-ray diffraction during firing to reveal the reaction sequence, thus suggesting approaches for development of inexpensive, nontoxic solar cell contacting pastes.
- Subjects :
- Materials science
Silicon
Science
General Physics and Astronomy
chemistry.chemical_element
Nanotechnology
02 engineering and technology
01 natural sciences
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Article
law.invention
law
0103 physical sciences
Solar cell
Deposition (law)
010302 applied physics
Multidisciplinary
integumentary system
Precipitation (chemistry)
business.industry
General Chemistry
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
Solar energy
Electrical contacts
chemistry
Nanocrystal
biological sciences
0210 nano-technology
business
Frit
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 20411723
- Volume :
- 7
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Nature communications
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....dfbc6eb26bb56b9a723c922fdd20ecba