EP1149422A1 - Procede et appareil d'application d'un motif de metallisation sur un substrat pour cellules photovoltaique - Google Patents

Procede et appareil d'application d'un motif de metallisation sur un substrat pour cellules photovoltaique

Info

Publication number
EP1149422A1
EP1149422A1 EP00902199A EP00902199A EP1149422A1 EP 1149422 A1 EP1149422 A1 EP 1149422A1 EP 00902199 A EP00902199 A EP 00902199A EP 00902199 A EP00902199 A EP 00902199A EP 1149422 A1 EP1149422 A1 EP 1149422A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
substrate
nozzle
paste
applying
aspect ratio
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP00902199A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Arthur Wouter Weeber
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland ECN
Original Assignee
Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland ECN
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland ECN filed Critical Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland ECN
Publication of EP1149422A1 publication Critical patent/EP1149422A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/02—Details
    • H01L31/0224—Electrodes
    • H01L31/022408—Electrodes for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier
    • H01L31/022425—Electrodes for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier for solar cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K3/00—Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits
    • H05K3/10—Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern
    • H05K3/12—Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern using thick film techniques, e.g. printing techniques to apply the conductive material or similar techniques for applying conductive paste or ink patterns
    • H05K3/1241—Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern using thick film techniques, e.g. printing techniques to apply the conductive material or similar techniques for applying conductive paste or ink patterns by ink-jet printing or drawing by dispensing
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K3/00—Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits
    • H05K3/10—Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern
    • H05K3/12—Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern using thick film techniques, e.g. printing techniques to apply the conductive material or similar techniques for applying conductive paste or ink patterns
    • H05K3/1216—Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern using thick film techniques, e.g. printing techniques to apply the conductive material or similar techniques for applying conductive paste or ink patterns by screen printing or stencil printing
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method for applying a metallization to at least one of the outer surfaces of a substrate for a photovoltaic element in accordance with a predetermined pattern of electrical conductors which comprises a set of relatively thin lines and a set of relatively wide strips connected thereto for transporting electrical charge carriers, which method comprises the steps of (i) providing said substrate, at least one of the outer surfaces of which is adapted for applying of a metallization thereto, (ii) applying a metal -containing conductive paste to the relevant surface in accordance with said determined pattern, and (iii) drying the paste applied to the surface.
  • a metallization pattern to the front side of a photovoltaic element, for instance a silicon solar cell, using a screen-printing technique.
  • an emulsion layer suitable for this purpose is applied to a stainless steel mesh clamped in a frame, into which layer is recessed the pattern of the metallization to be applied.
  • the thus obtained screen is arranged over the front side of a silicon substrate, whereafter the metal -containing conductive paste is applied to the emulsion layer, for instance a paste of silver particles, frit, a binder and a solvent.
  • the paste is skimmed off using a squeegee and pressed via the mesh through the apertures in the emulsion layer onto the substrate.
  • the thus created paste pattern on the substrate is then dried in a furnace, wherein the solvent evaporates, heated while air or oxygen is added to burn organic binders, and sintered to adhere the metal particles to each other and to the substrate.
  • a substrate to which a paste is applied by screen-printing can be dried, further heated and sintered in one furnace cycle so as to obtain the intended metallization pattern.
  • An inherent drawback of the known method is that the minimum width of the metallization lines to be formed on the substrate is determined by the mesh width of the screen used.
  • a screen of width mesh 325 or higher i.e. 325 or more meshes per inch is used for instance to print very fine lines .
  • the opening in the emulsion layer is critical: the percentage of open surface fluctuates significantly, which results in a correspondingly fluctuating line width of the applied paste.
  • the use of thinner wires for the screen or increasing the distance between the wires thereof increases the uniformity of deposited metal paste lines but reduces the strength of the screen and thereby reduces the lifespan to a level which may be economically unacceptable.
  • the objective is to create the thinnest possible lines in order to keep shadow losses resulting from the metallization as low as possible and thereby the efficiency as high as possible.
  • a stencil is a foil, usually of a metal, for instance nickel or stainless steel, which is placed instead of a screen over the substrate for a solar cell, wherein apertures in the foil are formed in accordance with a line pattern for arranging on the substrate.
  • a pattern for very thin, smooth and relatively high lines of a first paste can be applied to the substrate in one print run by means of a stencil.
  • the pattern of relatively wide strips forming the busbars in a solar cell can be applied immediately thereafter in contact-free manner by means of an apparatus suitable for the purpose without intervening drying of the line pattern.
  • a second print run with a second stencil or with a screen, which would be necessary to apply the pattern with the busbars intersecting the thin lines, is hereby dispensed with.
  • the advantage of the screen- printing technique that it is possible to suffice with only one furnace cycle after printing, is hereby retained, while the drawbacks thereof do not occur.
  • the paste for the wide strips is applied for instance using an arrangement for contact-free dispensing or other technique of contact-free application.
  • the first paste and the second paste are identical.
  • the second paste has a lower viscosity than the first paste, which provides the advantage that the second paste has rheological properties such that it can be more easily transported through an apparatus for contact- free dispensing than the first paste, the viscosity of which is chosen such that very thin and relatively high lines can be printed with this paste.
  • the method is particularly suitable for embodiment with a stencil comprising a foil in which are arranged slots which correspond with the set of relatively thin lines and which have a width smaller than about 100 ⁇ m, in particular smaller than about 50 ⁇ m, wherein the foil has for instance a thickness smaller than about 50 ⁇ m.
  • the method according to the invention is for instance performed using an apparatus for contact-free application containing a nozzle placeable above the substrate, wherein the second paste is applied by moving the nozzle and the substrate relative to each other such that the nozzle follows the predetermined pattern of the set of relatively wide strips.
  • the nozzle has for instance a cross -section with an aspect ratio having a value not equal to 1, preferably a value greater than 2, more preferably a value at least equal to 5.
  • the nozzle preferably extends with a long axis of the cross-section parallel to the surface of the substrate and perpendicularly of the direction of the relative movement of nozzle and substrate, wherein the nozzle more preferably has a cross -section with a long axis with a length of about 1.5 mm and a short axis with a length of about 300 ⁇ m.
  • the invention further relates to an apparatus for performing the above described method. The invention will be elucidated hereinbelow on the basis of embodiments and with reference to the drawings.
  • Fig. 1 shows in top view a substrate of a square solar cell to which according to the invention a first paste is applied in a pattern of thin lines in a first step
  • Fig. 2 shows in top view the substrate of fig. 1 to which according to the invention a second paste is applied in a pattern of relatively wide strips in a second step
  • Fig. 3 shows in perspective view a simplified illustration of an embodiment of an arrangement for contact-free dispensing of paste for the busbars to a substrate for a solar cell
  • Fig. 4 shows the arrangement of fig. 3 at a later point in time
  • Fig. 5 shows in side view a cross -section through the arrangement of fig. 4,
  • Fig. 6 shows in side view a detail of an alternative embodiment of an arrangement for contact-free dispensing.
  • Fig. 1 shows a substrate 1 for a solar cell with a part of a so-called H-pattern.
  • a full H-pattern consists of relatively thin lines or fingers and relatively wide strips or busbars. The fingers have the purpose of carrying the current to be generated by the solar cell over the whole surface to the busbars, which in turn serve as central discharge for the current and for connecting in series a subsequent solar cell by means of conductors for mounting on the busbars.
  • a pattern is printed on substrate 1 of lines 2 of a conductive paste which contains inter alia about 70% by weight of silver in the form of very small spherical particles with a diameter of about 1-2 ⁇ m and a small fraction of flocculent particles or platelets with a largest dimension of about 5 ⁇ m.
  • the lines 2 printed with the stencil in question have a width of about 55 ⁇ m and a height of about 20 ⁇ m in the dried and annealed state.
  • Fig. 2 shows substrate 1 of fig.
  • the strips 3 applied with the arrangement in question have a width of about 1.5 mm and a height of about 300 ⁇ m in the dried and annealed state, and form the busbars of the solar cell.
  • Shown are a container 5 for holding paste under pressure with for instance compressed air, a housing 7 with a drive for a conveyor screw 8 and a nozzle 9 which debouches above a substrate 1 provided with lines 2.
  • the dispensing apparatus is movable relative to substrate 1 along two mutually perpendicular suspension arms 10, 11 and a vertical guide (not shown) , wherein the relative movement of substrate 1 and nozzle 9 can be regulated using a control circuit (not shown) such that the nozzle follows the predetermined pattern of the set of busbars for applying.
  • Nozzle 9 has a cross -section with a long axis of about 1.5 mm in the Y-direction and a short axis with a length of about 300 ⁇ m in the X-direction (so that the aspect ratio amounts to 5) .
  • t time
  • t ⁇ time in which the apparatus is displaced along arm 10 over a determined distance in the direction of arrow X.
  • During the displacement paste is carried out of container 5 via conduit 6 to the rotating (rotation symbolized by curved arrow ⁇ ) conveyor screw 8, and using this conveyor screw 8 applied in contact-free manner to substrate 1 via nozzle 9 in accordance with a straight wide strip 3 extending transversely over lines 2.
  • Fig. 5 shows a cross -section along line V-V through the arrangement shown in fig. 4.
  • the distance Z 0 between the underside of nozzle 9 and the surface of substrate 1 is adjustable between 0.020 mm and 5 mm, whereby the thickness d of the paste strip to be applied to substrate 1 can be adjusted in the range of about 10-300 ⁇ m.
  • Fig. 6 shows a detail of an alternative embodiment of the dispensing apparatus, wherein the housing 7 with nozzle 9 shown in fig. 5 can be tilted in the X,Z plane so that in the tilted position (drawn in dashed lines) of housing 7 and nozzle 9 at an angle to the perpendicular the paste 3 can be applied to the surface of substrate 1, whereby when the feed of paste ceases the outer end of strip 3 is prevented from protruding above the level of the remaining part of this strip.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)

Abstract

Cette invention concerne un procédé servant à appliquer une métallisation sur au moins l'une des surfaces extérieures d'un substrat pour élément photovoltaïque en fonction d'un motif prédéterminé de conducteurs électriques constitués par un ensemble de lignes relativement fines (doigts) et par un ensemble de bandes relativement larges (barres omnibus) connectées aux lignes pour le transport des porteurs de charges électriques. Ce procédé consiste: (i) à appliquer une pâte conductrice contenant du métal sur la surface en question en fonction dudit motif déterminé; et (ii) à sécher la pâte appliquée sur ladite surface. Dans la première étape (i), une première pâte pour l'ensemble des lignes relativement fines ou doigts est appliquée à l'aide d'un patron et une seconde pâte pour l'ensemble des bandes relativement larges ou barres omnibus est ensuite appliquée à l'aide d'un appareil d'application sans contact. Cette invention concerne également un appareil de réalisation de ce procédé et un élément photovoltaïque avec un substrat fabriqué selon ce procédé.
EP00902199A 1999-01-20 2000-01-14 Procede et appareil d'application d'un motif de metallisation sur un substrat pour cellules photovoltaique Withdrawn EP1149422A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL1011081 1999-01-20
NL1011081A NL1011081C2 (nl) 1999-01-20 1999-01-20 Werkwijze en inrichting voor het aanbrengen van een metallisatiepatroon op een substraat voor een fotovoltaïsche cel.
PCT/NL2000/000026 WO2000044051A1 (fr) 1999-01-20 2000-01-14 Procede et appareil d'application d'un motif de metallisation sur un substrat pour cellules photovoltaique

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1149422A1 true EP1149422A1 (fr) 2001-10-31

Family

ID=19768510

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP00902199A Withdrawn EP1149422A1 (fr) 1999-01-20 2000-01-14 Procede et appareil d'application d'un motif de metallisation sur un substrat pour cellules photovoltaique

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1149422A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2003536240A (fr)
AU (1) AU2331700A (fr)
NL (1) NL1011081C2 (fr)
WO (1) WO2000044051A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP4121928B2 (ja) 2003-10-08 2008-07-23 シャープ株式会社 太陽電池の製造方法
JP5025135B2 (ja) * 2006-01-24 2012-09-12 三洋電機株式会社 光起電力モジュール
ES2341739T3 (es) * 2006-10-24 2010-06-25 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Dispositivo y procedimiento de metalizacion.
WO2010118906A2 (fr) 2009-04-16 2010-10-21 Applied Materials, Inc. Module photovoltaïque à film mince
EP2242109A1 (fr) * 2009-04-16 2010-10-20 Applied Materials, Inc. Module solaire à couche mince
JP5676863B2 (ja) * 2009-09-15 2015-02-25 株式会社Ｓｃｒｅｅｎホールディングス パターン形成方法およびパターン形成装置
JP5395646B2 (ja) * 2009-12-14 2014-01-22 大日本スクリーン製造株式会社 パターン形成方法およびパターン形成装置
JP5395690B2 (ja) * 2010-01-26 2014-01-22 大日本スクリーン製造株式会社 パターン形成方法およびパターン形成装置
JP5022462B2 (ja) * 2010-03-18 2012-09-12 大日本スクリーン製造株式会社 電極形成方法および電極形成装置
JP2012043876A (ja) * 2010-08-17 2012-03-01 Dainippon Screen Mfg Co Ltd パターン形成方法、パターン形成装置、光電変換デバイスの製造方法および光電変換デバイス
FR2964250B1 (fr) * 2010-08-30 2013-07-12 Commissariat Energie Atomique Procede d'impression de conducteurs sur une cellule photovoltaique
US10453975B2 (en) 2010-08-30 2019-10-22 Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives Photovoltaic cell having discontinuous conductors
KR101180794B1 (ko) 2010-10-12 2012-09-10 (주)솔라세라믹 잉크젯 프린팅 공정을 이용한 염료감응 태양전지의 전극 제조방법 및 이에 따른 전극을 가지는 염료감응 태양전지
JP5901010B2 (ja) * 2010-12-27 2016-04-06 株式会社Sat 太陽電池集電極形成装置及びその方法と塗布ヘッド
WO2012090293A1 (fr) * 2010-12-27 2012-07-05 株式会社Sat Dispositif et procédé de formation d'électrode collectrice pour cellule solaire et tête de revêtement
DE102011052902A1 (de) * 2011-07-21 2013-01-24 Centrotherm Photovoltaics Ag Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Aufdrucken von Metallkontakten auf ein Solarzellensubstrat
US9991412B2 (en) 2014-12-05 2018-06-05 Solarcity Corporation Systems for precision application of conductive adhesive paste on photovoltaic structures
US9899546B2 (en) 2014-12-05 2018-02-20 Tesla, Inc. Photovoltaic cells with electrodes adapted to house conductive paste

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5151377A (en) * 1991-03-07 1992-09-29 Mobil Solar Energy Corporation Method for forming contacts
ATE146304T1 (de) * 1993-07-30 1996-12-15 Ibm Vorrichtung und verfahren um feine metal-linie auf einem substrat abzulegen
EP0729189A1 (fr) * 1995-02-21 1996-08-28 Interuniversitair Micro-Elektronica Centrum Vzw Méthode de fabrication de cellules solaires et produits ainsi obtenus

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO0044051A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2003536240A (ja) 2003-12-02
WO2000044051A1 (fr) 2000-07-27
AU2331700A (en) 2000-08-07
NL1011081C2 (nl) 2000-07-21

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