Selective Laser Sintering Method of Manufacturing Front Electrode of Silicon Solar Cell
Selective Laser Sintering Method of Manufacturing Front Electrode of Silicon Solar Cell
Selective Laser Sintering Method of Manufacturing Front Electrode of Silicon Solar Cell
ISSUES 1-2
of Achievements in Materials
and Manufacturing Engineering
September-October
2010
Properties
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of the paper is to demonstrate a laser method of micro-machining front contacts of
monocrystalline solar wafers. This means forming front electrodes in order to decrease their resistance. It was
demonstrated, that laser processing is a promising technique for selective laser sintering (SLS) solar cell contacts
compared conventional forming front grid methods.
Design/methodology/approach: The topography of laser micro-machining contact formations and screenprinting were investigated using ZEISS SUPRA 25 scanning electron microscope. The materials used in
the present invention are different granulation silver powders. The grain size analysis were used in order to
determine their size. The transmission line model (TLM) patterns were fabricated by selective laser sintering.
Findings: This work presents an initial analysis of a new selective laser sintering/melting process to contact
crystalline silicon solar cells. The seed layer was created using both silver pastes and powders by a selective
laser sintering, do not use up to now in Poland. These contact structures were investigated microscopically to
gain a better understanding of the method and select laser micro-machining parameters, which will influence on
electrical parameters of formed front side grids.
Practical implications: SLS can produce parts from a relatively wide range of commercially available powder
materials. The physical process can be full melting, partial melting, or liquid-phase sintering and depending on
the material. The thickness of silicon solar wafer can cause some difficulties connected with adhesion electrode
during contact formation process.
Originality/value: In pursuing the purpose of increasing the efficiency of industrial crystalline solar cells
to reduce costs of PV electricity, a measure to improve the front side grid is interesting decreasing contact
resistance and increasing efficiency in this way.
Keywords: Electrical properties; Solar cells, Photovoltaics; Laser micro-machining, Selective laser sintering,
Transmission line model
Reference to this paper should be given in the following way:
L.A. Dobrzaski, M. Musztyfaga, A. Drygaa, Selective laser sintering method of manufacturing front electrode
of silicon solar cell, Journal of Achievements in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering 42/1-2 (2010)
111-119.
Research paper
111
1.
Introduction
1. Introduction
a)
1.1.
Description
the
SLS method
1.1. Description
of theof
SLS
method
The forming a front electrode with SLS can be realized
according to the following (Fig. 1) stages [1-6]:
1. Before laser processing a silicon wafer is located in a chamber
to sintering, where a special drift fender deposits uniformly
a metal powder (for example: W, Mn, Pd, Ag, Al or their
mixtures) on its surface (Fig. 1a). The excess of the powder
is moved into a container, so the rest of the powder
is recovered and can be utilized once again.
2. A laser beam scans a surface of powder layer onto silicon wafer
according to introduced before data, which concerned next
layers of cross-section of a spatial picture object (Fig. 1b).
3. A table is lowering below determined before height in the
programme and another powder layer is deposited by drift
fender (then a bonding of grains takes place). There are used
a few short and intensive laser impulses, delivering especially
for a connecting material and accurate location repeated
actions of sintering or melting, which are a typical feature
of this method. The cycle is repeated until a front electrode
on the surface of the solar cell with desirable properties
is obtained (Fig. 1c).
The description of application of this method for the front side
metallization of silicon solar cell will be presented. The aim of the
present paper is to optimize co-firing parameters of LMS front
contacts obtaining procedure.
b)
c)
2.
Experimental
procedure
2. Experimental
procedure
The investigations were done on circular wafers from
monocrystalline silicon (100) produced by Deutsche Solar
(Germany). The basic parameters of these wafers are:
x type: p
x doped: boron
x thickness: 300 10 m
x the diameter about 8 cm
x resistivity: 1 cm
x carbon concentration: 1x1018 atoms/cm3
x oxygen concentration: 2x1017 atoms/cm3
The baseline process for the fabrication of monocrystalline
solar cells consisted only of the chemical etching. The chemical
procedure for cleaning the wafers is given in Table 1.
Two different granulations silver powders were used in the
investigations:
x <40 m (Ag) (Fig. 2a),
x <40 nm (nAg) (Fig. 2b).
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Research paper
Properties
Table 1.
Chemical processing of silicon wafers
CH3COCH3
DIH2O
Time
(min)
10
0.5
Temp.
(C)
56
21
30% KOH
81
DIH2O
50
2%HCl
10
25
10%HF
DIH2O
10
10
25
25
Chemical process
Chemical recipe
Washing in acetone
Rinsing
Distorted layer
removing
Rinsing
Metallic contamination
removing
Native oxide removing
Rinsing
a)
b)
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
A6
A7
B1
B2
B3
B4
B5
B6
C1
C2
C3
D1
D2
D3
Thickness
of layer
[m]
60
20
Scanning
speed
[mm/s]
Laser
energy
[W]
100
200
135
135
202.5
256.5
121.5
162
135
54
81
54
81
54
81
135
135
202.5
54
67.5
45.9
100
100
40
60
100
60
100
60
100
Distance
between lines in
filled area of
path [mm]
0.45
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.2
Selective laser sintering method of manufacturing front electrode of silicon solar cell
113
a)
3. Results
and discussion
3. Results and discussion
As result of etching in a solution of 30% KOH, approximately
7.07 m of material on both sides of the wafers was removed.
Qualitative and quantitative chemical composition of mixtures
and pastes is presented in Table 4.
b)
Table 4.
Chemical composition (wt.%) of wafers determined using energy
dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS)
No
Symbol
Element
Wt. [%]
C
3
O
21
Na
1
1
B3
Al
1
Si
7
Ag
64
Al
2
2
B4
Si
97
C
4
O
9
3
C1
Si
9
Ag
76
O
15
Na
2
Al
4
4
D1
Si
44
P
1
Ag
23
Ca
6
C
6
O
5
5
D3
Na
1
Si
22
Ag
64
c)
d)
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Research paper
Properties
Fig. 4. Grain distribution according to volume for Ag powder, determined using the Analbaliysette 22 - Fritsch company, according
to a standard PN-ISO 9276-1
Fig. 5. Grain distribution according to volume for nAg powder determined using the Zetasizer S90 - Malvern laser analyser, according
to a standard PN-ISO 13321
Selective laser sintering method of manufacturing front electrode of silicon solar cell
115
a)
b)
Fig. 6. SEM images of a path of nAg contact layer prepared by LMS (A1), a) topography image, b) EDS spectrum from X1 area
a)
b)
X1
c)
Fig. 7. SEM images of a path of one contact layer prepared by LMS (B4 sample), a) topography image, b) fracture image, c) EDS
spectrum from X1 area
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Research paper
Properties
a)
a)
b)
b)
X1
X1
c)
c)
Selective laser sintering method of manufacturing front electrode of silicon solar cell
117
4. Summary
4. Summary
a)
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
The research was partially performed in the frame of project
no. N N 508 444 136 financed by the Polish Ministry of Science
and Higher Education.
b)
Additional
information
Additional information
X1
References
References
[1]
c)
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
Fig. 10. SEM images of a path of one contact layer prepared
by LMS (D3 sample), a) topography image, b) fracture image,
c) EDS spectra from X1 area
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Research paper
[6]
Properties
[7]
[8]
[9]
119