Surface modification of silicon nitride for thick film silver metallization of solar cell
In the manufacture of a wafer-type silicon solar cell having on its front side a silicon nitride AR coating and an electrical contact that is formed by printing a thick film metal ink onto the silicon nitride in the form of a grid-like pattern having narrow fingers and then firing that ink to convert it to a bonded metal contact, a surface treatment method is provided to adjust the condition of the surface of the silicon nitride coating in a manner that substantially improves the adherence of the thick film ink to the silicon nitride coating, thereby eliminating or substantially inhibiting the tendency of the narrow fingers of the unfired ink to peel away before the ink has been fired to produce the electrical contact. The surface treatment method comprises subjecting the silicon nitride layer to a corona discharge using a plasma jet and is readily incorporated into the manufacturing process sequence without requiring any modification of existing stages of that sequence.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-83CH10093
- Assignee:
- RWE Schott Solar, Inc. (Billerica, MA)
- Patent Number(s):
- 6,815,246
- Application Number:
- 10/365,774
- OSTI ID:
- 1531484
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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