Overview of Thick-Film Technology As Applied to Solar Cells
Thick-film technology was developed by the electronics industry as a means of fabricating components and miniature circuitry. Today, the solar cell industry is looking at screen printing as an alternate to more expensive, high-vacuum techniques in several of the production steps during the manufacture of silicon solar cells. Screen printing is already fairly well established as a means of providing electrical contact to a cell and for the formation of a back surface field. Now under investigation are the possibilities of non-noble metal contacts and protective and antireflective coatings applied to solar cells by the use of screen printing. Most exciting is the work being done in the non-silicon area on the fabrication of the active layers of a solar cell, using thick-film inks made up of II-VI semiconductors.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 5428926
- Report Number(s):
- SERI/TP-331-541
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
ALUMINIUM
ANTIREFLECTION COATINGS
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
CADMIUM SULFIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COATINGS
DEPOSITION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FILMS
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
METALS
PHOSPHORS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PROTECTIVE COATINGS
SCREEN PRINTING
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SUBSTRATES
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE COATING
aluminium
antireflection coatings
cadmium compounds
cadmium sulfide solar cells
cadmium sulfides
chalcogenides
coatings
deposition
direct energy converters
electric contacts
fabrication
films
materials science
protective coatings
screen printing
silicon
silicon solar cells
solar energy
substrates
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
ALUMINIUM
ANTIREFLECTION COATINGS
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM SULFIDE SOLAR CELLS
CADMIUM SULFIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COATINGS
DEPOSITION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FILMS
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
METALS
PHOSPHORS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PROTECTIVE COATINGS
SCREEN PRINTING
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SUBSTRATES
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE COATING
aluminium
antireflection coatings
cadmium compounds
cadmium sulfide solar cells
cadmium sulfides
chalcogenides
coatings
deposition
direct energy converters
electric contacts
fabrication
films
materials science
protective coatings
screen printing
silicon
silicon solar cells
solar energy
substrates