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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Laser-assisted solar cell metallization processing: Final report for the period September 13, 1983 to September 30, 1986

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6983949

Laser-assisted processing techniques for producing high-quality solar cell metallization patterns have been investigated, developed, and characterized. During the early stages, preliminary investigations were carried out on a variety of promising laser-assisted metallization schemes, and the best of these was selected for further development. A comprehensive literature search initially yielded information on state-of-the-art laser-assisted techniques for metal deposition such as laser chemical vapor deposition and laser photolysis of organometallics, as well as laser-enhanced electroplating. Initial experiments on laser-enhanced electroplating yielded very promising results with linewidths as narrow as 25 ..mu..m and local plating speeds as high as 12 ..mu..m/s being achieved. Metal deposition experiments were carried out utilizing laser-assisted pyrolysis of a variety of metal-bearing polymer films and metallo-organic inks spun onto silicon substrates. Argon-ion laser decomposition of spun-on silver neodecanoate ink, a generic metallo-organic ink, yielded fine, adherent silver lines. Solar cell comb metallization patterns were written using this technique, each pattern being written in a fraction of a second. An economic evaluation yielded the conclusion that laser-assisted pyrolysis of spun-on silver neodecanoate is the most promising of all the metallization techniques that were investigated in this contract. Accordingly, maximum effort was directed toward the development of this technique. Linewidth studies were carried out as a function of laser power, scan speed, and film thickness. Solar cells were fabricated and characterized using this metallization scheme.

Research Organization:
Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA); Westinghouse Research and Development Center, Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
NAS-7-100-956615
OSTI ID:
6983949
Report Number(s):
DOE/JPL-7004490; ON: DE87004490
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English