PROCESSES FOR FORMING PHOTOVOLTAIC FEATURES
Processes for forming photovoltaic features and in particular photovoltaic conductive features. In one aspect, the process comprises printing a primer material onto a substrate; etching the substrate with the primer material to form an etched substrate; printing a precursor composition onto the etched substrate, wherein the precursor composition comprises at least one of metallic nanoparticles comprising a metal or a metal precursor compound to the metal; and heating the precursor composition to form the photovoltaic feature on the substrate.
1 . A process for forming photovoltaic feature, comprising:
(a) printing a primer material onto a substrate;
(b) etching the substrate with the primer material to form an etched substrate;
(c) printing a precursor composition onto the etched substrate, wherein the precursor composition comprises at least one of metallic nanoparticles comprising a metal or a metal precursor compound to the metal; and
(d) heating the precursor composition to form the photovoltaic feature on the substrate.
2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the etching comprises locally etching the substrate.
3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the etching inhibits spreading of the precursor composition.
4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the etching forms a via.
5 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the via is filled with the precursor composition in the step of printing the precursor composition onto the etched substrate.
6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the precursor composition comprises the metallic nanoparticles comprising the metal.
7 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the precursor composition comprises the metal precursor compound to the metal.
8 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the precursor composition is printed in a lithographic printing process, a gravure printing process, a flexo printing process, a screen printing process, or a drop on demand printing process.
9 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the precursor composition is printed in an ink jet printing process.
10 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the precursor composition comprises a paste.
11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the heating comprises heating the precursor composition to a temperature not greater than 300° C.
12 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the heating comprises heating the precursor composition to a temperature not greater than 185° C.
13 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a softening point of not greater than about 225° C.
14 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature comprises a set of finger lines and collector lines deposited essentially at a right angle to the finger lines.
15 . The process of claim 14 , wherein either or both the parallel finger lines or the collector lines have width of not greater than 200 μm.
16 . The process of claim 14 , wherein either or both the parallel finger lines or the collector lines have width of not greater than 100 μm.
17 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a thickness greater than 1 μm.
18 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a thickness greater than 5 μm.
19 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of silver, palladium, copper, gold, platinum and nickel.
20 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles have a volume median particle size of not greater than 100 nm.
21 . The process of claim 20 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles comprise a cap or coating thereon.
22 . The process of claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an inorganic cap or coating.
23 . The process of claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises silica.
24 . The process of claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an organic cap or coating.
25 . The process of claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises a polymer.
26 . The process of claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an intrinsically conductive polymer, a sulfonated perfluorohydrocarbon polymer, polystyrene, polystyrene/methacrylate, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate, tetra-n-octyl-ammonium bromide or an alkane thiolate.
27 . The process of claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises PVP.
28 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a conductivity that is no less than 10 percent the conductivity of the equivalent pure metal.
29 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a resistivity that is not greater than 2 times the resistivity of the bulk conductor.
30 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature is resistant to solder leaching.
31 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature comprises a solar cell.
32 . A process for forming a photovoltaic feature, comprising:
(a) printing a primer material onto a substrate, wherein the primer material is capable of etching the substrate;
(b) printing a precursor composition in the region where the primer material was printed, wherein the precursor composition comprises at least one of metallic nanoparticles comprising a metal or a metal precursor compound to the metal; and
(c) heating the precursor composition to form the photovoltaic feature on the substrate.
33 . The process of claim 32 , wherein the primer etches the substrate.
34 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the etching comprises locally etching the substrate.
35 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the etching inhibits spreading of the precursor composition.
36 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the etching forms a via.
37 . The process of claim 36 , wherein the via is filled with the precursor composition in the step of printing the precursor composition.
38 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the precursor composition comprises the metallic nanoparticles comprising the metal.
39 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the precursor composition comprises the metal precursor compound to the metal.
40 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the precursor composition is printed in a lithographic printing process, a gravure printing process, a flexo printing process, a screen printing process, or a drop on demand printing process.
41 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the precursor composition is printed in an ink jet printing process.
42 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the precursor composition comprises a paste.
43 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the heating comprises heating the precursor composition to a temperature not greater than 300° C.
44 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the heating comprises heating the precursor composition to a temperature not greater than 185° C.
45 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the substrate has a softening point of not greater than about 225° C.
46 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature comprises a set of finger lines and collector lines deposited essentially at a right angle to the finger lines.
47 . The process of claim 46 , wherein either or both the parallel finger lines or the collector lines have width of not greater than 200 μm.
48 . The process of claim 46 , wherein either or both the parallel finger lines or the collector lines have width of not greater than 100 μm.
49 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a thickness greater than 1 μm.
50 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a thickness greater than 5 μm.
51 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of silver, palladium, copper, gold, platinum and nickel.
52 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles have a volume median particle size of not greater than 100 nm.
53 . The process of claim 52 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles comprise a cap or coating thereon.
54 . The process of claim 53 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an inorganic cap or coating.
55 . The process of claim 53 , wherein the cap or coating comprises silica.
56 . The process of claim 53 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an organic cap or coating.
57 . The process of claim 53 , wherein the cap or coating comprises a polymer.
58 . The process of claim 53 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an intrinsically conductive polymer, a sulfonated perfluorohydrocarbon polymer, polystyrene, polystyrene/methacrylate, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate, tetra-n-octyl-ammonium bromide or an alkane thiolate.
59 . The process of claim 53 , wherein the cap or coating comprises PVP.
60 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a conductivity that is no less than 10 percent the conductivity of the equivalent pure metal.
61 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a resistivity that is not greater than 2 times the resistivity of the bulk conductor.
62 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature is resistant to solder leaching.
63 . The process of claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature comprises a solar cell.