Conductive compositions and processes for use in the manufacture of semiconductor devices: Mg-containing additive
View Patent ↗Described herein are a silicon semiconductor device and a conductive silver paste for use in the front side of a solar cell device.
1. A structure comprising:
(i) a thick film composition comprising:
a) an electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of silver metal, silver oxide, silver salts and mixtures thereof;
b) glass frits comprising 0.1-8 wt % SiO 2 , 8-25 wt % B 2 O 3 , 0-15 wt % BiF 3 and 28-85 wt % Bi 2 O 3 , based on the wt % of the total glass composition;
c) Mg, wherein said Mg is 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of the total composition; and
d) an organic medium, wherein said electrically conductive material, said glass frit and said Mg are all dispersed in said organic medium;
(ii) one or more substrates; and
(iii) one or more insulating films,
wherein, upon firing, the organic medium is removed and the glass frit and silver powder are sintered, and wherein the structure is a semiconductor device.
2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein, upon firing, the one or more insulating films are penetrated by components of the thick film composition.
3. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the thick film composition further comprises an additional additive selected from the group consisting of: (a) a metal wherein said metal is selected from Zn, Gd, Ce, Zr, Ti, Mn, Sn, Ru, Co, Fe, Cu and Cr; (b) a metal oxide of one or more of the metals selected from Zn, Gd, Ce, Zr, Ti, Mn, Sn, Ru, Co, Fe, Cu and Cr; (c) any compounds that can generate the metal oxides of (b) upon firing; and (d) mixtures thereof.
4. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the glass frit further comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of P 2 O 5 , GeO 2 , and V 2 O 5 .
5. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor device is a solar cell.
6. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the one or more insulating films comprise one or more components selected from: titanium oxide, silicon nitride, SiNx:H, silicon oxide, and silicon oxide/titanium oxide.
7. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the glass frit further comprises one or more of Al 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , SnO 2 , and CaO, wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of Al 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , SnO 2 , and CaO is less than 6 wt %.
8. The structure of claim 7 , wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of Al 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , SnO 2 , and CaO is less than 1.5 wt %.
9. The structure of claim 7 , wherein the glass frit further comprises one or more of Na 2 O, Li 2 O, and Ag 2 O, wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of Na 2 O, Li 2 O, and Ag 2 O is less than 5 wt %.
10. The structure of claim 7 , wherein the glass frit further comprises one or both of Al 2 O 3 and B 2 O 3 , wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , and B 2 O 3 is less than 31 wt %.
11. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the glass frit further comprises BiF 3 , and wherein based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of BiF 3 and Bi 2 O 3 is less than 83 wt %.
12. The structure of claim 11 , wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of BiF 3 and Bi 2 O 3 is less than 72 wt %.
13. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the glass frit further comprises one or more of Al 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , SnO 2 , and CaO, wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of Al 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , SnO 2 , and CaO is less than 6 wt %.
14. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the glass frit further comprises one or more of Na 2 O, Li 2 O, and Ag 2 O, wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of Na 2 O, Li 2 O, and Ag 2 O is less than 5 wt %.
15. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the glass frit further comprises one or more of Na 2 O, Li 2 O, and Ag 2 O, wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of Na 2 O, Li 2 O, and Ag 2 O is less than 5 wt %.
16. The structure of claim 15 , wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of Na 2 O, Li 2 O, and Ag 2 O is less than 2.0 wt %.
17. The structure of claim 15 , wherein the glass frit further comprises BiF 3 , and wherein based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of (Bi 2 O 3 +BiF 3 )/(Na 2 O+Li 2 O+Ag 2 O) is greater than 14.
18. The structure of claim 15 , wherein the glass frit further comprises one or both of Al 2 O 3 and B 2 O 3 , wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , and B 2 O 3 is less than 31 wt %.
19. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the glass frit further comprises one or both of Al 2 O 3 and B 2 O 3 , wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , and B 2 O 3 is less than 31 wt %.
20. A thick film composition comprising:
a) an electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of silver metal, silver oxide, silver salts and mixtures thereof;
b) glass frit comprising 0.1-8 wt % SiO 2 , 8-25 wt % B 2 O 3 , 0-15 wt % BiF 3 and 28-85 wt % Bi 2 O 3 , based on the wt % of the total glass composition;
c) Mg, Mg, wherein said Mg is 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of the total composition; and
d) an organic medium, wherein said electrically conductive material, said glass frit and said Mg are all dispersed in said organic medium.
21. The composition of claim 20 , wherein the thick film composition further comprises an additional additive selected from the group consisting of: (a) a metal wherein said metal is selected from Zn, Gd, Ce, Zr, Ti, Mn, Sn, Ru, Co, Fe, Cu and Cr; (b) a metal oxide of one or more of the metals selected from Zn, Gd, Ce, Zr, Ti, Mn, Sn, Ru, Co, Fe, Cu and Cr; (c) any compounds that can generate the metal oxides of (b) upon firing; and (d) mixtures thereof.
22. The composition of claim 20 , wherein the glass frit further comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of P 2 O 5 , GeO 2 , and V 2 O 5 .
23. The composition of claim 20 , wherein the glass frit further comprises one or more of Al 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , SnO 2 , and CaO, and wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of Al 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , SnO 2 , and CaO is less than 6 wt %.
24. The composition of claim 23 , wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of Al 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , SnO 2 , and CaO is less than 1.5 wt %.
25. The composition of claim 20 , wherein the glass frit further comprises BiF 3 , and wherein based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of BiF 3 and Bi 2 O 3 is less than 83 wt %.
26. The composition of claim 25 , wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of BiF 3 and Bi 2 O 3 is less than 72 wt %.
27. The composition of claim 25 , wherein the glass frit further comprises BiF 3 , and wherein the glass frit further comprises Na 2 O, Li 2 O, and Ag 2 O, wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of (Bi 2 O 3 +BiF 3 )/(Na 2 O+Li 2 O+Ag 2 O) is greater than 14.
28. The composition of claim 20 , wherein the glass frit further comprises Na 2 O, Li 2 O, and Ag 2 O, wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of Na 2 O, Li 2 O, and Ag 2 O is less than 5 wt %.
29. The composition of claim 28 , wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of Na 2 O, Li 2 O, and Ag 2 O is less than 2.0 wt %.
30. The composition of claim 20 , wherein the glass frit further comprises one or both of Al 2 O 3 and B 2 O 3 , wherein, based on weight percent total glass composition, the amount of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , and B 2 O 3 is less than 31 wt %.