IP Library Granted Patent US 9,385,259
Granted Patent B2
US 9,385,259 · App. 13/705,199 · Granted Jul 5, 2016

Method for manufacturing a metallization structure comprising aluminum and silicon

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,385,259
App. No.
13/705,199
Granted
Jul 5, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

In various embodiments, a solar cell screen-printing composition is provided, comprising aluminum; and silicon; the percentage by mass of silicon lying in a range from 5% to 95% of the sum of the percentages by mass of silicon and aluminum.

Claims (29)

1. A method for metallizing a solar cell, the method comprising:

coating a first region of the solar cell with a first solar cell screen-printing composition, the first solar cell screen-printing composition comprising at least aluminum and silicon, a percentage by mass of the silicon lying in a range from approximately 5% to approximately 30% of a sum of percentages by mass of silicon and aluminum;

coating a second region of the solar cell, which adjoins the coated first region, with a second solar cell screen-printing composition which is substantially free of silicon, wherein the first and second solar cell screen-printing compositions on the first region and the second region are connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner;

heating the solar cell coated with the first and second solar cell screen-printing compositions; and

after the heating of the solar cell, an additional layer, which contains a solderable material, being applied directly on or directly over at least the first solar cell screen-printing composition.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the first region of the solar cell is coated with the first solar cell screen-printing composition by means of a screen-printing process.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the solderable material is applied by vapor deposition, sputtering, electrodeposition, CVD or thermal spraying.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the solar cell is heated during the heating to a temperature in a range from approximately 700° C. to approximately 900° C.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the solar cell has an n-type emitter and the first solar cell screen-printing composition is applied to a back side of the solar cell.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the solar cell has a p-type emitter and the first solar cell screen-printing composition is applied to a front side of the solar cell.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein in the first solar cell screen-printing composition the percentage by mass of silicon lies in a range from approximately 5% to approximately 15% of the sum of percentages by mass of silicon and aluminum.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the first solar cell screen-printing composition is a paste with a viscosity in a range from approximately 10 Pa·s to approximately 500 Pa·s.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the first solar cell screen-printing composition comprises etchants and solvents with a maximum percentage by mass of 25%.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the silicon and the aluminum of the first solar cell screen-printing composition are in elemental particle form with an average size in a range from approximately 0.5 μm to approximately 20 μm.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the first solar cell screen-printing composition only partially covers a back side of the solar cell.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the heating forms an electrical back surface field over the first region and the second region.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the first solar cell screen-printing composition and the second solar cell screen-printing composition substantially do not include silver.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 2, 2018
From: SOLARWORLD INNOVATIONS GMBH
To: SOLARWORLD INDUSTRIES GMBH
Reel/Frame 044819/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 5, 2012
From: HAHN, HARALD; KUTZER, MARTIN; KOCH, CHRISTIAN
To: SOLARWORLD INNOVATIONS GMBH
Reel/Frame 029405/0392 →