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Tellurium‐based screen‐printable conductor metallizations for crystalline silicon solar cells
Author(s) -
Mikeska Kurt R.,
Lu Meijun,
Liao Weilin
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/pip.3185
Subject(s) - frit , materials science , anti reflective coating , tellurium , solar cell , silicon , crystalline silicon , silicon nitride , dissolution , wafer , optoelectronics , metallurgy , chemical engineering , composite material , coating , engineering
Tellurium‐based screen‐printable conductor metallization pastes containing multiple inorganic solid‐state frits (ie, metallization pastes containing two or more individual discrete tellurium‐based frits) were evaluated on p‐type, mono‐crystalline silicon passivated emitter rear cell (PERC) wafers. Individual discrete frits with tellurium‐lead‐metal‐oxygen compositions ofTe xPb yM zM z ' 'M z i i1 − xn +O n + 2were prepared with varying ratios of tellurium and lead cations. Screen‐printed solar cells fabricated from metallization pastes containing multiple discrete frits (two, three, and four discrete frits) had state‐of‐the‐art solar cell electrical properties ( Eff = 21.1%). Mechanisms for the oxidation, dissolution, and removal of the SiN x :H antireflective coating (ARC) by tellurium‐based metallizations during solar cell firing are examined. In situ thermal analysis of a model frit‐silicon nitride system shows that frit glass transition temperatures coincide with the onset of silicon nitride oxidation during heating in accord with dissolution reactions. The advantage of multiple frit systems is an inherent ability to fine‐tune the final chemistry of the conductor metallization, beyond what is possible with single frit systems, to further improve solar cell performance, which is essential for advanced crystalline silicon solar cell devices and continued reductions in processing costs.