Plant Pv, Inc.

Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.

Brian E Hardin

Stephen T Connor

Craig H Peters

Erik Sauar

James Randy Groves

Daniel J Hellebusch

Jesse J Hinricher

Jennifer Huang

Dhea Suseno

Tom Yu-Tang Lin

Intercalation pastes for use with semiconductor devices are disclosed. The pastes contain precious metal particles, intercalating particles, and an organic vehicle and can be used to improve the material properties of metal particle layers. Specific formulations have been developed to be screen-printed directly onto a dried metal particle layer and fired to make a fired multilayer stack. The fired multilayer stack can be tailored to create a solderable surface, high mechanical strength, and low contact resistance. In some embodiments, the fired multilayer stack can etch through a dielectric layer to improve adhesion to a substrate. Such pastes can be used to increase the efficiency of silicon solar cells, specifically multi- and mono-crystalline silicon back-surface field (BSF), and passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) photovoltaic cells. Other applications include integrated circuits and more broadly, electronic devices.

Print-on pastes for modifying material properties of metal particle layers

Oxidation-resistant electrically-conductive metal particles (ORCMP) are disclosed. ORCMPs are comprised of a base-metal core, an oxidation-resistant first shell, and an optional conductive second shell. ORCMPs are low cost alternatives to silver particles in metal fillers for low-temperature, electrically-conductive adhesives. Adhesives including ORCMPs, organic vehicles, and optional conductive metal particles such as silver were formulated to yield conductive films upon curing at low temperatures. Such films can be used in many electronic devices where low-temperature, low cost films are needed.

Core-shell, oxidation-resistant, electrically conducting particles for low temperature conductive applications

Metallization pastes for use with semiconductor devices are disclosed. The pastes contain silver particles, low-melting-point base-metal particles, organic vehicle, and optional crystallizing agents. Specific formulations have been developed that produce stratified metal films that contain less silver than conventional pastes and that have high peel strengths. Such pastes can be used to make high contact resistance metallization layers on silicon.

Silver-bismuth non-contact metallization pastes for silicon solar cells

Fired multilayer stacks for use in integrated circuits and solar cells

A method of forming a fired multilayer stack are described. The method involves the steps of a) applying a wet metal particle layer on at least a portion of a surface of a substrate, b) drying the wet metal particle layer to form a dried metal particle layer, c) applying a wet intercalation layer directly on at least a portion of the dried metal particle layer to form a multilayer stack, d) drying the multilayer stack, and e) co-firing the multilayer stack to form the fired multilayer stack. The intercalating layer may include one or more of low temperature base metal particles, crystalline metal oxide particles, and glass frit particles. The wet metal particle layer may include aluminum, copper, iron, nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, tantalum, titanium, steel or combinations thereof.

Methods of forming solar cells with fired multilayer film stacks

Solar cells and modules with fired multilayer stacks

Materials and methods for fabrication of rear tabbing, front busbar, and fine grid line layers for silicon based photovoltaic cells are disclosed. Materials include conductive metallization pastes that contain core-shell nickel based particles.

Core-shell nickel alloy composite particle metallization layers for silicon solar cells

Multi-crystalline group II-VI solar cells and methods for fabrication of same are disclosed herein. A multi-crystalline group II-VI solar cell includes a first photovoltaic sub-cell comprising silicon, a tunnel junction, and a multi-crystalline second photovoltaic sub-cell. A plurality of the multi-crystalline group II-VI solar cells can be interconnected to form low cost, high throughput flat panel, low light concentration, and/or medium light concentration photovoltaic modules or devices.

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San Carlos, CA, United States of America

Brian E Hardin