OVERVIEW OF THE TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES IN FIRED SCREEN PRINTED THICK FILM SYSTEMS FOR SILICON SOLAR CELLS - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

摘要

Thick film systems have played a significant role in improving the performance of crystalline silicon photovoltaics; the contribution of this technology towards improving the performance of the cells has surprised many critics. Despite the dramatic increase in the cost of some of the base raw materials like silver, the cost of ownership has remained very attractive to sustain the use of thick film using technology innovations. In contrast to other technological solutions, the applications of the thick film process and materials remain relatively simple. The technology roadmap to enable cells with efficiencies greater than 20 or even 21% will require additional process steps which can be simplified by using screen printed materials. To achieve these levels of performance, the implementation of more complex processes may be inhibited by the total cost of ownership unless there is a significant value opportunity in closing the gap between current industry performance and 21%. In reality, the thick film metallizations for the new technologies will not be adaptions of current designs but new developments.