Tape compositions for the deposition of electronic features

Abstract

Precursor compositions in the form of a tape that can be transferred to a substrate and converted to an electronic feature at a relatively low temperature, such as not greater than about 200° C. The tape composition can be disposed on a carrier to form a ribbon structure that is flexible and can be handled in a variety of industrial processes.

1 . A process for forming a solar cell conductive feature, comprising: 
 (a) providing a ribbon structure comprising a tape composition on a carrier, the tape composition comprising metallic nanoparticles;    (b) transferring the tape composition from the carrier to a substrate in a pattern of features; and    (c) heating the tape composition to form the solar cell conductive feature on the substrate.    
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the heating comprises heating the tape composition to a temperature not greater than 1000° C. to form the solar cell conductive feature on the substrate.  
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the heating comprises heating the tape composition to a temperature not greater than 300° C. to form the solar cell conductive feature on the substrate.  
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a softening point of not greater than about 350° C.  
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a softening point of not greater than about 250° C.  
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a glass.  
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive feature comprises a set of finger lines and collector lines deposited essentially at a right angle to the finger lines.  
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 7 , wherein either or both the parallel finger lines or the collector lines have a minimum feature size of not greater than 200 μm.  
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 7 , wherein either or both the parallel finger lines or the collector lines have a minimum feature size of not greater than 100 μm.  
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 7 , wherein either or both the parallel finger lines or the collector lines have a minimum feature size of not greater than 75 μm.  
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 7 , wherein either or both the parallel finger lines or the collector lines have a minimum feature size of not greater than 50 μm.  
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 7 , wherein either or both the parallel finger lines or the collector lines have a minimum feature size of not greater than 25 μm.  
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive feature has a thickness greater than about 1 μm.  
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive feature has a thickness greater than about 5 μm.  
   
   
       15 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the tape composition further comprises glass particles.  
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the glass particles have an average particle size less than 0.5 μm.  
   
   
       17 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles comprise a metal selected from the group consisting of silver, palladium, copper, gold, platinum and nickel.  
   
   
       18 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles comprise metal oxide nanoparticles.  
   
   
       19 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the tape composition further comprises metal oxide particles.  
   
   
       20 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein the metal oxide particles comprise silica.  
   
   
       21 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein the metal oxide particles comprise glass.  
   
   
       22 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive feature comprises a transparent conductive feature.  
   
   
       23 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive feature comprises indium-tin oxide or antimony-tin oxide.  
   
   
       24 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles have an average particle size of from about 10 to 80 nm.  
   
   
       25 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles have an average particle size of not greater than 100 nm.  
   
   
       26 . The process of  claim 25 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles comprise a cap or coating thereon.  
   
   
       27 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an inorganic cap or coating.  
   
   
       28 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the cap or coating comprises silica.  
   
   
       29 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the cap or coating comprises glass.  
   
   
       30 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an organic cap or coating.  
   
   
       31 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the cap or coating comprises a polymer.  
   
   
       32 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an intrinsically conductive polymer, a sulfonated perfluorohydrocarbon polymer, polystyrene, polystyrene/methacrylate, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate, tetra-n-octyl-ammonium bromide or an alkane thiolate.  
   
   
       33 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the cap or coating comprises PVP.  
   
   
       34 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein conductive feature has a conductivity that is no less than 10 percent the conductivity of the equivalent pure metal.  
   
   
       35 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive feature has a resistivity that is not greater than 4 times the resistivity of the bulk conductor.  
   
   
       36 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive feature has a resistivity that is not greater than 2 times the resistivity of the bulk conductor.  
   
   
       37 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive feature is resistant to solder leaching.  
   
   
       38 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive feature comprises a metal-glass composition.