US2007207565A1PendingUtilityA1

Processes for forming photovoltaic features

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Assignee: CABOT CORPPriority: Oct 5, 2001Filed: May 9, 2007Published: Sep 6, 2007
Est. expiryOct 5, 2021(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Toivo T. KodasMark J. Hampden-SmithKarel VanheusdenHugh DenhamAaron D. StumpAllen B. SchultPaolina AtanassovaKlaus Kunze
H10W 72/953H10W 72/952H10W 72/925H10W 72/923H10W 72/019H05K 3/105H05K 2203/1131C23C 18/08H05K 1/097H05K 2201/0154H01B 1/026C23C 18/06
52
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Claims

Abstract

Processes for forming photovoltaic features and in particular photovoltaic conductive features. In one aspect, the process comprises printing a primer material onto a substrate; etching the substrate with the primer material to form an etched substrate; printing a precursor composition onto the etched substrate, wherein the precursor composition comprises at least one of metallic nanoparticles comprising a metal or a metal precursor compound to the metal; and heating the precursor composition to form the photovoltaic feature on the substrate.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A process for forming photovoltaic feature, comprising: 
 (a) printing a primer material onto a substrate;    (b) etching the substrate with the primer material to form an etched substrate;    (c) printing a precursor composition onto the etched substrate, wherein the precursor composition comprises at least one of metallic nanoparticles comprising a metal or a metal precursor compound to the metal; and    (d) heating the precursor composition to form the photovoltaic feature on the substrate.    
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the etching comprises locally etching the substrate.  
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the etching inhibits spreading of the precursor composition.  
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the etching forms a via.  
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the via is filled with the precursor composition in the step of printing the precursor composition onto the etched substrate.  
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the precursor composition comprises the metallic nanoparticles comprising the metal.  
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the precursor composition comprises the metal precursor compound to the metal.  
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the precursor composition is printed in a lithographic printing process, a gravure printing process, a flexo printing process, a screen printing process, or a drop on demand printing process.  
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the precursor composition is printed in an ink jet printing process.  
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the precursor composition comprises a paste.  
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the heating comprises heating the precursor composition to a temperature not greater than 300° C.  
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the heating comprises heating the precursor composition to a temperature not greater than 185° C.  
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a softening point of not greater than about 225° C.  
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature comprises a set of finger lines and collector lines deposited essentially at a right angle to the finger lines.  
   
   
       15 . The process of  claim 14 , wherein either or both the parallel finger lines or the collector lines have width of not greater than 200 μm.  
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 14 , wherein either or both the parallel finger lines or the collector lines have width of not greater than 100 μm.  
   
   
       17 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a thickness greater than 1 μm.  
   
   
       18 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a thickness greater than 5 μm.  
   
   
       19 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of silver, palladium, copper, gold, platinum and nickel.  
   
   
       20 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles have a volume median particle size of not greater than 100 nm.  
   
   
       21 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles comprise a cap or coating thereon.  
   
   
       22 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an inorganic cap or coating.  
   
   
       23 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises silica.  
   
   
       24 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an organic cap or coating.  
   
   
       25 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises a polymer.  
   
   
       26 . The process of  claim 21 , 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.  
   
   
       27 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the cap or coating comprises PVP.  
   
   
       28 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a conductivity that is no less than 10 percent the conductivity of the equivalent pure metal.  
   
   
       29 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a resistivity that is not greater than 2 times the resistivity of the bulk conductor.  
   
   
       30 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature is resistant to solder leaching.  
   
   
       31 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic feature comprises a solar cell.  
   
   
       32 . A process for forming a photovoltaic feature, comprising: 
 (a) printing a primer material onto a substrate, wherein the primer material is capable of etching the substrate;    (b) printing a precursor composition in the region where the primer material was printed, wherein the precursor composition comprises at least one of metallic nanoparticles comprising a metal or a metal precursor compound to the metal; and    (c) heating the precursor composition to form the photovoltaic feature on the substrate.    
   
   
       33 . The process of  claim 32 , wherein the primer etches the substrate.  
   
   
       34 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the etching comprises locally etching the substrate.  
   
   
       35 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the etching inhibits spreading of the precursor composition.  
   
   
       36 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the etching forms a via.  
   
   
       37 . The process of  claim 36 , wherein the via is filled with the precursor composition in the step of printing the precursor composition.  
   
   
       38 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the precursor composition comprises the metallic nanoparticles comprising the metal.  
   
   
       39 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the precursor composition comprises the metal precursor compound to the metal.  
   
   
       40 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the precursor composition is printed in a lithographic printing process, a gravure printing process, a flexo printing process, a screen printing process, or a drop on demand printing process.  
   
   
       41 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the precursor composition is printed in an ink jet printing process.  
   
   
       42 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the precursor composition comprises a paste.  
   
   
       43 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the heating comprises heating the precursor composition to a temperature not greater than 300° C.  
   
   
       44 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the heating comprises heating the precursor composition to a temperature not greater than 185° C.  
   
   
       45 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the substrate has a softening point of not greater than about 225° C.  
   
   
       46 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature comprises a set of finger lines and collector lines deposited essentially at a right angle to the finger lines.  
   
   
       47 . The process of  claim 46 , wherein either or both the parallel finger lines or the collector lines have width of not greater than 200 μm.  
   
   
       48 . The process of  claim 46 , wherein either or both the parallel finger lines or the collector lines have width of not greater than 100 μm.  
   
   
       49 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a thickness greater than 1 μm.  
   
   
       50 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a thickness greater than 5 μm.  
   
   
       51 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of silver, palladium, copper, gold, platinum and nickel.  
   
   
       52 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles have a volume median particle size of not greater than 100 nm.  
   
   
       53 . The process of  claim 52 , wherein the metallic nanoparticles comprise a cap or coating thereon.  
   
   
       54 . The process of  claim 53 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an inorganic cap or coating.  
   
   
       55 . The process of  claim 53 , wherein the cap or coating comprises silica.  
   
   
       56 . The process of  claim 53 , wherein the cap or coating comprises an organic cap or coating.  
   
   
       57 . The process of  claim 53 , wherein the cap or coating comprises a polymer.  
   
   
       58 . The process of  claim 53 , 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.  
   
   
       59 . The process of  claim 53 , wherein the cap or coating comprises PVP.  
   
   
       60 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a conductivity that is no less than 10 percent the conductivity of the equivalent pure metal.  
   
   
       61 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature has a resistivity that is not greater than 2 times the resistivity of the bulk conductor.  
   
   
       62 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature is resistant to solder leaching.  
   
   
       63 . The process of  claim 33 , wherein the photovoltaic feature comprises a solar cell.

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