Aluminum-boron solar cell contacts
AssigneeFerro Corporation
InventorsJalal Salami, Srinivasan Sridharan, Steve S. Kim, Aziz S. Shaikh
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Abstract
Formulations and methods of making solar cells are disclosed. In general, the invention provides a solar cell comprising a contact made from a mixture wherein, prior to firing, the mixture comprises at least one aluminum source, at least one boron source, and about 0.1 to about 10 wt % of a glass component. Within the mixture, the overall content of aluminum is about 50 wt % to about 85 wt % of the mixture, and the overall content of boron is about 0.05 to about 20 wt % of the mixture.
Claims11
A solar cell comprising two separate layers, a silicon layer and a contact layer deposited over a surface of the silicon layer and made from a mixture,
- wherein, prior to firing, the mixture comprises:
- a. at least one aluminum source,
- b. at least one boron source, and
- c. about 0.1 to about 10 wt % of a glass component, wherein the glass component is devoid of intentionally added lead in any form, and wherein the glass component comprises:
- (i) about 12 to about 50 mole % Bi2O3,
- (ii) about 25 to about 65 mole % SiO2,
- (iii) about 5 to about 15 mole % B2O3, and
- (iv) about 4 to about 26 mole % K2O,
- wherein the content of aluminum is about 50 wt% to about 85 wt % of the mixture, and
- wherein the content of boron is about 0.05 to about 20 wt % of the mixture.
A process for making a solar cell contact, comprising applying an aluminum- and boron-containing paste to a silicon wafer, and firing the paste wherein, prior to firing, the mixture comprises
- a. at least one aluminum source,
- b. at least one boron source, and
- c. about 0.1 to about 10 wt % of a glass component, wherein the glass component is devoid of intentionally added lead in any form, and wherein the glass component comprises:
- (i) about 12 to about 50 mole % Bi2O3,
- (ii) about 25 to about 65 mole % SiO2,
- (iii) about 5 to about 15 mole % B2O3, and
- (iv) about 4 to about 26 mole % K2O,
- wherein the content of aluminum is about 50 wt % to about 85 wt % of the mixture,
- wherein the content of boron is about 0.05 to about 20 wt % of the mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.