Thick-film pastes containing lead- and tellurium-oxides, and their use in the manufacture of semiconductor devices
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorsAlan Frederick Carroll, Kenneth Warren Hang, Brian J. Laughlin, Kurt Richard Mikeska, Carmine Torardi, Paul Douglas Vernooy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a thick-film paste for printing the front-side of a solar cell device having one or more insulating layers. The thick-film paste comprises an electrically conductive metal, and a lead-tellurium-oxide dispersed in an organic medium.
Claims14
A thick-film paste composition for use in forming an electrical connection in a photovoltaic device comprising a semiconductor substrate having at least one insulating layer on a main surface thereof, the composition comprising:
- a) 85 to 99.5% by weight of an electrically conductive metal or derivative thereof, based on total solids in the composition;
- b) 0.5 to 15% by weight based on solids of a lead-tellurium-oxide, wherein the lead-tellurium-oxide comprises 30 to 65 mol % of lead oxide and 35 to 70 mol % of tellurium oxide;
- and
- c) an organic medium;
- wherein the thick-film paste, when fired, is capable of penetrating the at least one insulating layer.
A process comprising:
- (a) providing a semiconductor substrate comprising one or more insulating films deposited onto at least one surface of a semiconductor substrate;
- (b) applying a thick-film paste composition onto at least a portion of the insulating film to form a layered structure,
- wherein the thick-film paste composition comprises:
- i) 85 to 99.5% by weight of an electrically conductive metal or derivative thereof, based on total solids in the composition;
- ii) 0.5 to 15% by weight based on solids of a lead-tellurium-oxide, wherein the lead-tellurium-oxide comprises 30 to 65 mol % of lead oxide and 35 to 70 mol % of tellurium oxide;
- and
- iii) an organic medium;
- and
- (c) firing the semiconductor substrate, one or more insulating films, and thick-film paste, forming an electrode in contact with the one or more insulating layers and in electrical contact with the semiconductor substrate.
An article comprising:
- a) a semiconductor substrate;
- b) one or more insulating layers on the semiconductor substrate;
- and
- c) an electrode in contact with the one or more insulating layers and in electrical contact with the semiconductor substrate, the electrode comprising an electrically conductive metal and lead-tellurium-oxide wherein the lead-tellurium-oxide comprises 30 to 65 mol % of lead oxide and 35 to 70 mol % of tellurium oxide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.