Thick-film pastes containing lead-tellurium-boron-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
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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-boron-oxide dispersed in an organic medium.
Claims26
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 total solids in the composition, of a lead-tellurium-boron-oxide, wherein the lead-tellurium-boron-oxide comprises 0.25 to 5 wt % B2O3;
- 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 the 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 total solids in the composition, of a lead-tellurium-boron-oxide, wherein the lead-tellurium-boron-oxide comprises 0.25 to 5 wt % B2O3;
- and
- iii) an organic medium;
- and
- (c) firing the semiconductor substrate, insulating film, and thick-film paste, to form an electrode in contact with the insulating layer and in electrical contact with the semiconductor substrate.
An article comprising:
- (a) a semiconductor substrate;
- (b) an insulating layer on the semiconductor substrate;
- and
- (c) an electrode in contact with the insulating layer and in electrical contact with the semiconductor substrate, the electrode comprising an electrically conductive metal and lead-tellurium-boron-oxide, wherein the lead-tellurium-boron-oxide comprises 0.25 to 5 wt % B2O3.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.