Electrode formation system for solar cell and electrode formation method for solar cell

An electrode formation system for a solar cell to form an electrode of a base member used for the solar cell, said electrode formation system comprising:

• a screen printing unit comprising:
• a metal mask comprising a covering portion configured to cover a part of a surface of the base member, a plurality of opening portions configured to allow parts of the base member to be exposed therefrom, and bridge portions disposed along a direction intersecting with a longitudinal direction of circuit patterns between the opening portions;
• and
• a squeegee head of a cartridge type which comprises a squeegee, and which is configured to supply a paste for forming the electrode to an upper surface of the metal mask under a given pressure after the metal mask is mounted on the surface of the base member, while the squeegee having a given length is relatively slid on the upper surface of the metal mask,
• wherein a lower surface of each of the bridge portions is formed into a recess step surface with respect to a lower surface of the covering portion, and
• wherein in the screen printing process, the squeegee of the squeegee head of the cartridge type is disposed such that a longitudinal direction of the squeegee conforms with a direction intersecting with a direction orthogonal to an alignment direction of the opening portions and the bridge portions at a given angle, and the squeegee travels relatively to the metal mask along the direction orthogonal to the alignment direction of the opening portions and the bridge portions, whereby the opening portions including lower sides of the bridge portions are filled with the paste.