Photoplating of metal electrodes for solar cells
AssigneeNewSouth Innovations Pty Limited
InventorsLy Mai, Alison Maree Wenham, Stuart Ross Wenham
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Abstract
A method of photoplating a metal contact onto a surface of a cathode of a photovoltaic device is provided using light induced plating technique. The method comprises: a) immersing the photovoltaic device in a solution of metal ions, where the metal ions are a species which is to be plated onto the surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device; and b) illuminating the photovoltaic device, using a light source of time varying intensity. This results in nett plating which is faster in a direction normal to the surface of the cathode than in a direction in a plane of the surface of the cathode.
Claims20
A method of photoplating a metal contact onto an exposed semiconductor surface of a cathode of a photovoltaic device, the method comprising:
- a) immersing the exposed semiconductor surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device in a solution of metal ions, the metal ions being a species which is to be plated onto the exposed semiconductor surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device;
- b) illuminating the photovoltaic device, using a light source of time varying intensity, to cause plating onto the exposed semiconductor surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device whereby nett plating is faster in a direction normal to the surface of the cathode than in a direction in a plane of the surface of the cathode.
A method of photoplating a contact onto an exposed semiconductor surface of a cathode of a photovoltaic device, the method comprising:
- a) immersing the exposed semiconductor surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device in a solution of metal ions, the metal ions being a species which is to be plated onto the cathode of the photovoltaic device;
- b) illuminating the photovoltaic device, to cause plating onto the exposed semiconductor surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device,
- wherein for any given intensity of illumination falling on the photovoltaic device, resistivity of the solution of metal ions is selected to cause the photovoltaic device to operate at a point on an I-V characteristic curve of the photovoltaic device between a maximum power point voltage and an open circuit voltage.
A method of photoplating a contact onto an exposed semiconductor surface of a cathode of a photovoltaic device, the method comprising:
- a) placing a sacrificial metal electrode in electrical contact with an anode of the photovoltaic device the sacrificial metal electrode comprising a metal of the species to be plated onto the cathode of the photovoltaic device;
- b) immersing the exposed semiconductor surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device and sacrificial metal electrode in a solution of metal ions, the metal ions being of the species which is to be plated onto the cathode of the photovoltaic device;
- c) illuminating the photovoltaic device, to cause plating onto the exposed semiconductor surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device,
- wherein metal is preferentially sacrificed from the sacrificial metal electrode, rather than from a metal contact of the anode of the photovoltaic device, to form metal ions in the solution of metal ions and ions from the solution of metal ions are reduced to plate the exposed surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device.
A method of photoplating a metal contact onto an exposed semiconductor surface of a cathode of a photovoltaic device, the method comprising:
- a) placing a sacrificial metal electrode in electrical contact with an anode of the photovoltaic device, the sacrificial metal electrode comprising a metal of a species to be plated onto the cathode of the photovoltaic device;
- b) immersing the exposed semiconductor surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device and sacrificial metal electrode in a solution of metal ions, the metal ions being of the species which is to be plated onto the exposed semiconductor surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device;
- c) illuminating the photovoltaic device, using a light source which has a time varying intensity, to cause plating onto the exposed surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device,
- wherein metal is preferentially sacrificed from the sacrificial metal electrode, rather than from a metal contact of the anode of the photovoltaic device, to form metal ions in the solution of metal ions and ions from the solution of metal ions are reduced to plate the exposed semiconductor surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.