# US 9,437,754 B2 · Method of manufacturing electrical device

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- Number: US 9,437,754 B2
- Document ID: US9437754B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/936,654
- Filed: 2015-11-09
- Published: 2016-05-12
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-11-10
- Assignees: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
- Applicants: E I Du Pont De Nemours and Company
- Inventors: Hikaru Uno; John Donald Summers; Esther Kim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437754B2

## CPC

- H10F 77/211: {for photovoltaic cells}
- H01B 1/22: the conductive material comprising metals or alloys
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- H01B: CABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES (selection for magnetic properties H01F1/00; waveguides H01P {; printed circuits H05K})
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A method of manufacturing an electrical device comprising steps of: preparing a substrate; applying a conductive paste onto the substrate, wherein the conductive paste comprises (i) an inorganic powder comprising at least a conductive powder, (ii) an organic polymer, (iii) a solvent and (iv) a gellant selected from the group consisting of a polyalkyleneoxy terminated polyamide (PAOPA), an ester terminated polyamide (ETPA), polyether polyamine (PEPA) and a mixture thereof; and heating the applied conductive paste to form an electrode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing an electrical device, the method comprising:
preparing a substrate;
applying a conductive paste onto the substrate, wherein the conductive paste comprises (i) an inorganic powder comprising at least a conductive powder, (ii) an organic polymer, (iii) a solvent and (iv) a gellant selected from the group consisting of a polyalkyleneoxy terminated polyamide (PAOPA), an ester terminated polyamide (ETPA), polyether polyamine (PEPA) and a mixture thereof, wherein the gellant is 0.05 to 15 wt % based on the weight of the conductive paste; and
heating the applied conductive paste to form an electrode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is ceramic substrate, glass substrate, polymer film substrate or semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic powder further comprises a glass frit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein weight ratio of the solvent and the gellant (solvent:gellant) is 10:1 to 50:1.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein softening point of the gellant is 70 to 120° C.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein molecular weight (Mw) of the gellant is 1,000 to 100,000.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein viscosity of the conductive paste is 330 to 550 Pa·s at 25° C.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein width of the electrode is 10 to 45 μm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical device is a solar cell.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the solar cell comprises a semiconductor substrate having at least one passivation layer on a light receiving side thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the conductive paste is applied on the passivation layer on a light receiving side and the conductive paste penetrates the passivation layer during heating.

### Claim 12

A conductive paste comprising:
(i) an inorganic powder comprising at least a conductive powder;
(ii) an organic polymer;
(iii) a solvent; and
(iv) a gellant selected from the group consisting of a polyalkyleneoxy terminated polyamide (PAOPA), ester terminated polyamide (ETPA), polyether polyamine (PEPA) and a mixture thereof, wherein the gellant is 0.05 to 15 wt % based on the weight of the conductive paste.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The conductive paste of claim 12, wherein the inorganic powder comprises one or more glass frits.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The conductive paste of claim 12, where softening point of the gellant is 70 to 120° C.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The conductive paste of claim 12, wherein molecular weight (Mw) of the gellant is 1,000 to 100,000.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The conductive paste of claim 12, wherein weight ratio of the solvent and the gellant (solvent:gellant) is 10:1 to 50:1.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The conductive paste of claim 12, wherein the gellant is 0.05 to 20 parts by weight when the inorganic powder is 100 parts by weight.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The conductive paste of claim 12, wherein the additive comprises a thixotropic agent.

### Claim 19

A conductive paste comprising:
(i) an inorganic powder comprising at least a conductive powder;
(ii) an organic polymer;
(iii) a solvent; and
(iv) a gellant having a molecular weight of 1,000 to 100,000.