Thick-film paste for front-side metallization in silicon solar cells

• US 9,834,470 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2017
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhejiang Kaiying New Materials Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Zhejiang Kaiying New Materials Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hilali, Mohamed M., Wei, Jifeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Kopec, Mark
• Application Number:
  US15/663,296
• Time in Patent Office: 130 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/122 containing oxides of As, Sb, Bi, Mo, W, V, Te as glass formers
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 4/04 for photosensitive glass
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/10 containing lead
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/16 with vehicle or suspending agents, e.g. slip
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/18 containing free metals
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/24 Fusion seal compositions being frit compositions having non-frit additions, i.e. for use as seals between dissimilar materials, e.g. glass and metal; Glass solders
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/02 mainly consisting of metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/22 the conductive material comprising metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0264 Inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/81 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/30 Doping active layers, e.g. electron transporting layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

Frontside metallization pastes for solar cell electrodes prepared from glass frit containing rare earth metals such as lanthanum and yttrium are disclosed. Electrodes prepared from the metallization pastes exhibit improved adhesion, reliability, and excellent electrical properties.

Claims

1. A glass frit prepared from a composition comprising:

from 20 wt % to 60 wt % lead oxide PbO;

from 20 wt % to 60 wt % tellurium oxide TeO;

from 1 wt % to 30 wt % bismuth oxide Bi₂O₃;

from 0.1 wt % to 5 wt % tungsten oxide WO₃;

from 0.1 wt % to 5 wt % copper oxide Cu₂O; and

from 0.01 wt % to 1 wt % of a rare earth metal oxide comprising lanthanum oxide La₂O₃, yttrium oxide Y₂O₃, or a combination thereof,

wherein wt % is based on the total weight of the composition.

2. The glass frit of claim 1, wherein the rare earth metal oxide comprises La₂O₃.

3. The glass frit of claim 1, wherein the rare earth metal oxide comprises Y₂O₃.

4. The glass frit of claim 1, wherein the glass frit is characterized by an average particle diameter D50 from 0.1 μ

m to 20 μ

m.

5. A solar cell comprising an electrode, wherein the electrode comprises the glass frit of claim 1.

6. A glass frit comprising:

from 21 wt % to 64 wt % lead Pb;

from 19 wt % to 55 wt % tellurium Te;

from 1.05 wt % to 31 wt % bismuth Bi;

from 0.09 wt % to 4.5 wt % tungsten W;

from 0.12 wt % to 5.1 wt % copper Cu; and

from 0.01 wt % to 1 wt % of a rare earth metal comprising lanthanum La, yttrium Y, or a combination thereof,

wherein wt % is based on the total weight of the glass frit.

7. A solar cell comprising an electrode, wherein the electrode comprises the glass frit of claim 6.

8. A composition comprising:

silver particles;

fumed silica; and

glass frit, wherein the glass frit is prepared from a metal oxide composition comprising;

from 20 wt % to 60 wt % lead oxide PbO;

from 20 wt % to 60 wt % tellurium oxide TeO;

from 1 wt % to 30 wt % bismuth oxide Bi₂O₃;

from 0.1 wt % to 5 wt % tungsten oxide WO₃;

from 0.1 wt % to 5 wt % copper oxide Cu₂O; and

from 0.01 wt % to 1 wt % of a rare earth metal oxide comprising selected from lanthanum oxide La₂O₃, yttrium oxide Y₂O₃, or a combination thereof,

wherein wt % is based on the total weight of the metal oxide composition.

9. The composition of claim 8, wherein the glass frit is characterized by an average particle diameter D50 from 0.1 μ

m to 20 μ

m.

10. The composition of claim 8, further comprising:

an organic resin;

a solvent; and

one or more additives.

11. The composition of claim 8, wherein the composition comprises:

from 80 wt % to 95 wt % of the silver particles;

from 0.1 wt % to 1 wt % of the fumed silica; and

from 1 wt % to 5 wt % of the glass frit,

wherein wt % is based on the total weight of the composition.

12. The composition of claim 11, further comprising:

from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of an organic resin;

from 1 wt % to 20 wt % of a solvent; and

from 0.01 wt % to 5 wt % of one or more additives,

wherein wt % is based on the total weight of the composition.

13. A solar cell comprising an electrode prepared from the composition of claim 8.

14. A composition comprising:

silver particles;

fumed silica; and

glass frit, wherein the glass frit comprises;

from 21 wt % to 64 wt % lead Pb;

from 19 wt % to 55 wt % tellurium Te;

from 1.05 wt % to 31 wt % bismuth Bi;

from 0.09 wt % to 4.5 wt % tungsten W;

from 0.12 wt % to 5.1 wt % copper Cu; and

from 0.01 wt % to 1 wt % of the rare earth metal comprising lanthanum La, yttrium Y, or a combination thereof,

wherein wt % is based on the total weight of the glass frit.

15. The composition of claim 14, wherein the glass frit is characterized by an average particle diameter D50 from 0.1 μ

m to 20 μ

m.

16. The composition of claim 14, further comprising:

an organic resin;

a solvent; and

one or more additives.

17. The composition of claim 14, wherein the composition comprises:

from 80 wt % to 95 wt % of the silver particles;

from 0.1 wt % to 1 wt % of the fumed silica; and

from 1 wt % to 5 wt % of the glass frit,

wherein wt % is based on the total weight of the composition.

18. The composition of claim 17, further comprising:

from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of an organic resin;

from 1 wt % to 20 wt % of a solvent; and

from 0.01 wt % to 5 wt % of one or more additives,

wherein wt % is based on the total weight of the composition.

19. A solar cell comprising an electrode prepared from the composition of claim 14.

20. A solar cell comprising an electrode, wherein the electrode comprises:

from 0.6 wt % to 1.9 wt % lead Pb;

from 0.6 wt % to 1.6 wt % tellurium Te;

from 0.03 wt % to 0.9 wt % bismuth Bi;

from 0.003 wt % to 0.13 wt % tungsten W;

from 0.004 wt % to 0.15 wt % copper Cu; and

from 0.0003 wt % to 0.029 wt % of a rare earth metal comprising lanthanum La, yttrium Y, or a combination thereof,

wherein wt % is based on the weight of the electrode.

21. The solar cell of claim 20, wherein the rare earth metal comprises lanthanum La.

22. The glass frit of claim solar cell of claim 20, wherein the rare earth metal comprises yttrium Y.