| AVS 60th International Symposium and Exhibition | |
| Transparent Conductors and Printable Electronics Focus Topic | Wednesday Sessions |
| Session TC+EM+EN+TF-WeA |
| Session: | Transparent Conductors and Photovoltaics |
| Presenter: | M.F.A.M. van Hest, National Renewable Energy Laboratory |
| Authors: | M.F.A.M. van Hest, National Renewable Energy Laboratory S. Habas, National Renewable Energy Laboratory H. Platt, National Renewable Energy Laboratory R. Pasquarelli, National Renewable Energy Laboratory J. Fields, National Renewable Energy Laboratory D. Ginley, National Renewable Energy Laboratory |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Photovoltaics are becoming an increased part of the energy supply mix, however the cost is currently too high. In order to reduce the cost, moving towards non-vacuum production routes is very attractive because of the low capital equipment cost. Non-vacuum processes can be used in several steps of the photovoltaic cell and module manufacturing process, for both wafer based and thin film photovoltaics. The different components can be deposited and processed using one of many non-vacuum techniques, e.g. inkjet printing, aerosol jetting, slot coating and spray coating. Details about these techniques will be discussed. Since non-vacuum techniques use a chemical route to the end product, inks are the key to success. Inks have been developed for metallization grids, e.g. Ag, Cu, Ni, and Al, but also for absorbers, e.g. CIGS and organics. These materials can be processed under atmospheric conditions and have properties similar to their vacuum deposited counterparts. Aside from the absorber and the metallization, transparent conductors are an intrinsic part of thin film photovoltaic devices, however transparent conductive oxides have only been deposited and processed from inks with moderate success. Research to overcome this last hurdle is under way and focuses on chemical routes to oxides as well as alternatives, i.e. metal nanowires, with the latter showing potential. Several details of non-vacuum processing of the various components of photovoltaic cells will be addressed.