Front electrode for solar cell and solar cell including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10672923-B2
Application number	US-201715661465-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2017
Priority date	Aug 12, 2016
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A front electrode for solar cells and a solar cell, the front electrode including a stepped structure at an outermost surface thereof, wherein the stepped structure is composed of n stages, in which n is an integer of 3 or greater, and an nth stage has a smaller cross-sectional area than an (n−1)th stage such that the (n−1)th stage is partially exposed, and the stepped structure occupies about 5% to about 100% of a total surface area of the outermost surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A front electrode for solar cells, the front electrode comprising a stepped structure protruding from a flat outermost surface thereof, wherein:
the stepped structure consists of n stages, wherein each stage of the stepped structure at least partially includes a prismatic structure in which planar surfaces of the stepped structure meet at an angle, and in which n is an integer of 3 or greater, and an n th stage has a smaller cross-sectional area than an (n−1) t11 stage such that the (n−1) th stage is partially exposed,
the stepped structure covers about 5% to about 100% of a total surface area of the front electrode, and
any sectional view of the stepped structure perpendicular to the outermost surface of the front electrode and passing through a top surface of the nth stage has a stepped profile.

2. The front electrode for solar cells as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the stepped structure has a silver content of about 50 wt % to about 100 wt %.

3. The front electrode for solar cells as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the composition includes:
about 60 wt % to about 95 wt % of the silver powder,
about 0.1 wt % to about 20 wt % of the glass frit, and
about 1 wt % to about 30 wt % of the organic vehicle.

4. The front electrode for solar cells as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the composition further includes a dispersant, a thixotropic agent, a plasticizer, a viscosity stabilizer, an anti-foaming agent, a pigment, a UV stabilizer, an antioxidant, or a coupling agent.

5. The front electrode for solar cells as claimed in claim 1 , wherein baking is performed at a temperature of about 600° C. to about 1,000° C.

6. A solar cell comprising the front electrode for solar cells as claimed in claim 1 .

7. The front electrode for solar cells as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the front electrode is formed by baking a composition that includes silver powder, a glass frit, and an organic vehicle.

8. The front electrode for solar cells as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the glass frit includes tellurium.

Assignees

• Samsung Sdi Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Dong Suk
• Nam Hee In
• Park Sang Hee
• Jung Seok Hyun
• Cho Jae Hwi

Classifications

• H01L31/022425 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/022466

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/022433

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• H10F71/00

  Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title