DuPont Microcircuit Materials Introduces New Solamet® Photovoltaic Metallization Paste System

New Offering Enables Significant Cost Reduction for Solar Cell Manufacturers

DuPont Microcircuit Materials, part of DuPont Electronic Technologies, has introduced a new series of screen printable thick film materials that enable solar cell manufacturers to significantly reduce their cost per watt by achieving higher cell efficiencies, higher production yields and lower material consumption. Key to the new DuPont™ Solamet® thick film metallization product range developments are improvements in n-type emitter front side silver contacts, high coverage solderable tabbing silvers and silver aluminum inks, and low bow high electrical performing aluminum metallization. For various thin film applications and special applications on crystalline silicon cells, new polymer based conductor materials are available.

The new front side n-type silvers exhibit low contact resistance, high conductivity, high aspect ratio, high print speed and excellent mechanical properties. Depending on the cell configuration, the new front side silver is also available as in cadmium and lead free variants.

For back side solder applications, DuPont is introducing silver metallization with significantly lower material consumption, and excellent initial and soldered aged adhesion, employing leaded and lead free solders. In addition, DuPont customers can choose solderable pastes with aluminum (Al) additions for increased back surface field (BSF) and enhanced electrical performance. All these new compositions are cadmium and lead free.

The new material system is completed by a series of new Al compositions for wafer thicknesses down to 180 microns. The new Al compositions are designed for low bow below the industry standard of 1.5mm of 6’’x6’’ cells sizes, low material deposit and superior electrical performance, with excellent printing and handling properties as well as high adhesion and abrasion resistance.

In addition, DuPont is offering new polymer based silver conductors for use on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) transparent conductor oxide layers for front side grid applications in thin film Copper Indium Selenide (CIS), Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) and amorphous silicon cell structures.

DuPont is highlighting these and other new developments as it exhibits the full range of DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions offerings at the 22nd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition in Milan, Italy, September 3-7, 2007. Visitors to the show will find DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions in Hall 20, Booth 3. For more information about DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions, please visit photovoltaics.dupont.com.