High efficiency solar cells (e.g. GaAs) traditionally use photolithography and vacuum evaporation techniques to form their electrical contacts. And while these techniques offer tremendous control over contact patterns and metallization stacks, they are costly both in terms of throughput and materials. Osazda has developed an electroplating alternative that provides significant cost savings and provides cell fracture durability through incorporation of carbon nanotubes.
• Low-cost metal electroplating
• Shorter processing times by eliminating vacuum-based deposition methods
• Highly-integratable CNT spray-coating deposition
• Direct integration of MMC lines on high-efficiency III-V solar cells
- Elimination of cell fracture as a module lifetime limitation
- High ductility, conductivity and fracture toughness
- Electrical bridging of cell cracks of up to 50 microns
- Self-healing gridlines
- Low cost alternative to conventional metallization
• CNT-embedded solar cells are more fracture resilient than solar cells with conventional metallization
• Electrical performance of Metzilla-plated cells is virtually unaffected due to cracking, unlike conventional-metallization cells that severely degrade upon cracking
- O. K. Abudayyeh, N. D. Gapp, C. Nelson, D. M. Wilt, and S. M. Han, “Silver-Carbon-Nanotube Metal Matrix Composites for Metal Contacts on Space Photovoltaic Cells,” IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, vol. 6, pp. 337-342, 2016
Interested in learning more about how MetZilla Plate Technology can extend the life of your solar cells?