Method for Metallization of a Component and Components Produced in This Manner

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The invention provides a new method for depositing metal contacts on electronic components, particularly silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. The process uses a precise, laser-assisted electrochemical reduction to locally create a metal seed layer on a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer. Subsequently, metal contacts are selectively deposited in a chemical, maskless, and efficient way, avoiding costly masking and etching steps typical in current technologies. The innovation enables simplified, cost-effective, and highly selective metallization for components such as solar cells.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Manufacturing high-efficiency SHJ solar cells with improved cost-effectiveness and performance.
• Production of advanced photovoltaic modules for residential, commercial, or industrial energy generation.
• Fabrication of other semiconductor devices such as LEDs, diodes, display components, and printed circuit boards requiring localized metal contacts.
• Bifacial solar cell production, where contacts are needed on both sides of the cell.
• Integration in flexible or thin-film electronics where precise deposition of contacts is necessary.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Reduces the number of manufacturing steps by eliminating the need for full-surface seed layer deposition, masking, and etching, thereby lowering production costs.
• Improves the selectivity and precision of metal contact formation, potentially increasing device performance and reliability.
• Allows for maskless, in-situ, and automatic process control, simplifying integration into manufacturing lines.
• Enables use of less expensive and abundant metals (e.g., copper instead of silver), further reducing material costs.
• The process is compatible with various types of transparent conductive oxides and can be adapted to different device architectures.
• Better adhesion and electrical contact between the metal and the TCO layer, leading to improved durability of the contacts.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a method for metallizing components or semiconductor components, in particular SHJ solar cells, having the following steps: a) providing a substrate layer of a component or a semiconductor component, in particular an SHJ solar cell, with a front face and a rear face, comprising at least one crystalline silicon layer as a semiconductor material, the front and/or rear face of said layer being coated with a TCO layer made of a transparent electrically conductive material; b) selectively forming a metal seed layer locally using an electrochemical reduction method, said electrochemical reduction method being carried out in situ in a selective manner locally in the TCO layer regions which are locally irradiated using an energy source, whereby the metal of the TCO layer is reduced and the metal seed layer is locally formed; and c) applying a metal material in a currentless manner for the electric contacts on the seed layer previously formed in step b). The invention additionally relates to a component/semiconductor component, in particular an SHJ solar cell, comprising at least one silicon semiconductor substrate layer, an intrinsic amorphic silicon layer which is applied on the upper and lower silicon semiconductor substrate layer, an amorphic p-doped silicon layer on one face of the surface of the intrinsic amorphic silicon layer and an amorphic n-doped silicon layer on the other face of the surface of the intrinsic amorphic silicon layer, a TCO layer on the surface of the p-doped layer and of the n-doped layer, and metal electrodes on the surface of the TCO layer, wherein the metal electrodes comprise an electrically conductive seed layer which is formed on the TCO layer by an electrochemical reduction method.