Abstract
We synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with a diameter ranging from 300 to 800nm by chemical reduction, added them into commercial silver paste used for the front-contact metallization of crystalline Si (c-Si) solar cells, and investigated the effects of AgNPs on the firing behavior of the silver paste on c-Si solar cells by differential scanning calorimetry, electron scanning microscopy, and contact resistance measurement. It was observed that surface sintering of AgNPs occurred at a lower temperature compared with that of micrometer-sized Ag particles in commercial silver paste. With the assistance of AgNPs, more Ag+ ions were dissolved in fluidized glass frit during the firing process of the paste, and a continuous layer of Ag was reduced and deposited between glass frit and Si substrate. The Ag layer enhanced electrical conduction and decreased the specific contact resistivity of the paste on c-Si solar cells. Thus, a firing mechanism of AgNP-aided silver paste was proposed. The experimental data demonstrate that AgNPs can be used to improve the properties of the fired paste on c-Si solar cells and AgNP-aided silver paste is a promising material used for the front-contact grids on c-Si solar cells.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 132-137 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects |
| Volume | 466 |
| Early online date | 18 Nov 2014 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 5 Feb 2015 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
This work was supported by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 2132022 ). We thank Mr. Anda Ding at AGC for discussion on glass frits.Keywords
- Contact resistance
- Interfacial reaction
- Silver nanoparticles
- Silver paste
- Solar cell