Summary of the 5th Workshop on Metallization for Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

The 5th Metallization Workshop took place in Constance, Germany on 20 and 21 October 2014 and provided an overview of research and development in the field of solar cell metallization. Enhanced understanding of contact structure and formation was obtained thanks to new characterization techniques. Great progress in metallization technologies was also reported. Screen printing technology is continuing its trajectory of continuous improvement, notably with fine-line screen printing (linewidth < 50 μm) becoming a reality. Ni/Cu plating technology is also progressing fast, with many of the technical barriers to adoption being successfully removed. Finally, the workshop also highlighted the move towards a module-centric design of solar cell metallization, targeting high performance and low cost at module level.