Optimization of lead- and cadmium-free front contact silver paste formulation to achieve high fill factors for industrial screen-printed Si solar cells

Screen-printed n+–p–p+ solar cells were fabricated on Cz single crystalline Si material, with a 45 Ω/sq emitter and PECVD SiNx antireflective coating with a thickness of 700 Å, using different Ag pastes and commercial leaded reference paste (CN33-462, Ferro Corp.). Ag and Al contacts were co-fired using a mass-production line equipped with mesh belt conveyer furnace systems (Centrotherm thermal solution GmbH & Co. KG). The average results for single crystalline Si solar cells (156 cm2) are: Isc=5.043 A, Voc=0.621 V, Rs=0.0087 Ω, Rsh=15.3 Ω, FF=0.773, and Eff=16.45%. Rsh and fill factor values of fabricated cells were slightly higher when compared with the commercial leaded Ag paste, although cells were fabricated by metallizing the lead-free silver pastes. For the lead-free Ag paste used in this study, the line pattern continuity is retained with improved edge definition in sharp contrast to that of reference Ag paste. Average value of Rs was also equivalent approximately to that of the leaded Ag paste.