Front-side metal electrode optimization using fine line double screen printing and nickel plating for large area crystalline silicon solar cells

Industrial applicable fine-line double printing and nickel plating method was applied to single crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. As the finger widths decreased, the efficiency and short circuit current density (J(sc)) linearly increased. Although the increase of the J(sc) was caused by the reduction of shadowing loss due to the decrease of finger width, the fill factor (FF) was slowly decreased due to increase of contact resistance. The FF of the cells using the fine line was enhanced by using a double printing and nickel plating. c-Si solar cells with the dimensions of 12.5 cm x 12.5 cm, double printed finger width of 50 mu m due to spreadability of paste, a finger spacing of 2.4 mu m, and aluminum back surface field were fabricated, achieving an increase of J(sc) and efficiencies of up to about 0.62 mA/cm(2) and 0.38% compared to a reference cell at 79.8% of the FF, respectively. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.