Abstract:
A system may include an optical element including a surface defining a recess, conductive material disposed within the recess, and a solder mask disposed over a portion of the conductive material. The solder mask may define an aperture through which light from the optical element may pass. Some aspects provide creation of an optical element including a surface defining a recess, deposition of conductive material on the surface such that a portion of the deposited conductive material is disposed within the recess, and substantial planarization of the surface to expose the portion of the conductive material disposed within the recess.
Abstract:
A micro-extrusion printhead assembly utilized in a micro-extrusion system to form parallel extruded lines of material on a substrate includes a material feed system for pushing/drawing materials out of extrusion nozzles defined in the printhead assembly, a Z-axis positioning mechanism, and a base. The micro-extrusion printhead includes a layered nozzle structure sandwiched between back and front plate structures. The layered nozzle structure includes stacked plates including top and bottom nozzle plates sandwiching a nozzle outlet plate. According to various embodiments, at least one of the nozzle structure materials of the printhead assembly, the output geometry of the printhead assembly, and the internal conduit geometry of the printhead assembly are modified to cause the bead traveling through the extrusion nozzle to be reliably directed (biased) toward the target substrate as it leaves the printhead nozzle orifice.
Abstract:
An extrusion device has a stack of at least two layers, the stack including an outlet, an inlet for a first material, and a feed channel for the first material arranged to fluidically connect to the inlet for the first material, the feed channel having a sloped end. A method of manufacturing an extrusion device includes forming an outlet, an inlet for a first material and a feed channel for the first material having a sloped end in a stack of layers, aligning the stack of layers to fluidically connect the feed channel for the first material with the inlet for the first material and to fluidically connect the inlet for the first material with the outlet, and bonding the layers together.
Abstract:
A system may include an optical element including a surface defining a recess, conductive material disposed within the recess, and a solder mask disposed over a portion of the conductive material. The solder mask may define an aperture through which light from the optical element may pass. Some aspects provide creation of an optical element including a surface defining a recess, deposition of conductive material on the surface such that a portion of the deposited conductive material is disposed within the recess, and substantial planarization of the surface to expose the portion of the conductive material disposed within the recess.
Abstract:
An extrusion device has a stack of at least two layers, the stack including an outlet, an inlet for a first material, and a feed channel for the first material arranged to fluidically connect to the inlet for the first material, the feed channel having a sloped end. A method of manufacturing an extrusion device includes forming an outlet, an inlet for a first material and a feed channel for the first material having a sloped end in a stack of layers, aligning the stack of layers to fluidically connect the feed channel for the first material with the inlet for the first material and to fluidically connect the inlet for the first material with the outlet, and bonding the layers together.
Abstract:
A method for fabricating a backside metallization structure on a semiconductor substrate including moving a printhead having at least one nozzle orifice relative to the semiconductor substrate, and feeding an Al passivation layer ink and an AgAl soldering pad ink through said printhead such that both said Al passivation layer ink and said AgAl soldering pad ink are simultaneously extruded from said at least one nozzle orifice and deposited onto the semiconductor substrate.
Abstract:
A micro-extrusion printhead assembly utilized in a micro-extrusion system to form parallel extruded lines of material on a substrate includes a material feed mechanism for pushing/drawing materials out of dispensing orifices defined in the printhead assembly, a Z-axis positioning mechanism, and a base. A production method utilizes the micro-extrusion system to directly print endpoint structures at the end of each gridline, and by extruding these gridlines immediately after forming the busbars. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the micro-extrusion system is controlled to manipulate the printhead speed and/or gridline material extrusion pressure at the beginning, middle and end of each gridline printing process such that teardrop-shaped endpoint structures are formed at the ends of each gridline, whereby each endpoint structure has a substantially greater width than that of the main “central” gridline structure extending between the endpoint structures.
Abstract:
A solar cell includes two backside metallization materials that are simultaneously extrusion deposited on a semiconductor substrate such that both a back surface field (BSF) metal layer (e.g., Al) and a solder pad metal structure (e.g., AgAl) are coplanar and non-overlapping, and the two metals abut each other to form a continuous metal layer that extends over the backside surface of the substrate. In one embodiment, the solder pad metal is formed directly on the backside surface of the substrate, either by co-extruding the two materials in the form of a continuous sheet, or by depositing spaced apart structures that are then flattened to contact each other by way of an air jet device. In another embodiment, the solder pad metal is disposed over a thin layer of the BSF metal (i.e., either disposed directly on the BSF metal, or disposed on an intervening barrier layer) using a co-extrusion head.
Abstract:
An H-pattern solar cell structure includes at least one busbar disposed in a first direction on an upper surface of a semiconductor substrate, and parallel gridlines formed on the semiconductor substrate such that each gridline extends over and contacts each busbar, wherein each gridline includes a central gridline portion and at least one endpoint structure disposed on at least one end thereof, the endpoint structure having a nominal width that is at least 1.5 times the width of the central gridline portion. The gridlines are co-extruded with a sacrificial material such that a base portion of each gridline forms a flattened structure with sacrificial material formed thereon. The endpoint structures are formed such that Each central gridline portion forms a raised vertex portion extending upward from the upper surface of each busbar.
Abstract:
A system may include an optical element including a surface defining a recess, conductive material disposed within the recess, and a solder mask disposed over a portion of the conductive material. The solder mask may define an aperture through which light from the optical element may pass. Some aspects provide creation of an optical element including a surface defining a recess, deposition of conductive material on the surface such that a portion of the deposited conductive material is disposed within the recess, and substantial planarization of the surface to expose the portion of the conductive material disposed within the recess.