Optomec announced today
that they will showcase their patented Aerosol Jet Printing System for higher
efficiency solar cells at the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference
and Exhibition (PVSEC) in Hamburg, Germany on September 21st- 24th. Optomec's
Aerosol Jet system provides high-resolution, non-contact printing of a wide
variety of functional materials onto mono and multi-crystalline cells with highly
textured surfaces. The initial application focus is production of front-side
collectors with line widths as narrow as 40 micron to significantly reduce shadow
effects. Optomec will be available to discuss the Aerosol Jet System in their
Stand, # B5/12. The Aerosol Jet high-throughput production solution will also
be on display in the Manz Automation/Roth & Rau booth (Stand # B5/31), showing
how the patented Aerosol Jet Solar Print Engine in their back end manufacturing
line is capable of processing 2400 wafers/hour.
During the conference, Dr. Bruce King, head of Optomec's photovoltaic solution
development efforts, will present further information in the Visual Presentation
area. His poster is entitled “Progress Towards Fully Printed Collector
Lines Using Aerosol Jet Printing for Front-Side Metallization of High Efficiency
Solar Cells.” Dr. King's presentation will highlight recent enhancements
to the Aerosol Jet system that will lead to the full printing of high aspect
ratio collector lines, including the potential for multi-material collector
lines that are separately optimized for contact and conductivity. To schedule
a one-on-one meeting with Dr. King or other Optomec executive staff, click here.
Additionally, Dr. Alison Lennon from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced
Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics at the University of New South Wales (UNSW)
will present a new method for patterned etching of SiO2 and SiNx dielectic layers
using Aerosol Jet printing. The UNSW patented method involves fewer steps than
photolithography and is safer than existing immersion etching techniques as
the corrosive etchant is only formed in-situ on the surface to be etched. Furthermore,
the method uses small amounts of inexpensive chemicals and produces significantly
less hazardous fluoride waste than existing immersion etching methods. In her
visual presentation, Dr. Lennon will also discuss the ability of the Aerosol
Jet system to achieve finer-scale patterning than has been previously achieved
with currently available inkjet devices and the associated potential for improving
overall cell performance.
The UNSW ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics
is internationally recognized for its research in the area of photovoltaics.
It was the first organization in the world to offer undergraduate training in
the area of Photovoltaics and Solar Energy, and has since extended the educational
programs it offers to include postgraduate and research training opportunities.
Opportunities exist for licensing and collaborative research of its photovoltaic
technology via the technology transfer office New South Innovations (www.nsinnovations.com.au).
Optomec is the world-leading provider of additive manufacturing systems for
high-performance applications in the Electronics, Photovoltaic, Biomedical,
and Aerospace & Defense markets. These systems utilize Optomec's proprietary
Aerosol Jet Printed Electronics technology and LENS® powder-metal fabrication
technology. The company has a global customer base of more than 90 users that
includes many industry-leading manufacturers.
Aerosol Jet is a registered trademark of Optomec, Inc.
LENS is a registered trademark of Sandia National Laboratories.