Indium Blog

LT-918 Low-Temp Metallization Paste Keeps Getting Better

Category:
  • Indium Corporation
  • Solar

  • Recently I was testing the resistance of a new low temperature metallization paste* (for solar photovoltaic assembly) in the lab. The samples were initially tested with a 4-point probe, just before entering a chamber set at 85°C and 85% relative humidity. To my surprise, the resistance dropped noticeably (as seen in the chart).

    I brought the results to the material’s creator in our R&D department, ready to wow him with my discovery. I exclaimed, “I just finished testing the samples we put into the 85/85 chamber and can’t believe the values I’m getting!” Without a flinch he replied: “The resistance went down, didn’t it? That’s a unique feature of this material.”

    While I didn’t gain any cool points in R&D for discovering an awesome new feature of an upcoming product, I hope the trait of this material can be useful for our customers (some of whom have since noted the improved characteristics after reliability testing).

    The thing I learned from this experience is how important end of life testing is for metallization paste – all too often samples are only compared based on time-zero testing. This will change the way I compare metallization pastes from now on.

    ~Jim

    *For my followers who aren't familiar with low-temperature metallization paste,it is also referred to as "grid ink", "silver ink", and "conductive ink". Low-temperature metallization paste is a silver-filled contact material used in the assembly of photovoltaic solar cells. It gets its low-temperature label because it is processed at lower-than-traditional glass frit temperatures of ~1,000°C. In addition to its role as a contact for thin-film connections, low-temperature metallization paste is also useful as a low-temperature alternative metallization on Si-based cells.

    Learn more here.

     

    Authored by previous Indium Application Manager Jim Hisert