Micro Cold Spray printed top metallization layer for solar cells

Our group has recently developed a non-contact direct-write print tool suitable for the top metallization layer on solar cells. This tool, termed Micro Cold Spray (MCS) allows for the direct deposition of metal powders onto a substrate forming a near-bulk property feature without post-processing. The development of this tool was facilitated by our experience with aerosol micro focusing in systems such as Aerosol Jet and Collimated Aerosol Beam Direct-Write (CAB-DW). In this paper we will present our results of MCS printed silver and copper traces on silicon solar cells, including bulk resistance, contact resistance, minimum feature widths, and optical properties.