The project goal is to demonstrate that a copper (CU) based screen printable paste can be delivered to the market at a 90% cost reduction of the established silver (AG) pastes

This project will demonstrate the performance and durability of the CU contacts on high efficiency silicon (SI) solar cells. Currently these devices utilize less than 110 MG of AG paste to form the front-side electrical contacts, but as a highly priced commodity, AG remains a significant material cost. The photovoltaic market already consumes over 10% of the total global AG production, and with production capacity set to grow, this number will only increase. While other technologies such as CU electroplating have tried to gain some of its market share, these methods have been faced with the challenge of additional processing steps and costs that come with replacing AG with CU. This project focuses on a direct drop-in replacement for the AG pastes. During budget period 1 the performance of the CU contacts will be compared to AG contacts on the same cell structure. Improvements to the paste composition and processing conditions will be made to achieve cells with relative efficiencies greater than or equal to 90% of the efficiency of the same cells metallized with AG paste received directly from the cell manufacturer. In parallel, work will also focus on reducing the mass of paste used to form the contacts; thus, meeting the project's cost target. This work will be supported by elemental analysis of the interface, cost modelling and stakeholder engagement activities to support the adoption of this technology. In budget period 2, the focus will shift from cell durability towards module durability; with the final goal being to demonstrate the long-term performance of the CU paste by passing the IEC 61215 qualification test. In addition, risk assessments on the material supply chain will be carried out to prove that the CU paste is a viable alternative. The overall aim of these goals will be to DE-risk the product to achieve market acceptance.