GOALI: Synthesis, Composition and Thermal Properties of Metal Nano-Particles for Printable Conductive Media

该补助金为学术/工业合作提供资金，以优化光伏制造用银和银金属复合纳米颗粒的异质结构、尺寸和组成。该项目将包括通过溶液相和电沉积方法合成均匀合金和核壳复合纳米颗粒，以及使用组合技术对纳米颗粒进行结构和功能表征，包括像差校正扫描透射电子显微镜和基于同步加速器的扩展X？射线吸收精细结构（EXAFS）光谱。这些颗粒将用于制备丝网印刷导电油墨。 该油墨将被优化用于印刷到硅晶片上，并通过低温熔融形成导电层。纳米颗粒合成技术将被放大和优化，以实现在连续搅拌槽反应器中的高效大规模生产。金属接触是硅光伏电池的重要组成部分，其形成是太阳能电池加工中限制效率和决定成本的主要步骤。丝网印刷作为一种快速、成本有效且简单的技术已被采用来在大批量光伏电池生产中印刷银触点。然而，在当前工艺中使用的薄膜烧制或熔结银油墨包含大的银粉末，其需要高温熔融以产生导电层，导致效率损失。所提出的纳米颗粒墨水将实现较低温度的熔融过程，更好的均匀性，以及比当前用于熔块墨水的粉末更高的导电性。该项目将与导电化合物有限责任公司合作进行，该公司是一家导电材料制造商，包括丝网印刷导电油墨。如果成功，这项研究将产生具有成本效益的纳米粒子墨水。 该项目的成果将直接支持国家？中国正在努力使能源供应多样化，并帮助减少全球碳足迹。将根据研究结果制作课程，并为导电化合物的学生提供实习机会。

This grant provides funding for an academic/industrial collaboration to optimize the heterogeneous structure, size and composition of silver and silver-metal composite nanoparticles for photovoltaic manufacture. The project will include synthesis of homogenous alloy and core-shell composite nanoparticles by solution phase and electrodeposition methods as well as structural and functional characterization of nanoparticles using combined techniques, including aberration-corrected Scanning Transmission Electronic Microscopy and synchrotron-based Extended X?ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. These particles will be used to prepare screen-printable conductive inks. The inks will be optimized for printing onto silicon wafers and formation of conductive layers by low-temperature fusing. The nanoparticle synthesis technology will be scaled-up and optimized for efficient large scale production in a continuous stirred tank reactor.Metal contacts are essential components of silicon photovoltaic cells, and their formation is a major efficiency-limiting and cost-determining step in solar cell processing. Screen printing has been adopted as a rapid, cost-effective, and simple technique to print silver contacts in large-volume photovoltaic cell production. However, the thin film fired or frit silver inks used in current processes contain large silver powders, which require high-temperature fusion to produce a conductive layer, resulting in a loss of efficiency. The proposed nanoparticles inks will enable lower-temperature fusing processes, better uniformity, and higher conductivity than the current powders used in frit ink. This project will be carried out in partnership with Conductive Compounds LLC, a manufacturer of conductive materials including screen printable conductive inks. If successful the research will result in cost-effective nanoparticle-based inks. The project outcome will directly support the nation?s effort to diversify its energy supply and help to reduce the global carbon footprint. Curricula based on the research results will be produced and internships will be provided for students at Conductive Compounds.