Effect of Soak Time

Soak time refers to the time at which the substrates with metallization printed on them are held at peak temperature. The soak time is an important parameter in determining the cell efficiency because the diffusion of silicon and silver is a function of time and temperature. Research done by Lee et al, Cooper et al, and Hilai et al have demonstrated the effects of soak time on the efficiency of the solar cell. From the results in the published literature, it is understood that there is a significant interaction between soak time and peak temperature. The highest efficiencies have always been reported for shorter soak time. It has been reported that increasing the soak time will increase the contact resistance. A study, done by Cooper et al, of the interface and bulk metallurgies of the contact, has demonstrated an increase in the thickness of the interfacial glass layer with an increase in soak time. The thicker contact layer results in an increase of contact resistance.  Make sure to "like" us on Facebook www.facebook.com/torreyhillstechnologies