Novel Conductive Adhesive Concept for Solar Module Manufacturing

32nd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition; 105-109
Mosaic Solutions AS is developing a novel concept for conductive adhesives for use in electrical interconnection of solar modules. The goal is to provide an alternative to the current soldering process in module manufacturing, enabling lower process temperatures and reducing the amount of toxic elements, e.g. lead. The conductive adhesive is based on replacing solid silver flakes by polymer particles coated with a thin layer of silver. The main advantage of this concept, compared to conventional conductive adhesives, is a typical ten-fold reduction in silver consumption. We have investigated the electrical properties of conductive adhesives based on silver-coated polymer particles, and demonstrated the use of the conductive adhesive concept in module manufacturing. The results are promising, showing that the electrical conductivity is more than sufficient for use in solar modules, and that our conductive adhesive concept represents a promising and realistic alternative to soldering.