Thin film metallization by supersonic spraying of copper and nickel nanoparticles on a silicon substrate

Jong Gun Lee, Do Yeon Kim, Byungjun Kang, Donghwan Kim, Salem S. Al-Deyab, Scott C. James, Sam S. Yoon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Copper and nickel nanoparticles are supersonically sprayed onto a silicon wafer to install a low-resistance, high-performance, and cost-competitive front electrode onto a crystalline silicon solar cell. Impact phenomena and the deposition processes of both single and multiple particles were simulated and the computational results were compared against experimental data. Jet formation and local sintering at the particle-to-substrate interface were observed due to adiabatic shear instabilities. Local temperatures increased with impact velocity and estimates of these temperatures were made with a simple energy balance. Multi-particle simulations reveals the processes of thin-film growth; particles are bonded through interfacial sintering that locks the particles into a film. Film plastic strains were highest at the interface and increase risks for delamination.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)114-120
Number of pages7
JournalComputational Materials Science
Volume108
Issue numberPA
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015 Jul 4

Keywords

  • Copper nickel electrode
  • Multi-particle
  • Particle impact
  • Supersonic spray deposition

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Science(all)
  • Chemistry(all)
  • Materials Science(all)
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Physics and Astronomy(all)
  • Computational Mathematics

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