FoilMet®-Connect: Upgrading Adhesion by the Application of Laser Metal Bonding

The demand for a cost-effective and high-efficiency solar cell increases by the need to shift energy production to renewables. The FoilMet-Connect technology offers a way to meet demand and to achieve higher cell efficiencies while utilizing low-cost aluminum foil for large parts of the rear electrode. This allows for a reduction of the rear screen printing to small disks which are electrically connected to the aluminum foil via laser welding. The necessary adhesion is achieved by additionally bonding the foil to the rear passivation of the cell. The FoilMet-Connect cells presented in this work achieve an efficiency of more than 22% in IV measurements, 0.25%abs more than the purely screen-printed reference.