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Precise selective scribing of thin-film solar cells by a picosecond laser

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Abstract

In this paper, precise scribing of thin-film solar cells (CIGS/Mo/Glass) via a picosecond laser is investigated. A parametric study is carried out for P1 and P2 scribing to study the effects of laser fluence and overlap ratio on scribing quality and ablation depth. Three ablation regimes are observed for P1 scribing in different laser fluence ranges, due to the involvement of different ablation mechanisms. The optimum scribing conditions are determined for both P1 and P2 scribing, and the potential processing speed is significantly increased. The heat accumulation effect at different repetition rates is studied to extrapolate the results from low to high repetition rates. A two-temperature model-based model is developed to simulate the scribing process for multiple thin films, providing decent prediction of the slot depth for both P1 and P2 scribing.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided for this study by the National Science Foundation (Grant Nos.: CMMI-1030786, 0853890-CBET).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Laser-based Manufacturing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Xin Zhao, Yunfeng Cao, Qiong Nian, Yung C. Shin & Gary Cheng

  2. School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Xin Zhao, Yunfeng Cao & Yung C. Shin

  3. School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Qiong Nian & Gary Cheng

Authors
  1. Xin Zhao
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  2. Yunfeng Cao
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Correspondence to Yung C. Shin.

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Zhao, X., Cao, Y., Nian, Q. et al. Precise selective scribing of thin-film solar cells by a picosecond laser. Appl. Phys. A 116, 671–681 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-014-8330-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-014-8330-6

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