TRIDENT SOLAR ANNOUNCES INDUSTRY-LEADING ONE YEAR WARRANTY ON 256Jet-S INKJET PRINTHEAD ITW Trident
(April 4, 2012) Connecticut, USA. – Trident Solar (www.tridentsolarcell.com) announces a new, industry-leading one-year warranty on the 256Jet-S™ inkjet printhead. Featuring a unique, repairable design and inert stainless steel construction, the 256Jet-S can last up to 25x longer than alternative inkjet printheads and over 100x longer than lithographic screens.
Durability
The 256Jet-S industrial printhead is unique in the market in that it was specifically designed for solar applications. The stainless steel construction of the 256Jet-S significantly enhances printhead durability. Lifespan for the 256Jet-S has been demonstrated at 1 year, up to 25x longer than that provided by alternative solar inkjet printheads that need to be replaced roughly every 2 weeks to 2 months.
Applications
The 256Jet-S performs non-contact inkjet deposition of a wide variety of acid and alkaline etchants, dopants and conductive metals for direct write, printable solar photovoltaic applications. The inert, durable construction of the 256Jet-S makes it ideal for use in direct write, precision dispensing of etchants with PH ranging from 2–14.
The 256Jet-S is compatible with Trident’s single-step VersaEtch™ Etchant / n-Dopant material for inkjet selective emitter application of solar front contacts (c-Si). Ink jet doping and etching with VersaEtch is a hybrid tool that can be used together with either screen printing or electroplating of metalized contacts.
Key Inkjet Performance Benefits for Solar Applications
Inkjet printing brings several key advantages to photovoltaic production processes. Lines or holes of 50 microns width by 5-10 micron depth can be produced without the damage and defects associated with lasers. Inkjet can be used to jet conductive metal inks (such as silver ink) to digitally produce contact lines as narrow as 50 micron thick – 2-3 times finer than can be produced with silver paste, a squeegee and screen printing. This enhances efficiency, as contact widths can be minimized, ensuring that valuable sunlight is not blocked.
Technology Options and Warranty Details
The 256Jet-S is available in four models to enable precision dispensing of 5 pl, 30 pl, 50 pl, or 80 pl drops.
The new industry-leading one year warranty on the 256Jet-S pertains to jetting of acid or alkaline solutions. Trident has a comprehensive compatibility chart and can work closely with photovoltaic engineers looking to use alternative materials.
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04 April 2012
