Product Review: DuPont’s ‘Solamet’ PV19B metallization paste uses proprietary tellurium technology

June 2, 2016
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
DuPont Solamet PV19B is a highly conductive silver composition, part of the PV19x family, with new material science which enables finer line design and excellent printability. Image: DuPont

DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions developed and launched a new advanced ‘DuPont’ ‘Solamet’ PV19B photovoltaic metallization front side paste that has a highly conductive silver composition and part of the PV19x family of pastes, with innovative material science which enables finer line design and excellent printability.

Problem

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

To gain improved solar cell conversion efficiencies from front-sided cells, producers need to focus on the fabrication of higher contact aspect ratio’s with narrower lines with better edge definition and smoother morphology to increase surface area light absorption. However, improved productivity and throughput remain key concerns to lower production costs, requiring better printability and yield.

Solution

DuPont Solamet PV19B is claimed to enable more than 0.1% solar cell efficiency improvement over other products currently used in the industry. Based on DuPont’s proprietary tellurium technology, Solamet PV19B photovoltaic metallization paste combines excellent contact performance with the ability to achieve very fine line, high aspect ratio, and smooth finger lines. Moreover PV19B is claimed to possess excellent paste transfer, allowing higher print speeds to be deployed such that industry average throughputs can be improved by up to 26%. Utilizing the new paste DuPont said that solar cell producer TSEC was able to achieve >18.7% efficiency in cell level and 270W power output generated by 60-multi c-Si cells. 

Applications

Standard screen print process.

Platform

DuPont Solamet PV19B is a highly conductive silver composition, part of the PV19x family, with new material science which enables finer line design and excellent printability. This paste is able to be co-fired with back side (p-type) aluminum conductors such as ‘DuPont Solamet PV3xx’ and ‘DuPont Solamet PV5xx’ tabbing silvers. It is also designed for rapid dry and fast (spike) firing, with the thermal budget above 600°C kept to a minimum, ideally <8 seconds to ensure optimum electrical contact to the wafer.

Availability

February 2016 onwards. 

Read Next

January 6, 2026
The Chinese government has released a range of policy measures to strengthen intellectual property (IP) protections in the country’s solar PV industry.
December 23, 2025
Chinese researchers have developed a process to boost the efficiency and bifacial performance of TOPCon solar cells while reducing silver consumption.
December 22, 2025
The Chinese government has lodged a complaint against India with the World Trade Organization over alleged subsidies to its solar industry.
Premium
December 18, 2025
PV Talk: Paul Gebhardt of Fraunhofer ISE discusses reliability issues facing advanced PV modules, an issue which isn't going anywhere.
December 17, 2025
JA Solar is a lead partner in a joint venture that broke ground this week on a new 2GW solar PV cell, 2GW module and 1GWh energy storage manufacturing facility in Egypt.
December 12, 2025
India’s flagship solar PV manufacturing incentive has driven “robust growth” in the sector since its launch, but hurdles remain to building a complete domestic supply chain.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Dallas, Texas
Solar Media Events
April 15, 2026
Milan, Italy
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
November 24, 2026
Warsaw, Poland