Trident Solar Announces Industry Leading One Year Warranty On 256Jet-S Inkjet Printhead
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Connecticut, USA. - Trident Solar (www.tridentsolarcell.com) announces a new, industry-leading one-year warranty on the 256Jet-S(TM) 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.
"The 256Jet-S industrial printhead is unique in the market in that it was specifically designed for solar applications rather than adapted from graphic application uses," explained Steve Liker, Business Manager at Trident Solar. "The printhead was designed for maximum durability in the inkjet deposition of aggressive solar materials and Trident is proud to stand behind the 256Jet-S with the longest printhead warranty available in the solar market today."
Durability
The stainless steel construction of the 256Jet-S significantly enhances printhead durability compared to alternative inkjet printheads that feature plastic printhead orifice plates or laminating adhesives that are unable to withstand the aggressive nature of solar materials. 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. The 256Jet-S printhead also has a significantly longer lifespan than lithographic screens that need to be replaced every couple days.
The 256Jet-S also features a unique repairable design that allows the nozzle plate to be disassembled, ultrasonically cleaned and reassembled. As each of the 256 printhead nozzles is smaller than the size of a human hair, this feature helps ensure that nozzles can remain clear and unclogged for reliable, high-quality performance and extended printhead life.
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. For example, strong bases such as NaOH or KOH can be used to etch line or hole features in the indium tin oxide layer. Phosphoric acid can be used to etch through the SiNx of a photovoltaic cell or to connect to a back electrode.
The 256Jet-S is compatible with Trident's single-step VersaEtch(TM) Etchant / n-Dopant material for inkjet selective emitter application of solar front contacts (c-Si). Used together, the Trident 256Jet-S printhead and VersaEtch Etchant/n-Dopant can match the enhanced cell efficiency (0.5-1.0%) and precise deposition performance (demonstrated 50 micron print) of other selective emitter approaches, while offering the additional benefits of being non-contact, single-step, and cost-effective. 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. Digital printing is non-contact so breakage and resulting scrap are eliminated. In addition, 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 allows manufacturers to print exactly the amount of material they need, exactly where they need it, saving significant time, expense and waste. This also enhances efficiency, as contact widths can be minimized, ensuring that valuable sunlight is not blocked.
Technology Options and Warranty Details
The 256Jet-S is unique in its ability to jet a wide viscosity range from 6 cps - 30 cps. This range allows increased formulation flexibility to the material providers. 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, as well as many other chemistries. Trident has a comprehensive compatibility chart rating the impact of fluids with their 256Jet-S printhead materials and can work closely with photovoltaic engineers looking to use alternative materials.
About Trident Solar
Trident Solar, is a division of Trident Industrial Ink Jet an Illinois Tools Works (ITW) company that is a global leader in industrial inkjet printhead and ink production. Trident Solar is dedicated exclusively to the design and production of durable, efficient inkjet technologies for photovoltaic applications.
Trident industrial inkjet has been a leading provider of industrial piezoelectric inkjet printheads and inks for more than 25 years. The durable, stainless steel construction of Trident printheads makes them ideal for a wide range of industrial applications including photovoltaic, printable electronic, and display technologies. Trident has expert knowledge in how to design inkjet printheads and optimize ink jettable materials and fluids in order to maximize performance and reliability.
For more information visit www.trident-itw.com or contact:
In North and South America: Steve Liker, Business Manager, Trident
Email: Sliker@Trident-ITW.com -- Phone: +1.203.740.9333 ext. 3037
In Europe: Des O'Neill, European Sales Manager at Trident Europe
Email: doneill@trident-itw.com -- Phone: +353.1.8014004
In Asia: Kay Chino, Asia Sales Manager at Trident Asia
Email: kchino@trident-itw.com -- Phone: +81.297.61.5860
