“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.
