Plug and Play Copper Pastes
Bert Thin Films, LLC presented results of their copper based pastes at the Metallization Workshop in Neuchatel, Switzerland.
Bert Thin Films, LLC has developed a copper-based screen printable paste that can be fired in industrial fast firing furnaces. We presented data from the past year that demonstrates the applicability of the paste as well as demonstrating durability.
Read presentation at Metallization and Interconnection Workshop: PRESENTATIONS MIW 2023
Bert Thin Films, LLC has been awarded a $500K grant from the DuraMAT Consortium. The project solidifies the team with expertise from the National Lab and University researchers.
The industry has been very interested in replacing Ag with lower cost and abundant Cu but has resisted primarily on the potential accelerated degradation including copper diffusion into silicone, oxidation, and ethylene vinyl acetate reaction. This project aims to develop accelerated aging tests that explore the impact of diffusion, oxidation, and encapsulant degradation mechanisms.
“We are excited to add team members from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Georgia Institute of Technology to this important work” says Thad Druffel the founder and CEO of Bert Thin Films, LLC.
Read article at The Durable Module Materials (DuraMAT) Consortium: Durability of Modules Utilizing Screen-Printed Copper Contacts
Bert Thin Films, LLC finalizes a total of $2M in funding to start off 2022. The source of funds includes a $1M angel funding round, which was completed a few months after receiving a $1M grant from the US Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. QCA was again a key investor in this round which also included Bluegrass Angels.
The UofL News article UofL solar energy startup secures $2 million in funding states:
“Silver is a huge issue for the industry because the price volatility and there may not be enough to produce the amount of solar panels needed,” said Thad Druffel, theme leader for solar manufacturing R&D at UofL’s Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research. “We can solve it by changing one simple ingredient.”
“We love to see UofL startups succeed, and we’re very proud of Bert Thin Films for this recent funding,” said Will Metcalf, an associate vice president for research and innovation who leads UofL New Ventures. “The technology Bert Thin Films is commercializing has the potential to make a big impact in engineering a future economy driven by new energy materials and manufacturing processes.”"
Read article at PV Magazine: Louisville startup secures $2 million funding for copper paste that may lower cost of solar