Knife-Coated Versus Screen-Printed Front-Side Metallization: A Process-Window and Cost-of-Ownership Comparison for High-Throughput Cell Lines

Abstract

Front-side silver metallization remains one of the largest material-cost contributors in industrial silicon solar cell manufacturing, motivating ongoing exploration of alternatives to conventional screen printing. This study compares knife-coating and screen-printing front-side metallization techniques across four dimensions: process window stability, finger-geometry reproducibility, paste consumption per cell, and total cost of ownership including consumable, throughput, and yield-loss components. The analysis is based on parametrized models calibrated against published industry benchmarks and a sensitivity study covering silver-price scenarios from 18 to 38 dollars per troy ounce. We identify the conditions under which knife-coating becomes economically advantageous and discuss the integration prerequisites in terms of paste rheology, alignment systems, and downstream firing-profile compatibility.