Selective etching of silicon nitride film on single crystalline silicon solar cell using intensive surface discharge

new etching technique, which is useful for the formation of electrode grooves for finger and busber electrodes on solar cells, was examined using a surface discharge at atmospheric pressure. A silicon nitride film was etched along boundary lines between discharge electrodes covered with a dielectric layer and the film. It was found that intensive surface streamers play an essential role in the etching of the film and that a high etching rate more than 150nm/min could be obtained.