Studies on Optimal Gas Supply For a Maskless Etching System with Micro- Discharge Plasma Operated at Atmospheric Pressure

An optimal gas supply method for the micro discharge plasma generated along a quartz glass electrode, which was useful for the maskless fabrication of electrode grooves for surface electrodes on solar cells, was examined. We here constructed an electrode system with gas inlet and outlet holes. The gas supply directly to the plasma region contributed to reduce byproducts on the surface being etched, and then it was confirmed that the uniform etching was achieved in the case where the micro-discharge plasma locally produced at the etching area.