Note: You can Use an outside Grill to bake the Screen Printed layers. It is a good
idea to make small cells, 8" x 10" or what ever. It is easier to fit into the Grill,
We suggest Baking in side a large roasting pan and then put the roasting pan inside
the preheated grill and shut the lid. It is suggested that you try and make 3 prototype
cells first, Work out all the details, Test them, and then start on a large production of
Solar Cells. It will all get much easier once you have done it. It is also suggested that
you bake them out side. You don't want any fumes in the house, an outside grill is the
best and most readily available oven there is and propane is cheap. I hear you may be
able to make them without a Nitrogen atmosphere if not try special gas companies or
make some yourself, it is supposed to be nonflammable.
Screen Printing: You start with a small 14" x 14" wood frame 2x2". Then a plastic
or clothe screen is stretched over the frame tightly one side at a time, and then stapled
down on all 4 sides, we suggest buying a yellow 200 mesh screen from a screen
printing supplier, Then you put an image of what ever you want to print into the
screen by photo emulsion or by cutting a lacquer or water film with an exacto knife.
( see our Screen Printing Video ) Once you have your image you place the finished
screen onto a flat smooth table top, attach it to a 14" long 2" x 4" with 2 door hinges.
using wood screws, then you attach the 2" x 4" on to the table so it and the screen will
not move. the screen should only go up or down.
you then put your 8" x 10" glass under the screen, register it, then lay the screen
down over the glass and apply your ink and then with a small 12" rubber Squeegee,
You pull the ink over the image and it is pushed thru the screen mesh and thru the
image that you cut and smoothly is printed onto the glass.
SUPPLIERS;
Screen Printing Books and supplies; NDS 1-800-783-3883 Indianapolis, IN.
( See also Art Store's, Hobby Shop's, Arts and Crafts, Screen printing company's.)
They also sell copper sheeting.
Solar Cell Screen Print Chemicals: Search the web, simply type in the chemical
you are looking for and many suppliers will pop up. Example: Cadmium Sulphide
Supplier..... We have checked and you can find all the chemicals and info on them
free on the web.
Also see: www.stanfordmaterials.com/semi.html
The Stanford Materials Company
1. Cadmium Sulphide in powder form = Cds (or if already thick liquid or ink OK.)
2. Cadmium Chloride + Cdcl 2 ( Powder or liquid form )
3. Propylene glycol + pg in liquid form
4. Carbon Powder, if you can not find none make your own wood carbon powder?
5. Cadmium = Cd
6. Tellurium = TeTHE COPPER CHLORINE SOLAR CELL: Buy a roll of Thin Copper sheeting, cut
a 1.5" diameter piece out with a pair of cutters, then sand polish the copper on both sides
with some fine grade steel wool. then by using a propane torch heat the copper while
griping it with rubber handled pliers, and let the copper get red hot, until it glows, move
the copper over the flame evenly for about 3 minutes then allow to cool slowly. Then
once it is cooled dip it down in an acid solution of 1/2 water and 1/2 acid, WARNING!
Never pour water into acid always pour acid into water. The acid that you can use is
MURIATIC ACID ( Hydrochloric Acid ) you can buy it at any hardware store, or you
can use a solution of nitric acid. REMEMBER TO WEAR PROTECTIVE
GOGGLES OR OTHER SUITABLE EYE PROTECTION, AND WORK IN A
WELL VENTILATED AREA. DO NOT SMELL THE FUMES OR MAKE
CONTACT WITH YOUR SKIN, WEAR RUBBER GLOVES. THESE ACIDS
CAUSE SEVERE BURNS. KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
NOTICE: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING IN THESE PLANS ,
YOU BUILD AND EXPERIMENT AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Keep it in the acid for only a half a minute or longer, the idea is to keep it dipped in the
acid long enough for the black oxide to come off of the top layer, under that is the photo
sensitive red cuprous oxide. Remember you should only have a dark bright red layer left.
Note: do not leave it in to long it will eat away the red. once you have done that then it's
O.K. to wash off the acid with water, do all of this outside or in your garage, make sure
all of the acid is off. wash no less than 3 minutes, now look at the copper disk on one
side you will have bright copper, this is the positive side, and on the other side you will
have red this the negative side the side you face toward the sun. now mix a small
solution of 95 water and 5 Clorox bleach, now take the red side and look for
scratches if there are any you must paint them with enamel oil base paint, apply paint to
any where on that side where copper is showing through, now glue a plastic lid on to red
side, let it dry them drill a small hole in the top pour in Clorox bleach and water solution
and then place a copper or steel wire through the hole and onto the bottom, wire must be
submerged in the solution, now tape or glue the hole up with the wire in it. now tape
Solar cell out into the sun and using a DC volt meter attach + to the copper back, and - to
the steel wire coming out of hole. you will see the meter move showing a voltage, now
block the sun with your hand and watch the voltage drop.
make many of these for just pennies and put them in series or parallel to increase your
voltage or amperage. These type of cells are only 5 of the japan cells.
I have heard that the Japanese cells are about 95 of the American made silicon cell that
is a very expensive process. Screen printing them is the cheapest way to go and is easy,
once you get the hang of it.
Chemicals: needed: 1. Cadmium Sulphide = cds 2. Cadmium Chloride == cdcl 2
( These can be in powder form ) 3. Propylene Glycol = pg this is used to mix the
powders into a pasty but screen printable liquid ink type. 4. Carbon powder, if you can
not find it make some yourself out of burnt wood etc... 5. Cadmium = cd
6. Tellurium = Te
There are many different ways to construct these home made cells, the above
drawing shows a wire screen mesh that you can buy at any hardware store.
Using wire mesh makes a much more powerful cell, than just using one
strand of wire. before assembly, attach the wire mesh to the red copper side.
use a small weight in the center of the wire mesh and using clear silicon, glue
down the edges, ( make sure you don't get any glue in the area where the
plastic cap is going to sit. ) now let that sit over night, then glue on your clear
plastic cap on to the red copper side of cell.
these also make a great science fair project as well as providing free electricity
to your home. It's going to take some practice if you do any of these projects.
but will be able to make your own FREE Electricity force us out of the closet
so they could shut us down.
Knowledge is Power! Study this Patent well and read all
you can from the free info on the internet as well about
screen printing solar cells and the many different chemicals
that can be used! The Japan Solar Cells are better to make
and will last a long time!
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