Patent ID: 7585781

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a solar cell, the method comprising: (a) forming a thin film of organic resin material on a surface of a material to be contacted such that the material to be contacted underlies the thin layer of organic resin material to produce an organic resin coated structure, the thin film having a thickness in the range of 0.1 to 10 μm; (b) applying a plurality of droplets of caustic hydroxide solution etchant onto an unmasked surface of the thin film of organic resin material in a pattern of discrete locations where the underlying material is to be contacted to create openings in the organic resin material by removing the organic resin material with the caustic hydroxide solution in the locations where the underlying material is to be contacted; (c) after the etchant has etched through the organic resin to form the openings in the thin film of organic resin material, washing the etchant from the organic resin film and the openings to expose the areas of the underlying material to be contacted; (d) applying a metal layer over the thin film of organic resin material, whereby the metal layer is insulated from the underlying material to be contacted except at the openings in the thin film of organic resin material, the metal layer extending into the openings in the thin film of organic resin material to contact the exposed areas of the underlying material to be contacted to form an interconnection between a plurality of the exposed areas of the underlying material to be contacted, resulting in a metal and organic resin coated structure; and (e) fabricating the metal and organic resin coated structure into a solar cell.