Adaptation of drafting plotter for buried contact groove formation

Lasers (e.g. Nd-YAG) have been used extensively for groove formation both in laboratories and commercial production but the initial capital cost is high. The production throughput is also low and thus adds to the cost of the cell. To reduce cost and increase production throughput a drafting plotter has been adapted to serve as a mechanical scriber for groove formation. The adapted plotter can scribe cells in matrix form to reduce the human labour and increase the production throughput. The characterization of the scribing tips in conjunction with the plotter showed that the best yield for the scriber is obtained when the scribing tip is mounted at 78° to the stock. Of the seven characterized scribing tips, the 90° conical scriber has been found to give the same groove geometry as the laser. The application of the adapted plotter to cell fabrication did not show any significant deterioration in the electrical output parameters for the mechanically scribed cells when compared with laser scribed cells. This article reports the adaptation of the x-y table drafting plotter to form buried contact grooves.