An object of the present invention is to provide, at a low cost, a solar cell having high conversion efficiency. A solar cell according to the present invention is characterized by including a passivation film that protects a semiconductor substrate, a first finger electrode connected to the semiconductor substrate on a main surface of the semiconductor substrate, a first bus bar electrode that intersects the first finger electrode, and an intermediate layer provided in an intersecting position of the first finger electrode and the first bus bar electrode. The solar cell is characterized in that the first finger electrode and the first bus bar electrode are electrically connected to each other via the intermediate layer.

An object of the present invention is to provide, at a low cost, a solar cell having high conversion efficiency. A solar cell according to the present invention is characterized by including a passivation film that protects a semiconductor substrate, a first finger electrode connected to the semiconductor substrate on a main surface of the semiconductor substrate, a first bus bar electrode that intersects the first finger electrode, and an intermediate layer provided in an intersecting position of the first finger electrode and the first bus bar electrode. The solar cell is characterized in that the first finger electrode and the first bus bar electrode are electrically connected to each other via the intermediate layer.

A lead-free low-melting glass composition containing vanadium oxide, tellurium oxide, silver oxide and lithium oxide, said composition satisfying the following two relational expressions (1) and (2) in terms of oxides.

[Ag.sub.2O]≥[TeO.sub.2]≥[V.sub.2O.sub.5]≥[Li.sub.2O]  (1)

2[V.sub.2O.sub.5]≥[Ag.sub.2O]+[Li.sub.2O]≥40  (2)

(In the formula, [X] represents a content of component X, and the unit thereof is “mol %”; the same applies hereinafter.) Thus, it is possible to provide a lead-free low-melting glass composition which enables sealing and adhesion at around the melting point (232° C.) of tin and which has high adhesiveness and stickiness.

A process for making a conductive ink formulation for jet-printing which uses a fine-tuned molecular weight of hydrolyzed starch particles and using microwave-assisted synthesis to produce a stable, monodisperse, aqueous-based gold ink formulation. This aqueous ink formulation is shown to be highly jettable and forms films which sinter at relatively low temperatures. Printed gold film using the formulation can achieve <1.0 Ω/square sheet resistance upon drying for about 30 minutes and sinters at 200° C. thereby improving its conductivity.

A process for making a conductive ink formulation for jet-printing which uses a fine-tuned molecular weight of hydrolyzed starch particles and using microwave-assisted synthesis to produce a stable, monodisperse, aqueous-based gold ink formulation. This aqueous ink formulation is shown to be highly jettable and forms films which sinter at relatively low temperatures. Printed gold film using the formulation can achieve <1.0 Ω/square sheet resistance upon drying for about 30 minutes and sinters at 200° C. thereby improving its conductivity.

A silver powder mixture that is suitable for forming a conductive film on a surface of a member having stretchability, a method for producing the same, and a conductive paste using the silver powder mixture is provided. A silver powder mixture containing filamentous silver powder including spherical and filamentous parts and flaky silver powder having an average particle diameter of 1 μm or more and 50 μm or less and an aspect ratio, which is defined by a ratio of an average long diameter and an average thickness, of 1.5 or more is obtained by adding one kind or two or more kinds of a salt of copper and aluminum and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid to a silver nitrate aqueous solution, for 60 seconds or more, and then adding a reducing agent containing one kind or two or more kinds of L-ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, and salts thereof.

A silver powder mixture that is suitable for forming a conductive film on a surface of a member having stretchability, a method for producing the same, and a conductive paste using the silver powder mixture is provided. A silver powder mixture containing filamentous silver powder including spherical and filamentous parts and flaky silver powder having an average particle diameter of 1 μm or more and 50 μm or less and an aspect ratio, which is defined by a ratio of an average long diameter and an average thickness, of 1.5 or more is obtained by adding one kind or two or more kinds of a salt of copper and aluminum and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid to a silver nitrate aqueous solution, for 60 seconds or more, and then adding a reducing agent containing one kind or two or more kinds of L-ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, and salts thereof.

An electrically conductive ceramic composite conductor configured for downhole operations includes a first portion formed from an electrically non-conductive ceramic material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The first portion includes an outer surface. A second portion is disposed radially inwardly of the outer surface. The second portion is formed from an electrically conductive ceramic material having a second CTE that is substantially similar to the first CTE.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a structure which comprises metal plate microparticles and a lipophilic clay-based intercalation compound and which exhibits excellent stability. The problem is solved by a structure as described above wherein: the metal plate microparticles are platy microparticles alone or a mixture thereof with polyhedral microparticles (including spherical microparticles); the platy microparticles have a thickness of 1 to 50 nm, a length of principal plate of 10 to 5000 nm and an aspect ratio thereof of 3 or more; and the weight ratio of the lipophilic clay-based intercalation compound to the metal plate microparticles is 0.01 to 50.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a structure which comprises metal plate microparticles and a lipophilic clay-based intercalation compound and which exhibits excellent stability. The problem is solved by a structure as described above wherein: the metal plate microparticles are platy microparticles alone or a mixture thereof with polyhedral microparticles (including spherical microparticles); the platy microparticles have a thickness of 1 to 50 nm, a length of principal plate of 10 to 5000 nm and an aspect ratio thereof of 3 or more; and the weight ratio of the lipophilic clay-based intercalation compound to the metal plate microparticles is 0.01 to 50.