A photovoltaic cell is proposed. The photovoltaic cell includes a substrate of semiconductor material, and a plurality of contact terminals each one arranged on a corresponding contact area of the substrate for collecting electric charges being generated in the substrate by the light. For at least one of the contact areas, the substrate includes at least one porous semiconductor region extending from the contact area into the substrate for anchoring the whole corresponding contact terminal on the substrate. In the solution according to an embodiment of the invention, each porous semiconductor region has a porosity decreasing moving away from the contact area inwards the substrate. An etching module and an electrolytic module for processing photovoltaic cells, a production line for producing photovoltaic cells, and a process for producing photovoltaic cells are also proposed.

Provided is an apparatus for electro-forming. The apparatus for electro-forming includes a plating bath which is a space where a substrate is plated and a clamp disposed within the plating bath and configured to grasp the substrate disposed in a horizontal direction. The apparatus for electro-forming further includes an assembly including an anode spaced above the substrate and connected to an external power supply and a plating solution supply unit spaced above the substrate and configured to supply a plating solution. The apparatus for electro-forming also includes a driving unit configured to reciprocate the assembly in a horizontal direction at a distance from the substrate. The assembly further includes an insulator between the anode and the plating solution supply unit.

A hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle includes a nozzle tip configured to interface with a portion of a substructure. The nozzle also includes an inner coaxial tube connected to a reservoir containing an electrolyte and an anode, the inner coaxial tube configured to dispense the electrolyte through the nozzle tip onto the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes an outer coaxial tube encompassing the inner coaxial tube, the outer coaxial tube configured to extract the electrolyte from the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes at least one contact pin configured to make electrical contact with a conductive track on the substrate.

A hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle includes a nozzle tip configured to interface with a portion of a substructure. The nozzle also includes an inner coaxial tube connected to a reservoir containing an electrolyte and an anode, the inner coaxial tube configured to dispense the electrolyte through the nozzle tip onto the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes an outer coaxial tube encompassing the inner coaxial tube, the outer coaxial tube configured to extract the electrolyte from the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes at least one contact pin configured to make electrical contact with a conductive track on the substrate.

A method for electrochemically depositing metal on a sheet substrate, wherein an upper metal anode is placed above an electrolyte solution on the upper surface of the sheet substrate waiting for an metal electrochemical deposition, or placed elsewhere; the electrolyte solution passes the upper metal anode then flows onto the upper surface of the sheet substrate; the upper metal anode is subjected to an oxidation reaction under the action of a positive potential, losing electrons to generate metal ions, and then it flows down along with the electrolyte solution to the upper surface of the sheet substrate; the metal ions in the electrolyte solution get electrons on the cathode surface of the sheet substrate, and a metal is produced and deposited on the cathode surface of the sheet substrate.

A method that can plate a predetermined position on various plating targets without implementing a pretreatment thereon is provided. A plating method is performed on a plating target using a plating solution, and the plating method includes at least a bubble ejection step of ejecting a bubble generated by a bubble ejection member to a plating solution. The bubble ejection member includes an electrode formed of a conductive material and an insulating material covering at least a part of the electrode, at least a part of the insulating material forms a bubble ejection port, and an air gap surrounded by the insulating material is formed between at least a part of the electrode and the bubble ejection port.

A nozzle device includes a nozzle body and at least one second electrode. The nozzle body extends along a longitudinal axis, and has a top surface, a bottom surface for confronting a first electrode of a workpiece, a recess provided in the bottom surface, and a longitudinal channel extending downwardly from the top surface along the longitudinal axis to be in fluid communication with the recess. The longitudinal channel has an upper section and a lower tapered section which is tapered downwardly to form a lower communication port. The least one second electrode is disposed in the recess for being spaced apart from the first electrode.

The invention eliminates defects generated in a metal filling a through hole of a printed board by changing an angle at which a plating solution is sprayed or by changing a posture of the printed board at a time point in a process of precipitating the metal from the plating solution and filling the through hole with the precipitated metal while the plating solution or air bubbles are being sprayed onto the printed board.

A surface treatment device utilizes an electrode device. The electrode device is provided with a closed part facing a bottom part of a bottomed hole when inserted inside the bottomed hole, and a flow through hole linking the inside and outside of the electrode device is formed in the electrode device. When surface treatment is implemented on the inner wall surface of the bottomed hole, the hollow electrode device is inserted into the inside of the bottomed hole, the electrolytic treatment solution is made to flow through the space inside the bottomed hole, and power is applied across the electrode device and the inner wall surface of the bottomed hole. The closed part faces the bottom part of the bottomed hole as an electrode across a prescribed surface area; therefore, electroplating at the bottom part of the bottomed hole proceeds to the same extent as other sites.

A method for subjecting garment accessories to a surface electrolytic treatment provides various metallic colors to metallic garment accessories in a cost effective manner. The method can provide a first metallic color on one side of outer surface of the garment accessory and provide a second metallic color on the other side of the outer surface, by placing one or more metallic garment accessories in an electrolytic solution in a non-contact state with an anode and a cathode for passing electric current through the electrolytic solution, passing electric current through the electrolytic solution and generating a bipolar phenomenon on the garment accessory.