JP2009260336A - Carrying device for inspection device of solar battery - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a carrying device used for an inspection device to cause EL by passing a forward current in a solar battery, wherein no displacement of the constituent members of the solar battery which are objects to be measured is caused, when carrying the constituent members of the solar battery which are the objects to be measured before laminating treatment in a laminated state to the inspection device. <P>SOLUTION: In this inspection device having a darkroom 110 provided with a flat top face 111, a transparent plate 112 provided on the top face of the darkroom 110 to carry the solar battery forming an object 200 to be measured, and a camera 120 to photograph the image of the object to be measured, this carrying device is to carry the constituent members of the solar cell to the inspection device in the layered state before laminating treatment. A pair of carrying guide parts formed by connecting the transparent board and the like which are the constituent members of the solar battery to carry to a plurality of the carrying members having a wall part lower than the thickness of the board in an endless state are provided symmetrically with respect to the carrying direction (in two rows), and the transparent board and the like are carried while guiding them by the wall part. Thereby, the constituent members of the solar battery are prevented from being displaced while being carried. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport device used for a device for inspecting general performance of a solar cell, such as a solar cell, a string in which solar cells are connected in series, and a solar cell panel in which a plurality of strings are arranged in parallel.

  As a method of utilizing solar energy, a silicon type solar cell is known. In the production of solar cells, it is important to evaluate the performance of whether the solar cells have the desired power generation capability. In performance evaluation, output characteristics are usually measured.

  The output characteristic is performed as a photoelectric conversion characteristic for measuring the current-voltage characteristic of the solar cell under light irradiation. Solar light is desirable as the light source, but a solar simulator is used because the irradiation intensity varies depending on the weather. In the solar simulator, a xenon lamp, a metal halide lamp, or the like is used instead of sunlight. Further, when these light sources are turned on for a long time, the light amount changes due to a temperature rise or the like. Therefore, the output characteristic curve of the solar cell is obtained by plotting the collected data using the flash light of these lamps with the horizontal axis representing voltage and the vertical axis representing current (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  As a method different from the solar simulator, Patent Document 2 proposes a method of generating electroluminescence (EL) by applying a voltage in the forward direction to a polycrystalline silicon solar cell element. By observing the EL emitted from the solar cell element, the current density distribution can be understood, and the defect of the solar cell element can be known from the non-uniform current density distribution. That is, a portion that does not emit light can be determined as a defective portion, and if the area of the defective portion is less than a predetermined amount, it can be determined that it has a predetermined power generation capability.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the inspection apparatus described in Patent Document 2. As shown in FIG. The inspection apparatus 10 includes a dark room 11, a CCD camera 12 provided above the dark room 11, a power supply 14 for supplying a current to the solar cells 13 placed on the floor of the dark room 11, And an image processing device 15 for processing an image signal.

  The dark room 11 has a window 11a. A finder 12a of the CCD camera 12 is provided here, and a photographed image of the CCD camera 12 can be confirmed by looking into it with the naked eye. A personal computer is used as the image processing device 15.

JP2007-88419 WO / 2006/059615

  The inspection apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 8 places the solar battery cell 13 on the bottom and takes a picture with a camera from above. The EL emitted from the solar battery cell 13 has a wavelength of 1,000 nm to 1,300 nm. It is faint light and can only be detected in the dark room 11. If the object to be measured is a single solar battery cell, the dark room 11 may be small because it is about 100 mm square.

However, when it becomes a solar cell, it becomes a size of about 2 m × 1 m, and the dark room 11 needs to be large enough to accommodate it. Moreover, since the solar cell used as a to-be-measured object cannot be image | photographed with the camera 12 unless it puts into a dark room, you must provide the door which can take in and out a solar cell in a dark room. When the inspection apparatus is configured to be carried into such a dark room, it is necessary to ensure light shielding when the installed door is closed. Moreover, it is necessary to provide the positioning member and conveyance guide member of the solar cell carried in the inspection apparatus in the darkroom. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide an energizing means for passing a current through the solar cell in the darkroom. Such a structure is complicated and expensive.
Moreover, when incorporating such an inspection device as one device of a solar cell production line, there are the following requirements. A transparent substrate / solar battery cell which is a member constituting a solar battery as a measurement object (hereinafter referred to as a solar battery cell includes a string in which solar battery cells are connected in series, and a panel in which a plurality of strings are connected in series) -It is a request to transport and inspect the filler and back material to the inspection device before stacking and laminating. Solar cells tend to be larger and have a size of 2 m × 1 m or more. As will be described later, the object to be measured before laminating is stacked such that the uppermost back material covers the lowermost transparent substrate, solar battery cell, and filler and protrudes outward from the transparent substrate. Therefore, when the back material comes into contact with the constituent members of the device when transported to the inspection device, the stacked constituent members of the solar cells are displaced from each other. In addition, due to such trouble during transportation, the mutual positions of the cells constituting the string and the solar battery panel will also be shifted, and it will not be possible to accurately inspect the solar battery for defects, and in the subsequent laminating process Will also interfere.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is an inspection apparatus that causes EL light to flow by applying a forward current to a solar cell, and stacks constituent members of a solar cell that is an object to be measured before lamination processing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport device that does not cause displacement of the constituent members of the solar cell, which is the object to be measured, when transported to the inspection device in the above state.

  A transport device for a solar cell inspection apparatus according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem is a dark room having a flat upper surface, and a transparent plate on the upper surface of the dark room, on which a solar cell to be measured is placed. A solar cell inspection apparatus having a camera that images an object to be measured, wherein the solar cell component is transported to the inspection apparatus in a stacked state before being laminated. A transport guide portion in which a plurality of transport members having wall portions lower than the thickness of the transparent substrate, which is the constituent member of the solar cell to be transported, are connected in an endless manner is symmetrically 1 with respect to the transport direction. A pair (two rows) is provided, and the transparent substrate or the like is guided and conveyed by the wall portion.

Further, a pair of transport guide portions having endless strip members having walls lower than the thickness of the transparent substrate, which is the constituent member of the solar cell to be transported, are symmetrically paired with respect to the transport direction (two rows). The transparent substrate and the like may be guided and transported by the wall portion.
Further, the position of the transport member of the transport guide portion of the transport device or the wall portion of the belt-shaped member can be changed according to the width dimension of the transparent substrate or the like which is a constituent member of the solar cell to be transported. .

  According to the transportation device for a solar cell inspection device of the present invention, when the solar cell components before lamination are stacked and transported to the inspection device, the structural members contact other members of the transport device. As a result, the mutual positions do not shift.

  Therefore, the solar cell can be normally inspected for defects even before the lamination process, and the subsequent lamination process is not hindered.

It is a top view which shows the inspection apparatus of the solar cell which uses the conveying apparatus of this invention. It is a front view which shows the inspection apparatus of the solar cell which uses the conveying apparatus of this invention. It is a left view which shows the inspection apparatus of the solar cell which uses the conveying apparatus of this invention. It is explanatory drawing seen from the conveyance direction of 1st Example of the conveying apparatus of this invention. It is explanatory drawing seen from the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of 1st Example of the conveying apparatus of this invention. It is explanatory drawing seen from the conveyance direction of 2nd Example of the conveying apparatus of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the structure of the solar cell measured with the inspection apparatus of this invention, (a) is the top view described so that the photovoltaic cell inside a solar cell might be understood, (b) was seen from the conveyance direction. FIG. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the inspection apparatus of the conventional solar cell.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<1> Object to be measured (stacked solar battery components)
First, an example of the DUT 200 that is an object handled by the inspection apparatus will be described. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the solar cell measured by this inspection apparatus. FIG. 7A is a plan view illustrating the solar cells inside the solar cell, and FIG. It is sectional drawing (viewed from the conveyance direction).

  As shown in the plan view of FIG. 7A, the solar cell as the device to be measured 200 forms a string 25 in which a plurality of square solar cells 28 are connected in series by lead wires 29, and further the string. Are connected by a plurality of rows of lead wires 29.

  The solar cell that is the device under test 200 may be a single solar cell 28 or a string 25 in which a plurality of solar cells 28 are connected in series. It may be a solar cell panel 30 in which the solar cells 28 are arranged in a matrix.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the cross-sectional structure of the object to be measured is plural between the back material 22 arranged on the upper side and the transparent substrate 21 arranged on the lower side via the fillers 23 and 24. The state where the string 25 of the row | line | column was piled up is shown. In this test | inspection apparatus, the defect of a photovoltaic cell is measured in the state which accumulated the member which comprises the solar cell before a lamination process in this way. As shown in FIG. 7B, since the laminate processing is not performed, the back surface material covering the transparent substrate, the solar battery cell, and the filler is in a state of greatly protruding outside. Further, in addition to this example, the transparent substrate 21, the filler 23 and the solar battery cell 28 (25 or 30) are stacked and the inspection is performed by the inspection apparatus, and then the back surface material 22 and the filler 24 are laminated. It doesn't matter.

  For the back material 22, for example, a material such as PET or fluorine resin is used. Therefore, the portion that protrudes from the transparent substrate is in a state of sagging. For the fillers 23 and 24, for example, EVA resin (ethylene vinyl acetate resin) or the like is used. The string 25 has a configuration in which the solar cells 28 are connected via the lead wires 29 between the electrodes 26 and 27 as described above.

  Moreover, as the DUT 200, a solar cell generally called a thin film type can be targeted.

  In this typical thin-film structure example, a power generation element composed of a transparent electrode, a semiconductor, and a back electrode is previously deposited on a transparent substrate disposed on the lower side. And the transparent substrate of such a thin film type solar cell is arrange | positioned downward, the filler is covered on the solar cell element on a board | substrate, and also it has the state which accumulated the back material on the filler.

  As described above, the thin-film solar cell as the DUT 200 is merely changed to the power generation element on which the crystal cell is deposited, and the sealing member and the back material are the same as those of the crystal cell described above.

<2> Overall Structure of Inspection Device FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of the inspection device, FIG. 2 is a front view, and FIG. 3 is a left side view. In the solar cell inspection device 100 shown in these drawings, a transparent box 112 made of synthetic resin such as acrylic resin or glass is attached to a square box-shaped dark room 110 and a flat upper surface 111 thereof. In the darkroom, a camera 120 for inspecting and measuring the solar cells, strings, and solar battery panels, which are the object to be measured 200, is provided. Although not shown, the camera 120 may be used while being moved. In that case, a moving mechanism may be provided.

  Except for the transparent plate 112 on the upper surface 111, the dark room 110 is made of a light shielding material that prevents light from entering the dark room 110. However, after the solar cell components are placed on the upper surface 111 as the device under test 200, if the entire upper surface 111 including the device under test 200 is covered with light shielding means, the entire upper surface 111 is made transparent. Also good. The four side surfaces and the bottom surface other than the top surface are all light-shielding members.

<3> Camera for Shooting EL light emitted from the DUT 200 is weak light having a wavelength of 1,000 nm to 1,300 nm, and is emitted in a dark room, and the camera 120 for photographing the weak light. . Therefore, it is necessary to use a CCD camera having high sensitivity to weak light as the photographing camera 120.

<4> Conveyance and Positioning of Measured Object Above the upper surface 111, the conveying device 220 of the present invention is provided to carry the measured object 200 into the inspection apparatus and deliver it to the pre-process and post-process. . The transporting means is an electric motor activated chain conveyor or belt conveyor. A forward current is passed through the solar cell of the object to be measured, and the weak light emitted from the solar cell is measured by the camera. The transport chain and belt support the ends on both sides of the transparent substrate of the object to be measured. It is configured to guide and convey.
As will be described later, the transport device is provided with a pair (two rows) of transport sections 221R / L having a function of transporting and guiding the transparent substrate of the DUT 200 in the transport direction. The distance between the conveyance units 221R and 221L can be changed according to the width dimension of the transparent substrate or the like of the DUT 200.

  When the components of the solar cell, which is the object to be measured, are conveyed from the previous process of the inspection apparatus in a stacked state, they are conveyed in the direction of the black arrow in FIG. 1 by the carry-in conveyor 210 of the inspection apparatus. The transfer unit 221R / L is transferred. The DUT 200 is moved and conveyed to the inspection apparatus by the conveying device 220. Therefore, the transparent substrate 21 on the lower surface does not come into contact with the transparent plate 112 on the upper surface of the inspection apparatus 100 while the object to be measured 200 is being conveyed and measured. The DUT 200 is transported through the inspection apparatus and positioned at the measurement position by the following method.

On the side surface of the conveying device 220, there is a positioning fitting that can be taken in and out by an actuator or the like, and the object 200 to be measured is positioned in the conveying direction by projecting the positioning fitting. The positioning bracket is not configured to be taken in and out from the side surface of the transport device, but may be configured to move up and down from the top of the transport device or to be swung down from the top of the transport device.
Positioning is completed, the transport device is stopped, and inspection is started. The inspection method will be described later. When the inspection is completed, the conveyance device 220 is activated, and the object to be measured 200 is transferred to the carry-out conveyor 230 (in the direction of the black arrow in FIG. 1) and conveyed to the next process.

<5> Embodiment 1 of the transfer device of the present invention
A first embodiment of the transfer device of the solar cell inspection device having the above function will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 is a front view as seen from the transport direction, and FIG. 5 is a side view. The conveyance unit 221R / L includes a chain 222, an upper chain guide 223, a lower chain guide 224, a conveyance guide 225, and an attachment 226 for attaching the conveyance guide. A plurality of conveyance guides are provided on the chain using attachments, and are connected endlessly via the chain. These chains are supported by an upper chain guide and a lower chain guide provided in the transport direction. One pair (two rows) of such transport units are symmetrically arranged with respect to the transport direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the DUT 200 is placed on the transport guide 225 and transported.

Since the object to be measured conveyed before the lamination process as described above, the transparent substrate, the solar battery cell, the filler, and the back material are stacked. Therefore, the back surface material protrudes larger than the transparent substrate. And the part which the back material protruded droops below. The conveyance guide 225 is devised as follows so that the hanging portion 20 does not contact a member of the conveyance device. The shape of the conveyance guide 225 viewed from the conveyance direction is substantially L-shaped. The wall portion 227 guides the end of the transparent substrate 21. The height of the wall is made as low as possible than the thickness of the transparent substrate. Further, even when the wall portion is made as small as possible, if the back material cannot be prevented from coming into contact with the members of the transport device, the back material hangs down to the transport device by adjusting the thickness of the thickness portion 228 of the transport guide. It is possible to prevent contact with the members.
In addition, the support part 229 of the transparent substrate of the conveyance guide 225 is determined according to the distance S (refer FIG. 7A) of the photovoltaic cell of an edge part with respect to a transparent substrate.

  Further, the transport unit 221R / L is configured such that its position can be changed according to the width of the transparent base of the solar cell. As a method, the position of each of the transport units 221R / L may be changed individually, or may be made to approach or separate at the same time by a screw mechanism.

<6> Second Embodiment of the Conveying Device of the Present Invention
In the second embodiment of the transport device of the solar cell inspection device, the transport guide has the same cross-sectional shape as the transport guide 225 as shown in FIG. 6 instead of the plurality of transport guides provided in the chain in FIGS. The endless belt 322 having the same is used.
The conveyance unit 321R / L includes an endless belt-like body 322, an upper belt support 323, and a lower belt support 324. One pair (two rows) of such transport units is provided symmetrically with respect to the transport direction. As shown in FIG. 6, the object to be measured 200 is placed on the belt-like body 322 and conveyed.

Since the object to be measured, which is transported in the same manner as in Example 1, is before the lamination process, the transparent substrate, the solar battery cell, the filler, and the back material are stacked. Therefore, the back surface material protrudes larger than the transparent substrate. And the part which the back material protruded droops below. The strips are devised in the following manner so that the hanging portion 20 does not come into contact with members of the transport device. The shape of the belt-like body 322 viewed from the conveyance direction is substantially L-shaped. The wall portion 327 guides the end of the transparent substrate 21. The height of the wall is made as low as possible than the thickness of the transparent substrate. If the back material cannot be prevented from coming into contact with the members of the transport device even if the wall portion is made as low as possible, the hanging portion of the back material can be adjusted by adjusting the size of the thickness portion 328 of the strip. It is possible to prevent contact with the members.
In addition, the support part 329 of the transparent substrate of a strip | belt-shaped body is determined according to the distance S (refer Fig.7 (a)) of the photovoltaic cell of an edge part with respect to a transparent substrate.

  Further, the transport unit 321R / L is configured such that its position can be changed according to the width of the transparent base of the solar cell. As a method, the position of each of the conveying units 321R / L may be changed individually, or may be simultaneously approached and separated by a screw mechanism.

<7> Other devices In addition to the above, although not shown, the power supply 14 and the image processing device 15 using a personal computer shown in the conventional example of FIG. 8 are provided. These are stored in the control device 400 of FIG. Furthermore, by using a personal computer, the moving mechanism of the camera 120 can be controlled so that the entire solar battery panel as the device under test 200 can be taken as a single photograph or taken for each solar battery cell 28. .

<8> Method of Using the Inspection Device and the Conveying Device of the Present Invention The method of using the conveying device for the solar cell inspection device will be described by taking as an example a state in which the constituent members of the solar cell are stacked as the DUT 200.

The DUT 200 is a transparent base member, a solar battery cell, a filler, and a back material, which are constituent members of a solar battery, and is in a state of being stacked before laminating. The object to be measured is conveyed by the carry-in conveyor 210 to the front of the solar cell inspection apparatus. The object to be measured has been transported and guided between the pair of transport guides 225 and 225 or between the strips 322 and 322 and reaches the dark room 110. Thereafter, positioning in the transport direction is performed by projecting a positioning fitting provided on the side surface of the transport device so that it can be taken in and out by an actuator or the like.
In addition, since the conveyance guide and the belt-like body are devised as described above, since the hanging portion 20 of the back surface material of the object to be measured does not come into contact with the components of the conveying device during conveyance, each component of the object to be measured Are transported to the inspection apparatus in a state where the mutual positions are intact.

  Thereafter, light is shielded by a light shielding cover or the like from a gap between the transparent plate 112 and the DUT 200 so that the light does not enter the dark room 110. The light shielding cover will be described later.

  The object to be measured 200 that has reached a predetermined position in the dark room 110 is stopped on the transparent plate 112 of the dark room 110 with the transparent substrate facing downward (state of FIG. 5), and is connected to a power source (not shown). The Since the DUT 200 is smaller than the transparent plate 112, light enters the dark room from the surroundings, and therefore, the entire upper surface of the dark room 110 is covered from above the DUT 200 with a light shielding cover or the like described later. Next, a forward current is supplied from the power source to the solar battery cell of the DUT 200. As a result, the DUT 200 emits EL, and the camera 120 takes a picture.

  When the entire object to be measured 200 is photographed by the inspection apparatus 100 and inspected by the image, the camera 120 is placed at substantially the center of the bottom of the dark room 110 without providing a camera moving mechanism or using a moving mechanism. It is possible to shoot with fixed position. The measured object 200 in this case is any of the solar battery cell 28, a string 25 in which a plurality of solar cells are connected by lead wires, and a matrix-like solar battery panel 30 in which the strings 25 are connected by a plurality of column lead wires. Good.

  When the inspection apparatus 100 shoots the solar cells arranged in a matrix on the solar cell panel 30 one by one and inspects the image by the image, a moving mechanism is provided so that the camera can be moved in the dark room.

  The camera moving mechanism is driven by the control device 400 using a personal computer, and the camera 120 photographs the solar cells 28 arranged in a matrix on the solar cell panel 30 one by one, and is an image processing device including a personal computer. Send image data to. The image processing apparatus extracts and analyzes a portion that does not emit light from the image of each solar battery cell, determines pass / fail for each solar battery 28, and determines whether the solar battery panel 30 as a whole from the pass / fail result for all the solar battery cells. Judge pass / fail.

  In addition, the photographing by the camera 120 may be performed by moving the camera for each one of the solar cells, or for each of the several solar cells, or may be fixed without moving the camera, and the entire solar cell panel 30 may be used.

The light shielding cover covers the entire upper portion of the upper surface 111 of the dark room. However, in the case of a solar cell, the resin back material 22 is opaque and has sufficient light shielding properties. Further, the upper surface 111 of the dark room 110 is also made of a light-shielding member except for the transparent plate 112. Therefore, it is sufficient to cover only the gap between the dark room 110 and the DUT 200 with the light shielding member. When the DUT 200 is in close contact with the transparent plate 112 and is larger than the transparent plate 112, and the entire transparent plate 112 is covered with the DUT 200, the light shielding means is unnecessary.
In the case of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the dark room upper surface 111, the transport unit 221 </ b> R / L, and the measurement object 200 are covered with a light-shielding cover 240. Openable / closable doors 241 are provided on the carry-in conveyor 210 side and the carry-out conveyor 230 side of the inspection apparatus. The door 241 may be opened and closed automatically by an air cylinder or the like, or may be opened and closed manually by an operator. When the object to be measured is transported from the previous process, moves on the carry-in conveyor and comes to just before the inspection apparatus, the door on the entrance side opens, and the object to be measured is completely carried into the inspection apparatus by the conveying apparatus 220. This door is configured to close. When the inspection is completed, the door on the outlet side opens and the object to be measured 200 is carried out. Thus, during the inspection, the door for carrying in / out the object to be measured is closed, and no light from the outside enters the portion where the object to be measured is placed.

  In this inspection apparatus 100, since the solar cell as the measured object 200 may be placed outside the dark room, a door for taking the measured object 200 in and out of the dark room becomes unnecessary. Further, the power source and wiring for supplying current to the solar cell may be outside the dark room 110 and is not required at all in the dark room. Therefore, the structure of the dark room 110 can be simplified.

  The method of using the inspection apparatus 100 and the transport apparatus of the present invention is as described above. Therefore, the transparent substrate, solar battery cell, filler, and back material, which are the components of the solar cell that is the object to be measured, are stacked before being laminated, and the transport device of the present invention is used for this inspection device. By doing so, the constituent members of the solar cell are transported to the inspection apparatus without being displaced from each other, so that the defect inspection can be normally performed by the above inspection method.

28 Solar cell 30 Solar panel 100 Solar cell inspection device 110 Dark room 111 Upper surface 112 Transparent plate 120 Camera 200 Measured object 210 Carry-in conveyor 220 Transport device 221, 321 Transport unit 222 Chain 223 Upper chain guide 224 Lower chain guide 225 Transport Guide 226 Attachment 227, 327 Wall portion 228, 328 Thickness portion 229, 329 Support portion 322 Strip body 323 Upper belt support 324 Lower belt support 230 Unloading conveyor 240 Light shielding cover 241 Door 400 Control device

Claims (3)

A solar cell comprising: a dark room having a flat upper surface; a transparent plate provided on the upper surface of the dark room, on which a solar cell serving as a measurement object is placed; and a camera that captures an image of the measurement object. In the inspection device, a transport device that transports the constituent members of the solar cell to the inspection device in a laminated state before laminating,
A pair of transport guide portions in which a plurality of transport members having wall portions lower than the thickness of the transparent substrate or the like, which is the constituent member of the solar cell to be transported, are connected in an endless manner are symmetrical with respect to the transport direction. (2 rows) A transport device for an inspection device of a solar cell, characterized in that the transparent substrate or the like is guided and transported by the wall portion.   A pair of transport guides (two rows) symmetrically with respect to the transport direction is provided for the transparent substrate, which is the component of the solar cell to be transported, having an endless belt-shaped member having a wall portion lower than its thickness. The transport device for a solar cell inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the wall portion guides and transports the transparent substrate and the like. The position of the said wall part of the conveyance guide part of the said conveying apparatus can be changed according to the width dimensions, such as the said transparent substrate which is a structural member of the solar cell to convey, The Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. The solar cell inspection apparatus transport apparatus according to claim.

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