JP2010172856A - Apparatus and method of recovering film - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To recover rare metals and organic compounds and the like that are applied to the surface of a solar cell and the like. <P>SOLUTION: In an apparatus and method of recovering a film, the film is recovered from a planar material of a solar cell or the like in which the film is applied to the surface of a light transmitting substrate. A laser beam is generated that is emitted to the film on the surface of the light transmitting substrate, the laser beam is controlled so as to be emitted from the reverse side of the light transmitting substrate to the film. While hardly affecting the light transmitting substrate, the laser beam instantaneously heats the film, making it be locally expanded/contracted, so that the boundary between the light transmitting substrate and the film is shifted, thereby destroying the adhesion between them and separating them from each other. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a film recovery apparatus and a film recovery method for recovering the film from a plate material such as a solar cell or a liquid crystal panel having a film formed on a surface of a light-transmitting substrate.

  A large number of plate materials in which films having various functions are formed on the surface of a light-transmitting substrate are produced. For example, many solar cells are being installed all over the world for the purpose of global warming countermeasures. Solar cells reach the end of their lives due to a decrease in power generation efficiency and the like. And solar cells installed around the world will eventually reach the end of their lives, and a large amount of solar cell waste will be generated. Since the solar cell has a power generation amount proportional to the area of the panel, it is expected that a large number of panels will be collected.

  In display devices such as televisions, liquid crystal panels are the mainstream, and it is expected that a large number of panels that have reached the end of their life will be generated, including next-generation organic EL televisions. As a result, a huge number of panels such as solar cells and liquid crystal panels are collected. From these panels, it is expected that a large number of members to be regenerated, including the exterior part and the display panel part, will come out.

  Solar cells are manufactured using rare metals, toxic metals, expensive organic materials, and the like. In order to extract rare metals and the like from such solar cells, it is usual to use chemicals.

  Currently, as a technique for processing the panel as described above, a method of recovering a thin film on the surface of a glass substrate or the like using a chemical or the like is common. For example, solar cells are manufactured using rare metals, harmful metals, expensive organic substances, and the like. In order to extract rare metals and the like from such solar cells, it is usual to use chemicals. Examples of the recovery process using the chemicals include, for example, a process of pulverizing the module, a process of treating the pulverized product with an acid to elute the metal that is a component of the thin film, and recovering the metal-containing solid in a cake state. The panel is recovered in a step, a step of purifying the cake in a multistage process, or the like.

  In addition, in the manufacturing process of solar cells, TFT liquid crystals, color filters, etc., glass that is judged to be defective in the metal film or organic film forming process is produced. This glass was reused by subjecting the metal film to an acid treatment and treating the organic film by dissolving and removing it using a strong alkaline solvent or the like.

  As a processing method of such a panel, there is a method as described in Patent Document 1.

  However, in the recycling method in which the panel is crushed and treated with chemicals or the like, there is a problem that a large amount of harmful substances are adversely affected on the human body.

  In addition, a large amount of chemicals, acids, alkaline solutions, etc. are used for the above treatment, but wastes such as chemicals, acids, alkaline solutions, etc. containing a large amount of toxic metals are produced, so it is costly to process the waste solutions. There is a problem that it is bulky.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a membrane recovery apparatus and a membrane recovery method that facilitate recovery by recovering a membrane in a solid state.

  In order to solve this problem, the present invention is a film recovery apparatus and a film recovery method for recovering a film from a plate material having a film formed on the surface of a light-transmitting substrate. The film recovery apparatus and the film recovery method generate laser light to be applied to the film of the light transmitting substrate, control the laser light, and apply the laser light to the film from the back surface side of the light transmitting substrate. The film is heated instantaneously and locally expanded while hardly affecting the light-transmitting substrate, and the heat-dissipating and contracting is performed to shift the boundary surface between the light-transmitting substrate and the film and destroy the mutual adhesion. It is characterized by peeling off.

  The film is irradiated with the laser light from the back side of the light-transmitting substrate, and the film is instantaneously heated and locally expanded while hardly affecting the light-transmitting substrate. Since the boundary between the translucent substrate and the film is shifted and the mutual adhesion is broken and peeled off, the film can be recovered as a solid without the need for chemicals, etc. Reuse becomes easy.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the thin film collection | recovery apparatus 1 concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows an example of a thin film collection | recovery part. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the other example of a thin film collection | recovery part. It is a schematic block diagram which shows an example of the separation means of the thin film which peeled off.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The film recovery apparatus and the film recovery method of the present invention peel and recover a film material applied to the surface of a light transmitting substrate. There are various types of film materials. Here, a case where a thin film applied to the surface of a solar cell, a liquid crystal panel or the like is collected will be described as an example. A thin film on the surface of a light-transmitting substrate such as a solar cell or a liquid crystal panel contains a rare metal, a harmful metal, or an organic substance. The film recovery apparatus and the film recovery method of this embodiment are an apparatus and a method for recovering such a thin film from a light transmitting substrate and reusing the components of the thin film and the light transmitting substrate. The light-transmitting substrate is a transparent substrate, a translucent substrate, or the like, and is a substrate that transmits part or all of the laser light. Specific examples of the light-transmitting substrate include quartz glass for semiconductor, acrylic resin, film, color filter, and TFT substrate. Furthermore, the film recovery apparatus and the film recovery method according to the present embodiment can be applied to a translucent substrate that transmits only a part of the laser light, such as a semiconductor wafer or a printed circuit board. As will be described later, the frequency of the laser beam is adjusted so that the energy of the laser beam is not absorbed by the semitransparent substrate as much as possible, but is absorbed by the film such as the laminated circuit on the surface to destroy the film. It has become.

[Membrane recovery device]
First, the thin film collection | recovery apparatus 1 is demonstrated based on FIGS. The thin film recovery apparatus 1 includes a laser irradiation unit 2, a panel transport unit 3, and a thin film recovery unit 4.

  The laser irradiation unit 2 includes a laser generator 6, a reflection mirror 7, a scanning device 8, and a condenser lens 9. Here, the liquid crystal panel 10 will be described as an example. The liquid crystal panel 10 includes a translucent substrate 11 and a thin film 12 applied to the surface of the translucent substrate 11.

  The laser generator 6 generates a laser beam 13 for irradiating the thin film 12 on the surface of the transparent substrate 11 such as glass. The laser generator 6 generates a laser beam 13 having a specific wavelength. The laser beam 13 is a laser beam having a wavelength that passes through the transparent substrate 11 and does not affect the transparent substrate 11. For example, a YAG laser having a wavelength of 245 to 1064 nanometers, an yttrium vanadate (YVO4) laser, an excimer laser, an argon laser, or the like is used. Furthermore, the wavelength has a characteristic of being absorbed by the thin film 12 to efficiently heat the thin film 12 and expand the thin film 12 without melting it. This laser beam 13 is transmitted through the transparent substrate 11 from the back side thereof and efficiently heats the thin film 12 on the surface of the transparent substrate 11. Specifically, since the characteristics of the laser beam 13 that can efficiently heat the thin film 12 differ depending on various conditions such as the material of the thin film 12, the continuous light, pulsed light, the frequency of the pulsed light, The light intensity, light quantity, wavelength, phase, focus, etc. are adjusted to make the laser beam 13 that can heat the thin film 12 most efficiently without affecting the light transmitting substrate 11. Since the material contained in the thin film 12 is not limited to one type, the laser beam 13 having a wavelength that is not easily absorbed by the light-transmitting substrate 11 and is easily absorbed by each material is selected. When a plurality of laser beams 13 are selected, the phase and polarization are also set as necessary so that each laser beam 13 is efficiently absorbed by each material. As a result, the laser beam 13 having the characteristic of heating and expanding the thin film 12 instantaneously without substantially affecting the translucent substrate 11 is generated.

  The reflection mirror 7 is a mirror for guiding the laser beam 13 oscillated from the laser generator 6 to the scanning device 8. Here, the two reflecting mirrors 7 are disposed, but the number of the reflecting mirrors 7 is appropriately disposed according to the positional relationship between the laser generator 6 and the scanning device 8.

  The scanning device 8 is a beam control unit for scanning the entire liquid crystal panel 10 evenly while maintaining the state in which the laser beam 13 is defocused with respect to the thin film 12 as will be described later. The scanning device 8 includes a galvanometer mirror for scanning the panel with the laser beam 13 reflected by the reflection mirror 7. A polygon mirror or the like may be used instead of the galvanometer mirror. Scanning by the scanning device 8 is performed in a certain area. For example, the scanning device 8 scans a range of 1/4 to 1/2 of the total area of the thin film 12 of the liquid crystal panel 10 at a time. In this range, the function of the scanning device 8 is appropriately set depending on the size of the liquid crystal panel 10 and the like.

  The condenser lens 9 is a lens for focusing the laser light 13 generated from the laser generator 6 on the thin film 12. The condensing lens 9 does not accurately focus the laser beam 13 on the thin film 12, but focuses the thin film 12 so that it can be heated most efficiently. That is, the laser beam 13 is not focused on the thin film 12 to irradiate one point of the thin film 12 but is focused on the thin film 12 to irradiate a certain range of the thin film 12, thereby irradiating the irradiation point. It is designed to expand by heating to a high temperature without melting. Specifically, the focal point is once adjusted after being shifted to the thin film 12, and the point at which the thin film 12 can be heated most efficiently is experimentally searched and blurred. As a result, the laser beam 13 instantaneously heats a point in a certain range of the thin film 12 (a point that becomes slightly larger due to focal blurring) to a high temperature to expand and contract the thin film 12 without melting it, and is almost affected by the laser beam 13. The boundary surfaces bonded to each other are expanded and contracted with the non-translucent substrate 11 so as to be destroyed and peeled off. That is, the laser beam 13 to be scanned is applied to the thin film 12 on the front surface from the back side of the transparent substrate 11 to expand and contract the thin film 12 to be peeled off. Specifically, a point of the thin film 12 is irradiated with the laser beam 13 to be scanned for a moment, so that one point of the thin film 12 is locally heated and expanded, and is heated at the next moment. Heat is transmitted to no surroundings and is immediately dissipated. Thereby, one point of the thin film 12 is instantaneously expanded and contracted. On the other hand, the translucent substrate 11 is hardly affected by the laser beam 13 and therefore does not expand or contract. Since the thin film 12 expands and contracts and the translucent substrate 11 hardly changes, the boundary surface between the translucent substrate 11 and the thin film 12 is forcibly shifted and broken, and peeled off from each other. Furthermore, one point of the thin film 12 is expanded to generate a wrinkle with a surrounding portion that does not expand, and heat is released and contracted at the next moment, whereby that portion is torn from the surrounding thin film 12 and destroyed. Thereby, the thin film 12 at the point irradiated with the laser beam 13 is peeled off from the translucent substrate 11 and destroyed. Thereby, the thin film 12 is collect | recovered in the state with the solid substance with easy later processing.

  The panel transport unit 3 is a device for appropriately shifting the liquid crystal panel 10 so that the scanning device 8 can scan the entire thin film 12 with the laser beam 13. The panel transport unit 3 includes a transport roller 14. The transport roller 14 is appropriately driven to transport the liquid crystal panel 10. The liquid crystal panel 10 is placed on the transport roller 14 and appropriately transported according to scanning by the scanning device 8. The liquid crystal panel 10 is placed on the transport roller 14 of the panel transport unit 3 with its back surface facing upward. The panel transport unit 3 is connected to a control unit (not shown) together with the laser irradiation unit 2 so that the laser irradiation unit 2 and the panel transport unit 3 are controlled in conjunction with each other. The panel transport unit 3 may shift the liquid crystal panel 10 continuously or discontinuously.

  The thin film recovery unit 4 is an apparatus for recovering the thin film 12 that is peeled off from the translucent substrate 11 and broken down. As a recovery method by the thin film recovery unit 4, adhesion, suction, or the like is used. In the case of adhesion, an adhesive film is used. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the thin film recovery unit 4 includes a feeding roller 16 around which the adhesive film 15 is wound and a take-up roller 17 that winds up the adhesive film 15. The adhesive film 15 is disposed by the feeding roller 16 and the take-up roller 17 so as to face a portion irradiated with the laser beam 13 on the thin film 12. As a result, the thin film 12 that is peeled off by the laser beam 13 is adsorbed and collected by the adhesive film 15.

  In the case of suction, the thin film collection unit 4 includes a suction nozzle 20, a filter 21, and a blower 22, as shown in FIG.

  The suction nozzle 20 is a nozzle for receiving the thin film 12 that peels off. The suction nozzle 20 is formed to open upward in a funnel shape. A suction pipe 23 is connected to the lower end of the suction nozzle 20. The suction nozzle 20 is formed corresponding to the scanning range by the scanning device 8. Specifically, the suction nozzle 20 is formed to a size that covers the entire scanning range of the scanning device 8, or the suction nozzle 20 is formed to be small and moved to the operation position by the scanning device 8. Or let it be.

  The filter 21 is a member for collecting and collecting the thin film 12 that is peeled off. The filter 21 is provided between the suction nozzle 20 and the blower 22.

  The blower 22 is a device for sucking air. The blower 22 is connected to the suction nozzle 20 via the suction pipe 23.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a separating means 24 is provided as necessary. The separation means 24 is a means for separating different materials according to differences in properties such as magnetism, specific gravity, and chargeability of the film material that has been peeled off. Here, the separation means 24 will be described as means for separating different materials according to the difference in magnetic properties of the film material. The separating means 24 includes a transport duct 25, a first high voltage electrode box 26, a second high voltage electrode box 27, and a third high voltage electrode box 28. The transport duct 25 is provided with its distal end portion directly desiring the material that has been peeled off, and a blower 29 and a filter 30 are provided at the proximal end portion. A first high voltage electrode box 26, a second high voltage electrode box 27, and a third high voltage electrode box 28 are provided in the middle of the transfer duct 25, respectively. The blower 29 sucks the air in the transport duct 25 and transports the material peeled off together with the air. The filter 30 finally collects the material that has not been collected up to the third high-voltage electrode box 28.

  The first high-voltage electrode box 26 is composed of, for example, a negative electrode plate of 5000 to 50,000 volts, and collects materials adsorbed at minus 5000 to 50,000 volts. In some cases, the material adsorbed at plus 5000 to 50,000 volts is collected. Other materials are repelled and pushed back to the transport duct 25. The second high-voltage electrode box 27 is composed of a positive electrode plate or a negative electrode plate of 5000 to 50,000 volts, and collects materials adsorbed at a positive 5000 to 50,000 volts or a negative 5000 to 50,000 volts. Other materials are repelled and pushed back to the transport duct 25. The third high-voltage electrode box 28 is composed of a negative electrode plate of 5000 to 50,000 volts and collects materials adsorbed at minus 5000 to 50,000 volts or plus 5000 to 50,000 volts. Other materials are repelled and pushed back to the transport duct 25. The number of the high-voltage electrode boxes and the voltage to be applied are appropriately set according to the difference in the characteristics of the film material that is peeled off.

  Further, the separating means 24 may be configured to separate different materials according to the difference in specific gravity of the film material that has been peeled off. In this case, for example, a light material is blown off and separated from the conveying path of the film material to be peeled off, or separated into a floating material and a sinking material immersed in a liquid whose specific gravity is adjusted.

  Further, the separating unit 24 may be installed directly below the installed liquid crystal panel 10 to directly separate the material that has been peeled off. The material collected by the thin film collecting unit 4 is provided downstream of the thin film collecting unit 4. May be separated.

[Thin film recovery method]
Next, a thin film recovery method using the thin film recovery apparatus configured as described above will be described.

  First, the laser generator 6 of the laser irradiation unit 2 generates a laser beam 13 that irradiates the thin film 12 of the transparent substrate 11 of the liquid crystal panel 10. The laser beam 13 is guided to the scanning device 8 and scanned by the scanning device 8, and the thin film 12 is irradiated with the laser beam 13 by the condenser lens 9.

  The scanning device 8 controls the laser beam 13 from the laser generator 6 and irradiates the thin film 12 with the laser beam 13 from the back surface side of the translucent substrate 11 to investigate a certain range. With this laser beam 13, the thin film 12 is instantaneously heated and locally expanded and contracted with little influence on the transparent substrate 11. As a result, the thin film 12 is shifted on the bonding surface at the boundary with the light-transmitting substrate 11, the bonded portion is destroyed, and the thin film 12 is peeled off. At the same time, the thin film 12 irradiated with the laser beam 13 instantaneously expands and contracts, whereas the surrounding thin film 12 is hardly affected by heat and does not expand or contract. The thin film 12 in the irradiated portion is destroyed. As a result, the thin film 12 that has been peeled and destroyed falls downward and is recovered by the thin film recovery unit 4.

  When the scanning device 8 scans a certain range, the liquid crystal panel 10 is shifted by the panel transport unit 3, and the next region is scanned by the scanning device 8.

  The thin film collected in the thin film collection unit 4 is separated by the separation means 24. In the case where only the separation means 24 is provided without providing the thin film recovery unit 4, the peeled off thin film 12 is directly recovered and separated.

  The scanning of the entire surface of the thin film 12 is completed, but the next liquid crystal panel 10 is placed on the panel transport unit 3 after being transported to the outside, and the same processing as described above is performed.

  The separated translucent substrate 11 and thin film 12 are reused.

[effect]
As described above, since the thin film 12 is instantaneously expanded and contracted by the laser beam 13 and peeled off from the light transmitting substrate 11 to be destroyed, for example, rare metals (rare metals), harmful metals, expensive organic substances, etc. of solar cells are easily recovered. Will be able to.

  Furthermore, since the thin film 12 can be recovered in a solid state without using chemicals or the like, both the translucent substrate 11 and the thin film 12 can be easily reused.

  This makes it possible to easily collect rare metals, harmful metals, expensive organic substances, etc. at low cost.

  In addition, since the peeled and broken thin film 12 is collected by the thin film collecting unit 4, the broken thin film 12 can be prevented from scattering to the surroundings, and environmental degradation can be prevented.

  Further, since the recovered plural types of thin films 12 are separated by the separating means 24, they can be separated and recovered efficiently.

[Modification]
In the said embodiment, although the collection | recovery of the thin film 12 given to the surface of a solar cell or a liquid crystal panel was demonstrated to the example, it can collect | recover not only the thin film 12 but a thick film. In the case of a somewhat thick film, the adhesive surface is less likely to be destroyed after being peeled off due to thermal expansion, but the adhesive surface is peeled off so that it can be completely peeled off from the substrate. The membrane can be recovered and reused.

  In the above-described embodiment, the laser beam condensed at one point is used. However, the laser beam may be linear and the liquid crystal panel 10 may be processed by only one scan. That is, the linear laser beam may have the same characteristics as the laser beam focused on one point in the embodiment, and the liquid crystal panel 10 may be scanned using the linear laser beam. . Similarly, the laser light irradiated to the liquid crystal panel 10 on a wide surface is given the same characteristics as the laser light focused on one point of the above embodiment, and the liquid crystal panel is used by using the planar laser light. 10 may be scanned.

  The present invention can be applied to the reuse of a substrate for a solar cell, a liquid crystal panel such as a television, and a film material on the surface thereof. In addition to this, a film material is applied to the surface of the light-transmitting substrate. The present invention can be applied in all fields where it is necessary to reuse the used plate material.

JP 2001-337305 A

  1: thin film collection device, 2: laser irradiation unit, 3: panel transport unit, 4: thin film collection unit, 6: laser generator, 7: reflection mirror, 8: scanning device, 9: condenser lens, 10: liquid crystal panel 11: translucent substrate, 12: thin film, 13: laser light, 14: transport roller, 15: adhesive film, 16: feeding roller, 17: take-up roller, 20: suction nozzle, 21: filter, 22: blower, 23: suction pipe, 24: separation means, 25, transfer duct, 26: first high voltage electrode box, 27: second high voltage electrode box, 28: third high voltage electrode box, 29: blower, 30: filter.

Claims (10)

A film recovery apparatus for recovering the film from a plate material having a film formed on the surface of the light-transmitting substrate,
A laser generator for generating a laser beam for irradiating the film on the surface of the translucent substrate;
The laser light from the laser generator is controlled to irradiate the film with the laser light from the back side of the translucent substrate, and the film is instantaneously heated with little influence on the translucent substrate. And a beam control unit that dissipates and peels off the mutual adhesion of the translucent substrate and the film by expanding and contracting heat and contracting. The membrane recovery apparatus according to claim 1,
When the beam control unit irradiates the laser beam on the film from the back side of the translucent substrate, the film recovery apparatus is characterized by shifting the focal point of the laser beam from the surface of the film. In the membrane recovery apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The film control apparatus, wherein the beam control unit scans the entire surface of the plate with the laser beam. In the membrane recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The film recovery apparatus, wherein the laser generator generates a laser beam having a wavelength that is difficult to be absorbed by the light transmitting substrate and is easily absorbed by a component of the film applied to the surface of the light transmitting substrate. The membrane recovery apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
The film recovery apparatus, wherein the laser generator generates laser beams having a plurality of wavelengths that are easily absorbed by a plurality of components included in the film. In the membrane recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A film recovery apparatus, wherein the film applied to the surface of the translucent substrate is a thin film. The membrane recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A membrane recovery apparatus comprising separation means for separating different materials according to differences in properties such as magnetism, specific gravity, and chargeability of the peeled membrane material. A film recovery method for recovering a film from a plate material having a film applied to the surface of a light-transmitting substrate,
A laser generator is used to generate a laser beam that irradiates the film of the transparent substrate,
A beam controller controls laser light from the laser generator, and the film is irradiated with the laser light from the back side of the translucent substrate to instantaneously apply the film without affecting the translucent substrate. A method of recovering a film, comprising heating and locally expanding the film, shifting a boundary surface between the translucent substrate and the film to break and peel each other's adhesion. The membrane recovery method according to claim 8,
A method of recovering a film, comprising: scanning the entire surface of the plate with the laser beam. The membrane recovery method according to claim 8 or 9,
A film recovery method comprising separating different materials according to differences in properties such as magnetism, specific gravity, and chargeability of the peeled film material.

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