JP2010184290A - Substrate alignment method, substrate alignment device, laser beam machining apparatus and solar panel manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform alignment accurately without providing alignment marks on a substrate. <P>SOLUTION: At the point of time when the first machining process by a laser beam is finished, the image of places including both a shape changed portion formed by the machining process and the edge part of the substrate are obtained, and the image is utilized for the alignment process before the machining process in the next time or later. Because the image includes both images of the shape changed portion and the edge part of the substrate, picture recognizing process is facilitated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate alignment method and apparatus for aligning a substrate at a predetermined position when processing a thin film or the like on the substrate using a laser beam, and a solar panel manufacturing method, and particularly without providing an alignment mark on the substrate. The present invention relates to a substrate alignment method, a substrate alignment apparatus, a laser processing apparatus, and a solar panel manufacturing method capable of accurately performing alignment processing.

  Conventionally, in a solar panel manufacturing process, a transparent electrode layer, a semiconductor layer, and a metal layer are sequentially formed on a translucent substrate (glass substrate), and each layer is processed into a strip shape using laser light in each step after the formation. The solar panel module has been completed. In performing each of these steps, the glass substrate must be accurately aligned in the laser processing apparatus. As methods for aligning glass substrates, those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known.

JP 2000-353816 A JP 2001-232486 A

  In the device described in Patent Document 1, an alignment mark is formed at a corner of a glass substrate with a laser beam, and alignment processing is performed with reference to the alignment mark. In the device described in Patent Document 2, the substrate is abutted and fixed at a predetermined position using a positioning pin that moves up and down with the glass substrate placed. However, when manufacturing a solar panel, scribe lines are formed on a thin film on a glass substrate at a pitch of, for example, about 10 mm, the line width of the scribe lines is about 30 μm, and the distance between the lines is about 30 μm. It consists of a line of books. Therefore, in the positioning by abutment as in Patent Document 2, the lines overlap each other, and it is difficult to form a desired scribe line. In addition, when an alignment mark is formed on a glass substrate as in Patent Document 1, the portion cannot be used as a solar module, which is a problem from the viewpoint of increasing the efficiency of a solar panel.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a substrate alignment method, a substrate alignment apparatus, a laser processing apparatus, and a solar panel manufacturing method capable of performing accurate alignment without providing alignment marks on the substrate. Is to provide.

A feature of the substrate alignment method according to the present invention is that in the substrate alignment method for aligning the substrate to the processing position when performing the processing for irradiating the substrate with laser light, the first processing with the laser light is completed. At that time, an image of a portion including both the shape change portion of the substrate formed by the first processing and the edge of the substrate is acquired, and the image is stored as ID data of the substrate. When performing the second and subsequent processing, the alignment process is performed based on the ID data.
As processing for irradiating a substrate with laser light, a metal layer, a semiconductor layer, and a transparent electrode layer are sequentially formed on a light-transmitting substrate (glass substrate), and each layer is formed into a strip using laser light in each step after formation. For example, solar panel manufacturing that creates a solar panel by processing into a shape. In such laser processing, alignment processing is performed in each step. In the present invention, when the first processing by the laser beam is completed, an image of a portion including both the shape change portion formed by the processing and the edge of the substrate is acquired, and the image is processed after the next time. It was used for alignment processing before processing. For example, in the case of solar panel manufacturing, an image of a location including both the scribe line formed by laser processing and the substrate edge is acquired, and alignment processing is performed before laser processing based on the acquired image. did. Since the image includes both of the shape change portion and the substrate edge portion, there is an effect that the image recognition processing becomes easy. For example, in the case of manufacturing a solar panel, since both the image of the scribe line and the image of the shape of the substrate edge are included, the image recognition process becomes easy. As a result, alignment can be performed accurately without providing alignment marks on the substrate.

  The substrate alignment apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by holding means for holding a substrate, laser light irradiation means for irradiating the substrate with laser light to perform a predetermined processing, and placing the substrate at a predetermined position of the holding means. An image of a portion including both the shape changing portion of the substrate and the edge portion of the substrate formed by the first processing at the time when the first processing by the laser beam is completed after the alignment means for performing the alignment processing Image acquisition means for acquiring the image, storage means for storing the image acquired by the image acquisition means as ID data of the substrate, and when performing the second and subsequent processing, the alignment is performed based on the ID data. And a control means for controlling the alignment processing by the means. This is an apparatus invention embodying the above-described substrate alignment method.

  A feature of the laser processing apparatus according to the present invention resides in that processing using a laser beam is performed on a workpiece using the substrate alignment method or the substrate alignment apparatus. In this method, processing using laser light is performed using any one of the above-described substrate alignment method or substrate alignment apparatus.

  The solar panel manufacturing method according to the present invention is characterized in that a solar panel is manufactured using the substrate alignment method, the substrate alignment apparatus, or the laser processing apparatus. In this method, a solar panel is manufactured using any one of the above-described substrate alignment method, substrate alignment apparatus, or laser processing apparatus.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect that alignment can be performed accurately without providing an alignment mark on the substrate.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the laser processing apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the concept of the substrate alignment method which aligns a workpiece | work on the XY table of FIG. 1, and is a figure which shows the island met process before the first scribe process. It is a figure which shows the concept of the board | substrate alignment method which aligns a workpiece | work on the XY table of FIG. 1, and is a figure which shows the alignment process before the scribe process after the 2nd time.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a laser processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This laser processing apparatus performs a laser beam processing (laser scribing) process of a solar panel manufacturing apparatus.

  The solar panel manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 1 includes a pedestal 10, an XY table 20, a laser generator 40, an optical system member 50, an alignment camera device 60, a linear encoder 70, a control device 80, a detection optical system member, and the like. . An XY table 20 that is driven and controlled along the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction (XY plane) on the pedestal 10 is provided on the pedestal 10.

  The XY table 20 is controlled to move in the X direction and the Y direction. In addition, although a ball screw, a linear motor, etc. are used as a drive means of the XY table 20, these illustration is abbreviate | omitted. On the upper side of the XY table 20, a workpiece 1 to be laser processed is held. A slide frame 30 that is slid in the Y-axis direction while holding the optical system member is provided on the base 10. The XY table 20 is configured to be rotatable in the θ direction about the Z axis. Note that when the amount of movement in the Y-axis direction can be sufficiently secured by the slide frame 30, the XY table 20 may be configured to only move in the X-axis direction. In this case, the XY table 20 may have an X-axis table configuration.

  The slide frame 30 is attached to a movable table provided at four corners on the base 10. The slide frame 30 is controlled to move in the Y-axis direction by this moving table. A vibration isolation member (not shown) is provided between the base plate 31 and the moving table. The base plate 31 of the slide frame 30 is provided with a laser generator 40, an optical system member 50, a control device 80, and a detection optical system member. The optical system member 50 is constituted by a combination of a mirror and a lens, and divides the laser beam generated by the laser generator 40 into four lines and guides it onto the work 1 on the XY table 20. Note that the number of divisions of the laser light is not limited to four, but may be two or more.

  The alignment camera device 60 acquires images near the both end portions (front and rear edge portions in the X-axis direction) of the work 1 on the XY table 20. An image acquired by the alignment camera device 60 is output to the control device 80. The control device 80 stores the image from the alignment camera device 60 in the database unit together with the ID data of the workpiece 1 and uses it for the subsequent alignment processing of the workpiece 1. The linear encoder 70 includes a scale member and a detection unit provided on the side surface of the X-axis movement table of the XY table 20.

  The linear encoder 70 includes a scale member and a detection unit provided on the side surface of the X-axis movement table of the XY table 20. The detection signal of the linear encoder 70 is output to the control device 80. The control device 80 detects the moving speed (moving frequency) in the X-axis direction of the XY table 20 based on the detection signal from the linear encoder 70 and controls the output (laser frequency) of the laser generator 40.

  The optical system member 50 is provided on the lower surface side of the base plate 31 as illustrated. Reflecting mirrors 33 and 35 for guiding laser light emitted from the laser generator 40 to the optical system member 50 are provided on the base plate 31. The laser light emitted from the laser generator 40 is reflected by the reflection mirror 33 toward the reflection mirror 35, and the reflection mirror 35 passes the reflection laser light from the reflection mirror 33 through an insertion hole provided in the base plate 31. To the optical system member 50. The laser light emitted from the laser light generating device 40 may have any configuration as long as it is configured to be introduced from above into the optical system member 50 through the insertion hole provided in the base plate 31. It may be. For example, the laser generator 40 may be provided on the upper side of the insertion hole, and the laser beam may be directly guided to the optical system member 50 through the insertion hole.

  2 and 3 are diagrams showing the concept of the substrate alignment method for aligning the workpiece on the XY table of FIG. 1, FIG. 2 shows the island met process before the first scribe process, and FIG. 3 shows the second and subsequent times. It is a figure which shows an example of the alignment process before a scribe process, respectively. First, as shown in FIG. 2, with the workpiece 1 placed, the lower edge of the left end of the workpiece 1 is the positioning pin 21, the left edge of the lower end of the workpiece 1 is the positioning pin 22, The right edge of the lower end of the work 1 is abutted against the positioning pin 23 to position the work 1 at a predetermined position on the XY table 20. In this state, the metal layer on the workpiece 1 is irradiated with laser light, and a scribing process is executed. As a result of the first scribing process, scribe lines are formed on the work 1 with a pitch of 10 mm.

  FIG. 2 shows one scribe line 25 near the center of the workpiece among the plurality of scribe lines. Images 27a and 29a in the vicinity of both ends of the scribe line 25, that is, in the vicinity of the places 27 and 29 including both the scribe line 25 and the edge of the work 1, are acquired by the alignment camera device 60 described above. As can be seen from the images 27a and 29a, since both the image of the scribe line 25 and the image of the shape of the edge of the work 1 are included in the image, the image recognition process is facilitated. The acquired images 27a and 29a are sequentially stored in the database means 70 as ID data of the work 1 by the control device.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the acquisition processing of the images 27a and 29a is completed together with the scribing processing by laser processing, next, processing for forming a semiconductor layer on the metal layer is performed. After the semiconductor layer forming process is completed, a scribing process using laser light similar to that described above is performed on the workpiece 1. Prior to the second scribing process, an alignment process is performed as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 3, the lower edge of the left end of the work 1 is positioned on the positioning pin 21 and the left edge of the lower end of the work 1 is positioned in the state where the work 1 is placed in the same manner as the first alignment process. The right edge of the lower end of the work 1 is brought into contact with the positioning pins 23 to the pins 22 to position the work 1 at a predetermined position on the XY table 20. In this state, the alignment camera device 60 obtains images 27b and 29b in the vicinity of both ends of the scribe line 25, that is, in the vicinity of locations 27 and 29 including both the scribe line 25 and the edge of the work 1. On the other hand, the control device reads the ID data images 27 a and 29 a of the work 1 from the database means 70. The read images 27a and 29a are compared with the images 27b and 29b acquired by the alignment camera device 60 by the control device, and the X-axis, Y-axis, and θ-axis of the XY table 20 are matched so that they match. Are controlled, and an accurate alignment process is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the alignment process by the comparison process between the images 27a and 29a and the images 27b and 29b is completed, the scribing process by the laser beam is executed at a position about 30 μm away from the previous scribe line 25. When this scribing process is completed, a process for forming a transparent electrode layer on the semiconductor layer is performed by another apparatus. Again, the work is carried into the laser processing apparatus, the alignment process similar to that shown in FIG. 3 is performed, and the work 1 is similarly subjected to a scribing process using laser light. As a result, three scribe lines are formed on the work 1.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the laser beam is irradiated from the surface of the workpiece 1 on which the thin film is formed to form the scribe line (groove) on the thin film is described. However, the laser beam is irradiated from the back surface of the workpiece 1. A scribe line may be formed on the thin film on the workpiece surface. In the above-described embodiment, the case where an image including a scribe line formed on the work 1 is acquired as a result of the first scribe process has been described. However, the image is formed on the work 1 as a result of the second scribe process. An image including the two scribe lines thus obtained may be acquired, and alignment processing may be performed using the acquired image.

  In the above-described embodiment, the solar panel manufacturing apparatus has been described as an example. However, the present invention can also be applied to an apparatus that performs laser processing, such as an EL panel manufacturing apparatus, an EL panel correction apparatus, and an FPD correction apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Work 10 ... Base 20 ... XY table 30 ... Slide frame 31 ... Base plate 40 ... Laser generator 50 ... Optical system member 60 ... Alignment camera device 70 ... Linear encoder 80 ... Control device

Claims (4)

In the substrate alignment method in which the substrate is aligned with the processing position when performing processing that irradiates the substrate with laser light,
When the first processing by the laser beam is completed, an image of a portion including both the shape change portion of the substrate and the edge of the substrate formed by the first processing is obtained, and the image is A substrate alignment method characterized in that the substrate alignment data is stored as ID data of the substrate and the alignment processing is performed based on the ID data when performing the second and subsequent processing. Holding means for holding the substrate;
Laser light irradiation means for irradiating the substrate with laser light to perform a predetermined processing;
Alignment means for aligning the substrate at a predetermined position of the holding means;
Image acquisition means for acquiring an image of a portion including both the shape change portion of the substrate and the edge of the substrate formed by the first processing at the time when the first processing by the laser beam is completed; ,
Storage means for storing the image acquired by the image acquisition means as ID data of the substrate;
And a control means for controlling the alignment process by the alignment means based on the ID data when performing the second and subsequent processing.   A laser processing apparatus that performs processing with a laser beam on a workpiece using the substrate alignment method according to claim 1 or the substrate alignment apparatus according to claim 2.   A solar panel manufacturing method, wherein a solar panel is manufactured using the substrate alignment method according to claim 1, the substrate alignment apparatus according to claim 2, or the laser processing apparatus according to claim 3.

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