JP2011045916A - Laser processing device, apparatus for manufacturing of solar cell panel, solar cell panel, and laser processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve productivity and to simplify mechanism by suppressing generation of powder during rinsing after thin film processing by laser scribe treatment. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus includes a laser processing device 10 which generates a transformation laser beam L1 to irradiate the thin film laminated on a substrate 2 and a peeling laser beam L2 to irradiate portions on the thin film that have been irradiated by the transformation laser beam L1 by tracing them, and a stage shifting section 12 which relatively moves the laser processing device 10 and the substrate 2. Thus the powder generated during the laser scribe treatment can be significantly or completely eliminated. Moreover, even if the powder is generated, the powder is transformed from the thin film so that it does not stick or fix to the thin film and can be easily removed by simple rinsing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus that performs laser processing on a thin film formed on a substrate, a solar cell panel manufacturing apparatus, a solar cell panel, and a laser processing method.

  An amorphous silicon solar cell panel, which is a type of solar cell panel, has a transparent electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a back electrode layer laminated on a transparent substrate as a thin film. A metal oxide such as SnO (tin oxide) is used as the thin film of the transparent electrode layer and the back electrode layer, and amorphous (non-crystalline) silicon (α-Si) is used as the thin film of the photoelectric conversion layer. Each thin film is formed by being sequentially deposited on a substrate by a vapor deposition method such as a CVD (vapor deposition method). A general solar battery panel employs a structure in which a photoelectric conversion layer is divided into a plurality of cells, and the cells are connected in series. By changing the number of stages of each cell, it is possible to arbitrarily set the voltage as the solar battery panel.

  In order to divide the solar cell panel into a plurality of cells, the thin film of each layer is divided into a plurality of regions. For this purpose, a laser scribing process (or laser etching process) is performed in which the thin film is cut to form a groove. Techniques for performing laser scribe processing (hereinafter, laser scribe) are disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are techniques related to a method of manufacturing a solar cell panel with a thin film, and Patent Document 1 forms a space below a peeling electrode layer disposed downward by using a spacer, In Patent Document 2, a film is formed on a transparent substrate using a warp correction member.

JP-A-3-79085 JP 2002-280578 A

  The laser scribing performed when manufacturing the solar cell panel must be surely performed so that no thin film remains in the groove to be formed. This also applies to the techniques of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. In order to peel the thin film with certainty, a certain amount of strong energy must be applied to the thin film. This is because when the energy to be applied is insufficient, the peeling effect of the thin film becomes weak and the thin film remains in part. Therefore, the oscillation intensity (power) of the laser (laser light) is set to be high to some extent.

  When laser scribing is performed with the oscillation intensity set high, the thin film material peeled off at the time of laser irradiation becomes powder like dust and scatters upward, and drops and adheres to the groove and its surroundings. The scattered powder is the same material as the thin film, and there is a possibility that the cells are electrically connected by the powder falling in the groove. Further, the powder falling on the thin film around the groove is fixed or adhered to the thin film. This is because the peeled powder is made of the same material as the thin film, so that the affinity between them is very high. Therefore, the flatness of the thin film originally having high flatness is lost due to the powder adhering to or adhered to the surface of the thin film.

  Therefore, after the laser scribing process, the substrate on which the thin film is stacked is cleaned. As described above, a plurality of thin films are laminated on a substrate, and at least three electrode layers of a transparent electrode layer and a back electrode layer and a photoelectric conversion layer provided between these electrode layers are formed on the substrate. Laminated on top. Since laser scribing is performed for each layer, powder adheres after laser scribing of one layer. Therefore, a new thin film must be formed after cleaning to cleanly remove the powder. For this reason, laser scribing is performed for each layer, and thin film formation and cleaning are alternately repeated.

  An infinite number of powders are generated at the time of peeling and fall into the groove and the surrounding thin film, so that it is necessary to perform cleaning with a high degree of cleaning. In addition, since the powder falling on the thin film adheres to or adheres to the thin film, the powder cannot be easily removed, and powerful cleaning is performed using a dedicated cleaning liquid or the like. Accordingly, the cleaning of one layer requires a complicated cleaning process, and a separate cleaning mechanism is required when a dedicated cleaning solution is used. And since washing | cleaning is performed for every layer, there exists a problem that productivity falls significantly by performing a complicated washing | cleaning process repeatedly.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to improve productivity and simplify a mechanism by suppressing generation of powder when cleaning is performed after processing a thin film by laser scribing.

  In order to solve the above problems, a laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention follows a modification laser that irradiates a thin film laminated on a substrate and a portion of the thin film irradiated by the modification laser. It is characterized by comprising laser means for generating a peeling laser for irradiation, and relative movement means for relatively moving the laser means and the substrate.

  According to this laser processing apparatus, after the thin film is altered by the alteration laser, the altered thin film is removed by the peeling laser. The altered thin film is in an unstable state due to the action of the altering laser, and the altered thin film is vaporized or sublimated by irradiation with the peeling laser. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of powder can be suppressed significantly or completely. Even if a very small amount of powder is generated, the generated powder is altered from the material of the original thin film, so it has little affinity with the thin film and can be removed by simple cleaning.

  A laser processing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is the laser processing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the laser means includes an alteration laser light source that oscillates the alteration laser and an exfoliation that oscillates the exfoliation laser. The laser light source for oscillation and the oscillation intensity for setting the alteration laser light source to change the oscillation intensity so that the alteration laser does not peel off the thin film, and the oscillation intensity for setting the oscillation intensity to peel off the altered thin film by the peeling laser And setting means.

  According to this laser processing apparatus, by providing two laser light sources, a modification laser light source and a peeling laser light source, and setting the oscillation intensity of each laser light source, the alteration laser and the peeling laser are formed into a thin film. The energy to act can be adjusted.

  A laser processing apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is the laser processing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein an alteration lens moving means for moving a lens provided in an optical path of the alteration laser, and an optical path of the peeling laser And a lens position setting means for controlling movement of the alteration lens moving means and the peeling lens moving means.

  According to this laser processing apparatus, the positions of the alteration lens and the peeling lens can be changed. As a result, the focal positions of the alteration laser and the peeling laser can be changed, and the energy that each laser acts on the thin film can be adjusted.

  A laser processing apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the laser processing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the laser means includes a laser light source that oscillates a laser and a laser oscillated from the laser light source. And a light separating means for separating the light into the peeling laser, and an optical path changing means for converting one of the optical paths of the alteration laser and the peeling laser by 90 degrees. .

  According to this laser processing apparatus, a single laser light source is used to separate the alteration laser and the peeling laser by the beam splitter. Thereby, the number of laser light sources can be reduced, and the apparatus configuration can be simplified and downsized.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a solar cell panel manufacturing apparatus comprising the laser processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a solar cell panel manufactured by the solar cell panel manufacturing apparatus according to the fifth aspect.

  The laser processing apparatus described above can be applied to a laser scribing process in which a groove is formed to divide a thin film stacked on a substrate into a plurality of cells in a solar cell panel manufacturing apparatus.

  According to the laser processing method of claim 7 of the present invention, a thin film laminated on a substrate is irradiated with a modification laser for altering the thin film without peeling off, and the thin film at a portion irradiated with the modification laser is irradiated. In response to the peeling laser for peeling the thin film, the alteration laser and the peeling laser and the peeling laser are irradiated while the alteration laser and the peeling laser and the substrate are relatively moved. It is characterized by performing.

  In the present invention, after the thin film is altered by irradiating the thin film with the alteration laser, the altered thin film is peeled off by the peeling laser. By irradiating the peeling laser after the thin film has been altered, the altered and activated thin film can be vaporized or sublimated, and the generation of powder can be greatly reduced. Even if a very small amount of powder is generated, the powder is a deteriorated thin film, and even if the powder falls on the thin film around the groove, it hardly sticks or adheres and can be easily cleaned. It becomes possible.

It is sectional drawing explaining an example of a solar cell panel. It is a figure explaining schematic structure of a laser processing apparatus. It is a figure explaining the state which has irradiated the laser for quality change and the laser for peeling to a thin film. It is a figure explaining the schematic structure of the laser processing apparatus in a modification.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a solar cell panel 1 to be processed by the laser processing apparatus of the present invention. This solar cell panel 1 has a configuration in which three thin films are laminated on a substrate 2. That is, the solar cell panel 1 is configured by laminating thin films in the order of the transparent electrode layer 3, the photoelectric conversion layer 4, and the back electrode layer 5 on the substrate 2. Of course, another thin film may be further laminated.

  A transparent glass substrate is used as the substrate 2, but other materials may be used. The transparent electrode layer 3, the photoelectric conversion layer 4, and the back electrode layer 5 are laminated by vapor-depositing an evaporation material. As a vapor deposition method, for example, a CVD method or the like can be applied. As a vapor deposition material for the transparent electrode layer 3 and the back electrode layer 5, for example, SnO (tin oxide), ZnO (zinc oxide), ITO (indium tin oxide), or the like can be applied. Moreover, as a vapor deposition material for the photoelectric conversion layer 4, for example, α-Si (amorphous silicon), GaAs (gallium arsenide), CIS (chalcopyrite), or the like can be applied.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of grooves are formed in each layer, whereby the solar cell panel 1 is divided into a plurality of cells. The transparent electrode layer 3 has a plurality of grooves 3A, the photoelectric conversion layer 4 has a plurality of grooves 4A, and the back electrode layer 5 has a plurality of grooves 5A. Each groove part 3A, 4A, 5A is formed in the position shifted in the Y direction shown in FIG. 1, respectively, and it can be set as the structure which connected each cell in series by this.

  The groove 3A is formed after vapor-depositing the material (for example, SnO) of the transparent electrode layer 3 on the substrate 2, and the photoelectric conversion layer 4 is vapor-deposited on the transparent electrode layer 3 after forming the groove 3A. Then, after depositing the material (for example, α-Si) of the photoelectric conversion layer 4, the groove 4 </ b> A is formed, and then the back electrode layer 5 is deposited on the photoelectric conversion layer 4. After the back electrode layer 5 is deposited, the groove 5A is formed.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the laser processing apparatus 10 for forming the groove portions 3A, 4A, and 5A. In FIG. 2, the substrate 2 is mounted on a mounting stage 11. The mounting stage 11 is a stage that holds the substrate 2, and the mounting stage 11 is attached to the stage moving unit 12. The stage moving unit 12 is configured to be movable in the X direction shown in FIG. 2 and the Y direction shown in FIG. 1 (direction orthogonal to the X direction). For example, the stage moving unit 12 can be moved in two directions by linear motor means, ball screw means, or the like. It has become. When the stage moving unit 12 moves in the X direction and the Y direction, the mounting stage 11 and the substrate 2 mounted thereon move in the X direction and the Y direction.

  The stage moving unit 12 is a relative moving unit that relatively moves the laser processing apparatus 10 as the laser unit and the substrate 2. Here, the laser processing apparatus 10 is fixed and the substrate 2 is moved. The substrate 2 may be fixed and the laser processing apparatus 10 may be moved, or both may be moved. Further, the substrate 2 may be moved in the X direction (or Y direction), and the laser processing apparatus 10 may be moved in the Y direction (or X direction). When the laser processing apparatus 10 is moved, a moving mechanism is provided in the laser processing apparatus 10. Note that the X direction in FIG. 2 is the direction in which the groove portions 3A, 4A, and 5A are formed.

  The laser processing apparatus 10 will be described. The laser processing apparatus 10 is a laser means including a laser light source device 21, a setting unit 22, an alteration reflecting prism 23, an alteration lens 24, an exfoliating reflection prism 25, and an exfoliating lens 26. The alteration lens 24 is provided with an alteration lens moving mechanism 27, and the peeling lens 26 is provided with a peeling lens moving mechanism 28.

  The laser light source device 21 includes an alteration laser light source 31 and a peeling laser light source 32. The alteration laser light source 31 oscillates an alteration laser (laser light for alteration) L1, and the peeling laser light source 32 peels off. A laser (stripping laser beam) L2 is oscillated. The alteration laser L1 is a first laser, and the peeling laser is a second laser. The setting unit 22 includes an oscillation intensity setting unit 33 and a lens position setting unit 34. The oscillation intensity setting unit 33 is an oscillation intensity setting unit that controls the oscillation intensity (power) of the alteration laser light source 31 and the peeling laser light source 32. The oscillation intensity setting unit 33 may manually set the oscillation intensity, or automatically sets the oscillation intensity such that the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 exert a predetermined action on the thin film. It may be a thing. For example, the oscillation intensity may be automatically set by setting the material of the thin film to be laminated.

  The lens position setting unit 34 provided in the setting unit 22 performs lens position setting for performing movement control between the alteration lens moving mechanism (first lens moving unit) 27 and the peeling lens moving mechanism (second lens moving unit) 28. Means. Here, the alteration lens moving mechanism 27 and the peeling lens moving mechanism 28 are lens moving means for controlling the movement of the alteration lens 24 and the peeling lens 26, respectively, and adjust the height position of each lens. As these lens moving mechanisms, for example, a mechanism that moves up and down along two guide rails extending vertically may be used.

  The alteration laser L1 from the alteration laser light source 31 is oscillated in a direction horizontal to the substrate 2. In order to direct the optical path of the alteration laser L1 toward the substrate 2, an alteration reflecting prism 23 is provided. The alteration prism 23 for alteration is an optical path conversion means, and the optical path of the alteration laser L1 is converted by 90 degrees. Therefore, when the alteration laser light source 31 oscillates the alteration laser L1 toward the substrate 2 (downward), the alteration reflecting prism 23 may not be provided.

  The alteration laser L 1 whose optical path has been converted by the alteration reflecting prism 23 is incident on the alteration lens 24. The alteration lens 24 is a condensing lens provided in the optical path of the alteration laser L1, and adjusts the focal position of the alteration laser L1. Basically, the alteration lens moving mechanism 27 adjusts the height position of the alteration lens 24 so that the focal position of the alteration laser L1 becomes the position of the thin film laminated on the substrate 2. Of course, when the focal position changes according to the number of thin films stacked on the substrate 2, the height position of the alteration lens 24 is adjusted.

  The peeling reflecting prism 25, the peeling lens 26, and the peeling lens moving mechanism 28 are provided for the peeling laser L2, and the peeling laser L2 oscillated from the peeling laser light source 32 is used as the peeling reflecting prism. The optical path is converted at 25 and the focal point is focused at a predetermined position by the peeling lens 26. In order to adjust the focal position, the peeling lens 26 is attached to the peeling lens moving mechanism 28.

  The above is the schematic configuration. Next, laser scribe processing (hereinafter referred to as laser scribe) will be described. When performing laser scribing, the two lasers (the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2) irradiated from the laser processing apparatus 10 and the substrate 2 are relatively moved. Here, the two lasers are fixed, and the stage moving portion 12 moves in the X direction, whereby a groove portion extending in the X direction is formed in the thin film stacked on the substrate 2. Then, after forming one groove portion, the stage moving portion 12 moves in the Y direction, and the stage moving portion 12 moves again in the X direction to form the next groove portion.

  Here, a laser having a wavelength with which the thin film stacked on the substrate 2 reacts is used as the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2. For example, when SnO is applied as the material of the transparent electrode layer 3 and the back electrode layer 5, the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 having a wavelength of 1064 nm with which SnO reacts are irradiated. In addition, when α-Si is applied as the material of the photoelectric conversion layer 4, the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 having a wavelength of 532 nm that react with α-Si are irradiated. Below, what performs laser scribing of the photoelectric converting layer 4 ((alpha) -Si) as a thin film is demonstrated.

  As described above, the substrate 2 is moved in the X direction with respect to the laser processing apparatus 10. The alteration laser L1 is arranged to irradiate on the upstream side in the moving direction of the substrate 2 (moving direction of the stage moving unit 12), and the peeling laser L2 is arranged to irradiate on the downstream side. For this reason, the thin film L1 is first irradiated with the alteration laser L1, and the peeling laser L2 performs irradiation so as to follow the portion irradiated with the alteration laser L1. That is, the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 irradiate the same portion of the thin film with a time difference. Thereby, a groove is formed in the thin film.

  The peeling of the photoelectric conversion layer 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The photoelectric conversion layer 4 is an α-Si thin film. Therefore, the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 use a laser having a wavelength of 532 nm that reacts with α-Si, and the alteration laser light source 31 and the peeling laser light source 32 use a light source that oscillates a laser having the wavelength. .

  The photoelectric conversion layer 4 is first irradiated with the alteration laser L1. Thereby, α-Si which is a material of the photoelectric conversion layer 4 reacts with the laser. At this time, the alteration laser L1 activates and alters the photoelectric conversion layer 4 and applies energy that does not cause the photoelectric conversion layer 4 to peel off. For this purpose, the energy of the alteration laser L1 is set to be somewhat weak. Due to the action of the alteration laser L1, the photoelectric conversion layer 4 maintains its original shape without being peeled off, and has been transformed into another material. The thin film in which the material of the photoelectric conversion layer 4 is changed is referred to as an activation layer 4L. This activation layer 4L is obtained by changing the material of the photoelectric conversion layer 4, and the crystal structure of the α-Si photoelectric conversion layer 4 is changed by the action of the alteration laser L1, and p-Si (polysilicon). Has changed. The activation layer 4L is activated by the energy of the alteration laser L1, and this activation weakens the bond strength between molecules and is in an unstable state.

  Therefore, the alteration laser L1 is designed to alter the photoelectric conversion layer 4 and to have energy that does not cause separation. Therefore, the oscillation intensity setting unit 33 sets the alteration laser light source 31 to an oscillation intensity that satisfies the above conditions. This oscillation intensity is set to be lower than the oscillation intensity necessary for peeling by one laser irradiation as in the prior art.

  The activation layer 4L is irradiated with the peeling laser L2 so as to follow the alteration laser L1. The activation layer 4L is activated by the alteration laser L1 and is in an unstable state, but its shape is not changed. For this reason, it is easily vaporized or sublimated by irradiating the peeling laser L2. Thereby, the activation layer 4L is peeled off to form the groove 4A. At this time, since the activated layer 4L is vaporized or sublimated, no powder is generated, and even if it is generated, the amount can be made small. Further, the generation of powder can be completely eliminated by setting the oscillation intensities of the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 optimally. That is, if the oscillation intensity of the alteration laser L1 is set so that the activation layer 4L is activated to the maximum, powder can be prevented from being generated when the peeling laser L2 is irradiated.

  Even if a slight amount of powder is generated when the peeling laser L2 is irradiated, the powder is generated by irradiating the activation layer 4L with the peeling laser L2. Accordingly, the material is not α-Si but p-Si. Therefore, the powder that scatters and falls is p-Si, which is a material different from α-Si, which is the material of the photoelectric conversion layer 4, and therefore does not adhere or adhere. For this reason, the powder is only on the photoelectric conversion layer 4, and the powder can be removed cleanly by simple cleaning. That is, since the powder can be removed by simple cleaning without using a separate cleaning mechanism using a cleaning liquid or the like, there is an effect that the cleaning mechanism becomes unnecessary.

  The oscillation intensity of the peeling laser L2 is set to be higher than that of the alteration laser L1. This is because the energy for peeling the altered thin film is greater than the energy required for altering the thin film. Further, it is desirable to set the oscillation intensity of the peeling laser L2 to be lower than the oscillation intensity when the thin film is peeled off by one laser irradiation (in the case of the prior art). This is because if the oscillation intensity of the peeling laser L2 is set high, the activated layer 4L that should vaporize or sublimate may be powdered and scattered over a wide range.

  Therefore, the oscillation intensity setting unit 33 performs output control of the alteration laser light source 31 and the peeling laser light source 32 so that the oscillation intensity of the peeling laser L2 is higher than that of the alteration laser L1. For example, each laser light source is set so that the oscillation intensity of the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 is 1: 2 or 1: 3.

  In order to adjust the energy of the peeling laser L2 as described above, the oscillation intensity setting unit 33 sets the oscillation intensity of the peeling laser light source 32. That is, by setting the oscillating strength to evaporate or sublimate the activation layer 4L, which is a thin film obtained by altering the peeling laser L2, the amount of powder can be reduced or not generated even if it is generated. it can.

  Therefore, the laser processing apparatus 10 irradiates the thin film with the alteration laser L1 that alters the thin film laminated on the substrate 2, and peels off the altered thin film so as to follow the alteration laser L1. By irradiating with the laser L2, the amount of the powder can be greatly reduced and the thin film can be peeled off without or even when the powder is generated. Moreover, even if powder is generated, it can be easily removed by simple cleaning because the powder has already been transformed into a material different from that of the thin film.

  Next, returning to FIG. 2, the case where the focal positions of the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 are changed will be described. An alteration lens 24 is provided in the optical path of the alteration laser L1, and an exfoliation lens 26 is provided in the optical path of the exfoliation laser L2. With these lenses, each laser focuses on the thin film and acts to alter and peel off the thin film. In the above description, in order to control the energy applied to the thin film, the oscillation intensity of the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 is set. However, the effect on the thin film can also be obtained by changing the focal position. It is also possible to control the energy to be generated.

  For example, when the laser oscillation intensity of the alteration laser light source 31 and the peeling laser light source 32 is set to the oscillation intensity for peeling the thin film by one laser irradiation, the alteration lens 24 and the peeling lens 26 are moved up and down. By controlling the operation, the focal position of the laser can be shifted. Here, since the laser is applied to the thin film laminated on the substrate 2 provided below from the laser processing apparatus 10 provided above, each lens is controlled to move up and down. What is necessary is just to adjust the space | interval between. For example, when the lens and the substrate 2 are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction, the focal position is adjusted by performing control to move the lens in the horizontal direction.

  If the distance between the lens and the thin film is changed, the focal position changes. Therefore, when the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 having high oscillation intensity are oscillated, the lens position setting unit 34 controls to change the height positions of the alteration lens moving mechanism 27 and the peeling lens moving mechanism 28. I do. As a result, the distances between the alteration lens 24 and the peeling lens 26 and the thin film laminated on the substrate 2 change, so that the focal position shifts with respect to the thin film. For this reason, it is possible to adjust the energy that the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 act on the thin film.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the lens position setting unit 34 inputs the values of the oscillation intensity of the alteration laser light source 31 and the peeling laser light source 32 from the oscillation intensity setting unit 33, and based on the input oscillation intensity, The alteration lens moving mechanism 27 and the peeling lens moving mechanism 28 are controlled to adjust the height position of each lens.

  Therefore, not only the oscillation intensity of each laser but also the energy that the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 act on the thin film can be controlled by changing the focal position. Further, not only the oscillation intensity and the focal position but also the energy applied to the thin film can be controlled by changing the wavelength. That is, when the photoelectric conversion layer 4 is α-Si, a laser with a wavelength of 532 nm reacts, and therefore, the alteration laser light source 31 and the peeling laser light source 32 that oscillate the laser with the wavelength are used.

  At this time, the alteration laser light source 31 and the peeling laser light source 32 that oscillate a laser having a wavelength shifted from the wavelength of 532 nm may be used. Even if the oscillation intensity and the focal position are set to be the same as those used to peel off the thin film by a single laser irradiation, the energy acting on the thin film is shifted by shifting the oscillation wavelength from the wavelength at which the thin film reacts. Decreases. The amount of wavelength shift can be determined by the oscillation intensity and the focal position.

  Therefore, by appropriately controlling the laser oscillation intensity, focal position, and wavelength, or by combining these, the thin film is irradiated with the modifying laser L1 for altering the thin film, and the peeling laser L2 for peeling the altered thin film. Can be irradiated to the thin film, and the generation of powder can be greatly or completely reduced.

  In the above, the oscillation intensity, the focal position, and the wavelength are controlled in order to adjust the energy applied to the thin film. However, any method may be used as long as the energy can be adjusted by other methods. . In the example shown in FIG. 2, the oscillation intensity and the focal position can be adjusted. However, since at least one of them can be adjusted, either the mechanism for setting the oscillation intensity or the mechanism for adjusting the focal position. It is sufficient to provide one of them.

  Moreover, although this embodiment demonstrated the laser scribe for manufacturing a solar cell panel, what is targeted is not limited to a solar cell panel. For example, the present invention can be applied to the manufacture of liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays. A TFT (Thin Film Transistor) substrate constituting a liquid crystal display is configured by forming a TFT circuit on a glass substrate. In order to form a TFT circuit on a glass substrate, a metal film is formed and a photosensitive agent is applied, and then the circuit pattern is patterned and the metal film is removed using an etching solution, but the etching is incomplete. In such a case, the metal film remains on the glass substrate. The present invention can be applied to remove the remaining metal film. That is, by applying the present invention, it is possible to significantly or completely suppress the generation of powder that occurs when the metal film is removed.

  In the case of an organic EL display, a luminescent dye is deposited on a glass substrate, and a metal mask is used for the deposition. In order to remove the material of the luminescent dye attached to the metal mask, dry cleaning using a laser can be applied. However, by applying the present invention, generation of powder can be greatly or completely suppressed.

  Next, a modification of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The laser processing apparatus 10 according to the present modification includes a laser light source device 21, a setting unit 22, an alteration reflecting prism 23, an alteration lens 24, a beam splitter 41, and a peeling lens 26. The alteration lens 24 and the peeling lens 26 are provided. The lens 26 is attached to the alteration lens moving mechanism 27 and the peeling lens moving mechanism 28, respectively. Among these, the alteration reflecting prism 23, the alteration lens 24, the peeling lens 26, the alteration lens moving mechanism 27, and the peeling lens moving mechanism 28 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  The laser light source device 21 is provided with one laser light source 31. The laser oscillated from the laser light source 31 enters the beam splitter 41. The beam splitter 41 is a light separating unit that separates incident light into transmitted light and reflected light. Here, the beam splitter 41 separates the transmitted light and reflected light into a predetermined light amount ratio. In the example of FIG. 4, the light transmitted through the beam splitter 41 becomes the alteration laser L1, and the reflected light becomes the peeling laser L2. Of course, the transmitted light and the reflected light may be reversed, but in this case, the stage moving unit 12 moves the substrate 2 in the opposite direction.

  Here, the light quantity ratio that the beam splitter 41 separates into transmitted light and reflected light is set according to the intensity given to the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2. As described above, the alteration laser L1 is set to be weaker than the peeling laser L2, and the intensity thereof is set to, for example, 1: 2 or 1: 3 between the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2. Was. A beam splitter 41 that transmits and reflects light is used so as to have the same light amount ratio as this ratio (that is, a beam splitter having a ratio of transmitted light to reflected light of 1: 2 or 1: 3 is used).

  As a result, the energy applied to the thin film by the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 can be controlled, the thin film can be altered by the alteration laser L1, and the altered thin film can be peeled off by the peeling laser L2. . The laser light source 31 generates the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2. When the oscillation intensity of the laser light source 31 is excessively low, the alteration laser L1 and the peeling laser L2 are predetermined. Cannot be applied to the thin film.

  For this reason, the oscillation intensity of the laser light source 31 is assumed to have the intensity necessary for each of the separated alteration laser L1 and separation laser L2 to give a predetermined action to the thin film. Specifically, the intensity necessary for peeling the thin film by one laser irradiation is P1, the alteration laser L1 alters the thin film, and the intensity for preventing the peeling is P2, and the peeling laser L2 is altered. It is desirable to use a laser light source 31 having an oscillation intensity such that “P1 = P2 + P3” when the intensity required for peeling the thin film is P3. For example, if the light quantity ratio is 1: 2, P2 = (1/3) × P1 and P3 = (2/3) × P1.

  Therefore, in this modification, since only one laser light source needs to be provided, the configuration of the apparatus can be simplified. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the setting unit 22 has a lens position setting unit 34, and the lens position setting unit 34 controls the height positions of the alteration lens 24 and the peeling lens 26. The mechanism can be omitted. As a result, the apparatus configuration can be greatly simplified.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Solar cell panel 2 Board | substrate 3 Transparent electrode layer 4 Photoelectric converting layer 4L Activation layer 5 Back electrode layer 10 Laser processing apparatus 11 Mounted stage 12 Stage moving part 21 Laser light source apparatus 22 Setting part 27 Lens moving mechanism 28 for quality change Moving mechanism 31 Laser light source for alteration 32 Laser light source for peeling 33 Oscillation intensity setting unit 34 Lens position setting unit 41 Beam splitter L1 Laser for alteration L2 Laser for peeling

Claims (7)

Laser means for generating a first laser for irradiating the thin film laminated on the substrate and a second laser for irradiating the thin film irradiated by the first laser,
Relative movement means for relatively moving the laser means and the substrate;
A laser processing apparatus comprising: The laser means includes
A first laser light source for oscillating the first laser;
A second laser light source for oscillating the second laser;
Oscillation intensity setting means for setting the first laser light source to an oscillation intensity that alters the thin film so that the first laser does not peel off, and to set an oscillation intensity such that the second laser peels off the altered thin film When,
The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: First lens moving means for moving a lens provided in the optical path of the first laser;
Second lens moving means for moving a lens provided in the optical path of the second laser;
Lens position setting means for controlling movement of the first lens moving means and the second lens moving means;
The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: The laser means includes
A laser light source for oscillating a laser;
Light separating means for separating the laser oscillated from the laser light source into the first laser and the second laser;
An optical path conversion means for converting any one of the optical paths of the first laser and the second laser by 90 degrees;
The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   An apparatus for manufacturing a solar cell panel, comprising the laser processing apparatus according to claim 1.   A solar cell panel manufactured by the solar cell panel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5. Irradiating the thin film laminated on the substrate with a first laser for altering the thin film without peeling off,
Irradiating the thin film of the portion irradiated with the first laser by following the second laser for peeling the thin film;
Irradiating the first laser and the second laser while relatively moving the first laser, the second laser, and the substrate. A laser processing method, comprising:

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