JP2016094629A - Substrate carrying and processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate carrying and processing apparatus capable of processing a substrate with a carrying position being stabilized by suppressing the disturbance of tension generated in the substrate, in a roll-to-roll substrate processing apparatus.SOLUTION: In a substrate carrying and processing apparatus, a substrate processing part includes a main roll part and a sub-roll part between which a substrate 2 is stretched a plurality of times and which forms a substrate parallel-traveling part where a plurality of substrates 2 travel. The main roll part and the sub-roll par respectively include a plurality of individual main rolls 51a and a plurality of individual sub-rolls 52a. The plurality of individual main rolls 51a are arranged so that the directions of their rotation axes are the same and so that their arrangement direction is the direction of the rotation axes, and each can rotate independently. In the plurality of individual sub-rolls 52a, their arrangement directions are arranged parallel to the direction of the rotation axis of the main roll part. The rotation axes of the individual sub-rolls 52a are arranged to be inclined with respect to the direction of the rotation axis of the main roll part, and each individual sub-roll 52a can rotate independently. The plurality of individual main rolls 51a includes individual main rolls 51a freely rotating without transmission of a drive force from a drive device 54.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a base material transport processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a thin plate long base material transported by a so-called roll-to-roll.

  As a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate, for example, in a film forming apparatus (substrate processing apparatus) that forms a thin film on a substrate, a single-wafer substrate is formed in a chamber by sputtering, CVD, or the like. It is known that a thin film is formed on a base material in a state where is fixed, and for example, a solar cell module, an organic EL, and the like are formed by such a film forming apparatus.

  Recently, the advantage is that the substrate can be used without waste, and the film forming process speed does not depend on the film forming rate in each film forming chamber. Equipment) has been developed. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, this roll-to-roll type transport film-forming apparatus includes a sending roll B, a winding roll C, and a plurality of film-forming processing units D. A predetermined thin film is sequentially formed on the base material A by the base material A having passed through the plurality of film forming processing units D. And by finally winding up by the winding roll C, the film-forming base material A in which all the film-forming processes are completed is formed in a wound state.

  This film forming process part D has a chamber D1 in which a film forming process is performed, and a roll part D2 disposed in the chamber D1. As shown in FIG. 10, the roll part D <b> 2 includes a cylindrical main roll part F and a sub roll part G. The main roll part F has a rotation axis f (main roll axis) arranged substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction of the substrate A, and the sub roll part G has a rotation axis g (sub roll axis) as the main. The roll portion F is disposed at a predetermined angle that is twisted with respect to the rotation axis f of the roll portion F, and is configured as, for example, a Nelson roll. That is, the cylindrical secondary roll portion G extending in the secondary roll axial direction is disposed so that the outer peripheral surfaces of the main roll portion F and the secondary roll portion G are opposed to each other with the whole inclined at a predetermined angle. .

  The base material A travels between the main roll portion F and the sub roll portion G in a plurality of rows at a predetermined interval by the base material A being alternately bridged between the main roll portion F and the sub roll portion G a plurality of times. It is like that. And the film-forming material supply part H is arrange | positioned facing the part (base material parallel running part) where the base material A runs in multiple rows, and raw material gas is supplied from this film-forming material supply part H. As a result, a thin film having a predetermined thickness is formed on the substrate A (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The source gas and the base material A are heated by a heat source (not shown) provided in the film forming material supply unit H and a heat source (not shown) installed between the main roll unit F and the sub roll unit G. As a result, the film can be formed at a predetermined film forming temperature.

JP 2013-139621 A

  However, the film forming and conveying apparatus has a problem that the film forming process is not stable. That is, the thermal expansion of the base material A of the base material parallel running part is affected by the heat source provided in the film forming material supply part H and the heat source installed between the main roll part F and the sub roll part G. As a result, the peripheral length of each base material A changes irregularly and the tension of each base material A is different, which causes a problem that the film forming process is not stable. That is, when the tension of the base material A is different, the traveling position of the base material A in the base material parallel running part gradually shifts, so that the base material A that travels the base material parallel part and the film forming material supply part H are opposed to each other. The positional relationship gradually shifts, and there is a possibility that the problem of affecting the thickness of the thin film formed on the substrate A may occur. Furthermore, when the deviation | shift of the base material A is large, there also exists a problem of contacting the adjacent base material A in a base material parallel running part.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in a base material transport processing apparatus using a roll-to-roll, a base that travels in a plurality of rows between rolls disposed facing each other in a chamber for processing the base material. It is an object of the present invention to provide a base material transport processing apparatus that can suppress disturbance of tension generated in each material, stabilize the base material transport position, and perform stable base material processing.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the base material transport processing apparatus of the present invention continuously transports a thin plate long base material from the feed roll portion to the take-up roll portion through the base material processing portion, A base material transport processing device for processing a surface of a base material by performing a predetermined process on the base material being transported by a material processing unit, wherein the base material processing units are arranged to face each other, and the base material Has a main roll portion and a sub roll portion that form a base material parallel running portion in which a plurality of base materials travel by being bridged a plurality of times, and the main roll portion and the sub roll portion are There are a plurality of individual main rolls and individual sub-rolls corresponding to the base material of the material parallel running section, and the plurality of individual main rolls have the same rotation axis direction and the arrangement direction is the same as the rotation axis direction Are arranged so that each of them can be rotated independently, Are arranged such that the arrangement direction thereof is parallel to the direction of the rotation axis of the main roll part, and the rotation axis of each of the individual sub-rolls is relative to the direction of the rotation axis of the main roll part. A plurality of the individual main rolls, which are arranged in an inclined manner and are rotatable independently, include the individual main rolls that rotate freely without transmitting a driving force from a driving device. Yes.

  According to the said base material conveyance processing apparatus, the difference of tension | tensile_strength can be decreased between the some base material spanned between a main roll part and a sub roll part, and the stable base material process can be performed. Specifically, the plurality of individual main rolls include individual main rolls that freely rotate without being connected to the driving device, and each of the individual main rolls can be rotated independently, and thus the individual main rolls that are not connected to the driving device. The roll is not affected by the rotation of the individual main roll connected to the drive unit, and can rotate at a rotation speed corresponding to the tension of the base material wound around the individual main roll. It is easy to level the tension of a plurality of rows of base materials constituting the part. In addition, each individual sub-roll is arranged so that the rotation axis is inclined with respect to the direction of the rotation axis of the main roll portion, and forms a so-called Nelson roll, but the arrangement direction is the rotation of the main roll portion. Since the distance from the main roll portion is uniform between the individual sub-rolls forming the array by being arranged so as to be parallel to the direction of the axis, the holding angle with respect to the base material can be easily made uniform. It is possible to easily make the pitch of the plurality of rows of base materials constituting the base material parallel running portion uniform.

  Moreover, it is good also as a structure provided with the tension | tensile_strength measurement means which measures the tension concerning a base material in the vicinity of the said individual main roll to which a driving force is transmitted from a drive device.

  According to this configuration, by reflecting the measurement result by the tension measuring means in the rotation control of the individual main rolls, a plurality of rows constituting the base material parallel running section including the base material spanned over the individual main rolls are included. The tension of the entire substrate can be accurately controlled.

  In addition, the individual main roll that freely rotates without transmitting the driving force from the driving device may have a crown shape.

  According to this configuration, since the contact position between the base material and the individual main roll is restricted to the portion where the diameter of the individual main roll is the largest, the travel position of the base material can be accurately controlled.

  The individual sub roll may have a crown shape.

  According to this configuration, the contact position between the base material and the individual sub-roll is restricted to the portion where the diameter of the individual sub-roll is the largest, so that the travel position of the base material can be accurately controlled.

  According to the base material transport processing apparatus of the present invention, in the base material transport processing apparatus using roll-to-roll, it is possible to suppress the disturbance of tension generated in each base material traveling in a plurality of rows, and the base material transport position It is possible to stabilize and perform stable substrate processing.

It is a figure which shows the conveyance film forming apparatus (base material conveyance processing apparatus) in one Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which expanded the film forming process part of the said conveyance film forming apparatus (base material conveyance processing apparatus). It is the schematic of the roll for film forming, and is the figure seen from the a direction in FIG. It is the schematic of the roll for film forming, and is the figure seen from the b direction in FIG. It is the schematic of the separate main roll in 2nd Embodiment. It is the schematic of the roll for film forming in 3rd Embodiment. It is the schematic of the roll for film forming in 4th Embodiment. (A) is a figure which shows a solar cell module, (b) is a figure which shows a photovoltaic cell. It is a figure which shows the conventional conveyance film forming apparatus. It is a figure which shows the conventional Nelson roll.

  Next, an embodiment of the transport film forming apparatus of the present invention will be described. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the entire substrate transport processing apparatus in the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a main configuration of the substrate processing unit. In the present embodiment, a transport film forming apparatus that performs a film forming process on a base material will be described as an example of the base material transport processing apparatus. And the case where it applies to the film forming formation of a photovoltaic cell as an object of a conveyance film forming apparatus is demonstrated as an example.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transport film forming apparatus (base material processing apparatus) includes a delivery roll unit 10, a winding roll unit 20, and a film forming processing unit (base material processing unit) 30. Then, the base material 2 wound around the delivery roll unit 10 passes through the film forming processing unit 30, so that the surface treatment for forming the solar cells 4 on the base material 2 is performed (the film forming processing is performed). ), The roll-shaped solar cell base material 4 ′ is formed by being wound around the winding roll unit 20. That is, a thin film necessary for a solar cell is laminated on the base material 2 by a so-called roll-to-roll, in which the base material 2 is continuously conveyed from the delivery roll unit 10 to the take-up roll unit 20, and the solar cell base material 4 'is formed. In this solar cell base material 4 ′, the strip-shaped solar cell 4 shown in FIG. 8B is formed by a subsequent cutting step, and further through a bonding step, the solar cells 4 Are arranged in the short direction and joined together (FIG. 8A).

  In the present embodiment, the description will proceed with the delivery roll unit 10 side as the upstream side and the subsequent process side where the base material 2 is processed, that is, the take-up roll unit 20 side as the downstream side.

  The delivery roll unit 10 is for supplying the substrate 2 to the downstream side. The delivery roll unit 10 includes a delivery roll 11 around which the base material 2 is wound, and the base material 2 can be sent out by controlling the drive of the delivery roll 11. That is, by controlling the rotation of the delivery roll 11 by a control device (not shown), the delivery amount of the base material 2 can be increased and decreased. Specifically, the base material 2 is sent to the downstream side by rotating the delivery roll 11 while the base material 2 receives a tensile force from the downstream side, and the base material 2 is appropriately braked to apply the brake to the base material. 2 is sent out at a constant speed without bending.

  Here, the base material 2 is a thin plate-like long body, and for example, a long body having a flat plate shape with a thickness of 0.01 mm to 0.2 mm and a width of 5 mm to 50 mm is applied. Moreover, although it does not specifically limit as a material, Stainless steel, copper, etc. are used suitably.

  The take-up roll unit 20 takes up the supplied base material 2. The take-up roll unit 20 has a take-up roll 21, as with the delivery roll unit 10, and the base material 2 can be taken up by driving the take-up roll 21. . That is, the amount of winding of the base material 2 can be increased and decreased by controlling the rotation of the winding roll 21 by a control device (not shown). Specifically, by adjusting the rotation of the take-up roll 21, it is possible to prevent the substrate 2 that has been sent out from being bent, and the substrate 2 is wound so that it does not receive excessive tension. It has become. In the present embodiment, the base material 2 that has exited the delivery roll unit 10 is transported at a constant speed and is controlled to be taken up by the take-up roll unit 20. In addition, these delivery roll part 10 and winding roll part 20 are arrange | positioned in the chamber (it shows with a broken line) which forms a vacuum environment.

  The film formation processing unit (base material processing unit) 30 is for forming (forming a film) a thin film necessary for the solar cell on the base material 2, and in the present embodiment, a plurality of film formation processing units 30. Is provided. Specifically, a plurality of film forming units 30 are linearly arranged between the sending roll unit 10 and the take-up roll unit 20, and the base material 2 sent out from the sending roll unit 10 is formed into each film forming unit. A thin film is sequentially formed on the base material 2 by running through the processing unit 30 and passing therethrough. That is, thin films such as the lower electrode layer 3a, the photoelectric conversion layer 3b, and the upper electrode layer 3c are formed in this order from the base material 2 side to form the solar cell base material 4 ′ (see FIG. 8B). .

  These film forming units 30 are configured by a CVD, sputtering, or vapor deposition apparatus. As shown in FIG. 2, a chamber 31 and a film forming roll (base material processing roll) accommodated in the chamber 31 are formed. ) 5 and a material supply unit 6. The chamber 31 maintains the inside in a vacuum environment. A specific raw material (a material for forming a thin film, a gas, etc., hereinafter referred to as “raw material”) is supplied from the material supply unit 6 into the chamber 31 maintained in a vacuum environment. A predetermined thin film is formed. The chamber 31 is formed with an inlet portion 31a and an outlet portion 31b. After the base material 2 conveyed from the upstream side is supplied into the chamber 31 from the inlet portion 31a and subjected to film formation in the chamber 31, It is conveyed downstream through the outlet 31b. The inlet portion 31a and the outlet portion 31b are sealed so that the base material 2 can pass therethrough, and even when the base material 2 travels by conveyance, each chamber 31 has a vacuum degree appropriate for forming each thin film. It is supposed to be kept.

  The material supply unit 6 is for supplying a material for forming a thin film on the substrate 2. The material supply unit 6 has an ejection unit (not shown) that ejects the raw material of the thin film. A predetermined thin film is formed by depositing the raw material ejected from the ejection part on the substrate 2. The material supply unit 6 is provided in a state where the ejection unit faces the base material parallel running unit 2a. Specifically, in the example of FIG. 2, the material supply unit 6 is disposed between the main roll unit 51 and the sub-roll unit 52, and the ejection portion of the material supply unit 6 is interposed between the main roll unit 51 and the sub-roll unit 52. It is provided in a state of facing the base material parallel running portion 2a to be formed. That is, the material supply part 6 is provided in common over the arrangement direction of the base material 2 with respect to the multiple rows of base materials 2 forming the base material parallel running part 2 a. Thereby, a predetermined thin film is formed by depositing the raw material on the substrate 2. A plurality of thin films are stacked on the substrate 2 by the substrate 2 traveling between the main roll portion 51 and the sub roll portion 52 a plurality of times. At this time, it is possible to form a thick film in which layers of the same raw material are overlapped by continuing to form thin films made of the same raw material on a plurality of rows of the base materials 2 forming the base material parallel running portion 2a. By arranging the material supply unit 6 for supplying the raw materials along the arrangement direction of the plurality of rows of base materials 2 forming the base material parallel running portion 2a, a plurality of types of thin films as shown in FIG. The material 2 can be formed.

  The roll 5 for film formation is for forming the base material parallel running part 2a in which the base materials 2 are arranged in a plurality of rows. Here, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are schematic views of the film-forming roll 5, FIG. 3 is a view seen from the direction a in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a view seen from the direction b in FIG. It is. The film-forming roll 5 has a main roll portion 51 and a sub-roll portion 52, which are arranged facing each other at a predetermined distance. Then, the base material 2 is alternately bridged between the main roll portion 51 and the sub roll portion 52, and the base material parallel running portion 2a in a state where one base material 2 is arranged in a plurality of rows at predetermined intervals in the axial direction. Running to form.

  The main roll unit 51 is an aggregate of a plurality of individual main rolls 51a which are rolls arranged in a state orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the base material 2 conveyed from the inlet unit 31a. Each of the plurality of individual main rolls 51a individually has a rotation shaft (main roll shaft 53), and each individual main roll 51a can rotate independently. In addition, the individual main rolls 51a are arranged such that the extending directions of the main roll shafts 53 are all the same, and the arrangement direction is the extending direction of the main roll shaft 53, and the upstream inlet portion 31a. It arrange | positions in the state orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the base material 2 conveyed from. Further, the individual main rolls 51a are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the arrangement direction.

  The plurality of individual main rolls 51a are connected to the driving device, the driving force is transmitted from the driving device 54 and the rotation is controlled, and the individual main roll 51a is not connected to the driving device, and the driving force from the driving device is transmitted. And an individual main roll 51a that freely rotates without being included. That is, a drive device 54 such as a servomotor is connected to a part of the individual main rolls 51a (individual main rolls 51a shown by hatching in FIG. 3), and the main roll is controlled by driving the drive device 54. The shaft 53 can be rotated and stopped around the shaft. On the other hand, the main roll shaft 53 is supported so that the individual main roll 51a to which the other driving devices 54 are not connected can freely rotate, and the base material spanned over the individual main roll 51a. 2 driven by frictional force with 2

  Each individual main roll 51 a has a substantially cylindrical shape, and has an outer peripheral surface 55 that extends in the axial direction of the main roll shaft 53. Then, the base material 2 is conveyed along the outer peripheral surface 55. That is, after the conveyed base material 2 travels along the outer peripheral surface 55 of the individual main roll 51a, it travels along the outer peripheral surface 55 of the adjacent individual main roll 51a through the individual sub-roll 52a described later. In addition, the base material 2 is wound around the outer peripheral surface 55 of each individual main roll 51a and travels. The base material 2 is alternately bridged between the main roll portion 51 and the sub roll portion 52, so that the base material 2 is an axis of the main roll shaft 53 between the main roll portion 51 and the sub roll portion 52. The base material parallel running portions 2a arranged in the direction at predetermined intervals are formed. That is, when the individual main roll 51 a connected to the drive device 54 rotates, tension is applied to the base material 2 along the outer peripheral surface 55 of each individual main roll portion 51 a, and one base material 2 is the axis of the main roll shaft 53. It is designed to run with multiple rows in the direction. In the present embodiment, a tension meter 56 (tension measuring means) is provided in the vicinity of the individual main roll 51a connected to the driving device 54, and the tension applied to the base material 2 in the vicinity of the individual main roll 51a. Measure.

  The travel direction of the base material 2 in the base material parallel running portion 2 a is a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the main roll shaft 53. In FIG. 3, although it has a fixed angle with respect to the main roll axis | shaft 53, it is actually drive | working so that it may drive along the outer peripheral surface of the sub roll part 52 in the orthogonal | vertical direction and twisted along the outer peripheral surface of the sub roll part 52. . Therefore, the traveling direction of the base material parallel running portion 2a is a direction orthogonal to the main roll shaft 53 and the sub roll shaft 58 described later.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since the main roll part 51 and the sub roll part 52 are set to the same height position, and each diameter is also set the same, the base material 2 is the main roll part 51. The vehicle travels in contact with almost half of the outer peripheral surface 55 of the vehicle.

  The sub-roll unit 52 is a roll disposed to face the main roll unit 51. The sub-roll unit 52 has a plurality of individual sub-rolls 52a, and in the example of FIG. 3, has four individual sub-rolls 52a. These four individual sub-rolls are rolls that are independently driven and rotated about the respective rotation shafts 57, and the individual sub-rolls 52 a are arranged along the axial direction of the main roll shaft 53. That is, the center of the individual sub roll 52 a is arranged on a line parallel to the main roll axis 53.

  The base material 2 is wound around these individual sub rolls 52a. That is, the base material 2 conveyed from the individual main roll 51a is wound around the individual sub roll 52a, passed through the individual main roll 51a, and then wound around the adjacent individual sub roll 52a. And individual sub-rolls 52a. Therefore, when the individual main roll 51a connected to the driving device 54 is driven, the base material 2 conveyed from the inlet portion 31a travels alternately between the individual main roll 51a and the individual sub-roll 52a and is carried out from the outlet portion 31b. It has come to be.

  Moreover, the base material parallel running part 2a is formed by the individual main roll 51a and the individual sub roll 52a. This base material parallel running part 2a is a part where a plurality of base materials 2 run side by side, and is formed between the individual main roll 51a and the individual sub roll 52a. Further, the individual sub rolls 52a are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the arrangement direction, and the diameter of the individual sub rolls 52a is formed to be the same as the diameter of the individual main rolls 51a. The plurality of base materials 2 run at the same height and are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the arrangement direction of the individual sub-rolls 52a. A plurality of thin films can be formed on each substrate 2 by making the material supply unit 6 face the substrate parallel running unit 2a. That is, the raw material gas forms the first layer on the base material 2 when the base material 2 conveyed from the inlet portion 31a travels on the base material parallel running portion 2a. Then, the second layer is formed on the first layer by moving the adjacent individual main roll 51a and the adjacent individual sub-roll 52a and running the substrate parallel running portion 2a again. In this way, a plurality of thin films corresponding to the number of times of traveling are laminated on the substrate 2 by traveling the substrate parallel running portion 2 a a plurality of times. A line segment indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 3 is a line segment connecting the centers of the individual sub rolls 52 a and is referred to as a sub roll shaft 58. That is, the arrangement direction of the individual sub rolls 52 a is the same as the axial direction of the sub roll shaft 58.

  Each individual sub roll 52 a is supported in a state having a predetermined inclination with respect to the main roll shaft 53. Specifically, each individual sub roll 52a is supported by a holder (not shown) so as to have a predetermined angle with respect to the main roll shaft 53. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. The rotation shaft 57 is disposed so as to have an angle α with respect to the main roll shaft 53 when viewed from the direction of FIG. 4, and all the individual sub-rolls 52 a have a constant angle α with respect to the main roll shaft 53. It is arranged in a state having. That is, when the main roll shaft 53 and the rotating shaft 57 of the individual sub roll 52a are in a torsional relationship, the main roll portion 51 and the individual sub roll 52a have a Nelson roll relationship, and the main roll portion 51 Therefore, even when the base material 2 is run over the main roll portion 51 and the sub roll portion 52, the base material 2 does not move in the axial direction. It is possible to travel stably while maintaining the initial travel position on the individual sub roll 52a.

  Moreover, since each individual sub roll 52a and the main roll part 51 are set to the same height position, and each diameter is also set the same, the base material 2 is the outer peripheral surface of the individual sub roll 52a. Drive in contact with almost half of 59. That is, the base material 2 travels in contact with the main roll portion 51 and the opposite side portion of the outer peripheral surface 59 of the individual sub roll 52a. That is, it travels in a state where the holding angles of all the individual sub rolls 52a with respect to the base material 2 are maintained at approximately 180 degrees. In FIG. 4, the diameter of the main roll part 51 (individual main roll 51 a) and the diameter of the individual sub-roll part 52 a are different from each other in order to facilitate understanding of the drawing, and are shown in a different form from the present embodiment. .

  Thus, by making the holding angle of the individual sub roll 52a with respect to the base material 2 uniform, the control of the pitch of the base material 2 becomes easy, and the pitch of the base material 2 can be made uniform easily. On the other hand, when the main roll shaft 53 and the sub roll shaft 58 are in a torsional relationship, the individual sub rolls 52a with respect to the substrate 2 can be made uniform only by making the pitch of the arrangement of the individual main rolls 51a and the individual sub rolls 52a uniform. The holding angles are different from each other, and the pitch of the base material 2 forming the base material traveling portion 2a cannot be made uniform. Therefore, it is difficult to make the pitch of the base material 2 uniform easily as in this embodiment.

  Here, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the sub roll shaft 58 is provided so as to be parallel to the main roll shaft 53. Therefore, the points P1 to P5 where the base material 2 traveling on the outer peripheral surface 59 of the individual sub roll 52a is farthest from the main roll portion 51 are arranged along the sub roll shaft 58, and P1 to P5 are connected to the main roll portion 51. Located equidistant. The distances k1 to k5 between P1 to P5 and the contact point at which the base material 2 contacts the outer peripheral surface 55 of the main roll portion 51 are all equal (k1 =... = K5).

  Thereby, even if the diameters of the individual main rolls 51a and the individual sub-rolls 52a are different, the holding angles of the individual sub-rolls 52a with respect to the base material 2 are uniform, and the arrangement of the individual main rolls 51a and the individual sub-rolls 52a By making the pitch uniform, it becomes possible to easily make the pitch of the base material 2 forming the base material traveling portion 2a uniform.

  The base material 2 is bridged and conveyed between the main roll unit 51 and the sub roll unit 52 by the film forming processing unit 30 having the above configuration, so that the main roll unit 51 and the sub roll unit 52 are interposed. It is possible to reduce the difference in tension between the plurality of substrates 2 to be bridged, stabilize the substrate conveyance position, and perform stable substrate processing. Specifically, the plurality of individual main rolls 51 a include an individual main roll 51 a that is connected to the drive device 54 and whose rotation is controlled, and an individual main roll 51 a that rotates freely without being connected to the drive device 54. Moreover, since each can rotate independently, the individual main roll 51a not connected to the drive unit 54 is not affected by the rotation of the individual main roll 51a connected to the drive unit 54, and the individual main roll 51a It is possible to rotate at a rotation speed corresponding to the tension of the wound base material 2.

  Here, if the base material is wound around a single drive roll a plurality of times as in the main roll portion F shown in FIG. 10, the rotational speed of the drive roll is uniform for each wound base material. Therefore, even if there is deflection in some base materials and the tension of the base material is non-uniform, if the slip between the main roll part F and the base material A is small, the tension is not leveled. The tension becomes unstable among the plurality of base materials forming the base material parallel running portion. In particular, when plasma CVD, sputtering, or vapor deposition is used as a means for forming a thin film on the substrate 2, the substrate 2 is heated at the same time as the film formation. Since elongation occurs in the material 2, the above-described non-uniform tension of the base material is likely to occur.

  On the other hand, each individual main roll 51a can rotate independently like this embodiment, and it rotates with the rotational speed according to the tension | tensile_strength of the base material 2 wound by each individual main roll 51a. By doing, tension | tensile_strength is naturally leveled among the several base materials 2 which form the base material parallel running part 2a. That is, even if a deflection or the like occurs in a part of the substrate 2, the tension of the substrate 2 can be leveled.

  Further, since the tension meter 56 is provided in the vicinity of the individual main roll 51a connected to the driving device, the result of measurement by the tension meter is reflected in the rotation control of the individual main roll 51a. In addition to the base material 2 laid over the roll 51a, the tensions of the entire plurality of rows of base materials 2 constituting the base material parallel running portion 2a can be accurately controlled. That is, the tension of the base material 2 can be stabilized. Therefore, since the posture of the base material 2 can always be stabilized, the formation state of the thin film is stable, and a homogeneous thin film can be formed on the base material 2.

  Moreover, if the width | variety of the base material 2 is smaller than the pitch between each roll of the individual main roll 51a (individual sub roll 52a) by the main roll part 51 and the sub roll part 52 having a Nelson roll relationship, It is possible to stably convey the substrate 2 of any width. Further, regarding the physical properties such as Young's modulus, the base material 2 under various conditions can be conveyed by the same film-forming roll 5.

  Next, the shape of the individual main roll in the second embodiment is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the individual main roll 51a has a shape in which the diameter increases as it is closer to the center in the rotation axis direction. It has a so-called crown shape. Thus, the base material 2 wound and conveyed by the individual main roll 51a shows the tendency which approaches the center part with the largest diameter by setting it as the shape from which a diameter changes regarding a rotating shaft direction. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the base material 2 from coming off from the individual main roll 51a, and at the same time, the pitch of the base material 2 forming the base material parallel running portion 2a can be made equal to the pitch of the individual main roll 51a. A homogeneous thin film can be formed on 2.

  Moreover, you may employ | adopt such a crown shape as the shape of the separate sub roll 52a.

  Here, it is preferable to employ the crown-shaped rolls for so-called driven rolls such as the individual main rolls 51 a and the individual sub-rolls 52 a that are not connected to the driving device 54. On the other hand, for the individual main roll 51a connected to the drive device 54, the contact area between the individual main roll 51a and the base material 2 is made as large as possible so that a sufficient driving force can be transmitted to the base material 2. As for the shape of the roll side surface, it is preferable that the diameter is uniform in the direction of the rotation axis. However, even if the roll shape is a crown shape as shown in FIG. The individual main roll 51a connected to the device 54 may also have a crown shape.

  Next, the roll for film formation in 3rd Embodiment is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, unlike the film-forming roll 5 shown in FIG. 3, the individual main rolls mixed with the individual main rolls 51 a not connected to the driving device 54 and connected to the driving device 54 in the middle of the arrangement. 51a is provided. That is, the film-forming roll 5 shown in FIG. 6 has a form in which a plurality of film-forming rolls 5 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 are connected.

  By doing in this way, since driving force can be given to substrate 2 in the middle of conveyance, the number of individual main roll 51a and individual subroll 52a increases, and the perimeter of individual main roll 51a and individual subroll 52a Even if the total of the frictional force on the surfaces 55 and 59 and the mechanical loss in the bearings of the rotating parts of the individual main rolls 51a and individual sub-rolls 52a is increased, the tension applied to the substrate 2 is small and the tension of the substrate 2 is increased. The substrate 2 can be transported while leveling.

  Here, the film-forming roll 5 according to the above description has been described with a configuration in which the individual sub-rolls 52a are arranged in a line, but the present invention is not limited thereto. FIG. 7 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the film-forming roll 5 in this embodiment, a set of a plurality of individual sub-rolls 52 a arranged along a sub-roll axis 58 a parallel to the main roll axis 53 and the main roll axis 53 are parallel to the main roll axis 53. And a set of a plurality of individual sub-rolls 52a arranged along a sub-roll shaft 58b different from the sub-roll shaft 58a. However, such a configuration may be used. Thereby, it is possible to make the pitch uniform in at least the individual sub-rolls 52a arranged along the sub-roll shaft 58a, and the pitches in the individual sub-rolls 52a arranged along the sub-roll shaft 58b. Can be made uniform.

  In this embodiment, it is more preferable that the diameter of the individual sub roll 52a is the same as the diameter of the individual main roll 51a. By doing so, the holding angle of the individual sub-rolls 52a arranged along the sub-roll shaft 58a and the holding angle of the individual sub-rolls 52a arranged along the sub-roll shaft 58b are also the same at 180 degrees, and the main roll portion Even if the distance to 51 is different, the transport positions of all the individual sub-rolls 52a can be easily stabilized.

  With the above-mentioned base material transport processing device, in the base material transport processing device using roll-to-roll, it is possible to suppress the disturbance of tension generated in each base material traveling in a plurality of rows, and to stabilize the base material transport position. It is possible to perform stable substrate processing.

  In the above description, the form in which the individual main rolls 51a connected to the driving device 54 are provided in the plurality of individual main rolls 51a has been described, but the plurality of individual main rolls 51a are all driven. It may be an individual main roll 51 a that is not connected to the device 54. In this case, the transport roll connected to the driving device is provided upstream or downstream of the film-forming roll 5 formed by the main roll portion 51 and the sub roll portion 52.

  In the above description, the case where the main roll portion 51 and the sub roll portion 52 are horizontally arranged in the height direction has been described. However, the main roll portion 51 and the sub roll portion 52 are vertical in the height direction. It may be arranged in a direction.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Solar cell module 2 Base material 2a Base material parallel part 3a Lower electrode layer 3b Photoelectric conversion layer 3c Upper electrode layer 4 Solar cell 4 'Solar cell base material 5 Film-forming roll 6 Material supply part 10 Sending roll part 11 Delivery roll 20 Winding roll part 21 Winding roll 30 Film-forming treatment part (base material treatment part)
31 Chamber 31a Inlet part 31b Outlet part 51 Main roll part 51a Individual main roll 52 Sub roll part 52a Individual sub roll 53 Main roll shaft 54 Drive device 55 Outer peripheral surface 56 Tension meter 57 Rotating shaft (Rotating shaft of individual sub roll)
58 Sub roll shaft 58a Sub roll shaft 58b Sub roll shaft 59 Outer peripheral surface A Substrate B Delivery roll C Winding roll D Film-forming processing part D1 Chamber D2 Roll part F Main roll part f Rotating shaft G Sub roll part g Rotating shaft H Substrate supply unit

Claims (4)

The base material of the thin sheet long body is continuously conveyed by passing the base material processing part from the feed roll part to the take-up roll part, and a predetermined process is performed on the base material being transported by the base material processing part, A substrate transport processing device for processing the surface of a substrate,
The base material processing unit is disposed to face each other, and has a main roll unit and a sub roll unit that form a base material parallel running unit in which a plurality of base materials travel by the base material being spanned multiple times. And
The main roll part and the sub roll part have a plurality of individual main rolls and individual sub rolls according to the base material of the base material parallel running part,
The plurality of individual main rolls are arranged so that the directions of the rotation axes are all the same and the arrangement direction is the direction of the rotation axes, and each of them can be independently rotated,
The plurality of individual sub-rolls are arranged so that the arrangement direction thereof is parallel to the direction of the rotation axis of the main roll unit, and the rotation axis of each individual sub-roll is the rotation axis of the main roll unit Are inclined with respect to each other direction, and each is independently rotatable,
The plurality of individual main rolls include the individual main rolls that freely rotate without transmitting a driving force from a driving device.   The base material conveyance process according to claim 1, wherein a tension measuring means for measuring a tension applied to the base material is provided in the vicinity of the individual main roll to which the driving force is transmitted from the driving device. apparatus.   The base material conveyance processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the individual main roll that freely rotates without being transmitted with a driving force from the driving apparatus has a crown shape.   The substrate transport processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the individual sub-roll has a crown shape.

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