KR20100033285A - Apparatus and method for transferring wafer of solar battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A transfer apparatus of a wafer for a solar battery and transfer method automatically advance a wafer transfer task between boat and carrier. The tact time is reduced and the productivity can be improved. CONSTITUTION: A carrier loading unit(200) loads the carrier. The boat is loaded while preparing in the around the boat loading unit(300). The wafer transfer unit(400) is composed the carrier loading unit and boat loading unit liver in order to mobile. In the wafer transfer unit is the carrier a plurality of wafer for the solar batteries, it transfers to boat or it transfers in boat to the carrier. The device body(500) supports the carrier loading unit, and the boat loading unit and wafer transfer unit.

Description

Apparatus and method for transferring wafer of solar battery}

The present invention relates to a solar cell wafer transfer apparatus and a transfer method, and more particularly, the wafer transfer operation between the carrier and the boat can be automatically carried out to improve the work efficiency, in particular the tact time It relates to a transfer device and a transfer method of a solar cell wafer that can improve the productivity by reducing the.

Solar batteries convert solar energy into electrical energy and have a structure different from that of conventional chemical cells. It is also called a physical battery. Such solar cells generate electricity by using two types of semiconductors called P-type semiconductors and N-type semiconductors.

Briefly look at the principle of solar cells. When light shines on a solar cell, electrons and holes are generated inside. The generated charges move to the P and N poles, and a potential difference (photovoltaic power) is generated between the P pole and the N pole by this phenomenon. At this time, when a load is connected to the solar cell, current flows. This is called a photoelectric effect.

Solar cell modules draw power by connecting multiple solar cells in series and in parallel in large systems. The cell is the smallest unit that generates electricity, and the module is the smallest unit that draws electricity. An array is a series of panels sandwiched in series and in parallel. A subarray is a unit that organizes several modules for the convenience of installation work or maintenance.

The type of solar cell is roughly classified into using a silicon semiconductor as a material and a compound semiconductor as a material. The silicon semiconductor is classified into a crystalline system and an amorphous system. Of course, in addition to this classification, including what is currently under development can be even more diverse. Regarding the development of solar cell technology, improvement of conversion efficiency and price adjustment are planned. Silicon and compound semiconductor solar cells also develop solar cells that exceed 20% conversion efficiency or develop thin film solar cells that can lower prices. Focus on.

Currently, solar cells generally used as photovoltaic power generation systems are mostly made of silicon semiconductors. In particular, single crystal and polycrystalline solar cells of a silicon semiconductor crystal system are widely used due to the excellent conversion efficiency and reliability.

Meanwhile, in order to manufacture a solar cell using a silicon semiconductor, a wafer for a solar cell must be transferred to various processes such as cleaning, deposition, and etching. In this case, 100 wafers are usually loaded on a carrier and then transferred. In some cases, 300 wafers may be loaded into a boat made of quartz and then processed.

Therefore, a solar cell wafer transfer apparatus is required because the wafer needs to be moved from the carrier to the boat (transported or loaded) or, conversely, from the boat to the carrier.

However, in the case of the prior art, since the wafer transfer operation between the carrier and the boat has been dependent solely on the manual labor of the operator, the work efficiency is reduced and the tact time is increased due to the delay of the work time, thereby reducing productivity. There is a problem.

An object of the present invention, the wafer transfer operation between the carrier and the boat can be automatically carried out to improve the work efficiency, in particular the wafer transfer device for solar cells that can improve the productivity by reducing the tact time (tact time) and It is to provide a transfer method.

The object is, according to the invention, a carrier loading unit is loaded with a carrier (Carrier); A boat loading unit provided around the carrier loading unit and loaded with a boat; And a wafer transfer unit provided to be movable between the carrier loading unit and the boat loading unit and transferring a plurality of wafers of solar batteries from the carrier to the boat or from the boat to the carrier. It is achieved by a transfer device for a solar cell wafer comprising a.

The apparatus may further include an apparatus body partially connected to the carrier loading unit, the boat loading unit, and the wafer transfer unit to support the carrier loading unit, the boat loading unit, and the wafer transfer unit.

It is provided in the device body, while holding up the solar cell wafers in the carrier to have a clearance of less than the tolerance in the carrier while being up (up) through the inside of the carrier within a range that does not interfere with the carrier to a predetermined height It may further include a wafer alignment jig for up.

The wafer alignment jig may include a plurality of contact pins contacting the wafers for the solar cell; A connecting plate part which connects the plurality of contact pins integrally from below; And an up / down driving unit coupled to the connecting plate part to drive the connecting plate part up / down.

Upper ends of the plurality of contact pin parts may have a triangular shape, and the wafers for solar cells may contact grooves between the contact pin parts.

The carrier loading unit and the wafer alignment jig may be provided in a central area of the device body, and the boat loading unit may be provided in a side area of the device body.

The carrier loading unit may further include a carrier detecting unit provided at both sides of the apparatus main body in which the carrier loading unit is located to detect whether the solar cell wafer is loaded on the carrier loaded on the carrier loading unit.

The carrier detecting unit may be a laser sensor.

The wafer transfer unit may include: a pickup unit that picks up the plurality of solar cell wafers; And a unit driving unit connected to the pickup unit to drive the pickup unit in X, Y, and Z axis directions.

The pick-up unit includes a plurality of pads disposed side by side with a spaced interval apart from each other to adsorb and support the plurality of solar cell wafers; A vacuum room connected to the plurality of pads at one side to provide vacuum to the plurality of pads, and having a plurality of first independent space parts formed therein independently; And a vacuum fitting unit connected to the other side of the vacuum room to provide the vacuum to the vacuum room, and having a plurality of second independent space parts therein, each of which communicates with the first independent space part of the vacuum room. Unit) may be included.

The boat loading unit includes a boat loading body into which the boat is loaded; And a boat alignment unit provided at the boat loading body to align the boat.

The boat may be made of a quartz material, and the boat alignment unit may include at least one pusher provided on any one side of an inner wall surface of the boat loading body.

The boat loading body may further include a boat detecting unit for detecting whether the solar cell wafer is loaded on the boat.

The apparatus may further include a buffer alignment unit arranged on the apparatus body and aligning the wafers for the solar cells before the wafers for the solar cells in the carrier are transferred to the boat and loaded by the wafer transfer unit.

The buffer alignment unit may include a pair of alignment moving walls that are accessible and spaced apart from both sides of the solar cell wafers picked up by the wafer transfer unit.

On the other hand, the object, according to the present invention, a carrier loading step of loading a carrier (Carrier); A boat loading step in which a boat is loaded; Wafer for holding the wafer for solar cells in the carrier up to a predetermined height up to a clearance smaller than the tolerance in the carrier while being up through the inside of the carrier within a range that does not cause interference with the carrier. Sorting step; And a wafer transfer step of picking up a plurality of wafers of solar batteries and transferring them from the carrier to the boat or from the boat to the carrier. It is also achieved by the conveying method.

The method may further include a buffer alignment step of aligning the wafers for the solar cells before the wafers for the solar cells in the carrier are transported and loaded into the boat.

The wafer transfer step may further include a carrier detection step of detecting whether the solar cell wafer is loaded on the carrier.

The wafer transfer step may further include a boat detection step of detecting whether the solar cell wafer is loaded in the boat.

According to the present invention, the wafer transfer operation between the carrier and the boat can be automatically carried out to improve the work efficiency, and in particular, the productivity can be improved by reducing the tact time.

In order to fully understand the present invention, the operational advantages of the present invention, and the objects achieved by the practice of the present invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and the contents described in the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by explaining preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements.

1 is a schematic plan view of a wafer transfer device for a solar cell according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are side views showing FIG. 1 from different directions, respectively, and FIG. 4 is a front view of the pickup unit. 5 is a partially enlarged perspective view of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a front sectional view of FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 5, FIG. 8 is a view schematically illustrating a line arrangement between the pickup unit and the vacuum pump, and FIG. 9. 10 is an enlarged structural diagram of a wafer alignment jig, FIG. 10 is a view schematically illustrating an operation state of the buffer alignment unit, and FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method of transferring a wafer for a solar cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in these figures, the solar cell wafer transfer apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a carrier loading unit 200 and a carrier loading unit 200 (see FIG. 2) in which a carrier C is loaded. Is provided in the boat loading unit 300, the boat (B, Boat) is loaded, and is provided to be movable between the carrier loading unit 200 and the boat loading unit 300 and a plurality of wafers (W, Wafer of solar battery, hereinafter referred to as wafer for convenience) wafer transfer unit 400 for transferring (loading) the carrier (C) from the boat (C) or from the boat (B) to the carrier (C) And an apparatus body 500.

The solar cell wafer transfer apparatus of this embodiment is used for transferring the wafer W in the boat B, which is loaded with about 300 sheets, to the carrier C for loading about 100 sheets. In general, in various manufacturing processes of the solar cell, if necessary, it may be used in the opposite case, that is, for transporting and loading the wafer W from the carrier C to the boat B. Hereinafter, the latter case, that is, a series of processes for transferring and loading the wafer W in the carrier C by the boat B will be described.

Referring to each configuration of the solar cell wafer transfer apparatus according to the present embodiment, first, the apparatus main body 500 is a part forming the appearance of the solar cell wafer transfer apparatus.

The device body 500 is partially connected to the carrier loading unit 200, the boat loading unit 300, and the wafer transfer unit 400, so that the carrier loading unit 200, the boat loading unit 300, and the wafer transfer unit 400 is supported. Of course, besides these, the wafer alignment jig 600, the buffer alignment unit 700, and the like, which are described later, are also supported by the apparatus main body 500.

The apparatus body 500 is composed of a plurality of horizontal and vertical frames (not shown), as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower and upper regions are shielded on the outer surface for protection of the internal components, the central region Is open for worker access. A plurality of rolling wheels 510 and a ground contact support member 520 are provided at the lower end of the apparatus main body 500.

As shown in FIG. 2, the carrier loading unit 200 is a portion in which a carrier C having a plurality of wafers W loaded therein is loaded.

Although not shown in detail in the drawings of the present embodiment for the carrier C, the carrier C has a structure in which such wafers W can be stacked in multiple stages, for example, a wafer W therein, such as a CD case for storing a CD. Has the shape of a structure with a plurality of wafer loading slots (not shown) into which most of the sides can be loaded.

The boat loading unit 300 is a portion in which the boat B on which the wafer W transferred from the carrier C is to be loaded is loaded.

Unlike the carrier loading unit 200, the boat loading unit 300 is provided in the side region of the apparatus main body 500 as shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the boat loading unit 300 is disposed between the apparatus. It is provided on both sides of the main body 500, respectively. However, since the scope of the present invention does not need to be limited thereto, the boat loading unit 300 may be provided only on one side of the apparatus body 500.

The boat loading unit 300 is, as schematically shown in Figure 1, the boat loading body 310 is loaded with the boat (B), the boat loading body 310 is provided on the boat to align the boat (B) The alignment unit 320 is included.

As described above, the boat B in which approximately 300 wafers W are loaded is made of expensive quartz material, for the management of the boat B or for the accuracy of the transfer operation to the wafer W. The boat alignment unit 320 is provided. The boat alignment unit 320 includes a plurality of pushers (not shown) provided on the inner wall surface of the boat loading body 310. As a plurality of pushers pressurize the boat B at the corresponding position, the boat B can be aligned in position in the boat loading body 310.

In addition, the boat loading unit 300 further includes a boat detecting unit 330 provided on the boat loading body 310 to detect whether the wafer W is loaded on the boat B. The boat detecting unit 330 is applied to the same laser sensor as the carrier detecting unit 530 to be described later to detect whether or not the wafer (W) is loaded on the boat (B). If the wafer W is loaded in the boat B due to the boat sensing unit 330, the pickup unit 100 to be described later transfers the wafer W to the boat B in which the wafer W is loaded. It won't let you. If the boat detecting unit 330 is not provided, the pick-up unit 100 loads the wafer W in the boat B even though the wafer W is loaded in the boat B. Since the wafer W may be damaged by the progress, the present invention provides a boat detecting unit 330 to prevent the wafer W.

2 and 3, the wafer transfer unit 400 is connected to the pickup unit 100 and the pickup unit 100 to pick up a plurality of wafers (W), the pickup unit ( And a unit driver 102 for driving 100 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions (see FIGS. 1 to 3).

The unit driving unit 102 is applied to a linear motor or a cylinder to substantially pick up the pick-up unit 100 to pick up and pick up the plurality of wafers by vacuum in the coordinates of FIGS. 1 to 3. It serves to drive in the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis direction shown.

On the other hand, looking at the pickup unit 100 that substantially sucks a plurality of wafers (W) in a vacuum, as shown in Figures 4 to 8, the pickup unit 100, a plurality of pads (110, Pad) And a vacuum room 130 connected to a plurality of pads 110 at one side to provide a vacuum to the plurality of pads 110, and a vacuum room connected to an upper portion of the vacuum room 130. And a vacuum fitting unit (150) provided with a plurality of second independent space parts (150a to 150e) provided therein, and having a plurality of second independent space portions (150a to 150e) communicating with the vacuum room (130) independently therein. .

The plurality of pads 110 is a portion that substantially supports the plurality of wafers (W). As enlarged in FIG. 6, the plurality of pads 110 are arranged side by side with a mutually spaced interval H, and the wafers W to be adsorbed and supported are disposed between the spaced interval H. In the present embodiment, a plurality of pads 110 are shown in total, but the scope of the present invention is not necessarily limited to the number thereof.

In order for the wafers W to be disposed between the separation intervals H, a part of the pickup unit 100 may be completely down into the carrier C, or conversely, the wafers W in the carrier C may be completely up. In this embodiment, these are mixed and applied. That is, when the predetermined height is raised while aligning the wafers W in the carrier C through the wafer alignment jig 600 to be described later, the pickup unit 100 is down by a predetermined distance to adsorb the wafers W. A structure for picking up again is proposed. The wafer alignment jig 600 will be described later in detail.

No matter what operation is performed by any structure, the wafers W are disposed between the spacing intervals H of the pads 110, and then contact with the suction surface, which is one surface of the pads 110, to be padded by the pad 110. It can be supported by the adsorption. As will be described later in detail, the adsorption surface refers to a surface on which the surface backing flow paths 112 are formed in the pads 110, and the wafers W are adsorbed on and supported by the adsorption surface.

First, the structure of the pads 110 will be described. Each of the pads 110 may be formed on an inner side surface of the pad 110, and may have an inner back flow path 111 through which a wall provided from the wall room 130 flows, and one side of the pad 110. It is provided on the surface and in communication with the internal back flow path 111 is provided with a surface back flow path 112 to suck the wafer (W) substantially.

For reference, in the present exemplary embodiment, one inner vacuum flow path 111 may be formed to penetrate the inner surfaces of the pads 110, and the surface vacuum flow path 112 may cross the inner vacuum flow path 111. Although two are formed, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, in the present exemplary embodiment, the surface rear channel 112 is shown in the form of a long hole, but may also be implemented in the form of a plurality of holes.

Since the pads 110 are portions in which the wafers W are in frequent contact, the pads 110 of the present embodiment are made of a peak material to prevent damage to the contact surface of the wafers W. FIG. However, in addition to the peak material, other materials may be used as long as it is a material for preventing contact surface damage to the wafer (W).

When the wafers W are disposed between the spacing intervals H of the pads 110, due to the relative position difference between the pads 110 and the wafers W, the wafers W are exposed at the exposed ends of the pads 110 of the wafers W. If bumped, the expensive wafer W may be broken or the pads 110 may be damaged.

Thus, in the present embodiment, the wafers W may be easily disposed between the spacings H of the pads 110 under the condition that the relative positions between the pads 110 and the wafers W are not excessively displaced. As such, the inclined surfaces 110a are formed on both surfaces of the exposed ends of the pads 110. Of course, in some cases, the inclined surface 110a may be formed only on one surface of the exposed ends of the pads 110. In any case, the wafers W may be guided to the inclined surface 110a without hitting the exposed ends of the pads 110. The pads 110 may be easily disposed between the spacing intervals H.

On the other hand, since it is not practically easy to form the shape of each pad 110 shown in the drawings by processing a metal member having a constant volume, in this embodiment, one by one structure to each individual pad 110 substantially the same The plurality is manufactured and coupled to the bath room 130. This makes manufacturing much easier than before. That is, in the present embodiment, a total of 25 individual pads 110 are used to be individually coupled to the bath room 130, so that the pads 110 are manufactured in one body. The scope of the invention is not necessarily limited thereto.

The walling room 130 is a portion that provides backing to a plurality of pads 110, that is, to the inner backing flow path 111 of the pads 110. The back room 130 has a substantially box structure, and a plurality of first independent space parts 130a to 130e are formed in each of them. In the present embodiment, a total of five first independent space parts 130a to 130e are provided in the interior of the bath room 130.

The pads 110 are coupled to the lower region of the battering room 130, wherein the pads 110 and the batting room 130 are combined when the pads 110 are directly bonded to the lower region of the batting room 130. There is a fear that leakage occurs in the bonding region therebetween. Thus, in the present embodiment, by providing a seal 160 in the inlet area of the inner back flow path 111 of the pads 110, the pads 110 and the back room 130 may be kept airtight with each other. .

The shape of the seal 160 may be a unit seal 160 that is individually coupled to each of the inner wall flow paths 111 formed in the pads 110, or the inner wall flow path 111 formed in each of the pads 110. It may be an integral seal (not shown) that is integrally disposed over the entire heads. In the latter case, processing may be relatively difficult, but assembly will have a convenient effect.

In order to couple the pads 110 to the lower region of the bath room 130, a pair of clamps 155 are further provided on both sides of the bath room 130 to clamp the pads 110 to the bath room 130. .

The pair of clamps 155 have a structure in which all of the clamps 155 are detachable in the corresponding area. An inclined surface 155a for pressing the pads 110 upward when the pair of clamps 155 is fastened is formed at the lower end regions of the pair of clamps 155 in contact with the pads 110. In order for the inclined surface 155a formed on the pair of clamps 155 to function properly, the inclined surface 110b (see FIG. 7) is formed on the side surfaces of the pads 110.

Thus, in the state in which the pads 110 are coupled to the lower region of the vacuum room 130, one of the pair of clamps 155 is fixed, and then the rest of the pads 110 are pressed in the direction A shown in FIG. 7. Then, after the inclined surface 155a of the clamp 155 hits the inclined surface 110b of the pad 110, the inclined surface 110b of the pad 110 is pushed up so that the pads 110 are enlarged in FIG. 7. Ascending in the direction can be in close contact with the lower area of the vacuum room 130, in this state it is possible to complete the assembly of the pads 110 by fastening a range of bolts and the like to a pair of clamps (155).

On the other hand, the vacuum fitting unit 150 is coupled to the upper region of the vacuum room 130. In the interior of the vacuum fitting unit 150, the vacuum is provided to the interior of the vacuum chamber 130, but the plurality of first independent space portions 130a to 130e formed in the internal vacuum chamber 130 correspond to each other. Many 2nd independent space parts 150a-150e are provided.

In the present embodiment, since five first independent space parts 130a to 130e are provided, a total of five second independent space parts 150a to 150e are also provided inside the vacuum fitting unit 150. In addition, one second independent space part 150a to 150e supplies a plurality of pads 110 to each of the pads 110 so that the pads 110 may adsorb the wafer W. However, the number of the second independent space parts 150a to 150e and the number of arrangement of the pads 110 for each of the second independent space parts 150a to 150e may be appropriately changed.

The plurality of second independent space parts 150a to 150e are formed by the plurality of partition walls 151 provided inside the vacuum fitting unit 150. As described above, in the present embodiment, since five second independent spaces 150a to 150e are provided in the inside of the vacuum fitting unit 150, four partition walls 151 are provided. At this time, the volumes of the five second independent space portions 150a to 150e are preferably equal to each other, but are not necessarily so.

In addition, although the five second independent space parts 150a to 150e are formed by the partition wall 151 in this embodiment, the scope of the present invention does not need to be limited thereto. That is, the plurality of five unit fitting units (not shown) may be arranged laterally so that the five second independent space parts 150a to 150e may be formed by the five unit fitting units.

The same may be applied to the plurality of first independent space parts 130a to 130e formed inside the vacuum room 130. In other words, a separate partition wall (not shown) may be provided and a plurality of first independent space portions 130a to 130e may be formed inside the wall room 130 by the partition wall, or five unit wall rooms. A plurality of units (not shown) may be arranged laterally so that five first independent space portions 130a to 130e may be formed by five unit double room units.

A plurality of vacuum pipes 180 are disposed in the vacuum fitting unit 150 in which five second independent space parts 150a to 150e are formed and the second independent space parts 150a to 150e are combined. Unlike the related art, the plurality of vacuum pipes 180 are coupled to each of the second independent space parts 150a to 150e, but are coupled to the side surface of the vacuum fitting unit 150. This is because the top space of the back fitting unit 150 is used as a place where the other structure 101 is arranged as shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, since two vacuum pipes 180 are provided for each of the second independent space parts 150a to 150e, a total of 10 vacuum pipes 180 are provided.

In order to form a vacuum through the plurality of vacuum pipes 180, as shown in FIG. 8, a vacuum pump 190, a plurality of main lines 191 and a plurality of branch lines 192 are further provided.

The plurality of main lines 191 are connected to the vacuum pump 190 side and provided as many as the number of the second independent space parts 150a to 150e. Therefore, in this embodiment, a total of five main lines 191 are provided. The plurality of branch lines 192 are branched two by two at the ends of the main lines 191 and are connected to the plurality of vacuum pipes 180, respectively.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, two branch lines 192 branched from one main line 191 are coupled to two second independent space parts 150a to 150e at different positions. Respectively connected to 180. In other words, both of the two branch lines 192 branched from one main line 191 are not connected to one second independent space part 150a to 150e. This is a method for providing the double independent space portions 150a to 150e through the other lines 191 and 192 even if a problem occurs in one of the lines 191 and 192. If a problem occurs, the wafer transfer device can be used without interruption.

The solar cell wafer transfer apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a sealing member interposed between the vacuum chamber 130 and the vacuum fitting unit 150 to hermetically couple the vacuum chamber 130 and the vacuum fitting unit 150 to each other. 170 is further provided.

The sealing member 170 may be made of rubber or silicon similarly to the seal 160 described above, and is provided in one embodiment in one embodiment. The sealing member 170 has a plurality of communication holes 170a to 170e for communicating the five first independent space portions 130a to 130e and the second independent space portions 150a to 150e, respectively. Formed.

In this case, the plurality of communication holes (170a ~ 170e) may be formed one per one of the first independent space portion (130a ~ 130e) and the second independent space portion (150a ~ 150e), the scope of the present invention is limited thereto. It doesn't have to be. Here, the plurality of communication holes 170a to 170e have an area much smaller than the cross-sectional areas of the first independent space portions 130a to 130e and the second independent space portions 150a to 150e.

As a result, if a leak occurs in any one of the five second independent space parts 150a to 150e (for example, the second independent space part of 150a), the remaining second independent space except for the second independent space part of 150a is generated. The back is formed through the portions 150b to 150e, and then through the communication holes 170b to 170e and the first independent space portions 130b to 130e communicating with the remaining second independent space portions 150b to 150e. Since the pads may be formed on the remaining pads 110 except for the pads 110 positioned in the second independent space region of 150a, the solar cell wafer W may be adsorbed without interruption of the apparatus. As a result, according to the present embodiment, even if a leak occurs in any one or more of the five first independent space parts 1230a to 130e and the second independent space parts 150a to 150e, the first and the leaks are generated. By blocking the second independent space portion from affecting the remaining first and second independent space portions, there is no problem in forming the back pads in the remaining pads 110. Therefore, there is an advantage that does not need to interrupt the operation of the entire device.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 4, the wafer alignment jig 600 is further included in the transfer apparatus of the wafer for solar cells of the present embodiment so that the wafers W may be accurately disposed between the separation intervals H of the pickup units 100. It is provided.

2, 3, and 9, the wafer alignment jig 600 is provided in the lower region of the center region of the apparatus main body 500, and the wafers W in the carrier C are aligned, if necessary. It serves to raise the height. That is, the wafer alignment jig 600 is raised up through the inside of the carrier C within a range that does not cause interference with the carrier C, and the wafers W in the carrier C are held within the carrier C. It serves to hold up a predetermined height by gripping to have a clearance of smaller tolerance.

In other words, since the wafers W loaded in the carrier C are generally not precisely aligned to the required level in the carrier C, the pickup unit 100 is in such a state. Approaching the carrier (C) there is a high risk of a number of pads 110 and the wafer (W) hit each other. Therefore, it is necessary to align the wafers W loaded in the carrier C before the plurality of pads 110 pick up the wafers W. The wafer alignment jig 600 performs this role.

The wafer alignment jig 600 includes a plurality of contact pin portions 601 in contact with the wafers W, a connecting plate portion 602 for integrally connecting the plurality of contact pin portions 601 from the bottom, and a connection plate portion ( It is provided with an up / down driving unit 603 coupled with 602 to drive up / down the connecting plate unit 602.

At this time, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 9, the upper ends of the plurality of contact pins 601 have a triangular shape, and the wafers W have grooves 601a between the contact pins 601, which are also triangular in shape. After being in contact with, the predetermined height is up by the up / down driving unit 603.

When the upper ends of the plurality of contact pins 601 form a triangular shape as described above, all the groove portions 601a formed therebetween also form a triangular shape having a predetermined size, and thus are supported as if they fit in the groove portion 601a. The wafers W are naturally aligned by the uniform groove 601a so that the spacing therebetween can be easily and uniformly aligned. By the wafer alignment jig 600, when the pickup unit 100 picks up the wafer W, the wafer W is prevented from being damaged and can be picked up more accurately.

In the present embodiment, the groove 601a has a triangular shape, but the scope of the present invention is not necessarily limited to the shape thereof.

An up / down driving unit 603 for raising a predetermined height up the wafers W spaced by the groove 601a may be applied to a cylinder. However, a linear motor may be applied in addition to the cylinder.

On the other hand, when the wafer alignment jig 600 positioned below the center area of the apparatus main body 500 is to be up, and the wafers W are to be aligned, the carrier C loaded in the carrier loading unit 200 may be used. If the wafer (W) is not loaded into the wafer), only an unnecessary operation is performed, and in this case, a problem of delay of the tact time is expected.

In order to prevent this phenomenon, whether the wafer (W) is loaded on the carrier (C) loaded on the carrier loading unit 200 on both sides of the device body 500 where the carrier loading unit 200 is located. The carrier detecting unit 530 is further provided. The carrier detecting unit 530 may be applied as a laser sensor, and may detect whether the wafer W is loaded in the carrier C by calculating a speed or time at which the irradiated laser arrives.

On the other hand, the solar cell wafer transfer apparatus of this embodiment is provided in the apparatus main body 500, and the wafer W in the carrier C is transferred to the boat B by the wafer transfer unit 400 before being loaded. A buffer alignment unit 700 for aligning the wafers W is further provided.

As shown in FIG. 10, the buffer alignment unit 700 includes a pair of movable moving walls for accessing and spaced apart from both sides of the wafers W picked up by the pickup unit 100 of the wafer transfer unit 400. 701a and 701b.

In detail with respect to the role of the buffer alignment unit 700, when the wafer (W) is picked up by the pickup unit 100, the distance between the wafers (W) is maintained evenly, but both ends of the wafers (W) May be completely out of alignment. Even though both ends of the wafers W are not completely aligned as described above, damage to the wafer W or the boat B may occur in the case of disregarding the wafers W and being transferred to the boat B as it is.

Therefore, if the wafer W picked up by the pickup unit 100 is placed in the buffer alignment unit 700 region again, the pair of alignment moving walls 701a and 701b pressurize both ends of the wafer W. The wafers W picked up by the pickup unit 100 can all be aligned to match their center axes, and in this state, when the wafers W are transported and loaded into the boat B, the wafers W can be easily removed without damage or damage. W) can be transported.

The operation of the transfer device for a solar cell wafer having such a configuration will be briefly described as follows.

First, the carrier C is loaded into the carrier loading unit 200, and the boat B is loaded into the boat loading unit 300. The loading order of these may be any one of them first.

Next, when the wafer alignment jig 600 raises a predetermined height while aligning the wafers W in the carrier C, the pick-up unit 100 of the wafer transfer unit 400 is linked to the unit driver 102. It drives by the operation of, for example, picks up 50 wafers (W).

After the operation of the unit driving unit 102, the pickup unit 100 is moved to the buffer alignment unit 700, and after completing the center axis alignment for the 50 wafers W picked up from the buffer alignment unit 700, Finally it is moved to the boat loading unit 300 to transfer and load the wafers (W) to the boat (B). In this way, when the loading of the 300 wafers (W) in the boat (B) is completed, one cycle is finished and the operation of loading the wafer in a new boat is in progress.

On the other hand, the above operation is a process of transferring the wafer (W) of the carrier (C) to the boat (B) to load, or, as described above, transfer the wafer (W) of the boat (B) to the carrier (C) The loading operation can be performed in the same manner as in the transfer apparatus for the solar cell wafer of this embodiment. That is, if the above operation is reversed, the wafer W of the boat B may be transferred to the carrier C and loaded.

As such, according to the present exemplary embodiment, the wafer W transfer operation between the carrier C and the boat B may be automatically performed, thereby improving work efficiency, and in particular, reducing productivity by reducing tact time. It will be possible to improve.

As described above, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, such modifications or variations will have to be belong to the claims of the present invention.

1 is a schematic plan view of a transfer apparatus of a wafer for a solar cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 and 3 are side views showing FIG. 1 from different directions, respectively.

4 is a front view of the pickup unit.

5 is a partially enlarged perspective view of FIG. 4.

6 is a front cross-sectional view of FIG. 5.

7 is a side view of FIG. 5.

8 is a view schematically showing the line arrangement between the pickup unit and the vacuum pump.

9 is an enlarged structural diagram of a wafer alignment jig.

10 is a view schematically showing an operation state of the buffer alignment unit.

* Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

100: pickup unit 110: pad

111: internal vacuum flow path 112: surface vacuum flow path

130: back room 130a ~ 130e: first independent space part

150: back fitting unit 150a to 150e: second independent space portion

155: Clamp 160: Thread

170: sealing member 170a ~ 170e: communication hole

180: vacuum pipe 190: vacuum pump

200: carrier loading unit 300: boat loading unit

400: wafer transfer unit 500: device body

600: wafer alignment jig 700: buffer alignment unit

Claims (19)

A carrier loading unit into which a carrier is loaded; A boat loading unit provided around the carrier loading unit and loaded with a boat; And A wafer transfer unit provided to be movable between the carrier loading unit and the boat loading unit and transferring a plurality of wafers of solar batteries from the carrier to the boat or from the boat to the carrier Transfer device for a wafer for a solar cell comprising a. The method of claim 1, And a device body partially connected to the carrier loading unit, the boat loading unit and the wafer transfer unit to support the carrier loading unit, the boat loading unit and the wafer transfer unit. Conveying device. The method of claim 2, It is provided in the device body, while holding up the solar cell wafers in the carrier to have a clearance of less than the tolerance in the carrier while being up (up) through the inside of the carrier within a range that does not interfere with the carrier to a predetermined height Transfer device for a wafer for a solar cell further comprises a wafer alignment jig to up (up). The method of claim 3, The wafer alignment jig, A plurality of contact pins contacting the wafers for the solar cell; A connecting plate part which connects the plurality of contact pins integrally from below; And Combined with the connection plate portion of the wafer transfer device for a solar cell comprising a up / down driving unit for driving the connection plate up / down (up / down). The method of claim 4, wherein An upper end portion of the plurality of contact pin portions has a triangular shape, the solar cell wafers are in contact with the groove portion between the contact pin portions, the transfer apparatus of the solar cell wafer. The method of claim 3, The carrier loading unit and the wafer alignment jig are provided in the central region of the device body, the boat loading unit is provided in the side region of the device body characterized in that the transfer device for the wafer for solar cells. The method of claim 6, And a carrier detecting unit provided on both sides of the apparatus main body in which the carrier loading unit is located to detect whether the solar cell wafer is loaded on the carrier loaded on the carrier loading unit. Battery wafer transfer device. The method of claim 7, wherein The carrier for the carrier of the wafer for solar cells, characterized in that the laser sensor. The method of claim 1, The wafer transfer unit, A pickup unit for picking up the plurality of solar cell wafers; And And a unit driver connected to the pickup unit to drive the pickup unit in X, Y, and Z axis directions. 10. The method of claim 9, The pickup unit, A plurality of pads arranged side by side with a mutually spaced interval to adsorb and support the plurality of solar cell wafers; A vacuum room connected to the plurality of pads at one side to provide vacuum to the plurality of pads, and having a plurality of first independent space parts formed therein independently; And A vacuum fitting unit (Vacuum Fitting Unit) is provided with a plurality of second independent spaces connected to the other side of the vacuum room to provide a vacuum to the vacuum room, and a plurality of second independent spaces in communication with the first independent space of the battery room, respectively. Transfer device for a wafer for a solar cell comprising a). The method of claim 1, The boat loading unit, A boat loading body into which the boat is loaded; And And a boat alignment portion provided on the boat loading body to align the boat. The method of claim 11, The boat is made of quartz material, The boat alignment unit is a solar cell wafer transfer device, characterized in that it comprises at least one pusher provided on any one side of the inner wall surface of the boat loading body. The method of claim 11, And a boat sensing unit provided on the boat loading body and detecting whether the solar cell wafer is loaded on the boat. The method of claim 2, The wafer is transferred to the solar cell wafer, characterized in that provided in the main body, the wafer transfer unit further comprises a buffer alignment unit for aligning the wafer for the solar cell before the wafer is transferred to the boat and loaded in the boat Device. The method of claim 14, The buffer aligning unit is a wafer transfer device for a solar cell, characterized in that it comprises a pair of moving wall for alignment and access to both sides of the solar cell wafer picked up by the wafer transfer unit. A carrier loading step in which a carrier is loaded; A boat loading step in which a boat is loaded; Wafer alignment for holding up wafers for solar cells in the carrier to have a clearance of a tolerance smaller than the tolerance in the carrier while being up through the inside of the carrier without causing interference with the carrier. step; And And a wafer transfer step of picking up a plurality of wafers of solar batteries and transferring them from the carrier to the boat or from the boat to the carrier. Way. The method of claim 16, The wafer transfer step, And a buffer alignment step of aligning the wafers for the solar cells before the wafers for the solar cells in the carrier are transferred and loaded into the boat. The method of claim 16, The wafer transfer step, And a carrier detecting step of detecting whether the solar cell wafer is loaded in the carrier. The method of claim 16, The wafer transfer step, And a boat sensing step of detecting whether the solar cell wafer is loaded in the boat.

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