TW201840014A - Apparatus for screen printing of a material on a substrate used in the manufacture of a solar cell, solar cell production apparatus, and method for screen printing of a material on a substrate used in the manufacture of a solar cell - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus (100) for screen printing of a material on a substrate (10) used in the manufacture of a solar cell is provided. The apparatus (100) includes a process head assembly (110) including one or more deposition devices (120) configured for transferring the material from a screen (154) to the substrate (10) and one or more material processing devices (130) for processing of the material on the screen (154), and a drive device (140) configured for moving the process head assembly (110) in a first direction (1) along a substrate support (20) for transferring and processing of the material during a deposition process.

Description

Apparatus for screen-printing material on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing, solar cell production equipment, and method for screen-printing material on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus for screen printing materials on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing, a solar cell production apparatus, and a method for screen printing materials on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing.

Solar cells are photovoltaic devices that directly convert sunlight into electricity. In this field, it is known to use deposition techniques, in particular printing techniques, to produce solar cells on crystalline silicon substrates, thereby implementing selective emitter structures on the front surface of the solar cells. The processing cycle may include at least one printing operation and optionally another material processing operation during which the material is deposited on the substrate by the deposition device. The productivity and / or throughput of the equipment may be limited by the cycle time of the treatment cycle.

In view of the above, new equipment for screen printing materials on substrates used in solar cell manufacturing, solar cell production equipment, and screen printing materials for solar cell manufacturing that overcome at least some problems in the art The method on the substrate is beneficial. The objective of the present disclosure is, inter alia, to provide equipment capable of reducing the cycle time of the processing cycle to increase at least one of productivity and throughput.

In view of the above, an apparatus for screen printing a material on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing, a solar cell production apparatus, and a method for screen printing a material on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing are provided. Additional aspects, benefits, and features of the present disclosure are apparent from the claims, specification, and drawings.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for screen printing materials on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing is provided. The equipment includes a process head assembly and a driving device. The process head assembly includes: one or more deposition devices configured to transfer the material from the screen to the substrate; and one or more materials A processing device, the one or more material processing devices are used to process the material on the screen. The drive device is configured to move the process head assembly along the substrate support in the first direction to transfer and process the material during the deposition process. Scraper film

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a solar cell production facility is provided. The solar cell production equipment includes one or more deposition stations, and equipment for screen printing materials on substrates used in solar cell manufacturing according to embodiments described herein.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for screen printing a material on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing is provided. The method includes moving a process head assembly having one or more deposition devices and one or more material processing devices along a substrate support in a first direction from at least a first position to a second position for use At least one deposition device of the one or more deposition devices transfers the material from the screen to the substrate and performs the alignment using at least one material processing device of the one or more material processing devices The processing of the material on the screen, wherein the transfer and processing of the material are performed during the movement of the process head assembly from the first position to the second position.

The embodiments are also directed to an apparatus for performing the disclosed method and include apparatus components for performing each of the described method aspects. These methods can be implemented by hardware components, computers programmed with appropriate software, two or any combination in any other way. Furthermore, embodiments according to the present disclosure are also directed to methods of operating the device. The method for operating the device includes a method aspect for performing each function of the device.

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more examples of which are shown in the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same components. Generally, only the differences between the various embodiments are described. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the contents of the disclosure, and is not intended as a limitation of the disclosure. In addition, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used in or combined with other embodiments to produce another embodiment. It is expected that the description includes such modifications and changes.

The processing cycle for forming the conductive wiring pattern on the substrate may include at least one deposition process using a deposition device to deposit material on the substrate and at least another process using a material processing device. At least one deposition process and at least another process may be performed sequentially, that is, by using a process head having a deposition device and a material processing device attached thereto to perform two strokes. The double stroke of the deposition process and another process increases the cycle time of the processing cycle. The productivity and / or throughput of the equipment is reduced.

The apparatus for screen-printing materials on a substrate according to the present disclosure uses a movable process head assembly configured to perform material deposition on the substrate using a deposition apparatus and use it simultaneously The material processing device performs material processing. As an example, deposition and material processing can be performed during the same stroke or movement of the process head assembly. The cycle time of the processing cycle can be reduced, and the productivity and / or throughput of the equipment can be increased. Specifically, a layer of material can be provided on the silk screen. A deposition device (which may be a squeegee) can be used to transfer the material from the screen to the substrate. The material processing device may follow the deposition device and provide another layer of material on the screen for deposition on, for example, a subsequent substrate.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus 100 for screen printing materials on a substrate 10 used in solar cell manufacturing according to embodiments described herein. The material may be a material suitable for forming conductive line patterns (such as fingers and / or busbars) on the surface 12 of the substrate 10. As an example, the material may be a paste, such as a silver paste.

The apparatus 100 includes a process head assembly 110 and a driving device. The process head assembly 110 includes: one or more deposition devices 120 configured to transfer material from the wire mesh 154 to the substrate 10; and one or more material processing Device 130, the one or more material processing devices 130 are used to process the material on the wire mesh 154. The driving device is configured to move the process head assembly 110 or a portion of the process head assembly 110 (such as the process head of the process head assembly) along the substrate support 20 in the first direction 1 to remove material from The screen 154 is transferred to the substrate 10 and the material on the screen 154 is processed during the deposition process. In some implementations, the one or more deposition devices 120 can be one or more printing devices, such as a squeegee. Material processing may also be referred to as a "flood phase", which may provide a substantially uniform layer of material on the screen, the substantially uniform layer of material being transferred to, for example, a follow-up that follows the processed substrate Substrate.

Deposition (such as printing) and material processing are performed in one pass or cycle. In other words, deposition and material processing can be performed simultaneously. The combined ink coating movement during the deposition process can reduce process time, such as critical path time. As an example, the critical path time can be reduced by about one third.

In the example of FIG. 1, the process head assembly 110 includes a process head 140, such as a single process head, wherein at least one of the one or more deposition devices 120 and one or more material processing devices 130 At least one of the material processing devices is attached to the process head 140. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the process head assembly may include two or more process heads having respective deposition devices attached thereto and / or Or material handling device. An example of a process head assembly with two process heads is shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.

In some implementations, the deposition and material processing are performed simultaneously during at least a portion of the duration of the deposition process performed using one or more deposition devices. As an example, the material processing may be performed during 50% or more of the duration of the deposition process, specifically 70% or more, and more specifically 90% or more. According to some embodiments, the deposition and material processing are performed simultaneously during substantially the entire duration of the deposition process (such as 100% of the duration of the deposition process). The deposition process may correspond to a stroke or movement performed by the process head, for example, between the first position A and the second position B. The distance between the first position A and the second position B may be equal to or greater than the extension of the substrate 10 or the conductive wiring pattern, so that the conductive wiring pattern or a layer thereof may be deposited on the substrate 10 in one stroke.

The apparatus 100 may include a wire mesh device 150 disposed between the substrate support 20 and the process head assembly 110. The wire mesh device 150 may include a frame 152 and a wire mesh 154 to which the wire mesh 154 is attached. According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, one or more deposition devices 120 may be one or more printing devices. One or more printing devices may each include a squeegee. The squeegee may be configured to contact the screen 154 for printing. In some embodiments, the tip of the squeegee contacts the screen 154 and pushes the material through the screen 154 to print onto the substrate 10. The scraper may be a diamond scraper or an angled scraper.

The screen 154 may include at least one of a mesh, a printing mask, a sheet, a metal sheet, a plastic sheet, a plate, a metal plate, and a plastic plate. In some embodiments, the screen 154 defines a pattern corresponding to the structure to be printed on the substrate, where the pattern may include at least one of holes, slots, cutouts, or other apertures. The pattern may correspond to a conductive line pattern to be printed on the substrate 10, such as fingers and / or bus bars of a solar cell. As an example, the wire mesh 154 may have an opening that defines a conductive line pattern and a wire mesh disposed in the opening. By using one or more material processing devices 130, the material to be deposited on the substrate 10 can be provided on the wire mesh 154 as a substantially uniform layer. Due to the presence of wire mesh, the material does not flow through the opening. During the deposition process, a deposition device, such as a squeegee, exerts force or pressure on the material and pushes the material through the opening so that the material is transferred to the substrate 10 (ie, deposited on the substrate 10).

According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, one or more material processing devices 130 are configured to provide a substantially uniform film of material on the wire mesh 154. In some implementations, material processing allows materials to be transferred onto the substrate 10 in an optimal manner. Optionally or alternatively, one or more material handling devices 130 are configured to recover excess material on the substrate 10 and / or the wire mesh 154. In some implementations, the one or more material processing devices 130 may be flood bars. Material processing may be referred to as "flooding".

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the driving device is configured to move the process head assembly 110 in the first direction 1 from at least the first position A to the second position B, so as to at least The deposition / transportation and processing (eg, distribution) of the material on the screen 154 is performed during the movement from the first position A to the second position B. The movement from the first position A to the second position B or vice versa may correspond to one stroke (such as the first stroke and the second stroke) performed by the process head assembly 110 or its process head, respectively. The first direction 1 may be a horizontal direction 3 perpendicular to the vertical direction 4.

The first position A and the second position B may be defined as corresponding positions of the process head assembly 110 (eg, the process head 140) relative to at least one of the substrate 10, the substrate support 20 and / or the wire mesh 154. The position of the process head assembly 110 may in turn define the respective positions of the one or more deposition devices 120 and the one or more material processing devices 130 relative to at least one of the substrate 10, substrate support 20, and / or screen 154 .

As an example, when the process head assembly 110 or the process head 140 is in the first position A and moves in the first direction 1 ("moving direction"), one of the one or more material processing devices 130 processes The apparatus may be at position (a) and one of the one or more deposition apparatuses 120 may be at position (b). Similarly, when the process head assembly 110 or the process head 140 is in the second position B and moves along the second direction 2 ("moving direction"), the material processing device may be at position (c) and the deposition device may be at position (d). When the process head assembly 110 reaches the second position B from the first position A, the material processing apparatus moves from position (a) to position (c), and the deposition apparatus moves from position (b) to position (d). In some implementations, if the deposition operates equally in both directions, the deposition device does not change position. As an example, in the case of an asymmetric deposition device (such as an angled squeegee), one deposition device is raised and the other deposition device is lowered.

According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the drive device is configured to move the process head assembly 110 in a second direction opposite to the first direction 1 to facilitate movement in the second direction During the deposition and material processing. The movement of the process head assembly 110 in the second direction may correspond to the movement of the process head assembly 110 from the second position B to the first position A. The second direction may be the horizontal direction 3 perpendicular to the vertical direction 4.

In some implementations, the movement of the process head assembly 110 between the first position A and the second position B, such as the first stroke and / or the second stroke may correspond to 400 mm or less, specifically 300 mm or Smaller and more specifically 200 mm or less travel distance. As an example, the travel distance may be in the range of 150 mm to 300 mm, and may specifically be about 220 mm. The travel distance may be equal to or greater than the extension of the substrate 10 or the conductive line pattern. The first position A and the second position B may be relative to the center point between the first position A and the second position B (and specifically the position of the deposition device when the process head assembly 110 is in the first position A ) And the center point between the position (d) of the deposition device when the process head assembly 110 is in the second position B). As an example, when the travel distance between the first position A and the second position B is 220 mm, when the process head assembly 110 is in the first position A, the position (b) of the deposition device may be -110 mm, And when the process head assembly 110 is in the second position B, the position (d) of the deposition device may be +110 mm. In some embodiments, one or more reference positions are provided. The one or more reference positions may be, for example, the center of the substrate (zero position), the position of the deposition device at the beginning of the stroke (eg, -110 mm), and the final position of the deposition device at the completion of the stroke (eg, 110 mm). The paste roll can be moved back and forth from the -110 mm position to the +110 mm position. Since the processing device can be offset from the deposition device (for example, 30 mm), the process head assembly 110 can perform additional operations to return the paste roll to an accurate position.

According to some embodiments, a distance or spacing may be provided between one or more deposition devices and one or more material processing devices. In particular, a distance or spacing may be provided between adjacent or adjacent deposition devices and material processing devices. As an example, the distance or spacing between the deposition device and the adjacent material processing device in the first direction 1 may be 50 mm or less, specifically 40 mm or less, and may be more specifically About 30 mm. Distance or spacing can provide space for material accumulation ("paste roll").

In some embodiments, the device 100 is configured to perform at least double printing. As an example, the conductive line pattern (such as the fingers and / or bus bars of the solar cell) may include two or more material layers. The first material layer may be printed on the substrate 10, and the second material layer may be printed at least partially on top of the first material layer in order to form a conductive line pattern. In some implementations, the apparatus 100 may print the first material layer during the first deposition process, the first deposition process includes a movement or a first stroke from the first position A to the second position B. In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 may print the second material layer during the second deposition process, the second deposition process including a movement or a second stroke from the second position B to the first position A. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the deposition process may be performed using the process head assembly 110 moving in the same direction (for example, the first direction 1 or the second direction). In some embodiments, the substrates are printed alternately, for example, one substrate uses the first direction 1, the other substrate uses the second direction 2, and so on (eg, for each processing or printing station).

In some implementations, the first direction 1 and the second direction 2 may be substantially horizontal directions. The term "horizontal direction" is understood to be different from "vertical direction". That is, the "leveling direction" refers to, for example, a substantially horizontal movement of the process head assembly 110, where a deviation of several degrees from the accurate leveling direction (eg, reaching 5 ° or even reaching 10 °) is still considered a "substantial level Direction. " The vertical direction 4 may be substantially parallel to gravity.

According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus 100, and specifically the process head assembly 110, further includes an actuator assembly configured to move one or More deposition devices 120 and / or one or more material processing devices 130. As an example, the actuator assembly includes one or more first actuators configured to adjust at least one material in one or more material processing devices 130 At least one of the distance between the processing device and the screen 154 and / or substrate support 20 and the angle of the at least one material processing device relative to the screen 154 and / or substrate support 20. Additionally or alternatively, the actuator assembly includes one or more second actuators that are configured to adjust one or more of the deposition devices 120 At least one of the distance between the at least one deposition device and the screen 154 and / or the substrate support 20 and the angle of the at least one deposition device relative to the screen 154 and / or the substrate support 20.

In some implementations, during the movement of the process head assembly 110, for example, between the first position A and the second position B, at least one of the one or more material processing devices 130 may be adjusted or controlled The distance from the wire mesh 154 and / or the substrate support 20 (for example, in a vertical direction). As an example, the distance can be adjusted by adjusting the vertical position of at least one material processing device. Adjusting the vertical position in real time can ensure that at least one material processing device does not interfere with the wire mesh 154, especially when the wire mesh 154 is deformed by contact of the wire mesh 154 with one or more deposition devices 120. According to some embodiments, the distance between at least one of the one or more material processing devices 130 and the screen 154 and / or the substrate support 20 may be adjusted to follow a screen profile. In particular, the vertical position of at least one material processing device can be controlled or adjusted to follow the screen outline. As an example, during the movement of the process head assembly 110, the distance between the at least one material processing device and the screen 154 and / or the substrate support 20 may be adjusted or controlled so that it will be substantially constant.

2A and 2B show schematic views of a process head assembly 220 for deposition (such as printing) and material processing according to embodiments described herein, the process head assembly 220 in the first direction 1 and in Move in the second direction 2.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the one or more material processing devices include at least a first material processing device 230 and a second material processing device 232. When the process head assembly 110 (eg, the process head 140) is in the first position A, the first material processing device 230 is in position (a), the deposition device is in position (b), and the second material processing device 232 is in position (a '). When the process head assembly 110 is in the second position B, the first material processing device 230 is in position (c), the deposition device is in position (d), and the second material processing device 232 is in position (c ').

In some implementations, at least one of the one or more deposition devices 120 is positioned between the first material processing device 230 and the second material processing device 232. Although FIGS. 2A and 2B exemplarily show one deposition device between the first material processing device 230 and the second material processing device 232, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Specifically, there may be more than one deposition device, such as two deposition devices, between the first material processing device 230 and the second material processing device 232.

In another embodiment, the one or more deposition devices 120 include at least a first deposition device and a second deposition device. At least one material processing device of the one or more material processing devices may be positioned between the first deposition device and the second deposition device. As an example, two material processing devices may be positioned between the first deposition device and the second deposition device.

According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, when the process head assembly 220 is moved in the first direction 1, the first material processing device 230 is positioned behind one or more deposition devices 120. When the process head assembly 220 moves in the second direction 2, the second material processing device 232 may be positioned behind one or more deposition devices 120. In other words, the corresponding material processing device follows one or more deposition devices 120 in the moving direction, such as the first direction or the second direction.

As shown in FIG. 2A, during the movement of the process head assembly 110 in the first direction 1, the process head assembly 110 uses the first material processing device 230 of one or more material processing devices to perform material processing. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2B, during the movement of the process head assembly 110 in the second direction 2, the process head assembly 110 uses the second material processing device 232 to perform material processing. The material handling device for material handling during the movement of the process head assembly 110 may be positioned close enough to the wire mesh 154 to allow material handling, such as providing a substantially uniform layer of material on the wire mesh 154. As an example, the distance between the material processing apparatus for performing material processing and the wire mesh 154 (for example, the first distance d1 or the second distance d2 described in the following paragraph) may be based on the At least one of layer thickness, rheology of the material (eg, paste), and composition of the material is selected.

According to some embodiments, during the movement of the process head assembly 220 in the first direction 1, the first distance d1 between the wire mesh 154 and the first material processing device 230 is smaller than the wire mesh 154 and the second material processing device 232 The second distance d2. During the movement of the process head assembly 220 in the second direction 2, the second distance d2 between the wire mesh 154 and the second material processing device 232 may be smaller than the second distance between the wire mesh 154 and the first material processing device 230 One distance d1. The first distance d1 and the second distance d2 may be defined in the vertical direction.

In some implementations, the larger of the first distance d1 and the second distance d2 (ie, the second distance d2 in FIG. 2A and the first distance d1 in FIG. 2B) may be between 5 mm and 25 mm Within a range of 10 mm and 20 mm, and more specifically about 15 mm. The smaller of the first distance d1 and the second distance d2 (ie, the first distance d1 in FIG. 2A and the second distance d2 in FIG. 2B) may be in the range between 0.01 mm and 2 mm, specifically Is in the range between 0.05 mm and 1.5 mm, and more specifically may be in the range between 0.1 mm and 1 mm.

In some implementations, during the movement between the first position A and the second position B, the first distance d1 and / or the second distance d2 may be adjusted or controlled. The immediate adjustment of the first distance d1 and / or the second distance d2 can ensure that at least one material processing device does not interfere with the wire mesh 154. According to some embodiments, the first distance d1 and / or the second distance d2 may be adjusted to follow the screen outline. According to some embodiments, only the distance of the material handling device being used is adjusted. The distance of the unused material processing device can be kept constant. As an example, the distance of the material processing device in use may be adjusted so as to maintain the distance between the material processing device and the wire mesh 154 (such as the first distance d1 or the second distance d2) to be substantially stable.

According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the device 100, and specifically the process head assembly 220 (eg, the process head 140) also includes an actuator assembly that is It is configured to move one or more deposition devices 120 and / or one or more material processing devices. As an example, the actuator assembly includes one or more first actuators configured to adjust at least one material processing of one or more material processing devices The distance between the device and the screen 154 and / or the substrate support 20 (eg, the first distance d1 and / or the second distance d2) and the at least one material processing device relative to the screen 154 and / or the substrate support 20 At least one of the angles. As an example, one or more first actuators may include a first actuator unit and a second actuator unit, the first actuator unit configured to adjust the first material processing device 230 and the wire mesh 154 And / or the first distance d1 between the substrate support 20, the second actuator unit is configured to adjust the second distance d2 between the second material processing device 232 and the screen 154 and / or the substrate support 20.

The actuators in the actuator assembly, such as one or more first actuators and / or one or more second actuators, can be selected from the group consisting of: stepper motor (stepper motor), linear motor, pneumatic motor and any combination of them.

Figure 3 shows a schematic view of an apparatus for depositing materials on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing according to further embodiments described herein.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, one or more deposition devices 120 are configured to contact the wire mesh 154 during the deposition process. One or more material processing devices 130 for performing material processing during the deposition process may be configured not to contact the wire mesh 154 during the deposition process. Specifically, one or more material processing devices 130 may be spaced apart from the wire mesh 154 by, for example, the first distance and / or the second distance described with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B.

In some implementations, the distance between the one or more deposition devices 120 and the substrate support 20 may be less than the distance between the one or more material processing devices 130 and the substrate support 20. In the example of FIG. 3, the distance between the one or more deposition devices 120 and the substrate support 20 may substantially correspond to the combined thickness of the wire mesh 154 and the substrate 10. The deposition device can apply force to the wire mesh. The screen is deformed, and the force applied by the deposition device that is less than the resistance of the screen is transmitted to the substrate.

In FIG. 3, the difference d between the distance between the one or more deposition devices 120 and the substrate 10 and the distance between the one or more material processing devices 130 and the substrate 10 is shown. The difference d may be defined relative to the substrate 10 or alternatively to the substrate support 20 (such as the support surface of the substrate support configured to support the substrate during the deposition process) and / or the level . The leveling plane may be defined by the support surface. In some implementations, the difference d may correspond to the height difference between the tips of the one or more deposition devices 120 and the one or more material processing devices 130 (eg, in the vertical direction). The difference d may be in the range between 5 mm and 25 mm, specifically in the range between 10 mm and 20 mm, and more specifically may be about 15 mm. The distance d can be changed by linearly moving one or more material handling devices 130, as indicated by arrow 5.

4A and 4B show schematic diagrams of a process head assembly of an apparatus for depositing material on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing according to further embodiments described herein.

According to other embodiments that can be combined with the embodiments described herein, the device and specifically the process head assembly includes two or more process heads. The two or more process heads can be controlled and / or moved independently of each other. As an example, the process head assembly includes a first process head and a second process head. The first driving device may be configured to move the first process head in, for example, the first direction and / or the second direction, and the second driving device may be provided, for example, in the first direction and / or the second direction Move the second process head. At least one of the one or more deposition devices may be attached to the first process head, and at least one of the one or more material processing devices is attached to the second process head.

In the example of FIG. 4A, the process head assembly 410 includes a first process head 412 and a second process head 414. At least one of the one or more deposition devices is attached to the first process head 412. At least one material processing device of the one or more material processing devices is attached to the second process head 414. In the current example, a deposition device or material processing device is attached to the corresponding process head. In other words, each process head has a deposition device or material processing device attached thereto. Although one deposition apparatus and one material processing apparatus are shown, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and two or more deposition apparatuses may be attached to the first process head 412. Likewise, two or more material handling devices may be attached to the second process head 414.

4B, the process head assembly 420 includes a first process head 422 and a second process head 424. At least one of the one or more deposition devices and at least one of the one or more material processing devices are attached to the first process head 422. At least another deposition device of the one or more deposition devices and at least another material processing device of the one or more material processing devices are attached to the second process head 424. In the current example, both the deposition device and the material processing device are attached to the corresponding process head.

Although one deposition device and one material processing device are shown at the head of each process, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and two or more deposition devices and / or two or more material processing The device may be attached to the first process head 422. Likewise, two or more deposition devices and / or two or more material processing devices may be attached to the second process head 424.

5 shows a schematic diagram of a process head assembly 510 of an apparatus for depositing material on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing according to further embodiments described herein. The process head assembly 510 may include or may be the process head 540.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus and specifically the process head assembly 510 includes an actuator assembly configured to move one or more deposits The device 520 and / or one or more material processing devices (such as the first material processing device 530 and the second material processing device 532). The one or more deposition devices 520 may be scrapers, such as rectangular scrapers. The squeegee may have a tip 522, such as a rectangular tip. According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, one or more deposition devices may be substantially symmetrical. As one example, one or more deposition devices may have substantially symmetrical tips, so that the same (eg, single) deposition device may be used for printing in the first direction and the second direction.

In some embodiments, the actuator assembly includes one or more first actuators 562 configured to adjust one or more material handling devices and wires The distance between the mesh and / or substrate support, and optionally adjusting the angle of one or more processing devices relative to the wire mesh and / or substrate support. As one example, the one or more first actuators 562 may include a first actuator unit configured to adjust the distance between the first material processing device 530 and the wire mesh ( For example, at least one of the first distance) and the angle (such as the first angle) of the first material processing device 530 relative to the wire mesh and / or the substrate support. The one or more first actuators 562 may include a second actuator unit configured to adjust the distance (such as the second distance) between the second material processing device 532 and the wire mesh ) And at least one of the angles (such as a third angle) of the second material processing device 532 with respect to the wire mesh and / or the substrate support. In some implementations, one or more first actuators 562 may only move the processing device linearly. Another actuator may be provided that is configured to change the angle of the head assembly throughout the process.

In some implementations, the one or more first actuators 562 are configured to adjust the distance between the one or more material processing devices and the wire mesh. As one example, the one or more first actuators 562 enable one or more material processing devices (such as the first material processing device 530 and the second material processing device 532) to move substantially parallel to each other. The one or more first actuators 562 may be linear actuators, such as linear motors.

Additionally or alternatively, the actuator assembly includes one or more second actuators 564 configured to adjust one or more deposition devices 520 and wires The distance between the mesh and / or substrate support, and optionally adjusting the angle (such as a second angle) of the one or more deposition devices 520 relative to the wire mesh and / or substrate support. As one example, one or more second actuators 564 may be configured to move one or more deposition devices 520 toward the screen to contact the screen. The one or more second actuators 564 may be further configured to adjust the pressure applied by the one or more deposition devices 520 to the wire mesh. The one or more second actuators 564 may be configured to move the one or more deposition devices 520 in a direction substantially parallel to the moving direction provided by the one or more first actuators 562. The distance between the tip of the processing device and the wire mesh can be controlled by inserting one or more first actuators 562 and one or more second actuators 564 (for example, "d1" in FIG. 2B ).

The distance between the one or more material processing devices and the one or more deposition devices 520 relative to the wire mesh and / or substrate support may be defined in a vertical plane. Also, the angles of the respective material processing devices and deposition devices relative to the wire mesh and / or substrate support, such as the first angle to the third angle, may be defined relative to the vertical plane.

In some implementations, the device includes one or more rotary actuators that are configured to rotate the process head assembly 510, which will specifically be its process head. The one or more rotary actuators may be configured to adjust the angle of the process head assembly or process head relative to the screen and / or substrate support. In FIG. 5, the angle α between the wire mesh and / or the substrate support and the process head may be defined relative to the vertical plane. When moving in the first direction, the process head assembly 510 may have an angle + α, which may correspond to the tilt of the process head assembly 510 in the clockwise direction.

When moving in the second direction, the process head assembly 510 may have an angle -α, and this angle may correspond to the inclination of the process head assembly 510 in the counterclockwise direction. The angles + α and -α may be 70 ° or less relative to the vertical plane or direction, specifically 60 ° or less, more specifically 40 ° or less, and even more specifically 20 ° or less. As an example, the angles + α and -α may be in the range between 20 ° and 70 °, and more specifically in the range between 40 ° and 70 °.

In some embodiments, one configuration of the process head assembly 510 may include one or more first actuators 562 and one or more second actuators 564 so as to be linear and substantially parallel to each other One or more processing devices and one or more deposition devices are driven, and may further include one or more rotary actuators configured to rotate the process head assembly 510. Another configuration of the process head assembly 510 may include one or more first actuators 562 and one or more second actuators 564, the one or more first actuators 562 for One or more processing devices are driven linearly and substantially parallel to each other, the one or more second actuators 564 are used to drive one or more deposition devices linearly (eg, vertically), And rotate one or more deposition devices.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus is configured to adjust, for example, one of at least one of the one or more material processing devices before, during, and / or after the deposition process or More processing parameters. The one or more processing parameters are selected from the group consisting of: a distance (such as a first distance and / or a second distance) between at least one material processing device and the wire mesh and / or substrate support, and at least one material The angle of the processing device relative to the wire mesh and / or substrate support.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus is configured to adjust one or more deposition parameters of one or more deposition devices 520, for example, before, during, and / or after the deposition process. The one or more deposition parameters may be selected from the group consisting of: the distance between at least one of the one or more deposition devices 520 and the screen and / or substrate support, one or more depositions The angle of at least one deposition device in device 520 relative to the wire mesh and / or substrate support, the movement speed of the process head assembly (eg, the process head) relative to the wire mesh and / or substrate support, and one or At least one of the more deposition devices acts on the pressure on the screen used in the deposition process, for example.

In some implementations, at least one of the one or more processing parameters is adjusted during the deposition process, especially during the material processing. Additionally or alternatively, during the deposition process, at least one of the one or more deposition parameters is adjusted. The instant adjustment of the processing parameters and / or deposition parameters can improve the quality of the conductive line pattern. According to some embodiments, at least one of the one or more processing parameters may be adjusted based on or based on the one or more deposition parameters.

6 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus 600 for screen printing materials on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing according to further embodiments described herein.

According to some embodiments that can be combined with the embodiments described herein, the device and specifically the process head assembly includes two or more process heads (also referred to as "grouping" or "process grouping"). The two or more process heads can be controlled and / or moved independently of each other. As an example, the process head assembly includes a first process head 610 and a second process head 620. The first deposition device 612 of the one or more deposition devices is attached to the first process head 610, and the second deposition device 622 of the one or more deposition devices is attached to the second process head 620. Likewise, the first material processing device 614 of the one or more material processing devices is attached to the first process head 610, and the second material processing device 624 of the one or more material processing devices is attached to the second Process head 620.

The one or more deposition devices may be angled deposition devices, such as angled scrapers or precision scrapers. Each angled deposition device can be configured for printing in only one direction (this is different from the previously described diamond squeegee, which is substantially symmetrical and is configured for forward And printing in both directions). To be able to perform printing in two directions, the process head assembly includes two angle deposition devices (eg, first deposition) between the material processing device (eg, first material processing device 614 and second material processing device 624) Device 612 and second deposition device 622).

During the deposition process performed in the first direction 1, the second process head 620 having the second deposition device 622 and the second material processing device 624 may be lifted. In other words, during the deposition process performed in the first direction 1, the second process head 620 is not used. The first process head 610 is lowered so that the first deposition device 612 contacts the screen 154 to transfer the material 30 onto a substrate (not shown). A distance is provided between the first material processing device 614 and the wire mesh 154 such that the first material processing device 614 following the first deposition device 612 provides a substantially uniform film or layer of material 30 on the wire mesh 154.

During the subsequent deposition process performed in the second direction opposite to the first direction 1, the first process head 610 is raised and the second process head 620 is lowered. The second deposition device 622 contacts the wire mesh 154 to transfer the material on the wire mesh (ie, the film or layer previously provided to the substrate by the first material processing device 614) onto the substrate, which may be the same substrate as the previous substrate (For example, if double printing is performed) or another / subsequent substrate.

Although one deposition device and one material processing device are shown at the head of each process, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and two or more deposition devices and / or two or more material processing The device may be attached to the first process head 610. Likewise, two or more deposition devices and / or two or more material processing devices may be attached to the second process head 620.

According to some embodiments, two or more process heads (eg, the first process head 610 and the second process head 620) may move or lift in the vertical direction. Additionally or alternatively, two or more process heads may be configured to move one or more deposition devices and / or one or more material processing devices, as previously described herein.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a solar cell production apparatus 700 according to embodiments described herein.

The solar cell production apparatus 700 includes one or more deposition stations 720, and an apparatus 725 for screen printing materials on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing according to embodiments described herein. The apparatus 725 may be provided in at least one of the one or more deposition stations 720.

The solar cell production apparatus 700 may include one or more other stations upstream and / or downstream of the one or more deposition stations 720. As one example, the solar cell production apparatus 700 may include a first inspection station 710 for inspecting substrates to be input into one or more deposition stations 720. The solar cell production apparatus 700 may include a drying station 730 for drying materials deposited on the substrate in one or more deposition stations 720. In some embodiments, the solar cell production apparatus 700 may include a second inspection station 740 for inspecting conductive wiring patterns deposited on the substrate in one or more deposition stations 720.

The solar cell production equipment 700, in particular one or more deposition stations 720 with equipment according to the present disclosure, may be of a larger production system (such as an in-line production system) for producing solar cells section.

8 shows a flowchart of a method 800 of screen printing materials on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing according to embodiments described herein. Method 800 may be implemented using equipment for screen printing materials on substrates used in solar cell manufacturing according to embodiments described herein.

Method 800 includes, at block 810, moving a process head assembly having one or more deposition devices and one or more material processing devices in a first direction along a substrate support at least from a first position to a second Position so that the material is transferred from the screen to the substrate using at least one of the one or more deposition devices, and the material on the screen is performed using at least one of the one or more material processing devices Processing, wherein at least during the process of moving the head assembly from the first position to the second position, the material transfer and processing are performed. In some implementations, the method 800 includes, at block 820, moving the process head assembly in a second direction opposite to the first direction to perform material transfer (such as printing) during movement in the second direction and deal with.

The transfer and processing of the material may be performed simultaneously during at least a portion of the duration of the deposition process, and specifically during substantially the entire duration of the deposition process. One or more material processing devices may provide, for example, a substantially uniform film or layer of material on the wire mesh. Optionally, one or more material handling devices may recover excess material from the wire mesh.

According to the embodiments described herein, the method of screen printing materials on substrates used in solar cell manufacturing can be performed using computer programs, software, computer software products, and related controllers, which can have a CPU, memory , User interface, and input and output devices that communicate with the corresponding elements of equipment used to deposit materials on substrates used in solar cell manufacturing.

The present disclosure uses a movable process head assembly that is configured to perform the following operations simultaneously: depositing material on a substrate using a deposition device and material processing using a material processing device. As an example, deposition and material processing can be performed during the same stroke of the process head assembly. The cycle time of the processing cycle can be reduced, and the productivity and / or throughput of the equipment can be increased. Specifically, a layer of material can be provided on the silk screen. A deposition device (which can be a squeegee) can be used to transfer the material from the screen to the substrate. The material processing device may follow the deposition device and provide another layer of material on the screen to facilitate deposition on subsequent substrates.

Although the above is directed to the embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure can be designed without departing from the basic scope of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is determined by the accompanying rights The request is confirmed.

1‧‧‧ First direction

2‧‧‧Second direction

3‧‧‧horizontal direction

4‧‧‧Vertical

5‧‧‧arrow

10‧‧‧ substrate

12‧‧‧Surface

20‧‧‧ substrate support

30‧‧‧Material

100‧‧‧ Equipment

110‧‧‧ Process head assembly

120‧‧‧Deposition device

130‧‧‧Material processing device

140‧‧‧ Process head

150‧‧‧ Wire mesh device

152‧‧‧Frame

154‧‧‧ Wire mesh

220‧‧‧Process head assembly

230‧‧‧First material processing device

232‧‧‧Second material processing device

410‧‧‧Process head assembly

412‧‧‧ First process head

414‧‧‧second process head

420‧‧‧Process head assembly

422‧‧‧ First process head

424‧‧‧second process head

510‧‧‧Process head assembly

520‧‧‧Deposition device

522‧‧‧tip

530‧‧‧First material processing device

540‧‧‧ Process head

562‧‧‧ First actuator

564‧‧‧Second actuator

610‧‧‧ First process head

612‧‧‧First deposition device

614‧‧‧First material processing device

620‧‧‧second process head

622‧‧‧Second deposition device

624‧‧‧Second material processing device

700‧‧‧Solar cell production equipment

710‧‧‧ First Checkpoint

720‧‧‧Deposition Station

725‧‧‧Equipment

730‧‧‧Drying station

740‧‧‧ Second Checkpoint

800‧‧‧Method

810‧‧‧box

820‧‧‧block

A‧‧‧ first position

B‧‧‧ second position

d‧‧‧Difference

d1‧‧‧first distance

d2‧‧‧second distance

α‧‧‧ angle

Therefore, in order to be able to understand the above-mentioned features of the present disclosure in detail, a more specific description of the present disclosure briefly summarized above can be made with reference to the embodiments. The drawings relate to various embodiments of the present disclosure and are described as follows:

1 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus for screen printing materials on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing according to embodiments described herein;

2A and 2B show schematic diagrams of a process head assembly for printing and material processing according to embodiments described herein, the process head assembly moving in a first direction and in a second direction, respectively;

3 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus for screen printing materials on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing according to further embodiments described herein;

4A and 4B show schematic views of a process head assembly of an apparatus for screen printing a material on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing according to further embodiments described herein;

5 shows a schematic view of a process head assembly of an apparatus for screen printing materials on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing according to further embodiments described herein;

6 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus for screen printing a material on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing according to further embodiments described herein;

7 shows a schematic diagram of a solar cell production facility according to embodiments described herein; and

8 shows a flowchart of a method for screen printing a material on a substrate used in solar cell manufacturing according to further embodiments described herein.

Domestic hosting information (please note in order of hosting institution, date, and number) None

Overseas hosting information (please note in order of hosting country, institution, date, number) No

Claims (20)

An apparatus for screen printing a material on a substrate used in the manufacture of a solar cell, the apparatus includes: a process head assembly, the process head assembly includes: one or more deposition devices, the one Or more deposition devices configured to transfer the material from a screen to the substrate; and one or more material processing devices configured to process the screen The material on the top; a driving device configured to move the process head assembly in a first direction along a substrate support to transport and process the material during a deposition process. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screen is disposed between the substrate support and the process head assembly, wherein the one or more deposition devices include a scraper, and wherein the scraper is configured as Contact with this screen for printing. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more material processing devices include at least a first material processing device and a second material processing device, wherein at least one of the one or more deposition devices The deposition device is positioned between the first material processing device and the second material processing device. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising one or more first actuators, the one or more first actuators configured to adjust the The distance between at least one material handling device and the wire mesh. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more first actuators include a first actuator unit and a second actuator unit, the first actuator unit is configured to adjust the A first distance between the first material processing device and the wire mesh, the second actuator unit is configured to adjust a second distance between the second material processing device and the wire mesh. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the material processing may be referred to as ink coating. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the process head assembly includes a first process head and a second process head, wherein at least one of the one or more deposition devices is attached to The first process head, and at least one of the one or more material processing devices is attached to the second process head, or wherein the process head assembly includes a process head, wherein the one At least one of the one or more deposition devices and at least one of the one or more material processing devices are attached to the process head. A solar cell production facility, the solar cell production facility comprising: one or more deposition stations, the device as described in one of claims 1 to 2, the device being in at least one of the one or more deposition stations In a deposition station. A method for screen printing a material on a substrate used in the manufacture of a solar cell, the method comprising the following steps: There will be one or more deposition devices in a first direction along a substrate support And a process head assembly of one or more material processing devices moves from at least a first position to a second position to use at least one of the one or more deposition devices to remove the material from a thread The web is transferred to the substrate and at least one of the one or more material processing devices is used to perform processing of the material on the screen, wherein the transfer and the processing are performed at the process head assembly from the It is executed during the movement of the first position to the second position. The method of claim 9, wherein the transfer and processing of the material are performed simultaneously during at least a portion of the duration of a deposition process. The method of claim 9 or 10, wherein the one or more material processing devices are configured to provide a substantially uniform film of the material on the screen. The method according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising the steps of: moving the process head assembly in a second direction opposite to the first direction, so as to perform the process during the movement in the second direction Material transfer and handling. The method of claim 9, wherein moving the process head assembly along the first direction uses a first material processing device of the one or more material processing devices. The method of claim 13, wherein moving the process head assembly along the second direction uses a second material processing device of the one or more material processing devices. The method of claim 13, wherein when the process head assembly is moved in the first direction, the first material processing device is positioned behind the one or more deposition devices. The method of claim 14, wherein when the process head assembly is moved in the second direction, the second material processing device is positioned behind the one or more deposition devices. The method according to any one of claims 13 or 16, wherein during the movement of the process head assembly in the first direction, a distance between the screen and the first material processing device is less than the A distance between the wire mesh and the second material processing device, and wherein during the movement of the process head assembly in the second direction, a distance between the wire mesh and the second material processing device is less than A distance between the screen and the first material processing device. The method according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising the steps of: adjusting one or more processing parameters of at least one material processing device of the one or more material processing devices, wherein the one or more The processing parameters are selected from the group consisting of: a distance between the at least one material processing device and at least one of the screen and the substrate support; and the at least one material processing device relative to the screen and the An angle of at least one of the substrate supports. The method according to any one of claims 9 or 10, further comprising the steps of: adjusting one or more deposition parameters of at least one of the one or more deposition devices, wherein the one or More deposition parameters are selected from the group consisting of: a distance between the at least one deposition device and the substrate support; an angle of the at least one deposition device relative to the substrate support; the process head assembly A moving speed of the substrate support; and a pressure acting on the screen by the at least one deposition device. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of the following is applied: at least one of the one or more processing parameters is adjusted during the material processing, and the one or more deposition parameters At least one of the deposition parameters is adjusted during the transfer process.