TW201841380A - Apparatus for processing of substrates used in the manufacture of solar cells, system for the manufacture of solar cells, and method for processing of substrates used in the manufacture of solar cells - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an apparatus (100) for processing of substrates (10) used in the manufacture of solar cells. The apparatus (100) includes a transport arrangement (110) having at least a first transport line (112) and a second transport line (114) configured for transportation of the substrates (10), and a substrate processing arrangement (120) at the transport arrangement (110). The substrate processing arrangement (120) includes a laser device (122) configured to provide a laser beam for processing of the substrates (10), and a deflection device (124) having a first operational state and a second operational state, wherein the deflection device (124) is configured to direct the laser beam towards the first transport line (112) in the first operational state and towards the second transport line (114) in the second operational state.

Description

Apparatus for processing substrates used in the manufacture of solar cells, systems for solar cell manufacture, and methods for processing substrates used in manufacture of solar cells

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus for processing a substrate used in the manufacture of solar cells, a system for solar cell manufacture, and a method for processing a substrate used in the manufacture of solar cells. Embodiments of the present invention particularly relate to an apparatus, system, and method for the manufacture of overlapping solar cells.

Solar cells are photovoltaic (PV) elements that directly convert sunlight into electrical energy. Equipment for solar cell processing may have a line configuration with multiple transport lines, where multiple process stations may be provided along the transport line. In order to increase the output of the equipment, multiple transportation lines can be arranged in parallel, and each transportation line has a corresponding process station. This equipment consumes considerable installation space. In addition, costs related to operation and maintenance are generated, for example.

In view of the above, new devices for processing substrates used in the manufacture of solar cells, systems for solar cell manufacture, and substrates used in the manufacture of solar cells that overcome at least some of the problems in the technical field The method is helpful. The object of the present invention is in particular to provide devices, systems and methods that can provide higher yields and / or reduce complexity.

In view of the above, an apparatus for processing a substrate used in the manufacture of solar cells, a system for solar cell manufacture, and a method for processing a substrate used in the manufacture of solar cells are provided. Further aspects, benefits and features of the present invention will be apparent from the scope of patent application, specification and drawings.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for processing a substrate used in the manufacture of solar cells. The apparatus includes: a transportation arrangement having at least a first transportation line and a second transportation line and configured for transportation of substrates; and a substrate processing arrangement arranged at the transportation arrangement. The substrate processing arrangement includes: a laser device configured to provide a laser beam for processing of a substrate; and a deflection device, the deflection device having a first operating state and a second operating state, wherein the The deflection device is configured to guide the laser beam toward the first transport line in the first operating state and to direct the laser beam toward the second transport line in the second operating state.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a system for solar cell manufacturing is provided. The system includes: one or more process stations; and an apparatus for processing substrates used in the manufacture of solar cells according to embodiments described herein. At least one process station of the one or more process stations includes a substrate processing arrangement.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for processing a substrate used in the manufacture of solar cells is provided. The method includes: using a deflection device having a first operating state to guide the laser beam toward a first transportation line, and changing the first operating state of the deflecting device to a second operating state to direct the laser beam toward the The second transport route is guided for substrate processing.

The embodiments are also directed to an apparatus for performing the disclosed method, and include apparatus components for performing each disclosed method aspect. These methodological aspects can be performed by hardware components, computers programmed with appropriate software programs, any combination of the two, or in any other way. Furthermore, the embodiments according to the invention are also directed to the method of operation of the described device. The operation method of the device includes a method aspect of performing various functions of the device.

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same components. In general, only the differences with respect to individual implementations are described. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the contents of the invention and does not represent the limitations of the invention. In addition, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used in other embodiments or combined with them to produce another embodiment. It is expected that the description includes such modifications and changes.

In the equipment for solar cell processing, two transportation lines can be provided for parallel processing of multiple solar cells. Multiple process stations can be provided along each transport route. Each process station can be provided with two, that is, one for each of the two transportation routes. A corresponding process station is provided for each transportation line to increase the equipment occupation area and consume a considerable installation space. In addition, for example, in terms of operation and maintenance, costs are incurred because there are two for each process station.

The present invention uses a laser device for substrate processing (such as laser scribing) and a deflection device that can deflect the laser beam provided by the laser device. The deflection device can guide the laser beam towards the first transportation line or the second transportation line, depending on the operating state of the deflection device. Switching the operating state can redirect the laser beam from the first transportation line to the second transportation line, and vice versa. The same laser device can be used to process substrates positioned on both the first transportation line and the second transportation line. The complexity and / or footprint of the device can be reduced. The working cycle of the laser device can be increased.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of an apparatus 100 for processing a substrate 10 used in the manufacture of solar cells according to embodiments described herein. The substrate 10 may be a wafer, such as a silicon wafer.

The apparatus 100 includes a transportation arrangement 110 having at least a first transportation line 112 and a second transportation line 114 and configured to transport the substrate 10; and a substrate processing arrangement 120 that is arranged in the transportation arrangement 110 Office. The substrate processing arrangement 120 includes: a laser device 122 configured to provide a laser beam 123 for processing of the substrate 10; and a deflection device 124 that has a first operating state and a second operating state. The deflection device 124 is configured to guide the laser beam 123 toward the first transportation line 112 in the first operating state and direct the laser beam toward the second transportation line 114 in the second operating state.

The apparatus 100 may guide the same laser beam provided by a single laser device to both the first transportation line 112 and the second transportation line 114 to alternately process the substrates transported on the first transportation line 112 and the second transportation line 114. Specifically, instead of using two laser devices that operate separately on each transportation line, the present invention uses a single laser device and delivers the laser beam 123 to one side and the other side by switching the operating state of the deflection device 124 . In some implementations, switching the operating state may include switching the position or orientation of the mirror. The duty cycle of the laser device 122 can be increased. For example, during the movement of the substrate on one transportation line, the laser device can process the substrate on another transportation line.

According to some embodiments, the first transportation line 112 and the second transportation line 114 may extend adjacent to each other and / or substantially parallel to each other. The substrate processing arrangement 120 may be provided between the first transportation line 112 and the second transportation line 114. In some embodiments, the substrate processing arrangement 120 may be disposed above at least a portion of the first transportation line 112 and the second transportation line 114 and / or may extend over at least a portion of the first transportation line 112 and the second transportation line 114.

The transport arrangement 110 may be configured for transporting substrates, for example, along a substantially linear path. Specifically, the first transportation route 112 may provide a first transportation direction, and the second transportation route 114 may provide a second transportation direction (hereinafter referred to as "transportation direction 1"). The first transport direction and the second transport direction may be substantially parallel to each other. The transportation direction provided by the first transportation line 112 and the second transportation line 114 may be or correspond to the transportation direction 1. The transport direction 1 may be a substantially horizontal direction.

The term "substantially parallel" refers to a substantially parallel orientation, such as a transportation route and / or a transportation direction, where a deviation of several degrees (eg, at most 1 ° or even at most 5 °) from a precise parallel orientation is still shown as "essentially In parallel". Deviations can be caused by manufacturing tolerances of the device 100, for example.

The term "horizontal direction" is understood as a distinction from "vertical direction". That is, the "horizontal direction" refers to a substantially horizontal direction, in which a deviation of a few degrees from the completely horizontal direction (for example, at most 5 ° or even at most 10 °) is still regarded as "a substantially horizontal direction". The vertical direction may be substantially parallel to gravity.

According to some embodiments, the first transportation line 112 and / or the second transportation line 114 may be a conveyor, such as a belt conveyor. The belt conveyor may include a roller rotatable about an axis of rotation and one or more belts provided on the roller. One or more belts are configured to support the substrate 10 during transportation of the substrate 10 in the transportation direction 1, which may be a substantially horizontal direction.

According to a further embodiment, the first transportation line 112 and / or the second transportation line 114 includes one or more guide rails and a shuttle movable along the one or more guide rails. The shuttle is configured to support and transport the substrate 10 along the guide rail.

According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus 100 includes a controller configured to change or switch the operating state of the deflection device 124. Specifically, the controller may be configured to change the first operating state to the second operating state and the second operating state to the first operating state. The switching of the operating state is further explained with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B.

In some implementations, when the laser beam 123 is directed toward the first transportation line 112 for substrate processing, the first transportation line 112 and the substrate positioned thereon are substantially stationary. Likewise, when the laser beam 123 is directed to the second transportation line 114 for substrate processing, the second transportation line 114 and the substrate positioned thereon may be substantially stationary. Substrate processing (such as laser scribing) can be performed while the substrate is stationary, ie, not moving. The quality (such as accuracy) of substrate processing can be improved. For example, the alignment of features created on the substrate through the laser beam 123 can be improved. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and substrate processing may be performed when the corresponding transportation route and the substrate positioned thereon are moved.

Additionally or alternatively, when the laser beam 123 is directed toward the second transportation line 114 for substrate processing, the first transportation line 112 is non-stationary, that is, the substrate is moved / transported in the transportation direction 1. Similarly, when the laser beam 123 is directed toward the first transport line 112 for substrate processing, the second transport line 114 may be non-stationary, that is, move / transport the substrate in the transport direction 1. The duty cycle of the laser device 122 can be increased. Specifically, during the movement of the substrate on one transportation line, the laser device 122 can process the substrate on the other transportation line.

In some implementations, the device 100 is configured to operate the first transportation line 112 and the second transportation line 114 independently of each other. For example, as described above, the first transport line 112 and the second transport line 114 can be operated asynchronously and / or alternately, for example, so that the laser device 122 can process the substrate while it is moving on one transport line Substrates on another (for example, stationary) transport line.

According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the laser device 122 is configured for laser scribing. Laser scribing can be used to construct the surface of the substrate 10. For example, micro channels can be formed to increase the efficiency of solar cells. In addition, laser scribing may be used to locally ablate materials provided on the substrate 10, such as partially ablating the dielectric layer. In a further implementation, the laser device 122 may be configured to cut or divide the substrate into two or more pieces, for example for manufacturing overlapping solar cells.

In some implementations, the laser device 122 may be configured to provide a laser beam 123 having a wavelength between 200 nm and 1500 nm, and specifically between 300 nm and 1100 nm. For example, the laser device 122 may be configured to provide a laser beam 123 having a wavelength of about 355 nm, about 532 nm, and / or about 1064 nm. The width and diameter of the laser beam 123 may be in the range between 10 µm and 500 µm, especially between 10 µm and 100 µm and more particularly between 30 µm and 70 µm. The power provided by the laser device 122 may be in the range between 10 W and 500 W and specifically between 50 W and 200 W, such as about 50 W, about 100 W, or about 200 W.

2A and 2B show schematic diagrams illustrating a first operating state and a second operating state of an apparatus for processing substrates used in the manufacture of solar cells according to embodiments described herein.

According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deflection device 124 may be configured to switch between a first operating state and a second operating state. For example, the apparatus, and in particular the deflection device 124, may be configured to alternately direct the laser beam 123 toward the first transportation line 112 and the second transportation line 114 for substrate processing. According to some embodiments, the deflection device 124 may be configured to operate at a frequency between 0.1 Hz and 100 Hz, in particular at a frequency between 0.1 Hz and 10 Hz and more particularly at a frequency between 1 Hz and 8 Hz. Switch between an operating state and a second operating state. The frequency may be selected based on the time of substrate processing of the individual substrates and the time for switching the operation state. For example, if the time for the processing of the individual substrates is 0.8 s and the time for switching the operating state (beam switching) is 0.2s, the overall time may be at least 1 s, and the resulting frequency is at least 1 Hz.

In some implementations, the deflection device 124 may provide a pivot point 125 (or pivot axis) for the laser beam 123. The laser device (not shown) may be configured to direct the laser beam 123 to the pivot point 125, where the laser beam 123 is deflected toward the first transportation line 112 in the first operating state at the pivot point 125, and at the first In the second operating state, it deflects toward the second transportation line 114. The pivot point 125 may be provided between the first transportation line 112 and the second transportation line 114.

According to some embodiments, the laser beam 123 may not be perpendicular to the substrate (eg, the surface of the substrate to be processed). For example, the incident angle of the laser beam 123 with respect to the substrate normal or surface normal 11 may be greater than 0 °. In particular, the angle of incidence may be in the range between 1 ° and 60 °, and more particularly in the range between 10 ° and 45 °.

According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deflection device 124 is configured to be movable at least between a first direction providing a first operating state and a second direction providing a second operating state. The deflection device 124 may be configured to direct the laser beam 123 toward the first transportation line 112 in the first orientation and direct the laser beam toward the second transportation line 114 in the second orientation. In some implementations, the deflection device 124 can rotate about the axis of rotation at least between the first orientation and the second orientation. For example, the axis of rotation may be substantially parallel to or coincide with the pivot axis. Specifically, the axis of rotation may pass through the pivot point 125. The axis of rotation may be a substantially horizontal axis.

According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deflection device 124 includes one or more mirrors, such as rotatable mirrors. For example, one or more rotatable mirrors can be rotated about the axis of rotation at least between the first orientation and the second orientation to deflect the laser beam 123 toward the first and second transport lines 112 and 114, respectively.

Although the deflection device is described as movable to change the operating state, the present invention is not limited to this, and other deflection devices suitable for redirecting the laser beam, such as a device that can be switched between a reflective state and a transmissive state, can be used .

According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deflection device 124 is configured to maintain the laser beam during at least a portion of the substrate processing of the individual substrates, and specifically during substantially the entire substrate processing of the individual substrates Basically still. In some implementations, the deflection device 124 may be configured to move during at least a portion of the substrate processing of the individual substrates (such as during substantially the entire substrate processing of the individual substrates), for example by rotation about a pivot axis and / or an axis of rotation Laser beam.

The term "operational state" is understood in a sense to guide the laser beam 123 toward the first transportation line 112 or the second transportation line 114 regardless of whether the laser beam 123 is stationary or moving during the processing of the individual substrates. For example, the deflection device 124 (such as a rotatable mirror) may be rotated about the axis of rotation in the corresponding operating state during the processing of the individual substrate, for example, to form a scribe line on the substrate.

In some implementations, the apparatus of the present invention, particularly the deflection device 124, can be configured for point processing, line processing, and combinations thereof. For spot processing, the deflection device 124 may keep the laser beam 123 substantially stationary during substrate processing in order to locally process the substrate. For example, localized areas of material can be removed or ablated from the substrate. For line processing, the deflection device 124 can move the laser beam 123 on the substrate surface, for example, by rotation about a pivot axis and / or a rotation axis. For example, a line structure may be formed on the surface of the substrate. In combined point and line processing, multiple local points can be provided along the line on the substrate. In some implementations, multiple lines may be provided, such as multiple lines extending substantially parallel to each other.

Figure 3 shows a schematic top view of a system 300 for solar cell manufacturing according to embodiments described herein.

System 300 includes: one or more process stations; and an apparatus for processing substrates used in the manufacture of solar cells according to embodiments described herein. At least one of the one or more process stations (such as a laser scribing station) includes the substrate processing arrangement of the device.

In some implementations, one or more process stations are selected from the group consisting of: loading stations, inspection stations (such as optical inspection stations), alignment stations, laser scribing stations, printing stations, drying stations, buffer stations, Electrical test station, sorting station, unloading station and any combination of them.

For example, the system 300 may include a first process station 302, a second process station 304, and a third process station 306 on the first transportation line. The first processing station 302, the second processing station 304, and the third processing station 306 may be sequentially arranged along the first transportation line in the transportation direction (such as the first transportation direction). For example, the first transportation line may extend at least partially through the first process station 302, the second process station 304, and / or the third process station 306.

The system 300 may also include another first process station 302 ', another second process station 304', and another third process station 306 'on the second transportation line. Another first process station 302 ', another second process station 304', and another third process station 306 'may be sequentially arranged in a transport direction (such as a second transport direction) along the second transport line. The second transportation line may extend at least partially through another first process station 302 ', another second process station 304', and / or another third process station 306 '.

The first transportation line and the second transportation line may have similar or the same process station. For example, the first process station 302 and another first process station 302 'may be configured similarly or the same. Likewise, the second process station 304 and another second process station 304 'may be configured similarly or the same, and the third process station 306 and another third process station 306' may be configured similarly or the same.

According to some embodiments, the substrate processing arrangement 320 with the laser device 322 and the deflection device 324 may be assigned to two process stations, such as a second process station 304 and another second on the first and second transport lines, respectively Process station 304 '. In particular, the substrate processing arrangement 320 may be configured for processing (such as laser scribing) the substrate in each of the two processing stations. The two process stations may be provided as separate process stations or may be integrated into a single process station extending across the first transportation line and the second transportation line.

In some embodiments, the substrate processing arrangement 320 may be configured to direct or deflect the laser beam 323 toward the second process station 304 to process the substrate on the first transportation line and direct the laser beam 323 toward another second The process station 304 'is guided or deflected for processing the substrate on the second transportation line. In order to switch between substrate processing on the first transportation line and substrate processing on the second transportation line, the deflection device 324 (such as a rotatable mirror) may be rotated around the rotation axis 325. The first process station 302 and the other first process station 302 'may be alignment stations for aligning substrates before substrate processing. The accuracy of laser processing (such as laser scribing) can be improved. For example, the pattern formed by the laser beam 323 may be aligned with respect to the substrate.

According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the substrate processing arrangement 320 may include a first optical path and a second optical path, the first optical path configured to direct the laser beam 323 from the deflection device 324 Guided to the first transportation line for substrate processing, the second optical path is configured to guide the laser beam 323 from the deflection device 324 to the second transportation line for substrate processing. The first optical path may include one or more first auxiliary deflection devices 326 for deflecting and guiding the laser beam 323 toward the first transportation line. Likewise, the second optical path may include one or more second auxiliary deflection devices 326 'for deflecting and guiding the laser beam 323 toward the second transportation line.

In some implementations, the system 300 includes one or more process stations upstream of the substrate processing arrangement 320 (such as the first process station 302 and another first process station 302 ′), and one or more downstream of the substrate processing arrangement 320 Multiple process stations (such as a third process station 306 and another third process station 306 '). The terms "upstream" and "downstream" may be defined relative to the direction of transportation provided by the first transportation line and the second transportation line.

For example, one or more process stations upstream of the substrate processing arrangement 320 may include loading stations and inspection stations, such as optical inspection stations or automatic optical inspection (AOI) stations. In some implementations, the optical inspection station may be an AOI station configured to perform optical inspection of the substrate. For example, the inspection station may include one or more cameras, such as high-resolution cameras, which are configured to obtain images of the solar cells for optical inspection. The inspection station can be configured to check the positioning of the conductive lines of the solar cell, the printing quality of the conductive lines, the geometric shape of the conductive lines, the structural conditions of the substrate (including but not limited to substrate cracks or micro-cracks, and the color of the substrate) at least one. According to some embodiments, the inspection station may be configured to detect electroluminescence and / or photoluminescence for optical inspection of the substrate processed by the substrate processing arrangement 320.

One or more process stations downstream of the substrate processing arrangement 320 may include printing stations. The printing station may be configured for printing (such as screen printing) a conductive pattern on a substrate used in the manufacture of solar cells. The conductive pattern may be selected from the group consisting of fingers, bus bars, and any combination thereof. For example, the printing station may be configured for dual printing.

The drying station can be provided after the printing station. The drying station may be configured to dry the material deposited on the solar cell substrate in the printing station. For example, the drying station may be an oven. A sorting station may optionally be provided at the back end of the production line, the sorting station being configured for sorting processed substrates, such as solar cells, based on test results obtained through, for example, electrical test stations and / or inspection stations.

According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the system 300 is configured to manufacture lapped solar cells, which can also be referred to as "super-units" or "super-units" . The overlapping solar cells can be used in solar cell modules. The overlapping solar cells can be made of a plurality of partially overlapping solar cells (also called "solar cell elements"). Adjacent solar cells are electrically connected to each other in the overlapping area. The solar cells are connected in series so that the current generated by the individual solar cells flows along a series of solar cells to be collected, for example at the end of the solar cell arrangement. The overlapping configuration can provide a high-efficiency solar cell arrangement. Specifically, the overlapping solar cells allow the module power to be increased by increasing the use area or effective area. Generally, overlapping configurations can increase module power by, for example, 20 to 40 watts. The use area or effective area may correspond to the area irradiated by sunlight and participating in power generation. For example, the use area or effective area may correspond to the area of the solar cell that is not covered by, for example, conductive wiring patterns such as fingers and / or bus bars.

According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the laser device 322 may be configured to cut or divide the substrate into two or more pieces. For example, the substrate may be a solar cell used to manufacture overlapping solar cells. The laser device 322 may be configured to cut the solar cell into solar cell pieces.

4 shows a flowchart of a method 400 for processing a substrate used in the manufacture of solar cells according to embodiments described herein. The method 400 may be implemented using the device and system according to the present invention.

The method 400 includes using a deflection device with a first operating state at block 410 to direct the laser beam toward a first transportation line for substrate processing, and at block 420 changing the first operating state of the deflection device to a second operating state, so that The laser beam is directed toward the second transportation line for substrate processing. Changing the first operating state to the second operating state may include rotating one or more mirrors of the deflection device, for example, about the axis of rotation, to redirect the laser beam.

According to some embodiments, the method 400 further includes repeatedly switching between the first operating state and the second operating state to alternately process the substrates on the first transportation line and the second transportation line. By processing the substrates on the first transportation line and the second transportation line in an alternating manner, only a single laser device can be provided, and the complexity of setting can be reduced, while the duty cycle of the laser device can be increased.

In some implementations, the method 400 further includes operating the first transport line to transport the substrate in the first transport direction when the laser beam is directed to the second transport line for substrate processing and / or guided by the laser beam When reaching the first transportation line for substrate processing, the second transportation line is operated to transport the substrate in the second transportation direction. The first transport direction and the second transport direction may be substantially parallel to each other. In some implementations, the first transportation direction and the second transportation direction may be the same. The above operation scheme can optimize the output of the system for solar cell manufacturing.

In some embodiments, the method 400 includes stopping the first transport line when directing the laser beam toward the first transport line for substrate processing and / or stopping when directing the laser beam toward the second transport line for substrate processing The second transportation route. Stopping the corresponding transport line allows substrate processing, such as laser scribing, while the substrate is stationary, ie does not move. The substrate processing accuracy, such as the alignment of the processing structure produced on the substrate by the laser device, can be improved. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first transportation line and / or the second transportation line (ie, the substrate) may be moved during substrate processing.

According to the embodiments described herein, a method 400 for processing a substrate used in the manufacture of solar cells may be performed using computer programs, software, computer software products, and related controllers, which may have a CPU, memory, use Interface and input and output devices that communicate with the corresponding components of the equipment used to process (eg test) solar cells.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a manufacturing sequence according to embodiments described herein. "A" indicates the first transportation route, and "B" indicates the second transportation route.

As shown with respect to the first transportation line, the first substrate may be loaded into, for example, a processing station configured to perform substrate processing at the first transportation line using substrate processing (510). Next, the first substrate may be processed (520), and unloaded from the process station (530), for example. The second substrate may be loaded into the process station (540), and the second substrate may be processed (550). For example, the unloading of the first substrate (530) and the loading of the second substrate (540) may take about 1.25 s.

Regarding the second transport line, during processing of the first substrate on the first transport line, another first substrate may be loaded to a process station configured for substrate processing and a second transport using a substrate processing arrangement (510 '), for example In line. During unloading of the first substrate and loading of the second substrate on the first transport line, another first substrate may be processed (520 '). Another first substrate may be unloaded (530 '), and another second substrate may be loaded (540') at the second transportation line, while processing of the second substrate at the first transportation line is performed. As shown in the exemplary manufacturing process column in FIG. 5, the duty cycle of the laser device can be increased because the laser device is operated even during, for example, loading and / or unloading.

The present invention uses a laser device for substrate processing (such as laser scribing) and also a deflection device that can deflect the laser beam provided by the laser device. The deflection device can guide the laser beam towards the first transportation line or the second transportation line, depending on the operating state of the deflection device. Switching the operating state can redirect the laser beam from the first transportation line to the second transportation line, or vice versa. The same laser device can be used to process substrates positioned on both the first transportation line and the second transportation line. The complexity and / or footprint of the device can be reduced. The working cycle of the laser device can be increased.

Although the foregoing is directed to the embodiments of the present invention, further embodiments of the present invention can be designed without departing from the basic scope of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the accompanying patent application.

1‧‧‧ Transportation

10‧‧‧ substrate

11‧‧‧ substrate normal or surface normal

100‧‧‧ Equipment

110‧‧‧Transportation

112‧‧‧ First Transportation Line

114‧‧‧Second Transportation Line

120‧‧‧Substrate processing layout

122‧‧‧Laser device

123‧‧‧Laser beam

124‧‧‧Deflection device

125‧‧‧ pivot point

300‧‧‧ system

302‧‧‧The first process station

304‧‧‧Second process station

306‧‧‧The third process station

320‧‧‧Substrate processing layout

322‧‧‧Laser device

323‧‧‧Laser beam

324‧‧‧Deflection device

325‧‧‧axis of rotation

326‧‧‧First auxiliary deflection device

400‧‧‧Method

410‧‧‧block

420‧‧‧box

510‧‧‧Step

520‧‧‧step

530‧‧‧Step

540‧‧‧step

550‧‧‧ steps

302’‧‧‧Another First Process Station

304’‧‧‧ another second process station

306’‧‧‧ Another third process station

326’‧‧‧second auxiliary deflection device

510’‧‧‧Step

520’‧‧‧step

530’‧‧‧step

540’‧‧‧step

Therefore, in order to be able to understand the manner of the above-mentioned characteristic structure of the present invention in detail, a more specific description of the present invention briefly summarized above can be obtained with reference to the embodiments. The drawings relate to various embodiments of the present invention and are described as follows: FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of an apparatus for processing a substrate used in the manufacture of solar cells according to embodiments described herein; FIGS. 2A and 2B A schematic diagram showing the first and second operating states of the apparatus for processing substrates used in the manufacture of solar cells according to the embodiments described herein; FIG. 3 shows A schematic top view of a system for solar cell manufacturing; FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a method for processing a substrate used in the manufacture of solar cells according to embodiments described herein; and FIG. 5 shows an embodiment according to this description. Schematic diagram of the process sequence.

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Claims (20)

An apparatus for processing a substrate used in the manufacture of solar cells, the apparatus includes: a transportation arrangement having at least a first transportation line and a second transportation line and configured to transport the substrate; And a substrate processing arrangement disposed at the transportation arrangement, wherein the substrate processing arrangement includes: a laser device configured to provide a laser beam for processing of the substrate; and a deflection device , The deflection device has a first operating state and a second operating state, wherein the deflecting device is configured to guide the laser beam towards the first transport line in the first operating state and in the second operating state Next, guide the laser beam toward the second transportation line. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the deflection device is configured to be movable between at least a first orientation providing the first operating state and a second orientation providing the second operating state, wherein the deflection device It is configured to direct the laser beam toward the first transportation line in the first orientation and direct the laser beam toward the second transportation line in the second orientation. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the deflection device includes one or more mirrors. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more mirrors are rotatable mirrors. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to alternately guide the laser beam toward the first transportation line and the second transportation line for substrate processing. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the apparatus is configured to alternately guide the laser beam toward the first transportation line and the second transportation line for substrate processing. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to alternately guide the laser beam toward the first transportation line and the second transportation line for substrate processing. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the laser device is configured for laser scribing. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the laser device is configured for laser scribing. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first transport line is stationary when the laser beam is directed toward the first transport line for substrate processing, and wherein the second transport line is directed toward the first The second transport line is stationary when guiding the laser beam for substrate processing. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first transport line is stationary when the laser beam is directed toward the first transport line for substrate processing, and wherein the second transport line is transported toward the second transport line The line is stationary when guiding the laser beam for substrate processing. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first transport line is non-stationary when guiding the laser beam toward the second transport line for substrate processing, and wherein the second transport line is directed toward the first A transport line guiding the laser beam for substrate processing is non-stationary. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first transport line is non-stationary when guiding the laser beam toward the second transport line for substrate processing, and wherein the second transport line is transported toward the first transport line The line is non-stationary when guiding the laser beam for substrate processing. A system for the manufacture of solar cells, the system comprising: one or more process stations; the apparatus of claim 1-13, wherein at least one of the one or more process stations includes the substrate processing arrangement . The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more process stations are selected from the group consisting of: a loading station, an inspection station, an alignment station, a laser scribing station, a printing station, a Drying station, a buffer station, an electrical test station, a sorting station, an unloading station and any combination of the above. The system according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the system is configured for manufacturing overlapping solar cells. A method for processing a substrate used in the manufacture of solar cells, the method comprising the following steps: using a deflection device having a first operating state to direct a laser beam toward a first transportation line; The first operating state is changed to a second operating state to guide the laser beam toward the second transportation line for substrate processing. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of: repeatedly switching between the first operating state and the second operating state to alternately process substrates on the first transportation line and the second transportation line . The method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the step of changing the first operating state to the second operating state includes the step of rotating one or more mirrors of the deflection device. The method according to any one of claims 17 or 18, further comprising at least one of the following steps: while guiding the laser beam toward the second transportation line for substrate processing, operating the first transportation line to follow a Transport the substrate in the first transport direction; when guiding the laser beam toward the first transport line for substrate processing, operate the second transport line to transport the substrate in a second transport direction; guide toward the first transport line When the laser beam is used for substrate processing, the first transport line is stopped; and when the laser beam is directed toward the second transport line for substrate processing, the second transport line is stopped.