Horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller

Abstract

The utility model relates to photovoltaic silicon wafer electroplating technical field, concretely relates to a horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller. Including conducting part and insulating soft glue layer, the conducting part contains conducting center axis and the metal wire fixedly connected in the conducting center axis, the insulating soft glue layer is wrapped in the conducting center axis, and the outer wall is cylindrical, the end of metal wire passes through the insulating soft glue layer and forms the conducting contact outwardly and extends. The insulating soft glue layer separates the surface of the conductive roller from the electroplating solution, only the conducting contact of the end of the metal wire is exposed, which fundamentally avoids the surface of the roller body from being plated with copper. The conducting contact is connected to the photovoltaic silicon plate in a point contact manner, the contacts are uniformly distributed, the photovoltaic silicon plate always maintains multi-point contact during horizontal transmission, ensures that the current does not concentrate on the surface of the silicon plate, facilitates the control of the plating thickness, and improves the yield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of photovoltaic silicon wafer electroplating technology, specifically to a horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller. Background Technology

[0002] In the horizontal electroplating process of photovoltaic silicon panels, the cathode conductive roller is the core component for current conduction, but its performance directly affects the electroplating quality, material consumption, and production efficiency. Existing technologies suffer from the following key problems: Misplating of rollers and resource waste: Traditional cathode conductive rollers are mostly integral metal structures with no effective insulation on the surface. During electroplating, not only is the workpiece (photovoltaic silicon panel) plated with a copper layer, but a copper plating layer is also deposited on the surface of the conductive roller simultaneously. This leads to two problems: First, copper ions in electroplating solutions such as copper sulfate are ineffectively consumed, resulting in a high rate of raw material waste; second, the copper plating layer on the roller surface needs to be cleaned regularly, increasing maintenance costs, and the cleaning process can easily damage the precision of the roller. Photovoltaic silicon panels face a high risk of damage: Photovoltaic silicon panels are brittle and hard (with low flexural strength). Traditional conductive methods require clamping the workpiece with electrical clamps, but the clamping force can easily cause edge chipping or surface microcracks, resulting in a high defect rate. Furthermore, clamping contact can lead to uneven current distribution, resulting in significant deviations in the coating thickness of the silicon panel, which does not meet the electrical performance requirements of photovoltaic modules. Utility Model Content

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller to address the problems of the existing technology.

[0004] To solve the problems of the existing technology, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: This utility model provides a horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller, including a conductive part and an insulating soft rubber layer. The conductive part includes a conductive central shaft and a metal wire fixedly connected to the conductive central shaft. The insulating soft rubber layer is coaxially wrapped around the conductive central shaft and has a cylindrical outer wall. The end of the metal wire passes through the insulating soft rubber layer and extends outward to form a conductive contact.

[0005] To address the issue that improper distribution of conductive contacts in existing technologies can lead to discontinuous contact in photovoltaic silicon panels during horizontal transmission, affecting the stability of current conduction, the conductive contacts in this solution are spirally distributed around the conductive central axis.

[0006] Preferably, the metal wire is a copper wire.

[0007] The installation structure of the conductive central shaft and the metal wire needs to be easy to disassemble and enhance stability. In this solution, the conductive central shaft is divided into two segmented shafts from the center. The ends of the two segmented shafts are connected by threads. Each segmented shaft is provided with a limiting ring in the middle. The metal wire is installed between the two limiting rings. The metal wire is spirally wound on the conductive mounting ring. The conductive mounting ring is located between the two limiting rings and its two ends abut against the two limiting rings.

[0008] Preferably, the metal wire extends outward radially along the winding direction, and the conductive mounting ring is provided with clearance holes to avoid the outwardly extending portion of the metal wire.

[0009] If the material of the insulating soft rubber layer is not resistant to electroplating solution corrosion or has poor physical properties, it will affect the insulation effect and service life; if the size is unreasonable, it may not be able to effectively isolate the conductive parts or affect the fit with the silicon plate. Therefore, in this solution, the material of the soft rubber in the insulating soft rubber layer is silicone, polyurethane rubber or ethylene propylene rubber, the thickness of the soft rubber layer is 15-40mm, and the diameter of the soft rubber layer is 186-200mm.

[0010] Preferably, the pitch of the spiral distribution of the conductive contacts is 5-15mm, and 20-50 conductive contacts are in contact with the silicon wafer to be processed at the same time.

[0011] Preferably, one end of the conductive central shaft has a square or hexagonal transmission post.

[0012] The advantages of this utility model compared to the prior art are: 1. An insulating soft rubber layer (made of corrosion-resistant materials such as silicone or polyurethane rubber) completely isolates the conductive central shaft from the electroplating solution, exposing only the conductive contacts at the ends of the metal wires, fundamentally preventing copper plating on the roller surface. The conductive contacts formed by the metal wires connect to the photovoltaic silicon panel via point contact, significantly reducing contact pressure compared to traditional clamping methods, completely preventing cracking or microcracks in the silicon panel caused by mechanical force. Simultaneously, the uniform distribution of contacts ensures that there are no concentrated areas of current on the silicon panel surface, facilitating control of the plating thickness and improving yield.

[0013] 2. The rigid connection between the metal wire (preferably copper wire) and the conductive central shaft (e.g., winding fixation, positioning ring positioning) ensures precise contact positioning. Combined with the spiral distribution design, this ensures that 20-50 contacts remain in contact simultaneously during horizontal transmission of the photovoltaic silicon panel, reducing the current interruption rate to below 0.1%. Stable current conduction improves the density of the silicon panel coating and reduces the rate of defects such as pinholes. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller; Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure for removing the insulating soft rubber layer in a horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller; Figure 3 This is a front view of a horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller after the insulating soft rubber layer has been removed; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the conductive central axis in a horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional exploded view of a portion of the structure of a horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller. Figure 6 This is an exploded three-dimensional view of a horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller.

[0015] The numbers on the map are: 1. Insulating soft rubber layer; 2. Conductive central shaft; 3. Metal wire; 4. Conductive contact; 5. Segmented shaft; 6. Limiting ring; 7. Conductive mounting ring; 8. Clearance hole; 9. Transmission column. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To further understand the features, technical means, and specific objectives and functions achieved by this utility model, the following detailed description of this utility model is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0017] like Figure 1-6 The horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller shown includes a conductive part and an insulating soft rubber layer 1. The conductive part includes a conductive central shaft 2 and a metal wire 3 fixedly connected to the conductive central shaft 2. The insulating soft rubber layer 1 is coaxially wrapped around the conductive central shaft 2 and has a cylindrical outer wall. The end of the metal wire 3 passes through the insulating soft rubber layer 1 and extends outward to form a conductive contact 4.

[0018] The insulating soft rubber layer 1 is formed of uniformly distributed soft rubber and covers the periphery of the conductive part. This design effectively isolates the conductive part from the electroplating solution, allowing only the conductive contacts 4 at the ends of the metal wire 3 to be exposed and in contact with the photovoltaic silicon wafer. In this way, during the electroplating process, the current is conducted to the photovoltaic silicon wafer only through the conductive contacts 4, while the other parts of the conductive roller, covered by the insulating soft rubber layer 1, will not react with copper ions in the electroplating solution and be electroplated with copper. This greatly reduces the waste of electroplating solutions such as copper sulfate solution and lowers production costs. For photovoltaic silicon wafers, which require horizontal electroplating and are relatively brittle, multiple conductive rings are formed by uniformly distributing metal wires 3 along the axis of the conductive roller. When the photovoltaic silicon wafer passes horizontally through the conductive roller, the conductive contacts 4 on the conductive rings can make stable contact with the silicon wafer and conduct current, eliminating the need to clamp the silicon wafer with electric clamps and avoiding potential damage to the brittle silicon wafer during clamping. Traditional cathode conductive rollers, lacking effective insulation, are prone to copper plating on their surface. This not only wastes plating solution but also alters the roller's surface morphology, causing the intended conductive points in contact with the workpiece to fail. This affects the stability and uniformity of current conduction, ultimately impacting the electroplating quality of the photovoltaic silicon wafers. This solution, through the combination of the insulating soft adhesive layer 1 and the conductive contacts 4, fundamentally solves the problem of electroplating on the conductive rollers, while simultaneously ensuring a stable power supply to the photovoltaic silicon wafers, improving electroplating efficiency and product yield.

[0019] like Figure 3 As shown, in order to solve the problem that if the distribution of conductive contacts 4 is not reasonable in the prior art, it may cause discontinuous contact of photovoltaic silicon panels during horizontal transmission, affecting the stability of current conduction, the following solution is provided: the conductive contacts 4 are distributed in a spiral shape around the conductive central axis 2.

[0020] The spiral distribution ensures that the conductive contacts 4 maintain continuous contact with the horizontally moving photovoltaic silicon panel as the conductive roller rotates, preventing contact interruptions caused by scattered contact distribution and ensuring continuous current conduction. This distribution method allows for a uniform change in the contact position of the contacts on the silicon panel surface, reducing current concentration that may occur due to prolonged local contact, which is beneficial for improving the uniformity of the coating. Compared to randomly distributed contacts, the spiral distribution facilitates positioning during processing, ensures consistent contact spacing, and improves the manufacturing precision of the conductive roller.

[0021] The metal wire 3 is a copper wire.

[0022] Copper wire has excellent conductivity, enabling efficient current transmission, reducing losses during current transmission, and ensuring stable current intensity during photovoltaic silicon panel electroplating. Copper wire also exhibits good corrosion resistance in the electroplating environment, making it less susceptible to damage from the plating solution, thus extending the service life of the metal wire and reducing replacement frequency.

[0023] If the installation structure of the conductive central shaft 2 and the metal wire 3 is not easy to disassemble, it will increase the difficulty of maintaining and replacing the metal wire 3; if the metal wire 3 is not firmly fixed, it may loosen during use, affecting the contact stability.

[0024] like Figures 4-6 As shown, the conductive central shaft 2 is divided into two segmented shafts 5 from the center. The ends of the two segmented shafts 5 are connected by threads. Each segmented shaft 5 is provided with a limiting ring 6 in the middle. The metal wire 3 is installed between the two limiting rings 6. The metal wire 3 is spirally wound on the conductive mounting ring 7. The conductive mounting ring 7 is located between the two limiting rings 6 and its two ends abut against the two limiting rings 6.

[0025] The segmented shaft 5 is connected by a thread for easy installation, allowing for quick mounting of the metal wire 3 and conductive mounting ring 7 onto the conductive central shaft 2. The limiting ring 6 limits the conductive mounting ring 7 and the metal wire 3, preventing axial movement during the rotation of the conductive roller, ensuring the stable position of the metal wire 3, and guaranteeing accurate contact between the conductive contact 4 and the silicon plate. The metal wire 3 is spirally wound around the conductive mounting ring 7, increasing the connection strength between the metal wire 3 and the mounting structure, reducing the risk of loosening, and improving conductivity stability.

[0026] The metal wire 3 extends outward radially along the winding direction, and the conductive mounting ring 7 is provided with avoidance holes 8 for avoiding the outward extension portion of the metal wire 3.

[0027] The clearance hole 8 provides space for the metal wire 3 to extend outward and ensures that the angle and position of the radial extension of the metal wire 3 are accurate, so that the conductive contact 4 can contact the photovoltaic silicon plate in the preset direction, thereby improving contact stability and current conduction effect.

[0028] If the material of the insulating soft rubber layer 1 is not resistant to electroplating solution corrosion or has poor physical properties, it will affect the insulation effect and service life; if the size is unreasonable, it may not be able to effectively isolate the conductive parts or affect the fit with the silicon substrate. Therefore, in this solution, The insulating soft rubber layer 1 is made of silicone, polyurethane rubber, or ethylene propylene rubber. The thickness of the soft rubber layer is 15-40mm, and the diameter of the soft rubber layer is 186-200mm.

[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the spiral distribution of the conductive contacts 4 has a pitch of 5-15mm, and 20-50 conductive contacts 4 are in contact with the silicon wafer to be processed at the same time.

[0030] The above design ensures a reasonable contact density, guaranteeing a sufficient number of contact points while avoiding current interference caused by overly dense contact points. This promotes uniform current distribution and ensures stable current conduction. Even if individual contacts have poor contact, it will not affect the overall current transmission, reducing the risk of electroplating interruption. At the same time, the reasonable number of contacts ensures uniform stress on the silicon substrate surface, reducing damage to the brittle silicon substrate caused by excessive local pressure.

[0031] One end of the conductive central shaft 2 has a square or hexagonal transmission column 9.

[0032] The four- or six-sided drive column 9 is used to cooperate with the power mechanism to achieve torque rotation.

[0033] The above embodiments only illustrate one or more implementations of this utility model, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller, characterized in that, It includes a conductive part and an insulating soft rubber layer (1). The conductive part includes a conductive central shaft (2) and a metal wire (3) fixedly connected to the conductive central shaft (2). The insulating soft rubber layer (1) is coaxially wrapped around the conductive central shaft (2) and has a cylindrical outer wall. The end of the metal wire (3) passes through the insulating soft rubber layer (1) and extends outward to form a conductive contact (4).

2. A horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive contacts (4) are spirally distributed around the conductive central axis (2).

3. A horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller according to claim 2, characterized in that, The metal wire (3) is a copper wire.

4. A horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller according to claim 3, wherein, The conductive central shaft (2) is divided into two segmented shafts (5) from the center. The ends of the two segmented shafts (5) are connected by threads. Each segmented shaft (5) is provided with a limiting ring (6) in the middle. The metal wire (3) is installed between the two limiting rings (6). The metal wire (3) is spirally wound on the conductive mounting ring (7). The conductive mounting ring (7) is set between the two limiting rings (6) and its two ends abut against the two limiting rings (6).

5. A horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller according to claim 4, characterized in that, The metal wire (3) extends outward radially along the winding direction, and the conductive mounting ring (7) is provided with a clearance hole (8) for avoiding the outward extension of the metal wire (3).

6. A horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insulating soft rubber layer (1) is made of silicone, polyurethane rubber or ethylene propylene rubber, with a thickness of 15-40 mm and a diameter of 186-200 mm.

7. A horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive contacts (4) are spirally distributed with a pitch of 5-15 mm, and at the same time, 20-50 conductive contacts (4) are in contact with the silicon wafer to be processed.

8. A horizontal electroplating cathode conductive roller according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the conductive central shaft (2) has a square or hexagonal transmission column (9).

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