Fixture, atomic layer deposition device and process

By forming a passivation film at the cutting part of the battery, the problem of degradation of the battery performance after laser cutting is solved, and the performance repair and power improvement of the battery are achieved.

CN110042366BActive Publication Date: 2024-12-24JIAXING LONGJI OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN201910315387.2
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2019-04-18
Publication Date
2024-12-24
Estimated Expiration
2039-04-18

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

After laser cutting, the exposed section of the battery cell leads to an intensified carrier recombination rate, reducing battery performance, and the loss of cutting efficiency increases with the increase of the number of cutting times.

Method used

A fixture and atomic layer deposition device are designed to form a passivation film at the cutting site of the cell, and atomic layer deposition is performed using a vacuum cavity and gas ejection components to generate AlOx or other passivation films to repair damage to the cell after cutting.

Benefits of technology

It effectively improves the electrical performance of the battery cell after cutting, reduces the damage to the battery cell, restores partial cutting efficiency loss, and improves the power output of the component.

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Abstract

The present application discloses a fixture, an atomic layer deposition device and a process. The fixture comprises two side plates arranged opposite to each other, two end plates arranged opposite to each other are arranged between the two side plates, the two end plates and the two side plates enclose a cavity with openings at both ends, the end plates are movably fixedly connected to a movable plate, and the moving direction of the movable plate is close to or away from any side plate; the atomic layer deposition device comprises a vacuum chamber, a sample stage is arranged in the vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber is respectively connected to a vacuum pump, a first gas injection part, a second gas injection part and a third gas injection part, the sample stage is used to place the fixture, the battery cell is fixed by the fixture, the cut part of the battery cell is exposed from the opening of the cavity, the side plates and the end plates protect the uncut part of the battery cell, atomic layer deposition is performed on the cut part of the battery cell, a passivation film is formed on the cut part of the battery cell, the electrical performance of the battery cell after cutting is improved, and the damage to the battery cell caused by cutting is repaired.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of photovoltaics, specifically to the field of solar panels, and more particularly to a clamp, an atomic layer deposition device and a process. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, photovoltaic technology has developed rapidly, and the conversion efficiency of crystalline silicon cells has been rising steadily, at an annual rate of about 0.5%. abs The magnitude of the increase is increasing year by year. As the efficiency of crystalline silicon cells increases, the current density also increases. At present, the current density of high-efficiency crystalline silicon cells has reached 40.3mA / cm 2 , which results in higher power loss in the traditional way of interconnecting whole cells. The whole cell is divided into two or more small pieces, and the series current of each small piece is reduced to 1 / N (N is the number of slices) of the whole cell current. The power loss of the components prepared in this way will be greatly improved. For example, half-cell components (1 / 2 slices) have a 2% to 4% power improvement compared to conventional components, and shingled components (1 / 5 slices or 1 / 6 slices) have a power improvement of more than 10% compared to conventional components. Laser cutting technology is usually used to separate whole cells. Laser slicing solves the problem of interconnection power loss, but introduces the problem of cell cutting efficiency loss. It is reported that the cutting efficiency loss of PERC (passivated emitter and real cell) cells with 1 / 2 slices is 0.1% to 0.2%. abs TOPCon (tunnel oxide passivated contact) cells have a 1 / 2 slice cutting efficiency loss of 0.3% to 0.4%. abs The efficiency loss of HIT (heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer) cells is 0.4% to 0.5% when cut into 1 / 2 pieces. abs Moreover, the higher the efficiency of the battery cell, the greater the cutting efficiency loss, and the cutting efficiency loss is proportional to the number of cutting times (N-1).

[0003] An important reason why laser cutting causes damage to battery cells is that the recombination rate of carriers at the exposed cross-section formed after laser cutting is aggravated, which reduces the performance of the battery. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned defects or deficiencies in the prior art, it is desirable to provide a fixture, an atomic layer deposition device and a process that can reduce the damage to the cell caused by cutting.

[0005] In the first aspect, the clamp of the present invention includes two side plates arranged opposite to each other, two end plates arranged opposite to each other are arranged between the two side plates, the two end plates and the two side plates enclose a cavity with openings at both ends, and the end plates are movably fixedly connected to a movable plate, and the moving direction of the movable plate is close to or away from any side plate.

[0006] In a second aspect, the atomic layer deposition device of the present invention includes a vacuum chamber, in which a sample stage is arranged, the vacuum chamber is respectively connected to a vacuum pump, a first gas injection part, a second gas injection part and a third gas injection part, and the sample stage is used to place a fixture.

[0007] In a third aspect, the atomic layer deposition process of the present invention is characterized in that the atomic layer deposition is performed using an atomic layer deposition device, comprising the following steps:

[0008] Put multiple cut battery cells between the movable plate and any side plate, expose the cut parts of the battery cells from the open end of the cavity, and adjust the fixed positions of the movable plate and the end plate so that the battery cells are closely attached to each other;

[0009] Place the fixture on the sample stage, and the vacuum pump starts to evacuate the vacuum chamber to a vacuum state;

[0010] The first gas injection unit fills the first reaction precursor into the vacuum chamber. After the first reaction precursor is saturatedly adsorbed on the cutting part of the battery cell, the vacuum pump evacuates the first reaction precursor in the vacuum chamber.

[0011] The third gas injection part fills the vacuum chamber with inert gas to clean the vacuum chamber, and the vacuum pump evacuates the inert gas in the vacuum chamber;

[0012] The second gas injection part fills the second reaction precursor into the vacuum chamber, the second reaction precursor reacts with the first reaction precursor at the cutting position of the battery cell to form a passivation film, and the vacuum pump evacuates the second reaction precursor in the vacuum chamber.

[0013] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application, the battery cell is fixed by a clamp, the cut part of the battery cell is exposed from the opening of the cavity, the side plates and the end plates protect the uncut part of the battery cell, atomic layer deposition is performed on the cut part of the battery cell, and a passivation film is formed on the cut part of the battery cell to improve the electrical performance of the battery cell after cutting and repair the damage to the battery cell caused by cutting. This can solve the problem of damage to the battery cell caused by cutting, which leads to a decrease in the electrical performance of the battery cell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Other features, objects and advantages of the present application will become more apparent by reading the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments made with reference to the following drawings:

[0015] Figure 1is a schematic structural diagram of a clamp according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a clamp according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 For along Figure 2 Sectional view along line AA;

[0018] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a clamp according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a clamp according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a clamp according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a clamp according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 8 For along Figure 7 Sectional view along the midline BB;

[0023] Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a clamp according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Fig.10 is a schematic structural diagram of a clamp according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Fig.11 Schematic diagram of the structure of an atomic layer deposition device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the relevant invention, rather than to limit the invention. It is also necessary to explain that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0027] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0028] One embodiment of the present invention is, please refer to Figure 1-10A clamp includes two side plates 10 arranged opposite to each other, two end plates 20 arranged opposite to each other are arranged between the two side plates 10, the two end plates 20 and the two side plates 10 enclose a cavity with openings at both ends, the end plates 20 are movably fixedly connected to a movable plate 30, and the moving direction of the movable plate 30 is close to or away from any side plate 10.

[0029] In an embodiment of the present invention, the clamp is used to fix and protect the battery cells, and multiple battery cells are placed in the space between the movable plate and the side plate, and the position of the movable plate fixed on the end plate is adjusted so that the movable plate presses the battery cells tightly, and then the battery cells are pressed against each other, so as to avoid gas entering the gap between the battery cells during the atomic layer deposition process, thereby protecting the uncut parts of the battery cells. Of course, when multiple battery cells are fixed on the clamp, the cut parts of the multiple battery cells are exposed from the open end of the cavity, and it is ensured that the battery cells do not expose the open end of the cavity to reduce the impact of atomic layer deposition on the uncut parts of the battery cells. If it is a half-cut battery cell, the cut parts of all half-cut battery cells can be exposed from the same open end of the cavity, thereby improving the processing efficiency of atomic layer deposition. If it is a five-point or six-point battery cell, the cut parts of the battery cell can be exposed from the two open ends of the cavity at the same time, and the cut parts of the battery cells at the two open ends can be atomically deposited at the same time, thereby improving the efficiency and speed of atomic layer deposition.

[0030] The end plate is movably fixedly connected to the movable plate, and the movable plate moves towards or away from any side plate, so that the movable plate can be adaptively adjusted to the position of the end plate according to different numbers of battery cells, which improves the versatility of the fixture. The side plate, end plate and movable plate can be made of stainless steel OCr 18 Ni 9 Materials to improve the stability and reliability of the fixture.

[0031] refer to Figure 3 and 8 Furthermore, at least one end plate 20 is provided with a sliding groove 21 on one side facing the movable plate 30 , and the sliding groove 21 is provided along the moving direction of the movable plate 30 . The movable plate 30 is provided with a sliding block 31 , and the sliding block 31 slides along the guide of the sliding groove 21 .

[0032] In the embodiment of the present invention, the sliding block cooperates with the sliding groove so that the movable plate can slide along a fixed path, and at the same time, it can also play a fixing role, thereby improving the connection strength between the movable plate and the end plate. Of course, sliding grooves can be provided on both end plates, and the sliding grooves correspond to the sliding blocks one by one, thereby further improving the connection strength between the movable plate and the end plate.

[0033] Furthermore, at least one end plate 20 is provided with a sliding block on one side facing the movable plate 30 , and the sliding block is arranged along the moving direction of the movable plate. The movable plate 30 is provided with a sliding groove, and the sliding groove slides along the guide of the sliding block.

[0034] In the embodiment of the present invention, the sliding block cooperates with the sliding groove so that the movable plate can slide along a fixed path, and at the same time, it can also play a fixing role to improve the connection strength between the movable plate and the end plate. Of course, sliding blocks can be set on both end plates, and the sliding grooves correspond to the sliding blocks one by one, so as to further improve the connection strength between the movable plate and the end plate.

[0035] Furthermore, a connecting portion 32 extends out from one side of the movable plate 30 facing any one of the end plates 20 , and the side surface of the end plate 20 facing the connecting portion 32 is detachably fixedly connected to the connecting portion 32 .

[0036] In the embodiment of the present invention, the movable plate and the end plate are fixed by the connecting part, which facilitates the position adjustment of the movable plate. Meanwhile, the connecting part can improve the connection strength between the movable plate and the end plate, thereby improving the reliability of the clamp.

[0037] refer to Figure 1-5 Furthermore, a bottom plate 40 is detachably fixedly connected to a side of the end plate 20 away from the connecting portion 32 , and the bottom plate 40 closes an open end of the cavity.

[0038] In an embodiment of the present invention, when performing atomic layer deposition on a half-cut battery cell, since a cutting portion exists only on one side of the battery cell, one open end of the cavity needs to be closed, that is, only one open end of the cavity is left, and the cut portion of the battery cell is exposed from the only remaining open end, so that atomic layer deposition only acts on the cut portion of the battery cell, reducing the impact of atomic layer deposition on the uncut portion of the battery cell, and improving the electrical performance of the battery cell after cutting.

[0039] Furthermore, the connection portion 32 is detachably fixedly connected to the end plate 20 by means of screws 33 .

[0040] In an embodiment of the present invention, screws are used to fix the connection part and the end plate. When the position of the movable plate needs to be adjusted, the screws are loosened and the movable plate can move relative to the end plate. After the movable plate is close to the battery cell, the screws are tightened to fix the connection part and the end plate. The adjustment is convenient, the structure is simple and reliable, and it is easy to produce and manufacture.

[0041] Furthermore, the two end plates 20 are parallel to each other, the two side plates 10 and the movable plate 30 are parallel to each other, and the end plates 20 are perpendicular to the side plates 10 .

[0042] In the embodiment of the present invention, when the movable plate is in close contact with the battery cell, the damage of the clamp to the battery cell is minimized, thereby protecting the battery cell.

[0043] Furthermore, at least one side plate 10 extends outwardly along the depth direction of the cavity to form a protruding portion 11 , and the protruding portion 11 exposes the space between the two end plates 20 .

[0044] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the clamp is placed on the sample stage, the protruding portion can create a gap between the battery cell fixed on the clamp and the sample stage, thereby preventing the open end in contact with the sample stage from being closed by the sample stage, affecting the atomic layer deposition at the cutting portion of the battery cell close to one side of the sample stage, thereby ensuring the passivation effect of the battery cell and improving the processing efficiency of the battery cell.

[0045] Furthermore, the first clamping portion 12 and the second clamping portion 13 are respectively provided on opposite sides of the side plate 10 or the end plate 20 , and the first clamping portion 12 and the second clamping portion 13 are respectively located at two opening ends of the cavity.

[0046] In an embodiment of the present invention, when multiple clamps need to be placed on the sample stage, the first clamping portion of one clamp is engaged with the second clamping portion of another clamp to achieve the stacking of the clamps, and the cooperation between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion can also prevent the cell cutting portion between the two clamps from being blocked, thereby ensuring the passivation effect of the cell and improving the processing efficiency of the cell. The first clamping portion and the second clamping portion can be mutually displaced protrusions, and when the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion cooperate, the first clamping portion can be located between the two second clamping portions, or the second clamping portion can be located between the two first clamping portions.

[0047] Another embodiment of the present invention is, with reference to Fig.11 An atomic layer deposition device includes a vacuum chamber 100, a sample stage 200 is arranged in the vacuum chamber 100, the vacuum chamber 100 is respectively connected to a vacuum pump 300, a first gas injection part 400, a second gas injection part 500 and a third gas injection part 600, and the sample stage 200 is used to place a fixture.

[0048] In an embodiment of the present invention, the first gas injection unit can fill the vacuum chamber with TMA (trimethylaluminum), and the second gas injection unit can fill the vacuum chamber with H 2 O, the third gas injection unit can fill the vacuum chamber with an inert gas N 2 , TMA and H 2 O can form AlO at the cutting part of the cell x Passivation film, so that AlO x The deposition of the passivation film repairs the cut parts of the battery cell and improves the electrical performance of the battery cell.

[0049] Another embodiment of the present invention is an atomic layer deposition process, which uses an atomic layer deposition device to perform atomic layer deposition, comprising the following steps:

[0050] Put multiple cut battery cells between the movable plate 30 and any side plate 10, expose the cut parts of the battery cells from the open end of the cavity, and adjust the fixed positions of the movable plate 30 and the end plate 20 so that the battery cells are closely attached to each other;

[0051] The fixture is placed on the sample stage 200, and the vacuum pump 300 is activated to evacuate the vacuum chamber 100 to a vacuum state;

[0052] The first gas injection unit 400 fills the first reaction precursor into the vacuum chamber 100. After the first reaction precursor is saturatedly adsorbed at the cutting part of the battery cell, the vacuum pump 300 evacuates the first reaction precursor in the vacuum chamber 100.

[0053] The third gas injection unit 500 fills the vacuum chamber 100 with an inert gas to clean the vacuum chamber 100 , and the vacuum pump 300 evacuates the inert gas in the vacuum chamber 100 ;

[0054] The second gas injection unit 600 fills the vacuum chamber 100 with the second reaction precursor, and the second reaction precursor reacts with the first reaction precursor at the cutting position of the battery cell to form a passivation film. The vacuum pump 300 evacuates the second reaction precursor in the vacuum chamber 100 .

[0055] In the embodiments of the present invention, the process of the present application is applicable to the sidewall passivation of all crystalline silicon cells formed after laser cutting, including but not limited to PERC, TOPCon, HIT and other cells; the process method is not limited to AlO x Passivation film, other dielectric films that can achieve sidewall passivation of the cell by the process method of this application are within the scope of protection of this patent, including but not limited to SiO x 、SiN x Passivation film.

[0056] The AlO can be controlled by controlling the deposition time. x The thickness of the passivation film protects the cut part of the cell well, reducing the recombination rate of the cut part of the cell. x The efficiency loss of 1 / 2 slice of thin film passivated PERC cell can be recovered by 0.10% abs Within 1 / 2 of the HIT battery slice, the efficiency loss can be recovered by 0.20% absWithin. The laser cut PERC half-cells were divided into two groups, one group was not treated in any way and served as the control group; the other group was treated using the process and apparatus of this application and served as the experimental group. The two groups of half-cells were then subjected to string welding and lamination processes under the same experimental conditions, thereby producing two groups of 5 pieces each, a total of 10 pieces of 72-type PERC half-cell modules. After the module IV test, the average power of the control group was 350.40W, and the average power of the experimental group was 352.10W. It can be seen that the addition of AlO after the laser cutting process significantly increases the power consumption of the module. x The coating passivation process can increase the power of PERC half-cell modules by 1.70W. After a 70KWH LID (light induced degradation) reliability test, the attenuation of the experimental group was -1.15%, and the attenuation of the control group was -1.31%. It can be seen that the power efficiency gain caused by the passivation treatment after the split is reliable and will not cause degradation.

[0057] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and an explanation of the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in the present application is not limited to the technical solution formed by a specific combination of the above technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by any combination of the above technical features or their equivalent features without departing from the inventive concept. For example, the above features are replaced with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in the present application.

Claims

1. An atomic layer deposition process, characterized in that: Performing atomic layer deposition using an atomic layer deposition apparatus; The atomic layer deposition device comprises a vacuum chamber, a sample stage is arranged in the vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber is respectively connected to a vacuum pump, a first gas injection part, a second gas injection part and a third gas injection part, and the sample stage is used to place a fixture; The clamp comprises two side plates arranged opposite to each other, two end plates arranged opposite to each other are arranged between the two side plates, the two end plates and the two side plates enclose a cavity with openings at both ends, the end plates are movably fixedly connected to a movable plate, and the movable plate moves in a direction close to or away from any of the side plates; A sliding groove is provided on a side of at least one of the end plates facing the movable plate, the sliding groove is provided along the moving direction of the movable plate, the movable plate is provided with a sliding block, and the sliding block slides along the guide of the sliding groove; Alternatively, at least one of the end plates is provided with a sliding block on one side facing the movable plate, the sliding block is provided along the moving direction of the movable plate, the movable plate is provided with a sliding groove, and the sliding groove slides along the guide of the sliding block; A connecting portion extends from one side of the movable plate facing any one of the end plates, and the side of the end plate facing the connecting portion is detachably fixedly connected to the connecting portion; A bottom plate is detachably fixedly connected to a side of the end plate away from the connecting portion, and the bottom plate closes an open end of the cavity; The connecting portion is detachably fixedly connected to the end plate by screws; The two end plates are parallel to each other, the two side plates and the movable plate are parallel to each other, and the end plates are perpendicular to the side plates; The atomic layer deposition process comprises the following steps: Putting a plurality of cut battery cells between the movable plate and any side plate, exposing the cut parts of the battery cells from the open end of the cavity, and adjusting the fixed positions of the movable plate and the end plate so that the battery cells are closely attached to each other; Place the fixture on the sample stage, and the vacuum pump starts to evacuate the vacuum chamber to a vacuum state; The first gas injection unit fills the vacuum chamber with a first reaction precursor, and after the first reaction precursor is saturatedly adsorbed on the cutting part of the battery cell, the vacuum pump evacuates the first reaction precursor in the vacuum chamber; The third gas injection unit fills the vacuum chamber with an inert gas to clean the vacuum chamber, and the vacuum pump evacuates the inert gas in the vacuum chamber; The second gas injection unit fills the vacuum chamber with a second reaction precursor, the second reaction precursor reacts with the first reaction precursor at the cutting portion of the battery cell to form a passivation film, and the vacuum pump evacuates the second reaction precursor in the vacuum chamber.

2. The atomic layer deposition process according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of the side plates extends outwardly along the depth direction of the cavity to form a protruding portion, and the protruding portion exposes the space between the two end plates.

3. The atomic layer deposition process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side plate or the end plate is provided with a first clamping portion and a second clamping portion on two opposite sides thereof, respectively. The first clamping portion and the second clamping portion are respectively located at two opening ends of the cavity.