A thin film wafer separation apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of solar cells, and particularly relates to a thin film wafer separation device, which comprises an adsorption rotating assembly, a jacking assembly and a locking assembly, the adsorption rotating assembly comprises an adsorption plate, a fixed seat and a rotating driving part, one end of the adsorption plate is a connecting end, and the other end is a free end, the connecting end is rotationally connected with the fixed seat, and the lower surface of the adsorption plate is used for adsorbing the thin film on the wafer; the jacking assembly is located below the free end, the jacking assembly drives the adsorption plate to move upwards, so that the thin film is partially separated from the wafer; the locking assembly is arranged on the fixed seat and is used for locking and fixing the adsorption plate, and the rotating driving part is connected with the fixed seat to drive the fixed seat to drive the adsorption plate to rotate. The jacking assembly is arranged to assist separation, break the liquid tension between the thin film and the wafer, can effectively improve the success rate of separation, reduce the time waste caused by separation failure, and improve the production capacity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of solar cell technology, and more particularly to a thin-film wafer separation device. Background Technology

[0002] Existing thin-film wafer separation mechanisms use a motor to drive a vacuum chuck on a rotating shaft, thereby separating the wafer adsorbed by the vacuum wafer fork from the thin film adsorbed on the vacuum chuck. Because residual liquid remains on the surfaces of the film and wafer, when this liquid enters the vacuum line, the actual suction force exerted by the chuck on the film and wafer is less than the theoretical value. Simultaneously, there is liquid tension between the film and wafer. If this liquid tension exceeds the flipping force exerted by the chuck on the film during separation, the film and wafer cannot be separated, resulting in separation failure. Summary of the Invention

[0003] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0004] The technical problem this invention aims to solve is that there is liquid tension between the thin film and the wafer, and existing thin film-wafer separation devices cannot overcome the liquid tension by applying sufficient flipping force to the thin film, which leads to separation failure.

[0005] (II) Technical Solution

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a thin-film wafer separation device, comprising an adsorption-rotation assembly, a lifting assembly, and a locking assembly. The adsorption-rotation assembly includes a suction plate, a fixed base, and a rotation drive. One end of the suction plate is a connecting end, and the other end is a free end. The connecting end is rotatably connected to the fixed base, and the lower surface of the suction plate is used to adsorb the thin film on the wafer. The lifting assembly is located below the free end and drives the suction plate upward, thereby separating the thin film from the wafer. The locking assembly is disposed on the fixed base and is used to lock and fix the suction plate. The rotation drive is connected to the fixed base to drive the fixed base to rotate the suction plate.

[0007] The locking assembly includes a locking plate and a first driving member. The locking plate is disposed on the outside of the suction plate, parallel to the line connecting the free end to the connecting end of the suction plate. The locking plate has a locked state for locking the suction plate and an unlocked state for unlocking the suction plate. The first driving member is fixed on the fixed base and connected to the locking plate to drive the locking plate to lock or unlock the suction plate.

[0008] The locking plate is provided with a locking groove, and the suction plate is provided with a protrusion that cooperates with the locking groove. The first driving member drives the locking plate to move forward or backward, so that the protrusion is inserted into or removed from the locking groove.

[0009] The locking groove is an L-shaped groove, including a horizontal groove and a vertical groove. When the first driving member drives the locking plate forward, the protrusion enters the horizontal groove to lock the suction plate. When the first driving member drives the locking plate backward, the protrusion exits the horizontal groove and enters the vertical groove to unlock the suction plate. When the lifting component lifts the suction plate, the protrusion can move along the vertical groove.

[0010] The fixed base is provided with a flip base and / or a first drive component mounting plate, and the first drive component is fixed to the flip base and / or the first drive component mounting plate.

[0011] The locking assembly further includes a mounting plate. The first driving member is connected to the locking plate through the mounting plate. The mounting plate is provided with a guide rod, and the fixed seat is provided with a sliding sleeve. The guide rod passes through the sliding sleeve axially and can move along the sliding sleeve.

[0012] A fixing plate is provided between the locking plate and the suction plate. The fixing plate is fixed to the fixing base. The fixing plate is provided with a groove that matches the position of the protrusion. The protrusion can move along the groove.

[0013] The rotary drive includes a second drive and a rotating shaft. The second drive is connected to the rotating shaft and drives the rotating shaft to rotate. The fixed seat is connected to the rotating shaft through a flip seat.

[0014] The end of the rotating shaft is provided with an angle sensor to detect the rotation angle of the rotating shaft.

[0015] The first driving component is a cylinder, and the second driving component is a motor, which is connected to the rotating shaft via a coupling.

[0016] It also includes a wafer fork, which is disposed below the suction plate to support the wafer.

[0017] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0018] The above-mentioned technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages: The thin film wafer separation device of the present invention is equipped with a lifting component. The suction plate adsorbs the thin film on the wafer. After the lifting component lifts the free end of the suction plate upward to a certain height, the suction plate and the thin film rise together at an angle. The connecting end of the suction plate is connected to the fixed base. When the free end of the suction plate is tilted at a certain angle, the connecting end can rotate on the fixed base, thereby causing the thin film adsorbed on the suction plate to leave the wafer, thereby breaking the liquid tension between the thin film and the wafer. Then, the tilted position of the suction plate is fixed by the locking component. The fixed base is driven to rotate by the rotation drive component, thereby driving the suction plate to rotate and completely separate the thin film from the wafer. The lifting component is set to assist the separation and break the liquid tension between the thin film and the wafer, which can effectively improve the success rate of separation, reduce the waste caused by separation failure, and increase production capacity.

[0019] In addition to the technical problems solved by the present invention, the technical features of the technical solutions constituted by the present invention, and the advantages brought about by the technical features of these technical solutions as described above, other technical features of the present invention and the advantages brought about by these technical features will be further explained in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the thin film wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the locking assembly and the adsorption rotation assembly of the thin film wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the locking assembly and suction plate of the thin film wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thin film wafer separation device in use according to an embodiment of the present invention, specifically step S1.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thin film wafer separation device in use according to an embodiment of the present invention, specifically step S2.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thin film wafer separation device in use according to an embodiment of the present invention, specifically step S3.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thin film wafer separation device in use according to an embodiment of the present invention, specifically step S4.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thin film wafer separation device in use according to an embodiment of the present invention, specifically step S5.

[0028] In the diagram: 1: Lifting assembly; 2: Locking assembly; 3: Adsorption and rotation assembly; 4: Thin film; 5: Wafer; 6: Flip seat; 7: Angle sensor; 8: Fixing plate; 9: Wafer fork; 10: Frame; 21: Locking plate; 22: First drive component; 23: Mounting plate; 31: Suction plate; 32: Fixing seat; 33: Rotation drive component; 31a: Free end; 31b: Connecting end; 81: Groove; 211: Locking groove; 231: Guide rod; 311: Protrusion; 321: First drive component mounting plate; 322: Sliding sleeve; 331: Second drive component; 332: Rotating shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0031] Furthermore, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "multiple", "multiple roots", and "multiple groups" mean two or more, and "several", "several roots", and "several groups" mean one or more.

[0032] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the thin film wafer separation device provided in this embodiment of the invention includes an adsorption rotation assembly 3, a lifting assembly 1, and a locking assembly 2. The adsorption rotation assembly 3 includes a suction plate 31, a fixed base 32, and a rotation drive 33. One end of the suction plate 31 is a connecting end 31b, and the other end is a free end 31a. The connecting end 31b is rotatably connected to the fixed base 32. The lower surface of the suction plate 31 is used to adsorb the thin film 4 on the wafer 5. The lifting assembly 1 is located below the free end 31a. The lifting assembly 1 drives the suction plate 31 to move upward, so that the thin film 4 is partially separated from the wafer 5. The locking assembly 2 is disposed on the fixed base 32 and is used to lock and fix the suction plate 31. The rotation drive 33 is connected to the fixed base 32 to drive the fixed base 32 to drive the suction plate 31 to rotate.

[0033] This invention provides a thin-film wafer separation device equipped with a lifting assembly. A suction plate adsorbs the thin film on the wafer. The lifting assembly raises the free end of the suction plate to a certain height, causing the suction plate and the thin film to rise together at an angle. The connecting end of the suction plate is connected to a fixed base. When the free end of the suction plate is tilted at a certain angle, the connecting end can rotate on the fixed base, thereby causing the thin film adsorbed on the suction plate to leave the wafer, thus breaking the liquid tension between the thin film and the wafer. A locking assembly then fixes the tilted position of the suction plate. A rotary drive component drives the fixed base to rotate, thereby causing the suction plate to rotate and completely separate the thin film from the wafer. The lifting assembly assists in separation, breaking the liquid tension between the thin film and the wafer, effectively improving the separation success rate, reducing waste caused by separation failures, and increasing production capacity. In this embodiment, the connecting end of the suction plate can be hinged to the fixed base.

[0034] The locking assembly 2 includes a locking plate 21 and a first driving member 22. The locking plate 21 is disposed on the outer side of the suction plate 31 along the horizontal plane where the suction plate 31 is located, parallel to the line connecting the free end 31a to the connecting end 31b of the suction plate 31. The locking plate 21 has a locked state of locking the suction plate 31 and an unlocked state of unlocking the suction plate 31. The first driving member 22 is fixed on the fixed base 32 and connected to the locking plate 21 to drive the locking plate 21 to lock or unlock the suction plate 31.

[0035] In this embodiment, the locking plate 21 is provided with a locking groove 211, and the suction plate 31 is provided with a protrusion 311 that cooperates with the locking groove 211. The first driving member 22 is fixed on the fixed base 32 and connected to the locking plate 21 to drive the locking plate 21 forward or backward, so that the protrusion 311 is inserted into or removed from the locking groove 211. The locking plate is arranged upward on the suction plate side, which is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the line connecting the free end to the connecting end. The locking plate has a locking groove that cooperates with the protrusion on the side of the suction plate. After the lifting assembly lifts the free end of the suction plate to a certain height, the first driving member drives the locking plate forward, so that the protrusion is inserted into the locking groove, thereby fixing the suction plate and making the locking plate and the suction plate a whole. They can rotate together under the drive of the rotation driving member. By driving the locking plate backward by the first driving member, the protrusion can be removed from the locking groove, the locking of the suction plate can be released, and the lifting assembly can lift the free end of the suction plate. The locking assembly is installed to change the fixing structure of the suction plate, allowing for individual control of the suction plate's locking and releasing as needed.

[0036] The locking groove 211 is an L-shaped groove, including a horizontal groove and a vertical groove. When the first driving member 22 drives the locking plate 21 forward, the protrusion 311 enters the horizontal groove to lock the suction plate 31. When the first driving member 22 drives the locking plate 21 backward, the protrusion 311 exits the horizontal groove and enters the vertical groove to unlock the suction plate 31. When the lifting component 1 lifts the suction plate 31, the protrusion 311 can move along the vertical groove. The L-shaped locking groove extends downward from the upper surface of the locking plate. The protrusion is embedded in the locking groove. When the protrusion is still within the range of the horizontal section of the locking groove, the suction plate cannot be lifted by the lifting assembly or can only be lifted by a very small angle. The first driving component can directly drive the locking plate forward, so that the protrusion is engaged in the horizontal section groove, and the locking plate locks the suction plate. When the protrusion moves along the vertical section groove and leaves the range of the horizontal section groove, the lifting assembly can lift the suction plate, and the rotating driving component can drive the locking assembly to rotate a certain angle. When the first driving assembly drives the locking plate forward again, so that the protrusion is engaged in the horizontal section groove, the locking plate locks the suction plate.

[0037] In this embodiment, the protrusion is a pin, and locking plates are provided on both sides of the suction plate. There are two pins on each side of the suction plate. The first driving component is a cylinder. When the cylinder extends, the pins are restricted by the locking plates, and the suction plate is fixed and can rotate under the drive of the rotating driving component. When the cylinder retracts, the pin suction plate is in a free state, and the free end of the suction plate can be lifted by the lifting component.

[0038] The fixed base 32 is provided with a flip base 6 and a first drive component mounting plate 321, and the first drive component 22 is fixed on the first drive component mounting plate 321. In this embodiment, the fixed base is provided with a flip base and a first drive component mounting plate, and the first drive component is mounted on the fixed base through the first drive component mounting plate, forming the fixed base, locking assembly and suction plate into one unit. Under the drive of the rotation drive component, the suction plate and locking assembly rotate together.

[0039] The locking assembly 2 also includes a mounting plate 23. The first driving member 22 is connected to the locking plate 21 via the mounting plate 23. The mounting plate 23 is provided with a guide rod 231, and the fixed seat 32 is provided with a sliding sleeve 322. The guide rod 231 passes through the sliding sleeve 322 axially and can move along the sliding sleeve 322. The locking plate is connected to the first driving member via the mounting plate. In this embodiment, the first driving member is connected to the middle of the mounting plate, and the other side of the mounting plate is connected to two locking plates. The mounting plate is provided with a guide rod, which can move within the sliding sleeve on the fixed seat. When the first driving member drives the mounting plate to move, it provides guidance and support for the mounting plate and the locking plate, reducing movement offset and error.

[0040] A fixing plate 8 is provided between the locking plate 21 and the suction plate 31. The fixing plate 8 is fixed to the fixing base 32. The fixing plate 8 has a groove 81 that matches the position of the protrusion 311, and the protrusion 311 can move along the groove 81. The groove on the fixing plate extends the protrusion on the side of the suction plate into the locking groove of the locking plate through the groove. The groove is only set in the vertical direction downward from the upper surface of the fixing plate, which plays a role in guiding and limiting the movement of the protrusion.

[0041] The rotary drive component 33 includes a second drive component 331 and a rotating shaft 332. The second drive component 331 is connected to the rotating shaft 332 and drives the rotating shaft 332 to rotate. The fixed seat 32 is connected to the rotating shaft 332 through a flipping seat 6. In this embodiment, the second drive component is a motor, which is connected to the rotating shaft through a coupling. One end of the flipping seat is connected to the fixed seat, and the other end is connected to the rotating shaft. The motor drives the rotating shaft to rotate, thereby causing the flipping seat and the fixed seat to rotate. The motor drives one flipping seat, or one motor can drive multiple flipping seats to achieve simultaneous separation of multiple thin films and wafers, thereby increasing production capacity.

[0042] The rotating shaft 332 is equipped with an angle sensor 7 at its end to detect the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 332. The angle sensor can detect the rotation angle of the rotating shaft, which is the rotation angle of the suction plate under the drive of the second drive component, so as to facilitate monitoring the driving status of the second drive component and control the driving rotation angle of the second drive component according to the detection result of the angle sensor.

[0043] The thin-film wafer separation device of the present invention further includes a wafer fork 9, which is disposed below the suction plate 31 to support the wafer 5. After etching, the wafer is taken out from the wet process fixture by the wafer picking mechanism or the separation device and placed between the suction plate and the wafer fork. When the vacuum path is opened, a vacuum adsorption is formed between the suction plate and the thin film, and a vacuum adsorption is formed between the wafer fork and the wafer.

[0044] In use, the frame 10 in this embodiment is fixed, but it can also be replaced by a linear module to enable the separation device to automatically pick up wafers from the wet processing rack. The lifting assembly uses a lifting cylinder, and the lifting height and speed of the lifting cylinder are adjusted in a timely manner according to different wafers to achieve better film separation effect.

[0045] S1, as Figure 4 As shown, after the wafer is removed from the wet process fixture, the suction plate and wafer fork clamp the film and wafer together. The suction plate is in a horizontal position and is locked by the locking assembly, preventing it from being flipped.

[0046] S2, as Figure 5 As shown, the locking cylinder retracts, causing the mounting plate and locking plate to retract as well. The protrusion on the suction plate is no longer restricted, and the connecting end of the suction plate can rotate at the connection with the fixed base.

[0047] S3, as Figure 6 As shown, the lifting cylinder extends a certain length, driving the suction plate and the thin film to rotate together around the rotating shaft at a certain angle. At this time, the tension between the thin film and the wafer is broken, and the two separate.

[0048] S4, such as Figure 7 As shown, the motor drives the rotation, causing the locking plate to rotate at the same angle as the suction plate. The locking cylinder extends, causing the mounting plate and the locking plate to extend, so that the protrusion on the suction plate is in the locking groove of the locking plate, thus restricting the rotation of the suction plate again.

[0049] S5, such as Figure 8 As shown, the motor then rotates, driving the suction plate to rotate, and the lifting cylinder retracts to its original position, ultimately separating the thin film from the wafer, facilitating the subsequent processes.

[0050] The thin film in this application can be a thin film grown on a wafer, with the suction plate directly adsorbing the thin film grown on the wafer and peeling it off from the wafer. Alternatively, it can be a transfer substrate film used in the process of peeling the thin film grown on the wafer from the wafer, such as a PET film. The PET film is located on the side of the thin film grown on the wafer that is away from the wafer, and the area of ​​the PET film is larger than the area of ​​the wafer. When the lifting component lifts the free end of the suction plate and the PET film on the free end, the rotation drive causes the suction plate to flip, thereby peeling the PET film, along with the epitaxially grown thin film, off the wafer.

[0051] In summary, the thin film wafer separation device of the present invention is equipped with a lifting component. A suction plate adsorbs the thin film on the wafer. After the lifting component lifts the free end of the suction plate upward to a certain height, the suction plate and the thin film rise together at an angle. The connecting end of the suction plate is connected to a fixed base. When the free end of the suction plate is tilted at a certain angle, the connecting end can rotate on the fixed base, thereby causing the thin film adsorbed on the suction plate to leave the wafer, thus breaking the liquid tension between the thin film and the wafer. Then, the tilted position of the suction plate is fixed by a locking component. The fixed base is driven to rotate by a rotation drive component, thereby driving the suction plate to rotate and completely separate the thin film from the wafer. The lifting component is used to assist separation and break the liquid tension between the thin film and the wafer, which can effectively improve the separation success rate, reduce waste caused by separation failure, and increase production capacity.

[0052] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A thin film wafer separation apparatus, characterized by: The device includes an adsorption rotation assembly, a lifting assembly, and a locking assembly. The adsorption rotation assembly includes a suction plate, a fixed base, and a rotation drive. One end of the suction plate is a connecting end, and the other end is a free end. The connecting end is rotatably connected to the fixed base, and the lower surface of the suction plate is used to adsorb a thin film on a wafer. The lifting assembly is located below the free end and drives the suction plate upward, causing the thin film to partially separate from the wafer. The locking assembly is disposed on the fixed base and is used to lock and fix the suction plate. The rotation drive is connected to the fixed base to drive the fixed base to rotate the suction plate. The locking assembly includes a locking plate and a first driving member. The locking plate is disposed on the outside of the suction plate, parallel to the line connecting the free end to the connecting end of the suction plate. The locking plate has a locked state of locking the suction plate and an unlocked state of unlocking the suction plate. The first driving member is fixed on the fixed base and connected to the locking plate to drive the locking plate to lock or unlock the suction plate. The locking plate is provided with a locking groove, and the suction plate is provided with a protrusion that cooperates with the locking groove. The first driving member drives the locking plate to move forward or backward, so that the protrusion is inserted into or removed from the locking groove. The locking groove is an L-shaped groove, including a horizontal groove and a vertical groove. When the first driving member drives the locking plate forward, the protrusion enters the horizontal groove to lock the suction plate. When the first driving member drives the locking plate backward, the protrusion exits the horizontal groove and enters the vertical groove to unlock the suction plate. When the lifting component lifts the suction plate, the protrusion can move along the vertical groove. The locking assembly further includes a locking assembly mounting plate. The first driving member is connected to the locking plate through the locking assembly mounting plate. The locking assembly mounting plate is provided with a guide rod, and the fixed seat is provided with a sliding sleeve. The guide rod passes through the sliding sleeve axially and can move along the sliding sleeve.

2. The thin film wafer separation apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The fixed base is provided with a flip base and / or a first drive component mounting plate, and the first drive component is fixed to the flip base and / or the first drive component mounting plate.

3. The thin film wafer separation apparatus of claim 1, wherein: A fixing plate is provided between the locking plate and the suction plate. The fixing plate is fixed to the fixing base. The fixing plate is provided with a groove that matches the position of the protrusion. The protrusion can move along the groove.

4. The thin film wafer separation apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The rotary drive includes a second drive and a rotating shaft. The second drive is connected to the rotating shaft and drives the rotating shaft to rotate. The fixed seat is connected to the rotating shaft through a flip seat.

5. The thin film wafer separation apparatus of claim 4, wherein: An angle sensor is provided at the end of the rotating shaft to detect the rotation angle of the rotating shaft.

6. The thin film wafer separation apparatus of claim 1, wherein: It also includes a wafer fork, which is disposed below the suction plate to support the wafer.

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