Conveying mechanism and vacuum coating system using the same

Abstract

The transmission mechanism and the vacuum coating system using the transmission mechanism belong to the field of semiconductor material manufacturing, and specifically relate to but are not limited to the vacuum coating system of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition in the production of solar cells and the transmission mechanism in the vacuum coating system. The present invention provides a transmission mechanism with a relatively low system height and stable operation and a vacuum coating system using the transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism of the present invention includes a base, characterized in that: two upper rotating shafts are arranged on the base through a first linkage device, and the first linkage device makes the two upper rotating shafts rotate in opposite directions; the lower ends of the two upper rotating shafts are connected to one end of a middle layer active rotating rod, the other ends of the two middle layer active rotating rods are hinged to one end of a lower layer driven rod, the lower sides of the other ends of the two lower layer driven rods are connected to a bottom substrate through the lower rotating shaft, and the two lower rotating shafts are connected through a second linkage device, and the second linkage device makes the two lower rotating shafts rotate in opposite directions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of semiconductor material manufacturing, and specifically relates to, but is not limited to, a vacuum coating system of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) in solar cell production and a transmission mechanism in the vacuum coating system. Background Art

[0002] The special process requirements for solar cells, such as coating a layer of hydrogen-doped amorphous silicon film on a crystalline silicon substrate, place particularly high demands on process equipment. In existing technologies, such as using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) to coat amorphous silicon layers (doped and undoped) for silicon-based heterojunction solar cells (SHJ) in a vacuum, it is impossible to achieve large-scale mass production capabilities while ensuring the coating quality.

[0003] In this process, the quality and uniformity of the coating are greatly affected by the temperature of the substrate. The more uniform the temperature distribution, the better the quality of the coating. When the heating source is uniform, the uniformity of the substrate temperature improves with time until the temperature is uniform.

[0004] For the above reasons, in the current vacuum coating system, two solutions are usually used for the horizontal transfer of substrates. One is that after the substrate is transferred to the process chamber by a carrier, the carrier always carries the substrate in the process chamber during the substrate coating process. This solution is usually called the "carrier solution". The other is that after the substrate is transferred to the process chamber by a fixture, the substrate is placed on a carrier fixed to the process chamber for vacuum coating; the fixture has been moved out of the process chamber before coating. This solution is usually called the "no-carrier solution".

[0005] Considering that the silicon substrate needs to be heated to a uniform temperature in a short time, the non-substrate solution has a shorter heating time and more advantages than the substrate solution. However, the disadvantage of this solution is that the cost of robot automation in the vacuum system is very high. Another disadvantage is that by using robot automation, the volume of the vacuum chamber is very large, which has high requirements for achieving vacuum in a large space, especially the cost of the vacuum pump is very high; the temperature uniformity in the vacuum chamber is also difficult to achieve.

[0006] Conventional non-carrier solution systems in the prior art, such as Figure 1As shown. The two driven rods 102 are connected to the ends of the two active rods 101 respectively through two rotating shafts 107; the top ends of the two active rods 101 are connected to the driving shaft 100; the bracket 106 of the carrier plate is connected to the ends of the driven rods 102 through hinges 103. This combination forms a frog-leg type transmission mechanism. The transmission of the rotational motion from the active rod 101 to the driven rod 102 is achieved through the combined gear 105 and the synchronous belt or chain or belt 104. This structure is usually arranged in parallel and appears symmetrically. A transmission chain is formed by combining the gear 105 and the synchronous belt or chain or belt 104, and only one motor is used to drive the combined gear 105 to rotate, causing the two driven rods 102 to rotate in opposite directions.

[0007] The above-mentioned prior art has been verified through production practice. For large-scale economical and efficient systems, there are still some problems in shortening the vacuum coating process cycle. Due to the synchronous belt or chain or belt transmission device in the transmission rod, it can only be realized at a lower height when the moving distance is short. For a long moving path, for example, in the PECVD system used for vacuum coating of solar cells, a path of 2-4 meters or even longer must be transmitted. Therefore, due to the large disturbance deformation caused by the weight of the components, the height of the system using this structure is relatively large. Therefore, it further leads to the overall increase of the entire vacuum chamber, the sealing door, etc., which brings about a significant increase in the cost of the required vacuum pump, and the vacuuming time is also increased, affecting production efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present invention aims at solving the above problems and provides a transmission mechanism with relatively low system height and stable operation and a vacuum coating system using the transmission mechanism.

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose of the present invention, the present invention adopts the following technical scheme. The transmission mechanism of the present invention includes a base, which is characterized in that: two upper rotating shafts are arranged on the base through a first linkage device, and the first linkage device makes the two upper rotating shafts rotate in opposite directions; the lower ends of the two upper rotating shafts are connected to one end of a middle-layer active rotating rod, and the other ends of the two middle-layer active rotating rods are hinged to one end of a lower-layer driven rod, and the lower sides of the other ends of the two lower-layer driven rods are connected to a bottom-layer substrate through the lower rotating shaft, and the two lower rotating shafts are connected by a second linkage device, and the second linkage device makes the two lower rotating shafts rotate in opposite directions.

[0010] As a preferred solution of the present invention, both the first linkage device and the second linkage device are mutually meshing gear sets.

[0011] The vacuum coating system of the present invention using the above-mentioned transmission mechanism includes a transmission chamber, which is characterized in that: a driving mechanism is arranged in the transmission chamber, and the driving mechanism is connected to the upper rotating shaft of the transmission mechanism; a supporting bracket is arranged on the bottom substrate of the transmission mechanism; an inlet of the transmission mechanism is arranged on one side of the transmission chamber, and an outlet of the transmission mechanism is arranged on the other side of the transmission chamber.

[0012] As a preferred solution of the vacuum coating system of the present invention, a connecting chamber is provided at the outlet and / or inlet of the transmission chamber.

[0013] Furthermore, the connecting chamber may be a transfer chamber or a process chamber.

[0014] Furthermore, a substrate support is arranged in the connection chamber, a hook gripper is arranged at the bottom of the support, and the hook gripper is arranged corresponding to the edge of the substrate support.

[0015] Furthermore, an upper electrode is arranged at the top of the process chamber, and a lower electrode base is arranged below the substrate support.

[0016] Beneficial effects of the present invention: Compared with the prior art, the transmission mechanism of the present invention can maintain a relatively low design height even in a long-distance transmission state of several meters, and has outstanding advantages such as light weight, low manufacturing cost, and high transmission efficiency.

[0017] In the vacuum coating system of the present invention, at least one other chamber is connected to the transmission chamber, which can be another transmission chamber or a process chamber, and preferably is connected to the process chamber. In practical applications, the preferred solution is that multiple transmission chambers are alternately connected to multiple process chambers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the transmission mechanism of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the vacuum coating system of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the upper rotating shaft of the transmission mechanism being connected to the driving mechanism.

[0021] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the lower driven rod of the transmission mechanism connected to the bottom substrate.

[0022] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the process chamber.

[0023] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the load-bearing bracket.

[0024] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the hook gripper and the base sheet of the support.

[0025] Figure 8 It is a structural diagram of the existing non-carrier solution system.

[0026] In the attached drawings, 100 is a driving shaft, 101 is an active rod, 102 is a driven rod, 103 is a hinge, 104 is a synchronous belt or a chain or a belt, 105 is a conjoined gear, 106 is a bracket of a carrier plate, and 107 is a rotating shaft.

[0027] 200 is a connecting chamber, 201 is a transmission chamber, 202 is a transmission mechanism, 203 is a supporting bracket, 204 is a vacuum valve, 205 is a driving mechanism, 206 is an inlet, 207 is a hook gripper, 208 is a supporting wheel, and 209 is a supporting rod.

[0028] 300 is a base, 301 is a first linkage device, 302 is an upper shaft, 303 is a middle active rod, 304 is a hinge shaft, 305 is a lower driven rod, 306 is a bottom substrate, 307 is a lower shaft, 308 is a second linkage device, 309 is a weight reduction groove, and 310 is a groove.

[0029] 400 is a substrate, 401 is a substrate holder, 402 is an upper electrode, 403 is a lower electrode base, 404 is a process chamber, and 405 is a lifting system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The transmission mechanism 202 of the present invention includes a base 300, which is characterized in that: two upper rotating shafts 302 are arranged on the base 300 through a first linkage device 301, and the first linkage device 301 makes the two upper rotating shafts 302 rotate in opposite directions; the lower ends of the two upper rotating shafts 302 are connected to one end of a middle-layer active rotating rod 303, and the other ends of the two middle-layer active rotating rods 303 are hinged to one end of a lower-layer driven rod 305, and the lower sides of the other ends of the two lower-layer driven rods 305 are connected to a bottom substrate 306 through a lower rotating shaft 307, and the two lower rotating shafts 307 are connected through a second linkage device 308, and the second linkage device 308 makes the two lower rotating shafts 307 rotate in opposite directions.

[0031] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the first linkage device 301 and the second linkage device 308 are both mutually meshing gear sets.

[0032] The bottom substrate 306 is provided with a mounting groove, and the second linkage device 308 is disposed in the groove 310 .

[0033] A weight-reducing groove 309 is provided in the middle active rotating rod 303 .

[0034] The middle layer active rotating rod 303 and the lower layer driven rod 305 are connected via a hinge shaft 304 .

[0035] The vacuum coating system of the present invention using the above-mentioned transmission mechanism 202 includes a transmission chamber 201, and is characterized in that: a driving mechanism 205 is arranged in the transmission chamber 201, and the driving mechanism 205 is connected to the upper rotating shaft 302 of the transmission mechanism 202; a supporting bracket 203 is arranged on the bottom substrate 306 of the transmission mechanism 202; an inlet 206 of the transmission mechanism 202 is arranged on one side of the transmission chamber 201, and an outlet of the transmission mechanism 202 is arranged on the other side of the transmission chamber 201.

[0036] As a preferred solution of the vacuum coating system of the present invention, a connecting chamber 200 is provided at the outlet and / or the inlet 206 of the transmission chamber 201 .

[0037] A vacuum valve 204 is disposed between the transmission chamber 201 and the connection chamber 200 .

[0038] Furthermore, the connecting chamber 200 may be a transfer chamber 201 or a process chamber 404 .

[0039] Furthermore, a substrate support 401 is disposed in the connection chamber 200 , and a hook gripper 207 is disposed at the bottom of the support 203 , and the hook gripper 207 is disposed corresponding to the edge of the substrate support 401 .

[0040] The hook gripper 207 may be T-shaped or L-shaped. The L-shaped hook gripper 207 can grip the substrate 400 on one side, and the T-shaped hook gripper 207 can grip the substrates 400 on both sides.

[0041] Furthermore, an upper electrode 402 is disposed on the top of the process chamber 404 , and a lower electrode base 403 is disposed below the substrate support 401 .

[0042] A lifting system 405 is arranged below the lower electrode base 403, and an embedding groove cooperating with the substrate holder 401 is arranged on the lower electrode base 403, and the substrate holder 401 is fixed; after the lifting system 405 controls the lower electrode base 403 to rise, the upper surface of the substrate holder 401 and the upper surface of the lower electrode base 403 form a plane.

[0043] The end of the load-bearing bracket 203 is provided with a support wheel 208 through a support rod 209. The support wheel 208 can help the transmission mechanism 202 to bear the weight and improve the carrying capacity of the transmission mechanism 202.

[0044] The driving mechanism 205 may be a driving motor; the lifting system 405 may be a lifting motor.

[0045] When the vacuum coating system of the present invention is in use, the motor of the driving mechanism 205 is activated to drive an upper rotating shaft 302 to rotate, and the upper rotating shaft 302 drives another upper rotating shaft 302 to rotate in the opposite direction through the gear set of the linkage device, so that the two middle-layer active rotating rods 303 rotate and open at the same time, and the middle-layer active rotating rod 303 then drives the lower-layer driven rod 305 to rotate, and the lower-layer driven rod 305 drives the supporting bracket 203 to move horizontally through the bottom substrate 306.

[0046] The supporting bracket 203 uses the lower hook gripper 207 to transfer the substrate 400 from the transmission chamber 201 to the process chamber 404. After the supporting bracket 203 is in place, the lifting system 405 is activated and the substrate bracket 401 rises. Since the hook gripper 207 is set corresponding to the edge of the substrate bracket 401, after the substrate bracket 401 rises, the substrate 400 is lifted and separated from the hook gripper 207. The transmission mechanism 202 is activated, the supporting bracket 203 moves out of the process chamber 404, the substrate bracket 401 falls back, and the substrate 400 falls on the lower electrode base 403. The upper electrode 402 and the lower electrode base 403 coat the substrate 400.

[0047] It can be understood that the above specific description of the present invention is only used to illustrate the present invention and is not limited to the technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention can still be modified or replaced by equivalents to achieve the same technical effects; as long as the use requirements are met, they are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transmission mechanism, comprising a base (300), characterized in that: The base (300) is provided with two upper rotating shafts (302) through a first linkage device (301), and the first linkage device (301) causes the two upper rotating shafts (302) to rotate in opposite directions; the lower ends of the two upper rotating shafts (302) are connected to one end of a middle active rotating rod (303), the other ends of the two middle active rotating rods (303) are hinged to one end of a lower driven rod (305), and the lower sides of the other ends of the two lower driven rods (305) are connected to the lower rotating shaft. (307) is connected to a bottom substrate (306), and the two lower rotating shafts (307) are connected via a second linkage device (308), and the second linkage device (308) causes the two lower rotating shafts (307) to rotate in opposite directions; the first linkage device (301) and the second linkage device (308) are both mutually meshing gear sets; the bottom substrate (306) is provided with a mounting groove, and the second linkage device (308) is arranged in the groove (310).

2. The transmission mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A weight-reducing groove (309) is provided in the middle-layer active rotating rod (303).

3. The transmission mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The middle layer active rotating rod (303) and the lower layer driven rod (305) are connected via a hinge shaft (304).

4. A vacuum coating system using the transmission mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a transmission chamber (201), characterized in that: A driving mechanism (205) is arranged in the transmission chamber (201), and the driving mechanism (205) is connected to the upper rotating shaft (302) of the transmission mechanism (202); a supporting bracket (203) is arranged on the bottom substrate (306) of the transmission mechanism (202); an inlet (206) of the transmission mechanism (202) is arranged on one side of the transmission chamber (201), and an outlet of the transmission mechanism (202) is arranged on the other side of the transmission chamber (201).

5. The vacuum coating system according to claim 4, characterized in that: A connecting chamber (200) is provided at the outlet and / or the inlet (206) of the transmission chamber (201).

6. The vacuum coating system according to claim 5, characterized in that: A vacuum valve (204) is provided between the transmission chamber (201) and the connection chamber (200).

7. The vacuum coating system according to claim 5, characterized in that: A substrate support (401) is arranged in the connection chamber (200), a hook gripper (207) is arranged at the bottom of the support support (203), and the hook gripper (207) is arranged corresponding to the edge of the substrate support (401).

8. The vacuum coating system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The connecting chamber (200) is a process chamber (404), an upper electrode (402) is arranged at the top of the process chamber (404), and a lower electrode base (403) is arranged below the substrate support (401); a lifting system (405) is arranged below the lower electrode base (403), an embedding groove matching the substrate support (401) is arranged on the lower electrode base (403), and the substrate support (401) is fixed; after the lifting system (405) controls the lower electrode base (403) to rise, the upper surface of the substrate support (401) and the upper surface of the lower electrode base (403) form a plane.

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