Etching equipment

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides an etching device that can effectively realize an open-pore structure at a low cost and with a simplified process. The etching device comprises: a porous roller (210), wherein the porous roller (210) is a hollow structure with two ends open and the hollow structure contains etching liquid, and the porous roller (210) is provided with a plurality of openings (211); a pressing roller (220), attached to the porous roller (210) and arranged above the liquid level of the etching liquid, and used to press the metal layer (230) to be etched onto the surface of the porous roller (210); wherein, during the rotation of the porous roller (210), the etching liquid continuously soaks the metal layer (230) in contact with at least a portion of the openings (211) through at least a portion of the openings (211), so as to continuously etch the metal layer (230) in contact with at least a portion of the openings (211).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of etching technology, and in particular to an etching device. Background Art

[0002] Energy conservation and emission reduction are key to the sustainable development of the automotive industry. In this context, electric vehicles, due to their energy-saving and environmentally friendly advantages, have become a crucial component of the industry's sustainable development. Battery technology, in turn, is a crucial factor in the development of electric vehicles.

[0003] To improve battery performance, perforating the current collector is often employed. Currently, the current collector perforation process typically consists of coating, exposure, development, and etching. However, this process is complex and costly. For example, the photosensitive material applied to the current collector surface during the coating step is typically expensive. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiment of the present application provides an etching device that can effectively realize an open-pore structure at a lower cost and with a simplified process.

[0005] In a first aspect, an etching device is provided, comprising: a porous roller, wherein the porous roller is a hollow structure with openings at both ends and the hollow structure contains etching liquid, and the porous roller is provided with a plurality of openings; a pressing roller, attached to the porous roller and arranged above the liquid level of the etching liquid, and used for pressing the metal layer to be etched onto the surface of the porous roller; wherein, during the rotation of the porous roller, the etching liquid continuously soaks the metal layer in contact with the at least part of the openings through at least part of the multiple openings, so as to continuously etch the metal layer in contact with the at least part of the openings.

[0006] In the embodiment of the present application, a porous roller is provided, and the porous roller is provided with multiple openings and contains an etching liquid. Thus, during the rotation of the porous roller, the etching liquid can continuously etch the metal layer in contact with the openings through the openings of the porous roller. This not only achieves the purpose of opening the holes in the metal layer, but also because the etching liquid continuously etches the metal layer, the contact time between the etching liquid and the metal layer is prolonged, thereby more fully etching the metal layer and meeting the etching thickness requirement.

[0007] Furthermore, by providing a pressure roller attached to the porous roller, contact pressure between the metal layer and the porous roller is maintained during the rotation of the porous roller, causing the metal layer to rotate in close contact with the porous roller, allowing the etching liquid to more fully etch the metal layer. Furthermore, positioning the pressure roller above the etching liquid level increases the time the etching liquid takes to etch the metal layer. Furthermore, the metal layer is already in contact with the porous roller before the metal layer continues to be in contact with the etching liquid, thus minimizing leakage and preventing the etching liquid from etching the non-perforated areas of the metal layer due to leakage.

[0008] In some possible implementations, the pressing roller is disposed above the axis of the porous roller.

[0009] In the above technical solution, the pressure roller is arranged above the axis of the porous roller, which can increase the wrap angle of the porous roller to increase the etching time of the etching liquid on the metal layer, thereby being able to more fully etch the metal layer and further meet the etching thickness requirements.

[0010] In some possible implementations, there are two pressure rollers, which are respectively arranged upstream and downstream of the porous roller in the conveying direction of the metal layer; starting from the pressure roller arranged upstream in the conveying direction to the pressure roller arranged downstream in the conveying direction, the etching liquid continuously etches the metal layer in contact with at least part of the opening.

[0011] The above technical solution uses two pressure rollers, one upstream and one downstream of the porous roller in the conveying direction. This increases the contact pressure between the metal layer and the porous roller at both upstream and downstream locations, allowing the metal layer to rotate more closely against the porous roller. Furthermore, this solution avoids liquid leakage at both upstream and downstream locations, further improving the performance of the etching equipment.

[0012] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: a liquid collecting device, wherein at least a portion of the porous roller is disposed in the liquid collecting device, wherein the liquid collecting device is used to collect the etching liquid leaking from the porous roller.

[0013] In the above technical solution, the etching equipment includes a liquid collecting device. In this way, if the porous roller leaks etching liquid, the liquid collecting device can collect the leaked etching liquid, effectively avoiding the problem of turbulent etching liquid and contamination of other devices.

[0014] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: a cleaning device disposed downstream of the porous roller in the conveying direction of the metal layer, for cleaning the etching liquid remaining on the metal layer after the etching liquid continuously etches the metal layer.

[0015] The above technical solution sets a cleaning device in the etching equipment, which can quickly clean the metal layer after the etching liquid etches the metal layer to remove the residual etching liquid and other contaminants on the metal layer, so as to facilitate the etching equipment to output a metal layer that can be directly used.

[0016] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: a drying device, disposed downstream of the cleaning device in the conveying direction of the metal layer, for drying the metal layer after the cleaning device cleans the etching liquid remaining on the metal layer.

[0017] The above technical solution, by arranging a drying device in the etching equipment, enables the drying device to quickly dry the metal layer after the cleaning device cleans the etching liquid remaining on the metal layer. The etching equipment does not need to stay for a period of time to wait for the metal layer to dry naturally, thereby improving the processing speed of the entire equipment.

[0018] In some possible implementations, the method further includes: a liquid passing device for passing the etching liquid into the hollow structure through at least one of the openings at both ends of the porous roller.

[0019] In some possible implementations, it also includes: a conveying roller, used to convey the metal layer to the porous roller and the pressure roller along the conveying direction of the metal layer, and to convey the metal layer out of the porous roller and the pressure roller after the etching liquid continues to etch the metal layer.

[0020] In some possible implementations, the etching liquid continuously etches the metal layer to form a plurality of openings on the surface of the metal layer, and the proportion of the openings formed on the surface of the metal layer is 30% to 50%.

[0021] The above technical solution sets the porosity of the metal layer to 30%-50%, which can meet the requirements of most current collectors, thereby effectively improving the applicability of etching equipment and current collectors.

[0022] In some possible implementations, the etching equipment is used to prepare openings on the current collector, the metal layer is the metal layer on the current collector, and is arranged on the surface of the base film included in the current collector, wherein the size and shape of each of the multiple openings on the porous roller are the same as the size and shape of the openings on the current collector.

[0023] In the above technical solution, the openings on the current collector obtained by etching equipment are the same as the required openings, thereby improving the accuracy of the entire process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the drawings without creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle disclosed in one embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of an etching device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a porous roller according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of another etching device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0029] In the drawings, the drawings are not drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. The following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings are used to illustrate the principles of the present application, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present application, that is, the present application is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0031] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means more than two; the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. "Vertical" is not strictly perpendicular, but is within the allowable error range. "Parallel" is not strictly parallel, but is within the allowable error range.

[0032] The directional words appearing in the following description are all directions shown in the figures, and do not limit the specific structure of this application. In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0033] The term "and / or" in this application simply describes an association between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meanings as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used in the specification of this application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. The terms "first" and "second" in the specification and claims of this application or the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order or a primary-secondary relationship.

[0035] References to "embodiments" in this application mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in this application may be combined with other embodiments.

[0036] Although the present application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications may be made thereto and components may be substituted with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, the various technical features described in the various embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there are no structural conflicts. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but encompasses all technical solutions within the scope of the claims.

[0037] In recent years, batteries have been widely used as a major power device in electric vehicles, military equipment, aerospace and other fields.

[0038] For example, Figure 1 As shown, it is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present application. The vehicle 1 can be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle or a new energy vehicle. The new energy vehicle can be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or an extended-range vehicle, etc. A motor 11, a controller 12 and a battery 10 can be provided inside the vehicle 1. The controller 12 is used to control the battery 10 to power the motor 11. For example, a battery 10 can be provided at the bottom, front or rear of the vehicle 1. The battery 10 can be used to power the vehicle 1. For example, the battery 10 can be used as an operating power source for the vehicle 1, for the circuit system of the vehicle 1, for example, for the working power requirements of the vehicle 1 during startup, navigation and operation. In another embodiment of the present application, the battery 10 can not only serve as an operating power source for the vehicle 1, but also as a driving power source for the vehicle 1, replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power for the vehicle 1.

[0039] In the embodiments of this application, a battery refers to a physical module that includes one or more battery cells to provide electrical energy. For example, the battery referred to herein may include a battery module or a battery pack. A battery generally includes a housing that encloses one or more battery cells. The housing prevents liquids or other foreign matter from interfering with the charging or discharging of the battery cells.

[0040] Optionally, the battery cell may include a lithium-ion secondary battery, a lithium-ion primary battery, a lithium-sulfur battery, a sodium-lithium-ion battery, a sodium-ion battery, or a magnesium-ion battery, etc., which is not limited in the present embodiment. In some embodiments, the battery cell may also be referred to as a battery cell.

[0041] A battery cell includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte. The electrode assembly consists of a positive electrode sheet, a negative electrode sheet, and a separator. A battery cell primarily operates by the movement of metal ions between the positive and negative electrode sheets. The positive electrode sheet includes a positive current collector and a positive active material layer. The positive active material layer is coated on the surface of the positive electrode collector. The uncoated positive electrode collector protrudes from the coated positive electrode collector, and the uncoated positive electrode collector serves as the positive electrode tab. For lithium-ion batteries, for example, the positive electrode current collector can be made of aluminum, and the positive electrode active material can be lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, or lithium manganese oxide. The negative electrode sheet includes a negative current collector and a negative active material layer. The negative active material layer is coated on the surface of the negative electrode collector. The uncoated negative electrode collector protrudes from the coated negative electrode collector, and the uncoated negative electrode collector serves as the negative electrode tab. The negative electrode current collector can be made of copper, and the negative electrode active material can be carbon or silicon. To ensure high current flow without melting, multiple positive electrode tabs are stacked together, and multiple negative electrode tabs are stacked together. The separator can be made of materials such as polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE).

[0042] In order to improve the performance of the battery, the solution of punching holes in the current collector is usually adopted. On the one hand, the porous structure increases the area on the surface of the current collector that accommodates the active material, and more active materials can be filled in the pores, which is beneficial to improving the energy density of the battery. On the other hand, the porous structure can increase the bonding force between the current collector and the active material. On the other hand, the porous structure itself is conducive to the infiltration of the electrolyte, which can increase the speed of the injection process during the battery processing. After the battery is processed into a battery, the full infiltration of the electrolyte can accelerate the passage rate of lithium ions, thereby further improving the rate performance of the lithium battery. On the other hand, after punching, the migration and diffusion of lithium ions changes from the traditional two-dimensional direction to all-round penetration, and the contact area between the active material entering the porous member and the current collector (such as the positive active material and the positive current collector) increases, which reduces the lithium ion migration radius and effectively improves the rate performance of the lithium-ion battery.

[0043] At present, the drilling process of the current collector usually consists of steps such as coating, exposure, development, and etching. Specifically, first, a photosensitive material, such as ink, is coated on the surface of the current collector. Among them, the ink is mainly composed of three types: photosensitive acrylate, mineral pigment particles, and leveling additives. The acrylate is cured by ultraviolet ray (UV) lamp and is not corroded by acid. Next, the current collector coated with the photosensitive material is regionally cured by an exposure source such as UV. After that, the current collector enters the developing tank, so that the photosensitive material in the uncured area of the current collector surface is reacted, thereby removing the photosensitive material. At the same time, the photosensitive material in the cured area will not be removed. After that, an etching solution is sprayed on the surface of the current collector to etch the uncured area of the current collector surface, while the cured area will not be etched because of the photosensitive material on the surface. In this way, an opening is formed on the surface of the current collector.

[0044] As can be seen from the above process, at least four steps are required to form holes on the current collector surface, making the entire process relatively complex. In addition, the above drilling solution is also costly. For example, the ink costs 3.5 yuan per square meter.

[0045] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application proposes an etching device that can effectively realize an open-pore structure at a lower cost and with a simplified process.

[0046] It should be understood that the present embodiment of the present application uses the etching device to prepare the openings on the current collector as an example, but the present embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. For example, the etching device of the present embodiment of the present application can also be used to etch patterns and designs on packaging bags and product bags.

[0047] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of an etching device 200 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the etching device 200 may include a porous roller 210 and a pressure roller 220. Figure 3 As shown, the porous roller 210 is a hollow structure with two ends open and contains etching liquid. The porous roller 210 is provided with a plurality of openings 211. The pressing roller 220 is attached to the porous roller 210 and is positioned above the liquid level of the etching liquid to press the metal layer 230 to be etched onto the surface of the porous roller 210.

[0048] During the rotation of the porous roller 210 , the etching liquid continuously soaks the metal layer 230 in contact with at least some of the openings 211 through at least some of the openings 211 , so as to continuously etch the metal layer 230 in contact with at least some of the openings 211 .

[0049] In the embodiment of the present application, a porous roller 210 is provided, and the porous roller 210 is provided with a plurality of openings 211 and contains an etching liquid. Thus, during the rotation of the porous roller 210, the etching liquid can continuously etch the metal layer 230 in contact with the openings 211 through the openings 211 of the porous roller 210. This not only achieves the purpose of opening the metal layer 230, but also because the etching liquid continuously etches the metal layer 230, the contact time between the etching liquid and the metal layer 230 is prolonged, thereby enabling the metal layer 230 to be more fully etched, thereby meeting the etching thickness requirement.

[0050] Furthermore, by providing a pressure roller 220 attached to the porous roller 210, the contact pressure between the metal layer 230 and the porous roller 210 can be maintained during the rotation of the porous roller 210, causing the metal layer 230 to rotate closely against the porous roller 210, allowing the etching liquid to more fully etch the metal layer 230. In addition, by arranging the pressure roller 220 above the liquid level of the etching liquid, on the one hand, the etching liquid increases the time it takes to etch the metal layer 230; on the other hand, the metal layer 230 is already in contact with the porous roller 210 before the metal layer 230 continues to contact the etching liquid, which not only minimizes the problem of liquid leakage, but also prevents the etching liquid from etching the non-opening areas of the metal layer 230 due to leakage.

[0051] from Figure 2 As can be seen, the etching apparatus 200 of the embodiment of the present application is a roll-to-roll etching apparatus. As an example, the etching time of the etching apparatus 200 can be 30 seconds, the tape speed can be 1 meter per minute to 5 meters per minute (1m / min to 5m / min), the etching depth can be 50μm to 100μm, and the etching accuracy can be less than or equal to 5μm.

[0052] It should be understood that the specific examples herein are intended only to help those skilled in the art better understand the embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. For example, the etching time, tape speed, etching depth, etc. of the etching apparatus 200 can be specifically set according to actual application.

[0053] Optionally, the etching liquid may include but is not limited to an acidic corrosive solution, an alkaline corrosive solution, etc. For example, the etching liquid may be acidic copper chloride or ammonium persulfate.

[0054] Alternatively, the etching liquid contained in the porous roller 210 may fill the porous roller 210 , or the amount of etching liquid in the porous roller 210 may be smaller than the volume of the porous roller 210 .

[0055] It should be understood that the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the size of the porous roller 210 and the size and shape of each of the multiple openings 211 on the porous roller 210. For example, the shapes of the multiple openings 211 on the porous roller 210 can be circular, elliptical, quadrilateral, or irregular.

[0056] In some embodiments, the size and shape of each of the plurality of openings 211 on the porous roller 210 can be the same as the size and shape of the openings on the prepared current collector. In this way, the openings on the current collector obtained by the etching apparatus 200 are the same as the desired openings, thereby improving the accuracy of the entire process.

[0057] Alternatively, considering that the etching liquid has the possibility of diffusion after continuously immersing the metal layer 230 through at least part of the openings 211 on the porous roller 210, the size of each opening 211 among the multiple openings 211 on the porous roller 210 can be slightly smaller than the size of the openings on the current collector.

[0058] The etching liquid continuously etches the metal layer 230, thereby forming a plurality of openings on the surface of the metal layer 230. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the proportion of the openings formed on the surface of the metal layer 230, and can be specifically set according to the actual application. For example, the proportion of the openings formed on the surface of the metal layer 230 can be 30%-50%, that is, the metal layer 230 can have a porosity of 30%-50%. Setting the porosity of the metal layer 230 to 30%-50% can meet the requirements of most current collectors, thereby effectively improving the applicability of the etching equipment 200 and the current collector.

[0059] Alternatively, the metal layer 230 may be a metal layer on a conventional current collector. For example, if the conventional current collector is a positive electrode current collector, the metal layer 230 may be aluminum foil. If the conventional current collector is a negative electrode current collector, the metal layer 230 may be copper foil.

[0060] Considering that high energy density, light weight and flexibility of batteries are becoming people's pursuit, the density of copper is 8.9g / cm 3 , the density of aluminum is 2.79g / cm 3 The total mass of the positive and negative electrode current collectors accounts for about 14%-18% of the total mass of the battery, so it cannot meet the pursuit of high energy density and lightweight of the battery.

[0061] Based on this, the metal layer 230 in the embodiment of the present application can be a metal layer on a composite current collector. The intermediate layer of the composite current collector can be a plastic film, with the metal layer 230 plated on the upper and lower surfaces of the plastic film, thereby improving the lightweight and energy density of the battery. The plastic film can be oriented polypropylene (OPP) plastic, polyimide (PI) plastic, polyethylene glycol terephthalate (PET) plastic, cast polypropylene (CPP) plastic, or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, as well as one or more of their derivatives, cross-linked products, and copolymers.

[0062] It should be noted that compared with other plastic films, PET has higher thermal stability.

[0063] In some embodiments, as Figure 4 As shown, there can be two pressing rollers 220, which are respectively arranged upstream and downstream of the porous roller 210 in the conveying direction of the metal layer 230. In this case, the etching liquid continuously etches the metal layer 230 in contact with at least a portion of the openings 211, starting from the pressing roller 220 arranged upstream in the conveying direction to the pressing roller 220 arranged downstream in the conveying direction.

[0064] Optionally, the two pressing rollers 220 may be symmetrically arranged on both sides of the porous roller 210. For example, both pressing rollers 220 are arranged above the liquid level of the etching liquid.

[0065] Optionally, the two pressing rollers 220 may be asymmetrically disposed on both sides of the porous roller 210. For example, one of the two pressing rollers 220 is disposed above the liquid level of the etching liquid, and the other pressing roller is disposed below the liquid level of the etching liquid.

[0066] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present application, “up” refers to the direction opposite to the direction of gravity, and “down” refers to the direction of gravity.

[0067] In this embodiment, in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the porous roller 210, the angle α between the axes of the two pressing rollers 220 and the line connecting the axis of the porous roller 210 can be at least 10 degrees, that is, the two pressing rollers 220 are close together.

[0068] In the above technical solution, the number of pressure rollers 220 is set to two, and the two pressure rollers 220 are respectively arranged upstream and downstream of the porous roller 210 in the conveying direction. Therefore, the pressure rollers 220 can increase the contact pressure between the metal layer 230 and the porous roller 210 at both upstream and downstream of the porous roller 210, so that the metal layer 230 can rotate more closely against the porous roller 210. In addition, the problem of liquid leakage at the upstream and downstream of the porous roller 210 is avoided, thereby further improving the performance of the etching equipment 200.

[0069] In some embodiments, the pressure roller 220 may be disposed above the axis of the porous roller 210 .

[0070] For example, if the number of the pressing rollers 220 is two, refer again to Figure 4 , both pressing rollers 220 can be arranged above the axis of the porous roller 210. Alternatively, one of the two pressing rollers 220 can be arranged above the axis of the porous roller 210, and the other pressing roller can be arranged below the axis of the porous roller 210.

[0071] This technical solution sets the pressure roller 220 above the axis of the porous roller 210, which can increase the wrap angle of the porous roller 210 to increase the etching time of the etching liquid on the metal layer 230, so that the metal layer 230 can be etched more fully and further meet the etching thickness requirements.

[0072] The wrap angle refers to the central angle of the circle subtended by the contact arc between the belt and the pulley. The size of the wrap angle reflects the length of the contact arc between the belt and the pulley circular surface.

[0073] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the etching equipment 200 may further include a unwinding roller 270 and a winding roller 280 in addition to the devices described above.

[0074] The unwinding roller 270 is disposed at the most upstream in the conveying direction, and is used to convey the metal layer 230 along the conveying direction. The winding roller 280 is disposed at the most downstream in the conveying direction, and is used to collect the etched metal layer 230 .

[0075] Furthermore, the etching device 200 may also include at least one conveying roller, which is used to convey the metal layer 230 to the porous roller 210 and the pressure roller 220 along the conveying direction, and to convey the metal layer 230 out of the porous roller 210 and the pressure roller 220 after the etching liquid continues to etch the metal layer 230.

[0076] If the etching equipment 200 includes multiple conveying rollers, the sizes of the multiple conveying rollers can be the same or different, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0077] Although the etching device 200 can avoid the problem of liquid leakage as much as possible, in some cases, leakage is inevitable. Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the etching equipment 200 of the embodiment of the present application may further include a liquid collecting device 240 .

[0078] At least a portion of the porous roller 210 is disposed in the liquid collecting device 240 , and the liquid collecting device 240 is used to collect the etching liquid leaking from the porous roller 210 .

[0079] Optionally, the size of the liquid collecting device 240 may be larger than that of the porous roller 210 , on the one hand, so that the porous roller 210 can be disposed in the liquid collecting device 240 , and on the other hand, so that the liquid collecting device 240 can collect as much etching liquid leaking from the porous roller 210 as possible.

[0080] Optionally, the liquid collecting device 240 may be a liquid collecting tank.

[0081] In the above technical solution, the etching equipment 200 includes a liquid collecting device 240. In this way, if the porous roller 210 leaks the etching liquid, the liquid collecting device 240 can collect the leaked etching liquid, effectively avoiding the problem of turbulent etching liquid and contamination of other devices.

[0082] After the metal layer 230 is continuously etched by the etching liquid, pollutants such as the etching liquid may adhere to the surface. Figure 2 and Figure 4 The etching device 200 may further include: a cleaning device 250 , which is disposed downstream of the porous roller 210 in the conveying direction of the metal layer 230 , and is used to clean the etching liquid remaining on the metal layer 230 after the etching liquid continuously etches the metal layer 230 .

[0083] As an example, Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the cleaning device 250 may include a water washing tank, in which a transmission roller and a cleaning liquid are provided. When the transmission roller conveys the metal layer 230 , the cleaning liquid in the water washing tank can clean the etching liquid on the metal layer 230 .

[0084] The liquid level of the cleaning fluid can be higher than the transmission roller, that is, the cleaning fluid submerges the transmission roller. In this way, the cleaning fluid can fully clean the etching liquid on the metal layer 230. Of course, only a part of the structure of the transmission roller can be submerged in the cleaning fluid.

[0085] Optionally, the cleaning liquid may be clean water, or other liquid that can dissolve the etching liquid.

[0086] As another example, the cleaning device 250 may include a spray pipe containing a cleaning liquid, and the spray pipe is used to spray the cleaning liquid onto the etched metal layer 230 .

[0087] The number of spray pipes may be one or more. If there are multiple spray pipes, the multiple spray pipes may be respectively arranged on both sides of the metal layer 230. For example, if the cleaning device 250 includes four spray pipes, the four spray pipes may be arranged on both sides of the metal layer 230 in pairs.

[0088] Optionally, the etching apparatus 200 may further include a control system for controlling the opening and closing of the spray pipe. Specifically, when the etched metal layer 230 is being transferred to the cleaning device 250 or is about to be transferred to the cleaning device 250, the control system may control the spray pipe to open so that the spray pipe can spray the cleaning liquid onto the metal layer 230. At other times, the control system controls the spray pipe to close.

[0089] As another example, the cleaning device 250 may include a water washing tank or a spray pipe. In this way, the cleaning device 250 can more fully clean the etching liquid remaining on the metal layer 230 in a shorter time, thereby effectively improving the cleaning efficiency.

[0090] In the above technical solution, a cleaning device 250 is set in the etching equipment 200. After the etching liquid etches the metal layer 230, the metal layer 230 can be quickly cleaned to remove the etching liquid and other contaminants remaining on the metal layer 230, so that the etching equipment 200 can output the metal layer 230 that can be directly used.

[0091] After the cleaning device 250 cleans the residual etching liquid on the metal layer 230 , the embodiment of the present application may further dry the cleaned metal layer 230 .

[0092] Therefore, the etching apparatus 200 may further include a drying device 260 , which is disposed downstream of the cleaning device 250 and is configured to dry the metal layer 230 after the cleaning device 250 cleans the residual etching liquid on the metal layer 230 .

[0093] Alternatively, as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the drying device 260 may include an air knife, which is used to air dry the metal layer 230 cleaned by the cleaning device 250. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the number of air knives. For example, the number of air knives can be one. For another example, refer again to Figure 2 and Figure 4 The number of the air knives may be multiple, such as two, and the multiple air knives may be spaced apart on both sides of the metal layer 230 along the conveying direction.

[0094] In addition to the air knives, the drying device 260 may also include heating tubes (not shown). Like the air knives, the heating tubes are spaced apart on both sides of the metal layer 230 along the conveying direction. Specifically, the heating tubes and the air knives are spaced apart from each other. One air knife can be placed between two heating tubes, and one heating tube can be placed between two air knives.

[0095] It should be understood that the number and arrangement of the heating tubes and air knives in the embodiment of the present application can be set according to various factors such as the drying speed required for the metal layer 230 in actual application, the belt speed, etc. For example, two heating tubes are set between two adjacent air knives.

[0096] Optionally, the drying device 260 may include a UV lamp, which may emit light of a specific wavelength band toward the metal layer 230 cleaned by the cleaning device 250 , thereby drying the cleaned metal layer 230 .

[0097] The above technical solution, by arranging a drying device 260 in the etching equipment 200, enables the drying device 260 to quickly dry the metal layer 230 after the cleaning device 250 cleans the etching liquid remaining on the metal layer 230. The etching equipment 200 does not need to stay for a period of time to wait for the metal layer 230 to dry naturally, thereby improving the processing speed of the entire equipment.

[0098] Furthermore, the etching equipment 200 may further include a liquid passing device (not shown in the figure), which is used to pass the etching liquid into the hollow structure of the porous roller 210 through at least one of the openings at both ends of the porous roller 210.

[0099] Optionally, the liquid passing device can pass the etching liquid into the porous roller 210 before the etching equipment 200 is operated.

[0100] Since the etching liquid may be consumed, such as leaking, during the process of etching the metal layer 230 , the liquid passing device can also pass the etching liquid into the porous roller 210 during the operation of the etching equipment 200 .

[0101] In order to save etching liquid and thereby reduce the cost of preparing the current collector openings, in the embodiment of the present application, the liquid passing device can be connected to the liquid collecting device 240, so that the etching liquid collected by the liquid collecting device 240 can be transferred to the liquid passing device, and the liquid passing device then passes the etching liquid obtained from the liquid collecting device 240 into the hollow structure of the porous roller 210.

[0102] In this way, the etching liquid can be recycled, thereby reducing the cost of preparing the current collector openings.

[0103] Optionally, the liquid passage device may be, but is not limited to, a pump.

[0104] Although the present application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications may be made thereto and components may be substituted with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, the various technical features described in the various embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there are no structural conflicts. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but encompasses all technical solutions within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An etching device, characterized in that: include: A porous roller (210), wherein the porous roller (210) is a hollow structure with two ends open and an etching liquid contained in the hollow structure, and the porous roller (210) is provided with a plurality of openings (211); a pressing roller (220), attached to the porous roller (210) and arranged above the liquid level of the etching liquid, for pressing the metal layer (230) to be etched onto the surface of the porous roller (210); Wherein, during the rotation of the porous roller (210), the etching liquid continuously soaks the metal layer (230) in contact with at least some of the openings (211) through at least some of the openings (211), so as to continuously etch the metal layer (230) in contact with at least some of the openings (211).

2. The etching equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that The pressing roller (220) is arranged on the axis of the porous roller (210).

3. The etching equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that There are two pressing rollers (220), and the two pressing rollers (220) are respectively arranged upstream and downstream of the porous roller (210) in the conveying direction of the metal layer (230); Starting from the pressing roller (220) arranged upstream in the conveying direction to the pressing roller (220) arranged downstream in the conveying direction, the etching liquid continuously etches the metal layer (230) in contact with the at least part of the opening (211).

4. The etching equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Also includes: A liquid collecting device (240), wherein at least a portion of the porous roller (210) is disposed in the liquid collecting device (240), wherein the liquid collecting device (240) is used to collect the etching liquid leaking from the porous roller (210).

5. The etching equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Also includes: A cleaning device (250) is provided downstream of the porous roller (210) in the conveying direction of the metal layer (230), and is used for cleaning the etching liquid remaining on the metal layer (230) after the etching liquid continuously etches the metal layer (230).

6. The etching equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that Also includes: A drying device (260) is provided downstream of the cleaning device (250) in the conveying direction of the metal layer (230), and is used to dry the metal layer (230) after the cleaning device (250) cleans the etching liquid remaining on the metal layer (230).

7. The etching equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Also includes: A liquid passing device is used to pass the etching liquid into the hollow structure through at least one of the openings at both ends of the porous roller (210).

8. The etching equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Also includes: A conveying roller is used to convey the metal layer (230) to the porous roller (210) and the pressing roller (220) along the conveying direction of the metal layer (230), and to convey the metal layer (230) out of the porous roller (210) and the pressing roller (220) after the etching liquid continuously etches the metal layer (230).

9. The etching equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The etching liquid continuously etches the metal layer (230) to form a plurality of openings on the surface of the metal layer (230), and the proportion of the openings formed on the surface of the metal layer (230) is 30% to 50%.

10. The etching equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The etching equipment is used to prepare openings on a current collector, the metal layer (230) is a metal layer on the current collector and is arranged on the surface of a base film included in the current collector, wherein the size and shape of each opening (211) of the multiple openings (211) on the porous roller (210) are the same as the size and shape of the openings on the current collector.

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