Method for manufacturing photovoltaic electrode on plastic carrier and photovoltaic electrode module

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of photovoltaic electrodes, and particularly discloses a method for utilizing plastic as a carrier and manufacturing a photovoltaic electrode on the carrier. The method comprises the following steps: preparing a hard plastic carrier, printing patterned aluminum wire segments on one surface of the plastic carrier, removing impurities of the aluminum wire segments on the carrier, forming a zinc layer on the aluminum wire segments, forming a nickel layer on the zinc layer, and electroplating a copper layer on the nickel layer; in this way, the grid line used on the photovoltaic cell can be successfully formed on the plastic carrier.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of photovoltaic electrodes, and in particular to a method for forming photovoltaic electrodes using a plastic carrier and a corresponding structure. Background Art

[0002] Silicon-based solar cells are the main type of cells in the current photovoltaic industry, and they have an absolute overwhelming advantage in market share. This type of silicon-based solar cell mainly produces a photoelectric effect through the irradiation of sunlight on the PN structure on the surface of the cell, so as to achieve the purpose of current transmission and complete photovoltaic power generation. Therefore, how to effectively collect current on the surface of silicon-based solar cells has become the focus of the industry and an important research direction.

[0003] The current silicon-based solar cells are mainly formed by printing a silver paste on the surface of the solar cell, and then drying it to form wires on the surface of the solar cell, and then collecting the current generated by the photoelectric conversion effect of the silicon-based solar cell through these wires. And because of the effect of shielding the incident light, the thickness of the wire is getting thinner and thinner, so that the incident light will also increase the irradiation area of ​​the silicon-based solar cell, leading to the improvement of the power generation efficiency of the solar cell.

[0004] In today's market, due to the concept of renewable energy and environmental awareness, photovoltaic cell modules are becoming more and more popular due to their zero pollution. As their popularity increases, the use rate of silver paste is getting higher and higher, so that the manufacturing cost of the entire photovoltaic cell module is also rising linearly. In addition, traditional silver paste cannot function properly in the high-temperature processing series of new batteries, so someone has developed another alternative low-temperature silver paste. However, when low-temperature silver paste is used, its resistivity is generally higher than that of copper or silver, especially in the narrow line width state, its resistivity will be too high, so that after it is formed into a wire, the resistivity is too high, which in turn affects the battery conversion rate. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes a method for manufacturing a photovoltaic electrode on a plastic carrier; the method includes:

[0006] Prepare a hard plastic carrier;

[0007] Printing patterned aluminum line segments on a surface of the plastic carrier;

[0008] forming a zinc layer on the aluminum wire segment; and

[0009] A copper layer is formed.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is that the step of forming the copper layer is performed by electroplating.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is that the step of forming the copper layer is to first perform chemical copper plating and then perform electroplating copper to complete the step of forming the copper layer.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is that the method for making a photovoltaic electrode on a plastic carrier further includes the step of forming a nickel layer on the zinc layer, and then the copper layer is formed on the nickel layer.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is that the plastic carrier is selected from PET or a film.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is that the plastic carrier is selected from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), PCT (polyethylene 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol terephthalate), PC (polycarbonate), PETG (polyethylene terephthalate-1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol ester), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), COC (cyclic olefin copolymer) or PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), EVA, POE or a composite film of EVA and POE.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is that the method for manufacturing a photovoltaic electrode on a plastic carrier further includes a step of forming a protective layer, which is to form a protective layer on the outer side of the electroplated copper layer.

[0016] Another object of the present invention is that the protective layer is selected from one of nickel, tin, potassium-containing metal, gold, silver, palladium, bismuth, indium-tin alloy or tin-bismuth alloy, or a mixture thereof.

[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide a photovoltaic electrode module using hard plastic as a carrier, comprising:

[0018] A hard plastic carrier;

[0019] a patterned aluminum layer, wherein the patterned aluminum layer is formed on one side of the plastic carrier;

[0020] a zinc layer, the zinc layer being formed on a free surface of the patterned aluminum layer; a copper layer, the copper layer being formed on a free surface of the zinc layer; and

[0021] A silicon crystal cell is electrically connected to the copper layer.

[0022] Another object of the present invention is that the photovoltaic electrode module using hard plastic as a carrier further includes a nickel layer sandwiched between the zinc layer and the copper layer.

[0023] Another object of the present invention is that the photovoltaic electrode module using hard plastic as a carrier further includes a protective layer sandwiched between the silicon crystal cell and the copper layer.

[0024] Another object of the present invention is that the photovoltaic electrode module with hard plastic as the carrier also includes a protective layer sandwiched between the silicon crystal cell and the copper layer, wherein the protective layer is selected from one of nickel, tin, potassium-containing metal, gold, silver, palladium, bismuth or tin-bismuth alloy or a mixture thereof.

[0025] Another object of the present invention is that the photovoltaic electrode module using hard plastic as a carrier further comprises a glue film disposed on the opposite side of the silicon crystal cell.

[0026] Another object of the present invention is that the plastic carrier is selected from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), PCT (polyethylene 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol terephthalate), PC (polycarbonate), PETG (polyethylene terephthalate-1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol ester), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), COC (cyclic olefin copolymer) or PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), EVA, POE or a composite film of EVA and POE.

[0027] The detailed description of the present invention and its embodiments will be illustrated in the following detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings, and will be described one by one in a non-limiting manner; wherein, the described parts are merely embodiments of the present invention and have no direct impact on the scope of the present invention, so the following description should not be interpreted in a limiting manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present invention aims to provide a method for making a photovoltaic electrode on a plastic carrier. When implementing the present invention, firstly, a plastic carrier is prepared, and the plastic carrier can be a thermoplastic polyester with a certain optical transmittance; it can be selected from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), PCT (polyethylene 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol terephthalate), PC (polycarbonate), PETG (polyethylene terephthalate-1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol ester), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), COC (cycloolefin copolymer) or PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), preferably polyethylene terephthalate (PET). At the same time, it can also be a film of another thermoplastic polyester, preferably ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), POE, or a composite film of EVA and POE or other similar materials. It is worth noting that the plastic carrier can be a layer of hard plastic with release function. In another embodiment, a layer of UV de-viscosity adhesive can be coated on the surface of the carrier to achieve the effect of detaching from the battery surface during use.

[0033] After printing a conductive paste, such as aluminum paste, directly onto the plastic carrier to pattern the conductive metal wire segments, the carrier is alkaline washed with an alkaline solution such as sodium carbonate as needed, and then the carrier is pickled with an acidic solution such as sulfuric acid to remove impurities such as oxides on the plastic carrier and / or the metal wire segments. Furthermore, since the aluminum paste itself is a type of metal, but due to its own characteristics it cannot be directly replaced with subsequent copper, a zinc layer can be plated on top of the conductive paste by chemical plating, and then a copper layer is electroplated on the zinc layer to complete the production of the wire; the process is to place the pickled plastic carrier into an electroplating solution for electroplating, the electroplating temperature is 20-30°C, and the current density is 1.0-20.0A / dm 2 The electroplating time is 5-60 minutes. After taking out and rinsing with deionized water for 2-5 minutes, a complete wire with good conductivity can be obtained on the plastic carrier after cooling and drying, forming a complete electrode that can be used for photovoltaic cells.

[0034] However, after the production of the aforementioned wires is completed, it is conceivable that the copper layer is very likely to be oxidized in the air when exposed to the air. In order to prevent the copper layer from being oxidized, a protective layer can be formed on the copper layer; wherein the material of the protective layer can be selected from one of nickel, tin, potassium-containing metals, gold, silver, palladium, bismuth or tin-bismuth alloys, or a mixture thereof.

[0035] In another embodiment, after the zinc layer is formed, a chemical copper process may be added on the zinc layer, and then copper is electroplated; at the same time, it is also possible to consider using a nickel process after the zinc layer is formed, so as to form a nickel layer on the zinc layer as a protective layer for the plastic carrier, and then electroplating a copper layer. Of course, before electroplating the copper layer here, a chemical copper process may be added. Therefore, based on the above description, the manufacturing process of the present invention can be briefly analyzed as follows:

[0036] 1. Printed aluminum --> chemical zinc plating --> electroplated copper;

[0037] 2. Printed aluminum --> chemical zinc plating --> chemical copper plating --> electroplated copper;

[0038] 3. Printed aluminum-->chemical zinc-->chemical nickel-->electroplated copper.

[0039] See also Figure 1 As shown, it can be seen that the structure is obtained under the method provided by the present invention; wherein, a plastic carrier 10 is located at the bottom of one side, and then a patterned aluminum layer 11 is formed on one side of the plastic carrier 10, and a zinc layer 12 is formed on a free surface of the aluminum layer 11, and a copper layer 13 is formed on a free surface of the zinc layer 12, and finally, a protective layer 14 is formed on a free surface of the copper layer 13.

[0040] Figure 2 As shown, a patterned aluminum layer 11 is formed on one side of the plastic carrier 10, a zinc layer 12 is formed on a free surface of the aluminum layer 11, a copper layer 13 is formed on a free surface of the zinc layer 12, and a second copper layer 13' is formed on the surface of the copper layer 13. Finally, a protective layer 14 is formed on a free surface of the second copper layer 13'.

[0041] Figure 3 As shown, a patterned aluminum layer 11 is provided on the plastic carrier 10, a zinc layer 12 is formed on a free surface of the aluminum layer 11, a nickel layer 15 is formed on a free surface of the zinc layer 12, and then a copper layer 13 is formed on a free surface of the nickel layer 15. Finally, a protective layer 14 is formed on a free surface of the copper layer 13.

[0042] like Figure 4As shown, it is worth noting that after the aforementioned wire is manufactured, of course, the whole shown in the aforementioned embodiments is combined with a silicon crystal cell; the structure after the combination is conceivable that after the aforementioned wire module is manufactured, the wire module is directly in contact with one side of a silicon crystal cell 20, and then, a film 30 such as EVA, POE, etc. can be added to one side of the plastic carrier 10.

[0043] In this specification, the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. However, it is apparent that various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the description should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic electrode on a plastic carrier, characterized in that: Included: Prepare a hard plastic carrier; Printing patterned aluminum line segments on a surface of the plastic carrier; forming a zinc layer on the aluminum wire segment; and A copper layer is formed.

2. The method for manufacturing a photovoltaic electrode on a plastic carrier as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The step of forming the copper layer is performed by electroplating.

3. The method for manufacturing a photovoltaic electrode on a plastic carrier as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The step of forming the copper layer is to first perform chemical copper plating and then perform electroplating of copper to complete the step of forming the copper layer.

4. The method for manufacturing a photovoltaic electrode on a plastic carrier as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that The method also includes the step of forming a nickel layer on the zinc layer, and then the copper layer is formed on the nickel layer.

5. The method for manufacturing a photovoltaic electrode on a plastic carrier as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The plastic carrier is selected from PET or a film.

6. The method for manufacturing a photovoltaic electrode on a plastic carrier as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The plastic carrier is selected from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), PCT (polyethylene 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol terephthalate), PC (polycarbonate), PETG (polyethylene terephthalate-1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol ester), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), COC (cycloolefin copolymer) or PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), EVA, POE or a composite film of EVA and POE.

7. The method for manufacturing a photovoltaic electrode on a plastic carrier according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: The method also includes a step of forming a protective layer, which is to form a protective layer on the outer side of the electroplated copper layer.

8. The method for manufacturing a photovoltaic electrode on a plastic carrier as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The protective layer is selected from nickel, tin, potassium-containing metal, gold, silver, palladium, bismuth or tin-bismuth alloy or a mixture thereof.

9. A photovoltaic electrode module using hard plastic as a carrier, characterized in that: Included: A hard plastic carrier; a patterned aluminum layer, wherein the patterned aluminum layer is formed on one side of the plastic carrier; a zinc layer, the zinc layer being formed on a free surface of the patterned aluminum layer; a copper layer, the copper layer being formed on a free surface of the zinc layer; and A silicon crystal cell is electrically connected to the copper layer.

10. The photovoltaic electrode module with hard plastic as carrier as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that: Also included is a nickel layer sandwiched between the zinc layer and the copper layer.

11. The photovoltaic electrode module with hard plastic as carrier as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: It also includes a protective layer sandwiched between the silicon crystal cell and the copper layer.

12. The photovoltaic electrode module with hard plastic as carrier as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: It also includes a protective layer sandwiched between the silicon crystal cell and the copper layer, wherein the protective layer is selected from one of nickel, tin, potassium-containing metal, gold, silver, palladium, indium tin alloy, bismuth or tin-bismuth alloy or a mixture thereof.

13. The photovoltaic electrode module with hard plastic as carrier as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: It also includes an adhesive film arranged on the opposite side of the silicon crystal cell.

14. The photovoltaic electrode module with hard plastic as carrier as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The plastic carrier is selected from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), PCT (polyethylene 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol terephthalate), PC (polycarbonate), PETG (polyethylene terephthalate-1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol ester), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), COC (cycloolefin copolymer) or PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), EVA, POE or a composite film of EVA and POE.

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