Linear evaporation source device

Abstract

The invention provides a linear evaporation source device. The linear evaporation source device comprises a cavity, a flow uniformizing plate, an evaporation source and a nozzle, the interior of the cavity comprises an evaporation area and a flow uniformizing area, the flow uniformizing plate is arranged between the evaporation area and the flow uniformizing area, the evaporation source is installed in the evaporation area, and the nozzle is installed on the outer side of the cavity and communicated with the flow uniformizing area. The linear evaporation source device is of a vertical structure, uniform large-area film coating on the large-area perovskite solar module is facilitated, and the device can be matched with other vertical equipment in the solar module manufacturing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of vapor deposition equipment, and specifically relates to a linear evaporation source device. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have shown great potential in the photovoltaic field due to their excellent photoelectric performance and low-cost fabrication advantages. Currently, the certified efficiency of single-junction perovskite cells has exceeded 27%. However, to achieve industrial application, key issues such as large-area uniform fabrication and long-term stability still need to be addressed. Among these, the electron transport layer (ETL), as a core functional layer, directly affects the performance and lifespan of the device due to its film formation quality.

[0003] Currently, the electron transport layer of high-efficiency perovskite solar modules (PSMs) mainly uses fullerenes (C60) and their derivatives (PCBMs). While PCBMs can be prepared in solution, their high material costs and the use of highly toxic halogen solvents, such as chlorobenzene (CB), hinder large-scale industrial applications. Therefore, the current industrial process for large-area perovskite solar modules (PSMs) often uses C60 vapor deposition to prepare the electron transport layer. Currently, C60 vapor deposition equipment uses a horizontal deposition mode. Due to the limitations of airflow direction in vacuum deposition and the poor high-temperature resistance of perovskite films, horizontal C60 vapor deposition equipment operates in a bottom-up deposition mode.

[0004] However, this method is suitable for 1200*600mm. 2 When depositing C60 on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates of PSMs of 2000 and above, three major challenges are often faced: (1) The bottom-up evaporation mode requires the FTO glass substrate to have edge support only around the perimeter. Therefore, due to the weight of the glass, the warpage of the FTO glass will increase with the area, which will affect the uniformity of the C60 film thickness; (2) During the evaporation process, C60 vapor may agglomerate into large dust particles and fall down. Therefore, under long-term working conditions, the evaporation source under the FTO glass is easily affected by a large number of dust particles, which reduces the quality of C60 film deposition; (3) Other vacuum preparation processes of large-area PSMs, such as magnetron sputtering, use vertical equipment to improve equipment uptime during large-scale preparation. Therefore, horizontal evaporation equipment cannot be connected to these equipment, which increases the number of air breaks in the large-area PSM preparation process, increases the impact of the ambient atmosphere on PSM performance, and reduces PSM production efficiency.

[0005] Existing vapor deposition equipment is limited by the current design of the evaporation source, which is unable to meet the requirements of vertical vapor deposition and thus cannot realize the vertical vapor deposition mode. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a new type of evaporation source to achieve vertical vapor deposition of large-area uniform C60 thin films. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem addressed by this application is: how to provide a linear evaporation source device that can achieve large-area uniform vapor deposition and is easy to connect to vertical equipment.

[0007] This application provides a linear evaporation source device, the linear evaporation source device comprising:

[0008] The cavity, the interior of which includes an evaporation zone and a flow equalization zone;

[0009] A flow equalizer is disposed between the evaporation zone and the flow equalizer zone;

[0010] An evaporation source is installed within the evaporation zone;

[0011] A nozzle is installed on the outside of the cavity and communicates with the flow uniform zone.

[0012] Optionally, the evaporation zone, the flow equalization plate, the flow equalization zone, and the nozzle are sequentially distributed and connected along the horizontal direction.

[0013] Optionally, the linear evaporation source device further includes:

[0014] Several heating tubes are installed inside the uniform flow zone.

[0015] Optionally, the flow equalizer has a plurality of spaced flow equalizer holes.

[0016] Optionally, the density of the flow equalization holes decreases or increases along the direction from the edge of the flow equalization plate to the center.

[0017] Optionally, the evaporation source includes a crucible and a heating wire, the heating wire being wound around the outer wall of the crucible.

[0018] Optionally, there may be multiple crucibles, which are spaced apart and share the same heating wire.

[0019] Optionally, the evaporation zone includes several evaporation chambers, each of which is equipped with an evaporation source, and the various evaporation chambers are not interconnected.

[0020] Optionally, the heating tube is an infrared lamp tube, and each of the infrared lamp tubes is arranged in parallel and perpendicular to the steam flow direction of the linear evaporation source device.

[0021] Optionally, the flow equalization plate is detachably installed on the inner wall of the cavity, the evaporation source is detachably installed within the evaporation zone, and the nozzle is detachably installed on the outer wall of the cavity.

[0022] The linear evaporation source device provided in this application has the following technical advantages:

[0023] The vertical linear evaporation source device facilitates uniform large-area coating of perovskite solar modules, and the device can be used in conjunction with other vertical equipment in the solar module manufacturing process. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a front-view cross-sectional schematic diagram of a linear evaporation source apparatus according to one or more embodiments.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a top-view cross-sectional view of a linear evaporation source apparatus according to one or more embodiments.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the flow uniform plate of a linear evaporation source device according to one or more embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0028] Before describing the various embodiments of this application in detail, the technical concept of this application is first briefly described: Current horizontal evaporation equipment is difficult to meet the uniformity requirements of large-area perovskite solar modules and is difficult to integrate with other vertical equipment. Therefore, this application provides a linear evaporation source device. The key improvement lies in constructing a vertical linear evaporation source device through a cavity, a flow uniform plate, an evaporation source, and nozzles, which facilitates uniform large-area coating of large-area perovskite solar modules. Furthermore, this device can be integrated with other vertical equipment in the solar module manufacturing process. The specific principles of the manufacturing method of the linear evaporation source device of this application will be described below with reference to more embodiments.

[0029] Specifically, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the linear evaporation source device in this embodiment includes a cavity 10, a flow equalization plate 20, an evaporation source 30, and a nozzle 40. The cavity 10 includes an evaporation zone 11 and a flow equalization zone 12. The flow equalization plate 20 is disposed between the evaporation zone 11 and the flow equalization zone 12. The evaporation source 30 is installed within the evaporation zone 11, and the nozzle 40 is installed on the outside of the cavity 10 and communicates with the flow equalization zone 12. The evaporation source 30 heats the deposition material to generate deposition vapor. The deposition vapor passes through the flow equalization plate and enters the flow equalization zone 12, and is then ejected outward through the nozzle 40.

[0030] In one or more embodiments, the linear evaporation source device adopts a vertical architecture, in which the evaporation zone 11, the flow equalization plate 20, the flow equalization zone 12, and the nozzle 40 are sequentially distributed and connected along the horizontal direction. Exemplarily, along the right-to-left direction, the evaporation zone 11, the flow equalization plate 20, the flow equalization zone 12, and the nozzle 40 are sequentially distributed and connected, together forming a complete vapor channel. This vertical layout is easily adaptable and scaled up to coating processes on large-area glass substrates.

[0031] For example, the linear evaporation source device adopts a modular design, that is, the flow equalization plate 20 is detachably installed on the inner wall of the cavity 10, the evaporation source 30 is detachably installed in the evaporation zone 11, and the nozzle 40 is detachably installed on the outer wall of the cavity 10.

[0032] For example, the evaporation zone 11 includes a plurality of evaporation chambers 11a, each of which is provided with an evaporation source 30, and the evaporation chambers 11a are not interconnected. The evaporation chambers 11a are used to contain vapor deposition materials and provide heating space. Different evaporation chambers 11a can be used to contain different vapor deposition materials, so as to realize the simultaneous vapor deposition of multiple materials in separate chambers.

[0033] In one or more embodiments, the evaporation source 30 includes a crucible 31 and a heating wire 32, the heating wire 32 being wound around the outer wall of the crucible 31. Exemplarily, there are multiple crucibles 31, spaced apart and sharing the same heating wire 32. For example, along the vertical direction, there are three crucibles 31, spaced apart and arranged in the same column, each crucible 31 placed on a spiral heating basket formed by the same heating wire 32. For example, the heating wire 32 can be an armored heating wire or a tantalum wire. Heating of the crucibles 31 is achieved through an armored heating wire heating system. The armored heating wire is a single metal wire with a diameter of 2-3 mm, wound in a continuous spiral around the outer wall of all crucibles 31, forming a shared heating circuit for each crucible. This ensures uniform heating and consistent heating rates for each crucible, fundamentally solving the problem of uneven coating uniformity caused by uneven heating of each crucible during heating / cooling.

[0034] For example, the armored heating wire is spirally wound to form a crucible placement basket, providing a fixed support structure for the crucible. The crucible features a detachable design and is precisely fitted into the placement basket, ensuring stability during operation while facilitating replacement and maintenance. The crucible 31 can be made of high-temperature resistant materials such as quartz, pyrolytic boron nitride (PBN), alumina, or pyrolytic graphite (PG), and other suitable materials can be selected according to actual process requirements. Quartz material has excellent thermal stability and chemical inertness, meeting the requirements of most vapor deposition processes.

[0035] Exemplarily, the device also includes a base, which is connected to the heating device body in a tight fit. The base has a specific channel structure inside for arranging the cold end lead of the heating wire and providing necessary support. A positioning structure is provided at the connection between the base and the heating device body to ensure assembly accuracy. The base is made of a material compatible with the heating device body, possessing good thermal stability and mechanical strength. A through hole is provided on one side of the base for inserting and securing the heating wire. The connection between the base and the heating device body is detachable, facilitating equipment maintenance and repair.

[0036] The base features a three-dimensional structure, precisely fitted to the top and bottom of the heating device body. Specifically, the larger diameter end of the base fits snugly against the bottom of the heating device body, secured using a detachable connection. This design allows for easy removal of the base to expose the internal cavity structure during maintenance, facilitating crucible replacement or cleaning. A through-hole is located on the side of the base, communicating with the internal cavity of the heating device. The through-hole is strategically positioned slightly below the center of the base to facilitate the arrangement and fixation of the heating wire.

[0037] In one embodiment, the base is made of the same or similar metal material as the heating device body to ensure a match in coefficients of thermal expansion and avoid connection problems caused by temperature changes. Depending on the actual application scenario, other materials with suitable thermal and mechanical properties can also be selected.

[0038] The heating wire enters through the through-hole and extends into the cavity. Its insertion angle and position are precisely calculated to ensure optimal heating performance. The through-hole size matches the heating wire diameter, guaranteeing smooth insertion while maintaining a good seal. The heating wire's arrangement within the cavity is thermodynamically optimized to ensure uniform heating of the crucible. After passing through the through-hole, both ends of the heating wire are connected to the power supply system, forming a complete heating circuit.

[0039] The through-hole is specially designed to be offset from the geometric center of the base and closer to the crucible. This eccentric arrangement allows the heating wire to be inserted closer to the bottom of the crucible, thereby optimizing heat conduction efficiency. Specifically, after passing through the through-hole, the heating wire follows a specific path within the cavity to ensure uniform heating of the crucible.

[0040] Furthermore, the heating wire 32 adopts a segmented design, comprising a central heating end and two cold ends on either side. The heating end is located inside the housing cavity and directly participates in the heating process; the cold ends extend to the outside of the heating device for connection to the power supply system. This segmented design effectively isolates the high-temperature area from the electrical connection parts.

[0041] Specifically, the heating end is made of a high-temperature resistant material to ensure it covers the entire heating area of ​​the crucible. The cold end is made of a material with excellent electrical conductivity and is equipped with appropriate insulation protection. The transition area between the heating and cold ends is specially treated to prevent material performance degradation caused by sudden temperature changes.

[0042] In one embodiment, the length ratios of the various parts of the heating wire 32 are optimized to ensure both sufficient heating area and safe electrical connections. The relative lengths of the heating and cold ends can be adjusted according to actual application requirements to accommodate different heating power requirements and installation space constraints.

[0043] In one or more embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the flow equalizer 20 has a plurality of spaced-apart flow equalizer holes 21. Exemplarily, the density of the flow equalizer holes 21 decreases or increases along the direction from the edge to the center of the flow equalizer 20. The flow equalizer is used to regulate steam flow, and the flow equalizer holes are arranged in a specific pattern to ensure uniform steam distribution. For example, the flow equalizer holes 21 include first flow equalizer holes distributed in the edge region and second flow equalizer holes distributed in the center region to ensure that the evaporating atmosphere flows uniformly towards the substrate. The arrangement of the flow equalizer holes 21 is optimized for hydrodynamics to ensure the stability and uniformity of steam flow while avoiding turbulence or backflow.

[0044] For example, the number of second flow equalizing orifices is greater than the number of first flow equalizing orifices, and the multiple second flow equalizing orifices are arranged linearly and uniformly, with the spacing between adjacent second flow equalizing orifices remaining consistent. Similarly, the multiple first flow equalizing orifices are also arranged linearly and uniformly, with the spacing between adjacent first flow equalizing orifices being equal. An appropriate distance is maintained between the outermost first flow equalizing orifice and the innermost second flow equalizing orifice.

[0045] In one or more embodiments, the linear evaporation source device further includes a plurality of heating tubes 50, which are installed inside the uniform flow zone 12. Exemplarily, the heating tubes 50 are infrared lamps, each arranged parallel to and perpendicular to the vapor flow direction of the linear evaporation source device. For example, there are three infrared lamps. Heating with the infrared lamps maintains the temperature of the uniform flow zone higher than that of the evaporation zone, maintains a higher saturated vapor pressure in the uniform flow zone compared to the evaporation zone, and allows the evaporating material in the uniform flow zone to be uniformly ejected from the nozzle. Exemplarily, the extending direction of the infrared lamps is parallel to the direction of the heating wire.

[0046] In one or more embodiments, the inner wall of the cavity is provided with a heat insulation layer, which is disposed on the inner surface of the uniform flow zone and the evaporation zone. The heat insulation layer is made of thin stainless steel plate and high-temperature resistant insulating material, specifically including but not limited to ceramic fiber or alumina composite material. The heat insulation layer is configured as a multi-layer composite structure, including a reflective layer and a heat insulation layer, wherein the reflective layer faces the interior of the evaporation zone and the heat insulation layer is close to the outer wall of the cavity. The reflective layer is made of thin stainless steel plate, and the heat insulation layer is made of high-temperature resistant insulating material. The heat insulation layer is mechanically fixed to the inner wall of the evaporation zone to ensure that it does not shift or fall off in a high-temperature environment.

[0047] In one or more embodiments, nozzle 40 adopts a main-auxiliary dual-mode design, with the main nozzle located in the central region of the flow equalization zone and auxiliary nozzles symmetrically distributed at the edges. The structural dimensions of the main and auxiliary nozzles are optimized and matched, maintaining the same outlet inclination angle but employing different throat cross-section designs. All nozzles are fixed to the connection port on the outer wall of the flow equalization zone via external threaded connections. Nozzle 40 adopts a cylindrical structure design. The relative positions between the main and auxiliary nozzles are precisely designed to ensure effective compensation for the steam flow field. The main nozzle is primarily responsible for steam injection in the central region, while the auxiliary nozzles are specifically used to compensate for steam flow in the edge regions. This collaborative working mechanism effectively improves the edge effect problem present in traditional evaporation sources. The cavity has a connecting hole with internal threads machined on the inner wall, and matching external threads machined on the outer side of the nozzle. Through the threaded connection, the nozzle can be easily installed and disassembled while ensuring the airtightness of the connection. The threaded connection parts are precision machined to ensure fitting accuracy. After installation, the nozzle's axis is strictly aligned with the axis of the connecting hole.

[0048] During operation, the vapor-deposited material undergoes a complete thermodynamic phase change process: firstly, the crucible is heated through direct heat conduction via the armored heating wire; then, the material undergoes a vaporization phase change under specific temperature conditions; and finally, the flow uniformity is controlled by the porous structure of the flow equalizer. The flow equalizer employs a gradient pore density distribution design, with a denser pore distribution at the edges compared to the center, creating a compensating airflow distribution. The nozzle system uses a differentiated flow design, automatically adjusting the steam flux by modifying the structural parameters of the edge and center nozzles. The crucible assembly is located at the bottom of the evaporation zone and features a cup-shaped structure. The outer wall of the crucible maintains close contact with the heating wire, and the internal volume is optimized to accommodate different amounts of vapor-deposited materials. The top opening of the crucible maintains an appropriate distance from the flow equalizer, forming a stable steam rising channel. The entire assembly achieves precise positioning and reliable sealing through locating pins and high-temperature seals.

[0049] The linear evaporation source device provided in this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "this solution") has the following technical advantages:

[0050] (1) The vertical linear evaporation source device proposed in this scheme is easy to adapt and scale up to the coating process of large-area glass substrates by adopting a unique vertical cavity structure.

[0051] (2) This scheme effectively regulates steam flow by setting a uniform flow plate horizontally in the middle and designing uniform flow holes on the plate, so that the evaporation atmosphere flows into the uniform flow chamber evenly. Multiple infrared lamps in the uniform flow chamber provide heating to maintain the temperature of the uniform flow chamber above that of the evaporation chamber. This vertical multi-crucible layout, combined with composite heating and uniform flow design, enables the simultaneous evaporation and in-situ uniform mixing of various evaporation materials at different temperatures, significantly improving the preparation quality and composition controllability of multilayer composite films. By optimizing the heating system layout and airflow control structure, precise control of the evaporation process is achieved. While ensuring the coating quality, the stability, reliability, and process adjustability of the equipment are significantly improved, providing reliable process equipment support for the preparation of functional layers of thin film devices such as perovskite solar cells.

[0052] (3) This solution adopts a modular split design, dividing the chamber body into a uniform flow zone and an evaporation zone. The uniform flow plate and nozzle assembly are easy to disassemble, and the multi-crucible units in the evaporation zone can be independently filled and replaced. This structure not only greatly facilitates the addition of vapor deposition materials, daily maintenance of equipment, and process adjustment, but also allows for flexible configuration of the number and position of crucibles according to the vapor deposition characteristics of different materials, significantly improving production flexibility, material utilization, and equipment efficiency, while reducing maintenance costs and raw material waste.

[0053] The specific embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. Although some embodiments have been shown and described, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications and improvements can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this application as defined by the claims and their equivalents, and such modifications and improvements should also be within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A linear evaporation source arrangement, characterized in that The linear evaporation source device comprises: a cavity, an interior of the cavity comprising an evaporation zone and a uniform flow zone; a uniform flow plate arranged between the evaporation zone and the uniform flow zone; an evaporation source installed in the evaporation zone; a nozzle installed outside the cavity and in communication with the uniform flow zone.

2. Linear evaporation source arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that Along the horizontal direction, the evaporation zone, the uniform flow plate, the uniform flow zone and the nozzle are sequentially arranged and in communication.

3. Linear evaporation source arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that The linear evaporation source device further comprises: a plurality of heating tubes installed in the interior of the uniform flow zone.

4. Linear evaporation source arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that The uniform flow plate has a plurality of uniformly distributed uniform flow holes.

5. Linear evaporation source arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that The density of the uniform flow holes decreases or increases along the direction from the edge to the center of the uniform flow plate.

6. Linear evaporation source arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that The evaporation source comprises a crucible and a heating wire wound around the outer wall of the crucible.

7. Linear evaporation source arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that The number of the crucibles is multiple, and the multiple crucibles are uniformly distributed and share the same heating wire.

8. Linear evaporation source arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that The evaporation zone comprises a plurality of evaporation chambers, each of which is provided with an evaporation source, and each evaporation chamber is not in communication.

9. Linear evaporation source arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that The heating tube is an infrared lamp tube, and each infrared lamp tube is arranged in parallel and perpendicular to the steam flow direction of the linear evaporation source device.

10. Linear evaporation source arrangement according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The uniform flow plate is detachably installed on the inner wall of the cavity, the evaporation source is detachably installed in the evaporation zone, and the nozzle is detachably installed on the outer wall of the cavity.

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