Horizontal electroplating device and horizontal electroplating equipment for solar cells

Abstract

The utility model is suitable for the technical field of solar cell electroplating, and provides a horizontal electroplating device and horizontal electroplating equipment for a solar cell piece, the horizontal electroplating device can comprise an electroplating bath, a conveying device, an anode plate and a cathode structure, the conveying device is arranged in the electroplating bath, the anode plate is arranged in the electroplating bath, a through groove is formed in the anode plate, and the cathode structure is arranged in the through groove; at least one part of the conveying device penetrates through the penetrating groove to make contact with the solar cell, so that the conveying device bears and conveys the solar cell in the horizontal direction, and the cathode structure is arranged outside the electroplating bath and makes contact with the solar cell. Thus, the through groove is formed in the anode plate so that the conveying device can penetrate through the through groove to support the solar cell, the anode plate can be arranged close to the solar cell, the distance between the anode plate and the solar cell is shortened, the horizontal electroplating device can support high-current electroplating, current loss is reduced, and the electroplating efficiency is improved; and meanwhile, electroplating can be more uniform.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of solar cell electroplating, and in particular to a horizontal electroplating device and horizontal electroplating equipment for solar cell sheets. Background Art

[0002] In the process of manufacturing solar cells, electroplating is usually used to make the metal electrodes of solar cells. During electroplating, three methods can be used: horizontal electroplating, vertical electroplating, and insert electroplating. Horizontal electroplating is more suitable for large-scale production.

[0003] In the related art, in the horizontal electroplating equipment, a conveying device is provided in the electroplating tank to convey the battery cells. The conveying device in the electroplating tank needs to be arranged close to the battery cells. In order to avoid interference between the anode and the conveying device, the anode is usually arranged at the bottom of the electroplating tank away from the battery cells. Below the conveying device, the electroplating efficiency is low and the electroplating uniformity is poor. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an electroplating equipment to improve the electroplating efficiency and electroplating uniformity. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present application provides a horizontal electroplating device and a horizontal electroplating equipment for solar cell sheets, aiming to solve the technical problems of low electroplating efficiency and poor electroplating uniformity in the prior art.

[0005] The present application is implemented in this way. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells in the embodiment of the present application includes:

[0006] Electroplating tanks;

[0007] A conveying device disposed in the electroplating tank;

[0008] An anode plate disposed in the electroplating tank, wherein a through groove is formed on the anode plate, and at least a portion of the conveying device passes through the through groove and contacts the solar cell, so that the conveying device carries and transports the solar cell in a horizontal direction; and

[0009] A cathode structure is arranged outside the electroplating tank, and the cathode structure is in electrical contact with the solar cell sheet.

[0010] Furthermore, in the vertical direction, the distance between the supporting point where the conveying device contacts the solar cell sheet and the anode plate is less than or equal to 10 mm.

[0011] Furthermore, in the vertical direction, the distance between the supporting point where the conveying device contacts the solar cell and the anode plate is greater than 5 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm.

[0012] Furthermore, the transmission device includes a transmission shaft and a transmission wheel;

[0013] The transmission shaft is rotatably mounted on the electroplating tank, the transmission wheel is mounted on the transmission shaft and is located in the electroplating tank, the transmission wheel contacts the solar cell through the through groove and the transmission wheel can rotate in the through groove, and the transmission shaft is used to drive the transmission wheel to rotate to transport the solar cell.

[0014] Furthermore, the transmission shaft is provided with a plurality of transmission wheels, the plurality of transmission wheels are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the transmission shaft, and each of the transmission wheels corresponds to one of the through grooves.

[0015] Furthermore, a plurality of the transmission shafts are provided in the electroplating tank, and the plurality of the transmission shafts are arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction, and in the horizontal direction, the distance between the axis centers of two adjacent transmission shafts is smaller than the length of the solar cell.

[0016] Furthermore, the transmission wheels on at least two of the transmission shafts are offset from each other in the horizontal direction.

[0017] Furthermore, the transmission wheel includes a shaft portion provided on the transmission shaft and at least one blade portion provided on the shaft portion, and the blade portion extends along a radial direction of the shaft portion.

[0018] Furthermore, the cathode structure includes a cathode roller, and the cathode roller and the conveying device are both located on the side of the solar cell facing the electroplating tank, and the cathode roller is used to carry the solar cell together with the conveying device, and the cathode roller is in contact with the solar cell and connected to the negative pole of an external power supply.

[0019] Furthermore, the cathode roller is fixed relative to the electroplating tank, or the cathode roller can rotate relative to the electroplating tank.

[0020] Furthermore, the cathode roller can rotate relative to the electroplating tank and transport the solar cell together with the conveying device.

[0021] Furthermore, in the horizontal direction, the distance between the cathode roller and the conveying device is smaller than the length of the solar cell in the horizontal direction.

[0022] Furthermore, in the horizontal direction, the distance between the supporting point between the conveying device and the solar cell closest to the cathode roller and the axis of the cathode roller is less than or equal to half the length of the solar cell.

[0023] Furthermore, in the horizontal direction, the electroplating tank has a first side wall and a second side wall opposite to each other, and in the vertical direction, the position of the supporting point where the conveying device contacts the solar cell sheet is higher than the top of the first side wall and the second side wall.

[0024] Furthermore, in the vertical direction, the distance between the supporting point where the conveying device contacts the solar cell sheet and the top of the first side wall and the second side wall is 1 mm-2 mm.

[0025] The present application also provides a horizontal electroplating equipment, which includes the horizontal electroplating device described in any one of the above items.

[0026] In the horizontal electroplating device and horizontal electroplating equipment of the embodiment of the present application, a through groove is provided on the anode plate, and at least a part of the conveying device passes through the through groove to contact the solar cell, so that the conveying device passes through the anode plate to support and transport the solar cell. In this way, by providing a through groove on the anode plate to allow the conveying device to pass through to support and transport the solar cell, the anode plate can be placed close to the solar cell, shortening the distance between the anode plate and the solar cell, so that the horizontal electroplating device can support high current electroplating, reduce current loss, improve electroplating efficiency, and also make the electroplating more uniform.

[0027] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the description below, and in part will become apparent from the description below, or will be learned through the practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a horizontal electroplating device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the anode plate provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure between the anode plate and the conveying device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 4 is another schematic diagram of an assembly structure between an anode plate and a conveying device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 5 is another schematic diagram of an assembly structure between an anode plate and a conveying device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a conveying device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 7It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the horizontal electroplating equipment provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0035] Description of main component symbols:

[0036] Horizontal electroplating equipment 1000;

[0037] Horizontal electroplating device 100, electroplating tank 10, first side wall 11, second side wall 12, conveying device 20, transmission shaft 21, transmission wheel 22, rotating shaft portion 221, blade portion 222, anode plate 30, through slot 31, cathode structure 40, cathode roller 41, electroplating liquid surging device 50;

[0038] Solar cell 200 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as limiting the present application. In addition, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0040] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "horizontal", "vertical", etc. indicating orientations or positional relationships are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0041] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0042] In the description of this application, it should 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 a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or mutual communication; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0043] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0044] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples to realize the different structures of the present application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, the parts and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are only examples, and the purpose is not to limit the present application. In addition, the present application can repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples, and this repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity, and does not indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed in itself. In addition, the various specific processes and examples of materials provided by the present application, but those of ordinary skill in the art can be aware of the application of other processes and / or the use scenarios of other materials.

[0045] See also Figure 1 The horizontal electroplating device 100 in the embodiment of the present application is used to electroplate the area to be plated on the solar cell 200. For example, the horizontal electroplating device 100 can be used to electroplate the seed layer on the grid line area of ​​the solar cell 200 to form a metal grid line electrode. The horizontal electroplating device 100 may include a plating tank 10, a conveying device 20, an anode plate 30 and a cathode structure 40.

[0046] The electroplating tank 10 is used to contain the electroplating solution. The conveying device 20 is disposed in the electroplating tank 10 . The conveying device 20 is used to carry and transport the solar cell 200 so that the solar cell 200 passes over the electroplating tank 10 .

[0047] Please also read Figure 1-Figure 3 The anode plate 30 is disposed in the electroplating tank 10 , and a through groove 31 is formed on the anode plate 30 . At least a portion of the conveying device 20 passes through the through groove 31 and contacts the solar cell 200 , so that the conveying device 20 carries and transports the solar cell 200 in a horizontal direction.

[0048] The cathode structure 40 is disposed outside the electroplating tank 10 , and the cathode structure 40 is in contact with the solar cell 200 .

[0049] It can be understood that in the horizontal electroplating device 100, the anode plate 30 is connected to the positive pole of the external power supply, and the cathode structure 40 is connected to the negative pole of the external power supply. During the electroplating process, the anode plate 30-electroplating solution-the part to be electroplated in the solar cell 200 (such as the seed layer on the grid line area)-cathode structure 40 forms a circuit loop, thereby electroplating the area to be electroplated of the solar cell 200.

[0050] It should be noted that, during the electroplating process, a mask is usually provided in the non-electroplating area of ​​the solar cell 200, and only the area to be electroplated is exposed from the mask. The contact between the cathode structure 40 and the solar cell 200 can be that the cathode structure 40 directly electrically contacts the area to be electroplated, or that the cathode structure 40 contacts the mask, and the cathode structure 40 forms electrical contact with the area to be electroplated by adhering to the plating solution of the solar cell 200, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0051] In the horizontal electroplating device 100 of the embodiment of the present application, a through groove 31 is provided on the anode plate 30, and at least a portion of the conveying device 20 passes through the through groove 31 to contact the solar cell 200, so that the conveying device 20 passes through the anode plate 30 to support and transport the solar cell 200. In this way, by providing the through groove 31 on the anode plate 30 to allow the conveying device 20 to pass through to support and transport the solar cell 200, the anode plate 30 can be arranged close to the solar cell 200, shortening the distance between the anode plate 30 and the solar cell 200, so that the horizontal electroplating device 100 can support high current electroplating, reduce current loss, improve electroplating efficiency, and also make the electroplating more uniform.

[0052] Specifically, in the embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment of the present application, the anode plate 30 can be arranged parallel to the solar cell 200 in the vertical direction, and the horizontal direction refers to the direction of travel of the solar cell 200 during the electroplating process, that is, the conveying direction of the conveyor 20. The vertical direction is a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the vertical direction is the height direction of the electroplating tank 10, that is, the direction perpendicular to the surface of the solar cell 200 facing the electroplating tank 10. The conveying device 20 may be a conveying wheel assembly, which is not specifically limited here, as long as it can carry and transport the solar cell 200. In some embodiments, the anode plate 30 may be a titanium mesh, which is not specifically limited here.

[0053] It can be understood that during the electroplating process, the plating solution fills the entire plating tank 10, and the plating solution is adsorbed on the surface of the solar cell 200 facing the plating tank 10, so that the anode plate 30-plating solution-the part to be electroplated in the solar cell 200 (such as the seed layer on the grid line area)-cathode structure 40 forms a circuit loop.

[0054] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, there is no limitation on the specific type of solar cell. The solar cell 200 may be, for example, a PERC solar cell, a Topcon solar cell, a heterojunction solar cell, a back contact solar cell, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0055] like Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the anode plate 30 may be provided with a plurality of flow holes 32, so that the anode plate 30 forms a mesh structure, that is, the anode plate 30 is a mesh plate formed with a plurality of through grooves 31. In this way, the provision of the flow holes 32 can facilitate the passage of the electroplating solution, and avoid the anode plate 30 blocking the electroplating solution, thereby causing poor circulation and circulation of the electroplating solution.

[0056] In addition, if Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, a plating liquid surging device 50 may be further provided in the plating tank 10. The plating liquid surging device 50 may be, for example, a device such as a water jet. The plating liquid surging device 50 may cause the plating liquid in the plating tank 10 to surge and roll continuously, so that the plating liquid may continuously come into contact with the solar cell 200, thereby forming a stable circuit loop and improving the uniformity of electroplating.

[0057] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, in the vertical direction, a distance L1 between a supporting point where the conveying device 20 contacts the solar cell 200 and the anode plate 30 is less than or equal to 10 mm.

[0058] In this way, it is possible to avoid the distance L1 between the anode plate 30 and the surface to be electroplated of the solar cell 200 being too large, which would result in a decrease in electroplating efficiency.

[0059] Further, in such an embodiment, in the vertical direction, the distance L1 between the supporting point where the conveying device 20 contacts the solar cell 200 and the anode plate 30 is greater than 5 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm, that is, 5<L1≤10.

[0060] It is not difficult to understand that if the distance between the anode plate 30 and the surface to be plated of the solar cell 200 is too large, the resistance of the plating solution will increase in the circuit loop formed, and the plating solution will lose part of the current, affecting the plating efficiency and the uniformity of the plating. If the distance is too small, the plating solution between the anode plate 30 and the solar cell to be plated will circulate poorly, affecting the uniformity of the plating.

[0061] In such an embodiment, the distance L1 between the support point where the conveying device 20 contacts the solar cell 200 and the anode plate 30 is set within this preferred range. This can avoid the distance between the anode plate 30 and the surface to be electroplated of the solar cell 200 being too large, which may lead to reduced electroplating efficiency and poor electroplating uniformity. It can also avoid the distance being too small, which may lead to poor flow and circulation of the plating solution between the anode plate 30 and the solar cell 200, which may affect the uniformity of the electroplating. That is, it can further improve the uniformity of the electroplating.

[0062] Specifically, in such an embodiment, the distance L1 between the support point where the conveying device 20 contacts the solar cell 200 and the anode plate 30 may be, for example, 5.1 mm, 5.5 mm, 6 mm, 6.5 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 8.5 mm, 9 mm, 9.5 mm, 10 mm or any value greater than 5 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm, and is not specifically limited here.

[0063] See also Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the conveying device 20 may include a transmission shaft 21 and a transmission wheel 22. The transmission shaft 21 is rotatably mounted on the electroplating tank 10, the transmission wheel 22 is disposed on the transmission shaft 21 and is located in the electroplating tank 10, the transmission wheel 22 contacts the solar cell 200 through the through groove 31 and the transmission wheel 22 can rotate in the through groove 31, and the transmission shaft 21 is used to drive the transmission wheel 22 to rotate to transport the solar cell 200.

[0064] In this way, the solar cell 200 can be supported and transported by only passing the driving wheel 22 through the through slot 31 , and the anode plate 30 can be arranged closer to the solar cell 200 , and the anode plate 30 will not interfere with the rotation of the driving wheel 22 .

[0065] Specifically, in such an embodiment, the transmission shaft 21 can be connected to a driving mechanism including a motor, and the driving mechanism may include a motor and an intermediate transmission mechanism and other structures. The driving mechanism can drive the transmission shaft 21 to rotate, thereby driving the transmission wheel 22 to rotate in the through groove 31, and then transport the solar cell 200.

[0066] In such an embodiment, the transmission wheel 22 can be installed separately from the transmission shaft 21, that is, the transmission wheel 22 can be installed separately on the transmission shaft 21. Of course, in other embodiments, the transmission wheel 22 and the transmission shaft 21 can also be integrally formed, which is not specifically limited here.

[0067] For further information, see Figure 3-Figure 6 In some embodiments, a plurality of transmission wheels 22 are disposed on the transmission shaft 21 . The plurality of transmission wheels 22 are spaced apart along the axial direction of the transmission shaft 21 , and each transmission wheel 22 corresponds to a through slot 31 .

[0068] Thus, by arranging a plurality of transmission wheels 22 after the transmission, the supporting points for the solar cell 200 can be increased, thereby improving the stability of the transportation of the solar cell 200. At the same time, by increasing the arrangement of the transmission wheels 22, it is also possible to transport a plurality of solar cells 200 at the same time.

[0069] Specifically, in such an embodiment, the number of transmission wheels 22 on a single transmission shaft 21 can be selected according to the length of the solar cell 200 in the axial direction of the transmission shaft 21, and is not specifically limited here. Normally, for a single transmission shaft 21, at least two transmission wheels 22 can be arranged under a single solar cell 200.

[0070] See also Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, a plurality of transmission shafts 21 are provided in the electroplating tank 10, and the plurality of transmission shafts 21 are arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction. In the horizontal direction, the distance between the axes of two adjacent transmission shafts 21 is smaller than the length of the solar cell 200 in the horizontal direction.

[0071] In this way, by arranging multiple transmission shafts 21 spaced apart in the horizontal direction, the solar cell 200 can be supported and transported more stably in the horizontal direction. By making the distance between the axes of two adjacent transmission shafts 21 smaller than the length of the solar cell 200, it is possible to avoid the solar cell 200 falling from the gap between the two transmission shafts 21 or getting stuck between the two transmission shafts 21 due to the distance between the two adjacent transmission shafts 21 being too small.

[0072] Specifically, in such an embodiment, the number of transmission shafts 21 in the electroplating tank 10 can be selected according to the horizontal length of the solar cell 200 , and it is preferred that there are at least two transmission shafts 21 under the solar cell 200 .

[0073] For further information, see Figure 2 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the transmission wheels 22 on at least two transmission shafts 21 are offset from each other in the horizontal direction.

[0074] In this way, the solar cell 200 can be prevented from being in contact with the driving wheel 22 in the same area during the movement, thereby preventing the same area of ​​the solar cell 200 from repeatedly contacting and rubbing with the driving wheel 22 and causing wheel marks or even damage on the solar cell 200.

[0075] It should be noted that, in this article, “the transmission wheels 22 are offset from each other in the horizontal direction” means that the two transmission wheels are not located on the same horizontal line in the horizontal direction. For example, taking the case where there are only two transmission shafts 21 in the electroplating tank 10, on one of the transmission shafts 21, the transmission wheels 22 on the transmission shaft 21 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the transmission shaft 21, and on the other transmission shaft 21, the transmission wheels 22 on the transmission shaft 21 are also arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the transmission shaft 21, but the transmission wheels 22 on this transmission shaft 21 are offset from the transmission wheels on the previous transmission shaft 21 in the horizontal direction. It is also possible that the positions where the transmission wheels 22 on the two transmission shafts 21 contact the solar cell 200 will not be the same.

[0076] See also Figures 3 to 6 In some embodiments, the transmission wheel 22 includes a shaft portion 221 disposed on the transmission shaft 21 and at least one blade portion 222 disposed on the shaft portion 221, the blade portion 222 extends along the radial direction of the shaft portion 221, and the blade portion 222 passes through the through groove 31 to contact the solar cell 200 to carry and transport the solar cell 200.

[0077] In this way, the transmission wheel 22 contacts the solar cell 200 through the blade portion 222 , and the contact area between the two is small, which can avoid the contact area being too large to affect the contact between the plating solution and the solar electromagnetic sheet.

[0078] Specifically, in such an embodiment, the blade portion 222 can be formed separately from the shaft portion 221 or can be formed integrally with the shaft portion 221 , and the specific details are not limited here.

[0079] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the cathode structure 40 includes a cathode roller 41. The cathode roller 41 and the conveying device 20 are both located on the side of the solar cell 200 facing the electroplating tank 10. The cathode roller 41 is used to carry the solar cell 200 together with the conveying device 20. The cathode roller 41 is in contact with the solar cell 200 and is connected to the negative pole of the external power supply.

[0080] In this way, the cathode structure 40 is configured as a cathode roller 41 , which can act as a cathode and can also carry the solar cell 200 together with the conveying device 20 , thereby realizing functional reuse.

[0081] Specifically, in such an embodiment, the contact between the cathode roller 41 and the solar cell 200 can be that the cathode structure 40 is directly in electrical contact with the area to be electroplated, or the cathode structure 40 is in contact with the mask, and the cathode structure 40 forms electrical contact with the area to be electroplated by the plating solution attached to the solar cell 200, and there is no specific limitation here.

[0082] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cathode roller 41 may be fixed relative to the electroplating tank 10 . In this case, the cathode roller 41 only serves as a cathode and supports the solar cell 200 .

[0083] It is easy to understand that in such an embodiment, the friction between the cathode roller 41 and the solar cell 200 can be controlled to prevent the cathode roller 41 from scratching or even damaging the solar cell 200 during the movement of the solar cell 200 .

[0084] Of course, in some embodiments, in order to avoid serious scratches between the cathode roller 41 and the solar cell 200, the cathode roller 41 can also be configured to be able to rotate relative to the electroplating tank 10, so that the cathode roller 41 can rotate freely, and there is rolling friction between the cathode roller 41 and the solar cell 200, and the friction between the two is relatively small.

[0085] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cathode roller 41 can rotate relative to the electroplating tank 10 and transport the solar cell 200 together with the conveying device 20 .

[0086] In this way, the cathode roller 41 can be connected to the driving mechanism of the horizontal electroplating device 100 like the conveying device 20. The cathode roller 41 can rotate under the drive of the driving mechanism, thereby conveying the solar cell 200 in the horizontal direction together with the conveying device 20. That is, the setting of the cathode roller 41 can realize the multiplexing of the cathode and conveying functions.

[0087] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, in the horizontal direction, the spacing L2 between the cathode roller 41 and the conveying device 20 is smaller than the length of the solar cell 200 in the horizontal direction.

[0088] In this way, it is possible to avoid the solar cell 200 falling from the gap between the cathode roller 41 and the conveying device 20 or getting stuck between the cathode roller 41 and the conveying device 20 due to the large distance between the cathode roller 41 and the conveying device 20 .

[0089] Specifically, Figure 1As shown, when the conveying device 20 includes a transmission shaft 21 and a transmission wheel 22 , the distance L2 between the cathode roller 41 and the conveying device 20 can be understood as the distance between the axis of the cathode roller 41 and the axis of the transmission shaft 21 closest to the cathode roller 41 .

[0090] In some embodiments, in the horizontal direction, the distance L2 between the support point between the conveying device 20 and the solar cell 200 closest to the cathode roller 41 (that is, the axis of the transmission shaft 21 closest to the cathode roller 41) and the axis of the cathode roller 41 is less than or equal to half the length of the solar cell 200.

[0091] In this way, it is possible to avoid the solar cell 200 being too long between the supporting point where the conveying device 20 contacts the solar cell 200 and the axis of the cathode roller 41, thereby preventing the solar cell 200 from being easily deformed, thereby preventing the solar cell 200 from contacting the top of the electroplating tank 10 below the solar cell 200 and causing damage to the solar cell 200.

[0092] Specifically, it is not difficult to understand that if the distance L2 between the cathode roller 41 and the conveying device 20 and the supporting point of the solar cell 200 closest to the cathode roller 41 is large, then during the movement, the length of the solar cell 200 between the cathode roller 41 and the supporting point is large, and it is easy to bend and deform downward. In this case, the solar cell 200 is easy to contact the top of the notch of the electroplating tank 10 and cause damage to the solar cell 200. This problem can be effectively avoided by controlling this distance to be less than or equal to half the length of the solar cell 200.

[0093] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, in the horizontal direction, the electroplating tank 10 has a first side wall 11 and a second side wall 12 relative to each other, and in the vertical direction, the position of the support point where the conveying device 20 contacts the solar cell 200 is higher than the top of the first side wall 11 and the second side wall 12.

[0094] In this way, it is possible to avoid scratches or even damage to the solar cell 200 caused by scratches between the first side wall 11 and the second side wall 12; at the same time, the positions of the first side wall 11 and the second side wall 12 are set lower, so that the plating liquid can overflow from the first side wall 11 and the second side wall 12 under the action of the plating liquid surge device 50.

[0095] Further, in such an embodiment, in the vertical direction, a distance L3 between the supporting point where the conveying device 20 contacts the solar cell 200 and the top of the first side wall 11 and the second side wall 12 is 1 mm-2 mm.

[0096] In this way, it can be avoided that the distance between the two is too large, resulting in the distance between the highest liquid level of the plating solution and the solar cell 200 being too large, resulting in the plating solution being unable to form a continuous and stable contact with the solar cell 200; it can also be avoided that the distance between the two is too small, resulting in the solar cell 200 being easily and accidentally contacting the first side wall 11 or the second side wall 12.

[0097] Specifically, in such an embodiment, in the vertical direction, the distance between the support point where the conveying device 20 contacts the solar cell 200 and the top of the first side wall 11 and the second side wall 12 can be, for example, 1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.8 mm, 2 mm or any value between 1-2 mm, and is not limited here.

[0098] See also Figure 7 The present application also provides a horizontal electroplating equipment 1000. The horizontal electroplating equipment 1000 in the embodiment of the present application may include the horizontal electroplating device 100 in the embodiment of the present application.

[0099] Specifically, in the present application, the horizontal electroplating equipment 1000 may include a plurality of the above-mentioned horizontal electroplating devices 100 ( Figure 7 Only two are shown in the figure), thereby continuously electroplating the solar cell 200, so that the electroplating layer reaches the desired thickness. It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the plating solutions in several electroplating tanks 10 may be the same or different. When they are the same, the thickness of the electroplating layer can reach the desired value by continuous electroplating. When they are different, different electroplating layers can be plated on the area to be electroplated in sequence. For example, in one example, a copper layer can be electroplated first, and then a protective layer, such as one or more of tin, nickel, silver, etc., can be electroplated to effectively avoid oxidation of the copper layer. Of course, in other embodiments, when a single horizontal electroplating device 100 is able to make the electroplating layer reach the desired thickness, the horizontal electroplating equipment 1000 may also include only a single horizontal electroplating device 100, which is not specifically limited here. It can be understood that the horizontal electroplating equipment 1000 may also include other components such as a power supply system.

[0100] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0101] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present application, and that the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A horizontal electroplating device for solar cells, characterized in that: The horizontal electroplating device comprises: Electroplating tanks; A conveying device disposed in the electroplating tank; An anode plate disposed in the electroplating tank, wherein a through groove is formed on the anode plate, and at least a portion of the conveying device passes through the through groove and contacts the solar cell, so that the conveying device carries and transports the solar cell in a horizontal direction; and A cathode structure is arranged outside the electroplating tank, and the cathode structure is in electrical contact with the solar cell sheet.

2. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the vertical direction, the distance between the supporting point where the conveying device contacts the solar cell sheet and the anode plate is less than or equal to 10 mm.

3. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the vertical direction, the distance between the supporting point where the conveying device contacts the solar cell sheet and the anode plate is greater than 5 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm.

4. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission device comprises a transmission shaft and a transmission wheel; The transmission shaft is rotatably mounted on the electroplating tank, the transmission wheel is mounted on the transmission shaft and is located in the electroplating tank, the transmission wheel contacts the solar cell through the through groove and the transmission wheel can rotate in the through groove, and the transmission shaft is used to drive the transmission wheel to rotate to transport the solar cell.

5. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transmission shaft is provided with a plurality of transmission wheels, which are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the transmission shaft, and each transmission wheel corresponds to one through groove.

6. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: A plurality of transmission shafts are arranged in the electroplating tank and are spaced apart in the horizontal direction. In the horizontal direction, the distance between the axis centers of two adjacent transmission shafts is less than the length of the solar cell.

7. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 6, characterized in that: The transmission wheels on at least two of the transmission shafts are offset from each other in the horizontal direction.

8. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transmission wheel includes a rotating shaft portion arranged on the transmission shaft and at least one blade portion arranged on the rotating shaft portion, wherein the blade portion extends along a radial direction of the rotating shaft portion.

9. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cathode structure includes a cathode roller, and the cathode roller and the conveying device are both located on the side of the solar cell facing the electroplating tank. The cathode roller is used to carry the solar cell together with the conveying device. The cathode roller is in contact with the solar cell and connected to the negative pole of an external power supply.

10. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 9, characterized in that: The cathode roller is fixed relative to the electroplating tank, or the cathode roller can rotate relative to the electroplating tank.

11. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 10, characterized in that: The cathode roller can rotate relative to the electroplating tank and transport the solar cell sheet together with the conveying device.

12. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 9, characterized in that: In the horizontal direction, the distance between the cathode roller and the conveying device is smaller than the length of the solar cell in the horizontal direction.

13. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 9, characterized in that: In the horizontal direction, the distance between the supporting point between the conveying device and the solar cell closest to the cathode roller and the axis of the cathode roller is less than or equal to half the length of the solar cell.

14. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the horizontal direction, the electroplating tank has a first side wall and a second side wall opposite to each other. In the vertical direction, the position of the supporting point where the conveying device contacts the solar cell sheet is higher than the top of the first side wall and the second side wall.

15. The horizontal electroplating device for solar cells according to claim 14, characterized in that: In the vertical direction, the distance between the supporting point where the conveying device contacts the solar cell sheet and the top of the first side wall and the second side wall is 1 mm-2 mm.

16. A horizontal electroplating device, characterized in that: A horizontal electroplating device for solar cells comprising any one of claims 1-15.

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