Horizontal electroplating device
By using staggered conveying rollers and insoluble anode plates in the horizontal electroplating device, the problems of uneven deposit thickness and limited production capacity are solved, uniform deposition and efficient production of copper layers are achieved, and the manufacturing of solar cell cells is reduced. cost.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421152399.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-24
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-27
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-05-24
AI Technical Summary
The existing horizontal electroplating devices have problems of uneven deposit thickness and limited production capacity during the electroplating process, especially in the manufacturing of solar cell cells, which leads to insufficient bonding between the metal gate wire and the cell, which increases production costs.
A horizontal electroplating device is designed, using staggered conveying rollers and insoluble anode plates, reducing the distance between the anode plate and the to-plating part through the avoidance groove or the avoidance hole, increasing the current density, and passing through parallel transmissions The assembly and cylindrical rollers ensure uniform deposition.
The uniform deposition of the copper layer is achieved, stress concentration is reduced, the bonding force between the metal gate lines and the battery cells is improved, production capacity is increased and production costs are reduced.
Smart Images
Figure CN222251079U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of manufacturing crystalline silicon solar cell sheets, in particular to a horizontal electroplating device. Background Art
[0002] Electroplating technology and process is a long-standing equipment and process. Its basic design is to place the anode in the electroplating solution in a space equipped with electroplating solution, and connect the cathode to the other position of the object to be plated, so as to form a closed electrical circuit, and deposit metal ions on the object to be plated, which is the basic principle of electroplating.
[0003] So far, for the process application of photovoltaic cells, the equipment is mainly divided into two types of electroplating equipment, namely vertical electroplating and horizontal electroplating process equipment. The biggest advantage of vertical electroplating is large production capacity, while the biggest disadvantage is high deviation value of electroplating uniformity and high fragmentation rate. The main reason is that when placing and unloading cells, the thickness of the cells (120um or thinner) is very easy to cause damage to the cells, whether it is picked up and placed by personnel or automatic mechanisms. Or the electroplating deposition is too thick, especially in the area where the equipment is clamped, making the stress there more concentrated. It is more likely to cause fragmentation or uneven thickness, which is easy to cause damage or hidden cracks during the subsequent module packaging.
[0004] The horizontal electroplating process places the battery cells horizontally on the conveying mechanism, which does not have the above-mentioned disadvantages. In particular, the inherent design of the mechanism may cause the battery cells to have a large difference in deposition thickness or damage the battery cells. The effective horizontal electroplating device is an insoluble anode, which is symmetrically placed on the upper and lower outer sides of the battery cells. With conveyor rollers, the battery cells are transported for metal deposition. Such a design is prone to several defects, including the rollers blocking the power lines, the rollers blocking the flow of the electroplating solution, and the distance between the anode and the object to be plated is too large, which ultimately affects the uniformity of the deposition thickness and limits production capacity. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a horizontal electroplating device to overcome the above technical problems
[0006] In order to achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted by the utility model is: it includes an electroplating tank, a conveying component is arranged in the electroplating tank, and the conveying component can convey the workpiece to be plated from the inlet end to the outlet end of the electroplating tank, an insoluble anode plate is arranged in the electroplating tank, the insoluble anode plate and the conveying component are arranged in parallel, and a avoidance groove or avoidance hole is arranged on the side of the insoluble anode plate close to the conveying component, and at least a part of the conveying roller of the conveying component is accommodated in the avoidance groove or the avoidance hole.
[0007] Furthermore, the conveying assembly includes a plurality of conveying rollers, and the plurality of conveying rollers are staggered in a conveying direction of the workpiece to be plated.
[0008] Furthermore, the conveying components are provided in two groups, and the two groups of conveying components are arranged in parallel on both sides of the workpiece to be plated, and can clamp and convey the workpiece to be plated.
[0009] Furthermore, the conveying roller is a cylindrical structure, and the side of the conveying roller in contact with the workpiece to be plated is a smooth surface.
[0010] Furthermore, a protrusion is provided on the side of the conveying roller in contact with the workpiece to be plated, and the protrusion is spiral, annular or hemispherical.
[0011] Further, the diameter of the conveying roller is 0.5cm to 3cm, and the width of the side of the conveying roller in contact with the battery cell ranges from 0.3cm to 1.0cm. Exemplarily, the diameter of the conveying roller is 0.5cm, 1.0cm, 1.5cm, 2.0cm, 2.5cm, 3cm, and the width of the side of the conveying roller in contact with the battery cell ranges from 0.3cm, 0.5cm, 0.7cm, 0.8cm, 1.0cm.
[0012] Furthermore, the material of the conveying component is selected from any one of rubber, PU, EVA, and PE.
[0013] Further, the distance between the insoluble anode plate and the workpiece to be plated is 1 cm to 10 cm. Exemplarily, the distance between the insoluble anode plate and the workpiece to be plated is 1 cm, 2 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 6 cm, 8 cm, or 10 cm.
[0014] Further, the material of the insoluble anode plate is selected from any one of iridium oxide, ruthenium oxide, platinum titanium and stainless steel.
[0015] The beneficial effects of the utility model are:
[0016] 1) An avoidance groove or avoidance hole is set on the insoluble anode plate to make the distance between the two insoluble anode plates closer, so that the current density is higher, the electroplating deposition rate is faster, and the production capacity of the battery cell is improved.
[0017] 2) The original straight-line arrangement of the conveying rollers is changed to a staggered arrangement to avoid continuous partial shading of the battery cells, which would cause uneven deposition.
[0018] 3) The copper layer electroplated by the horizontal electroplating device disclosed in the present application can avoid stress concentration caused by uneven deposition thickness. In particular, for the metal grid lines of the conductive electrodes of solar cells made by copper electroplating technology, more uniform thickness deposition and stress distribution are provided, thereby improving the bonding force between the overall metal grid lines and the cells, and at the same time reducing the contact resistance between the metal grid lines and the cells, ultimately achieving efficiency improvement and cost reduction and reducing the production cost of the overall cells. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The drawings constituting a part of the present application are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The illustrative embodiments of the present invention and the description thereof are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present invention.
[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.
[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the distribution of circuit lines without obstructions;
[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the distribution of circuit lines with obstructions;
[0023] Figure 3 A top view of a conventional conveyor roller conveying a battery cell;
[0024] Figure 4 This is a top view of the staggered distribution of conveying rollers conveying battery cells in one embodiment of the utility model;
[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a conveying roller according to an embodiment of the utility model;
[0026] Figure 6 This is a front view of a horizontal electroplating device according to an embodiment of the utility model;
[0027] Figure 7 This is a front view of a horizontal electroplating device according to another embodiment of the present utility model;
[0028] Figure 8 It is a top view of an insoluble anode plate according to an embodiment of the utility model.
[0029] In the figure: 1. electroplating tank; 2. parts to be plated (battery cells); 21. part A; 22. part B; 3. conveying assembly; 31. conveying roller; 311. conveying roller body; 312. raised part; 4. insoluble anode plate; 41. hollow hole; 42. avoidance hole; 5. power line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the utility model more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the utility model are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the utility model. However, the utility model can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the utility model, so the utility model is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0031] See attached Figure 6 As shown, a horizontal electroplating device in this embodiment is used for electroplating on the surface of a battery cell 2. The horizontal electroplating device includes an electroplating tank 1, in which an electrolyte is placed, and a conveying component 3 is provided in the electroplating tank 1, wherein the conveying component 3 includes a plurality of conveying rollers 31, and the plurality of conveying rollers 31 are staggered and arranged on the same horizontal plane, and the battery cell 2 is placed above the conveying component 3, and the battery cell 2 is conveyed from the inlet end of the electroplating tank 1 to the outlet end by the conveying rollers 31, and the electroplating of the battery cell 2 is completed during the conveying process.
[0032] See attached Figure 1-3 As shown, in the conventional horizontal electroplating process, the conveying roller 31 will block the electric line 5 and the roller will block the flow of the electroplating solution, thus affecting the uniformity of the deposition thickness. Figure 4 As shown, the present application can avoid that multiple conveying rollers 31 simultaneously and continuously block the local part of the battery cell 2, causing uneven deposition. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , in the conventional electroplating process, during the conveying process of the cell 2 from left to right under the action of the conveying roller 31, the position of the A portion 21 of the cell 2 will always be blocked by the conveying roller 31, while the position of the B portion 22 of the cell 2 will never be blocked by the conveying roller 31. When the electroplating of the cell 2 is completed, the thickness of the A portion 21 is thin and the thickness of the B portion 22 is thick, resulting in uneven electroplating thickness of the cell 2. Figure 4 As shown, in this scheme, the conveying rollers 31 are staggered in the conveying direction of the battery cell 2. Then, during the conveying process, the A part 21 and the B part 22 of the battery cell 2 are staggered and blocked by the conveying rollers 31. The conveying rollers 31 that block the A part 21 and the B part 22 are the same, so the electroplating thickness of the A part 21 and the B part 22 are the same, and the electroplating thickness of the battery cell 2 is uniform.
[0033] See attached Figure 6As shown, in some embodiments, the conveying assembly 3 is provided with two groups, and the two groups of the conveying assemblies 3 are arranged in parallel on both sides of the battery cell 2, and can clamp and convey the battery cell 2. The two groups of conveying assemblies 3 are symmetrically arranged, and the positions of the conveying rollers 31 in the two groups of conveying assemblies 3 correspond to each other one by one, so as to clamp the battery cell 2.
[0034] See attached Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the conveying roller 31 is a cylindrical structure, the diameter of the cylindrical conveying roller 31 ranges from 0.5 cm to 3 cm, and the contact width between the side of the conveying roller 31 and the battery cell 2 ranges from 0.3 cm to 1.0 cm. The conveying roller 31 includes a conveying roller body 311 and a protrusion 312. The side of the conveying roller body 311 is provided with a protrusion 312, and the protrusion 312 and the conveying roller body 311 are integrally connected to increase the friction between the conveying roller 31 and the battery cell 2 during the conveying process of the battery cell 2. Specifically, the protrusion 312 is spiral and is sleeved on the conveying roller body 311. The protrusion 312 can also be annular, and multiple groups are provided, which are sleeved on the conveying roller body 311. And adjacent protrusions 312 are arranged at equal distances in the axial direction of the conveying roller 31 to enhance the clamping effect of the conveying roller 31. The protrusion 312 may also be hemispherical, and a plurality of hemispherical protrusions 312 are regularly distributed on the side of the conveying roller body 311 .
[0035] In some other embodiments, the side surface of the conveying roller 31 is a smooth surface, and the manufacturing process of the conveying roller 31 is simple.
[0036] In some embodiments, the material of the conveying component is a soft material that is resistant to chemical corrosion and high temperature (60 degrees Celsius or below), such as rubber, polyurethane PU, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer EVA or polyethylene PE.
[0037] See attached Figure 7 and attached Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, an insoluble anode plate 4 is provided in the electroplating tank 1, which is an electrode component that supplies a "+" current by connecting to a power supply. The material is selected from any one of iridium oxide, ruthenium oxide, platinum titanium and stainless steel. There are two groups of insoluble anode plates 4, which are respectively arranged on the outside of the front and back sides of the battery cell 2, and the distance between the battery cell 2 is 1cm to 10cm. The insoluble anode plate 4 and the conveying component 3 are arranged in parallel, and a plurality of hollow holes 41 are provided on the insoluble anode plate 4. So that the electrolyte in the electroplating tank 1 can be adequately exchanged. The hollow holes are circular, rectangular or other polygonal, which is not limited in this application.
[0038] In some embodiments, a side of the insoluble anode plate 4 close to the battery cell 2 is provided with an avoidance groove, and at least a part of the conveying roller 31 is accommodated in the avoidance groove. By setting the avoidance groove, the distance between the insoluble anode plate and the battery cell 2 can be reduced. That is, in the traditional process, the shortest distance between the insoluble anode plate and the battery cell 2 is the diameter of the conveying roller. By setting the avoidance groove, a part of the conveying roller is accommodated in the avoidance groove, so that the distance between the insoluble anode plate 4 and the battery cell 2 is less than the diameter of the conveying roller 31, so that the current density is higher, the electroplating deposition rate is faster, and the production capacity is improved.
[0039] In some embodiments, the insoluble anode plate 4 is provided with a plurality of avoidance holes 42 in the thickness direction, and the conveying roller 31 can be accommodated in the avoidance holes 42. And the side of the conveying roller 31 protrudes the insoluble anode plate 4 close to the battery cell 2 to ensure that the conveying roller 31 can clamp and convey the battery cell 2. Through the provision of the avoidance holes 42, the distance between the insoluble anode plate 4 and the battery cell 2 can be adjusted at will, and is no longer limited by the diameter of the conveying roller 31. Preferably, the interval between the insoluble anode plate 4 and the battery cell 2 is 1 cm to 10 cm.
[0040] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may also be a central element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.
[0041] The above implementation modes are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the utility model, and their purpose is to allow people familiar with this technology to understand the content of the utility model and implement it. It cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the utility model. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the utility model should be included in the protection scope of the utility model.
Claims
1. A horizontal electroplating device, characterized in that: The invention comprises an electroplating tank (1), wherein a conveying assembly (3) is arranged in the electroplating tank (1), and the conveying assembly (3) can convey a workpiece (2) to be plated from an inlet end to an outlet end of the electroplating tank (1); an insoluble anode plate (4) is arranged in the electroplating tank (1), and the insoluble anode plate (4) and the conveying assembly (3) are arranged in parallel; a side of the insoluble anode plate (4) close to the conveying assembly (3) is provided with an avoidance groove or avoidance hole (42); and at least a part of the conveying roller (31) of the conveying assembly (3) is accommodated in the avoidance groove or avoidance hole (42).
2. A horizontal electroplating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the insoluble anode plate (4) and the object to be plated (2) is 1 cm to 10 cm.
3. A horizontal electroplating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insoluble anode plate (4) is provided with a plurality of hollow holes (41) in the thickness direction.
4. A horizontal electroplating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the insoluble anode plate (4) is selected from any one of iridium oxide, ruthenium oxide, platinum titanium and stainless steel.
5. A horizontal electroplating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The conveying assembly (3) comprises a plurality of conveying rollers (31), and the plurality of conveying rollers (31) are arranged in a staggered manner in the conveying direction of the workpiece (2) to be plated.
6. A horizontal electroplating device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The conveying components (3) are provided in two groups, and the two groups of conveying components (3) are arranged in parallel on both sides of the workpiece (2) to be plated, and can clamp and convey the workpiece (2) to be plated.
7. A horizontal electroplating device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The conveying roller (31) is a cylindrical structure, and the side surface of the conveying roller (31) in contact with the object to be plated (2) is a smooth surface.
8. A horizontal electroplating device according to claim 5, characterized in that: A protrusion (312) is provided on the side where the conveying roller (31) contacts the workpiece (2) to be plated, and the protrusion (312) is spiral, annular or hemispherical.
9. A horizontal electroplating device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The diameter of the conveying roller (31) is 0.5 cm to 3 cm, and the contact width between the side surface of the conveying roller (31) and the object to be plated (2) is in the range of 0.3 cm to 1.0 cm.
10. A horizontal electroplating device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The material of the conveying component (3) is selected from any one of rubber, PU, EVA and PE.