Vacuum coating equipment, vacuum coating system and solar cell production line

Abstract

The utility model discloses vacuum coating equipment, a vacuum coating system and a solar cell production line, and relates to the technical field of coating equipment. The vacuum coating equipment is favorable for improving the uniformity of a film layer formed on the to-be-coated piece. The vacuum coating equipment comprises a shell and a spraying piece, wherein a containing cavity is defined by the shell, and an air inlet is formed in the shell; the spraying part is arranged in the accommodating cavity, a plurality of uniformly distributed spraying heads are arranged on the spraying part, the plurality of spraying heads are communicated with the gas inlet, the process gas sequentially passes through the gas inlet and the plurality of spraying heads to flow to the spraying area, and the spraying area is an area, adjacent to the plurality of spraying heads, in the accommodating cavity.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of coating equipment, in particular to a vacuum coating equipment, a vacuum coating system and a solar cell production line. BACKGROUND

[0002] The vacuum coating technology is used for the coating process of solar cell. For the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) vacuum coating equipment, the uniformity of the coating layer is one of the indexes for measuring the performance of the equipment. In the related art, the thickness of the coating layer formed by the vacuum coating equipment on different areas of the piece to be coated is not consistent. SUMMARY

[0003] The present application provides a vacuum coating equipment, a vacuum coating system and a solar cell production line, which are beneficial to improve the uniformity of the coating layer formed on the piece to be coated.

[0004] The first aspect of the present application provides a vacuum coating equipment, which comprises a housing and a spraying piece. The housing encloses a receiving cavity, and the housing has a gas inlet. The spraying piece is arranged in the receiving cavity, and the spraying piece has a plurality of spraying heads uniformly distributed thereon. The plurality of spraying heads are in communication with the gas inlet. Process gas flows to a spraying area through the gas inlet and the plurality of spraying heads in sequence. The spraying area is an area adjacent to the plurality of spraying heads in the receiving cavity.

[0005] The vacuum coating equipment provided by the present application has the receiving cavity formed in the housing, so that the spraying piece can be installed in the receiving cavity. Meanwhile, the plurality of spraying heads are arranged on the spraying piece, and each spraying head is in communication with the gas inlet of the housing. In this way, the process gas can enter the plurality of spraying heads after passing through the gas inlet, and then enter the spraying area from the plurality of points through the plurality of spraying heads. Moreover, the plurality of spraying heads are uniformly distributed on the spraying piece, which is beneficial to make the process gas more uniformly distributed in the spraying area, so as to form a uniform gas field in the spraying area, and further improve the uniformity of the coating layer formed on the piece to be coated.

[0006] In a possible implementation manner of the present application, the spraying head comprises an extension section and an expansion section. The diameter of the expansion section is greater than that of the extension section. The extension section is a part of the spraying head away from the spraying area, and the expansion section is a part of the spraying head close to the spraying area.

[0007] The technical scheme of the present application, since the diameter of the expansion section of the shower head is larger than the diameter of the extension section, in the process that the process gas flows to the spraying area through the extension section and the expansion section in turn, the cross section of the channel through which the process gas flows increases, which not only can make the process gas diffuse to the area with larger area in the spraying area, but also can slow down the flow rate of the process gas, which is beneficial to make the process gas flow and diffuse stably, so that the process gas in each area in the spraying area can be more uniform.

[0008] In a possible implementation manner of the present application, the diameter of the expansion section continuously increases from the arrangement direction of the extension section to the expansion section.

[0009] The technical scheme of the present application, since the diameter of the expansion section continuously increases, the flow rate of the process gas flowing through the expansion section can be uniformly slowed down, so that the process gas can flow and diffuse more stably to the spraying area.

[0010] In a possible implementation manner of the present application, the expansion section is in the shape of a circular truncated cone, and the taper angle of the circular truncated cone-shaped expansion section is greater than or equal to 40° and less than 180°.

[0011] The technical scheme of the present application, since the expansion section is set to be in the shape of a circular truncated cone, the expansion section is convenient to process through drilling, reaming and the like, which is beneficial to simplify the process of processing the expansion section. And the taper angle of the expansion section is greater than or equal to 40° and less than 180°, so that the process gas flowing from the expansion section to the spraying area can diffuse in a larger range, which is beneficial to increase the diffusion range of the process gas flowing from the same shower head to the spraying area.

[0012] In a possible implementation manner of the present application, the length of the extension section is greater than or equal to half of the thickness of the spraying member from the arrangement direction of the extension section to the expansion section.

[0013] The technical scheme of the present application, since the length of the extension section is greater than or equal to half of the thickness of the spraying member, the process gas has a long enough flow path in the extension section, which is beneficial to make the process gas flow stably in the extension section.

[0014] In a possible implementation manner of the present application, the shower head further comprises a converging section, the converging section is connected with one end of the extension section away from the expansion section, and the diameter of the end of the converging section away from the extension section is greater than the diameter of the end of the converging section connected with the extension section.

[0015] The technical scheme of the present application, since the converging section is further arranged at the end of the shower head away from the spraying area, and the diameter of the converging section is greater than the diameter of the extension section, the process gas is convenient to enter into the shower head quickly through the converging section, which is beneficial to improve the flow and diffusion speed of the process gas through the shower head.

[0016] In a possible implementation of the present application, the converging section is in the shape of a circular truncated cone, the converging section has a cone angle equal to or greater than 90° and less than 180°; and the length of the converging section is 0.5 mm to 2 mm in the arrangement direction from the extending section to the expanding section.

[0017] The technical solution of the present application has the following advantages: the converging section of the shower head is in the shape of a circular truncated cone, which facilitates the machining of the converging section by drilling, reaming, stamping and other methods, and simplifies the process of machining the converging section. The converging section has a cone angle greater than or equal to 90° and less than 180°, which allows the shower head to have a relatively large inlet area, so that the process gas can quickly enter the shower head.

[0018] In a possible implementation of the present application, the connecting lines of the three shower heads arranged in sequence and adjacent to each other around the vertical shower piece are in the shape of an equilateral triangle, and the distance between the two adjacent shower heads is 5 mm to 20 mm.

[0019] The technical solution of the present application has the following advantages: the three adjacent shower heads are arranged in the distribution mode of an equilateral triangle on the shower piece, so that the distance between any two adjacent shower heads is the same. The process gas can be simultaneously delivered to different areas in the shower area by multiple shower heads, and the same volume areas in the shower area can simultaneously have process gas, which facilitates the uniformity of the process gas in the shower area.

[0020] The second aspect of the present application provides a vacuum coating system, which comprises: a first electrode piece, a second electrode piece, and the vacuum coating device provided in any one of the first aspect. The first electrode piece is arranged in the shower area; the second electrode piece and the shower piece enclose a gas uniformizing cavity, the gas uniformizing cavity is in communication with the gas inlet and each of the shower heads, and the process gas flows to the shower area through the gas inlet, the gas uniformizing cavity and the plurality of shower heads in sequence.

[0021] The vacuum coating system provided by the present application has the following advantages: the vacuum coating device is provided, so that the process gas in the shower area of the vacuum coating device is more uniformly distributed, so that a uniform gas field can be formed in the shower area, and the uniformity of the film layer formed on the piece to be coated can be improved.

[0022] The third aspect of the present application provides a solar cell production line, which comprises: a transfer device and the vacuum coating system provided in the second aspect; the transfer device is used for transporting the solar cell to the vacuum coating system and / or removing the solar cell from the vacuum coating system.

[0023] The solar cell production line provided by the application has the advantages that the process gas is uniformly distributed in the spraying area of the vacuum coating system, and thus a uniform gas field is formed in the spraying area, and the uniformity of the film layer formed on the piece to be coated is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. The detailed description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 A structure schematic diagram of the vacuum coating equipment provided by the application;

[0026] Figure 2 A structure schematic diagram of the shower head in the vacuum coating equipment provided by the application Figure 1 ;

[0027] Figure 3 A structure schematic diagram of the shower head in the vacuum coating equipment provided by the application Figure 2 ;

[0028] Figure 4 A distribution schematic diagram of the shower head in the vacuum coating equipment provided by the application;

[0029] Figure 5 A structure schematic diagram of the second electrode piece in the vacuum coating equipment provided by the application;

[0030] Figure 6 A structure schematic diagram of the vacuum coating system provided by the application.

[0031] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] 1 - shell; 11 - box body; 12 - cover body; 13 - air inlet; 14 - spraying area; 15 - cleaning gas inlet; 2 - first electrode piece; 3 - spraying piece; 31 - shower head; 311 - extension section; 312 - expansion section; 313 - converging section; 4 - second electrode piece; 41 - air outlet hole; 42 - air uniformizing cavity; 43 - air distribution channel; 431 - main channel; 432 - first branch channel; 433 - second branch channel; 434 - third branch channel; 44 - first air inlet pipe; 45 - second air inlet pipe; 5 - connecting rod; 6 - connecting plate; 7 - control piece; 8 - gas mixing piece; 9 - buffer tank; Z - arrangement direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The following examples are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical scheme of the present application, and therefore only serve as examples, but cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present application; the use of the terms "including," "comprising," "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the inclusion of the recited elements but not the exclusion of others.

[0035] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first", "second", "third" and the like are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more, unless otherwise explicitly and specifically limited.

[0036] Reference herein to "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearance of the phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, nor is it necessarily independent or alternative embodiments to each other. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0037] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the three cases of A alone, A and B together, and B alone. In addition, the character " / " in this paper generally represents that the front and rear associated objects are "or" relationship.

[0038] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "circumferential" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and is not intended to indicate or imply that the indicated device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed, operated or used in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present application.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless explicitly defined and limited otherwise, the technical terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting", "fixing" and other terms should be understood in a broad sense, for example, can be fixedly connected, can be detachably connected, or integrated; can be mechanically connected, or electrically connected; can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0040] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless explicitly defined and limited otherwise, the technical term "contact" should be understood in a broad sense, which can be direct contact or contact through an intermediate medium layer, and can be contact between two contacting objects without interaction force, or contact between two contacting objects with interaction force.

[0041] The plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technology is a commonly used film coating technology. The technology generates plasma under the action of an electric field, and uses the plasma to make gaseous substances containing film layer component atoms chemically react, so as to deposit a film layer on the surface of a substrate to be coated.

[0042] For a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) vacuum film coating device, there are many factors that affect the uniformity of the film layer. The uniformity of the electric field, the uniformity of the temperature field and the uniformity of the gas field of the vacuum film coating device in the working state can all affect the uniformity of the film layer. For example, in the case of uneven distribution of process gas in the vacuum film coating device, the speed of chemical reaction in different parts of the vacuum film coating device under the action of plasma is different, thereby affecting the thickness of the film layer formed in different areas of the substrate, and the film layer on the substrate is not uniform in thickness.

[0043] The embodiments of the present application provide a vacuum film coating device, which can improve the uniformity of the film layer formed on the film to be coated. Referring to Figure 1 , Figure 1A schematic structural diagram of a vacuum coating device is provided in the present application. The vacuum coating device provided in the embodiments of the present application comprises a shell 1 and a spraying member 3. The shell 1 forms an accommodating cavity, and the shell 1 is provided with an air inlet 13. The spraying member 3 is arranged in the accommodating cavity. The spraying member 3 is provided with a plurality of spraying heads 31 arranged uniformly. The plurality of spraying heads 31 are in communication with the air inlet 13. Process gas flows through the air inlet 13 and the plurality of spraying heads 31 to a spraying area 14 in sequence. The spraying area 14 is an area adjacent to the plurality of spraying heads 31 in the accommodating cavity.

[0044] In the embodiments of the present application, the shell 1 is used to arrange other components in the vacuum coating device. The shell 1 can be arranged in a structure with an accommodating cavity, so as to facilitate mounting of other components in the accommodating cavity. For example, the accommodating cavity is arranged as a sealed cavity. A negative pressure pump or the like is used to perform suction on the accommodating cavity, so as to form a negative pressure state (vacuum environment) in the accommodating cavity that meets the use requirements.

[0045] For example, as shown in Figure 1 The shell 1 can be arranged in a structure comprising a box body 11 and a cover body 12. For example, the box body 11 can be a cuboid structure with an accommodating groove. The cover body 12 is a plate-shaped structure. The cover body 12 is sealed and covered on an opening of the box body 11, so as to form the shell 1 with the accommodating cavity. The box body 11 and the cover body 12 can be made of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

[0046] For example, a through hole serving as the air inlet 13 is arranged on the cover body 12. The through hole is connected with a gas source through a pipeline or the like. In this way, the process gas can enter the accommodating cavity through the pipeline and the air inlet 13.

[0047] In the embodiments of the present application, the spraying member 3 is used to form a gas field of the process gas in the accommodating cavity, so as to form a uniformly distributed gas field in the accommodating cavity.

[0048] For example, the spraying member 3 can be arranged in a flat plate shape. The spraying member 3 can be connected with the cover body 12, so as to arrange the spraying member 3 in the accommodating cavity. An electrically conductive member is arranged on the cover body 12. The electrically conductive member is connected with the spraying member 3. In this way, the spraying member 3 can be electrically connected with a power supply through the electrically conductive member.

[0049] Another example, a plurality of spray heads 31 can be arranged on the spray member 3. For example, the plurality of spray heads 31 can be uniformly distributed on the flat spray member 3, one end of the spray head 31 is in communication with the space on the side of the spray member 3 away from the air inlet 13, the space on the side of the spray member 3 away from the air inlet 13 can be used as a spraying area 14, and the spraying area 14 is adjacent to each spray head 31. The other end of the spray head 31 is in communication with the air inlet 13, so that the process gas can flow to each spray head 31 after passing through the air inlet 13, and the process gas can be sprayed to the spraying area through the plurality of spray heads 31, so as to form a uniform gas field in the accommodation cavity.

[0050] The vacuum coating equipment provided by the embodiment of the present application can install the spray member 3 in the accommodation cavity formed in the shell 1. Meanwhile, a plurality of spray heads 31 are arranged on the spray member 3, and each spray head 31 is in communication with the air inlet 13 on the shell 1, so that the process gas can enter the plurality of spray heads 31 after passing through the air inlet 13, and then the process gas can enter the spraying area 14 from a plurality of points through the plurality of spray heads 31. Moreover, the plurality of spray heads 31 are uniformly distributed on the spray member 3, which is conducive to making the process gas in the spraying area 14 more uniformly distributed, so as to form a uniform gas field in the spraying area 14, thereby improving the uniformity of the film formed on the to-be-coated member.

[0051] In some possible embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 2 the structure of the spray head in the vacuum coating equipment provided by the present application is shown in Figure 1 , Figure 3 the structure of the spray head in the vacuum coating equipment provided by the present application is shown in Figure 2 . The spray head 31 includes an extension section 311 and an expansion section 312, the diameter of the expansion section 312 is greater than that of the extension section 311, the extension section 311 is the part of the spray head 31 away from the spraying area 14, and the expansion section 312 is the part of the spray head 31 close to the spraying area 14.

[0052] In the embodiment of the present application, as shown in Figure 2 , different parts of the spray head 31 can be arranged in different structural shapes, for example, along the extension direction of the spray head 31 (the thickness direction of the spray member 3), the two ends of the spray head 31 can be arranged in different shapes respectively.

[0053] As an example, the extension section 311 of the shower head 31 away from the shower area 14 can be set as a cylindrical through hole, the expansion section 312 of the shower head 31 close to the shower area 14 can be set as a circular truncated cone shaped through hole, and the circular truncated cone shaped expansion section 312 is connected with the extension section 311 at the end with smaller diameter. Alternatively, the expansion section 312 can be set as a cylindrical through hole with a diameter larger than that of the extension section 311. In this way, the part of the shower head 31 close to the shower area 14 can have a larger diameter than the part of the shower head 31 away from the shower area 14. Alternatively, the shower head 31 can be set as a whole circular truncated cone shaped through hole. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4 FIG. 2, the shower head 31 can be set as a whole cylindrical through hole.

[0054] In the above embodiment, since the diameter of the expansion section 312 of the shower head 31 is larger than that of the extension section 311, the cross section of the channel for the process gas to flow through the extension section 311 and the expansion section 312 in sequence to the shower area 14 is increased, which not only allows the process gas to diffuse to a larger area in the shower area 14, but also slows down the flow rate of the process gas, which is beneficial to the smooth flow and diffusion of the process gas, so that the process gas in each area of the shower area 14 is more uniform.

[0055] In some possible embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figure 2 FIG. 3, the diameter of the expansion section 312 continuously increases from the extension section 311 to the expansion section 312 along the arrangement direction Z.

[0056] In the embodiments of the present application, the expansion section 312 of the shower head 31 can be set as a circular truncated cone shaped structure, that is, the diameter of the end of the expansion section 312 away from the first electrode member 2 is small, the diameter of the end of the expansion section 312 close to the first electrode member 2 is large, and the radius of the expansion section 312 continuously increases from the second electrode member 4 to the first electrode member 2. For example, along the arrangement direction Z from the extension section 311 to the expansion section 312, the radius of the expansion section 312 can first slowly increase and then rapidly increase, so that the expansion section 312 forms a horn mouth shape (the edge line of the expansion section 312 is a curve); or, along the arrangement direction Z from the extension section 311 to the expansion section 312, the radius of the expansion section 312 can uniformly increase, that is, as shown in Figure 2 FIG. 4, the cross section of the expansion section 312 is approximately triangular (the edge line of the expansion section 312 is a straight line).

[0057] In the above embodiment, since the diameter of the expansion section 312 continuously increases, the flow rate of the process gas flowing through the expansion section 312 is uniformly slowed down, so that the process gas flows and diffuses to the shower area 14 more smoothly.

[0058] In some possible embodiments of the present application, the expansion section 312 is in the shape of a circular truncated cone, and the taper angle of the circular truncated cone-shaped expansion section 312 is greater than or equal to 40° and less than 180°.

[0059] In the embodiments of the present application, the expansion section 312 can be provided in the shape of a circular truncated cone, and the small-diameter end of the circular truncated cone-shaped expansion section 312 is connected to the extension section 311, and the large-diameter end of the circular truncated cone-shaped expansion section 312 is located on the surface of the shower member 3 close to the first electrode member 2.

[0060] For example, the taper angle of the expansion section 312 can be equal to 40°, 50°, 70°, 100°, 130°, 150°, 175°, 179°, etc., or the taper angle of the expansion section 312 can be close to 180° but not equal to 180°.

[0061] In the above embodiments, since the expansion section 312 is provided in the shape of a circular truncated cone, the expansion section 312 is convenient to process by drilling, reaming, etc., which is conducive to simplifying the process of processing the expansion section 312. Moreover, the taper angle of the expansion section 312 is greater than or equal to 40° and less than 180°, so that the process gas flowing from the expansion section 312 to the shower area 14 can be diffused in a larger range, which is conducive to increasing the diffusion range of the process gas flowing from the same shower head 31 to the shower area 14.

[0062] In some possible embodiments of the present application, along the arrangement direction Z from the extension section 311 to the expansion section 312, the length of the extension section 311 is greater than or equal to half the thickness of the shower member 3.

[0063] In the embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figure 2 In the embodiments of the present application, the extension section 311 in the shower head 31 can be provided as a cylindrical through hole, for example, the diameter of the extension section 311 can be any value within the range of 0.1 mm to 3 mm. For example, the extension section 311 can be provided as a cylindrical hole with a diameter of 0.1 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.8 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.8 mm, 2.5 mm, or 3 mm, etc.

[0064] For example, the length of the extension section 311 can be at least half the thickness of the shower member 3, that is, along the arrangement direction Z from the extension section 311 to the expansion section 312, the length of the extension section 311 is at least equal to half the thickness of the shower member 3, or the length of the extension section 311 can be greater than half the thickness of the shower member 3. In this way, along the arrangement direction Z from the extension section 311 to the expansion section 312, the depth of the expansion section 312 is less than or equal to half the thickness of the shower member 3.

[0065] In the above embodiment, since the length of the extension section 311 is greater than or equal to half of the thickness of the shower member 3, the process gas has a long enough flow path in the extension section 311, which is beneficial to the stable flow of the process gas in the extension section 311.

[0066] In some possible embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figure 2 The shower head 31 further includes a converging section 313, which is connected to one end of the extension section 311 away from the expansion section 312. The diameter of the end of the converging section 313 away from the extension section 311 is greater than the diameter of the end of the converging section 313 connected to the extension section 311.

[0067] In the embodiments of the present application, the converging section 313 can be further arranged in the shower head 31, so as to facilitate the process gas flowing from the gas inlet 13 into the shower head 31.

[0068] For example, along the arrangement direction Z from the extension section 311 to the expansion section 312, the converging section 313 can be arranged on the side of the shower member 3 away from the shower area 14, so that the converging section 313, the extension section 311 and the expansion section 312 are arranged in sequence and communicated in sequence. In this way, the converging section 313 can be used as a port for the process gas to flow into the shower head 31. For example, the converging section 313 can be arranged as a hole with a diameter greater than that of the extension section 311, such as a horn-shaped hole with a curved cross section.

[0069] In the above embodiment, since the converging section 313 is further arranged at the end of the shower head 31 away from the shower area 14, and the diameter of the converging section 313 is greater than that of the extension section 311, the process gas can quickly enter the shower head 31 through the converging section 313, which is beneficial to improving the flow and diffusion speed of the process gas through the shower head 31.

[0070] In some possible embodiments of the present application, the converging section 313 is in the shape of a circular truncated cone, the taper angle of the circular truncated cone-shaped converging section 313 is equal to or greater than 90° and less than 180°, and the length of the converging section 313 along the arrangement direction Z from the extension section 311 to the expansion section 312 is 0.5 mm to 2 mm.

[0071] In the embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figure 2 The converging section 313 of the shower head 31 can be arranged as a circular truncated cone-shaped hole, that is, the cross-sectional shape of the converging section 313 is approximately triangular (all three sides are straight lines). For example, the circular truncated cone-shaped converging section 313 can be formed on the shower member 3 by drilling, stamping or the like.

[0072] Exemplarily, the taper angle of the converging section 313 of the circular truncated cone shape can be set as 90°, 120°, 150°, 170°, 179°, or the like, or the taper angle of the converging section 313 can be close to 180° but not equal to 180°. Exemplarily, the length of the converging section 313 can be set as any length within a range from 0.5 mm to 2 mm, that is, along the arrangement direction Z of the extending section 311 to the expanding section 312, the length of the converging section 313 is equal to 0.5 mm, 0.8 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.8 mm, or 2 mm, or the like.

[0073] In the above embodiment, since the converging section 313 of the shower head 31 is set as a circular truncated cone shape, the converging section 313 is facilitated to be processed by drilling, reaming, stamping, or the like, and the process of processing the converging section 313 is facilitated to be simplified. Moreover, the taper angle of the converging section 313 is greater than or equal to 90° and less than 180°, so that the shower head 31 has a relatively large inlet area, and thus the process gas can be rapidly introduced into the shower head 31.

[0074] In some possible embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 4 , Figure 4 a distribution diagram of the shower head in the vacuum coating device provided by the present application is provided. The connecting line of the three adjacent shower heads 31 arranged in sequence around the vertical spraying member 3 is a regular triangle, and the distance between the two adjacent shower heads 31 is within a range from 5 mm to 20 mm.

[0075] In the embodiment of the present application, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 4 , the shower head 31 can be arranged on the spraying member 3 in a regular triangle distribution manner. That is, the connecting line of the three adjacent shower heads 31 arranged in sequence around the arrangement direction Z of the vertical spraying member 3 forms a triangle, and the length of any two sides of the triangle is equal. As shown in Figure 4 , six shower heads 31 can be arranged around one shower head 31, and the six shower heads 31 around the one shower head 31 are located at the six vertices of a virtual regular hexagon.

[0076] Exemplarily, the distance between the two adjacent shower heads 31 can be set as any value within a range from 5 mm to 20 mm. For example, the distance between the two adjacent shower heads 31 can be set as 5 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, 13 mm, 16 mm, 18 mm, or 20 mm, or the like. The distance between the two adjacent shower heads 31 can be the distance between the axes of the two adjacent shower heads 31.

[0077] In the above embodiment, since the three adjacent spray heads 31 are arranged on the spray part 3 in a regular triangle distribution manner, the distance between any two adjacent spray heads 31 can be the same. Not only can the process gas be simultaneously delivered to different areas within the spray area 14 through multiple spray heads 31, but also areas of the same volume within the spray area 14 can have process gas at the same time, which is beneficial to improving the uniformity of the process gas in the spray area 14.

[0078] In addition, the present invention also provides a vacuum coating system. Figure 1 As shown, the vacuum coating system includes: a first electrode member 2, a second electrode member 4, and the vacuum coating apparatus provided by any of the above-described embodiments. The first electrode member 2 is disposed in the spray area 14; the second electrode member 4 and the spray member 3 enclose a uniform gas chamber 42, which is connected to the gas inlet 13 and to each of the spray heads 31. The process gas flows sequentially through the gas inlet 13, the uniform gas chamber 42, and the multiple spray heads 31 to the spray area 14.

[0079] In the embodiment of the present application, the first electrode member 2 is used to generate an electromagnetic field within the accommodating chamber, thereby generating plasma within the accommodating chamber. For example, the first electrode member 2 can be configured to include an electrode plate, which is positioned within the accommodating chamber with a gap between the first electrode member 2 and the spray member 3 to form a spray region 14 between the spray member 3 and the first electrode member 2.

[0080] For example, Figure 1 As shown, the first electrode member 2 can be configured as a flat plate, mounted at the bottom of the box body 11, and electrically connected to the negative pole of a power source, or grounded. For example, a lifting mechanism can be provided, with a lifting rod in the lifting mechanism passing through the bottom of the box body 11, a driving member in the lifting mechanism fixedly connected to the lifting rod, and the first electrode member 2 fixedly connected to one end of the lifting rod located within the box body 11. The lifting mechanism can then drive the first electrode member 2 to move a certain distance within the box body 11 toward or away from the spray element 3.

[0081] In the embodiment of this application, Figure 1As shown, a second electrode member 4 can be provided in the vacuum coating system so that the second electrode member 4 and the spray member 3 enclose a uniform gas chamber 42. For example, the spray member 3 and the second electrode member 4 can both be provided as flat plate structures, and the second electrode member 4 can be connected to the cover 12 in the housing 1 via connecting rods 5, such as by providing multiple connecting rods 5 between the cover 12 and the second electrode member 4. A connecting plate 6 can be provided between the spray member 3 and the second electrode member 4, and the connecting plate 6 is provided around the second electrode member 4 so that the second electrode member 4 and the spray member 3 are fixedly connected via the connecting plate 6. The connecting plate 6, the second electrode member 4, and the spray member 3 enclose a uniform gas chamber 42.

[0082] Alternatively, the second electrode member 4 and the spray member 3 may be configured as an integrated structure, that is, the spray member 3 may be processed from a single piece of material, a cavity serving as the air uniforming chamber 42 may be formed on the spray member 3, a spray head 31 may be provided on a portion of the wall of the spray member 3, another portion of the wall of the spray member 3 may be used as the second electrode member 4, and an air outlet 41 may be provided on another portion of the wall of the spray member 3.

[0083] For example, an air outlet 41 may be provided on the second electrode member 4, and the air outlet 41 may extend from the side of the second electrode member 4 away from the spray member 3 to the side close to the spray member 3. For example, the end of the air outlet 41 away from the spray member 3 may be connected to the air inlet 13 through a pipe, or an air flow channel may be formed on the second electrode member 4, and multiple air outlets 41 may be connected through the air flow channel, and then the air flow channel may be connected to the air inlet 13. For example, the air flow channel may be multiple channels. In this way, the process gas may first enter the air outlet 41 through the air inlet 13, and then enter the uniform gas chamber 42 from the air outlet 41. Then, the process gas may enter the multiple spray heads 31 from the uniform gas chamber 42, and the process gas may be sprayed to the spray area 14 through the multiple spray heads 31.

[0084] In the above embodiment, since the vacuum coating system further includes the first electrode member 2, an electromagnetic field can be formed between the spray member 3 and the first electrode member 2. In addition, the vacuum coating system further includes the second electrode member 4, and the spray member 3 and the second electrode member 4 can enclose a uniform gas chamber 42 to form the uniform gas chamber, and the air outlet 41 on the second electrode member 4 is connected to the air inlet 13 on the housing 1. Such a structural design is not only convenient for processing the second electrode member 4 and the spray member 3, but also allows the process gas to first fill the uniform gas chamber 42 after entering the uniform gas chamber 42 through the air outlet 41 on the second electrode member 4. After the uniform gas chamber 42 is filled with or nearly filled with the process gas, the process gas flows from the multiple spray heads 31 to the spray area 14, which is conducive to making the process gas more evenly distributed in the spray area 14.

[0085] In some possible embodiments of the present application, refer to Figure 5 ,Figure 5 The structure of the second electrode member of the vacuum coating system provided in the present application is shown in the schematic diagram. The gas distribution passage 43 is provided between the gas outlet hole 41 and the gas inlet 13. One end of the gas distribution passage 43 is communicated with the gas inlet 13, and the other end of the gas distribution passage 43 has a plurality of gas distribution openings, each of which is communicated with one gas outlet hole 41.

[0086] In the embodiment of the present application, the gas distribution passage 43 can be provided between the gas inlet 13 and the gas outlet hole 41, so as to communicate at least two gas outlet holes 41 with the same gas inlet 13 through the gas distribution passage 43.

[0087] For example, the gas distribution passage 43 can be provided as a plurality of pipes, and the distribution and connection mode of the plurality of pipes are shown in Figure 5 For example, a main passage 431 can be provided, the main passage 431 is communicated with the gas inlet 13 through a connecting pipe, a first branch passage 432 is connected at both ends of the main passage 431, a second branch passage 433 is connected at both ends of the first branch passage 432, and a third branch passage 434 is connected at both ends of the second branch passage 433. The both ends of the third branch passage 434 can be used as a gas distribution opening, so as to communicate the both ends of the third branch passage 434 with one gas outlet hole 41 on the second electrode member 4, respectively. In this way, each gas distribution opening can be communicated with one gas outlet hole 41. In this way, one gas inlet 13 can be communicated with sixteen gas outlet holes 41 through the gas distribution passage 43.

[0088] Another example is that the main passage 431, the first branch passage 432, the second branch passage 433 and the third branch passage 434 of the gas distribution passage 43 can be pipes made of plastic, metal, ceramic or the like. The gas distribution passage 43 can be located in the region between the cover body 12 and the second electrode member 4. In the above manner of providing the gas distribution passage 43, one gas inlet 13 can be communicated with thirty-two gas outlet holes 41, or one gas inlet 13 can be communicated with sixty-four gas outlet holes 41. The number of gas outlet holes 41 communicated with the same gas inlet 13 is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the gas distribution passage 43 is provided between the gas inlet 13 and the plurality of gas outlet holes 41, so as to communicate the plurality of gas outlet holes 41 with the same gas inlet 13 through a group of gas distribution passages 43. In this way, the process gas entering the vacuum coating device from one gas inlet 13 can be distributed to the plurality of gas outlet holes 41 through the gas distribution passage 43, so as to achieve the purpose of simultaneously delivering the process gas to the uniform gas cavity 42 through the plurality of gas outlet holes 41.

[0090] In some possible embodiments of the present application, reference is made to Figure 6 , Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vacuum coating system provided in this application. Figure 1 and Figure 6 As shown, the second electrode member 4 has an air distribution channel 43 , which is connected to the air inlet 13 through a first air inlet pipe 44 , and the distances between adjacent air outlet holes 41 are consistent.

[0091] In an embodiment of the present application, the gas separation channel 43 can be set on the second electrode component 4. For example, the gas separation channel 43 can be set on the side of the second electrode component 4 close to the cover body 12, and the gas separation port can be set on the side of the second electrode component 4 close to the cover body 12.

[0092] For example, the distribution form of the gas distribution channels 43 provided on the second electrode member 4 can refer to Figure 5 The form shown in . For example, a groove for the main channel 431 can be first opened on the second electrode member 4, and then a groove for the first branch channel 432 connected to the groove of the main channel 431 can be opened, and then a groove for the second branch channel 433 connected to the groove of the first branch channel 432 can be opened, and then the groove of the second branch channel 433 is connected to the multiple air outlets 41 through the groove of the third branch channel 434, and finally a cover plate is provided on each groove, and the open end of each groove is sealed by the cover plate, thereby forming a gas separation channel 43 on the second electrode member 4. The main channel 431 of a gas separation channel 43 can be connected to an air inlet 13 through the first air inlet pipe 44. In the above manner, multiple gas separation channels 43 can be provided on the second electrode member 4.

[0093] Another example, such as Figure 5 As shown, the plurality of air outlet holes 41 on the second electrode member 4 can be distributed at equal intervals on the second electrode member 4. For example, the plurality of air outlet holes 41 can be arranged in a rectangular array, and the distance between any two adjacent air outlet holes 41 is consistent or nearly consistent.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the placement of the gas distribution channel 43 on the second electrode reduces the space occupied by the gas distribution channel 43 within the vacuum coating apparatus, facilitating miniaturization of the vacuum coating apparatus. Furthermore, by ensuring that the distance between two adjacent gas outlets 41 is consistent, each gas outlet 41 can deliver process gas to the same volume of space within the gas homogenizing chamber 42, thereby achieving more uniform distribution of the process gas within the gas homogenizing chamber 42.

[0095] An embodiment of the present application also provides a solar cell production line, which includes: a transfer device and a vacuum coating system provided by any one of the above embodiments; the transfer device is used to transport the solar cells to the vacuum coating device and / or remove the solar cells from the vacuum coating system.

[0096] In the embodiments of the present application, the transfer device can be a transport device capable of transporting the solar cell. For example, the transport device can be an automated guided vehicle (AGV), a belt transport device, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific structure of the transfer device. The solar cell to be coated can be transported from the production device to the vacuum coating system by the transfer device. The solar cell after coating can also be transported from the vacuum coating system to the storage station or the next production station by the transfer device.

[0097] The solar cell production line provided by the embodiments of the present application, since comprising the vacuum coating system provided by the above embodiments, is advantageous to make the process gas distribution more uniform in each place in the spraying area 14 in the vacuum coating system, so that a uniform gas field can be formed in the spraying area 14, and further advantageous to improve the uniformity of the film layer formed on the piece to be coated.

[0098] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the above embodiments, or make equivalent replacement for part or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and they should be covered in the scope of the specification of the present application. Especially, as long as there is no structural conflict, each technical feature mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way.

Claims

1. A vacuum coating apparatus, characterized by, The shell (1) is provided with at least one air inlet (13); a spraying member (3) is arranged in the accommodating cavity; the spraying member (3) is provided with a plurality of spraying heads (31) uniformly distributed thereon, and the plurality of spraying heads (31) are all communicated with the air inlet (13); process gas flows to a spraying area (14) through the air inlet (13) and the plurality of spraying heads (31) in sequence, and the spraying area (14) is an area adjacent to the plurality of spraying heads (31) in the accommodating cavity. The spraying head (31) comprises an extension section (311) and an expansion section (312), the diameter of the expansion section (312) is greater than that of the extension section (311), the extension section (311) is a part of the spraying head (31) away from the spraying area (14), and the expansion section (312) is a part of the spraying head (31) close to the spraying area (14). From the arrangement direction of the extension section (311) to the expansion section (312), the diameter of the expansion section (312) continuously increases.

2. The vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The expansion section (312) is in the shape of a circular truncated cone, the taper angle of the circular truncated cone-shaped expansion section (312) is greater than or equal to 40° and less than 180°.

3. The vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein From the arrangement direction of the extension section (311) to the expansion section (312), the length of the extension section (311) is greater than or equal to half of the thickness of the spraying member (3).

4. The vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The spraying head (31) further comprises a converging section (313) connected to one end of the extension section (311) away from the expansion section (312), and the diameter of the end of the converging section (313) away from the extension section (311) is greater than that of the end of the converging section (313) connected to the extension section (311).

5. The vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The converging section (313) is in the shape of a circular truncated cone, the taper angle of the circular truncated cone-shaped converging section (313) is equal to or greater than 90° and less than 180°; and from the arrangement direction of the extension section (311) to the expansion section (312), the length of the converging section (313) is 0.5 mm to 2 mm.

6. The vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein Around the direction perpendicular to the spraying member (3), the connecting line of three spraying heads (31) arranged in sequence and adjacent to each other is in the shape of an equilateral triangle, and the distance between two adjacent spraying heads (31) is 5 mm to 20 mm.

7. The vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein The vacuum coating equipment of any one of claims 1 to 8; 8. The vacuum coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, A first electrode member (2) is arranged in the spraying area (14); 9. A vacuum coating system, characterized by A second electrode member (4) and the spraying member (3) form a uniform gas cavity (42), the uniform gas cavity (42) is communicated with the air inlet (13) and each spraying head (31), and process gas flows to the spraying area (14) through the air inlet (13), the uniform gas cavity (42) and the plurality of spraying heads (31) in sequence. The vacuum coating system of claim 9; ​ ​ 10. A solar cell production line, characterized by, ​ ​ A transport device for transporting the solar cell to and / or from the vacuum coating system.

Images