Silicon wafer supporting device

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of solar cell processing, particularly provides a silicon wafer supporting device, and aims to solve the problem that the conventional silicon wafer supporting device is extremely easy to cause contamination or damage to the surface of a silicon wafer. In order to achieve the purpose, the silicon wafer supporting device comprises a base; the supporting assemblies are arranged on the base in the supporting direction, the end faces, away from the base in the supporting direction, of the supporting assemblies are supporting faces, the supporting faces are used for supporting silicon wafers, and the ratio of the sum of the areas of the supporting faces to the area of the silicon wafers is smaller than or equal to 0.4. According to the utility model, the silicon wafer is supported by the supporting surface, and the supporting assembly is in surface contact with the silicon wafer, so that the supporting force on the silicon wafer is dispersed, and the surface of the silicon wafer is prevented from being damaged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of solar cell processing, specifically providing a silicon wafer support device. Background Technology

[0002] In the automated operation of solar cell production lines, operations such as gripping and positioning silicon wafers are unavoidable. It is crucial to minimize the contamination and damage caused by these steps. Generally, edge gripping is used to avoid contamination and damage. However, for perforated carrier substrates, the gripped wafers need to be accurately placed in their designated positions. Since the wafer size and the placement position size are very similar, with limited space, edge gripping cannot achieve accurate placement. Therefore, the gripped wafers are usually placed on a support device, which then performs the accurate placement operation automatically. However, because the support device is in direct contact with the wafer surface, it is highly susceptible to contamination or damage.

[0003] Accordingly, a new technical solution is needed in this field to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0004] This invention aims to solve the aforementioned technical problem, namely, the problem that existing silicon wafer support devices easily cause contamination or damage to the silicon wafer surface. To this end, this invention provides a silicon wafer support device, comprising: a base; support components, wherein a plurality of support components are disposed on the base along a support direction, and the end face of each support component away from the base along the support direction serves as a support surface for supporting the silicon wafer, wherein the ratio of the sum of the areas of the plurality of support surfaces to the area of ​​the silicon wafer is less than or equal to 0.4.

[0005] In the specific embodiment of the silicon wafer support device described above, the support assembly is provided with a hollowed-out portion, which is used to form a hollow in the middle of the support surface.

[0006] In the specific embodiment of the silicon wafer support device described above, the support surface is an annular support surface.

[0007] In the specific embodiment of the silicon wafer support device described above, the support assembly includes: a support rod, which is disposed on a base along the support direction; and a support cap, which is disposed on the side of the support rod away from the base, wherein the end face of the support cap away from the support rod along the support direction is the support surface, and the support surface is used to support the silicon wafer.

[0008] In the specific embodiment of the silicon wafer support device described above, the support cap is detachably mounted on the support rod.

[0009] In the specific embodiment of the silicon wafer support device described above, a mounting hole is provided on the side of the support cap facing the support rod, and the support cap is sleeved on one end of the support rod through the mounting hole.

[0010] In the specific embodiment of the silicon wafer support device described above, a scratch-resistant coating is provided on the support surface.

[0011] In the specific embodiment of the silicon wafer support device described above, the anti-scratch coating is an intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film coating.

[0012] In the specific embodiment of the silicon wafer support device described above, the support cap is made of ceramic material.

[0013] In the specific embodiment of the silicon wafer support device described above, there are five support components, which are used to support the four corners and the center of the silicon wafer, respectively.

[0014] By employing the above technical solution, this invention supports the silicon wafer via a support surface, forming a surface contact between the support assembly and the silicon wafer to disperse the supporting force on the wafer and prevent damage to its surface. While increasing the contact area, to reduce the risk of contamination of the silicon wafer surface, a hollow section is provided on the support assembly. This hollow section reduces the area of ​​the support surface, thereby reducing the contact area between the support surface and the silicon wafer. Compared to a method where the entire end face is a contact surface, the hollowed-out support surface reduces the contact area between the support device and the silicon wafer, lowering the risk of contamination. An anti-scratch coating is applied to the support surface. The material of the anti-scratch coating can be selected from the same material as the silicon wafer to minimize the difference in surface condition and hardness between the coating and the silicon wafer, thus reducing contact wear. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The preferred embodiments of this utility model are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 This is a front view of the silicon wafer support device in this utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the support rod structure in this utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a top view of the silicon wafer support device in this utility model;

[0019] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the support cap and scratch-resistant coating in this utility model.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Base, 2. Support component, 21. Support surface, 22. Support rod, 23. Support cap, 24. Mounting hole, 25. Cutout, 3. Silicon wafer, 4. Anti-scratch coating. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments as needed to adapt to specific application scenarios.

[0022] It should be noted that in the description of this utility model, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," and "outer," which indicate direction or positional relationships, are based on the direction or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These are used merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the relevant device or component must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. Furthermore, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0023] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] like Figure 1-4 As shown, this utility model proposes a silicon wafer support device, including: a base 1; a support component 2, the support component 2 is disposed on the base 1 along the support direction, and the end face of several support components 2 away from the base 1 along the support direction is a support surface 21, the support surface 21 is used to support the silicon wafer 3. Figure 1 In the diagram, the X direction represents the support direction, and the ratio of the sum of the areas of several support surfaces 21 to the area of ​​the silicon wafer 3 is less than or equal to 0.4.

[0025] In order to reduce the risk of contamination on the surface of the silicon wafer 3, existing support devices minimize the contact area between the support device and the silicon wafer 3. To this end, the support device has protrusions for supporting the silicon wafer 3, with the top of the protrusion contacting and supporting the silicon wafer 3. However, the contact area between the top of the protrusion and the silicon wafer 3 is very small, essentially a point support. Due to the small contact area, the silicon wafer 3 experiences significant force at the contact point with the protrusion, making it prone to wear. During the rising and falling of the support device, the force at the contact point with the protrusion is even greater due to acceleration, further increasing the likelihood of pyramidal damage to the textured surface of the silicon wafer 3.

[0026] To address this issue, in this embodiment, a support surface 21 is provided on the support component 2. The support component 2 supports the silicon wafer 3 through the support surface 21, forming a surface contact between the support component 2 and the silicon wafer 3 to disperse the supporting force on the silicon wafer 3 and avoid damage to the surface of the silicon wafer 3. Simultaneously, to avoid the risk of contamination of the silicon wafer 3 surface, the ratio of the sum of the areas of the various support surfaces 21 to the area of ​​the silicon wafer 3 is less than or equal to 0.4. To simultaneously prevent damage and contamination of the silicon wafer, this area ratio is generally limited to between 0.2 and 0.4, preferably 0.3.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the support component 2 is provided with a hollow portion 25. The hollow portion 25 is used to create a hollow in the middle of the support surface 21, thereby reducing the area of ​​the support surface 21. In this embodiment, in order to increase the contact area between the support component 2 and the silicon wafer 3 and reduce the mechanical damage to the surface of the silicon wafer 3 during the lifting and lowering process of the support device, a support surface 21 is provided on the support component 2. While considering increasing the contact area, in order to reduce the risk of contamination to the surface of the silicon wafer 3, the support component 2 is provided with a hollow portion 25. The hollow portion 25 can reduce the contact area between the support surface 21 and the silicon wafer 3. Compared with the method where the entire end face is a contact surface, the hollowed-out support surface 21 in the middle can reduce the contact area between the support device and the silicon wafer 3, thereby increasing the contact area between the support component 2 and the silicon wafer 3 while reducing the risk of contamination to the surface of the silicon wafer 3.

[0028] Furthermore, it should be noted that the hollow portion 25 in the middle of the support surface 21 can be of any shape, as long as it reduces the contact area between the support device and the silicon wafer 3. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the hollow part 25 can be a groove, as long as it can form a hollow in the middle of the support surface 21 to reduce the area of ​​the support surface 21.

[0029] Furthermore, such as Figure 4As shown, in this embodiment, the support surface 21 is an annular support surface. When the support surface 21 is an annular support surface, the end face of the support component 2 away from the base along the support direction is circular, and the cross-section of the hollow part 25 on the support component 2 is also circular.

[0030] To evenly distribute the supporting force on the silicon wafer 3, the supporting surface 21 is configured as an annular supporting surface in this embodiment. This ensures that the surface of the silicon wafer 3 that contacts the supporting surface 21 is also annular, thus evenly distributing the supporting force of the supporting assembly 2 on the silicon wafer 3 along the ring, preventing surface damage to the silicon wafer 3 due to uneven force distribution. Furthermore, since the outer edge of the annular supporting surface 21 is also circular, there are no sharp angles on the outer edge, avoiding the risk of scratching the silicon wafer 3 from supporting surfaces with sharp angles, such as rectangles.

[0031] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the support assembly 2 includes: a support rod 22, which is disposed on the base 1 along the support direction; and a support cap 23, which is disposed on the side of the support rod 22 away from the base 1. The end face of the support cap 23 away from the support rod 22 along the support direction is a support surface 21, which is used to support the silicon wafer 3. A cutout portion 25 is disposed on the end face of the support cap 23 to form a cutout in the middle of the support surface 21, thereby reducing the area of ​​the support surface 21.

[0032] The support component 2 can have various configurations. For example, the support component 2 can be an integral column, with the end face of the column serving as the support surface 21. If the support surface 21 is worn, the entire column can be replaced. In this embodiment, the support surface 21 will wear down after long-term use. To facilitate the replacement of the support surface 21, the support component 2 is configured to consist of a support rod 22 and a support cap 23, with the support surface 21 mounted on the support cap 23. Thus, if the support surface is worn, only the support cap 23 needs to be replaced.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to facilitate the replacement of the support cap 23, the support cap 23 is detachably mounted on the support rod 22.

[0034] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the support cap 23 is fitted onto the support rod 22. Specifically, the support cap 23 has a mounting hole 24 on the side facing the support rod 22. During installation, one end of the support rod 22 is inserted into the mounting hole 24, so that the support cap 23 is fitted onto one end of the support rod 22 through the mounting hole 24. The larger the size of the support rod 22 inserted into the mounting hole 24, the more difficult it is for the support cap 23 to fall off the support rod 22. In actual use, such as... Figure 1As shown, in order to prevent the support cap 23 from falling off the support rod 22 during use, the support rod 22 can be completely contained in the mounting hole 24. In this way, the size of the support rod 22 inserted into the mounting hole 24 is the height of the support rod 22 along the support direction. The size of the support rod 22 inserted into the mounting hole 24 reaches the maximum, and the anti-fall-off effect is the best.

[0035] It should be noted that, although Figure 1 The image shows that the support rod 22 is completely contained in the mounting hole 24. However, this is not a limitation of the present invention. Without departing from the basic principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can adjust the size of the support rod 22 contained in the mounting hole 24, as long as it is convenient to replace the support cap 23 and the support cap 23 is not easy to fall off the support rod 22.

[0036] In addition to the aforementioned method of mounting the support cap 23 onto the support rod 22, those skilled in the art can employ other methods to mount the support cap 23 on the support rod 22 without departing from the basic principles of this utility model, as long as it facilitates the replacement of the support cap 23 and prevents it from falling off the support rod 22. For example, threaded connections, snap-fit ​​connections, etc., do not deviate from the principles of this utility model and therefore fall within its protection scope.

[0037] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 and 4 As shown, in this embodiment, an anti-scratch coating 4 is provided on the support surface 21. The coating material on the surface of the existing support assembly 2 differs significantly from the surface condition and hardness of the silicon wafer 3, which can cause contact wear on the silicon wafer. To avoid this contact wear, an anti-scratch coating 4 is provided on the support surface 21 in this embodiment. The material of the anti-scratch coating 4 can be selected from the same material as the silicon wafer 3 to reduce the difference between the surface condition and hardness of the coating and the surface condition and hardness of the silicon wafer 3, thereby reducing contact wear. For example, an intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film can be deposited on the support surface 21 as the anti-scratch coating 4. As a material similar to the silicon wafer 3, the intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film can reduce contact damage when it comes into contact with the silicon wafer 3.

[0038] Furthermore, to facilitate the preparation of the anti-scratch coating 4 on the support surface 21, the support cap 23 is made of ceramic. The smooth surface of ceramic helps reduce the risk of contact damage; in addition, the smooth surface of ceramic material is conducive to the preparation of the anti-scratch coating 4, and ceramic material is easy to clean. As the intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film coating on the surface is worn away, the anti-scratch coating 4 can be cleaned and recoated for reuse, which helps to reduce the application cost of the support device.

[0039] The specific usage process of the support device is as follows: A scratch-resistant coating 4, namely an intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film coating, with a thickness of 50nm-500nm is deposited on the support cap 23 made of ceramic material using a CVD method. Then, the support cap 23 is nested on the support rod 22, and the support device can be used normally. After long-term use, the support cap 23 can be removed from the support rod 22, and the support cap 23 can be chemically wet-cleaned to remove the worn intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film coating. A new coating can then be prepared, and the support cap 23 can be reused.

[0040] Furthermore, five support components 2 were installed to better support the silicon wafer 3. For example... Figure 3 As shown, five support components 2 are respectively set at the four corners of the base 1 and at the center of the base 1. The support components 2 set at the four corners of the base 1 are used to support the four corners of the silicon wafer 3, and the support component 2 at the center of the base 1 is used to support the center of the silicon wafer 3.

[0041] It should be noted that although the above embodiments specify five support components 2, those skilled in the art can use other numbers of support components 2 without departing from the basic principles of this utility model, as long as they can support the silicon wafer 3. For example, only four support components 2 can be set to support the four corners of the silicon wafer 3, or only three support components 2 can be set to form a triangle to support the center of the silicon wafer 3, etc. These do not deviate from the principles of this utility model and therefore fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0042] It should be pointed out that, although Figure 3 The base 1 shown is rectangular, but this is not a limitation of the present invention. Without departing from the basic principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can use other shapes of base 1, as long as the support rod 22 can be installed on it. For example, a hexagonal base 1 can be used, etc. These do not depart from the principles of the present invention, and therefore will all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0043] Those skilled in the art will understand that although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not others, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this application and form different embodiments. For example, any of the claimed embodiments in the claims of this application can be used in any combination.

[0044] The technical solution of this utility model has been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the protection scope of this utility model is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principle of this utility model, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after these changes or substitutions will all fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A silicon wafer support device, characterized in that, include: Base (1); Support components (2), a plurality of support components (2) are disposed on the base (1) along the support direction, the end face of the support component (2) away from the base (1) along the support direction is a support surface (21), the support surface (21) is used to support the silicon wafer (3), and the ratio of the sum of the areas of the plurality of support surfaces (21) to the area of ​​the silicon wafer (3) is less than or equal to 0.

4.

2. The silicon wafer support device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support component (2) is provided with a hollow part (25), which is used to form a hollow in the middle of the support surface (21).

3. The silicon wafer support device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support surface (21) is an annular support surface.

4. The silicon wafer support device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The support component (2) includes: A support rod (22) is provided on the base (1) along the support direction; A support cap (23) is provided on the side of the support rod (22) away from the base (1). The end face of the support cap (23) away from the support rod (22) along the support direction is the support surface (21), which is used to support the silicon wafer (3).

5. The silicon wafer support device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The support cap (23) is detachably mounted on the support rod (22).

6. The silicon wafer support device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The support cap (23) has a mounting hole (24) on the side facing the support rod (22), and the support cap (23) is sleeved on one end of the support rod (22) through the mounting hole (24).

7. The silicon wafer support device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The support surface (21) is provided with a scratch-resistant coating (4).

8. The silicon wafer support device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The anti-scratch coating (4) is an intrinsic amorphous silicon thin film coating.

9. The silicon wafer support device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The support cap (23) is made of ceramic.

10. The silicon wafer support device according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are five support components (2), which are used to support the four corners and the center of the silicon wafer (3).

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