Printing plate

Abstract

The printing plate comprises a metal film and an organic film which are arranged in a stacked mode, the metal film comprises a plurality of weft-direction connecting parts arranged at intervals and a plurality of warp-direction connecting parts arranged at intervals, and the weft-direction connecting parts and the warp-direction connecting parts intersect with each other to form a plurality of material penetrating openings. The warp-direction connecting parts comprise a plurality of first connecting parts and a plurality of second connecting parts, the first connecting parts are connected with the adjacent weft-direction connecting parts in the first direction, the second connecting parts are connected with the adjacent weft-direction connecting parts in the second direction, and the first direction intersects with the second direction; at least one grid line opening is formed in the organic film, the grid line opening corresponds to the interval between the adjacent weft-direction connecting parts, the grid line opening is used for enabling slurry flowing in from the material penetrating opening to flow out from the grid line opening, and the width of the grid line opening is smaller than the interval between the adjacent weft-direction connecting parts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of solar cell technology, specifically to a printing plate. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the main screen printing techniques used to prepare solar cell electrodes are mesh screen printing and screen printing technology. Mesh screen printing mainly uses straight and oblique screen printing methods.

[0003] Compared to straight screen printing, oblique screen printing has better tension distribution, thus improving the lifespan of the screen. Currently, in order to prevent the screen from being blocked by mesh knots, the industry has adopted methods such as fully open metal printing plates, but this will result in uneven stress on the printing plate and excessive grid line widening.

[0004] Therefore, how to design and optimize the structure of metal printing plates to improve the uniformity of pressure on the printing plates and improve the accuracy of grid lines is an urgent problem to be solved in this field. Utility Model Content

[0005] This utility model aims to solve one of the technical problems in related technologies to a certain extent. To this end, this utility model provides a printing plate.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model discloses a printing plate, which includes a metal film and an organic film stacked together. The metal film includes a plurality of spaced-apart weft connecting portions and a plurality of spaced-apart warp connecting portions. The plurality of weft connecting portions and the plurality of warp connecting portions intersect each other to form a plurality of material passages. The warp connecting portions include a plurality of first connecting portions and a plurality of second connecting portions. The first connecting portions connect adjacent weft connecting portions along a first direction, and the second connecting portions connect adjacent weft connecting portions along a second direction. The first direction and the second direction intersect.

[0007] At least one grid opening is formed on the organic membrane, the grid opening corresponds to the interval between adjacent weft connections, the grid opening is used to allow slurry flowing in from the material inlet to flow out from the grid opening, and the width of the grid opening is smaller than the interval between adjacent weft connections.

[0008] Optionally, at least one of the first connecting portions and at least one of the second connecting portions are alternately arranged along the length direction of the gate opening.

[0009] Optionally, a plurality of first connecting portions are arranged adjacently to form a first connecting group, and a plurality of second connecting portions are arranged adjacently to form a second connecting group, with the first connecting group and the second connecting group being arranged alternately along the length direction of the gate opening.

[0010] Optionally, the radial connection portion further includes at least one intermediate connection portion, which connects the two sides of the metal opening along the width direction of the grid line opening. The intermediate connection portion is disposed between adjacent first connection portions and second connection portions, and the adjacent first connection portions and second connection portions are symmetrical about the intermediate connection portion.

[0011] Optionally, the difference between the width of the grid opening and the interval between adjacent latitudinal connections is between 5 μm and 60 μm.

[0012] Optionally, the width of the grid line opening is between 5μm and 60μm, the interval between adjacent weft connecting portions is between 10μm and 100μm, the width of the warp connecting portion is the same as the width of the weft connecting portion, and the interval between adjacent warp connecting portions is between 10μm and 60μm.

[0013] Optionally, the included angle between the first connecting portion, the second connecting portion and the latitudinal connecting portion is between 20° and 85°.

[0014] Optionally, the printing plate has a squeegee contact surface and a substrate contact surface that are disposed opposite to each other, one surface of the metal film corresponds to the squeegee contact surface, and one surface of the organic film corresponds to the substrate contact surface.

[0015] Optionally, the printing plate further includes an outer frame and a mesh, wherein the organic film and the metal film are fixed to the outer frame by the mesh at a set tension.

[0016] Optionally, the organic membrane includes a plurality of parallel grid openings, the plurality of grid openings corresponding to the intervals between a plurality of adjacent latitudinal connecting portions.

[0017] The printing plate structure provided by this utility model achieves multiple technical advantages through the layered arrangement of metal and organic films, combined with a specifically designed opening structure. Firstly, this application uses a metal film instead of a conventional mesh screen. The metal film printing plate, on the one hand, can simulate the warp and weft connection structure of conventional mesh through the warp and weft joints of the metal film, improving the supporting strength of the metal film printing plate, enabling it to withstand the coating pressure and reducing opening deformation, resulting in uniform and stable grid line widths in the printing. On the other hand, the metal film printing plate avoids the mesh knots formed by conventional mesh that hinder the printing of the ink. The metal film printing plate has a flat, uniform height and a metal surface at the intersection of the warp and weft joints, which reduces resistance to the subsequent doctor blade coating of the printing plate, allowing the ink to pass through more smoothly. The material passes through more smoothly here, reducing scratching and wear on the printing plate surface and increasing the plate's lifespan. Furthermore, the warp and weft connections of the metal film in this application mimic a conventional oblique screen printing plate. This oblique screen structure, compared to a straight screen structure, has a more uniform tension distribution, reducing moiré patterns and improving print quality. The connection design increases the overall rigidity and tensile strength of the metal film, reducing the risk of deformation or damage caused by external forces during printing and extending the plate's lifespan. The spacing between the warp and weft connections, and the corresponding grid openings, enhance the support strength of the warp connections, preventing opening deformation and increasing the plate's durability. More importantly, this application further incorporates an organic film and grid openings on top of the metal film. The width of the grid openings is smaller than the interval of the weft connectors. After passing through the interval of the weft connectors, the paste is further confined within the grid openings. The organic film restricts the widening of the grid lines caused by the deformation of the metal film, ensuring that the paste can be printed on the surface with the required width. This helps to improve printing accuracy and line width uniformity. In addition, the organic film can restrict the widening of the grid lines on the one hand, and on the other hand, it can prevent wear caused by the contact between the printing plate and the substrate during coating.

[0018] These features and advantages of this utility model will be disclosed in detail in the following specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. The preferred embodiments or means of this utility model will be shown in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but are not intended to limit the technical solutions of this utility model. In addition, each of these features, elements and components appearing in the following text and drawings is multiple and is labeled with different symbols or numbers for convenience, but all represent parts with the same or similar structure or function. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of one embodiment of a slanted screen printing plate provided by the prior art;

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of one embodiment of the printing plate provided by this utility model;

[0022] Figure 3 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of one embodiment of the printing plate provided by this utility model;

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of the printing plate used in this utility model to form grid lines;

[0024] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of the printing plate provided by this utility model;

[0025] Figure 6(a) is a scanned image of the gate line profile provided in Comparative Example 1 of this application;

[0026] Figure 6(b) is a scanned image of the gate line profile provided in Embodiment 1 of this application;

[0027] Figure 7(a) is a scan of another test method for the gate profile provided in Comparative Example 1 of this application;

[0028] Figure 7(b) is a scan of another test method for the gate profile provided in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0030] 1: Printing plate 10: Metallic film

[0031] 101: Latitudinal connection 102: Meridional connection

[0032] 102a: First connecting part; 102b: Second connecting part

[0033] 102c: Intermediate connecting part; 103: Material outlet

[0034] 11: Organic membrane 111: Grid opening

[0035] 12: Outer frame 13: Mesh fabric

[0036] 1a: Coating contact surface; 1b: Substrate contact surface

[0037] 2: Substrate 21: Grid lines Detailed Implementation

[0038] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described are intended to explain this utility model and should not be construed as limiting it.

[0039] The terms "an embodiment," "example," or "trademark" used in this specification refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment itself that may be included in at least one embodiment disclosed in this application. The phrase "in an embodiment" appearing in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0040] The inventors of this application have discovered that in the prior art, screen printing mainly uses oblique screen printing plates, such as... Figure 1 As shown, if a mesh screen is used, knots can obstruct the ink flow. Knots in oblique meshes typically have a significant impact on the grid lines, causing uneven variations in grid line height and width. Furthermore, these knots can shorten the lifespan of the printing plate. In addition, the industry has developed oblique mesh metal printing plates, which mimic the mesh distribution of oblique meshes through the connection structure of a metal film to improve the uniformity of tension distribution in the metal printing plate while avoiding the knot problem of oblique meshes. However, the opening of a metal printing plate is generally 100% open, which results in insufficient support strength and easy deformation at the opening, leading to an increase in the width of the grid lines.

[0041] In view of the above problems, this utility model discloses a printing plate, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the printing plate 1 includes a metal film 10 and an organic film 11 stacked together. The metal film 10 includes a plurality of weft connecting portions 101 and a plurality of warp connecting portions 102 spaced apart. The plurality of weft connecting portions 101 and the plurality of warp connecting portions 102 intersect each other to form a plurality of material passages 103.

[0042] The printing plate structure provided by this utility model achieves multiple technical advantages through the layered arrangement of a metal film 10 and an organic film 11, combined with a specially designed opening structure. Specifically, this application uses a metal film 10 instead of a conventional mesh screen. Multiple weft connecting portions 101 and multiple warp connecting portions 102 are spaced apart in the metal film 10, intersecting to form multiple material passages 103. These material passages 103 are equivalent to the material passages between the warp and weft threads of a mesh screen, but with smoother and neater edges. This metal film 10, on the one hand, can simulate the warp and weft threads of a conventional mesh screen through its warp and weft connecting portions. The connecting structure enhances the support strength of the metal film 10, enabling it to withstand the coating pressure and reduce opening deformation. This results in uniform and stable grid line widths in the printing process. Simultaneously, the flatness of the through-hole 103 allows the ink to pass through with higher precision, forming fine grid lines. On the other hand, the metal film 10 avoids the mesh knots formed by conventional mesh that hinder ink transmission during printing. The intersections of the warp and weft connections of the metal film 10 have a flat, consistent height and a metallic surface, which reduces resistance to subsequent squeegee coating of the printing plate, allowing the ink to pass through more smoothly. This also reduces coating wear on the printing plate surface and extends the lifespan of the printing plate.

[0043] The warp and weft connecting portions of the metal film 10 in this application mimic a conventional oblique screen printing plate. This oblique screen structure, compared to a straight screen structure, has a more uniform tension distribution, reducing moiré patterns and improving print quality. However, it should be understood that if... Figure 1 The oblique screen printing structure shown will cause all the warp connections 102 of the grid openings 111 to be connected in the same direction. The coating pressure on both sides at the same position will be uneven, which cannot provide effective support and connection, and the grid openings 111 will also deform. To make the printing plate more evenly stressed and the coating pressure sufficiently distributed, warp connections 102 in different directions are provided to balance the force. Specifically, in some embodiments, such as... Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the meridional connecting portion 102 includes a plurality of first connecting portions 102a and a plurality of second connecting portions 102b. The first connecting portions 102a connect adjacent latitudinal connecting portions 101 along a first direction, and the second connecting portions 102b connect adjacent latitudinal connecting portions 101 along a second direction. The first direction and the second direction intersect.

[0044] This application does not impose any special limitation on the included angle between the warp connection and the weft connection. In order to achieve a better tension distribution effect, it is preferred that the included angle between the first connection, the second connection and the weft connection is between 20° and 85°.

[0045] The aforementioned multi-directional radial connection portion 102 can further increase the overall rigidity and tensile strength of the metal film 10, reduce the risk of deformation or damage caused by external forces during printing, and extend the service life of the printing plate. Preferably, the first direction and the second direction are symmetrical about the vertical direction, which can make the force more balanced and uniform.

[0046] This application does not impose any special limitations on the distribution of the first connecting portion 102a and the second connecting portion 102b, as long as both the first and second connecting portions 102b are present to balance the forces. To maximize the force balance, it is preferable that at least one first connecting portion 102a and at least one second connecting portion 102b are alternately arranged along the length direction of the grid opening 111. This alternating arrangement allows for uniform stress distribution.

[0047] Considering the processing cost, as a preferred option, multiple first connecting parts 102a are arranged adjacently to form a first connecting group, and multiple second connecting parts 102b are arranged adjacently to form a second connecting group. The first connecting group and the second connecting group are arranged alternately along the length direction of the grid line opening 111. This alternating arrangement reduces the processing cost while also having a certain strength.

[0048] In some embodiments, there may be an excessively large gap between adjacent first connecting portions 102a and second connecting portions 102b, which reduces the support strength at this location and makes the opening prone to deformation. Preferably, the radial connecting portion 102 also includes at least one intermediate connecting portion 102c. The intermediate connecting portion 102c connects the two sides of the metal opening along the width direction of the grid opening 111. The intermediate connecting portion 102c is disposed between adjacent first connecting portions 102a and second connecting portions 102b, and the adjacent first connecting portions 102a and second connecting portions 102b are symmetrical about the intermediate connecting portion 102c.

[0049] This application further provides an organic film 11 and grid openings 111 on the basis of the metal film 10. In some embodiments, at least one grid opening 111 is formed on the organic film 11, and the grid opening 111 corresponds to the interval between adjacent weft connections 101. The grid opening 111 is used to allow the paste flowing in from the through-hole 103 to flow out through the grid opening 111. The width of the grid opening 111 is smaller than the interval between adjacent weft connections 101. Because the width of the grid opening 111 is smaller than the interval between the weft connections 101, the paste is further confined in the grid opening 111 after passing through the interval between the weft connections 101. The organic film 11 restricts the widening of the grid lines caused by the deformation of the metal film 10, ensuring that the paste can be printed on the surface with the required width. This helps to improve printing quality and consistency. In addition, the organic film 11 can restrict the widening of the grid lines on the one hand, and prevent wear caused by the contact between the printing plate and the substrate during coating on the other hand.

[0050] During the printing process, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the spacing between adjacent weft-connecting portions 101 in the metal film 10 increases and widens under the coating pressure. The organic film 11, on the one hand, restricts the widening of this spacing, and on the other hand, the grid openings 111 have a smaller linewidth than the spacing, thus being less affected by deformation. Therefore, after the slurry flows out from the through-hole 103, it permeates along the grid openings 111 of the organic film 11, making the width of the grid lines consistent with the grid openings 111 of the organic film 11. Preferably, the difference between the width of the grid openings 111 and the spacing between adjacent weft-connecting portions 101 is between 5 μm and 60 μm. Within this range, the spacing between the grid openings 111 and the weft-connecting portions 101 can have better coordination, resulting in fine grid lines with uniform width and morphology. The grid line width is generally between 10 μm and 30 μm. More preferably, the width of the grid openings 111 is between 5 μm and 60 μm, and the spacing between adjacent weft-connecting portions 101 is between 10 μm and 100 μm.

[0051] Preferably, the width of the warp connection portion is the same as the width of the weft connection portion 101, and the interval between adjacent warp connection portions is between 10 μm and 60 μm.

[0052] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the printing plate has a squeegee contact surface 1a and a substrate contact surface 1b that are arranged opposite to each other. One surface of the metal film 10 corresponds to the squeegee contact surface 1a, and one surface of the organic film 11 corresponds to the substrate contact surface 1b. The metal film 10 has higher strength and is suitable for providing a surface that contacts the squeegee. The organic film 11 has better plasticity and is softer and more easily deformed, which can prevent the printing plate from damaging the surface of the substrate 2 when it comes into contact with the substrate 2. The grid lines 21 printed on the surface of the substrate have a line width that is consistent with the grid line opening.

[0053] The printing plate of this application can be printed with a single grid line or multiple grid lines can be printed simultaneously. In order to improve processing efficiency, preferably, the organic film 11 includes a plurality of parallel grid line openings 111, and the spacing between the plurality of grid line openings 111 and the plurality of adjacent weft connection portions 101 corresponds to the spacing between them.

[0054] To ensure printing stability, as an optional implementation method, such as Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the printing plate 1 also includes an outer frame 12 and a mesh 13. The organic film 11 and the metal film 10 are fixed to the outer frame 12 by the mesh 13 with a set tension. The outer frame is generally a rigid mesh frame.

[0055] This invention does not impose any special limitations on the material of the metal film. In order to facilitate the processing of the material passage of the metal film, a metal with good processability and certain strength and toughness is generally used to improve the printing plate life. Preferably, the metal film includes one of iron alloy film, nickel alloy film and titanium alloy film.

[0056] The present application will be further explained below with reference to embodiments.

[0057] Example 1

[0058] The printing plate of this application is used to print grid lines 1 on the surface of a solar cell.

[0059] Comparative Example 1

[0060] A conventional 90° stretched screen is used to screen print grid lines 2 on the surface of the solar cell.

[0061] Test case

[0062] The solar cell grid lines of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were analyzed by using a contour scanner, as shown in Figures 6(a), 6(b), 7(a) and 7(b), respectively. It can be seen that the height fluctuation of the grid lines obtained by the printing plate of this application is small, and the grid lines always have a uniform shape and line width within a certain distance.

[0063] The above are merely specific embodiments of this utility model, but the scope of protection of this utility model is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model includes, but is not limited to, the contents described in the accompanying drawings and the specific embodiments above. Any modifications that do not depart from the functional and structural principles of this utility model will be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A printing plate, characterized in that, The printing plate (1) includes a metal film (10) and an organic film (11) stacked together. The metal film includes a plurality of weft connecting portions (101) and a plurality of warp connecting portions (102) spaced apart. The plurality of weft connecting portions and the plurality of warp connecting portions intersect each other to form a plurality of material passages. The warp connecting portion includes a plurality of first connecting portions (102a) and a plurality of second connecting portions (102b). The first connecting portions connect adjacent weft connecting portions along a first direction, and the second connecting portions connect adjacent weft connecting portions along a second direction. The first direction and the second direction intersect. At least one grid opening (111) is formed on the organic membrane, the grid opening corresponding to the interval between adjacent weft connections, the grid opening being used to allow slurry flowing in from the material inlet to flow out through the grid opening, and the width of the grid opening being smaller than the interval between adjacent weft connections.

2. The printing plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one first connecting portion and at least one second connecting portion are alternately arranged along the length direction of the grid line opening.

3. The printing plate according to claim 2, characterized in that, Multiple first connecting portions are arranged adjacently to form a first connecting group, and multiple second connecting portions are arranged adjacently to form a second connecting group. The first connecting group and the second connecting group are arranged alternately along the length direction of the gate opening.

4. The printing plate according to claim 3, characterized in that, The radial connection portion further includes at least one intermediate connection portion (102c), which connects the two sides of the metal opening along the width direction of the grid opening. The intermediate connection portion is disposed between adjacent first connection portions and second connection portions, and the adjacent first connection portions and second connection portions are symmetrical about the intermediate connection portion.

5. The printing plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The difference between the width of the grating opening and the spacing between the adjacent latitudinal connecting portions is between 5 μm and 60 μm.

6. The printing plate according to claim 5, characterized in that, The width of the grid opening is between 5μm and 60μm, the interval between adjacent weft connecting parts is between 10μm and 100μm, the width of the warp connecting part is the same as the width of the weft connecting part, and the interval between adjacent warp connecting parts is between 10μm and 60μm.

7. The printing plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The included angle between the first connecting part, the second connecting part and the latitudinal connecting part is between 20° and 85°.

8. The printing plate according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The printing plate has a squeegee contact surface and a substrate contact surface that are arranged opposite to each other. One surface of the metal film corresponds to the squeegee contact surface, and one surface of the organic film corresponds to the substrate contact surface.

9. The printing plate according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The printing plate also includes an outer frame (12) and a mesh (13), wherein the organic film and the metal film are fixed to the outer frame by the mesh at a set tension.

10. The printing plate according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The organic membrane includes a plurality of parallel grid openings, and the plurality of grid openings correspond to the intervals between a plurality of adjacent latitudinal connecting portions.

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