PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) vacuum chamber with vacuum breaking and flow equalizing structure

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of vacuum coating equipment, and discloses a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) vacuum chamber with a vacuum breaking and flow equalizing structure, which comprises a chamber body, a door plate, a ventilation angle valve and a flow equalizing structure. The flow equalizing structure comprises a first chamber shade, a second chamber shade, an air breaking and flow equalizing shade and a flow guide plate. The first chamber shade and the second chamber shade respectively cover the upper parts of the channels at the front and rear parts and the two sides of the cavity, the vacuum-breaking flow-equalizing shade is vertically arranged on the second chamber shade, and the vacuum-breaking flow-equalizing shade, the inner wall of the wall body and the vacuum-breaking flow-equalizing shade form a ventilation cavity for leading gas below the carrier plate to the upper part of the carrier plate. The vacuum breaking and flow equalizing shade is provided with a plurality of flow equalizing holes, the flow guide plate is a bent plate folded downwards, is arranged on the vacuum breaking and flow equalizing shade, is located above a gap between the carrier plate and the inner wall of the cavity and is used for guiding most airflow in the flow equalizing holes to the position above the carrier plate, and the folding angle a of the flow guide plate ranges from 155 degrees to 165 degrees. By arranging the vacuum breaking and flow equalizing structure, the broken wafer falling rate of the silicon wafer is reduced, and the product yield is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of vacuum coating equipment, and in particular to a PVD vacuum chamber equipped with a void-breaking and flow-equalizing structure. Background Technology

[0002] In the production process of silicon-based heterojunction solar cells, physical vapor deposition (PVD) equipment is generally used to deposit a transparent conductive film (TCO) on amorphous silicon. During the operation of the PVD equipment, the working chamber needs to be adjusted to a vacuum state to assist in the coating process. After coating is completed, the vacuum state in the working chamber needs to be released before the cells can be transported and processed further; therefore, air needs to be introduced into the working chamber to release the vacuum state, a process called vacuum breaking. Continuous magnetron sputtering coating production lines can mass-produce the required solar cell silicon wafers. Due to the need for continuous production, the first chamber of the coating section generally needs to be repeatedly emptied. Especially at the end of the coating section, the coated silicon wafers must be emptied in the chamber and reach a standard atmospheric pressure before the valve can be opened and the wafers can be transported out. During emptying, the rapid airflow impacts the silicon wafers; thicker wafers can withstand the impact force. In recent years, with the rapid development of photovoltaic technology and the increasing market demand for photovoltaic cells, photovoltaic production line equipment has been pursuing larger and thinner silicon wafers, which can reach tens of micrometers. As the thickness of the coated silicon wafers decreases, the original structure can no longer withstand the impact of airflow.

[0003] Current methods for rapidly filling vacuum chambers often involve increasing the number of filling valves or enlarging their diameter. Additionally, to mitigate the impact of gas on the substrate during filling, a baffle plate is installed at the inlet. However, these methods increase costs and do not meet the requirements of photovoltaic production line coating processes. A better approach involves placing filling valves, including a slow filling valve and a main filling valve, in parallel via a vacuum pipeline. The lower end of the valves connects to the inlet of the chamber's upper flange. A baffle plate is installed below the inlet (vacuum side) and fixed to the chamber flange with screws. When the substrate carrier, having completed its deposition process, is transferred to the exit chamber via transfer rollers, the chamber is first filled with gas through the slow filling valve. Then, the slow filling valve is closed, and the main filling valve is opened to rapidly fill the chamber with gas, quickly bringing it to atmospheric conditions. The coated substrate carrier is then transferred out of the exit chamber to begin the next work cycle. Before inflation, the vacuum chamber is in a vacuum state, and the pressure on the upper and lower sides of the carrier plate is the same. When inflation begins, the gas first enters the vacuum chamber through the air inlet baffle and diffuses outwards towards the upper layer of the carrier plate. The gas is denser around the air inlet and sparser further away. At the same time, the gas density in the lower layer of the carrier plate is greater than that in the upper layer. This uneven distribution of gas molecules in the upper and lower layers of the carrier plate causes airflow to flow from the lower layer to the upper layer. Because the carrier plate is not only large but also very thin, and the positioning grooves for placing the substrates on the carrier plate are very shallow, reaching only a few tenths of a millimeter, the upward airflow can easily lift the substrates, causing them to shift on the carrier plate. This can also cause internal stress on the substrates, and in severe cases, it can cause the substrates to detach from the carrier plate, resulting in transmission jamming and failing to meet the needs of photovoltaic production lines. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a PVD vacuum chamber with a void-breaking and flow-equalizing structure. By setting the void-breaking and flow-equalizing structure in the chamber, the breakage rate of silicon wafers on the carrier plate inside the PVD vacuum chamber is reduced, thereby improving the product yield.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] This utility model discloses a PVD vacuum chamber equipped with a void-breaking and flow-equalizing structure, which includes a chamber body, a door panel, and a venting angle valve. The door panel is disposed above the chamber body, and a carrier plate for loading battery cells is disposed inside the chamber body; the venting angle valve is connected to the bottom of the chamber body for conveying void-breaking gas into the chamber body; the chamber body is also provided with a flow-equalizing structure, which includes a first chamber shield, a second chamber shield, a void-breaking and flow-equalizing shield, and a guide plate; the first chamber shield and the second chamber shield are located below the carrier plate, and the void-breaking and flow-equalizing shield and the guide plate are located above the carrier plate.

[0007] The bottom of the cavity is provided with a ventilation channel, and a ventilation angle valve is set on the ventilation channel. The first chamber shield and the second chamber shield respectively cover the upper part of the front, back and side channels of the cavity. Under the obstruction of the first chamber shield and the second chamber shield, a small amount of broken air flows out from the gap of the shield, thereby reducing the flow of broken air into the area below the carrier plate and slowing down the flow rate of broken air.

[0008] A vertically mounted air-equalizing shield is installed on the second chamber shield, forming a ventilation chamber together with the inner wall of the wall to guide the gas from below the carrier plate to above it. The air-equalizing shield has several flow-equalizing holes, through which the air-equalizing gas flows into the ventilation chamber and then out through the flow-equalizing holes. This ensures that most of the incoming airflow flows towards the top of the carrier plate silicon wafer, making the gas density on the upper layer of the carrier plate greater than that on the lower layer, preventing the air-equalizing gas from flowing upwards. Simultaneously, the pressure difference helps to more firmly hold the silicon wafer in the positioning groove of the carrier plate. The flow-equalizing holes also slow down the airflow velocity, allowing the airflow to be evenly distributed into the chamber, preventing the silicon wafer on the carrier plate from being blown off.

[0009] The guide plate is a downward-folded curved plate, installed on the air-breaking and flow-equalizing shield, located above the gap between the carrier plate and the inner wall of the cavity. It is used to guide most of the airflow in the flow-equalizing orifice to the upper part of the carrier plate; the folding angle α of the guide plate is between 155 and 165 degrees. Because there is a gap between the carrier plate and the cavity, the air-breaking air flowing out of the flow-equalizing orifice will flow directly into the lower layer of the carrier plate through the gap. The downward-folded guide plate can block some of the air-breaking air flowing into the gap.

[0010] Furthermore, the air-shaping and flow-equalizing shield is three-fold in shape, including an "L"-shaped flow-equalizing plate and a flow-equalizing fixing plate for connecting the flow-equalizing plate and the second chamber shield; the flow-equalizing hole is disposed on the flow-equalizing plate, and the flow guide plate is fixed on the horizontal surface of the flow-equalizing plate, thereby forming a ventilation chamber that guides the lower gas to the upper exhaust.

[0011] Furthermore, a transmission mechanism is provided inside the cavity. The conveying shaft of the transmission mechanism passes through the flow equalization fixing plate and connects to the slide rails on both sides of the carrier plate. Several baffles are provided at the connection between the flow equalization fixing plate and the transmission mechanism to prevent the broken air from flowing out from the connection, thereby reducing the direct flow of the broken air from the connection gap and reducing the flow rate and velocity of the broken air.

[0012] The advantages of this utility model are:

[0013] 1. This utility model sets up a flow equalization structure on the ventilation channel at the bottom of the cavity, which guides most of the broken air gas from below the carrier plate to above the carrier plate, slows down the flow rate of the broken air gas, and at the same time makes the gas density of the upper layer of the carrier plate greater than the gas density of the lower layer of the carrier plate, preventing the broken air gas from flowing upward. With the presence of the air pressure difference, the silicon wafer is more firmly fixed on the positioning groove of the carrier plate.

[0014] 2. The flow equalization structure of this utility model further reduces the airflow velocity by setting flow equalization holes on the air-breaking and flow-equalizing shield, allowing the airflow to be evenly dispersed into the cavity and preventing the silicon wafers on the carrier from being blown off. The guide plate blocks some of the air-breaking gas flowing into the gap between the carrier and the cavity, further increasing the amount of gas flowing into the upper part of the carrier. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of this embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the flow equalization structure.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a side view of the air deflector.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the cavity structure behind the hidden door panel.

[0021] Explanation of key component symbols:

[0022] 1. Cavity;

[0023] 2. Door panel;

[0024] 3. Transmission mechanism;

[0025] 4. Vent valve;

[0026] 5. Flow equalization structure; 51. First chamber shield; 52. Second chamber shield; 53. Air-breaking flow equalization shield; 531. Flow equalization plate; 532. Flow equalization fixing plate; 54. Flow guide plate.

[0027] 6. Carrier plate;

[0028] 7. Gaps;

[0029] 8. Baffle plate. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0031] In this utility model, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" are generally understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the directions shown in actual applications.

[0032] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0033] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0034] The endpoints and any values ​​of the ranges disclosed herein are not limited to the precise ranges or values, and should be understood to include values ​​close to these ranges or values. For numerical ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges and individual point values, and individual point values ​​can be combined with each other to obtain one or more new numerical ranges, which should be considered as specifically disclosed herein. The terms "optional" and "discretionary" mean that they may or may not be included (or may or may not be present).

[0035] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this embodiment discloses a PVD vacuum chamber with a venting and flow equalization structure, which includes a chamber 1, a door panel 2, a transmission mechanism 3, a ventilation angle valve 4, and a flow equalization structure 5.

[0036] Door panel 2 is positioned above cavity 1, and cavity 1 contains a carrier plate 6 for loading battery cells. Vent valve 4 is connected to the bottom of cavity 1 and is used to deliver punctured gas into cavity 1. A venting channel is provided at the bottom of cavity 1, and vent valve 4 is positioned on the venting channel.

[0037] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the flow equalization structure 5 includes a first chamber shield 51, a second chamber shield 52, a cavitation flow equalization shield 53, and a guide plate 54. The first chamber shield 51 and the second chamber shield 52 are located below the carrier plate 6, while the cavitation flow equalization shield 53 and the guide plate 54 are located above the carrier plate 6.

[0038] The first chamber shield and the second chamber shield respectively cover the upper part of the channels at the front, back and sides of the cavity 1. Under the obstruction of the first chamber shield and the second chamber shield, a small amount of air leakage gas flows out from the gaps in the shield, thereby reducing the flow of air leakage gas into the area below the carrier plate 6 and slowing down the flow rate of air leakage gas.

[0039] A flow equalization shield 53 is vertically mounted on the second chamber shield 52, forming a ventilation chamber together with the inner wall of the wall to guide the gas below the carrier plate 6 to the upper part of the carrier plate 6. The flow equalization shield 53 has several flow equalization holes, through which the air-breaking gas flows into the ventilation chamber and then out through the flow equalization holes. This ensures that most of the incoming airflow flows towards the upper part of the silicon wafer on the carrier plate 6, making the gas density on the upper layer of the carrier plate 6 greater than that on the lower layer, preventing the air-breaking gas from flowing upwards. Simultaneously, the pressure difference helps to more firmly hold the silicon wafer in the positioning groove of the carrier plate 6. The flow equalization holes also slow down the airflow velocity, allowing the airflow to be evenly distributed into the chamber, preventing the silicon wafer on the carrier plate 6 from being blown off.

[0040] The guide plate 54 is a downward-folded curved plate, positioned on the air-breaking and flow-equalizing shield 53, above the gap 7 between the carrier plate 6 and the inner wall of the cavity 1. It guides most of the airflow in the equalizing orifice to the upper part of the carrier plate 6. Because of the gap 7 between the carrier plate 6 and the cavity 1, the air-breaking gas flowing out of the equalizing orifice will flow directly into the lower layer of the carrier plate 6 through the gap 7. The downward-folded guide plate 54 can block some of the air-breaking gas flowing into the gap 7. Figure 4 As shown in the figure, after experimental verification, the flow guide plate 54 has a better flow guiding effect when the folding angle α is between 155 and 165 degrees.

[0041] The flow equalization shield 53 is three-fold in shape, including an "L"-shaped flow equalization plate 531 and a flow equalization fixing plate 532 for connecting the flow equalization plate 531 and the second chamber shield 52, thereby forming a ventilation chamber that guides the lower gas to the upper exhaust. Flow equalization holes are disposed on the flow equalization plate 531, and a guide plate 54 is fixed to the horizontal surface of the flow equalization plate 531.

[0042] The conveying shaft of the transmission mechanism 3 passes through the flow equalization fixing plate 532 and connects to the slide rails on both sides of the carrier plate 6. Several baffles 8 are provided at the connection between the flow equalization fixing plate 532 and the transmission mechanism 3 to block the air breaking gas from flowing out of the connection, thereby reducing the direct flow of the air breaking gas from the connection gap and reducing the flow rate and velocity of the air breaking gas.

[0043] During air rupture, the ruptured gas enters the ventilation channel at the bottom of cavity 1 through the ventilation angle valve 4. Due to the covering of the first cavity 1 shield and the second cavity 1 shield, the ruptured gas cannot directly enter the bottom of cavity 1 and can only flow upward along the ventilation cavity. Only a small amount of ruptured gas flows out from the gap between the shield and the ventilation channel. The ruptured gas in the ventilation cavity flows out from the flow equalization hole on the air rupture equalization shield 53. Under the action of the guide plate 54, most of the airflow flows into cavity 1 above the carrier plate 6, and a small amount of gas flows into the area below the carrier plate 6 through the gap 7 between the carrier plate 6 and the inner wall of cavity 1.

[0044] This embodiment incorporates a flow equalization structure 5 in the ventilation channel at the bottom of the cavity 1. This structure guides most of the broken air from below the carrier plate 6 to above it, slowing down the airflow velocity. Simultaneously, it ensures that the gas density on the upper layer of the carrier plate 6 is greater than that on the lower layer, preventing the broken air from flowing upwards. The pressure difference further secures the silicon wafers to the positioning slots on the carrier plate 6. The flow equalization structure 5, combined with flow equalization holes in the airflow equalization shield, further slows the airflow velocity, ensuring even distribution of airflow into the cavity and preventing the silicon wafers on the carrier plate 6 from being blown off. A guide plate 54 blocks some of the broken air flowing into the gap 7 between the carrier plate 6 and the cavity 1, further increasing the gas flow into the upper layer of the carrier plate 6. These structures work together to form a complete technical solution to reduce the wafer breakage rate on the carrier plate 6 within the PVD vacuum chamber, thereby improving product yield.

[0045] The preferred embodiments of this utility model have been described in detail above; however, this utility model is not limited thereto. Within the scope of the technical concept of this utility model, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solution of this utility model, including combining the various technical features in any other suitable manner. These simple modifications and combinations should also be considered as the content disclosed by this utility model and are all within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A PVD vacuum chamber equipped with a venting and flow equalization structure, comprising a chamber body, a door panel, and a venting valve; the door panel is disposed above the chamber body, and a carrier plate for loading battery cells is disposed within the chamber body; the venting valve is connected to the bottom of the chamber body for conveying venting gas into the chamber body; characterized in that: The cavity is also equipped with a flow equalization structure, which includes a first chamber shield, a second chamber shield, a cavitation flow equalization shield, and a flow guide plate; the first chamber shield and the second chamber shield are located below the carrier plate, and the cavitation flow equalization shield and the flow guide plate are located above the carrier plate; The cavity has a ventilation channel at the bottom, and a ventilation angle valve is installed on the ventilation channel. The first and second chamber shields respectively cover the upper part of the channels at the front, back, and sides of the cavity. The air-breaking and flow-equalizing shield is vertically installed on the second chamber shield, and together with the inner wall of the wall and the air-breaking and flow-equalizing shield, they form a ventilation cavity that guides the gas below the carrier plate to the upper part of the carrier plate. The air-breaking and flow-equalizing shield is provided with several flow-equalizing holes. The guide plate is a downward-folded curved plate, which is installed on the air-breaking and flow-equalizing shield and located above the gap between the carrier plate and the inner wall of the cavity. It is used to guide most of the airflow in the flow-equalizing holes to the upper part of the carrier plate. The folding angle α of the guide plate is between 155 and 165 degrees.

2. The PVD vacuum chamber with a void-breaking and flow-equalizing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow equalization shield is three-folded, including an "L"-shaped flow equalization plate and a flow equalization fixing plate for connecting the flow equalization plate and the second chamber shield; the flow equalization hole is disposed on the flow equalization plate, and the flow guide plate is fixed on the horizontal surface of the flow equalization plate.

3. The PVD vacuum chamber with a void-breaking and flow-equalizing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cavity is equipped with a transmission mechanism. The conveying shaft of the transmission mechanism passes through the flow equalization fixing plate and is connected to the slide rails on both sides of the carrier plate. Several baffles are provided at the connection between the flow equalization fixing plate and the transmission mechanism to prevent the broken air gas from flowing out from the connection.

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