Multi-source evaporation equipment
By setting up a multi-source vapor deposition equipment with annealing and vapor deposition sectors within a vacuum chamber, the problem of thin film quality degradation in perovskite solar cell fabrication was solved, achieving efficient component control and annealing processes, improving manufacturing efficiency and reducing pollution risks.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KUNSHAN SHENGCHENG PHOTOELECTRIC TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
Existing multi-cavity or multi-source co-evaporation equipment for perovskite solar cell fabrication suffers from thermal interference and vapor cross-mixing, leading to a decline in film quality. Furthermore, traditional equipment is complex and makes it difficult to achieve precise component control and efficient completion of the annealing step.
Design a multi-source vapor deposition equipment, comprising a multi-prism or cylindrical vacuum chamber with an annealing sector and a vapor deposition sector. A continuous process of substrate deposition, annealing and re-deposition is achieved by rotating a turntable. Separators and anti-deposition plates are used to prevent cross-contamination of vapors. Modular evaporation sources are used to precisely control the deposition rate and film thickness.
The annealing process in the vapor deposition chamber is completed under vacuum conditions, which saves equipment investment, improves manufacturing efficiency, reduces the risk of contamination, and ensures the quality of the thin film and the accuracy of composition control.
Smart Images
Figure CN224243187U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of perovskite battery technology, and in particular to a multi-source evaporation equipment. Background Technology
[0002] Perovskite solar cells have attracted much attention due to their high photoelectric conversion efficiency, but solution-based fabrication processes face challenges such as solvent residue and poor uniformity in large-area production. Vacuum evaporation technology, with its advantages of being solvent-free, having controllable film thickness, and being easy to scale up, has become an ideal alternative for preparing perovskite thin films. However, in multi-component co-evaporation processes, traditional equipment often suffers from film quality degradation due to thermal interference between evaporation sources and cross-mixing of vapors. The mixed deposition of inorganic precursors (such as PbI2 and CsI) and organic precursors (such as FAI) in the perovskite system requires extremely high requirements for component isolation and deposition precision. Although existing co-evaporation methods that involve simultaneous evaporation of multiple components into the substrate in a single space have shown some improvement, multi-cavity equipment is complex, and single-space co-evaporation suffers from atomic scattering between different components, affecting the component control precision of the coating. Both solutions have many problems.
[0003] Rotary evaporation and co-evaporation are common techniques in thin film deposition. Co-evaporation typically refers to the simultaneous evaporation of multiple evaporation sources, and the substrate can be rotated to ensure uniform deposition, especially in perovskite solar cell materials (such as PbI2, CsI, and FAI), to achieve precise deposition of multi-component precursors.
[0004] Chinese patent CN222374753U discloses a multi-evaporation-source rotary vapor deposition equipment, including a vapor deposition chamber, a turnover assembly, baffles, and four evaporation sources. The inner cavity of the vapor deposition chamber is divided into four independent vapor deposition chambers by two partitions perpendicularly intersecting the central axis. The turnover assembly is located at the upper part of the inner cavity and rotates around the central axis. The turnover assembly includes multiple rotating platforms evenly distributed around the central axis, and the rotating platforms position the substrate. The four evaporation sources are set at the same height and at equal distances from the central axis. The baffles are horizontally set and connect the upper parts of all the partitions. Four vapor deposition holes are symmetrically arranged at 90° rotation on the baffles, and the vapor deposition holes are located at the top of each vapor deposition chamber. Here, all the cavities inside the vapor deposition chamber are vapor deposition chambers, so it is possible to perform vapor deposition processes for multiple materials. However, sometimes, the thin film needs to be thickened through a deposition-annealing-redeposition process. The above equipment cannot allow the substrate to complete the annealing step within the equipment, and setting up an annealing chamber would increase equipment investment, reduce manufacturing efficiency, or increase the risk of contamination.
[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to improve the equipment structure to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content
[0006] The main purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-source vapor deposition equipment that enables perovskite solar cells to complete the annealing process in a vacuum chamber, saving equipment investment, ensuring manufacturing efficiency, and reducing pollution risks.
[0007] This utility model achieves the above-mentioned objective through the following technical solution: a multi-source vapor deposition device, comprising a vacuum chamber with a polyprismatic or cylindrical structure, wherein multiple partitions are evenly distributed around an axis at the lower part of the vacuum chamber, the partitions dividing the vacuum chamber into several fan-shaped spaces with the same angle centered on the central axis of the vacuum chamber, a turntable for fixing the substrate is provided at the upper part of the vacuum chamber, the space where the turntable is located is connected to all the fan-shaped spaces, the turntable is rotating around the central axis of the vacuum chamber, at least one fan-shaped space is an annealing sector, the remaining fan-shaped spaces are vapor deposition sectors, a heating element is provided in the annealing sector, and an evaporation source is provided at the lower part of each vapor deposition sector, the center of all evaporation sources is located on a circumference centered on the central axis of the vacuum chamber.
[0008] Specifically, a gap of 5-100mm is maintained between the turntable and the partition. An anti-plating plate is provided on the upper part of the partition. The anti-plating plate is located within the vapor deposition sector. The anti-plating plate is used to prevent any position of the substrate from being directly exposed to two evaporation sources at the same time.
[0009] Specifically, each sector-shaped space has a vacuum port at the center of its outer wall.
[0010] Specifically, the vacuum chamber has 4 to 10 vapor deposition sectors.
[0011] Furthermore, the number of the sector regions is even.
[0012] Specifically, the heating element includes multiple xenon lamp tubes arranged side by side at the same height, and the xenon lamp tubes are 5-50mm lower than the height of the substrate.
[0013] The beneficial effects of this utility model's technical solution are:
[0014] This equipment is equipped with an annealing sector for intermediate heat treatment of the thin film formed during the deposition process under vacuum conditions. This allows perovskite solar cells to complete the annealing process in the vapor deposition chamber, saving equipment investment, ensuring manufacturing efficiency, and reducing the risk of pollution. Attached Figure Description
[0015] Figure 1 This is a top view of the multi-source vapor deposition equipment in the embodiment;
[0016] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a multi-source vapor deposition equipment;
[0017] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the turntable and its internal parts.
[0018] The numbers in the image represent:
[0019] 100-Multi-source vapor deposition equipment,
[0020] 1-Vacuum chamber, 11-Annealing sector, 12-Evaporation sector;
[0021] 2-Partition plate, 21-Anti-plating hanging plate;
[0022] 3-Turntable;
[0023] 4-Evaporation source;
[0024] 5-Heating element; 51-Xenon lamp tube;
[0025] 6-Vacuum port;
[0026] 200 - Substrate. Detailed Implementation
[0027] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.
[0028] Example:
[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a multi-source vapor deposition device 100 of this utility model includes a vacuum chamber 1 with a polyprismatic or cylindrical structure. Multiple partitions 2 are evenly distributed around the lower part of the vacuum chamber 1, dividing the vacuum chamber 1 into several fan-shaped spaces with the same angle and centered on the central axis of the vacuum chamber 1. A turntable 3 for fixing a substrate 200 is provided on the upper part of the vacuum chamber 1. The space where the turntable 3 is located is connected to all the fan-shaped spaces. The turntable 3 rotates around the central axis of the vacuum chamber 1, and at least one fan-shaped space is an annealing sector 11. The remaining fan-shaped spaces are vapor deposition sectors 12. A heating element 5 is provided in the annealing sector 11. Each vapor deposition sector 12 is provided with an evaporation source 4 at the lower part. The center of all evaporation sources 4 is located on a circumference centered on the central axis of the vacuum chamber 1.
[0030] In this device, the substrate 200 is fixed below the turntable 3. As the turntable 3 rotates, the substrate 200 passes over each sector space. Each evaporation source 4 is physically isolated by a partition 2, the partition 2 being higher than the outlet of the evaporation source 4 to prevent vapor scattering and cross-contamination and ensure independent vapor transport paths. The evaporation sources 4 employ a modular design, allowing for flexible arrangement of different materials or alternating arrangement of the same materials, thereby achieving co-evaporation or sequential deposition and precisely controlling the deposition rate and film thickness of each precursor. The annealing sector 11 is used under vacuum conditions (e.g., 1×10⁻⁻⁴). 4The perovskite solar cell undergoes intermediate heat treatment (e.g., 100°C, 5 minutes) during deposition, allowing the annealing process to be completed within the vacuum chamber 1. This saves on equipment investment, ensures manufacturing efficiency, and reduces pollution risks. As the substrate 200 rotates through the annealing sector with the turntable 3, a continuous deposition-annealing-redeposition process can be achieved, thereby improving film quality. This sector can also serve as a waiting area for evaporation. This equipment can perform co-evaporation of inorganic precursors, sequential deposition of organic precursors, alternating deposition and doped evaporation, and co-evaporation of inorganic and organic materials. It can also be used to simultaneously evaporate two or more materials whose optimal evaporation rates are difficult to reconcile. By adjusting the number of sectors occupied by the two materials, the overall evaporation rate can be changed to achieve the target composition ratio.
[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a gap of 5~100mm is maintained between the turntable 3 and the partition 2. The upper part of the partition 2 is provided with an anti-plating plate 21. The anti-plating plate 21 is located in the vapor deposition sector 12. The anti-plating plate 21 is used to prevent any position of the substrate 200 from being directly irradiated by two evaporation sources 4 at the same time.
[0032] If the substrate 200 is deposited using a sequential deposition method, the front and rear substrates 200 will be successively positioned above the corresponding fan-shaped spaces and then deposited simultaneously. In this case, the substrate 200 needs to be deposited only by the evaporation source directly below it to prevent the edges of the substrate 200 from being deposited by adjacent evaporation sources. The partition 2 itself is often just a thin plate. To prevent the substrate 200 from being knocked off, a certain safe distance must be maintained between the partition 2 and the substrate 200. It cannot prevent two evaporation sources 4 from depositing onto the same position on the substrate from different directions, so the anti-deposition hanging plate 21 is used for separation.
[0033] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, each sector-shaped space has a vacuum port 6 at the center of its outer wall.
[0034] Although the vacuum chamber 1 is interconnected, the presence of the partition 2 can prevent smooth exhaust in certain areas. To ensure that the vacuum chamber 1 reaches the required vacuum level quickly and simultaneously, it is preferable to use multiple vacuum ports 6 to evacuate air simultaneously.
[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the vacuum chamber 1 has 5 vapor deposition sectors 12.
[0036] Different vapor deposition materials can be placed in each vapor deposition sector 12. In practical applications, in order to meet the various needs of perovskite solar cells, the number of vapor deposition sectors 12 can be selected from 4 to 10.
[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the number of sector regions is even.
[0038] Based on the arrangement of evenly distributed fan-shaped regions around the axis, each fan-shaped region has another fan-shaped region at a position 180° after rotation. The same material can be deposited on both sides at the same rate. This ensures that both sides of the turntable 3 always thicken synchronously, guaranteeing smooth rotation.
[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the heating element 5 includes multiple xenon lamp tubes 51 arranged side by side at the same height, and the xenon lamp tubes 51 are 5-50 mm lower than the height of the substrate 200.
[0040] The substrate 200 undergoes lower surface annealing by remaining above the annealing sector 11. The xenon lamp tube 51 is a linear irradiation heating source. A single xenon lamp tube 51 allows the strip-shaped portion of the substrate 200 located nearby to heat up faster, while multiple xenon lamp tubes 51 enable the lower surface of the substrate 200 to be heated evenly, which is beneficial for improving the quality of annealing.
[0041] Process 1: Co-evaporation and pre-annealing process of inorganic precursors
[0042] The lower part of the cavity 1 is equipped with 6 evaporation sources 4, which are divided into 6 vapor deposition sectors 12 and 1 annealing sector 11 by a partition 2. The upper turntable 3 fixes the substrate. The evaporation sources 4 are arranged in an alternating array, with PbI2, CsI, and PbCl2 arranged alternately.
[0043] Material and parameter settings:
[0044] 1) Evaporation source A is filled with PbI2, and the temperature control unit is set to reach the required evaporation temperature to ensure a deposition rate of approximately 0.3 nm / s;
[0045] 2) Evaporation source B was filled with PbCl2, and the deposition rate was set to approximately 0.1 nm / s;
[0046] 3) The evaporation source C was filled with CsI, and the deposition rate was set to approximately 0.05 nm / s;
[0047] 4) Vacuum conditions are controlled at approximately 1×10⁻⁶. -4 Pa.
[0048] Deposition steps:
[0049] 1) After reaching the preset vacuum level, evaporation sources A, B, and C are turned on simultaneously. The heating units of each source start working, and the independent shutters are all opened, so that each inorganic material evaporates evenly in its own isolated vapor deposition sector 12.
[0050] 2) The turntable 3 begins to rotate at a rate of about 8 revolutions per minute, and the substrate passes over each of the evaporation sources 4 in sequence. Due to the physical isolation of the partition 2, the vapors of various inorganic materials are transported independently, and finally a composite precursor film with a thickness of about 300 nm is deposited on the substrate.
[0051] 3) During the deposition process, the film thickness in each area is monitored in real time through a local thickness monitoring system, and the heating power and shutter opening time are adjusted according to the monitoring data to ensure that the deposition rate and film thickness meet the preset requirements.
[0052] Operating Condition 2: Sequential Deposition of Organic Precursors and Double Pre-annealing
[0053] The inorganic source is turned off, the evaporation source D (FAI) is enabled, and the two FAI sources are deposited alternately in a dual-source evaporation mode.
[0054] Parameter settings: FAI temperature: ~180°C; deposition rate: 0.1 nm / s; thickness: 100 nm; annealing sector: 100°C, 10 minutes.
[0055] Deposition steps: Turn on source D, rotate disk 3 to deposit organic layer, and use dual source mode to ensure uniformity; after deposition, proceed to annealing sector processing; remove the substrate and anneal in air atmosphere at 30%RH (150°C, 30 minutes).
[0056] Operating Condition 3: Coating of an ultra-thin passivation doped layer
[0057] The new evaporation source E (PEAI) is arranged in an alternating array or in a spaced dual-source arrangement.
[0058] Deposition steps: The deposited 200 nm inorganic layer (PbI2, PbCl2, CsI) was placed in the annealing sector (100°C, 5 minutes).
[0059] Turn on the E source and deposit a 5-10 nm PEAI doped layer. Using a spaced dual-source mode can improve uniformity. After deposition, proceed to annealing sector 11 (80°C, 10 minutes). After removing the substrate 200 from vacuum chamber 1, perform final annealing in air or nitrogen atmosphere.
[0060] The above descriptions are merely some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the inventive concept of this utility model, and all such modifications and improvements fall within the protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A multi-source vapor deposition apparatus, comprising a vacuum chamber with a polyprismatic or cylindrical structure, wherein a plurality of partitions are evenly distributed around an axis in the lower part of the vacuum chamber, the partitions dividing the vacuum chamber into several sector-shaped spaces with the same angle centered on the central axis of the vacuum chamber, and a turntable for fixing a substrate is provided in the upper part of the vacuum chamber, the space where the turntable is located is connected to all the sector-shaped spaces, and the turntable rotates about the central axis of the vacuum chamber, characterized in that: At least one sector is an annealing sector, and the remaining sector is a vapor deposition sector. The annealing sector is equipped with a heating element, and each vapor deposition sector has an evaporation source at its lower part. The centers of all evaporation sources are located on a circle centered on the central axis of the vacuum chamber.
2. The multi-source evaporation equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The turntable and the partition maintain a gap of 5-100mm. The upper part of the partition is provided with an anti-plating plate, which is located in the vapor deposition sector. The anti-plating plate is used to prevent any part of the substrate from being directly exposed to two evaporation sources at the same time.
3. The multi-source evaporation equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each sector-shaped space has a vacuum port at the center of its outer wall.
4. The multi-source evaporation equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum chamber has 4 to 10 vapor deposition sectors.
5. The multi-source evaporation equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The number of sector regions is even.
6. The multi-source evaporation equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating element includes multiple xenon lamp tubes arranged side by side at the same height, with the xenon lamp tubes being 5-50 mm lower than the height of the substrate.