Silicon wafer carrier and solar cell production system
By adding reinforcing members to support the silicon wafer carrier, the problem of poor carrier stability was solved, achieving stable support of the silicon wafer and a low breakage rate, thus improving the efficiency of the PVD process.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TRINA SOLAR CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
Smart Images
Figure CN224290578U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of solar cell technology, and in particular to silicon wafer carrier devices and solar cell production systems. Background Technology
[0002] Solar energy, as a widely distributed, inexhaustible, and green energy source, is one of the important energy sources for the sustainable development of human society. Currently, the main form of solar energy utilization is photovoltaic power generation. Solar cells can convert solar energy into electrical energy, which is easy to store and transport, and can thus be applied to various fields.
[0003] In solar cell production, PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) is a crucial step, typically requiring a wafer carrier to support the silicon wafers. This carrier consists of a substrate, usually with a perforated design to accommodate the total ceramic coating (TCO) on both the front and back sides. To achieve full double-sided sputtering in a single operation, multiple carrier elements are spaced apart on the inner wall of the substrate facing the perforated portion. However, since these carrier elements are only connected to the substrate on one side, the process stability is relatively poor, making them prone to deformation or detachment, resulting in a high breakage rate of the silicon wafers during the carrier process. Utility Model Content
[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a silicon wafer support device and a solar cell production system, which improves the stability of the support device by setting up reinforcing members to support the support device.
[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a silicon wafer carrier device, comprising:
[0006] The carrier plate body has a hollowed-out section.
[0007] Multiple support members are provided at intervals in the hollowed-out portion, and each of the multiple support members forms a support surface on one side along the depth direction of the hollowed-out portion;
[0008] A reinforcing member is disposed in the hollow portion, the reinforcing member is connected to the carrier plate body, and the reinforcing member is supported on the other side of the bearing member along the depth direction of the hollow portion.
[0009] In one embodiment, an axis passing through the geometric center of the cutout and parallel to the depth direction of the cutout is defined as a reference axis;
[0010] The reinforcement is constructed as a continuous structure surrounding the reference axis.
[0011] In one embodiment, an axis passing through the geometric center of the cutout and parallel to the depth direction of the cutout is defined as a reference axis;
[0012] The reinforcing member is constructed as a discrete structure arranged around the reference axis, including multiple reinforcing sub-components, each of which supports one of the bearing members.
[0013] In one embodiment, the size of the reinforcing member is not smaller than the size of the bearing member in the direction from the geometric center of the cutout portion to the main body of the carrier plate.
[0014] In one embodiment, in the direction from the carrier plate body to the geometric center of the cutout, the minimum distance from the carrier member to the geometric center of the cutout is not less than the minimum distance from the reinforcing member to the geometric center of the cutout.
[0015] In one embodiment, the carrier is connected to the carrier plate body.
[0016] In one embodiment, the carrier member is spaced apart from the carrier body in the direction from the geometric center of the cutout portion to the carrier body.
[0017] In one embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the support member decreases from one side toward the reinforcement to the opposite side.
[0018] In one embodiment, the carrier is constructed as a block structure, and the edges of the block structure are rounded.
[0019] In a first aspect, this application also provides a solar cell production system, including a conveying device, a silicon wafer processing device, and a silicon wafer carrying device as described in any embodiment;
[0020] The conveying device is used to convey the silicon wafer carrier carrying the silicon wafer to the silicon wafer processing device, and the silicon wafer processing device is used to process the conveyed silicon wafer.
[0021] The aforementioned silicon wafer support device supports the silicon wafer to be processed by using multiple support members. Because the support members are spaced apart, the gaps between adjacent support members connect the front and back sides of the silicon wafer, allowing for full plating of both sides in a single PVD process. Furthermore, the inclusion of reinforcing members improves the structural strength of the support members, effectively reducing deformation or detachment and ensuring stable support for the silicon wafer. This helps reduce the breakage rate of the silicon wafer during the support process. Attached Figure Description
[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a silicon wafer carrier device provided in Embodiment 1 of this application;
[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another silicon wafer carrier device provided in Embodiment 1 of this application;
[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another silicon wafer carrier device provided in Embodiment 1 of this application;
[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the silicon wafer carrier device provided in Embodiment 2 of this application.
[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:
[0027] 1. Carrier plate main body; 10. Hollowed-out section;
[0028] 2. Load-bearing components;
[0029] 3. Reinforcing components; 31. Reinforcing sub-components. Detailed Implementation
[0030] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0031] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
[0032] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are 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 with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0033] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; 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; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0034] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via 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. Similarly, "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.
[0035] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.
[0036] Example 1:
[0037] Traditional silicon wafer carrier devices include a carrier board body, which is generally square and has multiple cutouts. The cutouts, together with the carrier board body surrounding the cutouts, form a carrier board unit, and each carrier board unit can carry one silicon wafer.
[0038] To support the silicon wafer, existing wafer support devices also include a support platform, which is set on the inner wall of the carrier plate facing the cutout section. The silicon wafer is placed on the support platform. The support platform is a continuous structure, with the edge of the silicon wafer in contact with the support platform all around. The problem with this type of silicon wafer support device is that the support platform completely isolates the front and back sides of the silicon wafer, requiring a second PVD process to complete the full deposition of the front and back sides of the silicon wafer, resulting in high process costs.
[0039] Another type of fully plated silicon wafer carrier device has multiple spaced-apart carrier blocks on the inner wall of the carrier substrate facing the cutout section, and the silicon wafer is placed on the carrier blocks. The multiple carrier blocks have a discrete structure, which keeps the front and back sides of the silicon wafer connected, allowing for full plating of both sides of the silicon wafer in a single PVD process. However, in this type of silicon wafer carrier device, the connection between the carrier blocks and the carrier substrate is not strong enough, and they are very prone to deformation or even detachment.
[0040] Based on the above issues, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a silicon wafer carrier device according to Embodiment 1 of this application. This embodiment of the application proposes a silicon wafer carrier device, which includes a carrier plate body 1, multiple carrier members 2, and reinforcing members 3. The carrier plate body 1 has a hollow portion 10. Multiple carrier members 2 are spaced apart from each other in the hollow portion 10, and each carrier member 2 forms a bearing surface on one side along the depth direction of the hollow portion 10. Reinforcing members 3 are disposed in the hollow portion 10, connected to the carrier plate body 1, and supported on the other side of the carrier members 2 along the depth direction of the hollow portion 10. The hollow portion 10 is generally formed by providing a through hole in the carrier plate body 1, which generally penetrates the carrier plate body 1 along its thickness direction. The reinforcing members 3 are disposed on the wall of the through hole. The carrier members 2 are disposed inside the through hole, and the side of the carrier member 2 facing away from the reinforcing member 3 and the wall of the through hole enclose a receiving space.
[0041] The silicon wafer support device provided in this application embodiment supports the silicon wafer to be processed by setting multiple support members 2. Since the multiple support members 2 are arranged at intervals, the gaps between adjacent support members 2 connect the front and back sides of the silicon wafer. During PVD processing, the front and back sides of the silicon wafer can be fully coated in one go during target sputtering. Moreover, by setting reinforcing members 3 to support the support members 2, the structural strength of the support members 2 is improved, thereby effectively reducing the deformation or detachment of the support members 2, ensuring that the support members 2 provide stable support for the silicon wafer, and helping to reduce the breakage rate of the silicon wafer during the supporting process.
[0042] It should be noted that, Figure 1 The image only shows the case where one cutout portion 10 is provided on the carrier body 1. In fact, depending on the requirements for supporting the silicon wafers, multiple cutout portions 10 can be provided on the carrier body 1 to support multiple silicon wafers. At the same time, there is no restriction on the specific arrangement of the multiple cutout portions 10.
[0043] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1As shown, an axis passing through the geometric center of the cutout portion 10 and parallel to the depth direction of the cutout portion 10 is defined as the reference axis, and the reinforcing member 3 is constructed as a continuous structure surrounding the reference axis. In this way, the edge of the reinforcing member 3 is connected to the carrier plate body 1, which has good structural strength and can provide a more stable support for the bearing member 2.
[0044] In this embodiment, the carrier plate body 1 is configured as a rectangular structure, and the cutout portion 10 is configured as a rectangular hole. Correspondingly, the reinforcing member 3 is configured as a rectangular frame structure, arranged in a circle along the carrier plate body 1. At least one support member 2 is provided on each frame edge of the reinforcing member 3 to ensure that each side of the silicon wafer can be supported by the support member 2.
[0045] In one embodiment, the carrier 2 is connected to the carrier plate body 1 so as to fix the carrier 2 through the connection with the carrier plate body 1.
[0046] In another embodiment, the support member 2 is connected to the reinforcing member 3 to limit the displacement of the support member 2 relative to the reinforcing member 3, thereby further improving the installation stability of the support member 2. In this case, the support member 2 may or may not be connected to the carrier plate body 1.
[0047] Optionally, the carrier plate body 1, the reinforcing member 3, and the bearing member 2 can be configured as an integrated structure, which is beneficial to improving the structural strength and eliminates the connection steps between them, making the processing faster.
[0048] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the carrier 2 decreases from the side facing the reinforcing member 3 to the opposite side, so as to reduce the contact area between the carrier 2 and the silicon wafer, thereby reducing the obstruction of the silicon wafer by the carrier 2.
[0049] Specifically, the support member 2 can be configured as a semi-cylindrical structure, with its axis parallel to the supporting surface of the reinforcing member 3. One side of the support member 2 is supported on the reinforcing member 3 to maintain a large contact area, which is beneficial to improving the support stability of the support member 2 by the reinforcing member 3. The outer peripheral surface of the support member 2 supports the silicon wafer, forming a line contact with the silicon wafer with a relatively small contact area.
[0050] It is understandable that the shape of the support component 2 is not limited to a semi-cylinder, but can also be set to a cylinder, cube, cuboid, or sphere.
[0051] In some embodiments, the carrier 2 is constructed as a block structure with rounded edges. By rounding the edges of the carrier 2, sharp structures are removed, which helps to protect the silicon wafer.
[0052] Please continue reading. Figure 1In some embodiments, the size of the reinforcing member 3 is not smaller than the size of the bearing member 2 in the direction from the geometric center of the hollow portion 10 to the carrier plate body 1. In this way, the bearing member 2 can be fully supported on the reinforcing member 3, which is beneficial to further improve the stability of the bearing member 2.
[0053] In one implementation method, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 1 In the direction from the main body 1 of the carrier plate to the geometric center of the hollowed-out portion 10, the minimum distance from the carrier member 2 to the geometric center of the hollowed-out portion 10 is not less than the minimum distance from the reinforcing member 3 to the geometric center of the hollowed-out portion 10. That is to say, the edges of the carrier member 2 and the reinforcing member 3 maintain a certain gap L, or the edges of the carrier member 2 and the reinforcing member 3 are aligned.
[0054] Optionally, such as Figure 1 As shown, the end of the support member 2 away from the geometric center of the hollow part 10 is attached to the carrier plate body 1, so that the carrier plate body 1 provides abutment and limiting for the support member 2, which helps the support member 2 to be more stable on the reinforcing member 3. Specifically, the support member 2 is connected to the carrier plate body 1 to improve the stability of the support member 2.
[0055] Optionally, the support member 2 and the reinforcing member 3 can be connected, or the reinforcing member 3 can be supported only on the lower side of the support member 2. In short, the support member 2 is connected to at least one of the carrier plate body 1 and the reinforcing member 3 to achieve the purpose of fixation.
[0056] In another implementation method, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another silicon wafer support device provided in Embodiment 1 of this application. The support member 2 is spaced apart from the carrier body 1 in the direction from the geometric center of the cutout portion 10 to the carrier body 1. Since the support member 2 cannot be connected to the carrier body 1, it needs to be connected to the reinforcing member 3 to improve the installation stability of the support member 2, thereby providing stable support for the silicon wafer.
[0057] Optionally, such as Figure 2 As shown, a certain gap is maintained between the end of the support member 2 facing the geometric center of the hollow portion 10 and the edge of the reinforcing member 3. At this time, the end of the support member 2 away from the geometric center of the hollow portion 10 can either maintain a gap with the carrier plate body 1 or be connected to the carrier plate body 1.
[0058] In yet another embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another silicon wafer carrier device provided in Embodiment 1 of this application. The end of the carrier 2 facing the geometric center of the cutout portion 10 is aligned with the edge of the reinforcing member 3. At this time, the end of the carrier 2 away from the geometric center of the cutout portion 10 can maintain a gap with the carrier plate body 1, or it can be connected to the carrier plate body 1.
[0059] Example 2:
[0060] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the silicon wafer carrier device provided in Embodiment 2 of this application. This application provides a silicon wafer carrier device that is basically the same as that in Embodiment 1, except that:
[0061] The silicon wafer support device provided in this application defines an axis passing through the geometric center of the cutout portion 10 and parallel to the depth direction of the cutout portion 10 as a reference axis; the reinforcing member 3 is constructed as a discrete structure arranged around the reference axis, including multiple reinforcing sub-parts 31, each reinforcing sub-part 31 corresponding to support a support member 2.
[0062] Optionally, along the extension direction of the frame of the carrier plate body 1 where the carrier 2 is located, the size of the reinforcing component 31 is larger than the size of the carrier 2, so as to provide a stable support force for the carrier 2 through the larger reinforcing component 31.
[0063] It should be noted that, in the direction from the geometric center of the hollow part 10 to the main body of the carrier plate 1, the size relationship and positional relationship between the carrier 2 and the reinforcing part 31 are the same as the relationship between the carrier 2 and the reinforcing part 3 in Embodiment 1, and will not be elaborated here.
[0064] Example 3:
[0065] This application also provides a solar cell production system, including a conveying device, a silicon wafer processing device, and a silicon wafer carrier as provided in Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2 above. The conveying device is used to transport the silicon wafer carrier carrying the silicon wafer to the silicon wafer processing device, and the silicon wafer processing device is used to process the transported silicon wafer.
[0066] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0067] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A silicon wafer carrier device, characterized in that, include: The carrier plate body (1) has a hollow part (10). Multiple support members (2) are provided at intervals in the hollow portion (10), and the multiple support members (2) form a support surface on one side along the depth direction of the hollow portion (10); A reinforcing member (3) is disposed in the hollow part (10), the reinforcing member (3) is connected to the carrier plate body (1), and the reinforcing member (3) is supported on the other side of the bearing member (2) along the depth direction of the hollow part (10).
2. The silicon wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axis passing through the geometric center of the cutout (10) and parallel to the depth direction of the cutout (10) is defined as the reference axis; The reinforcing member (3) is constructed as a continuous structure surrounding the reference axis.
3. The silicon wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axis passing through the geometric center of the cutout (10) and parallel to the depth direction of the cutout (10) is defined as the reference axis; The reinforcing member (3) is constructed as a discrete structure arranged around the reference axis, including multiple reinforcing sub-components (31), each of the reinforcing sub-components (31) corresponding to support one of the bearing members (2).
4. The silicon wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the direction from the geometric center of the cutout (10) to the main body of the carrier plate (1), the size of the reinforcing member (3) is not less than the size of the bearing member (2).
5. The silicon wafer support device according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the direction from the main body of the carrier plate (1) to the geometric center of the hollow part (10), the minimum distance from the carrier member (2) to the geometric center of the hollow part (10) is not less than the minimum distance from the reinforcing member (3) to the geometric center of the hollow part (10).
6. The silicon wafer support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The carrier (2) is connected to the carrier plate body (1).
7. The silicon wafer support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The carrier (2) is spaced apart from the carrier body (1) in the direction from the geometric center of the cutout (10) to the carrier body (1).
8. The silicon wafer support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The cross-sectional area of the support member (2) decreases from one side toward the reinforcing member (3) to the opposite side.
9. The silicon wafer support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The support member (2) is constructed as a block structure, and the edges of the block structure are rounded.
10. A solar cell production system, characterized in that, Includes a conveying device, a silicon wafer (4) processing device, and a silicon wafer carrier as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; The conveying device is used to convey the silicon wafer carrier carrying the silicon wafer (4) to the silicon wafer (4) processing device, and the silicon wafer (4) processing device is used to process the silicon wafer (4) that has been conveyed.