Membrane immersion device

Abstract

The application relates to a film deposition device. The film deposition device comprises a process cavity, a target assembly, an ion source assembly and a protection assembly. A magnetic field is formed in the process cavity. The target assembly is arranged on the bottom wall of the process cavity. The ion source assembly is arranged on the side cavity wall of the process cavity. The ion source assembly is used to generate plasma and make the plasma bombard the target assembly under the guidance of the magnetic field. The protection mechanism comprises a surrounding assembly and a cooling module. The surrounding assembly is in the form of an annular structure with two open ends. The surrounding assembly is arranged in the process cavity and surrounds the periphery of the target assembly. One end of the surrounding assembly is open towards the target. The other end of the surrounding assembly is open towards the substrate. The side wall of the surrounding assembly is provided with a clearance opening for the ion source assembly to pass through. The cooling module is used to cool the surrounding assembly. The film deposition device can reduce the amount of dust in the process cavity during the film deposition process, thereby reducing the influence of the dust on the deposition film layer of the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of photovoltaic technology, and in particular to a film deposition device. Background Technology

[0002] In the photovoltaic manufacturing industry, PED (Plasma Evaporation Deposition) technology is used to deposit films onto the substrates of solar cells. The principle of PED technology is to generate plasma using a plasma gun, guide the plasma with a magnetic field to bombard the target material, causing the target material to heat up and sublimate to produce gas, which is then deposited onto the substrate to form an oxide thin film.

[0003] Currently, PED deposition of solar cells is generally carried out in the process chamber of the deposition equipment. During the deposition process, the gas generated by the sublimation of the target material will also be deposited on the chamber wall to form a film layer. As the deposition process continues, the temperature of the chamber wall will gradually increase, causing the internal stress of the film layer attached to the chamber wall to change and fall off, forming dust. This greatly increases the amount of dust in the process chamber and affects the quality of the film layer on the solar cells. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a film settling device to address the issue of how to improve the quality of film settling.

[0005] This application provides a film deposition device, comprising:

[0006] A process cavity, within which a magnetic field is formed;

[0007] A target assembly is disposed on the bottom wall of the process cavity;

[0008] An ion source assembly is located on the side wall of the process chamber. The ion source assembly is used to generate plasma, which can bombard the target assembly under the guidance of the magnetic field.

[0009] The protective mechanism includes a barrier assembly and a cooling module. The barrier assembly is a ring-shaped structure with openings at both ends. The barrier assembly is disposed in the process cavity and surrounds the target assembly. One end of the barrier assembly faces the target assembly, and the other end faces the substrate. The side wall of the barrier assembly has a clearance opening for the ion source assembly to pass through. The cooling module is connected to the barrier assembly and is used to cool the barrier assembly.

[0010] The technical solution will be further explained below:

[0011] In one embodiment, the enclosure assembly includes multiple protective plates, which together surround the target assembly to form the annular structure, wherein the protective plate facing the ion source assembly has the clearance opening.

[0012] In one embodiment, the enclosure assembly is provided with a water-cooled channel, and the cooling module includes a water-cooled module for circulating coolant into the water-cooled channel.

[0013] In one embodiment, the number of target material assemblies is two sets, and the two sets of target material assemblies are staggered along the moving direction of the substrate. Each set of target material assemblies is provided with a corresponding protective mechanism on its periphery.

[0014] The number of ion source components is two sets, and the two sets of ion source components are staggered along the moving direction of the substrate, and the two sets of ion source components correspond to the two sets of target material components one-to-one.

[0015] In one embodiment, a partition is provided inside the process cavity, which divides the process cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity. One set of target material assemblies is disposed on the bottom wall of the first cavity, and another set of target material assemblies is disposed on the bottom wall of the second cavity. One set of ion source assemblies is disposed on the side wall of the first cavity, and another set of ion source assemblies is disposed on the side wall of the second cavity.

[0016] In one embodiment, each set of target components includes at least two targets arranged along a direction perpendicular to the movement of the substrate; each set of ion source components includes at least two ion sources, which correspond one-to-one with the targets.

[0017] In one embodiment, an idle area is formed between the enclosure assembly and the side wall of the process cavity, and the idle area is filled with a volume reduction component.

[0018] In one embodiment, the capacity reduction component includes multiple capacity reduction plates, which together enclose a closed box, and the box is located in the unused area.

[0019] In one embodiment, the volume reduction component includes a baffle, and the baffle, the side wall of the process cavity, and the enclosure component together enclose the idle area to form a closed space.

[0020] In one embodiment, the film deposition apparatus further includes a cover plate disposed in the process chamber and opposite to the bottom wall of the process chamber, the cover plate being used to shield the side of the substrate away from the target assembly.

[0021] The aforementioned film deposition apparatus incorporates an annular enclosure component within the process chamber, surrounding the target assembly. One end of the enclosure component faces the target, while the other faces the substrate. A clearance opening on the side wall of the enclosure component allows the ion source to pass through, ensuring that the plasma generated by the ion source can enter the inner wall of the enclosure component through the clearance opening and bombard the target assembly under the guidance of the magnetic field within the process chamber. The sublimation of the target assembly after bombardment generates process gases that can be deposited onto the substrate through the openings at both ends of the enclosure component, forming an oxide thin film. During this process, the enclosure effect allows the process gases to directly deposit onto the inner wall of the enclosure component as they disperse, preventing deposition on the chamber walls. Simultaneously, a cooling module continuously cools the enclosure component, preventing dust from detaching from the deposited film. This significantly reduces the amount of dust in the process chamber during deposition, minimizing its impact on the deposited film on the substrate and ensuring the quality of the film on the substrate after deposition, thereby guaranteeing the quality of the finished solar cell. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The illustrative embodiments of this application and their descriptions are used to explain this application and do not constitute an undue limitation of this application.

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are not drawn to a 1:1 scale, and the relative dimensions of the various components are shown as examples only and not necessarily to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a top view of a film deposition apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0026] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The front view of the film-casting device shown.

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Left view of the film-casting device shown.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0029] 10. Process chamber; 11. First chamber; 12. Second chamber; 13. Separator; 20. Target assembly; 21. Target; 30. Ion source assembly; 31. Ion source; 40. Enclosure assembly; 50. Volume reduction assembly; 60. Cover plate; 70. Substrate. 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] One embodiment of this application provides a film deposition apparatus for depositing a thin film on a substrate 70 of a solar cell using PED technology. Specifically, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figures 1 to 3 One embodiment of the film deposition apparatus includes a process chamber 10, a target assembly 20, an ion source assembly 30, and a protective assembly. A magnetic field is formed inside the process chamber 10. The target assembly 20 is disposed on the bottom wall of the process chamber 10, and the ion source assembly 30 is disposed on the side wall of the process chamber 10. The ion source assembly 30 is used to generate plasma, which can bombard the target assembly 20 under the guidance of the magnetic field. The protective mechanism includes a barrier assembly 40 and a cooling module (not shown). The barrier assembly 40 is an annular structure with openings at both ends. The barrier assembly 40 is disposed in the process chamber 10 and surrounds the target assembly 20. One end of the barrier assembly 40 is open towards the target 21, and the other end is open towards the substrate 70. The side wall of the barrier assembly 40 has a clearance opening for the ion source assembly 30 to pass through. The cooling module is used to cool the barrier assembly 40.

[0037] For example, when the film deposition apparatus is working, the substrate 70 is first sent into the process chamber 10 and driven to move above the target 21. During this process, the ion source assembly 30 generates plasma. The plasma can bombard the target assembly 20 under the guidance of the magnetic field in the process chamber 10, causing the temperature of the target assembly 20 to rise and sublimate to generate process gas. The process gas is then deposited on the substrate 70 to form an oxide film.

[0038] The aforementioned film deposition apparatus includes an annular enclosure assembly 40 within the process chamber 10, surrounding the target assembly 20. One end of the enclosure assembly 40 faces the target 21, while the other end faces the substrate 70. Simultaneously, clearance openings are provided on the sidewalls of the enclosure assembly 40 to allow the ion source 31 to pass through. This ensures that the plasma generated by the ion source assembly 30 can enter the inner wall of the enclosure assembly 40 through the clearance openings and bombard the target assembly 20 under the guidance of the magnetic field in the process chamber 10. The process gas generated by the sublimation of the target assembly 20 after being bombarded can be deposited onto the substrate 70 through the openings at both ends of the enclosure assembly 40 to form an oxide thin film. During this process, the containment effect of the containment component 40 allows the process gases to be deposited directly onto the inner wall of the containment component 40 when they disperse in all directions, avoiding deposition on the cavity wall of the process chamber 10. At the same time, the containment component 40 is cooled in real time by the cooling module, which can prevent the dust problem caused by the film layer deposited on the containment component 40 from falling off. This can greatly reduce the amount of dust in the process chamber 10 during the film deposition process, thereby reducing the impact of dust on the film layer deposited on the substrate 70, ensuring the quality of the film layer on the substrate 70 after film deposition, and thus ensuring the quality of the finished solar cell.

[0039] Optionally, in one embodiment, the enclosure assembly 40 includes multiple protective plates, which together enclose the target assembly 20 to form a ring structure. The protective plate facing the ion source assembly 30 has an opening for clearance. For example, the enclosure assembly 40 includes four protective plates, which are respectively erected on the four sides of the target assembly 20 to form a ring structure. One of the protective plates facing the ion source assembly 30 has an opening for clearance. The enclosure assembly 40, formed by enclosing multiple protective plates, is simple to construct, does not damage the original structure of the film deposition device, and effectively controls costs.

[0040] For example, in one embodiment, the enclosure assembly 40 is provided with a water-cooling channel (not shown), and the cooling module includes a water-cooling module (not shown) for circulating coolant into the water-cooling channel. For example, each protective panel is provided with a water-cooling channel. During the film deposition process, circulating coolant into the water-cooling channel using the water-cooling module can effectively control the temperature of the enclosure assembly 40, prevent the film layer deposited on the enclosure assembly 40 from falling off, and thus reduce dust generation.

[0041] For example, in other embodiments, the cooling module may also be an air-cooled module or a semiconductor refrigeration chip, as long as it can cool the enclosure assembly 40, and there is no limitation here.

[0042] See Figure 1In one embodiment, there are two sets of target material assemblies 20, which are staggered along the moving direction of the substrate 70. Each set of target material assemblies 20 has a corresponding protective mechanism on its periphery. Correspondingly, there are two sets of ion source assemblies 30, which are staggered along the moving direction of the substrate 70. The two sets of ion source assemblies 30 correspond one-to-one with the two sets of target material assemblies 20, that is, the plasma generated by one set of ion source assemblies 30 is used to bombard one set of target material assemblies 20. Exemplarily, the process cavity 10 is a rectangular cavity, with the two sets of target material assemblies 20 respectively arranged on two diagonal areas of the process cavity 10, and the two sets of ion source assemblies 30 respectively arranged on two opposite cavity walls of the process cavity 10. By staggering the arrangement of the target material assemblies 20 and ion source assemblies 30, the mutual interference of magnetic fields between the two sets of ion source assemblies 30 can be effectively reduced, thereby effectively enhancing the stability of the plasma beam and improving the quality of the film deposited on the substrate 70.

[0043] For example, such as Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the moving direction of the substrate 70 is as indicated by arrow S1. When the substrate 70 moves forward, one set of target material components 20 and one set of ion source components 30 cooperate to deposit a film on half of the bottom surface of the substrate 70. When the substrate 70 moves above another set of target material components 20, the other set of target material components 20 and another set of ion source components 30 cooperate to deposit a film on the other half of the bottom surface of the substrate 70. When the substrate 70 moves out of the process cavity 10, the film deposition on the entire bottom surface of the substrate 70 is completed.

[0044] See Figure 1 A partition 13 is provided inside the process chamber 10, dividing the process chamber 10 into a first chamber 11 and a second chamber 12. One set of target material assemblies 20 is disposed on the bottom wall of the first chamber 11, and the other set of target material assemblies 20 is disposed on the bottom wall of the second chamber 12. One set of ion source assemblies 30 is disposed on the side wall of the first chamber 11, and the other set of ion source assemblies 30 is disposed on the side wall of the second chamber 12. In this way, the partition 13 can effectively isolate the two sets of ion source assemblies 30, further reducing the mutual interference of magnetic fields between the two sets of ion source assemblies 30.

[0045] See also Figure 1 Each target assembly 20 includes at least two targets 21, such as two, three, four or more, arranged along a direction perpendicular to the movement of the substrate 70. Correspondingly, each ion source assembly 30 includes at least two ion sources 31, such as two, three, four or more, with each ion source 31 corresponding to a target 21. This improves the uniformity of the film deposited on the bottom surface of the substrate 70.

[0046] Optionally, in one embodiment, an idle area is formed between the enclosure assembly 40 and the side cavity wall of the process cavity 10. The idle area refers to the area in the process cavity 10 where no target material 21 or ion source 31 is provided. For example, when two sets of target material assemblies 20 and two sets of ion source assemblies 30 are respectively arranged on two diagonal areas of the process cavity 10, the other two diagonal areas of the process cavity 10 will form idle areas. There are weak magnetic and electric fields in the idle areas, which will interfere with the plasma. At the same time, due to the weak magnetic and electric fields, there will be a large number of low-energy particles, which seriously affect the film deposition quality. In addition, the idle areas have poor plasma binding ability, and slight gas pressure fluctuations will also cause disturbances in the entire plasma beam, resulting in poor burning stability of the target material 21, which further affects the film deposition quality.

[0047] See Figure 1 Optionally, in one embodiment, the idle area is filled with a volume reduction component 50. Filling the idle area with the volume reduction component 50 reduces the idle area space of the process cavity 10, reduces the negative impact of the idle area, ensures the stability of the plasma beam, thereby improving the burning state of the target material 21 and improving the film deposition quality.

[0048] Optionally, in one embodiment, the capacity reduction component 50 includes multiple capacity reduction plates, which together enclose a closed box, and the box is disposed in the idle area. By placing the closed box in the idle area, the space of the idle area can be effectively reduced at a lower cost, thus mitigating the negative impact of the idle area.

[0049] Alternatively, in another embodiment, the volume reduction component 50 may include a baffle, the baffle, the side wall of the process cavity 10, and the enclosure component 40, which together enclose the idle area to form a closed space. Enclosing the idle area to form a closed space can also reduce the idle area of ​​the process cavity 10.

[0050] Understandably, the capacity reduction component 50 can also be other fillers, as long as they can reduce the space area of ​​the unused area, and there are no restrictions here.

[0051] See Figure 2In one embodiment, the film deposition apparatus further includes a cover plate 60, which is disposed in the process chamber 10 and opposite to the bottom wall of the process chamber 10. The cover plate 60 is used to shield the side of the substrate 70 away from the target assembly 20. Specifically, during the PED film deposition process, dust particles are inevitably generated. In traditional film deposition apparatuses, due to the irregular movement of dust particles, they easily reach the upper surface of the substrate 70. Under electrostatic action, the dust particles will be adsorbed onto the battery surface, thereby affecting battery efficiency. The film deposition apparatus of this application provides a cover plate 60 in the process chamber 10. By shielding the upper surface of the substrate 70 with the cover plate 60, dust particles can be effectively prevented from adsorbing onto the upper surface of the substrate 70, thereby ensuring the efficiency of the finished battery.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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 film settling device, characterized in that, include: A process cavity (10) is provided, and a magnetic field is formed within the process cavity (10). Target assembly (20), the target assembly (20) is disposed on the bottom wall of the process cavity (10); An ion source assembly (30) is disposed on the side wall of the process chamber (10). The ion source assembly (30) is used to generate plasma, which can bombard the target assembly (20) under the guidance of the magnetic field. The protective mechanism includes a barrier assembly (40) and a cooling module. The barrier assembly (40) is an annular structure with openings at both ends. The barrier assembly (40) is disposed in the process cavity (10) and surrounds the target assembly (20). One end of the barrier assembly (40) is open towards the target assembly (20), and the other end of the barrier assembly (40) is open towards the substrate (70). The side wall of the barrier assembly (40) is provided with a clearance opening for the ion assembly (30) to pass through. The cooling module is connected to the barrier assembly and is used to cool the barrier assembly (40).

2. The film settling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The enclosure assembly (40) includes multiple protective plates, which together surround the target assembly (20) to form the annular structure, wherein the protective plate facing the ion source assembly (30) has the clearance opening.

3. The film settling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The enclosure assembly (40) is provided with a water-cooled channel, and the cooling module includes a water-cooled module for introducing circulating coolant into the water-cooled channel.

4. The film settling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the target material assembly (20) is two sets, and the two sets of target material assemblies (20) are staggered along the moving direction of the substrate (70). Each set of target material assemblies (20) is provided with a protective mechanism on its periphery. The number of ion source components (30) is two sets. The two sets of ion source components (30) are staggered along the moving direction of the substrate (70), and the two sets of ion source components (30) correspond to the two sets of target material components (20) one by one.

5. The film settling device according to claim 4, characterized in that, A partition (13) is provided inside the process cavity (10), which divides the process cavity (10) into a first cavity (11) and a second cavity (12). One set of target material assemblies (20) is disposed on the bottom wall of the first cavity (11), and another set of target material assemblies (20) is disposed on the bottom wall of the second cavity (12). One set of ion source assemblies (30) is disposed on the side wall of the first cavity (11), and another set of ion source assemblies (30) is disposed on the side wall of the second cavity (12).

6. The film settling device according to claim 4, characterized in that, Each set of target components (20) includes at least two targets (21), which are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the substrate (70); each set of ion source components (30) includes at least two ion sources (31), which correspond to the targets (21) one by one.

7. The film settling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An idle area is formed between the enclosure assembly (40) and the side cavity wall of the process cavity (10), and the idle area is filled with a volume reduction assembly (50).

8. The film settling apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The capacity reduction component (50) includes multiple capacity reduction plates, which together enclose a closed box, and the box is located in the idle area.

9. The film settling apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The volume reduction component (50) includes a baffle, and the baffle, the side wall of the process cavity (10), and the enclosure component (40) together enclose the idle area to form a closed space.

10. The film-setter apparatus according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The film deposition device also includes a cover plate (60), which is disposed in the process cavity (10) and opposite to the bottom wall of the process cavity (10). The cover plate (60) is used to cover the side of the substrate (70) away from the target assembly (20).

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