A hot-wire CVD-based photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of photovoltaic cell piece edge passivation production line based on hot wire CVD, including feeding area, process area and discharging area, wherein: process area includes cavity structure, vacuum system and empty box backflow conveying line arranged in layers from top to bottom along the height direction of production line, cavity structure carries out the edge passivation process of cell piece, vacuum system provides vacuum environment for the cavity structure, empty box backflow conveying line flows empty box from discharging area to feeding area;And process area is provided with maintenance platform and basic equipment located below maintenance platform on the two sides along the width direction of production line, and maintenance platform is set at the height position of cavity structure and carries out maintenance operation to cavity structure.The production line of the utility model can realize the continuous preparation of low-temperature coating and passivation, excellent weather resistance composite film layer;It is suitable for the half piece / fourth piece edge passivation demand of multiple photovoltaic cells;Low in cost, cost-effective.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of photovoltaic cell manufacturing equipment technology, and more specifically, to a photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot filament chemical vapor deposition (Hot filament CVD, HoFCVD) technology. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread adoption of half-cell and multi-cell technologies in the photovoltaic industry, photovoltaic cells generate numerous fresh edges after cutting. These edge surfaces contain a large number of dangling bonds and defects, becoming severe recombination centers for charge carriers, leading to a significant decrease in cell efficiency. Therefore, effectively passivating the edges of the cut cells has become a key process for improving cell efficiency.

[0003] Currently, the industry mainly uses two technologies for edge passivation of solar cells: plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD). Tubular PECVD equipment operates at high temperatures, which can easily damage the original intrinsic amorphous silicon film of the solar cell, making it difficult to achieve low-temperature deposition and the preparation of composite passivation films. While plate-type PECVD equipment avoids the high-temperature problem, its high cost and low cost-effectiveness hinder its large-scale application. ALD technology deposits alumina films with good uniformity, precise thickness control, and excellent passivation quality, but it also has inherent drawbacks such as slow deposition rates, high process temperatures, the presence of swirling deposition phenomena, and the inability to continuously prepare multiple composite films.

[0004] Therefore, in view of the shortcomings of existing edge passivation equipment, there is an urgent need to design a new production equipment or production line to achieve the continuous preparation of high-quality composite passivation film layers under the premise of low temperature, high efficiency and no wrapping. Utility Model Content

[0005] This invention provides a photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on the hot-wire CVD (HoFCVD) principle. This production line can achieve continuous preparation of composite films with excellent weather resistance through low-temperature coating and passivation. It features short process time, fast coating rate, no wrapping, and no wafer sticking. The production line has high integration, compact layout, and is easy to transport, install, and maintain. Furthermore, the production line has strong compatibility and is suitable for edge passivation requirements of various photovoltaic cells, such as tunnel oxide passivation contacts (TOPCon), cross-back contacts (XBC), and heterojunctions (HJT). The equipment has low cost and high cost-effectiveness.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems or achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] According to one aspect of this utility model, a photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-filament CVD is provided, comprising a loading area, a processing area, and an unloading area, wherein:

[0008] The process area includes a cavity structure, a vacuum system, and an empty material box return conveyor line arranged in layers from top to bottom along the height of the production line. Edge passivation of the solar cells is performed within the cavity structure, the vacuum system provides a vacuum environment for the cavity structure, and the empty material box return conveyor line returns empty material boxes from the unloading area to the loading area; and

[0009] The process area has maintenance platforms and basic equipment located below the maintenance platforms on both sides along the width of the production line. The maintenance platforms are set at the height of the cavity structure and are used to perform maintenance operations on the cavity structure.

[0010] In one embodiment of this utility model, the feeding area, the process area, and the unloading area are arranged sequentially along the length of the production line.

[0011] In one embodiment of this utility model, the loading area and the unloading area are integrated into a loading and unloading area with loading and unloading functions, and the loading and unloading area is connected to the process area along the length of the production line.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cavity structure includes a feeding cavity, at least one heating cavity, at least one process cavity, and a discharging cavity connected in sequence.

[0013] In one embodiment of this utility model, the feeding area and the unloading area are provided with a box feeding system and a box unloading system. The box feeding system includes a first conveying device, which pushes the loaded box into the feeding chamber. The box unloading system includes a second conveying device, which lowers the unloaded empty box to the docking position of the empty box return conveyor line and pushes it into the empty box return conveyor line. The first conveying device and the second conveying device may be the same as or different from each other.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cavity structure further includes a material box conveying assembly, which pushes the material box from the feeding cavity to the heating cavity, the process cavity, the discharge cavity, and finally into the unloading position of the material box unloading system.

[0015] In one embodiment of this invention, the vacuum system includes a molecular pump.

[0016] In one embodiment of this utility model, the empty material box return conveyor line includes a heat preservation component for heat preservation of the empty material box during the return process.

[0017] In one embodiment of this utility model, the maintenance platform is connected to a staircase for access.

[0018] In one embodiment of this utility model, the basic equipment includes an electrical cabinet and a dry pump.

[0019] The technical solution provided by this utility model has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0020] (1) The production line provided by this utility model can realize the continuous preparation of composite film layers with low temperature coating and passivation and excellent weather resistance.

[0021] (2) The production line provided by this utility model has a short process time, fast coating rate, no wrapping coating, and no sticking.

[0022] (3) The production line provided by this utility model has strong compatibility and is suitable for the edge passivation requirements of various photovoltaic cells such as TOPCon, XBC, and HJT.

[0023] (4) The production line provided by this utility model is highly integrated and modular, occupies a small area, and is convenient to transport and quick to install.

[0024] (5) The production line process area and corresponding supporting facilities provided by this utility model are separated, and a maintenance platform is provided. The cavity and supporting facilities are easy to maintain.

[0025] (6) The production line provided by this utility model has a large capacity and strong scalability. Upgrading the production line only requires adding process chamber equipment.

[0026] (7) The production line provided by this utility model has low cost and high cost performance. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0028] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line structure based on hot filament CVD provided in this utility model is shown, which shows in detail the chamber structure and vacuum system arranged from top to bottom in the process area as viewed from the height of the production line;

[0030] Figure 2 Another schematic diagram of a photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line structure based on hot filament CVD provided in this utility model is shown, which shows in detail the chamber structure, vacuum system and empty material box return conveyor line arranged from top to bottom in the process area as viewed from the height of the production line;

[0031] Figure 3 This illustration shows another schematic diagram of a photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line structure based on hot filament CVD provided in this utility model, which shows in detail the maintenance platforms set on both sides of the process area as viewed from the width direction of the production line;

[0032] Figure 4 This invention provides a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line structure based on hot-wire CVD.

[0033] Figure 5 A simplified schematic diagram of the operation mode of a photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-wire CVD provided in this utility model is shown.

[0034] The components include: 1. Feeding area; 2. Processing area; 3. Unloading area; 4. Cavity structure; 5. Vacuum system; 6. Molecular pump; 7. Empty material box return conveyor line; 8. Maintenance platform; 9. Feeding chamber; 10. Heating chamber; 11. First process chamber; 12. Second process chamber; 13. Discharge chamber; 14. Electrical cabinet; 15. Dry pump. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model, embodiments of this utility model will be further described below. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, embodiments of this utility model and features thereof can be combined with each other.

[0036] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention, but the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein; obviously, the embodiments in the specification are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0037] like Figure 1-4 As shown, this utility model provides a photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-filament CVD, including a loading area 1, a process area 2, and a unloading area 3, wherein:

[0038] Process area 2 includes a cavity structure 4, a vacuum system 5 (e.g., molecular pump 6), and an empty material box return conveyor line 7, arranged in layers from top to bottom along the height of the production line. Edge passivation of the solar cells is performed in the cavity structure 4. The vacuum system 5 (e.g., molecular pump 6) provides a vacuum environment for the cavity structure 4. The empty material box return conveyor line 7 returns the empty material boxes from the unloading area 3 to the loading area 1.

[0039] The process area 2 has maintenance platforms 8 and basic equipment (e.g., electrical cabinet 14 and dry pump 15 shown in the figure) located on both sides along the width of the production line. The maintenance platforms 8 are set at the height of the cavity structure 4 and are used to perform maintenance operations on the cavity structure 4.

[0040] Through the above-described technical solutions of this utility model, the production line provided by this utility model can achieve continuous preparation of composite film layers with excellent weather resistance through low-temperature coating and passivation; the production line provided by this utility model has a short process time, fast coating rate, no wrapping coating, and no wafer sticking; the production line provided by this utility model has strong compatibility and is suitable for the edge passivation requirements of various photovoltaic cells such as TOPCon, XBC, and HJT for half / quarter cells; the production line provided by this utility model is highly integrated and modular, occupies a small area, and is convenient for equipment transportation and quick installation; the production line provided by this utility model separates the process area from the corresponding supporting facilities, and has a maintenance platform, making the cavity and supporting facilities easy to maintain; the production line provided by this utility model has a large capacity, strong scalability, and upgrading the production line only requires adding process cavity equipment; the production line provided by this utility model has low cost and high cost performance.

[0041] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 1-4 As shown, the loading area 1, the process area 2, and the unloading area 3 are arranged sequentially along the length of the production line.

[0042] In the above embodiments, optionally, the loading area 1 and the unloading area 3 are integrated into a loading and unloading area with loading and unloading functions, and the loading and unloading area is connected to the process area 2 along the length of the production line.

[0043] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 1-5 As shown, the cavity structure 4 includes a feeding cavity 9, at least one heating cavity 10 (e.g., it may have multiple heating cavities), at least one process cavity (e.g., a first process cavity 11 and a second process cavity 12) and a discharging cavity 13 connected in sequence.

[0044] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 1-5 As shown, the loading area 1 and unloading area 3 are equipped with a box loading system and a box unloading system. The box loading system includes a first conveying device (not shown), which pushes the loaded box into the feeding chamber 9. The box unloading system includes a second conveying device (not shown), which lowers the unloaded empty box to the docking position of the empty box return conveyor line 7 and pushes it into the empty box return conveyor line 7. The first conveying device and the second conveying device may be the same or different.

[0045] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 1-5As shown, the cavity structure 4 also includes a material box conveying assembly, which pushes the material box from the feeding cavity 9 to the heating cavity 10, the first process cavity 11, the second process cavity 12, the discharge cavity 13, and finally pushes it into the material box unloading system of the unloading area 3.

[0046] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, the vacuum system 5 includes a molecular pump 6.

[0047] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the empty material box return conveyor line 7 includes an insulation component (not shown) for insulating the empty material boxes during the return process.

[0048] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 3-4 As shown, maintenance platform 8 is connected to a staircase (not shown) for access.

[0049] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 1-2 As shown in Figure 4, the basic equipment includes electrical cabinet 14 and dry pump 15.

[0050] The technical solution of this utility model will be described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0051] Example 1

[0052] like Figure 1-4 As shown, the production line layout based on HoFCVD technology in this embodiment is a three-section layout:

[0053] (1) Along the length of the production line (i.e. from left to right), the production line is divided into loading area 1, process area 2, and unloading area 3. Loading area 1 and unloading area 3 have the same function, used for the input and output of battery cells; process area 2 is the area where the edge passivation coating of battery cells is carried out.

[0054] (2) In the height direction of the production line (i.e. from top to bottom), the process area 2 includes the upper cavity structure 4, the middle vacuum system 5, mainly the location of the molecular pump 6, to ensure the vacuum degree required by the cavity structure 4; the lower layer is the empty material box return conveyor line 7.

[0055] (3) Viewed from the side, the production line is also divided into three sections, namely, in the width direction (front and back direction) of the production line, the middle layer is the process area 2 described (e.g. Figure 3 The area shown in the middle cavity structure 4); the upper layer of the front and rear layers of the process area 2 is the maintenance platform 8, which can be accessed by stairs to maintain the upper cavity structure 4; the lower layer of the front and rear layers of the process area 2, that is, below the maintenance platform 7, are infrastructure such as the electrical cabinet 14 and the dry pump 15.

[0056] When the aforementioned photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-filament CVD is running, such as Figure 5 As shown, its operation is as follows:

[0057] (a) At the feeding position of the feeding box system in the feeding area 1, the finished battery cell (one box) is placed into the empty box. The battery cell is placed horizontally, and the box filled with batteries is pushed into the side of the feeding chamber 9 of the process area 2 by the first conveying device.

[0058] (b) After the vacuum in the feeding chamber 9 is broken, the first conveying device in the feeding box system pushes the box into the feeding chamber 9.

[0059] (c) Vacuum is achieved in each chamber of process zone 2 by molecular pump 6. When the feed chamber 9 reaches the set vacuum condition, the material box conveying assembly in feed chamber 9 pushes the material box into heating chamber 10.

[0060] (d) When the material box reaches the set temperature condition in the heating chamber 10, the material box in the heating chamber 10 is pushed into the first process chamber 11 by the material box conveying assembly. The first film deposition is completed under vacuum conditions by hot filament chemical vapor deposition (Hot filament CVD, HoFCVD). Then the material box in the first process chamber 11 is pushed into the second process chamber 12 by the material box conveying assembly, and the second film deposition is completed again by hot filament chemical vapor deposition.

[0061] (e) After the coating is completed, the material box in the second process chamber 12 is pushed into the discharge chamber 13 by the material box conveying assembly.

[0062] (f) After the vacuum is broken in the discharge chamber 13, the material box in the discharge chamber 13 is pushed into the material box feeding system of the feeding area 3 by the material box conveying component.

[0063] (g) After the coated battery cells are recycled, the empty material box unloading system lowers the empty material box to the docking position of the empty material box return conveyor line 7 and pushes it into the empty material box return conveyor line 7.

[0064] (h) The material box insulation component conveys the material box to the feeding position in the material box feeding system. During the conveying process, it simultaneously insulates the empty material box. The operator can perform maintenance operations on the cavity structure 4 through the maintenance platform 8.

[0065] Example 2

[0066] Similar to the structure of Embodiment 1, the only difference is that the loading area 1 and unloading area 3 are integrated into a loading and unloading area with loading and unloading functions. The loading and unloading area is connected to the process area 2 along the length of the production line. In this embodiment, during operation, both loading and unloading are carried out in the integrated loading and unloading area. That is, after loading in the loading and unloading area, the material box is sequentially pushed into the feeding chamber 9, heating chamber 10, process chambers (first process chamber 11, second process chamber 12), and discharge chamber 13 within the process area. Then, the material box in the discharge chamber 13 returns to the loading and unloading area within the cavity structure to perform the unloading function. Other operating modes are the same as those of the production line in Embodiment 1.

[0067] Therefore, the production line of this utility model is based on hot-wire CVD (HoFCVD) technology to passivate the edges of photovoltaic cells. This production line can achieve continuous preparation of composite film layers with excellent weather resistance through low-temperature coating and passivation. It also features short process time, fast coating rate, no wrapping, and no cell adhesion. The production line has high integration, compact layout, and is easy to transport, install, and maintain. Furthermore, the production line has strong compatibility and is suitable for the edge passivation requirements of various photovoltaic cells, such as tunnel oxide passivation contact (TOPCon), cross-back contact (XBC), and heterojunction (HJT). The equipment has low cost and high cost performance.

[0068] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to the process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0069] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention, which enables those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present invention. Various modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-filament CVD, characterized in that, It includes a loading area, a processing area, and a unloading area, among which: The process area includes a cavity structure, a vacuum system, and an empty material box return conveyor line arranged in layers from top to bottom along the height of the production line. Edge passivation of the battery cells is performed in the cavity structure. The vacuum system provides a vacuum environment for the cavity structure. The empty material box return conveyor line returns empty material boxes from the unloading area to the loading area. The process area has maintenance platforms and basic equipment located below the maintenance platforms on both sides along the width of the production line. The maintenance platforms are located at the height of the cavity structure and are used to perform maintenance operations on the cavity structure.

2. The photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-filament CVD according to claim 1, characterized in that, The loading area, the process area, and the unloading area are arranged sequentially along the length of the production line.

3. The photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-filament CVD according to claim 1, characterized in that, The loading area and the unloading area are integrated into a loading and unloading area with loading and unloading functions. The loading and unloading area is connected to the process area along the length of the production line.

4. The photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-filament CVD according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cavity structure includes a feeding cavity, at least one heating cavity, at least one process cavity, and a discharging cavity connected in sequence.

5. The photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-filament CVD according to claim 4, characterized in that, The feeding area and the unloading area are equipped with a box feeding system and a box unloading system. The box feeding system includes a first conveying device, which pushes the loaded box into the feeding chamber. The box unloading system includes a second conveying device, which lowers the unloaded empty box to the docking position of the empty box return conveyor line and pushes it into the empty box return conveyor line. The first conveying device and the second conveying device may be the same as or different from each other.

6. The photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-filament CVD according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cavity structure also includes a material box conveying assembly, which pushes the material box from the feeding cavity to the heating cavity, the process cavity, the discharge cavity, and finally into the unloading position of the material box unloading system.

7. The photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-filament CVD according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vacuum system includes a molecular pump.

8. The photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-filament CVD according to claim 1, characterized in that, The empty material box return conveyor line includes an insulation component for keeping the empty material boxes warm during the return process.

9. The photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-filament CVD according to claim 1, characterized in that, The maintenance platform is connected to a staircase for access.

10. The photovoltaic cell edge passivation production line based on hot-filament CVD according to claim 1, characterized in that, The basic equipment includes an electrical cabinet and a dry pump.

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