Etching Equipment

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides an etching apparatus that can effectively realize an open structure by a simplified process with low cost. The etching apparatus includes a porous roll (210) having a hollow structure with both ends open, an etching solution is contained in the hollow structure, and a pressing roll (220) that is attached close to the porous roll (210) and installed above the liquid level of the etching solution and is used to press a metal layer (230) to be etched against the surface of the porous roll (210). During the rotation of the porous roll (210), the etching solution continuously immerses the metal layer (230) in contact with at least some of the openings (211) through at least some of the openings (211), thereby continuously etching the metal layer (230) in contact with at least some of the openings (211).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application entitled "Etching Apparatus" with Application No. 202210035323.9, filed on January 13, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present application relates to the field of etching technology, and more particularly to an etching apparatus. [Background technology]

[0003] Energy saving and emission reduction are key points in the sustainable development of the automotive industry. In this context, electric vehicles have become an important part of the sustainable development of the automotive industry due to their advantages of energy saving and environmental friendliness. For electric vehicles, battery technology is a key factor in their development.

[0004] In order to improve the performance of a battery, a method of making holes in a current collector is generally used. At present, the process of making holes in a current collector generally comprises steps of coating, exposure, development, etching, etc. However, the process of making holes is not only complicated but also costly, for example, the photosensitive material coated on the surface of the current collector in the coating step is generally expensive. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide an etching apparatus that can effectively realize an open hole structure through a simplified process with low cost.

[0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided an etching device including: a porous roll having a hollow structure with both ends open, an etching liquid contained within the hollow structure, and a plurality of openings; and a pressure roll attached adjacent to the porous roll and placed above the liquid level of the etching liquid, and used to press a metal layer to be etched against the surface of the porous roll, wherein, as the porous roll rotates, the etching liquid continuously immerses the metal layer in contact with at least some of the openings through at least some of the openings, thereby continuously etching the metal layer in contact with at least some of the openings.

[0007] In the embodiment of the present application, a porous roll is provided, and a number of openings are provided in the porous roll, and an etching solution is contained therein, so that during the rotation of the porous roll, the etching solution can continuously etch the metal layer in contact with the openings through the openings of the porous roll, not only achieving the purpose of opening holes in the metal layer, but also the etching solution can continuously etch the metal layer, so that the contact time between the etching solution and the metal layer is prolonged, and the metal layer can be sufficiently etched, and the etching thickness requirement is met.

[0008] In addition, the pressing roll is provided adjacent to the porous roll, so that the contact pressure between the metal layer and the porous roll can be guaranteed during the rotation of the porous roll, so that the metal layer rotates in close contact with the porous roll, so that the etching solution can more fully etch the metal layer. In addition, the pressing roll is installed above the liquid level of the etching solution, which on the one hand increases the time for the etching solution to etch the metal layer, and on the other hand, before the metal layer continuously contacts with the etching solution, the metal layer contacts the porous roll, which not only avoids the problem of leakage as much as possible, but also avoids the problem of the etching solution etching the non-perforated area of ​​the metal layer due to leakage.

[0009] In some possible implementations, the pressure roll is located above the axis of the perforated roll.

[0010] The above technical solution installs the pressing roll above the axis of the perforated roll, and increases the wrap angle of the perforated roll, thereby extending the etching time of the etching solution for the metal layer, so that the metal layer can be more fully etched, and further meet the requirements for etching thickness.

[0011] In some possible implementations, the number of the pressing rolls is two, and the two pressing rolls are respectively installed upstream and downstream in the transport direction of the metal layer of the porous roll, and the etching liquid continuously etches the metal layer in contact with at least some of the openings from the position of the pressing roll installed upstream in the transport direction to the position of the pressing roll installed downstream in the transport direction.

[0012] In the above technical solution, the number of the pressing rolls is set to two, and the two pressing rolls are respectively installed upstream and downstream of the porous roll along the conveying direction, so that the pressing rolls can increase the contact pressure between the metal layer and the porous roll at the upstream and downstream positions of the porous roll, so that the metal layer can be rotated in closer contact with the porous roll, which further avoids the problem of liquid leakage at the upstream and downstream positions of the porous roll, and further improves the performance of the etching device.

[0013] In some possible implementations, the method further includes a liquid collecting device, at least a portion of the porous roll is disposed within the liquid collecting device, and the liquid collecting device is used to collect the etching liquid leaked from the porous roll.

[0014] In the above technical solution, the etching apparatus includes a liquid collecting device, so that even if the etching liquid leaks from the porous roll, the liquid collecting device can collect the leaked etching liquid, effectively avoiding the problem of the etching liquid splashing and contaminating other equipment.

[0015] In some possible implementations, the method further includes a cleaning device that is installed downstream of the porous roll in the transport direction of the metal layer and is used to clean the etching solution remaining on the metal layer after the etching solution continuously etches the metal layer.

[0016] In the above technical solution, a cleaning device is installed in the etching device, which can quickly clean the metal layer after the etching solution etches the metal layer, remove the etching solution and other contaminants remaining on the metal layer, and help the etching device deliver a metal layer that can be used as is.

[0017] In some possible implementations, the cleaning device further includes a drying device that is installed downstream of the cleaning device in the transport direction of the metal layer and is used to dry the metal layer after the cleaning device cleans the etching solution remaining on the metal layer.

[0018] In the above technical solution, a drying device is installed in the etching equipment, so that after the cleaning device cleans the etching solution remaining on the metal layer, the drying device can quickly dry the metal layer, eliminating the need to stop the etching equipment for a certain period of time to wait for the metal layer to dry naturally, thereby improving the processing speed of the entire equipment.

[0019] In some possible implementations, the apparatus further includes a liquid introducing device used to introduce the etching liquid into the hollow structure through at least one of the openings at both ends of the porous roll.

[0020] In some possible implementations, the method further includes a conveying roll used to convey the metal layer to the porous roll and the pressure roll along the conveying direction of the metal layer, and to convey the metal layer from the porous roll and the pressure roll after the etching solution has continuously etched the metal layer.

[0021] In some possible implementations, the etching solution continuously etches the metal layer to form a plurality of openings on the surface of the metal layer, and the percentage of openings formed on the surface of the metal layer is between 30% and 50%.

[0022] In the above technical solution, the porosity of the metal layer is set to 30%-50%, which can meet the requirements of most current collectors, and effectively improve the applicability of the etching equipment and the current collector.

[0023] In some possible implementations, the etching apparatus is used to manufacture apertures in a current collector, the metal layer is a metal layer on the current collector and is provided on a surface of a base film included in the current collector, and the size and shape of each aperture in the plurality of apertures on the porous roll are the same as the size and shape of the apertures on the current collector.

[0024] In the above technical solution, the current collector aperture obtained by the etching device is the same as the required aperture, thereby improving the precision of the entire process. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly describes the drawings required for the embodiments of the present application, and it should be understood that the drawings shown below are only some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can further obtain other drawings based on the drawings without creative efforts.

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a porous roll according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of another etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0027] In the drawings, the drawings are not drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The embodiments of the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings and examples. The detailed description of the following examples and the drawings are used to exemplarily explain the principles of the present application, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present application, and the present application is not limited to the described examples.

[0029] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more, and the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", and "outer" is merely for facilitating and simplifying the description of this application, and does not indicate or imply that the subject device or element has a particular orientation, is configured and should be operated in a particular orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting this application. Furthermore, terms such as "first", "second", and "third" are used for explanatory purposes only, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. "Perpendicular" is not strictly perpendicular, but is within a margin of error. "Parallel" is not strictly parallel, but is within a margin of error.

[0030] Any directional expressions appearing in the following description are the directions shown in the drawings, and do not limit the specific structure of the present application. It should be further explained in the description of the present application that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "attached", "connected" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, they may be fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected. They may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application according to the specific circumstances.

[0031] The term "and / or" in this application merely describes the relationship between related objects, and indicates that three types of relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can indicate three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In this application, the symbol " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. The terms used in this application are merely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The terms "include" and "have" and their equivalents in the description of the present application and claims and the above drawings are intended to be non-exclusive. The terms "first", "second", etc. in the description of the present application and claims or the above drawings are used to distinguish different objects and are not used to describe a specific order or subordinate relationship.

[0033] Reference to an "embodiment" in this application means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearances of the term "embodiment" in various places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor do they refer to embodiments that are mutually exclusive, independent, or alternative to other embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand, both explicitly and implicitly, that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0034] Although the present application has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, various modifications can be made and the elements can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, the technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any manner as long as there is no structural contradiction. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification, but includes all technical solutions included in the claims.

[0035] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, batteries have been widely applied as major power devices in multiple fields, such as electric vehicles, military equipment, aerospace, etc.

[0036] For example, FIG. 1 shows a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present application, where the vehicle 1 may be a gasoline vehicle, a natural gas vehicle, or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a range extender vehicle, etc. A motor 40, a controller 30, and a battery 10 may be installed inside the vehicle 1, and the controller 30 is used to control the battery 10 to power the motor 40. For example, the battery 10 may be installed at the bottom, front, or rear of the vehicle 1. The battery 10 is used to power the vehicle 1, for example, the battery 10 may be used as the operating power source of the vehicle 1 for the circuit system of the vehicle 1, for example, to meet the operating power needs during starting, navigation, and running of the vehicle 1. In another embodiment of the present application, the battery 10 may be used not only as the operating power source of the vehicle 1, but also as the driving power source of the vehicle 1, to provide driving power to the vehicle 1 by replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas.

[0037] In the embodiments of the present application, a battery refers to a physical module that includes one or more battery cells to provide electrical energy. For example, the battery referred to in the present application may include a battery module or a battery pack. The battery generally includes a housing for packaging one or more battery cells. The housing can prevent liquids or other foreign objects from affecting the charging and discharging of the battery cells.

[0038] Optionally, the battery cell may include a lithium ion secondary battery, a lithium ion primary battery, a lithium sulfur battery, a sodium lithium ion battery, a sodium ion battery, or a magnesium ion battery, etc., but examples of the present application are not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the battery cell may also be referred to as a cell.

[0039] The battery cell includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte, and the electrode assembly is composed of a positive electrode sheet, a negative electrode sheet, and a separator. The battery cell is mainly operated by the movement of metal ions between the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet. The positive electrode sheet includes a positive electrode collector and a positive electrode active material layer, the positive electrode active material layer is applied to the surface of the positive electrode collector, the positive electrode collector not coated with the positive electrode active material layer protrudes from the positive electrode collector coated with the positive electrode active material layer, and the positive electrode collector not coated with the positive electrode active material layer is called a positive electrode tab. Taking a lithium ion battery as an example, the material of the positive electrode collector may be aluminum, and the positive electrode active material may be lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, or lithium manganate, etc. The negative electrode sheet includes a negative electrode collector and a negative electrode active material layer, the negative electrode active material layer is applied to the surface of the negative electrode collector, the negative electrode collector not coated with the negative electrode active material layer protrudes from the negative electrode collector coated with the negative electrode active material layer, and the negative electrode collector not coated with the negative electrode active material layer is a negative electrode tab. The material of the negative electrode collector may be copper, and the negative electrode active material may be carbon or silicon, etc. In order to ensure that melting does not occur due to a large current, the number of positive electrode tabs is multiple and stacked together, and the number of negative electrode tabs is multiple and stacked together. The material of the separator may be polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE), etc.

[0040] In order to improve the performance of the battery, the current collector is generally provided with a means for perforating. First, the porous structure increases the area of ​​the surface of the current collector that accommodates the active material, so that more active material can be filled into the pores, which is favorable for improving the energy density of the battery. Second, the porous structure can improve the adhesion between the current collector and the active material. Third, the porous structure itself is favorable for the infiltration of the electrolyte, which can improve the speed of the liquid injection process during the processing of the battery. After processing into the battery, the sufficient infiltration of the electrolyte can accelerate the passage rate of the lithium ions, which further improves the rate characteristics of the lithium battery. Fourth, after perforation, the movement and diffusion of the lithium ions changes from the conventional two-dimensional direction to omnidirectional penetration, and the contact area between the active material entering the pore member and the current collector (e.g., the positive electrode active material and the positive electrode current collector) increases, which reduces the movement radius of the lithium ions, which effectively improves the rate characteristics of the lithium ion battery.

[0041] At present, the process of drilling holes in a current collector generally consists of steps such as coating, exposure, development, and etching. Specifically, first, a photosensitive material such as ink is coated on the surface of the current collector. The ink is mainly composed of three components: photosensitive acrylate, mineral pigment particles, and leveling aid. The acrylate is cured by ultraviolet (UV) lamp and is not corroded by acid. Then, the current collector coated with the photosensitive material is cured by an exposure source such as UV in each area. Then, the current collector is placed in a developer tank to react the photosensitive material in the uncured area on the surface of the current collector, and the photosensitive material is removed. At the same time, the photosensitive material in the cured area is not removed. Then, an etching solution is sprayed on the surface of the current collector to etch the uncured area on the surface of the current collector, and the cured area is not etched because the photosensitive material is on the surface. This forms an opening on the surface of the current collector.

[0042] As can be seen from the above process, at least four steps are required to form holes on the surface of the current collector, making the whole process complicated. In addition, the above hole-forming means are expensive, for example, the ink costs 3.5 RMB per square meter.

[0043] In view of this, the embodiments of the present application provide an etching apparatus that can effectively realize an opening structure with a simplified process at low cost.

[0044] In addition, the embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to an example of an etching device used for manufacturing holes in a current collector, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. For example, the etching device of the embodiments of the present application may further be used for etching patterns, designs, etc. on packaging bags and product bags.

[0045] 2 is a structural schematic diagram of an etching apparatus 200 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 2, the etching apparatus 200 may include a porous roll 210 and a pressing roll 220. As shown in FIG. 3, the porous roll 210 is a hollow structure with both ends open, and an etching solution is contained in the hollow structure, and the porous roll 210 is provided with a plurality of openings 211. The pressing roll 220 is attached adjacent to the porous roll 210 and disposed above the liquid surface of the etching solution, and is used to press the metal layer 230 to be etched against the surface of the porous roll 210.

[0046] As the porous roll 210 rotates, the etching solution continuously soaks the metal layer 230 in contact with at least some of the openings 211 through at least some of the openings 211, thereby continuously etching the metal layer 230 in contact with at least some of the openings 211.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present application, a porous roll 210 is provided, and a plurality of openings 211 are provided in the porous roll 210, and an etching solution is contained therein. Thus, during the rotation of the porous roll 210, the etching solution can continuously etch the metal layer 230 in contact with the openings 211 through the openings 211 of the porous roll 210, not only achieving the purpose of opening holes in the metal layer 230, but also the etching solution continuously etches the metal layer 230, which prolongs the contact time between the etching solution and the metal layer 230, thereby allowing the metal layer 230 to be sufficiently etched, and meeting the requirement of the etching thickness.

[0048] In addition, the pressing roll 220 is provided adjacent to the porous roll 210, so that the contact pressure between the metal layer 230 and the porous roll 210 can be guaranteed during the rotation of the porous roll 210, so that the metal layer 230 rotates in close contact with the porous roll 210, so that the etching solution can more fully etch the metal layer 230. In addition, the pressing roll 220 is installed above the liquid level of the etching solution, which on the one hand increases the time for the etching solution to etch the metal layer 230, and on the other hand, the metal layer 230 contacts the porous roll 210 before the metal layer 230 continuously contacts the etching solution, which not only avoids the problem of leakage as much as possible, but also avoids the problem of the etching solution etching the non-perforated areas of the metal layer 230 due to leakage.

[0049] 2, the etching apparatus 200 of the embodiment of the present application is a roll-to-roll etching apparatus. As an example, the etching time of the etching apparatus 200 may be 30 s, the feed speed may be 1 m per minute to 5 m per minute (1 m / min to 5 m / min), the etching depth may be 50 um to 100 um, and the etching accuracy may be 5 um or less.

[0050] In addition, the specific examples in this specification are merely intended to help those skilled in the art to better understand the embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. For example, the etching time, feed rate, etching depth, etc. of the etching apparatus 200 can be specifically set according to the actual application.

[0051] Alternatively, the etching solution may include, but is not limited to, an acidic corrosive solution, an alkaline corrosive solution, etc. For example, the etching solution may be an acidic copper chloride or ammonium persulfate.

[0052] Alternatively, the etching solution contained within the porous roll 210 may fill the porous roll 210, or the amount of etching solution within the porous roll 210 may be less than the volume of the porous roll 210.

[0053] In addition, the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the size of the porous roll 210 and the size and shape of each of the multiple openings 211 of the porous roll 210. For example, the shape of the multiple openings 211 of the porous roll 210 may be a circle, an ellipse, a rectangle, an irregular shape, or the like.

[0054] In some embodiments, the size and shape of each of the apertures 211 in the plurality of apertures 211 in the porous roll 210 may be the same as the size and shape of the apertures in the current collector to be manufactured. In this way, the apertures in the current collector obtained by the etcher 200 are the same as the required apertures, improving the accuracy of the overall process.

[0055] Alternatively, taking into consideration the possibility that the etching solution will diffuse after continuously soaking the metal layer 230 through at least some of the openings 211 in the porous roll 210, the size of each of the multiple openings 211 in the porous roll 210 may be slightly smaller than the size of the openings in the current collector.

[0056] The etching solution continuously etches the metal layer 230, thereby forming a plurality of openings on the surface of the metal layer 230. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the ratio of the openings formed on the surface of the metal layer 230, and the ratio can be specifically set according to the actual application. For example, the ratio of the openings formed on the surface of the metal layer 230 may be set to 30% to 50%, that is, the metal layer 230 may have a porosity of 30% to 50%. When the porosity of the metal layer 230 is set to 30% to 50%, the requirements of most current collectors can be met, and the applicability of the etching apparatus 200 and the current collectors is effectively improved.

[0057] Alternatively, metal layer 230 may be a metal layer on a conventional current collector. For example, if the conventional current collector is a positive current collector, metal layer 230 may be an aluminum foil. If the conventional current collector is a negative current collector, metal layer 230 may be a copper foil.

[0058] Considering that high energy density, light weight, and flexibility are increasingly being sought as goals for batteries, the density of copper is 8.9 g / cm3, the density of aluminum is 2.79 g / cm3, and the total mass of the positive and negative electrode current collectors accounts for approximately 14% to 18% of the total mass of the battery, which does not meet the requirements for pursuing high energy density and light weight of batteries.

[0059] Based on this, the metal layer 230 in the embodiment of the present application may be a metal layer on a composite current collector. The middle layer of the composite current collector may be a plastic film, and the metal layer 230 is plated on the upper and lower surfaces of the plastic film, respectively, so that the battery can be made lighter and have higher energy density. The plastic film may be one or more of oriented polypropylene (OPP) plastic, polyimide (PI) plastic, polyethylene glycol terephthalate (PET) plastic, cast polypropylene (CPP) plastic, or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, and their derivatives, crosslinked products, and copolymers.

[0060] Furthermore, PET has high thermal stability compared to other plastic films.

[0061] 4, the number of the pressing rolls 220 may be two, and the two pressing rolls 220 are respectively installed upstream and downstream in the transport direction of the metal layer 230 of the porous roll 210. At this time, the etching solution continuously etches at least some of the metal layer 230 in contact with the openings 211 from the position of the pressing roll 220 installed upstream in the transport direction to the position of the pressing roll 220 installed downstream in the transport direction.

[0062] Alternatively, the two pressing rolls 220 may be symmetrically installed on both sides of the porous roll 210. For example, both of the pressing rolls 220 are installed above the liquid surface of the etching liquid.

[0063] Alternatively, the two pressing rolls 220 may be asymmetrically installed on both sides of the porous roll 210. For example, one of the two pressing rolls 220 is installed above the liquid surface of the etching liquid, and the other pressing roll is installed below the liquid surface of the etching liquid.

[0064] In the embodiments of the present application, "upper" refers to the direction opposite to the direction of gravity, and "lower" refers to the direction of gravity.

[0065] In this embodiment, in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the porous roll 210, the included angle α between the line connecting the axis of the two pressing rolls 220 and the axis of the porous roll 210 may be a minimum of 10 degrees. That is, the two pressing rolls 220 are adjacent to each other.

[0066] In the above technical solution, the number of the pressing rolls 220 is set to two, and the two pressing rolls 220 are respectively installed upstream and downstream of the porous roll 210 along the conveying direction, so that the pressing rolls 220 can increase the contact pressure between the metal layer 230 and the porous roll 210 at the upstream and downstream positions of the porous roll 210, and the metal layer 230 can be rotated in closer contact with the porous roll 210. In addition, the problem of liquid leakage at the upstream and downstream positions of the porous roll 210 is avoided, and the performance of the etching apparatus 200 is further improved.

[0067] In some embodiments, the pressure roll 220 may be positioned above the axis of the perforated roll 210 .

[0068] For example, when the number of the pressing rolls 220 is two, referring again to FIG. 4, both of the pressing rolls 220 may be installed above the axis of the porous roll 210. Alternatively, one of the two pressing rolls 220 may be installed above the axis of the porous roll 210, and the other pressing roll may be installed below the axis of the porous roll 210.

[0069] This technical solution installs the pressing roll 220 above the axis of the perforated roll 210, and increases the embrace angle of the perforated roll 210, thereby extending the etching time of the etching solution for the metal layer 230, so that the metal layer 230 can be more fully etched, and further meets the requirements for etching thickness.

[0070] The wrap angle refers to the central angle between the contact arcs of the belt and the pulley. The magnitude of the wrap angle reflects the length of the contact arc between the belt and the outer peripheral surface of the pulley.

[0071] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the etching apparatus 200 may further include an unwind roll 270 and a take-up roll 280 in addition to including the above-described devices.

[0072] The unwinding roll 270 is disposed at the most upstream side in the conveying direction and is used to convey the metal layer 230 along the conveying direction. The take-up roll 280 is disposed at the most downstream side in the conveying direction and is used to collect the etched metal layer 230.

[0073] In addition, the etching device 200 may further include at least one conveying roll, which is used to convey the metal layer 230 to the porous roll 210 and the pressing roll 220 along a conveying direction, and then convey the metal layer 230 from the porous roll 210 and the pressing roll 220 after the etching solution has continuously etched the metal layer 230.

[0074] When the etching apparatus 200 includes multiple transport rolls, the sizes of the multiple transport rolls may be the same or different, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

[0075] Although the etching apparatus 200 can avoid the problem of liquid leakage as much as possible, in some cases, it is unavoidable to avoid the occurrence of liquid leakage. Therefore, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the etching apparatus 200 of the embodiment of the present application may further include a liquid collecting device 240.

[0076] Here, at least a portion of the porous roll 210 is disposed in a liquid collector 240 , and the liquid collector 240 is used to collect the etching liquid leaked from the porous roll 210 .

[0077] Alternatively, the size of the liquid collector 240 may be larger than the size of the porous roll 210, so that, on the one hand, the porous roll 210 can be placed in the liquid collector 240, and, on the other hand, the liquid collector 240 can collect as much etching liquid as possible that leaks from the porous roll 210.

[0078] Optionally, the fluid collection device 240 may be a fluid collection tank.

[0079] In the above technical solution, the etching device 200 includes a liquid collecting device 240, so that even if the etching liquid leaks from the porous roll 210, the liquid collecting device 240 can collect the leaked etching liquid, effectively avoiding the problem of the etching liquid splashing and contaminating other devices.

[0080] After the metal layer 230 is continuously etched with the etching solution, contaminants such as the etching solution may adhere to the surface. Based on this, referring again to Figures 2 and 4, the etching device 200 may further include a cleaning device 250 that is installed downstream of the porous roll 210 in the transport direction of the metal layer 230 and is used to clean the etching solution remaining on the metal layer 230 after the etching solution continuously etches the metal layer 230.

[0081] 2 and 4, the cleaning device 250 may include a water bath, in which a driving roller and a cleaning liquid are provided, and when the driving roller drives the metal layer 230, the cleaning liquid in the water bath can clean the etching liquid on the metal layer 230.

[0082] The level of the cleaning liquid may be higher than the drive roller, i.e., the drive roller may be submerged in the cleaning liquid, so that the cleaning liquid can thoroughly clean the etching liquid on the metal layer 230. Of course, only a part of the structure of the drive roller may be submerged in the cleaning liquid.

[0083] Alternatively, the cleaning liquid may be clean water or any other liquid capable of dissolving the etchant.

[0084] As another example, the cleaning device 250 may include a shower pipe, in which a cleaning liquid is contained and which is used to spray the cleaning liquid onto the metal layer 230 after it has been etched.

[0085] The number of shower pipes may be one or more. When the number of shower pipes is more than one, the shower pipes may be installed on both sides of the metal layer 230. For example, when the cleaning device 250 includes four shower pipes, the four shower pipes may be installed on both sides of the metal layer 230, two of which are opposite to each other.

[0086] Optionally, the etching apparatus 200 may further include a control system, which is used to control the opening and closing of the shower pipe. Specifically, when the etched metal layer 230 is transferred to the cleaning apparatus 250 or is about to be transferred to the position of the cleaning apparatus 250, the control system controls the shower pipe to be open, so that the shower pipe can spray the cleaning liquid onto the metal layer 230. At other times, the control system controls the shower pipe to be closed.

[0087] As another example, the cleaning device 250 may include a water washing tank or a shower pipe, so that the cleaning device 250 can thoroughly clean the etching solution remaining on the metal layer 230 in a short time, effectively improving cleaning efficiency.

[0088] In the above technical solution, a cleaning device 250 is installed in the etching device 200, which can quickly clean the metal layer 230 after the etching solution etches the metal layer 230, and remove the etching solution and other contaminants remaining on the metal layer 230, which helps the etching device 200 deliver a metal layer 230 that can be used as is.

[0089] After the cleaning device 250 cleans the residual etchant from the metal layer 230 , embodiments of the present disclosure may further dry the cleaned metal layer 230 .

[0090] Therefore, the etching apparatus 200 may further include a drying apparatus 260, which is installed downstream of the cleaning apparatus 250 and is used to dry the metal layer 230 after the cleaning apparatus 250 cleans the etching solution remaining on the metal layer 230.

[0091] Optionally, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the drying device 260 may include an air knife, which is used to air-dry the metal layer 230 cleaned by the cleaning device 250. The embodiment of the present application is not specifically limited to the number of air knives. For example, the number of air knives may be one. Furthermore, for example, referring again to Figures 2 and 4, the number of air knives may be a plurality, such as two, and the plurality of air knives may be installed at intervals on both sides of the metal layer 230 along the conveying direction.

[0092] Drying device 260 may include a pipe heater (not shown) in addition to the air knife. Like the air knife, the pipe heater is also installed at an interval on both sides of metal layer 230 along the conveying direction. Specifically, the pipe heater and the air knife are installed at an interval from each other, and one air knife may be installed between two pipe heaters, or one pipe heater may be installed between two air knives.

[0093] The number and arrangement of the pipe heaters and air knives in the embodiment of the present application can be set based on various factors such as the drying speed and feed speed required for the metal layer 230 in practical applications. For example, two pipe heaters are installed between two adjacent air knives.

[0094] Optionally, the drying device 260 may include a UV lamp that can irradiate light in a specific wavelength range onto the metal layer 230 cleaned in the cleaning device 250, thereby drying the cleaned metal layer 230.

[0095] In the above technical solution, the drying device 260 is installed in the etching device 200. After the cleaning device 250 cleans the etching solution remaining on the metal layer 230, the drying device 260 can quickly dry the metal layer 230. There is no need to stop the etching device 200 for a certain period of time to wait for the metal layer 230 to dry naturally, thereby improving the processing speed of the entire device.

[0096] Furthermore, the etching apparatus 200 may further include a liquid introduction device (not shown), which is used to introduce an etching liquid into the hollow structure of the porous roll 210 through at least one of the openings at both ends of the porous roll 210.

[0097] Optionally, the liquid introduction device can introduce the etching liquid into the porous roll 210 prior to operating the etcher 200 .

[0098] Since there is a possibility that the etching liquid may be consumed due to leakage or the like during the process of etching the metal layer 230, the liquid introducing device can further introduce the etching liquid into the porous roll 210 while the etching device 200 is operating.

[0099] The purpose of saving the etching solution and further reducing the manufacturing cost of the holes in the current collector is realized. In the embodiment of the present application, the liquid introducing device may be connected to the liquid collecting device 240, so that the liquid collecting device 240 can send the collected etching solution to the liquid introducing device, and the liquid introducing device further introduces the etching solution obtained from the liquid collecting device 240 into the hollow structure of the porous roll 210.

[0100] This allows the etching solution to be reused, reducing the manufacturing cost of opening holes in the current collector.

[0101] Optionally, the liquid introduction device may be, but is not limited to, a pump.

[0102] Although the present application has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, various modifications can be made and the elements can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, the technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any manner as long as there is no structural contradiction. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification, but includes all technical solutions included in the claims.

Claims

1. A porous roll (210) having a hollow structure with both ends open, an etching solution being contained in the hollow structure, and having a plurality of openings (211); a pressing roll (220) attached adjacent to the porous roll (210) and positioned above the surface of the etching solution, and used to press the metal layer (230) to be etched against the surface of the porous roll (210); In the course of rotation of the porous roll (210), the etching solution continuously immerses the metal layer (230) in contact with at least some of the openings (211) through at least some of the openings (211), thereby continuously etching the metal layer (230) in contact with at least some of the openings (211).

2. The etching apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure roll (220) is disposed above the axis of the perforated roll (210).

3. The number of the pressing rolls (220) is two, and the two pressing rolls (220) are installed upstream and downstream of the porous roll (210) in the conveying direction of the metal layer (230), respectively; 2. The etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the etching solution continuously etches the metal layer (230) in contact with at least some of the openings (211) from a position of the pressing roll (220) installed upstream in the transport direction to a position of the pressing roll (220) installed downstream in the transport direction.

4. The etching apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a liquid collecting device (240), at least a portion of the porous roll (210) being disposed within the liquid collecting device (240), and the liquid collecting device (240) being used to collect the etching liquid leaked from the porous roll (210).

5. The etching apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a cleaning device (250) that is installed downstream of the porous roll (210) in the transport direction of the metal layer (230) and is used to clean the etching solution remaining on the metal layer (230) after the etching solution has continuously etched the metal layer (230).

6. 6. The etching apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a drying device (260) that is installed downstream of the cleaning device (250) in the transport direction of the metal layer (230) and is used to dry the metal layer (230) after the cleaning device (250) cleans the etching solution remaining on the metal layer (230).

7. The etching apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a liquid introduction device used to introduce the etching liquid into the hollow structure through at least one of the openings at both ends of the porous roll (210).

8. The etching apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a transport roll used to transport the metal layer (230) to the porous roll (210) and the pressing roll (220) along a transport direction of the metal layer (230), and to transport the metal layer (230) from the porous roll (210) and the pressing roll (220) after the etching solution has continuously etched the metal layer (230).

9. The etching apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the etching solution continuously etches the metal layer (230), thereby forming a plurality of openings in the surface of the metal layer (230), and a ratio of the openings formed in the surface of the metal layer (230) is 30% to 50%.

10. The etching apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the etching apparatus is used for manufacturing holes in a current collector, the metal layer (230) is a metal layer on the current collector and is provided on a surface of a base film included in the current collector, and the size and shape of each of the plurality of openings (211) on the porous roll (210) are the same as the size and shape of an opening on the current collector.

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