Printing screen stencil

Abstract

A printing screen stencil (100), comprising a screen stencil body (1) and a soft layer (2). The screen stencil body comprises a printing surface (111), a printing contact surface (121) and several penetrating grid lines, wherein the printing surface is arranged opposite the printing contact surface. The soft layer covers the printing contact surface, the thickness of the soft layer is greater than or equal to 1 μm, and the Mohs hardness thereof is less than or equal to 300. When a squeegee is used to scrape a printing ink on the printing surface of the printing screen stencil, a printing contact surface side comes into contact with a substrate by means of the soft layer, such that the squeegee can be effectively controlled so as to protect the substrate, and the ink is uniformly applied, thereby improving the printing quality.

Description

A printing screen

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This disclosure claims priority to a Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 29, 2023, with application number 202323658622.7 and utility model name “A Printing Screen”. The entire contents of the patent application are incorporated into this disclosure by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of screen printing, and in particular to a printing screen. Background Art

[0004] Printing screens are important tools in the electronics field. Taking the printing of solar cell electrodes as an example, slurry is poured onto the printing screen and moved on the printing screen with a scraper. The slurry is squeezed through the mesh holes on the printing screen and onto the solar cell, forming a corresponding pattern on the solar cell to form the electrode of the solar cell.

[0005] Traditional printing screens are difficult to control when printing on solar cells. This can easily cause cracks in the silicon wafers, damaging the solar cells and causing uneven ink application. Therefore, a new printing screen structure is urgently needed to address these issues.

[0006] Utility Model Content

[0007] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a printing screen to solve the above technical problems.

[0008] A technical solution of the present disclosure is:

[0009] A printing screen, comprising:

[0010] A screen body comprising a printing surface, a pasting surface, and a plurality of grid lines extending therethrough, wherein the printing surface and the pasting surface are arranged opposite to each other;

[0011] A soft layer is covered on the printing surface, wherein the thickness of the soft layer is greater than or equal to 1 μm and the Mohs hardness is less than or equal to 300.

[0012] In one embodiment, the soft layer has a thickness ranging from 1 μm to 10 μm and a Mohs hardness ranging from 0.5 to 300.

[0013] In one embodiment, the soft layer is a soft metal layer with a Mohs hardness less than 100.

[0014] In one embodiment, the soft layer is a tin layer, an aluminum layer, a copper layer or a gold layer.

[0015] In one embodiment, the soft layer is a metal layer and a polymer layer located between the mesh body and the metal layer.

[0016] In one embodiment, the soft layer is a polymer layer.

[0017] In one embodiment, the soft layer includes an opening corresponding to the gate line, and the width of the opening is greater than or equal to the width of the gate line.

[0018] In one embodiment, the soft layer includes a plurality of gaps arranged at intervals, and the width of the gaps is less than or equal to 20 μm.

[0019] In one embodiment, the grid body includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer stacked together, the printing surface is arranged on the first metal layer, the printing surface is arranged on the second metal layer, and the grid line includes a first line groove located in the first metal layer and a second line groove located in the second metal layer, the first line groove and the second line groove are arranged to overlap and be connected, and the line width of the first line groove is greater than the line width of the second line groove.

[0020] In one embodiment, the first metal layer is recessed from the printing surface to form a grid texture.

[0021] In one embodiment, the grid texture is provided with an AG structure, the height of the AG structure is in the range of 10 nm-5 μm, and the width of the AG structure is in the range of 50 nm-50 μm.

[0022] The present disclosure provides the following beneficial effects: When a scraper is used to scrape ink from the printing surface of a printing screen, the printing surface contacts the substrate through a soft layer. The soft layer has a thickness of 1 μm or greater and a Mohs hardness of 300 or less. This effectively controls the scraper to protect the substrate, ensures uniform ink application, and improves printing quality. When printing solar cell electrodes, the printing screen contacts the solar cell through the soft layer, preventing excessive pressure from cracking the silicon wafer and ensuring printing quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a planar structure of a printing screen disclosed herein;

[0024] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along line AA' in FIG1;

[0025] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along line BB' in FIG1 ;

[0026] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of another cross-sectional structure of a printing screen disclosed herein;

[0027] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of another cross-sectional structure of a printing screen disclosed herein;

[0028] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of another cross-sectional structure of a printing screen disclosed herein;

[0029] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of another cross-sectional structure of a printing screen disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] To facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, a more comprehensive description of the present disclosure will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described below. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the disclosure.

[0031] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an element centered thereon. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an element centered thereon. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementations.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms used herein in the specification of this disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this disclosure. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0033] The present disclosure discloses a printing screen, which includes a screen body and a soft layer. The screen body includes a printing surface, a printing surface and a plurality of grid lines arranged therethrough, and the printing surface and the printing surface are arranged opposite to each other. The soft layer is covered on the printing surface, and the thickness of the soft layer is greater than or equal to 1 μm and the Mohs hardness is less than or equal to 300. When the printing screen uses a scraper to scrape ink on the printing surface, the printing surface side contacts the substrate through the soft layer, and the thickness of the soft layer is greater than or equal to 1 μm and the Mohs hardness is less than or equal to 300. The scraper can be effectively controlled to protect the substrate, and the ink can be applied evenly, thereby improving the printing quality. When the printing screen prints the electrodes of solar cells, it contacts the solar cells through the soft layer, which can prevent the silicon wafer from breaking due to excessive pressure and ensure the printing quality.

[0034] In one embodiment, the soft layer has a thickness ranging from 1 μm to 10 μm and a Mohs hardness ranging from 0.5 to 300.

[0035] In one embodiment, the soft layer is a soft metal layer with a Mohs hardness of less than 100. For example, a tin layer, an aluminum layer, a copper layer, or a gold layer can be used as the soft layer. Using a soft metal layer as the soft layer can protect the substrate, improve ink absorption, and increase the strength and life of the printing screen.

[0036] In one embodiment, the soft layer comprises a metal layer and a polymer layer positioned between the screen body and the metal layer. The soft layer is a composite of the polymer and metal layers. The polymer layer reduces the hardness of the soft layer and increases the toughness of the printing screen. The coated metal layer protects the substrate and enhances the strength of the printing screen.

[0037] In one embodiment, the soft layer is a polymer layer, such as a TPU layer, a PU layer, etc. The polymer layer is directly applied to the printing surface or adhered to the printing surface by adhesive.

[0038] In one embodiment, the soft layer includes openings corresponding to the grid lines, and the width of the openings is greater than or equal to the width of the grid lines, thereby improving ink dispensing performance and ensuring uniform ink dispensing.

[0039] In one embodiment, the soft layer includes a plurality of spaced-apart notches, each with a width of 20 μm or less. The soft layer may be provided entirely on the printed surface, or may be provided partially, for example, with a plurality of spaced-apart notches, each with a width of 20 μm or less, to ensure the Mohs hardness and protective properties of the entire soft layer.

[0040] In one embodiment, the screen body includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer stacked together, the printing surface is arranged on the first metal layer, and the printing surface is arranged on the second metal layer. The grid line includes a first line groove located in the first metal layer and a second line groove located in the second metal layer. The first line groove and the second line groove are arranged in an overlapping and connected manner, and the line width of the first line groove is greater than the line width of the second line groove, which has better ink holding performance.

[0041] In one embodiment, the first metal layer is recessed from the printing surface to form a grid texture. The grid texture has a thickness ranging from 3μm to 25μm or a depth ranging from 3μm to 25μm, an average pore size ranging from 10μm to 200μm, and a mesh width ranging from 5μm to 150μm. Furthermore, the grid texture is provided with an AG structure, with a height ranging from 10nm to 5μm and a width ranging from 50nm to 50μm. This structure can control the resistance of the scraper during printing, thereby controlling the amount of ink and improving print quality.

[0042] The printing screen of the present disclosure is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the present disclosure discloses a printing screen 100 comprising a screen body 1 and a soft layer 2. The screen body 1 further comprises a first metal layer 11 and a second metal layer 12, which are stacked. The first metal layer 11 comprises a printing surface 111, and the second metal layer 12 comprises a printing surface 121. The printing surface 111 and the printing surface 121 are arranged opposite each other. The first metal layer 11 comprises a plurality of first line grooves 112 extending therethrough, and the second metal layer 12 comprises a plurality of second line grooves 122 extending therethrough. The first line grooves 112 and the second line grooves 122 are arranged to communicate with each other to form grid lines of the screen body 1. The width of the first line grooves 112 is greater than the width of the second line grooves 122, which can better control the amount of ink and improve the ink application performance and quality.

[0044] The second wire groove 122 is in the shape of an elongated strip, and the first wire groove 112 is distributed in a section-like manner along the length direction of the second wire groove 122. The second wire groove 122 corresponds to a number of first wire grooves 112 distributed at intervals. A connecting bridge 113 is formed between adjacent first wire grooves 112. The setting of the connecting bridge 113 does not affect the ink-taking property, and can increase the strength to ensure the stability of the first wire groove 112 and the second wire groove 122. The material of the first metal layer 11 is a metal material such as nickel or nickel alloy, and the material of the second metal layer 12 is a metal material such as nickel or nickel alloy. The first metal layer 11 is directly formed on the second metal layer 12. In other embodiments, the first metal layer 11 is connected to the second metal layer 12 through an adhesive layer. In other embodiments, the first wire groove 112 is not provided with a connecting bridge but is provided continuously.

[0045] A soft layer 2 is applied to the printing surface 121. In this embodiment, the soft layer 2 is a tin layer formed on the printing surface 121 by coating. The thickness of the tin layer is greater than or equal to 1 μm, and the Mohs hardness is less than or equal to 300. When the scraper is operating on the printing surface, the soft layer 2 provided on the printing surface 121 prevents the printing surface 121 from directly contacting the substrate. The soft layer 2 also contacts the substrate, protecting the substrate from cracking. In particular, when the substrate is a solar cell, the soft layer 2 protects the silicon wafer from cracking. This also allows for better scraping control, facilitates ink scraping, and achieves more uniform ink application. In other embodiments, the tin layer can also be another soft metal layer, such as aluminum, copper, or gold.

[0046] The soft layer 2 is provided with openings 21 passing through the grid lines of the grid body 1. The width of the openings 21 is equal to the width of the second groove lines 122. In other embodiments, see FIG. 4 , the width of the openings 31 of the soft layer 3 is greater than the width of the second groove lines 123.

[0047] The soft layer 2 can entirely cover the printed surface 121. For example, the printed surface 121 of the second metal layer can be entirely electroplated with tin. In other embodiments, see FIG5 , the soft layer 4 does not entirely cover the printed surface. Instead, the soft layer 4 is provided with a plurality of spaced-apart notches 42. The width of the notches 42 can be limited to d ≤ 20 μm.

[0048] The soft layer 2 is a single-layer soft metal layer, such as a tin layer, an aluminum layer, a copper layer, or a gold layer. In other embodiments, see Figure 6, the soft layer 5 includes a polymer layer 53 and a metal layer 54 bonded to the screen body 1. The polymer layer 53 and the metal layer 54 are composited on the screen body 1, the polymer layer 53 is a glue such as UV, OCA, or a film such as PI, PU, ​​or TPU, and the metal layer 54 is a metal layer formed by a coating method such as electroplating, evaporation, or sputtering, such as an electroplated tin layer. In other embodiments, the metal layer 54 is formed by a diaphragm or coating method. The soft layer 5 is a composite layer that meets the thickness requirements and Mohs hardness requirements, protects the substrate, and improves the printing quality. In other embodiments, the soft layer 2 is a polymer layer, and the polymer is a film such as PI, PU, ​​or TPU, with a Mohs hardness of less than or equal to 300, which protects the substrate and improves the printing quality.

[0049] Referring to FIG7 , in another embodiment, the first metal layer 61 of the printing screen 200 is recessed from the printing surface 611 to form a grid texture 614. The thickness of the grid texture 614 is in the range of 3 μm-25 μm or the depth is in the range of 3 μm-25 μm, the average pore size of the grid of the grid texture 614 is in the range of 10 μm-200 μm, and the width of the mesh line is in the range of 5 μm-150 μm. The grid texture 613 provided on the printing surface 611 can control the resistance of the scraper during printing, thereby controlling the amount of ink and improving the printing quality. Further, referring to FIG8 , an AG structure 6141 is provided on the grid texture 614. The height of the AG structure 6141 is in the range of 10 nm-5 μm, and the width of the AG structure 6141 is in the range of 50 nm-50 μm. AG structures 6141 comprise a plurality of raised and / or recessed structures, with at least one of the height, depth, width, length, density, period, curvature, and cross-section of the raised or recessed structures being randomly configured. The AG structures 6141 formed on the grid texture 614 form a composite texture that effectively controls scraper resistance during printing, thereby controlling ink volume and improving print quality.

[0050] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present disclosure are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the above description, many specific details are set forth in order to fully understand the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure can be implemented in many other ways different from those described above, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed above. In addition, the various technical features of the embodiments described above can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the various 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.

[0051] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present disclosure. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A printing screen plate, characterized in that, It includes: A screen printing plate body, which includes a printing surface, a pasting surface, and a plurality of grid lines penetrating therethrough. The printing surface and the pasting surface are arranged oppositely; A soft layer, which is covered on the pasting surface. The thickness of the soft layer is greater than or equal to 1μm and the Mohs hardness is less than or equal to 300.

2. A printing screen according to claim 1, wherein The thickness range of the soft layer is 1μm - 10μm, and the Mohs hardness range is 0.5 - 300.

3. A printing screen according to claim 1, characterized in that, The soft layer is a soft metal layer with a Mohs hardness less than 100.

4. A printing screen according to claim 1, characterized in that, The soft layer is a tin layer, an aluminum layer, a copper layer or a gold layer.

5. A printing screen according to claim 1, characterized in that, The soft layer is a metal layer and a polymer layer located between the screen printing plate body and the metal layer, or the soft layer is a polymer layer.

6. A printing screen according to claim 1, characterized in that, The soft layer includes openings corresponding to the grid lines, and the width of the openings is greater than or equal to the width of the grid lines.

7. A printing screen according to claim 1, characterized in that The soft layer includes a plurality of notches arranged at intervals, and the width of the notches is less than or equal to 20μm.

8. A printing screen according to claim 1, characterized in that, The screen printing plate body includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer arranged in a stacked manner. The printing surface is arranged on the first metal layer, the pasting surface is arranged on the second metal layer. The grid lines include a first wire groove located in the first metal layer and a second wire groove located in the second metal layer. The first wire groove and the second wire groove are overlapped and communicated, and the wire width of the first wire groove is greater than the wire width of the second wire groove.

9. A printing screen according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first metal layer is recessed from the printing surface to form a grid texture.

10. A printing screen according to claim 9, characterized in that, The grid texture is provided with an AG structure. The height range of the AG structure is 10nm - 5μm, and the width range of the AG structure is 50nm - 50μm.

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