Cell coating apparatus and method thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a cell coating apparatus and a method thereof. The cell coating apparatus comprises a process section and a conveying device. The process section comprises a plurality of processing chambers that are sequentially arranged, and any two adjacent processing chambers can be communicated with or isolated from each other; the plurality of processing chambers comprise a plurality of process chambers that are sequentially arranged; the conveying device passes through the plurality of processing chambers and is configured to drive a carrier bearing a substrate to sequentially pass through the plurality of processing chambers; the plurality of process chambers are configured to perform coating on two opposite surfaces of the substrate; and when any two adjacent processing chambers are communicated, the carrier in the latter of the two adjacent processing chambers can be conveyed into the former processing chamber.

Description

Battery cell coating equipment and methods

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This disclosure is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411597971.9, filed on November 8, 2024, the contents of which are hereby incorporated into this disclosure. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of vacuum coating technology, and more particularly to a battery cell coating apparatus and method. Background Technology

[0004] In the manufacturing process of photovoltaic cells, continuous coating technology is a core process that plays a key role in improving production efficiency and ensuring output capacity. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a battery cell coating apparatus, including a process section and a conveying device. The process section includes a plurality of sequentially arranged processing chambers, and any adjacent processing chambers can be interconnected or isolated from each other. The plurality of processing chambers include a plurality of sequentially arranged process chambers. The conveying device passes through the plurality of processing chambers and is used to drive a carrier carrying a substrate through the plurality of processing chambers sequentially. The plurality of process chambers are used to coat two opposite surfaces of the substrate. When any adjacent processing chambers are connected, the carrier in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber can be conveyed to the former.

[0006] The battery cell coating equipment provided in this embodiment has a conveying device that can drive a carrier to pass through multiple processing chambers in a process section in sequence. When passing through different processing chambers, different processing chambers can perform different process treatments on the substrate on the carrier. For example, when the substrate passes through multiple process chambers, the process chambers can coat the surface of the substrate.

[0007] After the substrates in different processing chambers complete their corresponding processing steps, any adjacent processing chambers will be connected simultaneously. At this time, the carrier in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber will be transported to the former. In other words, the carriers in multiple processing chambers will be transported backward. This allows the carriers in multiple processing chambers to enter and exit at the same time, improving the utilization rate of the processing chambers, increasing the process cycle time, and improving production efficiency.

[0008] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, when any adjacent processing chambers are connected, the carrier in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber can be synchronously transported into the former.

[0009] In this way, when any adjacent processing chambers are connected, the carriers in different processing chambers can be transported to the next processing chamber simultaneously, which can further reduce the process cycle and improve production efficiency.

[0010] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, the plurality of processing chambers further include a preheating chamber, which is provided before the process chambers, and the substrate can be heated in the preheating chamber.

[0011] In this way, the preheating chamber can heat the substrate before it enters the process chamber, so that the substrate has a certain temperature, which facilitates the coating of the substrate in the process chamber.

[0012] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, a contact heating device is provided in at least one of the preheating chamber and the process chamber, the contact heating device being used for contact heating with the carrier; and / or, a non-contact heating device is provided in at least one of the preheating chamber and the process chamber, the non-contact heating device being used for being spaced apart from the carrier and radiating heating to the substrate and / or the carrier.

[0013] With this configuration, the substrate can be heated in contact and / or non-contact within the preheating chamber, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the substrate; and / or, the substrate can be heated in contact and / or non-contact within the process chamber to maintain its temperature.

[0014] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, when heating is performed by at least one of a contact heating device and a non-contact heating device, gas is introduced into the preheating chamber, the gas passes through at least one of the contact heating device and the non-contact heating device, and flows through the carrier.

[0015] In this way, the heat from at least one of the contact heating device and the non-contact heating device is transferred to the gas. Since the gas flows through the carrier, the heat in the gas can also be conducted to the carrier and the substrate, thus improving the heating efficiency of the carrier and the substrate.

[0016] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, when adjacent preheating chambers and process chambers are switched from being isolated to being connected, the gas pressure in at least one of the preheating chambers and process chambers remains unchanged.

[0017] In this way, regardless of whether the adjacent preheating chamber and the process chamber are connected or separated, the gas pressure inside the preheating chamber and the process chamber remains unchanged. Thus, when the adjacent preheating chamber and the process chamber switch from being connected to being separated again, there is no need to adjust the gas pressure inside the preheating chamber and the process chamber. The substrate inside can be quickly processed accordingly, which can improve processing efficiency.

[0018] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, the cell coating equipment further includes a cooling guide, which has a medium space; the cooling guide is disposed in at least one of the preheating chamber and the process chamber, and the cooling guide is in contact with at least one of the contact heating device and / or the non-contact heating device; after the heating by the contact heating device and / or the non-contact heating device is completed, a cooling medium is introduced into the medium space.

[0019] By incorporating a cooling conductor, after the contact heating device and / or non-contact heating device have finished heating, the remaining heat on the contact heating device and / or non-contact heating device can be conducted to the cooling medium inside the cooling conductor. This can quickly reduce the temperature on the contact heating device and / or non-contact heating device, thereby shortening downtime for maintenance, facilitating a rapid return to normal process flow, and increasing production capacity.

[0020] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, the processing chambers at the beginning and end of the process segment are both non-process chambers, and the non-process chambers can be connected to or isolated from adjacent processing chambers; when the non-process chambers are connected to adjacent processing chambers, the gas pressure in the process chamber is less than the gas pressure in the non-process chamber.

[0021] In this way, the process chamber is located between the non-process chambers. When the non-process chamber is connected to the adjacent processing chamber, the gas pressure in the process chamber is lower than that in the non-process chamber. Therefore, the diffusion of process gas from the process chamber to other adjacent chambers can be greatly reduced, preventing process gas from being discharged from the non-process chamber without exhaust gas treatment and polluting the environment.

[0022] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, the non-process chamber located at the beginning of the process section includes an infeed chamber with adjustable internal filling gas pressure, and the non-process chamber located at the end of the process section includes an outfeed chamber with adjustable internal filling gas pressure.

[0023] This configuration features a wafer infeed chamber at the beginning of the process section. Since the gas pressure within the wafer infeed chamber is adjustable, when the chamber is empty, the gas pressure can be increased to near the external gas pressure, facilitating substrate entry. After the substrate enters the chamber, the gas pressure can be evacuated to near vacuum using a vacuum pump, and then balanced gas is added to maintain a pressure close to that of the adjacent processing chamber, thus facilitating substrate entry into subsequent processing chambers. Similarly, when the wafer exit chamber is empty, the gas pressure can be adjusted to near the process chamber, facilitating substrate entry. After the substrate enters the exit chamber, the gas pressure can be increased to near the external gas pressure, facilitating substrate discharge from the exit chamber. The design of the wafer infeed and exit chambers facilitates substrate processing.

[0024] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, there are multiple process segments, including a first process segment, a second process segment, and a third process segment arranged sequentially.

[0025] The first process segment includes at least one process chamber for depositing a first intrinsic layer on a first surface of a substrate; the second process segment includes at least one process chamber for depositing a second intrinsic layer on a second surface of a substrate, and at least one process chamber for depositing a first doped layer on the second intrinsic layer, arranged sequentially; the third process segment includes at least one process chamber for depositing a second doped layer on the first intrinsic layer.

[0026] With the above configuration, a first intrinsic layer and a second doped layer are deposited on the first surface of the substrate, and a second intrinsic layer and a first doped layer are deposited on the second surface of the substrate, thereby completing the coating process of the substrate.

[0027] Because the substrate is deposited in the order of first intrinsic layer, second intrinsic layer, first doped layer, and second doped layer, the first surface of the substrate has already been deposited with the first intrinsic layer, and the second surface has already been deposited with the second intrinsic layer, before entering the process chambers for depositing the first and second doped layers. Therefore, the first and second surfaces of the substrate are not contaminated by the process gases inside the process chambers for depositing the first and second doped layers. This ensures the coating quality of the substrate, the quality of the solar cell, and the power generation efficiency of the solar cell. Furthermore, this coating method can also improve the coating efficiency.

[0028] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, the longer the deposition time is required for the first intrinsic layer, the second intrinsic layer, the first doped layer, and the second doped layer, the greater the number of corresponding process chambers.

[0029] In this way, the coating time in each process chamber can be kept close or consistent, thereby ensuring that the coating cycle of the substrate is consistent and improving processing efficiency.

[0030] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, the processing chamber in the second process segment further includes an isolation chamber, which is disposed between at least one process chamber for depositing a second intrinsic layer on the second surface of the substrate and at least one process chamber for depositing a first doped layer on the second intrinsic layer, and is capable of communicating with or isolating from two adjacent process chambers respectively.

[0031] In this way, after depositing the second intrinsic layer on the second surface of the substrate, the isolation chamber is isolated from the process chamber for depositing the first doped layer, while the isolation chamber is connected to the process chamber for depositing the second intrinsic layer, allowing the substrate to enter the isolation chamber. Then, the isolation chamber is isolated from the process chamber for depositing the second intrinsic layer, and then connected to the process chamber for depositing the first doped layer, allowing the substrate to enter the process chamber for depositing the first doped layer. Since the isolation chamber already has gas pressure, the cross-contamination between the process gas in the process chamber for depositing the first doped layer and the gas in the process chamber for depositing the second intrinsic layer can be reduced or eliminated, ensuring the normal progress of subsequent processing.

[0032] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, each process segment further includes a feeding mechanism at the beginning of the segment and a discharging mechanism at the end of the segment;

[0033] The loading mechanism includes a first lower conveying station, a first lifting device, and an upper coding station located above the first lower conveying station. The first lifting device is used to transport an empty carrier on the first lower conveying station to the upper coding station, so that the substrate to be coated can be placed on the empty carrier.

[0034] The unloading mechanism includes a second lower conveying station, a second lifting device, and a wafer picking station located above the second lower conveying station. The second lifting device is used to transport the empty carrier with the coated substrate removed from the wafer picking station to the second lower conveying station.

[0035] With the above setup, for the loading mechanism, after placing an empty carrier at the first lower transfer station, the first lifting device controls the carrier to be transported to the upper wafer stacking station. The substrate to be processed is then placed on the empty carrier, which sequentially passes through multiple processing chambers for processing. After the substrate processing is complete, the carrier carrying the substrate is transported to the wafer removal station. After the substrate is removed from the carrier, the carrier is transported to the second lower transfer station by the second lifting device. This achieves the loading and unloading of substrates.

[0036] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, a flipping device is further included; a flipping device is provided between the unloading mechanism of the first process segment and the loading mechanism of the second process segment, the flipping device being used to flip the substrate coated with the first intrinsic layer; and / or, a flipping device is provided between the unloading mechanism of the second process segment and the loading mechanism of the third process segment, the flipping device being used to flip the substrate coated with the first doped layer.

[0037] In this way, the flipping device can flip the substrate with the first intrinsic layer to facilitate the subsequent deposition of a second intrinsic layer on the second surface of the substrate. And / or, the flipping device can flip the substrate with the first doped layer to facilitate the subsequent deposition of a second doped layer on the first intrinsic layer, thus facilitating the processing of the substrate.

[0038] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, a return transmission device is also included; at least one of the multiple process sections is provided with a return transmission device, which includes an insulated pipe and a conveyor line arranged along the extension direction of the insulated pipe, the conveyor line being arranged inside the insulated pipe; within the same process section, the inlet end of the insulated pipe can be connected to a second lower conveying station, and the outlet end of the insulated pipe can be connected to a first lower conveying station; the conveyor line is used to transport empty carriers; the insulated pipe is made of insulation material.

[0039] In this way, the conveyor line can transport the empty carrier from the second lower transfer station to the first lower transfer station, thereby realizing the recycling of the carrier and the cyclic coating of the substrate. Since the conveyor line is set inside the insulated pipe, the insulated pipe can reduce the heat loss of the carrier, so that when the carrier re-enters the processing chamber, the reheating time can be shortened and the process cycle can be improved.

[0040] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, the conveying device includes two sets of rollers arranged sequentially along a first direction. Each roller set includes multiple rollers arranged along a second direction. The axis of the rollers is along the first direction, which is perpendicular to the second direction. The second direction is along the arrangement direction of the multiple processing chambers. The rollers are used to drive the carrier for conveying. The rollers are made of metal or non-metal materials. Metal materials include stainless steel or aluminum. Non-metal materials include engineering plastics or ceramics.

[0041] This configuration allows the carrier to be transported on rollers. When the rollers are made of metal, it ensures the structural strength of the rollers, while rollers made of stainless steel or aluminum are also lighter and easier to transport. When the rollers are made of non-metallic materials, rollers made of engineering plastics or ceramics ensure the friction between the rollers and the carrier, preventing the carrier from slipping and ensuring the stability of the transport.

[0042] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, a vibration damping structure is provided on the roller, the vibration damping structure is arranged along the circumference of the roller, and the vibration damping structure is used to contact the carrier.

[0043] In this way, the roller can contact the carrier through the rubber ring, which can effectively suppress unnecessary displacement of the substrate caused by the vibration of the carrier during high-speed transmission and improve the stability of the transport.

[0044] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, a guide flange is connected to the outer edge of the roller along the first direction. The guide flange is arranged around the first direction and extends in a direction away from the axis of the roller and away from the roller assembly on the other side. The angle between the inclined surface of the guide flange and the plane perpendicular to the first direction is in the range of 10° to 45°.

[0045] In this way, when the carrier is lifted and then lowered by the lifting device in the processing chamber, the guide flange can guide the carrier, so that the carrier can land stably on the rollers.

[0046] Secondly, this disclosure provides a method for a battery cell coating apparatus, applied to the battery cell coating apparatus of any of the above embodiments. The method includes: connecting any adjacent processing chambers; and a conveying device conveying a carrier carrying a substrate in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber to the former.

[0047] The method of the battery cell coating equipment provided in this embodiment allows for simultaneous connection of any adjacent processing chambers after the substrates in different processing chambers have completed their corresponding processing steps. At this time, the carrier in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber will be transported to the former. In other words, the carriers in multiple processing chambers will be transported backward, thus enabling the carriers in multiple processing chambers to enter and exit at the same time, improving the utilization rate of the processing chambers, increasing the process cycle time, and improving production efficiency.

[0048] In one possible implementation of this disclosure, the conveying device conveys a substrate carrier in any adjacent processing chamber to the forward chamber, including: the conveying device synchronously conveys the carrier in any adjacent processing chamber to the forward chamber.

[0049] In this way, after the substrates in different processing chambers complete their corresponding processing steps, any adjacent processing chambers can be connected simultaneously, and the substrates in different processing steps can be synchronously transported to the next processing chamber. This can further reduce the process cycle and improve production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0050] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of this disclosure or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0051] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the external structure of a battery cell coating device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0052] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another external structure of the battery cell coating equipment provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0053] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the external structure of a conveying device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0054] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a roller provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0055] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the carrier being heated in at least one of the preheating chamber and the process chamber provided in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0056] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the external structure of a film deposited on a substrate according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0057] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another external structure of the battery cell coating equipment provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0058] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart of a battery cell coating equipment and method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0059] Figure 9 is another schematic flowchart of the battery cell coating equipment method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0060] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 01-Cell coating equipment; 1-Process section; 11-First process section; 12-Second process section; 13-Third process section; A-Processing chamber; A1-Process chamber; A11-First process chamber; A12-Second process chamber; A13-Third process chamber; A14-Fourth process chamber; A2-Preheating chamber; A3-Wafer loading chamber; A4-Wafer unloading chamber; A5-Isolation chamber; 2-Conveying device; 21-Conveying section; C-Roller group; C1-Roller; D-Vibration damping structure; E-Guide flange; X-First direction; Y-Second direction; 3-Contact heating plate; 4-Non-contact heating plate; 41-Upper non-contact heating plate; 42-Circumferential non-contact heating plate; 5-Cooling component; 6-Feeding mechanism; 7-Unloading mechanism; 8-Tilting device; 9-Return device; 02-Substrate; 021-First intrinsic layer; 022-Second intrinsic layer; 023-First doped layer; 024-Second doped layer; 03-Carrier. Detailed Implementation

[0061] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the specific technical solutions of this disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this disclosure. The following embodiments are used to illustrate this disclosure, but are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0062] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0063] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this disclosure, directional terms such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" are defined relative to the orientation in which the components are schematically placed in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts, used for relative description and clarification, and can change accordingly depending on the orientation in which the components are placed in the accompanying drawings.

[0064] In the embodiments disclosed herein, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the term "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium.

[0065] In embodiments of this disclosure, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a 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 such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, 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 that element.

[0066] In this disclosure, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this disclosure should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0067] During the production of solar cells, the substrate passes through a solar cell coating equipment. Inside the coating equipment, the substrate undergoes different processes to form a substrate with a coating layer. After processing the substrate with the coating layer, a solar cell can be formed.

[0068] Based on this, as shown in Figure 1, this disclosure provides a battery cell coating equipment 01, including a process section 1 and a conveying device 2. The process section 1 includes a plurality of processing chambers A arranged sequentially, and any adjacent processing chambers A can be connected to or separated from each other. The plurality of processing chambers A includes a plurality of process chambers A1 arranged sequentially. The conveying device 2 passes through the plurality of processing chambers A and is used to drive the carrier 03 carrying the substrate 02 to pass through the plurality of processing chambers A sequentially. The plurality of process chambers A1 are used to coat the substrate 02 on two opposite surfaces.

[0069] It is understandable that when substrate 02 is coated in different process chambers A1, the corresponding process gas needs to be introduced into process chamber A1, and the interior of process chamber A1 needs to be in a low-pressure or vacuum environment to meet the coating requirements. For example, a vacuum pump group can be set up and connected to process chamber A1, and the gas pressure in different process chambers A1 can be adjusted by adjusting the opening degree of specific valves between the vacuum pump group and the chamber.

[0070] In some examples, any adjacent processing chambers A are connected by isolation valves. By controlling the opening and closing of these valves, adjacent processing chambers A can be connected or disconnected. When substrate 02 needs to be processed, the isolation valves are closed, isolating adjacent processing chambers A from each other, with each chamber A operating independently and processing the substrate 02 within it. After processing is complete, the isolation valves are opened, connecting adjacent processing chambers A. The substrate 02 on the carrier 03 in the next processing chamber A is then transported to the previous processing chamber A. By controlling the isolation valves, the processing and transport requirements of substrate 02 are met.

[0071] In some examples, as shown in Figure 2, the conveying device 2 consists of multiple conveying sections 21, the number of which matches the number of processing chambers A. Each processing chamber A has one conveying section 21. When two adjacent processing chambers A are connected, the conveying sections 21 in the two adjacent processing chambers A are connected, so that the carrier 03 located on the conveying section 21 in the later processing chamber A is conveyed to the conveying section 21 in the previous processing chamber A, thereby realizing the conveying of the carrier 03 between multiple processing chambers A. When the substrate 02 needs to be processed, the adjacent processing chambers A are isolated. At this time, the multiple conveying sections 21 are in an isolated state, and the carrier 03 is located on the conveying section 21 in its respective processing chamber A. At this time, the conveying section 21 does not transport the carrier 03, and the substrate 02 on the carrier 03 undergoes the corresponding processing.

[0072] For example, the conveying device 2 uses a combination of synchronous belt, rollers and motor to realize the conveying function. The motor rotates to drive the synchronous belt to convey, thereby realizing the conveying.

[0073] In some examples, substrate 02 can be a semiconductor substrate, such as a silicon wafer or a silicon carbide wafer.

[0074] With the above configuration, the conveying device 2 can drive the carrier 03 to pass through multiple processing chambers A in the process section 1 in sequence. When passing through different processing chambers A, different processing chambers A can perform different process treatments on the substrates 02 on different carriers 03. When the carrier 03 passes through multiple process chambers A1, the process chambers A1 can deposit a film on the surface of the substrate 02, thereby completing the film deposition on the substrate 02.

[0075] To ensure the production efficiency of battery cells, a continuous coating process is generally used to coat the substrates 02 on multiple carriers 03 simultaneously. Specifically, multiple processing chambers A arranged in sequence each contain substrates 02 at different process steps, and the multiple processing chambers A simultaneously perform corresponding process treatments on the substrates 02 within them.

[0076] In related technologies, after the substrates 02 on multiple carriers 03 undergo corresponding processing, a single-in, single-out method is used to sequentially transport the carriers 03 in the next processing chamber A to the previous processing chamber A, so that the substrates 02 on each carrier 03 can continue to undergo subsequent processing. Specifically, only two adjacent processing chambers A are connected at a time, and then the substrates 02 in the next processing chamber A are transported to the previous processing chamber A. This operation is repeated multiple times to transfer the substrates 02 in multiple processing chambers A down one station.

[0077] However, the inconsistent process cycles of so many processing chambers A make operation cumbersome, and the low utilization rate and low production capacity of these multiple processing chambers A result in inconsistencies.

[0078] Based on this, in some embodiments of this disclosure, when any adjacent processing chamber A is connected, the carrier 03 in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber A can be transported to the former.

[0079] In some examples, the processing chamber A at the end of process segment 1 is left empty, so that all processing chambers A preceding this empty processing chamber A contain substrates 02 at the corresponding process steps. Thus, when substrates 02 need to be transported after completing their corresponding process steps, any two adjacent processing chambers A are connected. Except for the processing chamber A at the beginning of the segment, the carrier 03 in each processing chamber A preceding it is transported to the next adjacent processing chamber A. After transport, any adjacent processing chambers A are disconnected, and the corresponding process step is performed. This operation is repeated to continuously and simultaneously process multiple substrates 02.

[0080] With the above setup, after the substrate 02 in different processing chambers A completes the corresponding processing steps, any adjacent processing chambers A will be connected simultaneously. At this time, the carrier 03 in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber A will be transported to the former. In other words, the carriers 03 in multiple processing chambers A will be transported backward. This can realize the simultaneous entry and exit of carriers 03 in multiple processing chambers A, improve the utilization rate of processing chambers A, increase the process cycle time, and improve production efficiency.

[0081] In some embodiments, when any adjacent processing chambers A are connected, the carrier 03 in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber A can be synchronously transported into the former.

[0082] In some examples, the conveying device 2 includes multiple conveying sections 21. During conveying, the multiple conveying sections 21 start synchronously and the conveying speed of the multiple conveying sections 21 is consistent. In this way, the carriers 03 in the multiple processing chambers A can be synchronously conveyed to the next processing chamber A to ensure the processing cycle and improve production efficiency.

[0083] In this way, when any adjacent processing chambers A are connected, the carriers 03 located in different processing chambers A can be simultaneously transported to the next processing chamber A, which can further reduce the process cycle and improve production efficiency.

[0084] Of course, in other embodiments, the conveying device 2 includes multiple conveying sections 21. When any adjacent processing chambers A are connected, the start-up time of the multiple conveying sections 21 is different, and the conveying speed of the multiple conveying sections 21 is different. Thus, by reasonable arrangement, the carrier 03 in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber A can be conveyed to the former.

[0085] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3, the conveying device 2 includes two sets of roller groups C arranged sequentially along a first direction X. The roller group C includes a plurality of rollers C1 arranged along a second direction Y. The axis of the rollers C1 is along the first direction X, the first direction X is perpendicular to the second direction Y, and the second direction Y is along the arrangement direction of the plurality of processing chambers A. The rollers C1 are used to drive the carrier 03 for conveying. The rollers C1 are made of metal materials or non-metal materials. Metal materials include stainless steel or aluminum. Non-metal materials include engineering plastics or ceramics.

[0086] It is understood that when the conveying device 2 includes multiple conveying sections 21, each conveying section 21 includes a roller set C.

[0087] In some examples, the first direction X is parallel to the horizontal plane, which allows the vehicle 03 to be transported within the horizontal plane, ensuring the stability of the transport.

[0088] In some examples, engineering plastics may include materials such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) or polyimide.

[0089] With the above configuration, the carrier 03 can be transported on the roller C1. When the roller C1 is made of metal, stainless steel or aluminum rollers C1 have high structural strength and are relatively lightweight, facilitating transport. When the roller C1 is made of non-metallic materials, engineering plastics or ceramic rollers C1 can ensure the friction between the roller C1 and the carrier 03, preventing the carrier 03 from slipping and ensuring the stability of the transport.

[0090] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4, a vibration damping structure D is provided on the roller C1. The vibration damping structure D is arranged circumferentially along the roller C1 and is used to contact the carrier 03. In this way, the roller C1 can contact the carrier 03 through the vibration damping structure D, which can effectively suppress unnecessary displacement of the substrate 02 caused by the vibration of the carrier 03 during high-speed transmission and improve the stability of the transport.

[0091] The vibration damping structure D may include multiple rubber sheets or rubber O-rings arranged circumferentially along the roller C1, and the rubber may be fluororubber, perfluororubber, engineering plastics, etc.

[0092] In some examples, the roller C1 has a groove arranged circumferentially therein, and the vibration damping structure D is disposed in the groove, which facilitates the fixing of the vibration damping structure D.

[0093] Of course, the vibration damping structure D may not be provided on the surface of roller C1. This can prevent organic matter in the vibration damping structure D from falling into the processing chamber A during the transport process of carrier 03, thereby ensuring a clean environment in the processing chamber A.

[0094] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4, a guide flange E is connected to the outer edge of the roller C1 along the first direction X. The guide flange E is arranged around the first direction X and extends in a direction away from the axis of the roller C1 and away from the roller group C on the other side. The angle W between the inclined surface of the guide flange E and the plane perpendicular to the first direction X is in the range of 10° to 45°.

[0095] It is understandable that the outer edge of roller C1 refers to the outer edge of the two sets of rollers C.

[0096] In some examples, the angle W between the inclined surface of the guide flange E and the plane perpendicular to the first direction X can be 10°, 15°, 20°, 40° or 45°.

[0097] In this way, when the carrier 03 is lifted and then lowered by the lifting device in the processing chamber A, the guide flange E can contact the carrier 03. Under the guidance of the guide flange E, the carrier 03 can land stably on the roller C1, ensuring that the carrier 03 lands accurately at the appropriate position on the roller C1, which facilitates the continued transport of the carrier 03.

[0098] The roller C1 can be driven by a motor, which can be located inside the corresponding processing chamber A. Alternatively, the motor can be located outside the corresponding processing chamber A, with its output shaft passing through the wall of the processing chamber A to extend into it. This ensures the motor operates within a normal temperature environment, guaranteeing its normal function.

[0099] In this scenario, for example, a magnetofluid device is installed on the side wall of the chamber, and the motor output shaft is connected to the magnetofluid mandrel via a mechanical connection device, thereby feeding the output torque into the machining chamber A. The magnetofluid ensures that the mandrel maintains a tight seal with the wall of the machining chamber A even when rotating, thus preserving the machining environment within the chamber A. Furthermore, to prevent magnetofluid failure, cooling water can be introduced into the magnetofluid to cool it down.

[0100] To ensure proper coating of substrate 02, it is necessary to heat substrate 02 to keep it in a suitable temperature environment.

[0101] Based on this, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the plurality of processing chambers A further includes a preheating chamber A2. The preheating chamber A2 is provided before the process chamber A1, and the substrate O2 can be heated in the preheating chamber A2. At the same time, it is kept warm in the process chamber A1.

[0102] In some examples, the temperature range within the preheating chamber A2 or the process chamber A1 can be 100°C to 400°C. For example, it could be 100°C, 110°C, 150°C, 200°C, 300°C, or 400°C.

[0103] For example, the temperature range within the preheating chamber A2 or the process chamber A1 can be 150°C to 250°C, such as 150°C, 180°C, 200°C, 220°C, or 250°C. This allows the substrate 02 to meet the subsequent coating requirements.

[0104] By setting up a preheating chamber A2, the preheating chamber A2 can heat the substrate 02 before it enters the process chamber A1, so that the substrate 02 has a certain temperature. At the same time, the process chamber A1 can keep the substrate 02 warm, which facilitates the coating of the substrate 02 in the process chamber A1.

[0105] Based on this, as shown in Figure 5, in some embodiments, at least one of the preheating chamber A2 and the process chamber A1 is provided with a contact heating device for contact heating with the carrier 03; and / or, at least one of the preheating chamber A2 and the process chamber A1 is provided with a non-contact heating device for being spaced apart from the carrier 03 and radiating heat to the substrate 02 and / or the carrier 03.

[0106] In some examples, the contact heating device includes a contact heating plate 3, which contacts the bottom surface of the carrier 03 from below, thereby heating the carrier 03. The heat from the carrier 03 is then transferred or radiated to the substrate 02, thereby heating the substrate 02.

[0107] For example, a lifting device is provided at the bottom of the contact heating plate 3. The lifting device can drive the contact heating plate 3 to rise to contact the bottom surface of the carrier 03, or the lifting device can drive the contact heating plate 3 to fall to separate from the bottom surface of the carrier 03, so that the carrier 03 can continue to transport.

[0108] Because the carrier 03 has various structural forms, for example, one type of carrier 03 has crisscrossing reinforcing ribs fixedly installed on the bottom surface of the carrier plate to reduce the deformation of the carrier plate. In this case, the contact heating plate 3 can also only contact the reinforcing ribs, while the carrier plate is radiantly heated by thermal radiation.

[0109] In some examples, the non-contact heating device includes a non-contact heating plate 4, which is disposed above and around the carrier 03 and faces the carrier 03 to heat the carrier 03 and the substrate 02 by radiation.

[0110] With the above configuration, substrate 02 can be heated by contact and / or non-contact in the preheating chamber A2, thereby improving the heating efficiency of substrate 02; and / or, substrate 02 can be heated by contact and / or non-contact in the process chamber A1 to keep substrate 02 warm. The combined heating method of contact and non-contact heating ensures heating efficiency.

[0111] In some embodiments, when heating is performed by at least one of the contact heating device and the non-contact heating device, gas passing through at least one of the contact heating device and the non-contact heating device is introduced into the preheating chamber A2, and the gas flows through the carrier 03.

[0112] The gas introduced can be hydrogen, argon, or nitrogen, etc.

[0113] In some examples, the non-contact heating device includes a non-contact heating plate 4, and the contact heating device includes a contact heating plate 3. Air distribution holes are provided on both the non-contact heating plate 4 and the contact heating plate 3. During heating, gas is introduced from the side of the non-contact heating plate 4 away from the carrier 03. When the gas passes through the air distribution holes, it can carry away the heat on the non-contact heating plate 4. The gas with the increased temperature is evenly sprayed out from the other side of the non-contact heating plate 4 and blown toward the carrier 03. When passing through the carrier 03, the heat in the gas is transferred to the carrier 03, thereby achieving uniform heating of the carrier 03.

[0114] For example, as shown in FIG5, the non-contact heating plate 4 includes an upper non-contact heating plate 41 and a peripheral non-contact heating plate 42. The upper non-contact heating plate 41 is located above the carrier 03, and the peripheral non-contact heating plate 42 is located around the carrier 03. Multiple air distribution holes can be formed only on the upper non-contact heating plate 41.

[0115] For example, the temperatures of the heating plates in the preheating chamber A2 or the process chamber A1 can be set to different temperatures. For instance, the contact heating plate 3 can be set to 250°C, the upper non-contact heating plate 41 to 200°C, the upper non-contact heating plate 41 to 280°C, etc.; or, for a certain heating plate, different temperatures can be set according to different zones.

[0116] With the above configuration, the heat from at least one of the contact heating device and the non-contact heating device will be transferred to the gas. Since the gas flows through the carrier 03, the heat in the gas can also be conducted to the carrier 03 and the substrate 02, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the carrier 03 and the substrate 02.

[0117] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6, the battery cell coating equipment 01 further includes a cooling guide 5, which has a medium space; the cooling guide 5 is disposed in at least one of the preheating chamber A2 and the process chamber A1, and the cooling guide 5 is in contact with at least one of the contact heating device and / or the non-contact heating device. After the heating by the contact heating device and / or the non-contact heating device is completed, a cooling medium is introduced into the medium space.

[0118] In some examples, the cooling medium can be refrigerant, water, etc.

[0119] In some examples, the cooling conductor 5 is a plate-shaped structure, the contact heating device includes a contact heating plate 3, and the non-contact heating device includes a non-contact heating plate 4, which facilitates the contact of the cooling conductor 5 with the contact heating plate 3 and the non-contact heating plate 4.

[0120] In some examples, the medium space is connected to the cooling source through a circulation pipe, and the cooling medium can circulate between the circulation pipe and the medium space, thereby achieving cyclic cooling of the contact heating device and the non-contact heating device.

[0121] By setting up the cooling conductor 5, after the contact heating device and / or non-contact heating device finish heating, the remaining heat on the contact heating device and / or non-contact heating device can be conducted to the cooling medium in the cooling conductor 5. This can quickly reduce the temperature on the contact heating device and / or non-contact heating device, thereby shortening downtime for maintenance, facilitating a quick return to normal process flow, and increasing production capacity.

[0122] In some embodiments, when the adjacent preheating chamber A2 and process chamber A1 are switched from being isolated to being connected, the gas pressure in at least one of the preheating chamber A2 and process chamber A1 remains unchanged.

[0123] In this way, regardless of whether the adjacent preset chambers and process chamber A1 are connected or disconnected, the gas pressure inside the preheating chamber A2 and process chamber A1 remains unchanged. Thus, when the adjacent preheating chamber A2 and process chamber A1 switch from being connected to being disconnected again, there is no need to adjust the gas pressure inside the preheating chamber A2 and process chamber A1. The substrate 02 inside can be quickly processed, which can improve processing efficiency.

[0124] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the processing chambers A at the beginning and end of the process segment 1 are both non-process chambers. The non-process chambers can be connected to or separated from the adjacent processing chambers A. When the non-process chambers are connected to the adjacent processing chambers A, the gas pressure in the process chamber A1 is less than the gas pressure in the non-process chambers.

[0125] In some examples, gas can be introduced into the non-process chamber so that the gas pressure in the non-process chamber is slightly higher than that in the process chamber A1.

[0126] For example, the gas introduced into the non-process chamber can be argon or the like.

[0127] With the above configuration, the process chamber A1 is located between the non-process chambers. When the non-process chambers are connected to the adjacent processing chamber A, the gas pressure in the process chamber A1 is lower than the gas pressure in the non-process chambers. Therefore, the diffusion of process gas in the process chamber A1 to other adjacent chambers can be greatly reduced, preventing process gas from being discharged from the non-process chambers without exhaust gas treatment and polluting the environment.

[0128] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the non-process chamber located at the beginning of process segment 1 includes a wafer infeed chamber A3 with adjustable internal filling gas pressure, and the non-process chamber located at the end of process segment 1 includes a wafer exit chamber A4 with adjustable internal filling gas pressure.

[0129] With this configuration, the first end of process section 1 has a wafer loading chamber A3. Since the gas pressure inside the wafer loading chamber A3 is adjustable, when the wafer loading chamber A3 is empty, the gas pressure inside the wafer loading chamber A3 can be filled to be close to the external gas pressure. This facilitates the entry of the substrate 02 into the wafer loading chamber A3. After the substrate 02 enters the wafer loading chamber A3, the gas pressure inside the wafer loading chamber A3 can be evacuated to near vacuum by a vacuum pump, and then a balancing gas is filled into the wafer loading chamber A3 to keep it close to the gas pressure of the adjacent processing chamber A, thereby facilitating the entry of the substrate 02 into the subsequent processing chamber A. Similarly, when the exit chamber A4 is empty, the gas pressure inside A4 can be adjusted to be close to that of the process chamber A1. This facilitates the entry of the substrate 02 into the exit chamber A4. After the substrate 02 enters the exit chamber A4, the gas pressure inside A4 can be increased to be close to the external gas pressure, thus facilitating the discharge of the substrate 02 from the exit chamber A4 to the outside. The arrangement of the entry chamber A3 and the exit chamber A4 facilitates the processing of the substrate 02.

[0130] The order in which the coating is applied on substrate 02 can vary, depending on the type of solar cell being produced. The type of solar cell can include heterojunction solar cells, among others.

[0131] During the production of heterojunction solar cells, the substrate 02 will pass through multiple different process chambers A1 to perform different coating processes, thereby depositing a first intrinsic layer 021 and an N-type doped layer on the first surface of the substrate 02 in sequence, and a second intrinsic layer 022 and a P-type doped layer on the second surface of the substrate 02 in sequence, so as to finally complete the coating.

[0132] In some embodiments, the deposition sequence when depositing on the first and second surfaces of the substrate 02 may be as follows: first, a first intrinsic layer 021 is deposited on the first surface of the substrate 02, then an N-type doped layer is deposited directly on the first intrinsic layer 021, then the substrate 02 is flipped and a second intrinsic layer 022 is deposited on the second surface of the substrate 02, and then a P-type doped layer is deposited on the second intrinsic layer 022, thereby completing the deposition.

[0133] However, since the substrate 02 has already undergone the N-type doped layer coating process before the second intrinsic layer 022 is deposited, some atoms from the process gas in the N-type doped layer process chamber A1, such as phosphorus atoms, may adhere to the second surface of the substrate 02. This will cause defects on the second surface of the substrate 02, thereby affecting the quality of the final produced solar cell and the power generation efficiency of the solar cell.

[0134] Based on this, as shown in Figures 1, 6, and 7, in some embodiments of this disclosure, there are multiple process segments 1, each including a first process segment 11, a second process segment 12, and a third process segment 13 arranged sequentially. The first process segment 11 includes at least one process chamber A1 for depositing a first intrinsic layer 021 on a first surface of the substrate 02; the second process segment 12 includes at least one process chamber A1 for depositing a second intrinsic layer 022 on a second surface of the substrate 02, and at least one process chamber A1 for depositing a first doped layer 023 on the second intrinsic layer 022; the third process segment 13 includes at least one process chamber A1 for depositing a second doped layer 024 on the first intrinsic layer 021.

[0135] In some examples, each process segment 1 may include a wafer loading chamber A3, a preheating chamber A2, a process chamber A1, and a wafer unloading chamber A4.

[0136] For example, in the first process section 11, the air pressure in the preheating chamber A2 and the process chamber A1 is between 50 Pa and 150 Pa. For example, it can be 50 Pa, 60 Pa, 80 Pa, 100 Pa or 150 Pa.

[0137] For example, in the third process section 13, the air pressure in the preheating chamber A2 and the process chamber A1 is between 500 Pa and 800 Pa. For example, it can be 500 Pa, 580 Pa, 600 Pa, 700 Pa or 800 Pa.

[0138] For ease of description, process chamber A1 for depositing the first intrinsic layer 021 on the first surface of substrate 02 is defined as first process chamber A11, process chamber A1 for depositing the second intrinsic layer on the second surface of substrate 02 is defined as second process chamber A1, process chamber A1 for depositing the first doped layer 023 on the second intrinsic layer 022 is defined as third process chamber A1, and process chamber A1 for depositing the second doped layer 024 on the first intrinsic layer 021 is defined as fourth process chamber A1.

[0139] In some examples, when the substrate 02 is deposited with a first intrinsic layer 021 in the first process chamber A11, and the first intrinsic layer 021 is an intrinsic silicon layer, the first process chamber A11 is in a certain pressure environment, and process gases such as silane and hydrogen are sequentially introduced into the first process chamber A11 to process the surface of the first intrinsic layer 021, thereby giving the first intrinsic layer 021 better characteristics.

[0140] In some examples, when the substrate 02 is deposited with a second intrinsic layer 022 in the second process chamber A1, and the second intrinsic layer 022 is an intrinsic silicon layer, the second process chamber A1 is in a certain pressure environment, and process gases such as silane and hydrogen are sequentially introduced into the second process chamber A1 to process the surface of the second intrinsic layer 022, thereby giving the second intrinsic layer 022 better characteristics.

[0141] In some examples, when the substrate 02 is deposited with a first doped layer 023 in the third process chamber A1, and the first doped layer 023 is an N-type doped layer, the third process chamber A1 is placed in a certain pressure environment, and process gases such as phosphine, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen are mixed and introduced into the third process chamber A1 to process the surface of the first doped layer 023. Among them, phosphine plays a doping role, while the other process gases are used to make the first doped layer 023 have better properties.

[0142] In some examples, when the substrate 02 is deposited with a second doped layer 024 in the fourth process chamber A14, and the second doped layer 024 is a P-type doped layer, the fourth process chamber A14 is kept under a certain pressure environment, and process gases such as diborane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen are sequentially introduced into the fourth process chamber A14 to process the surface of the second doped layer 024. Diborane is used to perform the doping effect, while the other process gases are used to give the second doped layer 024 better properties.

[0143] In some examples, the number of first process chambers A11 can be one. Alternatively, the number of first process chambers A11 can be multiple, such as two, three, four, or five. Multiple first process chambers A11 are arranged sequentially, and adjacent first process chambers A11 can be connected or separated. The first intrinsic layer 021 is deposited on the substrate 02 using multiple first process chambers A11. This ensures that the time spent depositing the first intrinsic layer 021 in each first process chamber A11 is similar to or consistent with the cycle time of other processing chambers A in the cell coating equipment 01, thereby maximizing the utilization efficiency of each processing chamber A and increasing production capacity.

[0144] For example, the number of first process chambers A11 is three.

[0145] Similarly, in some examples, the number of second process chambers A12 can be one. Alternatively, the number of second process chambers A12 can be multiple, such as two, three, four, or five. Multiple second process chambers A12 are arranged sequentially, and adjacent second process chambers A12 can be connected or separated. By using multiple second process chambers A12 to deposit the second intrinsic layer 022 on the substrate 02, the time spent depositing the second intrinsic layer 022 in each second process chamber A12 can be similar to or consistent with the cycle time of other processing chambers A in the cell coating equipment 01, so that each processing chamber A achieves maximum utilization efficiency and increases production capacity.

[0146] For example, there are two second process chambers A12.

[0147] Similarly, in some examples, the number of third process chambers A13 can be one. Alternatively, the number of third process chambers A13 can be multiple, such as two, three, four, or five. Multiple third process chambers A13 are arranged sequentially, and adjacent third process chambers A13 can be connected or separated. By using multiple third process chambers A13 to deposit the first doped layer 023 on the second intrinsic layer, the time spent depositing the first doped layer 023 in each third process chamber A13 can be similar to or consistent with the cycle time of other processing chambers A in the cell coating equipment 01, so that each processing chamber A can achieve maximum utilization efficiency and increase production capacity.

[0148] For example, the number of third process chambers A13 is four.

[0149] Similarly, in some examples, the number of fourth process chambers A14 can be one. Alternatively, the number of fourth process chambers A14 can be multiple, such as two, three, four, or five. Multiple fourth process chambers A14 are arranged sequentially, and adjacent fourth process chambers A14 can be connected or separated. By using multiple fourth process chambers A14 to deposit a second doped layer 024 on the first intrinsic layer 021, the time spent depositing the second doped layer 024 in each fourth process chamber A14 can be similar to or consistent with the cycle time of other processing chambers A in the cell coating equipment 01, so that each processing chamber A achieves maximum utilization efficiency and increases production capacity.

[0150] For example, the number of fourth process chambers A14 is five.

[0151] In some examples, the first intrinsic layer 021, the second intrinsic layer 022, the first doped layer 023, and the second doped layer 024 are all deposited using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (Pecvd) process.

[0152] With the above configuration, the conveying device 2 can drive the carrier 03 to pass through the processing chambers A in each process section 1 in sequence. When passing through different processing chambers A, different processing chambers A can perform different process treatments on the substrate 02.

[0153] During the first process stage 11, the first process chamber A11 deposits a first intrinsic layer 021 on the first surface of the substrate 02. During the second process stage 12, the second process chamber A12 deposits a second intrinsic layer 022 on the second surface of the substrate 02, and the third process chamber A13 deposits a first doped layer 023 on the second intrinsic layer 022. During the third process stage 13, the fourth process chamber A14 deposits a second doped layer 024 on the first intrinsic layer 021, thereby completing the coating process on the substrate 02.

[0154] Since the deposition sequence of substrate 02 is first intrinsic layer 021, second intrinsic layer 022, first doped layer 023, and second doped layer 024, the first surface of substrate 02 has already been coated with the first intrinsic layer 021, and the second surface of substrate 02 has already been coated with the second intrinsic layer 022, before entering the process chamber A1 containing the first and second doped layers 023 and 024. Therefore, the first and second surfaces of substrate 02 will not be contaminated by the internal process gases within the process chamber A1 containing the first and second doped layers 023 and 024, ensuring the deposition quality of substrate 02, the quality of the solar cell, and the power generation efficiency of the solar cell. Furthermore, this deposition method can also improve deposition efficiency.

[0155] In some embodiments, among the first intrinsic layer 021, the second intrinsic layer 022, the first doped layer 023, and the second doped layer 024, the one with a longer coating time corresponds to a larger number of process chambers A1.

[0156] In some examples, the required thickness of the first intrinsic layer 021 is 9nm, while each first process chamber A11 can deposit 3nm in one cycle time. Therefore, three first process chambers A11 need to be set up to meet the equipment cycle time requirement.

[0157] In some examples, the time required to deposit the second doped layer 024 is T1, and the number of fourth process chambers A14 is N1; the time required to deposit the first doped layer 023 is T2, the number of third process chambers A13 is N2, the time required to deposit the first intrinsic layer 021 is T3, and the number of first process chambers A11 is N3; the time required to deposit the second intrinsic layer 022 is T4, and the number of second process chambers A12 is N4. Therefore, in the case of T1 > T2 > T3 > T4, N1 > N2 > N3 > N4.

[0158] For example, the number of fourth process chambers A14 is 5, the number of third process chambers A13 is 4, the number of first process chambers A11 is 2, and the number of second process chambers A12 is 3.

[0159] By setting it up as described above, the coating time in each process chamber A1 can be kept close or consistent, thereby ensuring that the coating cycle of substrate 02 is consistent and improving processing efficiency.

[0160] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the processing chamber A in the second process segment 12 further includes an isolation chamber A5. The isolation chamber A5 is disposed between at least one process chamber A1 for depositing a second intrinsic layer 022 on the second surface of the substrate 02 and at least one process chamber A1 for depositing a first doped layer 023 on the second intrinsic layer 022, and is capable of communicating with or isolating from two adjacent process chambers A1 respectively.

[0161] It is understandable that when there are multiple second process chambers A12 and multiple third process chambers A13, the isolation chamber A5 is located between the last second process chamber A12 and the first third process chamber A13.

[0162] In this way, after depositing the second intrinsic layer 022 on the second surface of the substrate 02, the isolation chamber A5 is isolated from the third process chamber A13, and the isolation chamber A5 is connected to the second process chamber A12, thereby allowing the substrate 02 to enter the isolation chamber A5. Then, the isolation chamber A5 is isolated from the second process chamber A12, and the isolation chamber A5 is connected to the third process chamber A13, so that the substrate 02 can enter the third process chamber A13.

[0163] Since the isolation chamber A5 already has gas pressure, it can reduce or eliminate the gas in the second process chamber A12 and the gas in the third process chamber A13 from intermingling, thus ensuring the normal operation of subsequent processing.

[0164] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG1, each process segment 1 further includes a loading mechanism 6 located at the beginning of the segment and a unloading mechanism 7 located at the end of the segment. The loading mechanism 6 includes a first lower conveying station, a first lifting device, and an upper stacking station located above the first lower conveying station. The first lifting device is used to transport an empty carrier 03 on the first lower conveying station to the upper stacking station, where the substrate 02 to be coated can be placed on the empty carrier 03. The unloading mechanism 7 includes a second lower conveying station, a second lifting device, and a wafer picking station located above the second lower conveying station. The second lifting device is used to transport an empty carrier 03 with the coated substrate 02 removed from the wafer picking station to the second lower conveying station.

[0165] With the above setup, for the loading mechanism 6, after the empty carrier 03 is placed at the first lower transfer station, the first lifting device controls the carrier 03 to be transported to the upper wafer stacking station. Then, the substrate 02 to be processed is placed on the empty carrier 03. The carrier 03 then passes through multiple processing chambers A for processing. After the substrate 02 is processed, the carrier 03 carrying the substrate 02 is transported to the wafer unloading station. After the substrate 02 is removed from the carrier 03, the carrier 03 is transported to the second lower transfer station by the second lifting device. This achieves the loading and unloading of the substrate 02.

[0166] Based on this, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the battery cell coating equipment 01 of this disclosure further includes a flipping device 8; a flipping device 8 is provided between the unloading mechanism 7 of the first process section 11 and the loading mechanism 6 of the second process section 12, the flipping device 8 being used to flip the substrate 02 coated with the first intrinsic layer 021; and / or, a flipping device 8 is provided between the unloading mechanism 7 of the second process section 12 and the loading mechanism 6 of the third process section 13, the flipping device 8 being used to flip the substrate 02 coated with the first doped layer 023.

[0167] In some examples, the flipping device 8 is used to flip the substrate 02 180° so that the side of the substrate 02 that needs to be coated faces upwards.

[0168] In this way, the flipping device 8 can flip the substrate 02 coated with the first intrinsic layer 021 to facilitate the subsequent deposition of the second intrinsic layer 022 on the second surface of the substrate 02. And / or, the flipping device 8 can flip the substrate 02 coated with the first doped layer 023 to facilitate the subsequent deposition of the second doped layer 024 on the first intrinsic layer 021, thus facilitating the processing of the substrate 02. In addition, since the flipping device 8 is located outside the processing chamber A, it does not need to occupy space inside the processing chamber A, thus ensuring the miniaturization of the processing chamber A.

[0169] Based on this, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the battery cell coating equipment 01 of this disclosure further includes a return transmission device 9; at least one of the multiple process sections 1 is provided with a return transmission device 9, the return transmission device 9 includes an insulated pipe and a conveyor line arranged along the extension direction of the insulated pipe, the conveyor line being arranged inside the insulated pipe; within the same process section 1, the feed end of the insulated pipe can be connected to the second lower conveying station, and the discharge end of the insulated pipe can be connected to the first lower conveying station; the conveyor line is used to transport an empty carrier 03; the insulated pipe is made of insulation material.

[0170] In some examples, insulation materials may include polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam, vacuum insulation panels, etc.

[0171] In some examples, the conveyor line may include components such as conveyor wheels, conveyor belts, and drive motors, with multiple components working together to transport the carrier 03.

[0172] In this way, the conveyor line can transport the empty carrier 03 from the second lower transfer station to the first lower transfer station, thereby realizing the recycling of carrier 03 and the cyclic coating of substrate 02. Since the conveyor line is set inside an insulated pipe, the insulated pipe can reduce the heat loss of carrier 03 during the transport process, so that when carrier 03 re-enters processing chamber A, the heating time of carrier 03 can be shortened, and the process cycle time can be improved.

[0173] Based on the above-described battery cell coating equipment 01, this disclosure also provides a method for using the battery cell coating equipment 01, applied in any of the above embodiments of the battery cell coating equipment 01, as shown in FIG8, the method includes S100 to S200:

[0174] S100: Connects any adjacent processing chamber A;

[0175] In some examples, an isolation valve is provided between any two adjacent machining chambers A. By controlling the opening of the isolation valve, any two adjacent machining chambers A can be connected. By controlling the closing of the isolation valve, any two adjacent machining chambers A can be isolated.

[0176] S200: The conveying device 2 conveys the carrier 03 carrying the substrate 02 in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber A to the former.

[0177] In some examples, the conveying device 2 includes multiple conveying sections 21, each of which is provided in a processing chamber A to be responsible for conveying the substrate 02 in the corresponding processing chamber A.

[0178] In this case, S200 specifically involves the activation of multiple conveyor sections 21 to drive the transport vehicle 03 on them.

[0179] In some examples, after carrier 03 has been delivered to its position, conveyor section 21 stops conveying and the isolation valve closes to isolate any adjacent processing chamber A, thereby enabling subsequent processing.

[0180] In some examples, there are multiple process sections 1, including a first process section 11, a second process section 12, and a third process section 13. The exit chamber A4 of each process section 1 is empty. The process chambers A1, A2, and A3 preceding the exit chamber A4 each contain substrates 02 for the corresponding process steps. When transport is required, within each process section 1, the isolation valves between the infeed chamber A3 and the preheating chamber A2, between the preheating chamber A2 and the process chamber A1, and between the process chambers A1... The isolation valves between the process chamber A1 and the exit chamber A4 are opened simultaneously. Then, the conveying section 21 in the wafer inlet chamber A3, the preheating chamber A2, and the process chamber A1 is started to transport the wafer. After the substrate 02 is transported to the position, the conveying section 21 stops, and the isolation valves between the wafer inlet chamber A3 and the preheating chamber A2, between the preheating chamber A2 and the process chamber A1, between the process chambers A1, and between the process chamber A1 and the exit chamber A4 are all closed simultaneously for subsequent processing.

[0181] At this point, the exit chamber A4 contains the substrate 02, while the infeed chamber A3 is empty. The isolation valve connecting the exit chamber A4 to the outside is opened, and the carrier 03 is transported to the second lower transfer station. The isolation valve is then closed to complete the unloading process, leaving the exit chamber A4 empty again. Conversely, the isolation valve connecting the infeed chamber A3 to the outside is opened, and the carrier 03 carrying the substrate 02 to be coated is transported into the infeed chamber A3. The isolation valve is then closed to complete the loading process. The substrate 02 in the infeed chamber A3 awaits subsequent processing.

[0182] With the above setup, after the substrates 02 in different processing chambers A complete their corresponding processing steps, any adjacent processing chambers A can be connected simultaneously. At this time, the carrier 03 in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber A will be transported to the former. In other words, the carriers 03 in multiple processing chambers A will be transported backward. This allows the substrates 02 in multiple processing chambers A to enter and exit at the same time, improving the utilization rate of processing chambers A, increasing the process cycle time, and improving production efficiency.

[0183] Based on this, as shown in Figure 9, S200: the conveying device 2 conveys the carrier 03 carrying the substrate 02 in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber A to the former, including S210: the conveying device 2 synchronously conveys the carrier 03 in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber A to the former.

[0184] In some examples, the conveying device 2 includes multiple conveying sections 21, which start synchronously and have the same conveying speed, thus ensuring the synchronous conveying of substrates 02 in multiple processing chambers A.

[0185] In this way, after the substrate 02 in different processing chambers A completes the corresponding processing steps, any adjacent processing chambers A can be connected at the same time, and the substrate 02 in different processing steps can be synchronously transported to the next processing chamber A. This can further compress the process cycle and improve production efficiency.

[0186] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this disclosure and do not limit the patent scope of this disclosure. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this disclosure and its drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery cell coating apparatus, wherein, include: The process section (1) includes a plurality of processing chambers (A) arranged in sequence, wherein any adjacent processing chambers (A) can be connected to or separated from each other; the plurality of processing chambers (A) includes a plurality of process chambers (A1) arranged in sequence, wherein the plurality of process chambers (A1) are used for coating on the surface of the substrate (02); The conveying device (2) is installed in the plurality of processing chambers (A) and is used to drive the carrier (03) carrying the substrate (02) through the plurality of processing chambers (A) in sequence; When any two adjacent processing chambers (A) are connected, the carrier (03) in the latter of any two adjacent processing chambers (A) can be transported to the former.

2. The battery cell coating equipment according to claim 1, wherein, When any two adjacent processing chambers (A) are connected, the carrier (03) in the latter of any two adjacent processing chambers (A) can be synchronously transported into the former.

3. The battery cell coating equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The plurality of processing chambers (A) also includes a preheating chamber (A2), which is located before the process chamber (A1), and the substrate (02) can be heated in the preheating chamber (A2).

4. The battery cell coating equipment according to claim 3, wherein, At least one of the preheating chamber (A2) and the process chamber (A1) is provided with a contact heating device for contact heating with the carrier (03); and / or, at least one of the preheating chamber (A2) and the process chamber (A1) is provided with a non-contact heating device for being spaced apart from the carrier (03) and radiating heating to the substrate (02) and / or the carrier (03).

5. The battery cell coating equipment according to claim 4, wherein, When at least one of the contact heating device and the non-contact heating device is heating, gas is introduced into the preheating chamber (A2), the gas passing through at least one of the contact heating device and the non-contact heating device and flowing through the carrier (03).

6. The battery cell coating equipment according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, When the adjacent preheating chamber (A2) and the process chamber (A1) are switched from being isolated to being connected, the gas pressure in at least one of the preheating chamber (A2) and the process chamber (A1) remains unchanged.

7. The solar cell coating equipment according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, The battery cell coating equipment (01) further includes a cooling conductor (5), which has a medium space. The cooling conductor (5) is disposed in at least one of the preheating chamber (A2) and the process chamber (A1). The cooling conductor (5) is in contact with at least one of the contact heating device and / or the non-contact heating device. After the heating by the contact heating device and / or the non-contact heating device is completed, a cooling medium is introduced into the medium space.

8. The solar cell coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The processing chambers (A) at the beginning and end of the process segment (1) are both non-process chambers, and the non-process chambers can be connected to or separated from the adjacent processing chambers (A). When the non-process chamber and the adjacent processing chamber (A1) are connected, the gas pressure in the process chamber (A1) is less than the gas pressure in the non-process chamber.

9. The battery cell coating equipment according to claim 8, wherein, The non-process chamber located at the beginning of the process section (1) includes an infeed chamber (A3) with adjustable internal filling gas pressure, and the non-process chamber located at the end of the process section (1) includes an outfeed chamber (A4) with adjustable internal filling gas pressure.

10. The solar cell coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The number of process segments (1) is multiple, and the multiple process segments (1) include a first process segment (11), a second process segment (12) and a third process segment (13) arranged in sequence; The first process segment (11) includes at least one process chamber (A1) for depositing a first intrinsic layer (021) on the first surface of the substrate (02); The second process segment (12) includes at least one process chamber (A1) arranged sequentially for depositing a second intrinsic layer (022) on the second surface of the substrate (02), and at least one process chamber (A1) for depositing a first doped layer (023) on the second intrinsic layer (022); The third process section (13) includes at least one process chamber (A1) for depositing a second doped layer (024) on the first intrinsic layer (021).

11. The battery cell coating equipment according to claim 10, wherein, Among the first intrinsic layer (021), the second intrinsic layer (022), the first doped layer (023), and the second doped layer (024), the longer the coating time, the more process chambers (A1) there are.

12. The battery cell coating equipment according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, The processing chamber (A) in the second process segment (12) further includes an isolation chamber (A5), which is disposed between the at least one process chamber (A1) for depositing a second intrinsic layer (022) on the second surface of the substrate (02) and the at least one process chamber (A1) for depositing a first doped layer (023) on the second intrinsic layer (022), and is capable of communicating with or isolating from the two adjacent process chambers (A1) respectively.

13. The solar cell coating apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein, Each of the process segments (1) further includes a loading mechanism (6) at the beginning of the segment and a unloading mechanism (7) at the end of the segment; The loading mechanism (6) includes a first lower conveying station, a first lifting device and an upper coding station located above the first lower conveying station. The first lifting device is used to transport the empty carrier (03) on the first lower conveying station to the upper coding station, and the substrate (02) to be coated can be placed on the empty carrier (03). The unloading mechanism (7) includes a second lower conveying station, a second lifting device, and a wafer picking station located above the second lower conveying station. The second lifting device is used to transport the empty carrier (03) on the wafer picking station after the coated substrate (02) has been removed to the second lower conveying station.

14. The battery cell coating equipment according to claim 13, wherein, It also includes a flipping device (8); A flipping device (8) is provided between the unloading mechanism (7) of the first process section (11) and the loading mechanism (6) of the second process section (12). The flipping device (8) is used to flip the substrate (02) coated with the first intrinsic layer (021); and / or, The flipping device (8) is provided between the unloading mechanism (7) of the second process section (12) and the loading mechanism (6) of the third process section (13). The flipping device (8) is used to flip the substrate (02) coated with the first doped layer (023).

15. The battery cell coating equipment according to claim 13 or 14, wherein, It also includes a return transmission device (9); The return transmission device (9) is provided in at least one of the multiple process sections (1). The return transmission device (9) includes an insulated pipe and a conveyor line arranged along the extension direction of the insulated pipe. The conveyor line is arranged inside the insulated pipe. In the same process section (1), the feed end of the insulated pipe can be connected to the second lower transmission station, and the discharge end of the insulated pipe can be connected to the first lower transmission station. The conveyor line is used to transport the empty carrier (03). The insulated pipe is made of insulation material.

16. The solar cell coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein, The conveying device (2) includes two sets of roller groups (C) arranged sequentially along a first direction (X). Each roller group (C) includes multiple rollers (C1) arranged along a second direction (Y). The axis of each roller (C1) is along the first direction (X), which is perpendicular to the second direction (Y). The second direction (Y) is along the arrangement direction of the multiple processing chambers (A). The rollers (C1) are used to drive the carrier (03) for conveying. The rollers (C1) are made of metal or non-metal materials. The metal materials include stainless steel or aluminum. The non-metal materials include engineering plastics or ceramics.

17. The battery cell coating equipment according to claim 16, wherein, The roller (C1) is provided with a vibration damping structure (D), which is arranged along the circumference of the roller (C1) and is used to contact the carrier (03).

18. The battery cell coating equipment according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, Along the first direction (X), a guide flange (E) is connected to the outer edge of the roller (C1). The guide flange (E) is arranged around the first direction (X) and extends in a direction away from the axis of the roller (C1) and away from the roller group (C) on the other side. The angle between the inclined surface of the guide flange (E) and the plane perpendicular to the first direction (X) is in the range of 10° to 45°.

19. A method for a solar cell coating apparatus, applied in the solar cell coating apparatus (01) according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein, The method includes: Connect any adjacent processing chambers (A); The conveying device (2) conveys the carrier (03) that carries the substrate (02) in the latter of any adjacent processing chamber (A) to the former.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The conveying device (2) conveys the carrier (03) of the substrate (02) in any adjacent processing chamber (A) to the forward chamber, including: the conveying device (2) synchronously conveys the carrier (03) in any adjacent processing chamber (A) to the forward chamber.

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