Optical Microstructure Film for Solar Cell Ventilation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solar cell packaging processes face issues with gas voids and moisture accumulation, leading to reduced photo-electron conversion efficiency, shock-absorbing capability, and increased delamination, which negatively impact production yield and cost.
Innovation Solution
An optical microstructure film with polygonal cone microstructure units on a thermoplastic base, designed to expel moisture and gas through concave regions, ensuring effective ventilation and improved adhesion during the laminating process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If protruding microstructures are formed on the EVA optical film to create ventilation channels, then gas expelling capability is improved, but mold delamination becomes difficult and production yield decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The microstructure is segmented into distinct functional zones: a convex portion that provides ventilation channels for gas expelling, and a concave portion that creates a release layer for easy mold delamination. This segmentation allows the single microstructure to simultaneously address gas void formation and mold stripping difficulties without compromising production yield.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the microstructure density is increased to improve gas venting, then gas expelling efficiency is improved, but the film becomes more prone to thermal shrinking and requires reduced manufacturing scale
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the microstructure are assigned different geometric properties: the convex portion has a specific height and diameter ratio optimized for gas channel formation, while the concave portion provides a controlled release layer thickness. This local quality differentiation allows the film to achieve effective gas venting at optimal microstructure density without excessive thermal shrinking, eliminating the need to reduce manufacturing scale.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If ventilation channels are formed between microstructures during laminating, then gas expelling is improved, but the gluing resin may not maintain channel formation when melted
Solution Approach 1:
The microstructure is pre-formed with both convex and concave portions before the laminating process. The convex portions create defined ventilation channels that are maintained throughout the heating and melting process because the rigid pre-formed structure prevents collapse, unlike channels that rely solely on the plasticity of melted resin.
4Productivity
If conventional flat optical film is used, then mold delamination is easy, but gas voids form between the film and glass substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The microstructure segments the film surface into convex portions that create ventilation channels for gas expelling and concave portions that form a release layer. This segmentation enables the film to simultaneously achieve easy mold delamination (through the concave release layer) and effective gas void prevention (through the convex ventilation channels).
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The film significantly reduces moisture and gas inside the package, enhances gas-expelling efficiency, increases production yield, and lowers production costs by ensuring effective ventilation and adhesion, thus improving the overall solar cell module quality.
Implementation Method 1
Gas formed during the packaging process can be expelled out via the ventilation channels provided by the microstructures
Implementation Method 2
a follow-up thermal shrinking problem in the EVA optical film would be met
Data Source
AI summary
An optical microstructure film includes a base and multiple microstructure units. The base has at least a surface. The microstructure units are disposed in an array manner on the surface of the base. Each microstructure unit is formed to be a polygonal cone having the bottom face is attached to the surface of the base. The concave region is a surface part of a pseudo-spherical structure having a lower point on the microstructure unit. The distance from the lower point to the bottom face is defined as a second height, the sum of a radius of the spherical structure and the second height is defined as a first height, and the ratio of the second height to the first height is ranged from 0.1 to 0.8.