Two-Stage Drying and Crystallization for Uniform Perovskite Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drying machines have a narrow process window, leading to poor product uniformity, repeatability, and robustness during the drying and crystallization of materials, particularly in the production of solar cells.
Innovation Solution
A drying machine with a vacuum compartment for vacuum drying and a crystallization compartment for heating crystallization, separated by a continuous material channel, allowing for separate control of vacuum drying and heating processes, and equipped with gas extraction and temporary storage devices to manage volatile solvents, ensuring a stable intermediate state and controlled atmosphere.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If materials are directly input into a heating device for drying, then the drying process can be performed, but the process window is narrow leading to poor product uniformity and repeatability
Solution Approach 1:
The drying machine is divided into multiple independent chambers (vacuum drying chamber, heating crystallization chamber, transition chamber) that can operate separately. Each chamber has independent control systems for temperature, pressure, and timing, allowing precise control of different drying stages without interfering with each other, thereby improving product uniformity and process repeatability
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum drying chamber performs preliminary vacuum drying to remove volatile solvents before the material enters the heating crystallization chamber. This preliminary action stabilizes the material in an intermediate state, creating a wider process window for subsequent heating and crystallization, thereby improving manufacturing precision
2Reliability
If volatile solvents are present during heating crystallization, then the material can be processed, but the solvents adversely affect the material and reduce process robustness
Solution Approach 1:
The process is segmented into two sequential stages: vacuum drying stage where volatile solvents are removed, and heating crystallization stage where the material is heated without solvents. The transition chamber facilitates the transition between these stages while maintaining separate process conditions, eliminating solvent interference during crystallization and improving process robustness
Solution Approach 2:
The transition chamber acts as an intermediary between the vacuum drying chamber and heating crystallization chamber. It receives material from the vacuum drying chamber and prepares it for heating crystallization, acting as a buffer that prevents solvent interference during the crystallization process while maintaining process robustness
3Manufacturing precision
If external impurities are introduced during vacuum drying and heating, then the material can be processed, but product quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional chambers (vacuum drying, heating crystallization, transition) are merged into a single integrated drying machine with a continuous material channel. The machine operates as a closed system where material flows continuously from one chamber to another without exposure to external impurities, maintaining high product quality while simplifying operation through automated continuous processing
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 solution extends the process window for annealing, improves product quality by reducing defects, and enhances the repeatability and robustness of the material processing, facilitating efficient and uniform crystallization of perovskite materials.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum compartment, the vacuum compartment forming a first chamber configured to perform vacuum drying on the material
Implementation Method 2
the volatile solvent in the material is volatilized out
Implementation Method 3
a heating device arranged in the crystallization compartment and configured for heating crystallization of the material in the second chamber
Implementation Method 4
heating crystallization of the material in the second chamber
Implementation Method 5
a gas extraction device, wherein the gas extraction device has an inlet end, and the inlet end of the gas extraction device is in communication with the first chamber to extract a gas from the first chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The present application discloses a drying machine and a cell processing apparatus. The drying machine is configured for drying and crystallizing a material. The drying machine includes a vacuum compartment, a crystallization compartment and a heating device. The vacuum compartment forms a first chamber configured to perform vacuum drying on the material. The crystallization compartment forms a second chamber. The first chamber and the second chamber each have an input end and an output end, and the output end of the first chamber is in communication with the input end of the second chamber, such that the first chamber is in communication with the second chamber to form a continuous material channel. The heating device is arranged in the crystallization compartment and configured for heating crystallization of the material in the second chamber.