Apparatus and Method for Manufacturing of Thin Film Type Solar Cell

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for manufacturing a thin film type solar cell, which enables the enhancement of productivity, the apparatus for manufacturing a thin film type solar cell including a first electrode forming unit; a first separation part; an optoelectric conversion layer forming unit; a contact line forming unit; a printing unit; and an etching process unit, wherein the etching process unit removes the optoelectric conversion layer in a second separation part to expose the first electrode in the second separation part through a wet etching process.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for manufacturing a thin film type solar cell, the apparatus comprising:
 a first electrode forming unit configured to form a first electrode on a substrate and a first separation part separating the first electrode;   an optoelectric conversion layer forming unit configured to form an optoelectric conversion layer over the substrate, substrate further comprising the first electrode and the first separation part;   a contact line forming unit configured to remove a certain region of the optoelectric conversion layer on the first electrode to form a contact line;   a printing unit configured to print a plurality of second electrodes on the optoelectric conversion layer and in the contact line, the second electrodes being connected to the first electrode through the contact line, such that adjacent second electrodes are separated at certain intervals by a second separation part;   an etching process unit configured to remove the optoelectric conversion layer in the second separation part to expose the first electrode in the second separation part using a wet etching process; wherein the etching process unit comprises:
 a conveyor configured to convey a substrate having the second electrodes thereon through a wet etching unit; 
 a primary cleaning unit configured to clean the substrate conveyed by the conveyor; 
 a first air curtain configured to spray air toward a substrate outlet of the primary cleaning unit; 
 a wet etching unit configured to perform the wet etching process by spraying etching solution on the substrate conveyed through the primary cleaning unit by the conveyor; 
 a second air curtain configured to spray air toward a substrate inlet of the wet etching unit; 
 a secondary cleaning unit configured to clean the substrate conveyed through the wet etching unit by the conveyor; and 
 a drying unit configured to dry the substrate conveyed through the secondary cleaning unit by the conveyor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first electrode comprises a transparent conductive material not removed by the wet etching process. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the transparent conductive material is selected from the group consisting of SnO 2 , SnO 2 :F, SnO 2 :B, SnO 2 :Al, and indium tin oxide (ITO). 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second separation part comprises:
 a cell separation pattern separating the second electrode at certain intervals; and   a light transmission pattern exposed by the second electrode in a certain pattern.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a transparent conductive layer forming unit configured to form a transparent conductive layer on the optoelectric conversion layer; wherein
 the contact line forming unit is configured to remove a certain region of the transparent conductive layer and the certain region of the optoelectric conversion layer to form the contact line, and   the etching process unit is configured to remove the transparent conductive layer and the optoelectric conversion layer in the second separation part to expose the first electrode.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the etching solution comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of NaOH, KOH, NH 4 OH, HCl, HNO 3 , H 2 SO 4 , H 3 PO 3 , H 3 PO 4 , H 2 O 2 , HCOOH, and C 2 H 2 O 4 . 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the etching solution comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of NaOH, KOH, HCl, HNO 3 , H 2 SO 4 , H 3 PO 3 , H 2 O 2 , and C 2 H 2 O 4 . 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the wet etching unit comprises:
 a plurality of etching solution spray nozzles at certain intervals on the conveyor, configured to spray the etching solution on the substrate;   a nozzle supporting member supporting the etching solution spray nozzles;   a central support member configured to supporting the nozzle supporting member; and   a driver configured to move or swing the central support member by a predetermined distance or a predetermined angle.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the etching process unit further comprises a first neutral zone between the primary cleaning unit and the wet etching unit, wherein the first neutral zone comprises the first air curtain adjacent to the primary cleaning unit, and the second air curtain adjacent to the wet etching unit. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the etching process unit further comprises a second neutral zone between the secondary cleaning unit and the wet etching unit, the second neutral zone comprising:
 a third air curtain adjacent to the wet etching unit, configured to spray air toward the substrate outlet of the wet etching unit; and   a fourth air curtain adjacent to the secondary cleaning unit, configured to spray air toward the substrate inlet of the secondary cleaning unit.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing unit prints a paste comprising at least one of Ag, Al, and Cu on the optoelectric conversion layer to form the second electrode. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the optoelectric conversion layer comprises a silicon-based semiconductor material. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the optoelectric conversion layer comprises a P-type semiconductor layer, an I-type semiconductor layer, and an N-type semiconductor layer in sequence. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the optoelectric conversion layer comprises a first optoelectric conversion layer, a buffer layer, and a second optoelectric conversion layer in sequence. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the buffer layer comprises a transparent conductive material exposed when wet etching the optoelectric conversion layer. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the optoelectric conversion layer further comprises a second buffer layer on the second optoelectric conversion layer and a third optoelectric conversion layer thereon. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the contact line is parallel to the first separation part and exposes a region of the first electrode adjacent to the first separation part. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing unit prints the plurality of second electrodes by screen printing, inkjet printing, gravure printing, gravure offset printing, reverse printing, flexographic printing, or microcontact printing. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sintering unit configured to sinter the printed second electrode. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the light transmission pattern comprises a stripe-type shape that intersects the cell separation pattern, a curved shape, a figure shape, a sign shape, or a character shape.