JP7602949B2 - Plating apparatus and method for manufacturing solar cell panel - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a plating apparatus and a method for manufacturing solar panels.

2. Description of the Related Art Crystalline solar cell panels using crystalline silicon for a photoelectric conversion substrate have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
The solar cell panel of Patent Document 1 has a structure in which a p-side electrode and a front collector electrode are laminated in this order on one main surface of a photoelectric conversion substrate, and an n-side electrode and a back collector electrode are laminated in this order on the other main surface.

Recently, in order to reduce material costs, a method has been proposed in which the collector electrode of a solar cell panel is formed from a plating layer (for example, see Patent Document 2).
For example, Patent Document 2 proposes using a solar cell substrate on which metal seed layers are formed on the p-side electrode and the n-type electrode in accordance with the shape of the collecting electrodes, and forming a plating layer on the metal seed layer of the solar cell substrate by an electrolytic plating method to form collecting electrodes on the p-side electrode and the n-type electrode.
In Patent Document 2, in forming a plating layer, a plating apparatus having a first support member, a second support member, and a plating bath is used, and a solar cell substrate is sandwiched between a power supply pin of the first support member and a power supply pin of the second support member in the plating solution of the plating bath, and electricity is passed through the metal seed layer of the solar cell substrate via the power supply pins, thereby forming a plating layer on the seed layer.

JP 2019-145533 A JP 2018-93034 A

Incidentally, in the plating apparatus of Patent Document 2, in order to prevent a plating layer from adhering to the contact area between the power feed pin and the solar cell substrate, the power feed pin of the first support member and the power feed pin of the second support member are each in point contact at the same position.
However, because solar cell substrates are extremely thin, when the plating apparatus of Patent Document 2 is used, a local load is applied to the solar cell substrate from the power supply pin, occasionally causing the solar cell substrate to crack, leaving room for improvement.

The present invention aims to provide a plating apparatus that can reduce the load on the object to be plated compared to conventional methods, and a method for manufacturing solar panels that improves yields compared to conventional methods.

One aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a plating apparatus that immerses an object to be plated, which has a surface to be plated having a conductive portion, in a plating solution, and applies a voltage to the conductive portion to laminate a plating layer on the conductive portion, the plating apparatus having at least two linear power supply parts, and the two linear power supply parts are adapted to follow the shape of the surface to be plated, and at least a part of the linear power supply parts is brought into linear contact with the conductive portion, thereby supplying power to the conductive portion.

According to this aspect, since the linear power supply part can supply power to the conductive part of the plated object by making linear contact, the load on the plated object can be alleviated and reduced compared to conventional methods.

In a preferred embodiment, the distance between the two linear power supply parts is 0.01 mm or more and 0.2 mm or less.

This aspect allows the plating solution to spread throughout the area between the two linear power supplies while reducing localized stress on the object to be plated.

In a preferred aspect, the linear power supply portion is made of a material that is difficult to plate.

According to this aspect, after the plating layer is formed, the plating layer formed on the surface of the linear power supply part can be easily peeled off from the linear power supply part.

In a more preferred embodiment, the linear power supply portion is made of at least one metal or alloy selected from the group consisting of niobium, carbon, aluminum, and titanium.

In a preferred aspect, the plated surface has an insulating portion, and of the two linear power supply portions, one linear power supply portion contacts the conductive portion and the other linear power supply portion contacts the insulating portion.

According to this aspect, two linear power supply parts are provided across the conductive part and the insulating part, and the two linear power supply parts follow the step between the insulating part and the conductive part and absorb the thickness of the insulating part, so that one of the linear power supply parts can be more reliably brought into contact with the conductive part.

In a preferred embodiment, the two linear power supply parts are elastically deformed to match the shape of the surface to be plated, and press against the surface to be plated by their restoring force.

This aspect allows the linear power supply part to contact the conductive part more reliably.

In a preferred aspect, the two linear power supply parts have a space on the opposite side to the direction of pressure applied to the plated surface, and the two linear power supply parts move toward the space in accordance with the shape of the plated surface when the plated body is attached.

According to this aspect, part of the resistance from the plated object escapes into the space, making it difficult for excessive load to be applied to the plated object.

A preferred aspect is that the linear body has a circular cross-sectional outer shape, the linear power supply section is composed of the linear body, and when power is supplied to the conductive section, the side of the linear body is brought into linear contact with the conductive section to supply power.

This aspect makes it easy to achieve line contact with the conductive part.

A more preferred aspect is that the linear body has a spirally wound conductor, and the two linear power supply parts are formed by a portion of the side surface of the conductor.

This aspect makes it easier to make the two linear power supply parts conform to the shape of the surface to be plated.

A preferred aspect is that the plate has a plurality of linear power supply parts, the plurality of linear power supply parts including a first linear power supply part and a second linear power supply part, the plated body is plate-shaped and has a first main surface having the plated surface and a second main surface, the plated body has a plating jig having a first holder and a second holder, the first holder has a first power supply member having the first linear power supply part, the second holder has a second power supply member having the second linear power supply part, and the plating jig holds the plated body by contacting the first linear power supply part of the first power supply member with the first main surface and the second linear power supply part of the second power supply member with the second main surface.

According to this aspect, since the linear power supply part is used to hold the object to be plated, no additional member is required to support the object to be plated, and a wider area of the object to be plated can be immersed in the plating solution.

A preferred aspect is that the contact portion of the first linear power supply part with the first main surface does not overlap the contact portion of the second linear power supply part with the second main surface when viewed in a plan view.

According to this aspect, the object to be plated is less likely to be subjected to a localized concentrated load from the first and second linear power supply parts.

In a preferred aspect, the extension direction of the contact portion of the first linear power supply part with the first main surface and the extension direction of the contact portion of the second linear power supply part with the second main surface intersect with each other when the first main surface is viewed in a plan view.

This aspect allows the plated object to be held more stably.

One aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a solar cell panel using the above plating apparatus to form a collector electrode on a solar cell substrate, the solar cell substrate having a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a photoelectric conversion section sandwiched between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, an insulating layer is laminated on the outside of the first electrode layer with respect to the photoelectric conversion section, the insulating layer has an opening, and a part of the first electrode layer or a base layer laminated on the first electrode layer is exposed from the opening, the method for manufacturing a solar cell panel includes a plating step of immersing the solar cell substrate in the plating solution, contacting at least a part of the linear power supply section with the first electrode layer or the base layer to supply power, and forming a plating layer on the first electrode layer or the base layer.

This aspect reduces the load on the solar cell substrate compared to conventional methods, making the solar cell substrate less susceptible to damage and improving yields.

According to the plating apparatus of the present invention, the load applied to the object to be plated can be reduced as compared with the conventional apparatus.
According to the method for manufacturing a solar cell module of the present invention, the yield can be improved as compared with the conventional method.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a plating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the plating jig of FIG. 1 . 3A is an exploded perspective view of the first power supply member, and FIG. 3B is an exploded perspective view of the second power supply member; FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the first power supply member, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a main portion of the first power supply member of FIG. 2 . 2A is a front view of the plated substrate shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2B is a rear view of the plated substrate, and FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1A is a front view of the solar cell panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1B is a rear view of the solar cell panel, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1A. 3A and 3B are explanatory views showing a state in which a substrate to be plated is held by the plating jig of FIG. 2, in which FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the first elastic power supply part and the second elastic power supply part of the plating jig in Figure 2, where (a) is a front view showing the respective contact positions between the first elastic power supply part and the plated substrate, and the second elastic power supply part and the plated substrate, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the respective contact positions between the first elastic power supply part and the plated substrate, and the second elastic power supply part and the plated substrate. 5A and 5B are explanatory views of a substrate to be plated and a solar cell panel according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view of the substrate to be plated, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the solar cell panel. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of a first power supply member of another embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an oblique view of an unloaded state in which it is not in contact with a plated substrate, and (b) is an oblique view of a state in which it is in contact with a plated substrate.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention in detail.

The plating apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is an electrolytic plating apparatus that forms plating layers 105, 106 on a substrate 100 (body to be plated) by electrolytic plating.
The plating apparatus 1 of this embodiment is used for manufacturing a solar cell panel 150, and uses a solar cell substrate as the substrate to be plated 100, and is used when forming plating layers 105, 106 on both main surfaces 101, 102, which are the surfaces to be plated, of the substrate to be plated 100.

As shown in FIG. 1, the plating apparatus 1 mainly comprises a plating jig 2, a plating bath 3, plating electrodes 5 and 6, and a power supply unit 7.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the plating jig 2 has a pair of substrate holders 10, 11, which sandwich the substrate 100 to be plated and hold it.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first substrate holder 10 (first holder) includes a main frame 15, crosspiece frames 16 to 18, a plurality of first power supply members 20, and a first fitting portion 21.
The main body frame 15 is a picture-frame-like frame having an opening 22 similar in shape to the plated substrate 100. The main body frame 15 has a rectangular opening 22, and has, around the periphery of the opening 22, vertical frames 25, 26 extending in the vertical direction and horizontal frames 27, 28 extending in the horizontal direction.

The crosspiece frames 16 to 18 are frames that run vertically through the opening 22 and connect an upper horizontal frame 27 (upper frame) and a lower horizontal frame 28 (lower frame).
The crosspiece frames 16 to 18 cross the horizontal frames 27, 28 at an intersection with each other outside the horizontal frames 27, 28 with respect to the substrate 100 to be plated, and a space is formed inside the crosspiece frames 16 to 18.

The first power supply member 20 is electrically connected to the power supply device 7 and applies a voltage to the plated substrate 100 .
As shown in FIG. 3A , the first power supply member 20 has a first case portion 30 and a first elastic power supply portion 31 , and the first elastic power supply portion 31 is provided across the inside and outside of the first case portion 30 .
The first case portion 30 is a box-shaped case whose inside and outside are connected via retaining holes 33a, 33b, and has a fixing portion 32 therein for fixing the first elastic power supply portion 31.

The first elastic power supply part 31 is a part that comes into contact with the first main surface 101 of the plated substrate 100 and supplies power to the plated substrate 100 .
As shown in Fig. 4, the first elastic power supply part 31 is a conductor in which a linear body having a circular cross-sectional outer shape is wound in a spiral shape, and in the natural state, the spiral axis C1 is continuous in an annular shape as shown in Fig. 3. That is, as shown in Fig. 4, the first elastic power supply part 31 has a first power supply region 35 that extends in an arc shape and is exposed from the first case part 30 when viewed in a plan view.
The first power supply region 35 is a region that comes into contact with the plated substrate 100 and supplies power to the plated substrate 100. In the first power supply region 35, a space is formed inside the helical axis C1 (on the first case portion 30 side) as shown in Fig. 4, and movement in a direction intersecting the helical axis C1 is permitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first power supply region 35 has a plurality of first linear power supply portions 36 formed therein.
The first linear power supply portion 36 is a portion whose side surface comes into line contact with the first main surface 101 of the plated substrate 100 when the plated substrate 100 is attached.

The first elastic power supply portion 31 is specifically a coil spring, and is elastically deformable in the direction of the helical axis C1, so that each of the first linear power supply portions 36 is movable in a direction perpendicular to the helical axis C1.
It is preferable that the outer diameter of the linear body of the first elastic power supply part 31 is 5.0 mm or more and 20.0 mm or less.
The first elastic power supply portion 31 preferably has a pitch (the distance between adjacent first linear power supply portions 36, 36) of 0.01 mm or more and 0.2 mm or less.

The first elastic power supply part 31 is made of a conductive material that is difficult to plate, and is preferably made of at least one metal or alloy selected from the group consisting of niobium, carbon, aluminum, and titanium.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first fitting portion 21 is a portion that can be fitted into the second fitting portion 61 of the second substrate holder 11, and in this embodiment is a recess recessed from the main body frame 15.

As shown in Figure 2, the second substrate holder 11 (second holder) is a component that forms a pair with the first substrate holder 10, and comprises a main body frame 55, crosspiece frames 56-58, a plurality of second power supply members 60, and a second fitting portion 61.
The main body frame 55 is a picture-frame-like frame having an opening 62 having a shape similar to that of the plated substrate 100. The main body frame 55 has a rectangular opening 62, and has, around the periphery of the opening 62, vertical frames 65, 66 extending in the vertical direction and horizontal frames 67, 68 extending in the horizontal direction.

The crosspiece frames 56 to 58 are frames that extend vertically through the opening 62 and connect an upper horizontal frame 67 (upper frame) and a lower horizontal frame 68 (lower frame).
The crosspiece frames 56 to 58 cross the horizontal frames 67 and 68 at different levels with respect to the substrate 100 to be plated, and a space is formed inside the crosspiece frames 56 to 58 .

The second power supply member 60 is electrically connected to the power supply device 7 and applies a voltage to the plated substrate 100 .
The second power supply member 60 also serves as a holding member that, together with the first power supply member 20 , holds the plated substrate 100 by sandwiching it therebetween.
The second power supply member 60 has a second case portion 70 and a second elastic power supply portion 71 , and the second elastic power supply portion 71 is provided across the inside and outside of the second case portion 70 .
As shown in FIG. 3B, the second case portion 70 is a box-shaped case whose inside and outside are connected via retaining holes 73a, 73b, and has a fixing portion 72 therein for fixing the second elastic power supply portion 71.

The second elastic power supply part 71 is a part that comes into contact with the plated substrate 100 and supplies power to the plated substrate 100 .
The second elastic power supply part 71 is a conductor in which a linear body having a circular cross-sectional outer shape is wound in a spiral shape, and the spiral axis C2 is continuous in an annular shape. That is, the second elastic power supply part 71 has a second power supply region 75 that extends in an arc shape and is exposed from the second case part 70 when viewed in a plan view.
The second power supply region 75 has a space formed inside the helical axis C2, and is permitted to move in a direction intersecting the helical axis C2.
In the second power supply region 75, a plurality of second linear power supply portions 76 are formed.
The second linear power supply portion 76 is a portion whose side surface comes into line contact with the second main surface 102 of the plated substrate 100 when the plated substrate 100 is attached.

The second elastic power supply portion 71 is specifically a coil spring, and is elastically deformable in the direction of the helical axis C2, and each second linear power supply portion 76 is movable in a direction perpendicular to the helical axis C2.
It is preferable that the outer diameter of the linear body of the second elastic power supply part 71 is 5.0 mm or more and 20.0 mm or less.
The second elastic power feed portions 71 preferably have a pitch (the distance between adjacent second linear power feed portions 76, 76) of 0.01 mm or more and 0.2 mm or less.

The second elastic power supply part 71 is made of a conductive material that is difficult to plate, and is preferably made of at least one metal or alloy selected from the group consisting of niobium, carbon, aluminum, and titanium.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second fitting portion 61 is a portion that can be fitted into the first fitting portion 21 of the first substrate holder 10, and in this embodiment is a protrusion that protrudes from the main body frame 55.

The plated substrate 100 is a substrate on which plating layers 105 and 106 are formed by the plating apparatus 1. The plated substrate 100 of the present embodiment is a solar cell substrate having a photoelectric conversion portion 110, and is a plate-like substrate having a first main surface 101 and a second main surface 102, as shown in FIG.
As shown in Figure 5 (c), the plated substrate 100 has a first electrode layer 111, a first base layer 112 (conductive portion), and a first insulating layer 113 (insulating portion) on the photoelectric conversion section 110 on the first main surface 101 side, and has a second electrode layer 115, a second base layer 116 (conductive portion), and a second insulating layer 117 (insulating portion) on the photoelectric conversion section 110 on the second main surface 102 side.

The photoelectric conversion unit 110 has a PN junction and converts light energy into electrical energy, and is a semiconductor layer formed on a semiconductor substrate.

The first electrode layer 111 is paired with the second electrode layer 115 and is an electrode that, together with the second electrode layer 115 , extracts the electric energy photoelectrically converted in the photoelectric conversion unit 110 .
The first electrode layer 111 is a transparent conductive layer having transparency and conductivity, and specifically, is a transparent conductive oxide layer made of a transparent conductive oxide such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or tungsten-doped indium oxide (IWO).
The first electrode layer 111 is preferably formed over an area of 80% or more of the photoelectric conversion section 110 when the first main surface 101 is viewed in a plane, more preferably over an area of 95% or more, and even more preferably over the entire surface.

The first underlayer 112 has a higher electrical conductivity than the first electrode layer 111 and serves as a base for the first plating layer 105 .
The first underlayer 112 is not particularly limited as long as it is conductive, and may be made of, for example, a metal such as copper, silver, nickel, tin, or aluminum, or an alloy of these metals.

The first underlayer 112 is patterned into a predetermined shape (comb-like) as shown in FIG. 5(a) and is partially formed on the first electrode layer 111. That is, the plated substrate 100 has a first underlayer formation region 122 where the first underlayer 112 is formed, and a first underlayer non-formation region 123 where the first underlayer 112 is not formed.

The first insulating layer 113 is a layer that has insulating properties and chemical stability against the plating solution, and is a protective layer that protects the photoelectric conversion body 110 and the first electrode layer 111 from the plating solution when the first plating layer 105 is formed by electrolytic plating.
The first insulating layer 113 is not particularly limited as long as it has insulating properties and chemical stability against the plating solution. For example, a positive photoresist material such as a novolac resin or a phenolic resin, a negative photoresist material such as an acrylic resin, or an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, magnesium oxide, copper oxide, or niobium oxide can be used.

The first insulating layer 113 is laminated on the first electrode layer 111 as shown in FIG. 5(c), and an opening 118 is formed along the shape of the first undercoat layer forming region 122, and the first undercoat layer 112 is exposed from the opening 118. That is, the first main surface 101 of the plated substrate 100 has a first exposed region 120 and a first covered region 121.

The first exposed region 120 is a plating region where the first underlayer 112 is exposed from the first insulating layer 113 during plating, and the first plating layer 105 is formed on the first underlayer 112 .
The first covered region 121 is a non-plated region where the first electrode layer 111 is covered with the first insulating layer 113 during plating, and the first plating layer 105 is not formed on the first electrode layer 111 .

The second electrode layer 115 is a transparent conductive layer having transparency and conductivity, and specifically, is a transparent conductive oxide layer made of a transparent conductive oxide such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or tungsten-doped indium oxide (IWO).
The second electrode layer 115 is preferably formed over an area of 80% or more of the photoelectric conversion section 110 when the first main surface 101 (second main surface 102) is viewed in a plane, more preferably over an area of 95% or more, and even more preferably over the entire surface.

The second underlayer 116 has a higher electrical conductivity than the second electrode layer 115 and serves as a base for the second plating layer 106 .
The second underlayer 116 is not particularly limited as long as it is conductive, and may be made of, for example, a metal such as copper, silver, nickel, tin, or aluminum, or an alloy of these metals.

The second underlayer 116 is patterned into a predetermined shape (comb-like) as shown in FIG. 5(b) and is partially formed on the second electrode layer 115. That is, the plated substrate 100 has a second underlayer formation region 132 where the second underlayer 116 is formed, and a second underlayer non-formation region 133 where the second underlayer 116 is not formed.

The second insulating layer 117 is a layer that has insulating properties and chemical stability against the plating solution, and is a protective layer that protects the photoelectric conversion body 110 and the second electrode layer 115 from the plating solution when the second plating layer 106 is formed by electrolytic plating.
The second insulating layer 117 is not particularly limited as long as it has insulating properties and chemical stability against the plating solution. For example, a positive photoresist material such as a novolac resin or a phenolic resin, a negative photoresist material such as an acrylic resin, or an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, magnesium oxide, copper oxide, or niobium oxide can be used.

The second insulating layer 117 is laminated on the second electrode layer 115, and an opening 128 is formed along the shape of the second undercoat layer forming region 132, and the second undercoat layer 116 is exposed from the opening 128. That is, the second main surface 102 of the plated substrate 100 has a second exposed region 130 and a second covered region 131.
The second exposed region 130 is a plating region where the second underlayer 116 is exposed from the second insulating layer 117 during plating, and the second plating layer 106 is formed on the second underlayer 116 .
The second covered region 131 is a non-plated region where the second electrode layer 115 is covered with the second insulating layer 117 during plating, and the second plating layer 106 is not formed on the second electrode layer 115 .

Next, we will explain the solar cell panel 150 that is preferably manufactured using the plating device 1 of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the solar cell panel 150 is a plate-shaped panel having a first main surface 151 and a second main surface 152 .
As shown in Figure 6 (c), the solar cell panel 150 has a first electrode layer 111, a first base layer 112, and a first plating layer 105 on the photoelectric conversion unit 110 on the first main surface 151 side, and has a second electrode layer 115, a second base layer 116, and a second plating layer 106 on the photoelectric conversion unit 110 on the second main surface 152 side.

The solar panel 150 has a first collector electrode 160 formed on a first main surface 151 as shown in FIG. 6(a), and a second collector electrode 161 formed on a second main surface 152 as shown in FIG. 6(b).

The first collecting electrode 160 is comb-shaped and is composed of a first busbar electrode portion 155 and a first finger electrode portion 156 as shown in FIG. 6(a).

The first bus bar electrode portion 155 is a portion to which an external wiring such as a tab wire is connected.
The first bus bar electrode portion 155 extends in a predetermined direction as shown in FIG. 6( a ), and is composed of a first underlayer 112 and a first plating layer 105 as shown in FIG. 6( c ).
As shown in Figure 6 (a), the first finger electrode portion 156 extends in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the first bus bar electrode portion 155 (in this embodiment, a direction perpendicular to the extension direction), and is composed of the first base layer 112 and the first plating layer 105.
The width of the first finger electrode portion 156 is smaller than the width of the first bus bar electrode portion 155 as shown in FIG. 6( a ).

The second collector electrode 161 has a comb-like shape, and is composed of a second bus bar electrode portion 157 and a second finger electrode portion 158 as shown in FIG. 6( b ).
The second bus bar electrode portion 157 is a portion to which an external wiring such as a tab wire is connected.
The second bus bar electrode portion 157 extends in a predetermined direction as shown in FIG. 6( b ), and is composed of the second underlayer 116 and the second plating layer 106 .
The second finger electrode portion 158 extends in a direction intersecting (orthogonal in this embodiment) the extension direction of the second bus bar electrode portion 157 , and is constituted by the second underlayer 116 and the second plating layer 106 .
The width of the second finger electrode portion 158 is smaller than the width of the second bus bar electrode portion 157 .

Next, we will explain the positional relationship of each part of the plating jig 2 of this embodiment when the plated substrate 100 is attached.

As shown in Figure 1, the plating jig 2 has a first substrate holder 10 and a second substrate holder 11 facing each other across the thickness of the substrate 100 to be plated, and the substrate 100 to be plated is held by a first power supply member 20 and a second power supply member 60.
As shown in Figure 7 (a), the first elastic power supply part 31 of the first substrate holder 10 has a side surface in contact with the first main surface 101, and is in contact across the first insulating layer 113 and the first base layer 112 of the plated substrate 100.
The first linear power supply portion 36 of the first elastic power supply portion 31 has a portion in line contact with the first base layer 112 and a first base side linear power supply portion 36 a, and a first insulation side linear power supply portion 36 b in line contact with the first insulation layer 113.
7(a), each first linear power supply portion 36 conforms to the shape of the first main surface 101 of the plated substrate 100, and absorbs steps due to the thickness of the first insulating layer 113 of the plated substrate 100. That is, each first linear power supply portion 36 in contact with the first main surface 101 of the plated substrate 100 has a space on the opposite side to the pressing direction toward the first main surface 101 in accordance with the shape of the first main surface 101, and elastically deforms toward the space, and presses the first main surface 101 of the plated substrate 100 by the restoring force.
The contact portion of the first undercoat layer 112 of the first undercoat side linear power supply portion 36a is located more inward than the contact portion of the first insulation side linear power supply portion 36b of the first insulation layer 113, with respect to the photoelectric conversion portion 110.

The second elastic power supply portion 71 of the second substrate holder 11 has a side surface in contact with the second main surface 102 , and is in contact across the second insulating layer 117 and the second underlayer 116 of the substrate 100 to be plated.
The second linear power supply portion 76 of the second elastic power supply portion 71 spanning the boundary between the second base layer 116 and the second insulating layer 117 has a portion in line contact with the second base layer 116 and a portion in line contact with the second insulating layer 117.
Each second linear power supply portion 76 conforms to the shape of the second main surface 102 of the plated substrate 100 , and any steps due to the thickness of the second insulating layer 117 of the plated substrate 100 are absorbed.
That is, the second linear power supply portion 76, which is in contact with the second main surface 102 of the plated substrate 100 and spans the boundary between the second base layer 116 and the second insulating layer 117, elastically deforms to conform to the shape of the second main surface 102, and presses the second main surface 102 of the plated substrate 100 with its restoring force.
The contact portion of the second linear power supply portion 76 with the second base layer 116 is located inside the contact portion of the second linear power supply portion 76 with the second insulating layer 117, with respect to the photoelectric conversion portion 110, as shown in Figure 7 (b).

The first linear power supply portion 36 of the first elastic power supply portion 31 and the second linear power supply portion 76 of the second elastic power supply portion 71 are arranged in positions that do not overlap when viewed in a plane, as shown in Figure 8 (a).
That is, the contact portion (contact point) of the first linear power supply portion 36 of the first substrate holder 10 with the substrate 100 to be plated and the contact portion (contact point) of the second linear power supply portion 76 of the second substrate holder 11 with the substrate 100 to be plated are offset in the vertical and horizontal directions and are in displaced positions.

In addition, the extension direction of the first linear power supply portion 36 of the first substrate holder 10 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the second linear power supply portion 76 of the second substrate holder 11 when the first main surface 101 is viewed in a plan view.

The plating bath 3 is a plating tank in which a plating solution is introduced, as shown in FIG.
The plating solution is an electrolyte in which metal salts containing ions of the metals that make up the plating layers 105 and 106 are dissolved.

The plating electrodes 5 and 6 are anodes made of a metal or metal alloy used in electrolytic plating.

The power supply unit 7 is a device that selectively applies voltage between the substrate 100 to be plated, which is fixed to the plating jig 2, and the plating electrode 5, and between the substrate 100 to be plated and the plating electrode 6.

Next, we will explain an example of a method for manufacturing a solar panel 150 using the plating device 1 of this embodiment.

The manufacturing method for the solar cell panel 150 of this embodiment includes, as main steps, an electrode layer forming step, a base layer forming step, an insulating layer forming step, a plating step, and, if necessary, an insulating layer removing step, in this order.

Specifically, first, a first electrode layer 111 is formed on one main surface of the photoelectric conversion unit 110 using a sputtering device or the like, and a second electrode layer 115 is formed on the other main surface (electrode layer formation process).

Next, the base layers 112, 116 patterned into a predetermined shape are laminated on the electrode layers 111, 115 of the plated substrate 100 to form base layer formation regions 122, 132 (base layer formation process).

At this time, the base layers 112 and 116 can be patterned by screen printing, photoresist, etc.

Next, insulating layers 113, 117 having openings 118, 128 are laminated on the substrate on which the underlayer formation regions 122, 132 are formed in a plan view, forming the plated substrate 100 (insulating layer formation process).

At this time, the insulating layers 113, 117 may be formed using a mask to correspond to the base layer formation regions 122, 132, as shown in FIG. 5(c), or the insulating layers 113, 117 may be formed to cover the base layers 112, 116, and then the insulating layers 113, 117 may be partially removed to form the openings 118, 128.

Next, the substrate 100 to be plated is attached to the plating jig 2 and immersed in the plating solution of the plating bath 3 together with the plating electrodes 5 and 6 to expose the base layer formation areas 122 and 132 to the plating solution, and power is supplied from the power supply unit 7 to form plating layers 105 and 106 on the base layers 112 and 116 in the base layer formation areas 122 and 132 (plating process).

At this time, the underlayer 112 faces the plating electrode 5 , and the underlayer 116 faces the plating electrode 6 .
At this time, the plating layers 105 and 106 may be formed separately or simultaneously.

Then, if necessary, the insulating layers 113 and 117 are peeled off from the base layers 112 and 116 (insulating layer removal process), and the substrate is divided using a laser or by folding or other methods, to complete the solar cell panel 150.

According to the plating device 1 of this embodiment, the linear power supply parts 36, 76 make line contact with the underlayers 112, 116 of the plated substrate 100, thereby applying a voltage between the plating electrodes 5, 6 and the underlayers 112, 116 to form the plated layers 105, 106. Therefore, compared to the case of power supply by point contact, it is possible to prevent concentrated load from being applied to the plated substrate 100, and even if the plated substrate 100 is thin, it is possible to prevent the plated substrate 100 from cracking.

According to the plating device 1 of this embodiment, the linear power supply parts 36, 76 are cushioned and conform to the shape of both main surfaces 101, 102 of the plated substrate 100, so even if the elastic power supply parts 31, 71 straddle between the base layers 112, 116 and the insulating layers 113, 117 of the plated substrate 100, it is possible to supply power to the base layers 112, 116. This makes it easy to determine the contact positions.

According to the plating device 1 of this embodiment, since the elastic power supply parts 31, 71 are formed of a conductive material that is difficult to plate, even if a plating layer 105, 106 is formed on the surface of the linear power supply parts 36, 76, the plating layer 105, 106 can be easily peeled off from the surface of the linear power supply parts 36, 76.

According to the plating device 1 of this embodiment, when the plated substrate 100 is fixed, the contact positions of the linear power supply parts 36, 76 with the plated substrate 100 are shifted, so that concentrated load is unlikely to be applied to the plated substrate 100.

The manufacturing method for the solar cell panel 150 of this embodiment uses a plating device 1, so the plated substrate 100 is less likely to be damaged, and the yield can be improved compared to the conventional method.

In the above embodiment, the base layers 112, 116 that serve as bases for the plating layers 105, 106 are formed on the electrode layers 111, 115, but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in Fig. 9B, the plating layers 105, 106 may be formed directly on the electrode layers 111, 115 without forming the base layers 112, 116 on the electrode layers 111, 115.
In this case, in the plating step, as shown in FIG. 9A, the electrode layers 111 and 115 are exposed from the openings 118 and 128 and are exposed to the plating solution.

In the above embodiment, each linear power supply 36, 76 was a part of the elastic power supply 31, 71, but the present invention is not limited to this. Each linear power supply 36 (linear power supply 76) may be composed of an individual independent member as shown in FIG. 10. In this case, it is preferable that each linear power supply 36 (linear power supply 76) is biased by a biasing member, or each linear power supply 36 (linear power supply 76) is individually elastically deformable, and a space is formed on the base end side in the pressing direction against the plated surface to allow movement.

In the above embodiment, the outer shape of the cross section of the linear body is circular, but the present invention is not limited to this. The outer shape of the cross section of the linear body may be any shape that allows for line contact. For example, it may be elliptical or oval. It is preferable that the outer shape of the cross section of the linear body has a partially arcuate surface.

In the above embodiment, the extension direction of the first linear power supply unit 36 and the extension direction of the second linear power supply unit 76 are different directions, but the present invention is not limited to this. The extension direction of the first linear power supply unit 36 and the extension direction of the second linear power supply unit 76 may be the same direction.

In the above embodiment, the case where the plated substrate 100 is a solar cell substrate has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The plating apparatus 1 can also form plating layers 105, 106 on other plated objects. For example, plating layers 105, 106 may be formed on printed circuit boards, electronic components, etc.

As long as the above-described embodiments fall within the technical scope of the present invention, the components may be freely substituted or added between the various embodiments.

1 Plating device 2 Plating jig 10 First substrate holder (first holder)
11 Second substrate holder (second holder)
20 First power supply member 31 First elastic power supply part 36 First linear power supply part (linear power supply part)
36a: First substrate-side linear power supply portion 36b: First insulation-side linear power supply portion 60: Second power supply member 71: Second elastic power supply portion 76: Second linear power supply portion (linear power supply portion)
76a: second substrate-side linear power supply portion 76b: second insulated-side linear power supply portion 100: substrate to be plated (body to be plated)
101 First main surface (surface to be plated)
102 Second main surface (surface to be plated)
105: First plating layer 106: Second plating layer 110: Photoelectric conversion section 111: First electrode layer 112: First base layer (conductive section)
113 First insulating layer (insulating portion)
115 Second electrode layer 116 Second base layer (conductive part)
117 Second insulating layer (insulating portion)
118 Opening 128 Opening 150 Solar cell panel

Claims (12)

A plating apparatus for immersing an object to be plated, which has a surface to be plated having a conductive portion, in a plating solution and applying a voltage to the conductive portion to laminate a plating layer on the conductive portion, comprising:
having at least two linear feed portions;
The two linear power supply parts are adapted to conform to the shape of the plated surface, and at least a part of the linear power supply parts is brought into linear contact with the conductive part, thereby supplying power to the conductive part;
A plating apparatus, wherein the distance between the two linear power supply portions is 0.01 mm or more and 0.2 mm or less. A plating apparatus for immersing an object to be plated, which has a surface to be plated having a conductive portion, in a plating solution and applying a voltage to the conductive portion to laminate a plating layer on the conductive portion, comprising:
having at least two linear feed portions;
The two linear power supply parts are adapted to conform to the shape of the plated surface, and at least a part of the linear power supply parts is brought into linear contact with the conductive part, thereby supplying power to the conductive part;
A plating apparatus, wherein the linear power supply portion is made of a material that is difficult to plate. 3. The plating apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the linear power supply portion is made of at least one metal or alloy selected from the group consisting of niobium, carbon, aluminum, and titanium. A plating apparatus for immersing an object to be plated, which has a surface to be plated having a conductive portion, in a plating solution and applying a voltage to the conductive portion to laminate a plating layer on the conductive portion, comprising:
having at least two linear feed portions;
The two linear power supply parts are adapted to conform to the shape of the plated surface, and at least a part of the linear power supply parts is brought into linear contact with the conductive part, thereby supplying power to the conductive part;
The plated surface has an insulating portion,
one of the two linear power supply portions contacts the conductive portion and the other linear power supply portion contacts the insulating portion. A plating apparatus for immersing an object to be plated, which has a surface to be plated having a conductive portion, in a plating solution and applying a voltage to the conductive portion to laminate a plating layer on the conductive portion, comprising:
having at least two linear feed portions;
The two linear power supply parts are adapted to conform to the shape of the plated surface, and at least a part of the linear power supply parts is brought into linear contact with the conductive part, thereby supplying power to the conductive part;
The plating apparatus, wherein the two linear power supply portions elastically deform to match the shape of the surface to be plated and press the surface to be plated by their restoring force. The two linear power supply portions have a space on the opposite side to the pressing direction against the plated surface,
The plating apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the two linear power supply portions move toward the space in accordance with a shape of the surface to be plated when the object to be plated is attached. A plating apparatus for immersing an object to be plated, which has a surface to be plated having a conductive portion, in a plating solution and applying a voltage to the conductive portion to laminate a plating layer on the conductive portion, comprising:
having at least two linear feed portions;
The two linear power supply parts are adapted to conform to the shape of the plated surface, and at least a part of the linear power supply parts is brought into linear contact with the conductive part, thereby supplying power to the conductive part;
A linear body having a circular cross-sectional outer shape,
the linear power supply portion is formed of the linear body,
When supplying power to the conductive portion, a side surface of the linear body is brought into linear contact with the conductive portion to supply power. the linear body has a conductor wound in a spiral shape,
8. The plating apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the two linear power supply portions are formed by parts of side surfaces of the conductor. A plating apparatus for immersing an object to be plated, which has a surface to be plated having a conductive portion, in a plating solution and applying a voltage to the conductive portion to laminate a plating layer on the conductive portion, comprising:
having at least two linear feed portions;
The two linear power supply parts are adapted to conform to the shape of the plated surface, and at least a part of the linear power supply parts is brought into linear contact with the conductive part, thereby supplying power to the conductive part;
a plurality of linear power supply portions including the two linear power supply portions ;
the plurality of linear power supply portions include a first linear power supply portion and a second linear power supply portion ,
The object to be plated is in a plate shape and has a first main surface having the surface to be plated and a second main surface,
A plating jig having a first holder and a second holder,
the first holder has a first power supply member having the first linear power supply portion ,
the second holder has a second power supply member having the second linear power supply portion ,
The plating jig holds the body to be plated by contacting the first linear power supply portion of the first power supply member with the first main surface and the second linear power supply portion of the second power supply member with the second main surface. 10. The plating apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein a contact portion of the first linear power supply portion with the first main surface does not overlap a contact portion of the second linear power supply portion with the second main surface in a plan view. 11. The plating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an extension direction of a contact portion of the first linear power supply portion with the first main surface and an extension direction of a contact portion of the second linear power supply portion with the second main surface intersect with each other when the first main surface is seen in a plan view. A method for manufacturing a solar cell panel, comprising forming a collector electrode on a solar cell substrate using the plating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11 ,
the solar cell substrate has a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a photoelectric conversion unit sandwiched between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, and an insulating layer is laminated on the outer side of the first electrode layer with respect to the photoelectric conversion unit;
the insulating layer has an opening, and a part of the first electrode layer or a base layer laminated on the first electrode layer is exposed from the opening,
a plating step of immersing the solar cell substrate in the plating solution, bringing at least a portion of the linear power supply portion into contact with the first electrode layer or the base layer to supply power, and forming a plating layer on the first electrode layer or the base layer.

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