Method and apparatus for manufacturing photovoltaic device

• US 20040248336A1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,153,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/57
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device includes: a step of fixing thin metal wires which are coated with electroconductive resin, to a principal surface of a photovoltaic member; a step of heating the photovoltaic member to which the thin metal wires are fixed; and a step of pressing an elastic film against the photovoltaic member and the thin metal wires while the pressure of gas on the side opposite the photovoltaic member across the elastic film is larger than the pressure of gas on the photovoltaic member side. The thin metal wires to serve as a collector electrode provided in a photovoltaic member are prevented from bending. This makes it possible to produce, with high yield, photovoltaic devices that have no fear of being reduced in output by bent thin metal wires.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device, comprising:

a first step of fixing thin metal wires which are coated with electroconductive resin, to a principal surface of a photovoltaic member;

a second step of heating the photovoltaic member to which the thin metal wires are fixed; and

a third step of pressing an elastic film against the photovoltaic member and the thin metal wires while a pressure of first gas on a side opposite the photovoltaic member across the elastic film is larger than a pressure of second gas present in a space between the elastic film and the principal surface of the photovoltaic member.

2. The method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the first step further comprises:

a first sub-step of elastically deforming an intermediate region of the photovoltaic member to make the intermediate region convex in a direction opposite to a normal line direction of the principal surface of the photovoltaic member while maintaining shapes of a first region and a second region of the photovoltaic member, the intermediate region being located between the first region and the second region;

a second sub-step of fixing a first portion of the thin metal wires to the first region and fixing a second portion of the thin metal wires to the second region; and

a third sub-step of undoing the elastic deformation to apply a tensile force to an intermediate portion between the first portion and the second portion of the thin metal wires.

3. The method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device according to claim 1,

wherein a step of shaping the photovoltaic member along an outer wall of a column is put before the first step, and

wherein the thin metal wires are fixed in the first step to make a longitudinal direction of the thin metal wires parallel to an axis of the column.

4. An apparatus for manufacturing a photovoltaic device, comprising:

a first means for fixing thin metal wires which are coated with electroconductive resin, to a principal surface of a photovoltaic member;

a second means for heating the photovoltaic member to which the thin metal wires are fixed; and

a third means for pressing an elastic film against the photovoltaic member and the thin metal wires while a pressure of first gas on a side opposite the photovoltaic member across the elastic film is larger than a pressure of second gas present in a space between the elastic film and the principal surface of the photovoltaic member.

5. The apparatus for manufacturing a photovoltaic device according to claim 4, wherein the first means comprises:

a first sub-means for elastically deforming an intermediate region of the photovoltaic member to make the intermediate region convex in a direction opposite to a normal line direction of the principal surface of the photovoltaic member while maintaining shapes of a first region and a second region of the photovoltaic member, the intermediate region being located between the first region and the second region;

a second sub-means for fixing a first portion of the thin metal wires to the first region and fixing a second portion of the thin metal wires to the second region; and

a third sub-means for undoing the elastic deformation to apply a tensile force to an intermediate portion between the first portion and the second portion of the thin metal wires.

6. The apparatus for manufacturing a photovoltaic device according to claim 4, further comprising means for shaping the photovoltaic member along an outer wall of a column,

wherein the first means is means for fixing the thin metal wires in a manner that makes a longitudinal direction of the thin metal wires parallel to an axis of the column.

7. A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device, comprising:

a first step of placing a complex which is obtained by fixing thin metal wires at both ends onto a photovoltaic member, on movable support members protruding from a principal surface of a heat plate; and

a second step of pressing an elastic sheet against the complex while a pressure applied to a surface of the elastic sheet that is opposite the heat plate is larger than a pressure applied to a surface of the elastic sheet that faces the heat plate,

wherein the movable support members sink in the heat plate before the elastic sheet comes into contact with the complex.

8. A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device, comprising:

a first step of placing a complex which is obtained by fixing thin metal wires at both ends onto a photovoltaic member, on movable support members protruding from a principal surface of a heat plate; and

a second step of pressing an elastic sheet against the complex while a pressure applied to a surface of the elastic sheet that is opposite the heat plate is larger than a pressure applied to a surface of the elastic sheet that faces the heat plate,

wherein the movable support members simultaneously sink in the heat plate in conjunction with one another.

9. A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device, comprising:

a first step of placing a complex which is obtained by fixing thin metal wires at both ends onto a photovoltaic member, on movable support members protruding from a principal surface of a heat plate; and

a second step of pressing an elastic sheet against the complex while a pressure applied to a surface of the elastic sheet that is opposite the heat plate is larger than a pressure applied to a surface of the elastic sheet that faces the heat plate,

wherein the complex is held in a manner that places edges of the complex on a lower plane than a central portion of the complex before the elastic sheet is pressed against the complex.

10. The method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device according to claim 9, wherein the movable support members have different levels of supporting power.

11. An apparatus for manufacturing a photovoltaic device, comprising:

a first means for placing a complex which is obtained by fixing thin metal wires at both ends onto a photovoltaic member, on movable support members protruding from a principal surface of a heat plate; and

a second means for pressing an elastic sheet against the complex while a pressure applied to a surface of the elastic sheet that is opposite the heat plate is larger than a pressure applied to a surface of the elastic sheet that faces the heat plate,

wherein the movable support members sink in the heat plate before the elastic sheet comes into contact with the complex.

12. An apparatus for manufacturing a photovoltaic device, comprising:

a first means for placing a complex which is obtained by fixing thin metal wires at both ends onto a photovoltaic member, on movable support members protruding from a principal surface of a heat plate; and

a second means for pressing an elastic sheet against the complex while a pressure applied to a surface of the elastic sheet that is opposite the heat plate is larger than a pressure applied to a surface of the elastic sheet that faces the heat plate,

wherein the movable support members simultaneously sink in the heat plate in conjunction with one another.

13. An apparatus for manufacturing a photovoltaic device, comprising:

a first means for placing a complex which is obtained by fixing thin metal wires at both ends onto a photovoltaic member, on movable support members protruding from a principal surface of a heat plate; and

a second means for pressing an elastic sheet against the complex while a pressure applied to a surface of the elastic sheet that is opposite the heat plate is larger than a pressure applied to a surface of the elastic sheet that faces the heat plate,

wherein the complex is held in a manner that places edges of the complex on a lower plane than a central portion of the complex before the elastic sheet is pressed against the complex.

14. The apparatus for manufacturing a photovoltaic device according to claim 13, wherein the movable support members have different levels of supporting power.