METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING LAMINATOR TEMPERATURE ON A SOLAR CELL
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for bonding a composite solar cell structure, comprising:
- a conveyer system configured to transfer and support the composite solar cell structure;
a preheat module disposed along the conveyer system, wherein the preheat module is configured to receive the composite solar cell structure from the conveyer system and to heat the composite solar cell structure to a desired temperature, wherein the preheat module comprises;
a plurality of supporting rollers configured to support and transfer the composite solar cell structure through a preheat processing region;
one or more top preheat heating elements disposed over the plurality of supporting rollers and configured to heat an upper side of the composite solar cell structure disposed on the plurality of supporting rollers;
one or more bottom preheat heating elements disposed under the plurality of supporting rollers and configured to heat a lower side of the composite solar cell structure disposed on the plurality of supporting rollers;
one or more top preheat temperature sensors disposed over the plurality of supporting rollers and is adapted to measure the temperature of the composite solar cell structure as it is transferred through the through a processing region;
one or more bottom preheat temperature sensors disposed under the plurality of supporting rollers and is adapted to measure the temperature of the composite solar cell structure as it is transferred through the through the processing region; and
a pair of compression rollers configured to apply a force to the composite solar cell structure from opposite sides;
a lamination module disposed along the conveyer system, wherein the lamination module is configured to receive the composite solar cell structure from the conveyer system and to bond the composite solar cell structure by heating, wherein the lamination module comprises;
a plurality of supporting rollers configured to support and transfer the composite solar cell structure through a lamination processing region;
one or more top lamination heating elements disposed over the plurality of supporting rollers and configured to heat an upper side of the composite solar cell structure disposed on the plurality of supporting rollers;
one or more bottom lamination heating elements disposed under the plurality of supporting rollers and configured to heat a lower side of the composite solar cell structure disposed on the plurality of supporting rollers;
one or more top lamination temperature sensors disposed over the plurality of supporting rollers and is adapted to measure the temperature of the composite solar cell structure as it is transferred through the through a processing region;
one or more bottom lamination temperature sensors disposed under the plurality of supporting rollers and is adapted to measure the temperature of the composite solar cell structure as it is transferred through the through the lamination processing region; and
a pair of compression rollers configured to apply a force to the composite solar cell structure from opposite sides; and
a system controller that is configured to receive a signal from the one or more top preheat temperature sensors, the one or more bottom preheat temperature sensors, the one or more top lamination temperature sensors, and the one or more bottom lamination temperature sensors, and adjust the power delivered to the one or more top preheat heating elements, the one or more bottom preheat heating elements, the one or more top lamination heating elements, and the one or more bottom lamination heating elements based on the received signals.
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Abstract
The present invention generally relates to an automated thermal processing module that is used perform a lamination process that is used to isolate the active regions of a solar cell from the external environment. One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for bonding a composite solar cell structure comprising a conveyer system configured to transfer and support the composite solar cell structure, a preheat module disposed along the conveyer system, a lamination module disposed along the conveyer system, and a system controller adapted to control the preheat module and the lamination module.
73 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus for bonding a composite solar cell structure, comprising:
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a conveyer system configured to transfer and support the composite solar cell structure; a preheat module disposed along the conveyer system, wherein the preheat module is configured to receive the composite solar cell structure from the conveyer system and to heat the composite solar cell structure to a desired temperature, wherein the preheat module comprises; a plurality of supporting rollers configured to support and transfer the composite solar cell structure through a preheat processing region; one or more top preheat heating elements disposed over the plurality of supporting rollers and configured to heat an upper side of the composite solar cell structure disposed on the plurality of supporting rollers; one or more bottom preheat heating elements disposed under the plurality of supporting rollers and configured to heat a lower side of the composite solar cell structure disposed on the plurality of supporting rollers; one or more top preheat temperature sensors disposed over the plurality of supporting rollers and is adapted to measure the temperature of the composite solar cell structure as it is transferred through the through a processing region; one or more bottom preheat temperature sensors disposed under the plurality of supporting rollers and is adapted to measure the temperature of the composite solar cell structure as it is transferred through the through the processing region; and a pair of compression rollers configured to apply a force to the composite solar cell structure from opposite sides; a lamination module disposed along the conveyer system, wherein the lamination module is configured to receive the composite solar cell structure from the conveyer system and to bond the composite solar cell structure by heating, wherein the lamination module comprises; a plurality of supporting rollers configured to support and transfer the composite solar cell structure through a lamination processing region; one or more top lamination heating elements disposed over the plurality of supporting rollers and configured to heat an upper side of the composite solar cell structure disposed on the plurality of supporting rollers; one or more bottom lamination heating elements disposed under the plurality of supporting rollers and configured to heat a lower side of the composite solar cell structure disposed on the plurality of supporting rollers; one or more top lamination temperature sensors disposed over the plurality of supporting rollers and is adapted to measure the temperature of the composite solar cell structure as it is transferred through the through a processing region; one or more bottom lamination temperature sensors disposed under the plurality of supporting rollers and is adapted to measure the temperature of the composite solar cell structure as it is transferred through the through the lamination processing region; and a pair of compression rollers configured to apply a force to the composite solar cell structure from opposite sides; and a system controller that is configured to receive a signal from the one or more top preheat temperature sensors, the one or more bottom preheat temperature sensors, the one or more top lamination temperature sensors, and the one or more bottom lamination temperature sensors, and adjust the power delivered to the one or more top preheat heating elements, the one or more bottom preheat heating elements, the one or more top lamination heating elements, and the one or more bottom lamination heating elements based on the received signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for forming solar cells, comprising:
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preparing composite solar cell structures, wherein preparing composite solar cell structure comprises; placing a bonding material over a device substrate having solar cell devices formed thereon; and placing a back glass substrate over the bonding material and the device substrate; moving the composite solar cell structures sequentially through a processing region of a preheat module while preheating the composite solar cell structures in the processing region, wherein preheating the composite solar cell structures in the preheating module comprises actively controlling temperature of the composite solar cell structures; and applying a force to the composite solar cell structures to distribute the bonding material between each back glass substrate and the corresponding device substrate; and moving the composite solar cell structures through a processing region of a lamination module while bonding each back glass substrate to the corresponding device substrate, wherein bonding each back glass substrate to the corresponding device substrate comprises actively controlling temperature of the composite solar cell structures. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification