JP5018523B2 - Thin film laminate manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is applied to a thin film laminate or the like that forms a photoelectric conversion unit of a thin film solar cell that generates power using sunlight by installing it on the roof of a house, the roof of a building, etc. The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a roll-to-roll type thin film laminate in which a flexible film substrate is run and a thin film is continuously formed on the flexible film substrate in the film forming chamber.

As a typical example of a thin film semiconductor having a plurality of electrode layers and a semiconductor layer, an amorphous thin film solar cell having a structure in which a semiconductor layer mainly composed of amorphous silicon is used as a photoelectric conversion layer and the electrode layer sandwiches the layer is known. Yes.
Further, as a method for manufacturing such a thin film solar cell, a roll-to-roll method, which is more productive than a single wafer method, is known. This method uses a flexible, electrically insulating substrate made of a long polymer material or metal material wound around a roll that is lightweight and easy to handle, and suitable for mass production. In this method, each layer such as an electrode is formed for each of a plurality of film forming chambers on a continuously moving substrate while sequentially feeding the film forming chambers.

Such a manufacturing apparatus includes a type in which the width direction of the flexible substrate is held in the horizontal direction and the substrate is transferred in the horizontal direction to form a film, and the width direction of the flexible substrate is held in the vertical direction. There is a type in which a substrate is transported in the horizontal direction to form a film.
The latter type has advantages such as less contamination of the substrate surface compared to the former type, but when the number of film forming chambers increases, wrinkles occur on the surface of the substrate due to gravity and substrate elongation, The substrate meanders in the width direction or hangs downward.

  As an apparatus for manufacturing a thin film laminate using such a flexible substrate, for example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-72408), a plurality of film formation chambers arranged in a continuous manner are strip-shaped. The film is formed on the surface of the flexible substrate that is stopped in each film formation chamber, and then the flexible substrate is transported to the position of the next film formation chamber. Repeatedly, an apparatus for laminating a plurality of thin films having different properties on a flexible substrate is provided.

JP 2005-72408 A

5 and 6 are thin film laminate apparatuses according to the applicant's patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-202696), FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a thin film laminate production apparatus, and FIG. It is the front seen from CC line.
The thin film laminate manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 is a type in which film formation is performed by holding the width direction of the flexible substrate 1 in the vertical direction and transporting the substrate 1 in the horizontal direction. By arranging and gripping a pair of gripping rollers 42 sandwiching the upper end in the vertical direction of the flexible substrate 1 between the film forming chambers 40 against the wrinkles, meandering and sagging, Reduces drooping.

  However, in such a gripping roller, the pair of gripping rollers are installed obliquely with respect to the horizontal in the direction of raising the sagging flexible substrate. On the other hand, there is a case where the flexible substrate is rewound in the reverse direction due to a change in the initial position through which the substrate is passed or the position where the film is formed. When doing this, there is a problem that the flexible substrate falls downward and falls off the gripping roller.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and its purpose is to maintain the substrate conveyance height and suppress the flexible substrate from falling even when the flexible substrate is rewound in the reverse direction. A thin-film laminate manufacturing apparatus that can prevent falling off from the gripping roller, change the initial position of the substrate passing through and the position where the film is formed, and can form a film even when transported in the reverse direction is provided. There is.

In order to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, the present invention provides an upper end of the flexible substrate and a holding roll between a conveyance roll and a pressing roll that are rotationally driven from the feeding chamber to the winding chamber and convey the flexible substrate. A gripping roller for gripping the lower end is provided, and the flexible substrate is kept between the electrodes facing each other in one or a plurality of film forming chambers so that the passing surface thereof is in a vertical plane with respect to the electrode surface. In the thin film laminate manufacturing apparatus configured to apply a voltage to the one electrode to form a film on the surface of the flexible substrate, the gripping roller includes an upper side of the flexible substrate, A pair of normal gripping rollers and a pair of reverse gripping rollers disposed on the lower side and spaced apart in the conveying direction of the flexible substrate, and further comprising the pair of normal gripping rollers and the pair of reverse gripping rollers comprising a gripping mechanism for gripping opening and closing the gripping roll, The forward gripping roller and the reverse gripping roller on the side are arranged so that the opposite side to the transport direction and the opposite side are inclined at an arbitrary angle upward, and the forward gripping roller and the reverse gripping roller on the lower side are arranged. When the gripping roller is disposed with the side opposite to the transport direction opposite to the opposite side inclined at an arbitrary angle downward, and when the flexible substrate is transported from the feed chamber to the winding chamber, When only the normal gripping roller sandwiches the upper and lower ends of the flexible substrate and transports the flexible substrate from the winding chamber to the feeding chamber in the reverse direction, only the reverse gripping roller is the flexible substrate. The upper and lower ends of the flexible substrate are sandwiched, and the gripping of the end portion of the flexible substrate is switched and conveyed.

To realize such a configuration, specifically, prior Symbol gripping rollers, and a plurality of positive gripping roll and a plurality of opposite gripping roll.

As described above, according to the present invention, or when conveying feed from unwinding the winding in a positive direction, in the case where the change of position of the initial position and the formation of the through substrate rewinding the substrate in the opposite direction, the gripping roller Comprises a pair of normal gripping rollers and a pair of reverse gripping rollers disposed on the upper and lower sides of the flexible substrate and spaced apart in the transport direction of the flexible substrate, and comprising a gripping mechanism for gripping opening and closing the opposite gripping roll of the positive gripping roller and the pair of the pair, the positive gripping roller and the reverse grip rollers of the upper side, the side opposite to the side facing between said conveying direction The forward gripping roller and the reverse gripping roller on the lower side are inclined at an arbitrary angle in the upward direction, and the opposite side and the opposite side between the transport direction are inclined at an arbitrary angle in the downward direction. Arranged in the feeding chamber When the flexible substrate is transported to the take-up chamber, only the positive gripping roller sandwiches the upper end and the lower end of the flexible substrate, and the flexible substrate is reversely moved from the take-up chamber to the feed chamber. When transporting the flexible substrate, only the reverse gripping roller sandwiches the upper end and the lower end of the flexible substrate and switches the grip of the end of the flexible substrate to transport the flexible substrate. By separately switching and transporting the gripping roller that grips the end of the flexible substrate, it is possible to prevent the flexible substrate from falling down and falling off the gripping roller regardless of the forward or reverse direction of transport.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing apparatus of the thin film laminated body of this invention is demonstrated still in detail based on the embodiment with reference to drawings.
In addition, although it does not mention in particular here about the specific structure of a thin film laminated body, this invention is applied to manufacture of thin film laminated bodies, such as a semiconductor thin film, such as a photoelectric conversion element for solar cells, and organic EL, for example. be able to.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an embodiment of a thin film laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view taken along line AA in FIG. The drawings are deformed and are not drawn to scale.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the thin film laminate manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment forms an unwinding unit 10 that feeds a strip-shaped flexible substrate 1 and a flexible substrate 1 from the unwinding unit 10. The unwinding side drive unit 20 transported to the unit 40, the film forming unit 40 for laminating a plurality of thin films on the flexible substrate 1, and the side end position control for controlling the position of the side end of the flexible substrate 1 Unit 50, a winding side drive unit 60 that conveys the flexible substrate 1 from the film forming unit 40 to the winding unit 70, and a winding unit 70 that winds up the flexible substrate 1 on which the thin film laminate is formed. And is composed mainly of. The strip-shaped flexible substrate 1 is transported in the horizontal direction with its width direction facing the vertical direction.

The unwinding portion 10 has an unwinding core 11 that feeds the flexible substrate 1 out of the roll on which the strip-shaped flexible substrate 1 is wound in a roll shape, and a flexible that is unwound from the unwinding core 11. A tension detection roller 13 for detecting the tension of the conductive substrate 1 and an auxiliary roller 12 are provided.
The unwinding core 11, the auxiliary roller 12, and the tension detection roller 13 are installed such that the axial direction is the vertical direction, and the auxiliary roller 12 is disposed between the unwinding core 11 and the tension detection roller 13. . Each roller described below is also installed so that the axial direction is the vertical direction unless otherwise specified.

  The unwinding side driving unit 20 includes an unwinding side film driving roller 21 that rotates to convey the belt-shaped flexible substrate 1 from the unwinding unit 10 to the film forming unit 40, and the flexibility at the time of driving. A tension detection roller 22 that detects the tension of the conductive substrate 1 and an auxiliary roller 23 that changes the traveling direction of the flexible substrate 1 by 90 degrees and sends it to the film forming unit 40 are provided. The tension detection roller 22 is disposed between the drive roller 21 and the auxiliary roller 23.

In the film forming unit 40, a plurality of film forming chambers 42a to 42m are arranged in a straight line in order to sequentially stack thin films on the surface of the strip-shaped flexible substrate 1. A pair of grip rollers 44a to 44m sandwiching the flexible substrate 1 are provided on the front side of the substrate entrance of the film forming chambers 42a to 42m, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 2, the grip roller 44 is disposed on both the upper end 44 a and the lower end 44 a 1 of the flexible substrate 1 in the vertical direction. Similarly, the upper end 44b, the lower end 44b1,... The upper end 44m, and the lower end 44m1 are arranged in the vertical direction.
Further, as will be described in detail later, the grip rollers 44a to 44m are installed obliquely with respect to the horizontal direction as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, 13 film forming chambers 42a to 42m are shown. The positions of the plurality of film forming chambers are substantially in the center, that is, the seventh film forming chamber 42g and the eighth film forming chamber. For the question 42h, a plurality of pairs of grip rollers 46a, 46b are continuously provided.
Further, a plurality of pairs of grip rollers 46c and 46d are continuously provided outside the substrate outlet of the last film forming chamber, that is, the thirteenth film forming chamber 42m.
Further, the grip rollers 46a, 46b and 46c, 46d provided in a plurality of pairs in succession also have the ends 46a, 46b and 46c on the upper side in the vertical direction of the belt-like flexible substrate 1, as shown in FIG. 46d and the lower ends 46a1, 46b1 and 46c1, 46d1.

The side end position control unit 50 includes a meandering detection roller 51 that detects the position of the side end of the strip-shaped flexible substrate 1 coming out from the film forming unit 40, and the vertical direction of the strip-shaped flexible substrate 1, that is, A side end position control (EPC) roller 52 for preventing meandering in the width direction is provided.
The meandering detection roller 51 or the meandering detection sensor can be appropriately provided in the transport path of the substrate 1 as necessary.
The EPC roller 52 has a roller surface wider than the width of the strip-shaped flexible substrate 1. The side end position control unit 50 can correct an error in the position (conveying height) of the flexible substrate 1 in the vertical direction.

  Note that such a side end position control unit 50 is normally provided between the two film forming chambers 42g and 42h located between the unwinding side driving unit 20 and the film forming unit 40 or in the center of the film forming unit 40. In this embodiment, the grip rollers 44 a to 44 m are provided between the film formation chambers 42, whereby the meandering of the flexible substrate 1 in the film formation unit 40 is regulated. Therefore, the side end position control unit for these positions is unnecessary.

The take-up side drive unit 60 includes a take-up side film drive roller 63 that is rotated in order to convey the belt-shaped flexible substrate 1 from the film forming unit 40 to the take-up unit 70, and a drive that can be used during this drive. A tension detection roller 62 for controlling the tension of the flexible substrate 1 and an auxiliary roller 61 for receiving the belt-like flexible substrate 1 from the side end position control unit 50 are provided. The tension detection roller 62 is disposed between the auxiliary roller 61 and the drive roller 63.
The winding unit 70 includes a winding core 71 that winds the strip-shaped flexible substrate 1 on which the thin film laminate is formed, and a tension detection that detects the tension of the strip-shaped flexible substrate 1 during winding. A roller 73 and an auxiliary roller 72 are provided. The auxiliary roller 72 is disposed between the tension detection roller 73 and the winding core 71.

Next, the structure of the film forming chamber 42 will be described in more detail.
Since a plurality of thin films having different properties are laminated on the surface of the strip-shaped flexible substrate 1, the structure of each film forming chamber varies depending on the type of thin film to be formed. Here, an amorphous silicon layer is formed by plasma CVD. A film formation chamber for film formation will be described. Even when other types of thin films are formed, the same structure can be adopted as long as the film forming chamber is hermetically sealed.

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional plan view schematically enlarging the film formation chamber 42 shown in FIG. FIG. 3B is a front view as seen from the line BB in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the walls 80a and 80b of the film-forming chamber 42 having a U-shaped cross section are arranged on both sides of the belt-like flexible substrate 1 so as to face each other. . These walls 80a and 80b are configured to move until the tip of the wall comes into close contact with the surface of the flexible substrate 1 when the film is formed. A sealing material (not shown) for attaching the inside of the film forming chamber 42 to the airtight state is attached to the tip of the wall 80 (80a, 80b).

A high voltage electrode 81 and a ground electrode 82 equipped with a substrate heater are installed in the inner space of the film forming chamber 42 so as to face each other with the strip-shaped flexible substrate 1 interposed therebetween. An exhaust pipe 83 that exhausts the inside of the film forming chamber 42 to make a vacuum atmosphere is provided on the wall 80 b constituting the film forming chamber 42.
Further, an introduction pipe (not shown) for introducing a reactive gas such as silane to be decomposed by plasma generated between the high voltage electrode 81 and the ground electrode 82 to form a thin film is formed on the wall 80 of the film forming chamber 42. Is provided.
The length in the width direction of the high voltage electrode 81 and the ground electrode 82 is flexible so that a blank 90 that does not form a thin film is formed at both ends of the strip-like flexible substrate 1 as shown in FIG. It is shorter than the width of the substrate 1.

Then, a pair of grip rollers 44b and 44b1 and a pair of grip rollers 44b 'and 44b'1 are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the flexible substrate 1 so that the flexible substrate 1 is sandwiched between the margins 90. Yes.
As shown in FIG. 3B, the grip rollers 44b and 44b1 and the grip rollers 44b ′ and 44b′1 are inclined upward by an angle θU between the upper grip rollers 44b and 44b ′ and the conveying direction. The grip rollers 44b1 and 44b'1 on the lower side are disposed so as to be inclined downward by an angle θL with respect to the transport direction.
In this way, the portion of the blank 90 where the thin film is not formed is sandwiched between the grip rollers 44b and 44b1 and the grip rollers 44b 'and 44b'1, so that the portion of the flexible substrate 1 where the thin film is formed is wrinkled or formed. It is possible to prevent the damaged thin film from being damaged.
These angles θU and θL are preferably 0.1 ° to 6 °. As the angles θU and θL are larger, the force for lifting the flexible substrate 1 becomes higher. However, when the angles θU and θL exceed 6 ° or exceed the static frictional force of the roller itself, the force for lifting the flexible substrate 1 Will hardly improve. The angle θU and the angle θL may be the same angle or different angles.

In addition, the grip rollers 46a and 46b that are continuously provided between the two film forming chambers 42g and 42h located in the center as shown in FIG. An angle θL is provided. In this way, it is possible to support the mass of the flexible substrate 1 and to reliably return the transport height of the flexible substrate 1 to the initial initial height.
Furthermore, an angle θU and an angle θL are also provided between the grip rollers 46c and 46d provided continuously after the last film formation chamber 42m and the conveyance direction. In this way, as described above, the mass support of the flexible substrate 1 and the reliable recovery of the transport height can be performed.

  That is, the upper grip rollers 44b, 44b ′ and 46a, 46b, 46c, 46d (see FIG. 2) change the rotation direction of the grip rollers with respect to the transport direction (that is, the horizontal direction) of the belt-like flexible substrate 1. And tilted upward. In this way, the band-shaped possible is obtained by setting the angle θU between the rotational force direction of the upper grip rollers 44b, 44b ′, 46a, 46b, 46c, and 46d and the conveying direction of the band-shaped flexible substrate 1. When the flexible substrate 1 is conveyed in the horizontal direction, a force for lifting the flexible substrate 1 is generated, and the position of the flexible substrate 1 in the vertical direction can be maintained with high accuracy.

  Further, as described above, the lower grip rollers 44b1, 44b'1 and 46a1, 46b1, 46c1, 46d1 are configured so that the rotation direction of the grip rollers is in the transport direction (that is, the horizontal direction) of the belt-like flexible substrate 1. In contrast, it is tilted downward. In this way, by forming an angle θL between the rotation direction of the lower grip rollers 44 b 1, 44 b ′ 1 and 46 a 1, 46 b 1, 46 c 1, 46 d 1 and the conveying direction of the belt-like flexible substrate 1, When the flexible substrate 1 is transported in the horizontal direction, wrinkles can be prevented from being generated on the surface of the flexible substrate 1.

Next, the configuration of the grip roller 44 and its attached devices will be described.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the upper grip roller 44 and its attached device. The grip roller 44 is rotatably provided at the center of the roller angle variable plate 91. The roller angle variable plate 91 has a swing shaft at the center of the support plates 92a and 92b that are arranged to face each other with a gap therebetween, and the angle θU and the angle θL are adjusted by the adjustment screw 93 with reference to this shaft. Can be done.
One support plate 92a is fixed, while the other support plate 92b is guided by a horizontally movable slide table 94 and is moved in the direction of arrow 100 by a cylinder 90 to open the closed grip roller 44. The cylinder 90 is of a type that reciprocates by switching the driving pressure with an electromagnetic valve or the like. By switching the driving pressure of the cylinder 90, the grip roller 44 can be opened and closed, and the belt-like flexible substrate 1 is gripped. It is possible to control to open or release.

As described above, the upper grip rollers 44 b, 44 b ′ and 46 a, 46 b, 46 c, 46 d have their rotation directions upward with respect to the transport direction (that is, the horizontal direction) of the belt-like flexible substrate 1. The lower grip rollers 44 b 1, 44 b ′ and 46 a 1, 46 b 1, 46 c 1, 46 d 1 are tilted at an angle θU, and the rotation direction of the rollers is downward with respect to the transport direction (that is, the horizontal direction) of the belt-like flexible substrate 1. Is installed at an angle θL.
Therefore, when transporting in the opposite direction, the angle of the grip roller must be opposite to the angle θL to match the angle θL with respect to the transport direction.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, grip rollers 44b, 44b 'and 46a, 46b, 46c, 46d and grip rollers 44b1, 44b'1 and 46a1, 46b1, 46C1, 46d1 are provided for each transport direction, and transport in the forward direction. At times (conveying direction), the forward direction grip rollers 44b, 44b ′ and 46a, 46b, 46c, 46d convey the flexible substrate 1 across the upper and lower ends, and convey the flexible substrate 1 in the opposite direction. In this case, the grip rollers 44b ', 44b'1 and 46a1, 46b1, 46c1, 46d1 serving as the reverse gripping rollers are controlled so as to sandwich the upper end and the lower end of the flexible substrate 1, thereby winding and winding. Transport using the grip rollers 44 and 46 is possible regardless of the direction of ejection.

While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention.
For example, the flexible substrate is easily deformed by heat, and the roll span is long due to measures against wrinkles associated with temperature changes that occur when it comes into contact with the roll, or due to restrictions in the process, etc. It can be applied to a dispensing device.

It is a top view showing typically one embodiment of a manufacturing device of a thin film layered product concerning the present invention. It is the front view seen from the AA line of FIG. FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional plan view schematically enlarging the film formation chamber shown in FIG. FIG. 3B is a front view as seen from the line BB in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the upper side grip roller which shows one Embodiment which concerns on this invention, and its attachment apparatus. It is a top view which shows typically one Embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus of the conventional thin film laminated body. It is the front view seen from the CC line of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Strip | belt-shaped flexible board | substrate 10 Unwinding part 11 Unwinding core 12 Auxiliary roller 13 Tension detection roller 20 Unwinding side drive part 21 Unwinding side film drive roller 22 Tension detection roller 23 Auxiliary roller 40 Film formation part 42 Film formation chamber 44, 46 Grip roller 50 Side end position control unit 51 Meander detection roller 52 Side end position control roller 60 Winding side drive unit 61 Auxiliary roller 62 Tension detection roller 63 Winding side film drive roller 70 Winding unit 71 Winding core 72 Auxiliary roller 73 Tension detection roller 81 High voltage electrode 82 Ground electrode 90 Cylinder 91 Roller angle variable plate 92 Support plate 93 Adjustment screw

Claims (2)

A gripping roller for gripping the upper and lower ends of the flexible substrate is provided between a transport roll and a presser roll that are rotationally driven from the feeding chamber to the winding chamber and transports the flexible substrate, and one or a plurality of film formations The flexible substrate is held between electrodes disposed facing each other in a room so that a passing surface thereof is in a vertical plane with respect to the electrode surface, and a voltage is applied to the one electrode. In an apparatus for manufacturing a thin film stack configured to form a film on the surface of
The gripping rollers include a pair of normal gripping rollers and a pair of reverse gripping rollers that are disposed on the upper side and the lower side of the flexible substrate and spaced apart in the transport direction of the flexible substrate. A gripping mechanism for gripping and opening the pair of normal gripping rollers and the pair of reverse gripping rollers;
The forward gripping roller and the reverse gripping roller on the upper side are arranged so that the opposite side to the transport direction and the opposite side are inclined at an arbitrary angle upward, and the forward gripping roller and the reverse gripping roller on the lower side are arranged. The gripping roller is disposed such that the side opposite to the conveying direction and the opposite side are inclined at an arbitrary angle downward,
When transporting the flexible substrate from the feed chamber to the take-up chamber, only the positive gripping roller sandwiches the upper and lower ends of the flexible substrate, and reversely moves from the take-up chamber to the feed chamber. When transporting the flexible substrate, only the reverse gripping roller sandwiches the upper end and the lower end of the flexible substrate and switches the grip of the end portion of the flexible substrate to transport the flexible substrate. An apparatus for producing a thin film laminate. The thin film laminate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gripping roller includes a plurality of normal gripping rollers and a plurality of reverse gripping rollers .

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