Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-05
2001-06-05
Aftergut, Jeff H. (Department: 1733)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S153000, C156S290000, C156S382000, C156S499000, C156S583300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241839
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a continuous vacuum lamination treatment system and a vacuum lamination apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a continuous vacuum lamination treatment system which enables to mass-production of a solar cell module at a high throughput and a vacuum lamination apparatus suitable for producing a solar cell module.
2. Related Background Art
There are known various vacuum lamination apparatus used at a final stage in the production of semiconductor devices such as solar cells and the like which are used while exposed to outside air, in order to seal such semiconductor device such that it is sufficiently durable against changes in the environmental temperature and humidity and also against impact or destructive force applied thereto. Solar cell modules produced through these vacuum lamination apparatus are used as a power generation source of providing clean energy without causing pollution.
In recent years, earth environmental pollution has been spreading worldwide, and along with this, the public consciousness for earth environmental protection has been increasing on a worldwide scale. Particularly, serious apprehensions has arisen regarding heating the earth because of the so-called greenhouse effect due to an increase of atmospheric CO
2
. In this connection, there is an increased social demand for early realization of a power generation system capable of providing clean energy without causing CO
2
buildup as in the case of thermal power generation.
Under this situation, public attention has focused on the power generation system using a solar cell since the solar cell has advantages such that it is safe, can be readily handled and that it can be used as a power generation source of providing clean energy without causing CO
2
buildup. And various studies have been made in order to produce a highly reliable solar cell with a reasonable production cost. In the production of such solar cell, the foregoing vacuum lamination apparatus pays an important role.
Incidentally, there have been proposed a variety of solar cells which are different in terms of the type and configuration. Representative specific examples of these solar cells are single crystal silicon solar cells, polycrystal silicon solar cells, amorphous silicon solar cells, copper indium selenide solar cells, and compound semiconductor solar cells. Of these solar cells, various research and development studies have been made on so-called thin film crystal silicon solar cells, compound semiconductor solar cells and amorphous silicon solar cells since they can be relatively easily produced to have a large area at a relatively low production cost.
In order to practically use these solar cells as a power generation source, for instance, in outdoors, they are designed into a solar cell module having a desired configuration which can be used as a power generation source.
FIGS.
13
(
a
) and
13
(
b
) are schematic views illustrating an example of the configuration of such a solar cell module. Particularly, FIG.
13
(
a
) is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the constitution of a laminate comprising given constituent members for a solar cell module and which is to be subjected to thermocompression treatment in order to produce a solar cell module. FIG.
13
(
b
) is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a stacked body as a solar cell module obtained as a result of having subjected the laminate shown in FIG.
13
(
a
) to thermocompression treatment. In FIGS.
13
(
a
) and
13
(
b
), reference numeral
1001
indicates a surface side covering member, reference
1002
a filler, reference numeral
1003
a solar cell (or a photovoltaic element), and reference numeral
1004
a back side covering member.
The above solar cell module is prepared, for instance, as will be described in the following. First, the foregoing constituent members for a solar cell are laminated to obtain such a laminate as shown in FIG.
13
(
a
). The laminate thus obtain is introduced into a vacuum lamination apparatus, where the laminate is positioned therein while being hermetically enclosed, followed by vacuuming the inside of the laminate to release air present in the laminate to the outside. Then, while continuing the vacuuming operation, the laminate is subjected to heat treatment, where the laminate is heated to a predetermined temperature at which the fillers are crosslinked or cured. This heat treatment is continued at this temperature for a prescribed period of time until the fillers are sufficiently cured, followed by cooling the laminate thus treated. After this, the vacuuming operation is terminated to return the atmosphere surrounding the laminate to atmospheric pressure, followed by taking out the laminate. By this, a solar cell module having the configuration shown in FIG.
13
(
b
) is obtained.
FIGS.
14
(
a
) through
14
(
c
) are schematic diagrams illustrating a conventional vacuum lamination apparatus which is used for the production of a solar cell module. Particularly, FIG.
14
(
a
) is a schematic diagram illustrating the entire vacuum lamination apparatus, FIG.
14
(
b
) is a schematic cross-sectional view, taken along the F—F line in FIG.
14
(
a
), and FIG.
14
(
c
) is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a structural embodiment provided upon producing a solar cell module.
In FIGS.
14
(
a
) through
14
(
c
), reference numeral
1101
indicates a mounting table having a mounting area A on which a stacked body (or a laminate)
1108
for a solar cell module is to be positioned. Reference numeral
1102
indicates a vacuuming tube which is provided with a plurality of vents
1105
and which is arranged so as to circumscribe the mounting area A of the mounting table
1101
. Reference numeral
1103
indicates a valve provided at an exhaust pipe
1110
which is communicated with the vacuuming tube
1102
at one end thereof and which is connected to a vacuuming pump
1104
at the other end thereof. Reference numeral
1106
indicates a fixing means to fix the vacuuming tube
1105
to the mounting table
1101
. Reference numeral
1107
indicates a flexible covering member, and reference numeral
1109
a netted member.
The preparation of a solar cell module using the vacuum lamination apparatus shown in FIGS.
14
(
a
) through FIG.
14
(
c
) is conducted, for instance, in the following manner. The netted member
1109
is laid on the surface of the mounting area A of the mounting table
1101
. A stacked body (or a laminate) for producing a solar cell module as the stacked body
1108
(see, FIG.
14
(
c
)) is positioned on the netted member
1109
laid on the mounting area A. The flexible covering member is superposed over the stacked body
1108
on the mounting table
1101
while hermetically sealing between the mounting table and the flexible covering member. The vacuuming pump
1104
is-actuated to exhaust the inside of the space containing the stacked body
1108
between the flexible covering member
1107
and the mounting area A circumscribed by the vacuuming tube
1105
through the vents
1105
of the vacuuming tube, whereby the flexible covering member
1107
is sagged toward the mounting table side to compress the stacked body
1108
. While operating the vacuuming pump
1104
, the lamination apparatus is introduced into an oven (not shown) maintained at a predetermined temperature, where the stacked body is subjected to heat treatment at a temperature at which the fillers contained in the stacked body are cured This heat treatment is continued until the fillers of the stacked body are sufficiently cured. After this, while continuing the operation of the vacuuming pump, the lamination apparatus is taken out from the oven, followed by cooling the stacked body. Then, the operation of the vacuuming pump is terminated to return the inside atmosphere of the foregoing space to atmospheric pressure. By this, the preparation of a solar cell module is completed.
This conventional vacuum lamination
Fukae Kimitoshi
Inoue Yuji
Itoyama Shigenori
Yoshino Takehito
Aftergut Jeff H.
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Tolin Michael A.
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