JP2012104512A - Thin film solar cell module and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable manufacturing process management after cutting and product management after product shipment of each of a plurality of thin film solar cell modules manufactured by cutting a large substrate.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing thin film solar cell modules includes: a cell formation process of forming a plurality of thin film solar cells 7 with a photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer and a back electrode layer which are sequentially laminated on a surface electrode layer laminated on a substrate; a removal process of forming a plurality of thin film solar cell areas 7A-7D by removing a cutting part 9 at which the substrate 2 is cut, and layers of periphery of the substrate after the cell formation process; an inspection process of inspecting electric characteristics of each of a plurality of the thin film solar cell areas 7A-7D after the removal process; and a cutting process of manufacturing a plurality of thin film solar cell modules by cutting the substrate 2 after the inspection process. Before the cutting process, a mark formation process is performed for forming a mark 8 for a module which enables manufacturing management of each of the thin film solar cell modules after cutting.

Description

  The present invention relates to a thin film solar cell module and a method for manufacturing the same.

  In recent years, utilization forms of solar cells have been diversified, and accordingly, the demand for solar cell modules having various sizes has been increasing. In response to this, a method of cutting a thin film solar cell formed on a large-area substrate and manufacturing a small thin film solar cell module is employed. In Patent Document 1, as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8D, after mechanically processing the surface of a large glass substrate 100 on which a thin-film solar battery cell is formed (see FIGS. 8A to 8C), the glass substrate 100 is formed. A method of cutting and manufacturing a plurality of thin film solar cell modules 101 (see FIG. 8D) is disclosed.

  Further, in the method for manufacturing a thin film solar cell module, a mark for managing the manufacturing process is attached to the substrate on which the thin film solar cell is formed, the mark is read in each subsequent manufacturing process, and each mark is read using the read mark. A manufacturing method for managing a manufacturing process is generally employed. Patent Document 2 discloses a method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device in which a mark 201 for managing the manufacturing process is provided on a peripheral region or a side surface of a translucent substrate 200 that forms the photoelectric conversion device, as shown in FIG. Has been.

JP 2002-076380 A JP 2001-102604 A

  However, in the method for manufacturing a thin-film solar cell module disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the manufacturing process is managed using the method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device disclosed in Patent Document 2, a large glass substrate 100 (FIG. Since the individual marks are not given to the plurality of thin-film solar cell modules 101 after being cut and manufactured, the manufacturing process is controlled after the cutting and the product is shipped. There was a problem that product management was not possible.

  The present invention was devised to solve such problems. The purpose of the present invention is to manage the manufacturing process after cutting and product shipment for each of a plurality of thin film solar cell modules manufactured by cutting a large substrate. It is an object of the present invention to provide a thin-film solar cell module and a method for manufacturing the same.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a method for manufacturing a thin-film solar cell module according to the present invention includes processing a photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer and a back electrode layer sequentially stacked on a front electrode layer stacked on a substrate into a string shape. A cell forming step for forming a plurality of thin-film solar cells connected in series with each other, and a plurality of thin-film solar cell regions after removing the cutting portion for cutting the substrate and the substrate peripheral layer after the cell forming step A thin film solar cell module manufacturing method including a removing step of forming a thin film solar cell module by cutting the substrate after the removing step, and cutting the substrate before the cutting step. A mark forming step of forming a mark capable of manufacturing and managing the thin film solar cell module on each of the subsequent thin film solar cell modules is performed.

  According to the present invention having such a feature, the thin film solar cell module can be distinguished even after cutting by forming marks that can individually manufacture and manage each thin film solar cell module after cutting before the cutting step. Therefore, product management of the thin film solar cell module after cutting becomes possible. In addition, since the mark is given from the initial stage of the manufacturing process, it is possible to trace from the manufacturing stage to the final consumption stage and further to the disposal stage.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module which concerns on this invention, it is preferable that the said mark is comprised by any 1 or a combination of 2 or more of a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, or a visible character string. As described above, by configuring the mark with a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, a visually recognizable character string, or a combination thereof, reading by the mark reading device is facilitated. Further, visual confirmation is also possible by visually recognizing the character string.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module according to the present invention, the mark includes information indicating that the mark is cut from the same substrate and information indicating a position before the substrate is cut. Can do. If it is set as such a structure, each of the thin film solar cell module after cut | disconnecting can be managed easily per board | substrate.

  Further, in the method for manufacturing a thin-film solar cell module according to the present invention, the mark is provided on any one or two or more of the substrate, the surface electrode layer, the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer, and the back electrode layer. It is preferable to do. The mark is preferably formed by laser processing. By forming a mark by laser processing, in the manufacturing process of the thin film solar cell module, a laser processing apparatus used in the first to third laser scribing, or a laser used in laser trimming to remove the laminated film in the peripheral insulating region A mark can be formed by a processing apparatus.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module which concerns on this invention, the said mark is provided avoiding the place which laser-processes the said photovoltaic cell in a string form. Thereby, when a solar cell is laser-processed into a string shape, it can prevent that a part or all of a mark is erase | eliminated.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module which concerns on this invention, the said mark is set as the structure provided adjacent to the peripheral part of the said thin film solar cell module after a cutting | disconnection. Thus, by forming the mark in the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the substrate, the structure of the mark reading device can be simplified. Moreover, a mark can be made inconspicuous with respect to a thin film solar cell module because a mark exists in a peripheral part.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module which concerns on this invention, each thin film solar cell module after a cutting | disconnection is the same shape, It is set as the structure by which the said mark was provided in the same position of each thin film solar cell module. Thus, by forming the mark at the same position, the alignment mechanism of the mark reading unit of the manufacturing process apparatus (for example, a sealing apparatus) after cutting the thin film solar cell module can be simplified, and the reading time and reading can be simplified. The occurrence of errors can be reduced.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module which concerns on this invention, it includes the test | inspection process which performs an electrical property test | inspection about each of these thin film photovoltaic cell area | regions, and the said mark formation process is implemented as the structure implemented after the said test process. Also good. As described above, by performing the mark formation process after the inspection process, information on the inspection result can be added as mark information.

  In the method for manufacturing a thin-film solar cell module according to the present invention, the mark may further include information indicating an electrical property inspection result in the inspection step. By adding information on the electrical property inspection result to the mark, the characteristic value of each thin film solar cell module can be grasped by reading the mark even at a construction site where the thin film solar cell module is installed.

  In the method for manufacturing a thin film solar cell module according to the present invention, the thin film solar cell module determined to be defective in the electrical characteristic inspection is not marked or a special mark indicating a defect is given. It is good also as a structure. With such a configuration, the thin film solar cell module determined to be defective has no mark or is given a special mark, so the thin film solar cell module determined to be defective must be shipped by mistake. Can be prevented.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module which concerns on this invention, it is good also as a structure which provides the mark for board | substrates which can manufacture-control the said board | substrate separately from the said mark. With such a configuration, it is possible to manage the processing history of the manufacturing process before cutting the substrate in units of substrates using the substrate marks.

  In the method for manufacturing a thin-film solar cell module according to the present invention, each mark is formed by removing the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer and the back electrode layer on the substrate by laser processing, and in the region where the mark is formed. The insulating sheet provided on the back electrode layer may be formed in a color approximate to the color of the surface of the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer region. With such a configuration, it is difficult to visually recognize the mark with the naked eye, and it is possible to prevent the presence of the mark from being recognized unless the mark is viewed close to the thin film solar cell module. Thereby, the thin film solar cell module excellent in aesthetics can be provided.

  Moreover, the thin film solar cell module of this invention is manufactured with the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module which concerns on said each structure. Thereby, in each thin film solar cell module, information before cutting can be acquired from the mark.

  Since the present invention is configured as described above, even when a plurality of thin film solar cell modules are manufactured by cutting the substrate, the thin film solar cell modules after cutting can be distinguished. Module product management becomes possible.

It is a partially expanded sectional view which shows the structure of a thin film solar cell module. It is process drawing which shows the manufacturing process of Embodiment 1 of the thin film solar cell module manufactured in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module of this invention. It is process drawing which shows the manufacturing process of Embodiment 1 of the thin film solar cell module manufactured in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module of this invention. It is process drawing which shows the manufacturing process of Embodiment 1 of the thin film solar cell module manufactured in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module of this invention. 3 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing process in the method for manufacturing a thin-film solar cell module according to Embodiment 1. It is process drawing which shows the manufacturing process of Embodiment 2 of the thin film solar cell module manufactured in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module of this invention. It is process drawing which shows the manufacturing process of Embodiment 2 of the thin film solar cell module manufactured in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module of this invention. It is process drawing which shows the manufacturing process of Embodiment 2 of the thin film solar cell module manufactured in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module of this invention. It is process drawing which shows the manufacturing process of Embodiment 2 of the thin film solar cell module manufactured in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module of this invention. 6 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing process step in the method for manufacturing a thin-film solar cell module according to Embodiment 2. The specific example of the thin film solar cell module manufactured in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module which concerns on this invention is shown, The plane which looked at a part of the mark vicinity for modules formed in the thin film solar cell module from the upper surface side (light-receiving surface side) FIG. It is the EE sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 6A. The specific example of the thin film solar cell module manufactured in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module which concerns on this invention is shown, The plane which looked at a part of the mark vicinity for modules formed in the thin film solar cell module from the upper surface side (light-receiving surface side) FIG. It is the FF sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 7A. It is a perspective view which shows 1 process of the manufacturing method of the conventional thin film solar cell module. It is a perspective view which shows 1 process of the manufacturing method of the conventional thin film solar cell module. It is a perspective view which shows 1 process of the manufacturing method of the conventional thin film solar cell module. It is a perspective view which shows 1 process of the manufacturing method of the conventional thin film solar cell module. It is a top view which shows the board | substrate surface of the conventional thin film solar cell module.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, embodiment shown below is an illustration and this invention is not limited to these.

  FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a thin film solar cell module. However, in FIG. 1, the light receiving surface side is shown in a downward state.

  First, with reference to FIG. 1, the structure of a thin film solar cell module is demonstrated easily.

  The thin-film solar cell module 1 includes a transparent surface electrode layer 3, a photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4, and a back electrode layer 5, which are sequentially laminated on a translucent insulating substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as a substrate) 2. The thin film solar cells 7 are connected in series.

  That is, the surface electrode layer 3 is divided into a plurality of parts by forming a plurality of first scribe lines 6a at predetermined positions.

  A part of the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4 is filled in each first scribe line 6a, and a plurality of second scribe lines 6b are formed at different positions close to and parallel to each first scribe line 6a. Is divided into a plurality.

  A part of the back electrode layer 5 is filled in each second scribe line 6b, is adjacent to and parallel to each second scribe line 6b, and a plurality of third scribe lines 6a are opposite to the first scribe line 6a. By forming the scribe line 6c, it is divided into a plurality of parts. As a result, the back electrode layer 5 is filled in each second scribe line 6b and electrically connected to the adjacent surface electrode layer 3, thereby forming a plurality of thin film solar cells 7 connected in series as a whole. Yes.

  Next, an embodiment of a method for manufacturing a thin film solar cell module according to the present invention will be described.

<Embodiment 1>
2A to 2C are process diagrams showing manufacturing steps of Embodiment 1 of the thin film solar cell module manufactured in the method for manufacturing a thin film solar cell module of the present invention, and FIG. 2A is a time point when S104 described later is completed. 2B shows the state of the thin film solar cell module at the time when S113 described later is completed, and FIG. 2C shows the thin film solar cell cut after completion of S117 described later. Indicates the module status.

  Although Embodiment 1 cuts the board | substrate 2 into four and illustrates embodiment which manufactures the four thin film solar cell modules 1, this invention is not limited to this, The cutting | disconnection number can be changed arbitrarily.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the steps of the manufacturing process in the method for manufacturing the thin-film solar cell module according to Embodiment 1, and the surface electrode layer 3 is laminated through the manufacturing processes from S101 to S117 shown in FIG. A plurality of thin-film solar battery cell regions 7 </ b> A to 7 </ b> D are formed using the substrate 2, and then the plurality of thin-film solar battery modules 1 are manufactured by cutting the substrate 2. Here, the symbol S means a step, and represents the stage of the processing step included in the manufacturing process of the thin film solar cell module. Hereinafter, the manufacturing method according to the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2A to 2C according to the process flowchart shown in FIG.

  In S101, the board | substrate 2 is carried in in the manufacturing line of a thin film solar cell module. In the first embodiment, for example, a glass substrate 2 on which a surface electrode layer (transparent conductive film) 3 such as zinc oxide is laminated is used. A device for laminating the surface electrode layer 3 is provided in the production line, and the lamination is performed. You may make it carry in the glass-made board | substrate 2 with which the surface electrode layer 3 was laminated | stacked from the apparatus.

  In S102, foreign substances such as organic matter and dust attached on the substrate 2 are removed. Here, the cleaning device is washed away with water or an organic solvent, and further, wet cleaning that physically or chemically removes foreign matter by using ultrasonic waves in combination, or by blowing gas on the substrate surface to physically remove the foreign matter. For example, dry cleaning for removing the substrate, and wiping and cleaning the substrate surface with an electrostatic brush can be used.

  In S103, the surface electrode layer 3 on the substrate 2 is scribed using a laser processing apparatus to form a first scribe line 6a (see FIG. 1).

  In S104, as shown in FIG. 2A, in accordance with each thin-film solar cell module 1 after cutting, a mark (hereinafter referred to as a module mark) 8 for identifying each module after cutting is used as a surface electrode. Four layers are formed on the substrate 2 by performing laser processing on the layer 3.

  Here, the module mark 8 includes at least one of a one-dimensional code (for example, a barcode), a two-dimensional code (for example, a QR code (registered trademark)), or a visible character string (for example, a serial number). It consists of That is, the module mark 8 may be one of the above, or a single module mark 8 by writing two or more kinds of marks together. Further, when two or more types of marks are written together, each mark may represent the same information or may include different information. For example, a visually recognizable character string represents a production number, and a two-dimensional code written together can represent a production history. Further, it is preferable that the module mark 8 includes information indicating that the module mark 8 is manufactured on the same substrate, and further includes information indicating a position on the substrate before cutting. In the first embodiment, a common number “123456789” indicating that the same substrate 2 is manufactured and a position “A, B, C, D” determined according to the position of the substrate 2 before cutting are represented. By combining symbols, the module marks 8 attached to the respective thin film solar cell modules 1 after cutting are character strings “123456789A”, “123456789B”, “123456789C”, and “123456789D”, respectively.

  The module mark 8 is preferably formed in the vicinity of the periphery of the substrate 2. This is because, in each manufacturing apparatus constituting the manufacturing process of the thin film solar cell module, the structure of the mark reading device is simplified when the module mark 8 is formed on the substrate peripheral portion rather than the central portion of the substrate 2. Because you can. Moreover, the module mark 8 can be made inconspicuous with respect to the thin film solar cell module because the module mark 8 is in the peripheral portion. Specifically, for example, the module mark 8 is positioned in an area within 50 mm from the peripheral edge.

  As a method for providing the module mark 8, in addition to the method of removing the laminated film by laser processing shown in the first embodiment, a method of printing the module mark 8 with an ink material on the surface, a mask is used. A method of forming the module mark 8 by partially laminating a metal film or a semiconductor film can be used, but it is preferable to form the module mark 8 by laser processing. In this case, the laser used in the first to third laser scribing steps used in the manufacturing process of the thin film solar cell module, or the laser used in the laser trimming step for removing the laminated film in the peripheral insulating region. The module mark 8 can be formed using a processing apparatus. Thereby, it is not necessary to add a device for newly forming the module mark 8 to the manufacturing process and the manufacturing line, and it is possible to prevent the production process from becoming redundant and increasing the cost.

  In addition, when forming the module mark 8 by laser processing, it is preferable to form each module mark 8 avoiding the region processed by the laser processing included in the manufacturing process of the thin film solar cell module. This is to prevent the information of each module mark 8 (particularly information of the one-dimensional code or two-dimensional code) from being difficult to read due to the influence of the scribe line due to the laser scribe. In addition, the first laser scribe, This is to prevent the second laser scribe and the third laser scribe from affecting the series connection of the thin-film solar cells 7.

  In S105, the substrate 2 is cleaned to remove foreign matter generated during laser processing. As the cleaning method, the same method as in S102 described above can be used.

  In S106, the processing pattern after the laser processing is inspected. If a defect such as insufficient processing is detected in the processing pattern in this inspection process, the defective portion can be corrected by performing the first laser scribing again in S103.

  In S107, the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4 (refer FIG. 1) is formed by laminating | stacking a some semiconductor layer at a semiconductor thin film lamination process.

  In S108, the film thickness etc. of the laminated photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4 are inspected.

  In S109, the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4 is scribed using a laser processing apparatus to form the second scribe line 6b. Here, as described above, since the second scribe line 6b is formed close to the first scribe line 6a, it is actually a separate processing line, but in FIGS. 2A to 2C, one line ( The scribe lines 6) are schematically shown together.

  In S110, a transparent conductive layer (for example, ZnO) and a metal layer (for example, Ag) are stacked on the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4 using a sputtering apparatus or the like to form the back electrode layer 5 (see FIG. 1).

  In S111, the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4 and the back surface electrode layer 5 are scribed using a laser processing apparatus to form a third scribe line 6c. Here, similarly to the second scribe line 6b, the third scribe line 6c is schematically shown as one line (scribe line 6) together with the first scribe line 6a and the second scribe line 6b in FIGS. 2A to 2C. It represents. Thereby, as shown to FIG. 2A, the some thin film photovoltaic cell 7 processed in the string shape and mutually connected in series in the up-down direction is formed.

  In S112, as shown in FIG. 2B, the entire laminated film in the region for cutting the substrate 2 is removed by laser processing to form the cut portion 9. Thereby, the thin film photovoltaic cell 7 is divided | segmented into the four thin film photovoltaic cell area | regions 7A-7D on the board | substrate 2. FIG. In this way, all of the laminated film is removed from the cutting part 9 when the laminated film is present in the cutting part 9 when the substrate 2 is cut, and the laminated film is peeled off due to an impact at the time of cutting and becomes a foreign substance. This is because there is a possibility of depositing on the region of the layer 4 to prevent this. Moreover, when removing a laminated film from the cutting part 9, the peripheral insulating part of the thin film solar cell module 1 after cutting can also be formed simultaneously.

  In S113, the peripheral insulating portion 10 is formed as shown in FIG. 2B by performing laser trimming to remove all the laminated films on the outer peripheral portion of the substrate 2 using a laser processing apparatus. As described above, S112 and S113 can be performed simultaneously.

  As a method of removing the laminated film of the cutting part 9 and the peripheral insulating part 10 in S112 and S113, in addition to the processing by the laser described above, a method of physically removing by a polishing brush or a blasting process can be used. It is preferable to use laser processing in that the cleaning after removing the laminated film can be omitted.

  In S <b> 114, an insulating short-circuit portion (not shown) existing in the scribe line 6 is removed by applying a reverse bias voltage between the two thin film solar cells 7 adjacent vertically.

  In S115, an insulation test is performed on the cut portion 9 and the peripheral insulating portion 10 formed in S112 and S113.

  In S116, a characteristic inspection (for example, IV measurement) is performed using a solar simulator. At this time, the characteristic inspection is performed individually for each of the four thin-film solar cell regions 7A to 7D divided on the substrate 2, and each recorded characteristic inspection result is managed in association with the module mark 8. Is preferred.

  In S117, the board | substrate 2 is carried out from the manufacturing line of a thin film solar cell module. The substrate 2 carried out from the production line is cut by a substrate cutting device (not shown). In the first embodiment, a device for separately cutting the substrate 2 after being taken out from the production line for the thin film solar cell module is used. However, the substrate cutting device is in the production line for the thin film solar cell module, and the substrate is removed before the substrate carrying out process. It is also possible to cut two.

  Here, as a method of cutting the substrate, for example, a method of grinding and cutting the substrate with a grinder or abrasive grain spraying, a method of putting a cut line on the substrate surface with a diamond cutter and the like, and applying a pressure to fold the substrate, a high temperature For example, a thermal cutting method using a nichrome wire heated, a method of cutting a substrate by irradiating an electron beam, or the like can be used.

  A plurality of thin-film solar cell modules individually provided with module marks 8 as shown in FIG. 2C by cutting the substrate 2 along the cutting portion 9 from which the laminated film has been removed in S112 by the substrate cutting device. 1 is completed. In the first embodiment, four thin film solar cell modules 1 are manufactured from the substrate 2.

  In the first embodiment, the module mark 8 is formed by laser processing the surface electrode layer 3 after forming the first scribe line 6a, but after forming the second scribe line 6b in S109. The photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4 may be formed by laser processing, or after the third scribe line 6c is formed in S111, the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4 and the back electrode layer 5 are formed by laser processing. May be.

  Moreover, in Embodiment 1, it is preferable that the thin film solar cell module 1 after cut | disconnect is the same shape, and the mark 8 for modules is formed in the same position. By forming the thin film solar cell module 1 at the same position, the alignment mechanism of the mark reading unit of the manufacturing process apparatus (for example, a sealing apparatus) after cutting the thin film solar cell module 1 can be simplified, and reading time and reading errors are reduced. can do.

  As mentioned above, according to the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module which concerns on Embodiment 1, it cuts by forming the mark 8 for modules which can manufacture and manage each thin film solar cell module 1 after cutting | disconnection separately before cut | disconnecting. Since the thin film solar cell module 1 can be distinguished later, the product management of the thin film solar cell module 1 after cutting becomes possible. Further, since the module mark 8 is given from the initial stage of the manufacturing process, it is possible to trace from the manufacturing stage to the final consumption stage and further to the disposal stage.

<Embodiment 2>
The manufacturing method of the thin-film solar cell module according to Embodiment 2 includes a point for forming a substrate mark 13 for manufacturing management of the substrate 2 before cutting, a mark corresponding to each of the thin-film solar cell module 1 after cutting (hereinafter, This is different from the first embodiment in that the step of forming the module mark 18 before cutting is performed after the characteristic inspection, and there is an unnecessary portion 17 that becomes unnecessary after cutting. Hereinafter, description of items common to the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and different items will be mainly described.

  4A to 4D are process diagrams showing a manufacturing process of Embodiment 2 of the thin-film solar battery module manufactured in the manufacturing method of the thin-film solar battery module of the present invention, and FIG. 4A is a time point when S204 described later is completed. 4B shows the state of the thin film solar cell module when S213 described later is completed, and FIG. 4C shows the state of the thin film solar cell module when S217 described later is completed. FIG. 4D shows a state of the thin-film solar cell module cut after completion of S218 described later.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the steps of the manufacturing process in the method for manufacturing the thin-film solar cell module according to Embodiment 2, and the surface electrode layer 3 is laminated through the manufacturing processes from S201 to S218 shown in FIG. The thin film solar cell regions 7 </ b> A to 7 </ b> D are formed on the substrate 2, and then the thin film solar cell module 1 is manufactured by cutting the substrate 2. Hereinafter, Embodiment 2 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 4A to 4D according to a process flow diagram shown in FIG.

  Since S201 to S203 are the same as S101 to S103 of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted here. However, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the laser processing time in S203 can be shortened by not forming the scribe line 6 by laser scribing in the region that becomes the unnecessary portion 17.

  In S204, the substrate mark 13 is formed by laser processing the surface electrode layer 3 in the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the substrate 2 (lower left corner in FIG. 4A). The substrate mark 13 is used for manufacturing management of the substrate 2 itself until the substrate 2 is cut. Here, the character string “ABCDEFGH” indicating the substrate 2 is formed as the substrate mark 13.

  Since S205 to S211 are the same as S105 to S111 of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted here. When S211 is completed, as shown in FIG. 4A, a plurality of thin-film solar cells 7 that are processed into a string shape and connected in series in the vertical direction are formed.

  In S212, as shown in FIG. 4B, the cut portion 15 is formed by removing all the laminated films in the region where the substrate 2 is cut with a laser processing apparatus. As a result, the thin-film solar battery cell 7 is divided into four thin-film solar battery cell regions 7 </ b> A to 7 </ b> D on the substrate 2.

  In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4B, unnecessary portions 17 exist above and below the substrate 2. This is to match the size of the thin film solar cell module 1 that is finally required. Therefore, since the unnecessary portion 17 is cut and removed together with the cutting of the substrate 2, the cutting portion 15 is not only in the vertical direction of the substrate 2 but also in the left-right direction (that is, the thin film solar cell regions 7 </ b> A to 7 </ b> D and the unnecessary portion 17. (Between).

  In S213, the peripheral insulating portion 16 is formed as shown in FIG. 4B by performing laser trimming to remove all the laminated films on the outer peripheral portion of the substrate 2 using a laser processing apparatus. In the second embodiment, the peripheral insulating portion 16 is formed on the entire outer peripheral portion of the substrate 2, but it is not necessary to form the peripheral insulating portion 16 in the unnecessary portion 17, and in order to shorten the processing time of S <b> 213, The peripheral insulating portion 16 may be formed only on the left and right sides.

  In S214, the insulation short circuit part (not shown) which exists in the scribe line 6 is removed by applying a reverse bias voltage between the two thin film solar cells 7 which adjoin vertically.

  In S215, an insulation inspection is performed on the cutting portion 15 and the peripheral insulating portion 16 formed in S212 and S213. Here, since what is desired to be insulated is a region to be a peripheral portion of the thin film solar cell module 1 after cutting, the cutting portion 15 and the peripheral insulating portion 16 in the unnecessary portion 17 do not need to be subjected to an insulation test. Even if an insulation failure occurs in the unnecessary portion 17 as a result of the insulation inspection, it may be determined to be a non-defective product and transferred to the next manufacturing process as it is.

  In S216, characteristic inspection (for example, electric characteristics such as IV measurement) is performed using a solar simulator. At this time, the characteristic inspection is performed individually for each of the four thin-film solar cell regions 7A to 7D divided on the substrate 2, and the inspection results are individually recorded.

  In S217, for each of the thin-film solar cell regions 7A to 7D on the substrate 2, a module mark 18 composed of a character string and a two-dimensional code is formed at a position near the peripheral edge in the thin-film solar cell module 1 after cutting. (See FIG. 4C).

  In this case, since the module mark 18 is formed after the characteristic inspection process, the module mark 18 can include characteristic inspection data. The module mark 18 includes information indicating that the module 18 is manufactured on the same substrate 2, and preferably further includes information indicating the position of the substrate 2 before cutting. As information indicating this, it is preferable to inherit (include) the information of the substrate mark 13. Thereby, it is possible to easily associate the processing history of the manufacturing process before the cutting of the substrate 2 managed by the substrate mark 13 with the thin film solar cell module 1 after the cutting, and the substrate 2 is tracked before and after the cutting. Is possible.

  Here, in the second embodiment, the module mark 18 includes a character string “ABCDEFGH” of the substrate mark 13 and a numerical value “1,” indicating the positions of the thin film solar cell regions 7A to 7D on the substrate 2 before cutting. 2, 3, 4 ”, and a two-dimensional code indicating the characteristic values of the respective thin-film solar battery cell regions 7 </ b> A to 7 </ b> D inspected in S <b> 215 is written together.

  For the thin-film solar cell module 1 determined to be defective in the characteristic inspection, the module mark 18 is not formed, or a special mark (for example, a simple mark such as “x” is preferable) indicating that it is defective. You may comprise so that it may form. With such a configuration, it is possible to easily identify defective ones from the thin film solar cell module 1 after cutting, so that it is possible to prevent the thin film solar cell module 1 determined to be defective from being shipped accidentally. it can. Further, the time required for forming the module marks 18 on the entire substrate 2 can be shortened.

  In S218, the board | substrate 2 is carried out from the manufacturing line of a thin film solar cell module. The substrate 2 carried out from the production line is cut by a substrate cutting device (not shown). The board | substrate 2 is cut | disconnected along the cutting part 15, and the unnecessary part 17 is also cut | disconnected together at this time, and the thin film solar cell module 1 is completed (refer FIG. 4D).

  In the second embodiment, the substrate mark 13 is formed on the unnecessary portion 17, and the substrate mark 13 is also removed when the unnecessary portion 17 is removed, but the module mark 18 includes information on the substrate mark 13. Therefore, it is possible to go back to the manufacturing process managed by the substrate mark 13.

  In addition, by forming a module mark 18 including characteristic values as information on each thin film solar cell module 1, a terminal that can read a two-dimensional code is used even at a construction site where the thin film solar cell module 1 is installed. Since the characteristic value of each thin film solar cell module 1 can be confirmed on the spot, the installation of the thin film solar cell module 1 can be optimized based on the characteristic.

<Specific example of thin film solar cell module>
6A, FIG. 6B, and FIG. 7A, FIG. 7B show specific examples of the thin film solar cell module 1 manufactured in the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module according to the present invention, and FIG. 6A and FIG. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE of FIG. 6A, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F- of FIG. 7A. It is F line sectional drawing. This specific example is preferably applied to the thin-film solar cell module manufactured by the manufacturing method according to the embodiment in which the module mark is formed by removing the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4 and the back electrode layer 5 by laser processing. Here, the case where it applies to the thin film solar cell module 1 manufactured by the manufacturing method of Embodiment 2 is demonstrated. In FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B, the first scribe line 6a and the second scribe line 6b are not shown because they are not related to this specific example.

  The module mark 18, the third scribe line 6 a, and the peripheral insulating portion 16 included in the thin film solar cell module 1 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B remove the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4 and the back electrode layer 5 on the substrate 2. Therefore, the light incident from the back electrode layer 5 side is transmitted to the surface of the substrate 2 (the light receiving surface side) as it is.

  Here, although the surface (light-receiving surface) of the thin film solar cell module 1 reflects the color of the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4, the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4 is formed by laminating amorphous or crystalline silicon thin films. The surface is generally dark blue or black. Therefore, when, for example, a white insulating sheet is used as the insulating sheet 11 in contact with the back electrode layer 5, the module mark 18, the third scribe line 6c, and the peripheral insulating portion 16 transmit the base color. Therefore, the module mark 18 is greatly different from the color of the region of the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4 like the third scribe line 6c and the peripheral insulating portion 16, and is clearly visible with the naked eye as shown in FIG. 6A. Become.

  On the other hand, since the 3rd scribe line 6c is a thin linear pattern, the influence on aesthetics is small by being recognized as a pattern. Further, the peripheral insulating portion 16 includes a black side surface protective material (not shown) such as an insulating rubber provided for insulating and protecting the peripheral portion and a metal frame (not shown) provided for improving the strength. ) Etc. can reduce the effect on aesthetics. However, since the module mark 18 is present inside the region of the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4, it cannot cover the surface and cannot be recognized as a pattern because it is composed of a character string or a two-dimensional code. The aesthetics of the solar cell module will be deteriorated.

  Therefore, in this specific example, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the insulating sheet 11 that is a member in contact with the back electrode layer 5 has a color close to the surface of the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4, preferably the same color. Use. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7A, the module mark 18 is difficult to visually recognize with the naked eye, and the presence of the module mark 18 cannot be recognized unless viewed closely to the thin-film solar cell module 1. Therefore, the thin film solar cell module 1 excellent in aesthetics can be provided.

  In this specific example, the entire surface of the insulating sheet 11 has a color close to the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4, but at least only a region in contact with the module mark 18 may have a color close to the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer 4.

  Thin-film solar cell modules that are manufactured by cutting a substrate into a predetermined size are limited in the size of thin-film solar cell modules that can be installed, such as in-vehicle, portable devices, and general building materials, and have a beautiful appearance Therefore, it is not preferable that the module mark 18 formed of a character string or a two-dimensional code is conspicuous on the thin film solar cell module. Therefore, making the module mark 18 inconspicuous is important in improving the appearance of the thin-film solar cell module.

  By adopting the configuration of this specific example, it becomes difficult to visually recognize the module mark 18. However, as described above as the preferred embodiment of the second embodiment, each of the divided thin film solar cell modules has the same shape, By forming the mark 18 at the same position, the position where the mark is confirmed can be limited. Moreover, also when applied to the solar cell module 1 according to Embodiment 1, each of the divided thin film solar cell modules has the same shape, and the module mark 8 is formed at the same position, so that the mark is confirmed. Can be limited. Therefore, there is no problem even when it is necessary to confirm the module marks 8 and 18 on the thin film solar cell module, such as during construction or maintenance.

  In addition, embodiment disclosed this time is an illustration in all the points, Comprising: It does not become the basis of limited interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted only by the above-described embodiments, but is defined based on the description of the scope of claims. Moreover, all the changes within the meaning and range equivalent to a claim are included.

  In the present invention, a surface electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer, and a back electrode layer scribed in a string shape are stacked on a substrate to form a thin film solar cell, and then the substrate is divided to form a plurality of thin films of a predetermined size. It can be applied to a method for manufacturing a solar cell module.

1 Thin-film solar cell module 2 Translucent insulating substrate (substrate)
3 Surface electrode layer (transparent conductive film)
4 Photoelectric Conversion Semiconductor Layer 5 Back Electrode Layer 6 Scribe Line 6a First Scribe Line 6b Second Scribe Line 6c Third Scribe Line 7 Thin Film Solar Cell 7A to 7D Thin Film Solar Cell Region 8, 18 Module Mark Mark)
9, 15 Cutting part 10, 16 Peripheral insulating part 11 Insulating sheet 13 Substrate mark 17 Unnecessary part

Claims (14)

A cell forming step of processing a photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer and a back electrode layer sequentially stacked on a front surface electrode layer stacked on a substrate into a string shape to form a plurality of thin film solar cells connected in series;
After the cell forming step, a removing step of cutting the substrate and removing the layer at the peripheral portion of the substrate to form a plurality of thin film solar cell regions;
A thin film solar cell module manufacturing method including a cutting step of manufacturing the plurality of thin film solar cell modules by cutting the substrate after the removing step;
A manufacturing method of a thin film solar cell module, wherein a mark forming step of forming a mark capable of manufacturing and managing the thin film solar cell module is performed on each of the thin film solar cell modules after cutting before the cutting step. It is a manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module according to claim 1,
The mark is made of any one of a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, or a visually recognizable character string, or a combination of two or more thereof. It is a manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module according to claim 1 or 2,
The said mark contains the information which shows having been cut | disconnected from the same board | substrate, and the information which shows the position before the said board | substrate is cut | disconnected, The manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module characterized by the above-mentioned. It is a manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module of any one of Claim 1- Claim 3, Comprising:
The said mark is provided in any 1 or 2 or more of the said board | substrate, the said surface electrode layer, the said photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer, and the said back surface electrode layer, The manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module characterized by the above-mentioned. It is a manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module according to claim 4,
The said mark is formed by laser processing, The manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module characterized by the above-mentioned. It is a manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module according to claim 5,
The said mark is provided avoiding the place which laser-processes the said photovoltaic cell in a string form, The manufacturing method of the thin film photovoltaic module characterized by the above-mentioned. It is a manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module of any one of Claim 1- Claim 6, Comprising:
The said mark is provided in the vicinity of the peripheral part of the said thin film solar cell module after a cutting | disconnection, The manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module characterized by the above-mentioned. It is a manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module of any one of Claim 1- Claim 7,
Each thin film solar cell module after cutting has the same shape, and the mark is provided at the same position of each thin film solar cell module. It is a manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module of any one of Claim 1- Claim 8, Comprising:
Including an inspection step of performing an electrical property inspection for each of the plurality of thin-film solar cell regions,
The said mark formation process is implemented after the said test process, The manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module characterized by the above-mentioned. It is a manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module according to claim 9,
The said mark contains the information which shows the electrical property test | inspection result in the said test process, The manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module characterized by the above-mentioned. It is a manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module according to claim 10,
A method of manufacturing a thin-film solar cell module, wherein the thin-film solar cell module determined to be defective in the electrical characteristic inspection is not marked, or a special mark indicating a defect is given. It is a manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module of any one of Claim 1- Claim 11,
A method for manufacturing a thin-film solar cell module, wherein a substrate mark capable of manufacturing and managing the substrate is provided separately from the mark. It is a manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
Each mark is formed by removing the photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer and the back electrode layer on the substrate by laser processing. In the region where the mark is formed, an insulating sheet provided on the back electrode layer is formed on the photoelectric conversion semiconductor. A method for producing a thin-film solar cell module, characterized in that the thin-film solar cell module is formed with a color approximate to the color of the surface of the layer region.   The thin film solar cell module manufactured with the manufacturing method of the thin film solar cell module of any one of Claims 1-13.

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