Solar cell inspection apparatus and solar cell processing apparatus

1. A solar cell inspection apparatus adapted to inspect a solar cell deposited with an antireflective film, the solar cell inspection apparatus comprising:

visible light irradiation means adapted to irradiate visible light to the solar cell from an antireflective film side of the solar cell;

reflection image measuring means adapted to measure a reflection image based on the visible light that is irradiated from the visible light irradiation means and reflected by the antireflective film of the solar cell;

infrared light irradiation means adapted to irradiate infrared light from a side opposite to the antireflective film of the solar cell;

transmission image measuring means adapted to measure a transmission image based on the infrared light that is irradiated from the infrared light irradiation means and transmits through the solar cell;

comparison means adapted to compare the reflection image measured by the reflection image measuring means and the transmission image measured by the transmission image measuring means with each other; and

determination means adapted to determine, of areas respectively appearing as bright spots in the reflection image, an area appearing as a dark spot in the transmission image as an area including a foreign substance present on the antireflective film, and also determine, of the areas respectively appearing as the bright spots in the reflection image, an area other than the area determined as the area including the foreign substance as an area including a pinhole formed in the antireflective film.

2. The solar cell inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the visible light irradiation means and the infrared light irradiation means simultaneously irradiate one surface and the other surface of the solar cell with the visible light and the infrared light, respectively,

the solar cell inspection apparatus comprising

a beam splitter adapted to receive the visible light reflected by the antireflective film of the solar cell and the infrared light transmitting through the solar cell; guide the visible light reflected by the antireflective film of the solar cell to the reflection image measuring means, and also guide the infrared light transmitting through the solar cell to the transmission image measuring means.

3. A solar cell processing apparatus adapted to process a solar cell deposited with an antireflective film, the solar cell processing apparatus comprising

an inspection apparatus having:

visible light irradiation means adapted to irradiate visible light from an antireflective film side of the solar cell;

reflection image measuring means adapted to measure a reflection image based on the visible light that is irradiated from the visible light irradiation means and reflected by the antireflection film of the solar cell;

infrared light irradiation means adapted to irradiate infrared light from a side opposite to the antireflective film of the solar cell;

transmission image measuring means adapted to measure a transmission image based on the infrared light that is irradiated from the infrared light irradiation means and transmitting through the solar cell;

comparison means adapted to compare the reflection image measured by the reflection image measuring means and the transmission image measured by the transmission image measuring means with each other; and

determination means adapted to determine, of areas respectively appearing as bright spots in the reflection image, an area appearing as a dark spot in the transmission image as an area including a foreign substance present on the antireflective film, and also determine, of the areas respectively appearing as the bright spots in the reflection image, an area other than the area determined as the area including the foreign substance as an area including a pinhole formed in the antireflective film, and a foreign substance removing device adapted to remove the foreign substance in the area that is determined as the area including the foreign substance present on the antireflective film by the determination means of the inspection apparatus.

4. The solar cell processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the foreign substance removing device comprises a foreign substance removing part adapted to remove the foreign substance in the area determined as the area including the foreign substance present on the antireflective film by the determination means of the inspection apparatus by blowing gas toward the area or performing suction on the area.

5. The solar cell processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

the foreign substance removing device comprises a second inspection apparatus adapted to inspect the solar cell after the foreign substance has been supposed to be removed by the foreign substance removing part, and thereby inspect whether or not the foreign substance on the antireflective film of the solar cell is present.

6. The solar cell processing apparatus according to claim 5 , comprising:

a main conveyance path adapted to convey a solar cell to an area including the inspection apparatus; and

a conveyance mechanism adapted to, between the main conveyance path and the foreign substance removing device, convey the solar cell in which it is determined by the determination means of the inspection apparatus that the area including the foreign substance is present on the antireflective film.

7. The solar cell processing apparatus according to claim 6 , comprising

a discharge mechanism adapted to, from the main conveyance path, discharge the solar cell in which it is determined by the determination means of the inspection apparatus that the area including the pinhole formed in the antireflective film is present.