A method of performing screen printing on a substrate used for the manufacture of a solar cell is provided. The method includes moving a print head over a screen by a first drive actuator to perform a printing stroke in a first direction. The method includes moving a material processing head in the first direction by a second drive actuator to perform a material processing stroke behind the print head. The print head is moved away from the material processing head by the first drive actuator during a distance increasing phase of the printing stroke to increase a separation distance between the print head and the material processing head.

Printheads may be utilized to produce at least one gridline on an upper surface of a target substrate, in particular for producing a pattern for a solar cell structure, wherein the printheads may enable a printing in the forward and an opposite backward direction at the same time to, for example, increase the relative speed the printing procedure and to improve the screen or stencil printing process.

Printheads may be utilized to produce at least one gridline on an upper surface of a target substrate, in particular for producing a pattern for a solar cell structure, wherein the printheads may enable a printing in the forward and an opposite backward direction at the same time to, for example, increase the relative speed the printing procedure and to improve the screen or stencil printing process.

A printing object surface has a cross-sectional shape curving along a printing advancing direction. The printing advancing direction is defined as a Y-axis, a direction orthogonal to the Y-axis and belonging to the cross-section is defined as a Z-axis, and a direction around an axis orthogonal to a Y-Z plane is defined as a -axis. A squeegee is disposed so as to be movable in the respective Y-, Z- and -axis directions. Information indicating a mutual relationship among respective Y-, Z- and -axis positions is obtained. The relationship is a relationship that enables performing printing while maintaining or substantially maintaining an angle formed by a direction tangent to a printing position in the printing object surface in the Y-Z plane and the squeegee. Printing is executed while the respective Y-, Z-, -axis positions of the squeegee relative to the printing object surface are controlled according to the obtained information.

A screen printer includes: a substrate holder that holds a substrate; a mask to be contacted with the substrate; an imaging device that images the substrate; an elevation mechanism that moves up the substrate holder at a below-mask-position below the mask based on a result of the imaging to contact the substrate with the mask; a horizontal moving mechanism that moves the substrate holder between the below-mask-position and a retreat position retreated in a horizontal direction from the below-mask-position; a printing head that moves on the mask contacted with the substrate and prints a paste on the substrate via the mask; and a mask cleaner that cleans a lower surface of the mask with the substrate separated from the mask by the elevation mechanism. The imaging of the substrate and the cleaning of the mask are performed with the substrate holder positioned at the retreat position.

A screen printer includes: a substrate holder that holds a substrate; a mask to be contacted with the substrate; an imaging device that images the substrate; an elevation mechanism that moves up the substrate holder at a below-mask-position below the mask based on a result of the imaging to contact the substrate with the mask; a horizontal moving mechanism that moves the substrate holder between the below-mask-position and a retreat position retreated in a horizontal direction from the below-mask-position; a printing head that moves on the mask contacted with the substrate and prints a paste on the substrate via the mask; and a mask cleaner that cleans a lower surface of the mask with the substrate separated from the mask by the elevation mechanism. The imaging of the substrate and the cleaning of the mask are performed with the substrate holder positioned at the retreat position.

A squeegee assembly for a screen printing machine has a squeegee support body having a side configured to be fastened to the screen printing machine, a front portion provided with a front element and a rear portion provided with a rear element, respectively having a front element printing end and a rear element printing end for screen printing by ink. The front element printing end is spaced apart with respect to the rear element printing end in a translation direction so that an ink collection space is formed therebetween. In the front portion, one or more ink passage openings are formed for allowing passage of ink from a region in front of the front element towards the ink collection space during translation of the squeegee assembly during screen printing. Ink in the ink collection space is draggable by the rear element during translation of the squeegee assembly.

A squeegee assembly for a screen printing machine has a squeegee support body having a side configured to be fastened to the screen printing machine, a front portion provided with a front element and a rear portion provided with a rear element, respectively having a front element printing end and a rear element printing end for screen printing by ink. The front element printing end is spaced apart with respect to the rear element printing end in a translation direction so that an ink collection space is formed therebetween. In the front portion, one or more ink passage openings are formed for allowing passage of ink from a region in front of the front element towards the ink collection space during translation of the squeegee assembly during screen printing. Ink in the ink collection space is draggable by the rear element during translation of the squeegee assembly.

A screen printing apparatus includes an inspection region setter and an operation stop controller. The inspection region setter sets an inspection region in an inspection plane that intersects with a moving path of a mask until the mask positioned at a printing-job performing position moves to a mask shelter position by the moving mechanism. In addition, the inspection region setter excludes a passing region of the mask from the inspection region while the mask to be positioned at the mask shelter position passes over the inspection plane from the printing-job performing position.

A screen printing apparatus includes: a mask guide; a mask moving mechanism; and a squeegeeing mechanism. The mask guide is provided with a mask standby position, a printing-job performing position, and a mask shelter position in this order from a first end to a second end of the mask guide. The mask moving mechanism moves the used mask positioned at the printing-job performing position to the mask shelter position such that it is possible to pick up the used mask from the second end of the mask guide.