RPS-SONIC: A Benchmark For The Industrialization Of Ultrasonic Atomization Spraying Of TCO Thin Films

In the wave of industrialization of TCO transparent conductive film preparation technology, RPS-SONIC, with its targeted technology research and development and scenario-based design, has made its ultrasonic atomization spraying equipment a core equipment choice in photovoltaics, displays, and construction. It not only meets the industry's core requirements for "high light transmittance, low sheet resistance, and green efficiency," but also promotes the transition of TCO thin film preparation from the laboratory to large-scale production through precise parameter control and stable operation.

RPS-SONIC ultrasonic atomization spraying equipment, based on high-frequency vibration atomization technology, has formed a differentiated product matrix for TCO thin film preparation needs, with its core technological characteristics showing particularly outstanding adaptability to TCO preparation. The equipment mainly adopts two high-frequency vibration schemes: 40kHz and 60kHz. Among them, the 40kHz focused ultrasonic atomizing nozzle, through a special constriction flow channel design, can make the carrier gas uniformly gather and atomize the TCO precursor solution (such as ITO, AZO, FTO sol) into uniform droplets of 15-40μm. The droplet distribution uniformity error is controlled within ±3%, which perfectly matches the precise thickness requirements of TCO films of 10nm-500nm. For low-viscosity (0 cps) TCO precursor solutions, the equipment achieves precise flow control of 0.5-20 ml/min. Combined with an adjustable spray height of 30-80 mm and a low-pressure flow guide design of 0.5 MPa, it avoids the droplet splashing problems of traditional pressure spraying while ensuring dense deposition of droplets on the substrate surface. This results in TCO film sheet resistance fluctuations controlled within ±5%, and visible light transmittance stabilized at 85%-95%, fully meeting the performance requirements of high-end applications such as photovoltaic cells and flexible displays.

Building upon the core advantages of TCO film preparation, RPS-SONIC further amplifies the industrial value of ultrasonic atomization technology. Firstly, the equipment boasts significant advantages in material utilization and cost control. Through "pressureless atomization" and focused spraying design, the TCO precursor solution utilization rate reaches up to 90%, saving over 80% of material consumption compared to traditional magnetron sputtering processes. This is particularly beneficial in the preparation of ITO thin films, where indium resources are scarce, as it significantly reduces precious metal loss, thereby lowering production costs for enterprises. Secondly, it exhibits extremely strong substrate compatibility. The equipment uses very low droplet kinetic energy during atomization, representing a typical low-temperature preparation process. This makes it suitable not only for rigid substrates such as glass and silicon wafers but also for flexible substrates such as PET and PI. This solves the pain points of traditional processes in flexible TCO thin film preparation, which easily lead to substrate deformation and performance degradation, providing a reliable solution for TCO thin film production in fields such as flexible OLED displays and wearable devices. Thirdly, it combines scalability and stability. The equipment supports multi-nozzle arrays, with a single spray width of 1-3 meters. Combined with an adjustable power design of 10-100W, it can meet the needs of small-batch R&D in laboratories as well as the large-scale production of large-size devices such as photovoltaic modules and architectural glass. Furthermore, the equipment has no moving parts that experience wear and tear, and the nozzles are less prone to clogging, reducing production downtime and ensuring the stability of continuous production.

In terms of industry application, RPS-SONIC ultrasonic atomization spraying equipment has established several benchmark cases in the TCO thin film preparation field. In the photovoltaic industry, its equipment is used for spraying the AZO/TCO transparent conductive layer of perovskite solar cells. By precisely controlling the droplet size and deposition rate, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the cells is improved by 2-3 percentage points. Currently, it has entered the 1GW-level perovskite-silicon heterojunction tandem cell pilot line of a leading domestic photovoltaic company, helping to achieve large-scale mass production. In the display field, for the preparation of ITO/PET composite films for flexible OLED screens, the equipment can still ensure that the sheet resistance change rate of the TCO film is less than 10% and the light transmittance remains above 92% on a flexible substrate with a bending radius of 5mm.

This helps downstream manufacturers improve the yield of flexible screens from 75% with traditional processes to 88%, becoming a core equipment support for the flexible display industry chain. In the field of architectural smart glass, the equipment is used for the spraying of AZO transparent conductive films for electrochromic glass, achieving thickness error control of ±2nm. This results in an electrochromic response speed of ≤10 seconds and a service life of over 100,000 cycles. At the same time, the high light transmittance and corrosion resistance of the film ensure the long-term stable operation of the smart glass, and it has been applied to the production of smart windows in many high-end building projects at home and abroad. Furthermore, Hangzhou Gonglu's equipment boasts exceptional versatility, enabling not only mainstream TCO thin film preparation but also the composite spraying of functional films such as anti-fog and anti-corrosion coatings with TCO layers. For instance, it can simultaneously spray an FTO transparent conductive layer and an anti-fouling coating onto the surface of photovoltaic glass, further enhancing the overall performance of the device. In the future, with the promotion of indium-free TCO materials (such as AZO and GZO) and the integration of AI visual inspection technology, Hangzhou Gonglu's equipment is expected to achieve even higher performance targets, including a light transmittance exceeding 98% and a sheet resistance below 5Ω/□, continuously driving the greening and refinement of TCO thin film preparation technology.

As an industrial benchmark in the field of ultrasonic atomization spraying, RPS-SONIC equipment, with its precise parameter control, stable operation, and broad application adaptability, provides core support for the large-scale, high-quality production of TCO transparent conductive films. Its technical solutions not only meet the current development needs of the optoelectronic industry but will also play a crucial role in technological innovation in emerging fields such as flexible electronics and new energy in the future.