JP2000149790A - Sealed container, sealing method, sealing device, and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To flatten a sealed part, and realize lowered profile, a simple method, vacuum maintenance, and improved adhesive strength of a sealed container used for an image forming device, etc., by bonding a sealing cover to the sealed container for a flat-type display device, etc., by an eutectic bonding method. SOLUTION: This sealing method for a sealed container comprises a process for mounting an exhaust pipe 7 to cover an exhaust hole 20 in the container 1, a process for exhausting the container 1 by means of the exhaust pipe 7, a process for sealing up the container 1 by eutectically bonding a sealing cover 3 to the exhaust hole 20 in the exhaust pipe 7 under the exhausted condition, and a process for separating the exhaust pipe 7 from the container 1 and removing the exhaust pipe 7 from the container.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sealing container, a sealing method and a sealing device therefor, and an image forming apparatus using the container, and more particularly to a sealing container for a flat display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a vacuum sealing method, for example,
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-202637 discloses a method for manufacturing a fluorescent display tube, in which a lid member is adhered to the exhaust hole with a low-melting glass when sealing an airtight envelope having an exhaust hole. By doing so, a technique for sealing in a vacuum chamber is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-158794 discloses a method for sealing a container of an electronic component, in which a low-melting-point glass of a sealing lid having a low-melting-point glass layer formed thereon is heated and sealed with a laser. A technique for performing this is disclosed.

[0004] However, in any case, there is only a proposal for sealing using a low melting point glass, and no other joining method is disclosed.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-295028 discloses a technique of “evacuating a vacuum vessel and sealing the vacuum vessel by using an exhaust pipe and evacuating the vacuum vessel”. However, it is difficult to shorten the exhaust pipe, and it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the exhaust pipe.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-298944 discloses a "flat display device and an apparatus and method for manufacturing the same" by screwing a lid provided with a screw portion into an exhaust hole of a vacuum container to hermetically seal the container. Although a sealing technique is disclosed, it is possible in the case of a metal container, but it is difficult and difficult to realize in a glass container. Even if a metal container is used, it takes time to process.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-314906 discloses a "display tube", in which when a display tube is hermetically sealed, a projection on a face plate of a lid member that is tightly sealed to an exhaust hole of the display tube. A technology has been disclosed in which a glass sintered body is mounted in an annular shape around the periphery of the display device and sealed with a peripheral portion far away from the exhaust hole to prevent the evaporating glass component from entering the display tube. ing.

[0008]

However, the above-mentioned prior art has the following problems.

With the conventional exhaust pipe type, it is difficult to shorten the sealing pipe, and it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the sealing pipe.

[0010] In the case of sealing with low melting point glass, the device may be deteriorated due to the released gas.

In the case of a sealing lid, only a method using a low melting point glass has been proposed as a joining method.

[Object of the Invention] An object of the present invention is to flatten a sealed portion, to make a sealed container used for a display or the like thin, and to make it simple by joining a sealing lid of a sealed container by a eutectic bonding method. To maintain the vacuum, and to improve the adhesive strength.

[0013]

According to the present invention, as a means for solving the above-mentioned problem, in a sealed container of a flat panel display device, an exhaust hole of the sealed container has a sealing lid. A sealed container characterized by being sealed by crystal bonding.

Further, the flat display device is a device using an electron-emitting device, which is also a sealed container.

Further, the flat display device is a sealed container characterized by being a plasma display.

Further, in the method for sealing a sealed container, a step of attaching an exhaust pipe covering an exhaust hole of the container, a step of exhausting the inside of the container through the exhaust pipe, In the exhaust pipe, a step of eutectic bonding a sealing lid to an exhaust hole of the container and sealing the same, and a step of separating the exhaust pipe and the container and removing the exhaust pipe from the container are provided. This is also a method for sealing a sealed container.

Further, in the eutectic bonding, the sealing lid made of a component containing Si and a metal film formed around an exhaust hole of the container are tightly bonded together. It is also a sealing method.

[0018] Further, there is provided a method for sealing a sealed container, wherein the metal film is made of Au.

In the eutectic bonding, the first metal film formed on the sealing lid and the second metal film formed around the exhaust hole of the container are brought into close contact with each other and heated and pressed. And sealing by applying vibration.

Further, one of the first and second metal films is
The present invention is also a method for sealing a sealed container, wherein an Au—Si alloy and the other are Au.

In the eutectic bonding, a preform is sandwiched on a metal film formed on one of a sealing lid and an exhaust hole,
The present invention also provides a method for sealing a sealed container, comprising joining by heating, pressurizing, and applying vibration.

Further, the sealing lid and the container are made of a component containing Si, the metal film formed on one of the two is Au, and the preform is made of Au or an alloy containing Au-Si. It is also a method for sealing a sealed container.

Further, there is provided a method for sealing a sealed container, wherein the sealing lid containing Si is made of glass.

In the step of attaching the exhaust pipe, the frit glass provided at the attachment joint is heated and melted, then solidified and joined, and in the step of removing the exhaust pipe, the frit glass is heated and melted. After that, it is also a method for sealing a sealed container, which is separated.

Further, there is provided a method for sealing a sealed container, wherein the eutectic bonding is performed by heating at a temperature lower than a separation temperature or a bonding temperature of the exhaust pipe.

In the method for sealing a sealed container, a step of attaching an exhaust pipe covering an exhaust hole of the container, a step of exhausting the inside of the container through the exhaust pipe, In the exhaust pipe, a step of joining and sealing a sealing lid to an exhaust hole of the container, and a step of separating the exhaust pipe and the container and removing the exhaust pipe from the container. This is also a method for sealing a sealed container.

In the bonding, the first metal film formed on the sealing lid and the second metal film formed around the exhaust hole of the container are brought into close contact with each other via a preform. This is also a method for sealing a sealed container, wherein the sealing is performed by pressing.

The first and second metal films are formed of Au.
Wherein the preform is Au-Ge, Au-S
n, an alloy containing any of Au-Bi, Au-Ga, and Au-Sb.

Further, there is provided a method for sealing a sealed container, wherein the joining is performed by heating at a temperature lower than the separation temperature or the joining temperature of the exhaust pipe.

In a sealing device used for manufacturing a sealed container, a means for attaching an exhaust pipe covering an exhaust hole of the container, a means for exhausting the inside of the container via the exhaust pipe,
Means for sealing a sealing lid to the exhaust hole of the container by eutectic bonding within the exhaust pipe in the evacuated state, and separating the exhaust pipe from the container to form the exhaust pipe into the container. And a means for removing from the sealing device.

[0031] The means for attaching the exhaust pipe includes means for heating and melting the frit glass provided at the attachment joint, and means for moving and holding the exhaust pipe. But also.

The means for sealing by eutectic bonding includes:
The sealing device further includes a unit for heating, pressurizing, and vibrating the sealing lid and the exhaust hole in close contact with each other.

Further, there is also provided an image forming apparatus comprising an electron-emitting device and an image-forming member to which electrons emitted from the electron-emitting device are irradiated inside the sealed container.

[Operation] According to the present invention, since the sealing means of the container has a flat lid shape, it is possible to produce a flat panel-shaped sealed container without protruding from the container. Therefore, when this sealed container is applied to a flat display panel or the like, the panel can be made thin.

Further, since the sealing lid and the container are bonded by eutectic bonding of the metal film surface, a strong bonding that can sufficiently withstand vacuum can be obtained.

Further, the bonding method of the present invention has a lower bonding temperature than the conventional bonding using frit glass, so that the amount of gas release is small and the work is easy. That is, during work,
In addition, since the amount of released gas after the operation is small, there is no adverse effect on the elements and the like in the container, there is almost no deterioration, and there is no need to provide a gas shield for shielding the released gas. Moreover, since no solvent is used, no impurities fly inside, so that there is no problem of gas flowing into the panel.

In particular, when used for a flat display panel or the like, the emitted gas does not adversely affect the display elements and the like in the panel and does not deteriorate the elements.

Further, since the bonding can be performed in a short time, the productivity is improved. In addition, extra processing for providing a screw hole, a groove, or the like for joining is unnecessary.

The eutectic bonding method is widely used in a die bonding step of bonding and fixing a semiconductor element (die) on a package such as a ceramic substrate or a lead frame.
A typical example is Au-Si eutectic bonding, which is a bonding method utilizing a eutectic reaction between Au and Si at around 370 ° C., and provides electrically and chemically stable bonding. can get. For example, a package plated with Au
After heating to 0 to 450 ° C., the die is rubbed against the die, and an Au—Si eutectic alloy is formed between Au plating of the package and Si on the back surface of the die, thereby joining the two.

In addition, Au-Ge or Au-Sn can be used as a joining member that can be used for such eutectic joining, and the working temperature is 320 to 450 ° C.
As the working atmosphere, an inert atmosphere or a reducing atmosphere is suitable.

[0041]

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows a sealed portion of a vacuum sealed container according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a plan view, and FIG.
FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum-sealed container, for example, an image display device having an electron-emitting device and a phosphor on its opposing surface, a plasma display panel having a plasma generating unit and a phosphor on its opposing surface, and the like. Can be stored.

The vacuum sealed container 1 is made of soda glass or the like, and is adhered to the side wall 21 with frit glass 22 or the like.
It is sealed.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a sealing lid for closing the exhaust hole 20 of the vacuum-sealed container 1, which is a circular plate made of Si having a thickness of about 0.2 to 3 mm, preferably about 0.5 to 2 mm. , And the diameter is 12 mm. In addition, the thickness and shape of the sealing lid 3 are not limited to this, and can be appropriately selected.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a frit glass as an adhesive for fusing, adhering, and releasing the vacuum-sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe. The frit glass 5 is melted at about 430 ° C. by a heating means. Are adhered to each other by being hardened by lowering the temperature, and are further bonded by being heated and melted.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a metal film that joins the sealing lid 3 for closing the exhaust hole of the vacuum sealed container 1 and the vacuum sealed container 1.
This metal film 6 was made of Au plating and had a thickness of 5 μm. The thickness of the metal film 6 is 1 μm to 50 μm.
It is about μm, preferably about 2 μm to 30 μm.
The method for producing the metal film 6 includes plating,
Printing, or a method such as vapor deposition or sputtering if a certain thickness can be formed.

(Sealing Apparatus) Next, the vacuum sealing method of the present invention and a sealing apparatus for performing the sealing will be described.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the entire sealing device in the stage of preparing for exhaustion. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum sealed container provided with a display panel, 3 denotes a sealing lid for closing the exhaust hole 20, 5 denotes frit glass as an adhesive for bonding the vacuum sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe 7, and 6 denotes a vacuum in advance. A metal film formed on the sealed container, 7 is an exhaust pipe provided in the exhaust means, 8 is a heating means such as a nichrome wire for heating the end of the exhaust pipe 7 in contact with the vacuum sealed vessel 1, and 9 is a heating means 8. A heating power supply line 10 for supplying electric power, an exhaust port 10 for exhausting air from the exhaust pipe 7, and an adhesive means 11 for heating the sealing lid 3 and a vibration transmitting means. As the heating means, power is supplied from the power supply line 15 and the lid is heated by heating a nichrome wire or the like built in the bonding means 11. Further, as the vibration transmitting means, an ultrasonic vibration or the like can be used as a vibration generating unit (not shown) provided on the upper part of the bearing 23,
Vibration is generated from the vibration generating section, and the vibration is applied to the sealing lid 3 through the bearing 23 and the bonding means 11. 1
2 is a sealing lid holding jig for holding the sealing lid 3 during exhaust,
13 is a bellows movable vacuum partition which expands and contracts when the exhaust pipe 7 and the sealing lid 3 are moved up and down, 14 is a current introduction terminal which is a terminal for supplying power and the like for the lid heating means 11, and 15 is a lid heating means 1
1, a lower drive means for appropriately moving the exhaust pipe 7 up and down; 17 an upper drive means for appropriately moving the exhaust pipe 7 up and down;
A drive guide shaft 23 for supporting 7, a bearing for moving the sealing lid holding means 12 up and down to transmit pressure and vibration to the sealing lid, and 24 a weight.

Note that the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

(Exhaust Pipe Attaching Step) Next, an exhaust preparation step will be described with reference to FIG. First, an exhaust hole 20 is previously opened in the exhaust portion of the vacuum sealed container 1 made of flat glass such as soda glass by machining or the like. Exhaust hole 20 is φ
10 mm.

Next, the frit glass 5 is arranged at a position where the exhaust pipe 7 contacts, and the lower drive means 16 is lowered to
The exhaust pipe 7 is lowered, and at this time, power is supplied to the heating means 8 from the heating power supply line 9 to increase the temperature of the contact portion of the exhaust pipe 7 and the temperature of the frit glass 5 of the vacuum sealed container 1 to be joined. And frit glass 5 is melted and joined.

(Evacuation Step) Next, the evacuation step will be described with reference to FIG. The inside of the vacuum sealed container 1 and the inside of the exhaust pipe 7 are evacuated and evacuated by a vacuum exhaust device connected to the exhaust port 10 of the exhaust pipe 7 joined to the vacuum sealed container 1.
At this time, unnecessary gas components can be more efficiently removed by heating the vacuum-sealed container 1 itself. or,
Further, by using an ion pump or a sorption pump as an evacuation device for evacuation, unnecessary gas components can be further prevented from being mixed, and a high-vacuum sealed container suitable for a cold cathode electron source requiring a high vacuum can be produced.

(Sealing Lid Mounting Step) Next, the sealing lid mounting step will be described with reference to FIG. When the inside of the vacuum-sealed container 1 reaches a predetermined vacuum, the sealing lid 3 hung by the bearing 23 corresponding to the exhaust hole 20 of the vacuum-sealed container 1 and held by the sealing lid holding jig 12. Is moved downward, and the sealing lid 3 is moved to the metal film 6 around the exhaust hole 20.
Abut.

Thereafter, power is supplied from the power supply line 15 to the bonding means 11 provided on the sealing lid holding jig 12 to heat and vibrate the sealing lid 3, and a weight 24 is set on the bearing 23. Then, the sealing lid 3 is joined, sealed and fixed by a eutectic joining method while applying a load.

The heating temperature of the sealing lid 3 is 400 ° C. Since Au of the metal film 6 and Si of the sealing lid 3 undergo a eutectic reaction at 370 ° C., the temperature is usually set to about 370 ° C. to 500 ° C., preferably 380 ° C.
To 450 ° C. The heating time is 5
The time is from about 100 seconds to about 100 seconds, more preferably from 10 to 30 seconds. In this embodiment, the heating is performed for 10 seconds.

As the vibration applied at this time, a horizontal rubbing or a vertical vibration is applied. As the vibration, use of an ultrasonic wave is mainly used.
The vibration time is preferably from about 3 seconds to about 30 seconds, more preferably from about 5 seconds to about 20 seconds. In this embodiment, a vibration of about 5 seconds was given.

As the vibration means of the present embodiment,
Although not shown in detail, an ultrasonic vibration or the like can be used as a vibration generating section (not shown) provided on the upper portion of the bearing 23, and the vibration is generated from the vibration generating section and transmitted through the bearing 23 and the bonding means 11. Vibration is applied to the sealing lid 3.

After the heating, it is desirable to cool the sealing lid 3 so that it does not move, and the cooling time for not moving the sealing lid is preferably about 2 seconds to 100 seconds, more preferably 5 to 30 seconds.
Seconds are fine. As a cooling method, a method of stopping the power supply of the lid heating means 11 and naturally cooling the raised temperature may be used. In the present embodiment, the power supply is stopped for 5 seconds and the sealing lid holding jig 12 is kept fixed.

The bearing 23 has a weight 24 of 1.4 kg.
And a load was applied to the sealing lid 3, but 1 mm ²
The load is 0 g to 500 g, preferably 40 g to 100 g. From the contact area of the sealing lid of this embodiment, 1 mm ² =
Assuming a weight of 40 g, a weight of about 1.4 kg was to be carried.

Thereafter, the evacuation by the evacuation device is stopped.

In the bonding method of this embodiment, the surface oxide film of the film is removed or oxidized by applying a load to the sealing lid 3 at a temperature of 400 ° C. to apply vibration to the sealing lid 3 at a temperature of 400 ° C. A surface other than the surface is exposed, and the surfaces of Si and Au are eutectic alloyed and joined. This eutectic bonding basically dislikes an oxidizing atmosphere, but since the inside of the exhaust pipe is vacuum, joining inside the exhaust pipe is one of the desirable atmospheres.

The metal film 6 on the exhaust hole 20 and the sealing lid 3
Requires a certain degree of surface accuracy, and is preferably a mirror surface.

(Exhaust Pipe Removal Step) The heating means 8 for supplying power from the heating power supply line 9 shown in FIG.
Is moved upward, and the vacuum sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe 7 are separated. FIG. 5 shows this detached state.

Thus, the inside of the vacuum vessel 1 shown in FIG. 1 can be taken out in a state where the inside of the vacuum vessel 1 is evacuated and the sealing lid 3 that closes the exhaust hole 20 is adhered and fixed to the vacuum sealed vessel 1.

(Adhesion temperature) Focusing on the adhesion method in the above process, first, the vacuum sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe 7 are bonded with the frit glass 5 at, for example, 430 ° C. or higher, The lid 3 is bonded at, for example, 400 ° C., and then the vacuum sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe 7 are separated at a high temperature of about 430 ° C. In this case, an exhaust pipe 7 is provided so that the temperature of the portion where the sealing lid 3 is adhered to the vacuum sealed container 1 does not become high.
And the sealing lid 3 at an appropriate distance to facilitate detachment.

The vacuum sealed container 1 is, for example,
It is used for a display device that forms an image with an electron-emitting device or an ultraviolet-emitting device, etc., and there are cases where the inside is evacuated to a vacuum state and cases where a specific gas is mixed. Processing may be slightly different.

With the present sealing device, the degree of vacuum inside the vacuum-sealed container 1 is kept constant for a long time, and the thinness of the display device is achieved by thin and firm sealing means using a sealing lid. You.

FIG. 14 (a) is a schematic diagram of the joint of the sealing lid 3 of the first embodiment, the upper diagram is an enlarged schematic diagram of only the joint, and the lower diagram is the entire joint. FIG.

[Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum-sealed container, in which an image display device having an electron-emitting device and a phosphor on its facing surface, a plasma display panel having a plasma generating unit and a phosphor on its facing surface, and the like are stored. it can.

The vacuum sealed container 1 is made of soda glass or the like, and is adhered to the side wall 21 and the frit glass 22 or the like, and is sealed.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a sealing lid for closing an exhaust hole of the vacuum sealed container 1, and has a thickness of about 0.2 to 3 mm, preferably
A metal plate of about 0.5 to 2 mm is a circular plate. The sealing lid 3 is made of Si and has a diameter of φ12.
mm. In addition, the thickness and shape of the sealing lid 3 are not limited to the above, and can be appropriately selected.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a frit glass as an adhesive for fusing, adhering, and releasing the vacuum sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe. The frit glass 5 is melted and joined at about 430 ° C. by a heating means.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a metal film that joins the sealing lid 3 for closing the exhaust hole of the vacuum sealed container 1 and the vacuum sealed container 1.
The metal film 6 was made of Au plating and had a thickness of 5 μm. The thickness of the metal film 6 is 1 μm to
It is about 50 μm, preferably about 2 μm to 30 μm. The metal film 6 may be formed by plating, printing, or a method such as vapor deposition or sputtering as long as the metal film 6 can be formed to a certain thickness.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a metal film formed on the sealing cover 3 by Au plating. The thickness of the metal film 2 is 5 μm. The metal film 2 is made of Au plating and has a thickness of about 1 μm to 50 μm, preferably 2 μm.
From about 30 μm. The metal film 2 may be formed by plating, printing, or a method such as vapor deposition or sputtering if a certain thickness can be formed. The metal film 2 is made of Au.
An Au-Si alloy film other than u may be used.

As described above, the difference from the first embodiment is that the metal film 2 is also formed on the sealing lid 3 and that the metal film 2 is formed of Au or Au-Si.

The steps of this embodiment are almost the same as the steps described in the first embodiment. In the exhaust pipe attaching step, an adhesive material of frit glass is arranged around the exhaust hole 20 in a portion in contact with the exhaust pipe 7 of the vacuum sealed container 1. Thereafter, the lower drive means 16 is lowered, and power is supplied to the heating means 8 from the heating power supply line 9 to bond the exhaust pipe 7 and the vacuum sealed container 1 together.

Next, an evacuation process is performed, and 1
A high vacuum of 0 ^-5 Pa or more is applied, the upper driving means 17 is lowered, and the temperature of the bonding portion is set to 400 ° C. or more by the bonding means 11, and the metal film 6 and the metal film 2 of the sealing lid 3 are formed. Vibration or rubbing is applied to the vacuum sealed container 1 while applying a load.

Further, in the step of detaching the exhaust pipe, the temperature of the frit glass joining surface between the exhaust pipe 7 and the vacuum sealed container 1 is set to, for example, about 430 ° C. by the heating means 8 and the lower driving means 16
Is lifted upward to separate the exhaust pipe 7 from the vacuum sealed container 1. Thus, an image display device was formed by the sealing lid 3 and the vacuum sealed container 1.

In the present embodiment manufactured as described above, the metal film has a two-layer structure, so that the surface accuracy does not need to be increased so much. Further, since the bonding becomes easier, the vacuum leakage due to the bonding failure is reduced. This has the effect of making it less likely to occur.

FIG. 14 (b) is a schematic diagram of the joint of the sealing lid 3 of the second embodiment, the upper diagram is an enlarged schematic diagram of only the joint, and the lower diagram is the entire joint. FIG.

Third Embodiment A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum-sealed container, in which an image display device having an electron-emitting device and a phosphor on its facing surface, a plasma display panel having a plasma generating unit and a phosphor on its facing surface, and the like are stored. it can.

The vacuum-sealed container 1 is made of soda glass or the like, and is adhered to the side wall 21 with frit glass 22 or the like to be sealed.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a sealing cover for closing the exhaust hole of the vacuum sealed container 1, and has a thickness of about 0.2 to 3 mm, preferably
A metal plate of about 0.5 to 2 mm is a circular plate. The sealing lid 3 is made of Si and has a diameter of φ12.
mm. In addition, the thickness and shape of the sealing lid 3 are not limited to the above, and can be appropriately selected.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a frit glass as an adhesive for fusing, adhering, and releasing the vacuum sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe. The frit glass 5 is melted and joined at about 430 ° C. by a heating means.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a metal film that joins the sealing lid 3 for closing the exhaust hole of the vacuum sealed container 1 and the vacuum sealed container 1.
The metal film 6 was made of Au plating and had a thickness of 5 μm. The thickness of the metal film 6 is 1
It is about μm to 50 μm, preferably about 2 μm to 30 μm. The metal film 6 may be formed by printing, or by a method such as vapor deposition or sputtering if a certain thickness can be formed, in addition to plating.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a preform made of Au foil. The thickness of the preform 4 is 10 μm, and it is merely placed on the metal film 6. This preform 4
Used Au, but Au-Si alloy foil may be used other than Au.

As described above, this embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the preform 4 is set on the metal film 6. The preform 4 is made of Au or Au-.
It is made of Si material.

The steps of this embodiment are almost the same as the steps of FIGS. 2 to 5 described in the first embodiment. In the exhaust pipe attaching step, an adhesive material of frit glass is arranged around the exhaust hole 20 in a portion in contact with the exhaust pipe 7 of the vacuum sealed container 1. Thereafter, the lower drive means 16 is lowered to supply electric power to the heating means 8 from the heating power supply line 9, and
And the vacuum sealed container 1 are adhered.

Next, an evacuation process is performed, and 1
A high vacuum of 0 ^-5 Pa or more is set, the upper driving means 17 is lowered, and the temperature of the bonding portion is set to 400 ° C. or more by the bonding means 11, and the metal film 6, the preform 4, and the sealing lid 3 are formed. Vibration or rubbing are applied to the vacuum sealed container 1 while applying a load.

Further, in the step of detaching the exhaust pipe, the temperature of the frit glass joining surface between the exhaust pipe 7 and the vacuum sealed container 1 is set to, for example, about 430 ° C. by the heating means 8, and the lower drive means 1
6 is lifted upward to separate the exhaust pipe 7 from the vacuum sealed container 1. Thus, the image display device was formed with the vacuum sealed container 1 sealed with the sealing lid 3.

In the present embodiment manufactured as described above, since the bonding portion has the structure of the metal film and the preform, the surface accuracy does not need to be improved as compared with the first and second embodiments. Since the joining becomes easier, there is an effect that it is difficult to cause a vacuum leak due to the joining failure.

In the above-described embodiment, the sealing lid is made of Si and the vacuum vessel is made of glass. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sealing lid may be made of glass and the vacuum vessel may be made of Si. can do.

FIG. 14 (c) is a schematic diagram of the joint of the sealing lid 3 of the third embodiment, the upper diagram is an enlarged schematic diagram of only the joint, and the lower diagram is the entire joint. FIG.

[Fourth Embodiment] FIG. 8 shows a sealed portion of a vacuum sealed container according to the present invention. FIG. 8A is a plan view, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum sealed container, in which an image display device having an electron-emitting device and a phosphor on its facing surface, a plasma display panel having a plasma generating unit and a phosphor on its facing surface, and the like are stored. can do.

The vacuum-sealed container 1 is made of soda glass or the like, and is adhered to the side wall 21 with frit glass 22 or the like to be sealed.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a sealing lid for closing the exhaust hole 20 of the vacuum sealed container 1, which is a circular plate of soda glass having a thickness of about 0.2 to 3 mm, preferably about 0.5 to 2 mm. And the diameter is φ12 mm. In addition, the thickness and shape of the sealing lid 3 are not limited to the above, and can be appropriately selected. Also,
Reference numeral 5 denotes a frit glass as an adhesive for fusing, adhering, and separating the vacuum-sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe, and is fusion-bonded at about 380 ° C. by a heating means.

Reference numerals 2 and 6 denote metal films for joining the sealing lid 3 for closing the exhaust hole of the vacuum sealed container 1 and the vacuum sealed container 1. The metal films 2 and 6 are formed by Au plating and have a thickness of 5 μm. The thickness of the metal films 2 and 6 is about 1 μm to 50 μm, preferably about 2 μm to 30 μm. The metal films 2 and 6
May be formed by plating, printing, or a method such as vapor deposition or sputtering if a certain thickness can be formed.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a preform made of Au-Ge foil, and the thickness of the preform 4 is 20 μm.
And it is merely placed on the metal film 6. Although the preform 4 used Au-Ge, an alloy preform of Au-Sn, Au-Bi, Au-Ga, or Au-Sb may be used.

(Sealing Apparatus) Next, the vacuum sealing method of the present invention and a sealing apparatus for performing the sealing will be described.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the entire sealing device in the stage of preparing for exhaustion. In the figure, 1 is a vacuum-sealed container provided with a display panel, 3 is a sealing lid for closing the exhaust hole 20, 4 is A
a preform made of u-Ge, frit glass 5 serving as an adhesive for bonding the vacuum sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe 7;
2, 6 are preformed metal films of Au plating or the like, 7 is an exhaust pipe provided in the exhaust means, 8 is a heating means such as a nichrome wire for heating the end of the exhaust pipe 7 in contact with the vacuum sealed container 1,
9 is a heating power supply line for supplying electric power to the heating means 8, 10 is an exhaust port for exhausting from the exhaust pipe 7, 31 is a lid heating means for heating the sealing lid 3, and 12 is the sealing lid 3 during exhausting. , A bellows movable vacuum partition that expands and contracts when the exhaust pipe 7 and the sealing lid 3 are moved up and down, and 14 is a terminal for supplying power and the like to the lid heating means 11. A certain current introduction terminal, a power supply line 15 for supplying power to the lid heating means 11,
16 is a lower drive means for appropriately moving the exhaust pipe 7 up and down,
Reference numeral 7 denotes an upper driving means for appropriately moving the exhaust pipe 7 up and down;
8 is a drive guide shaft for supporting the drive means 16 and 17,
Reference numeral 33 denotes a lid pressing means for vertically moving and pressing the sealing lid holding means 12. 24 is a weight.

The same parts as those in FIG. 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

(Exhaust Pipe Attaching Step) Next, an exhaust preparation step will be described with reference to FIG. First, an exhaust hole 20 is previously opened in the exhaust portion of the vacuum sealed container 1 made of flat glass such as soda glass by machining or the like. The exhaust hole 20 has a diameter of 10 mm.

Next, the frit glass 5 is arranged at a position where the exhaust pipe 7 contacts, and the lower drive means 16 is lowered to
The exhaust pipe 7 is lowered, and at this time, power is supplied to the heating means 8 from the heating power supply line 9 to increase the temperature of the contact portion of the exhaust pipe 7 and the temperature of the frit glass 5 of the vacuum sealed container 1 to be joined. Rise and melt to join.

(Evacuation Step) Next, the evacuation step will be described with reference to FIG. The inside of the vacuum sealed container 1 and the inside of the exhaust pipe 7 are evacuated and evacuated by a vacuum exhaust device connected to the exhaust port 10 of the exhaust pipe 7 joined to the vacuum sealed container 1. At this time, unnecessary gas components can be more efficiently removed by heating the vacuum-sealed container 1 itself.
Furthermore, by using an ion pump or a sorption pump as an evacuation device for evacuation, mixing of unnecessary gas components can be further prevented, and a high-vacuum sealed container suitable for a cold cathode electron source requiring a high vacuum is created. it can.

(Sealing Lid Mounting Step) Next, the sealing lid mounting step will be described with reference to FIG. When the inside of the vacuum-sealed container 1 reaches a predetermined vacuum, the sealing is suspended by the lid pressing means 33 corresponding to the exhaust hole 20 of the vacuum-sealed container 1 and held by the sealing lid holding jig 12. The closing lid 3 is moved downward, and the sealing lid 3 is brought into contact with the metal film 6 around the exhaust hole 20.

Next, power is supplied to the lid heating means 31 provided on the sealing lid holding jig 12 from the power supply line 15 to heat the sealing lid 3, and the weight 24 is applied to the lid pressing means 33. The sealing lid 3 is installed and bonded by a eutectic bonding method while applying a load to the sealing lid 3 to be sealed and fixed.

The heating temperature of the sealing lid 3 is 360 ° C. The preform 4 is made of Au—Ge 12% and melted at 356 ° C. with Au of the metal films 2 and 6 to form a eutectic bond.
56 ° C to 450 ° C, preferably 360 ° C to 4 ° C
Heat at 20 ° C. The heating time is 2 seconds to 10 seconds.
It is set to about 0 second, more preferably 5 to 30 seconds. In this embodiment, heating was performed for 5 seconds.

After the heating, it is desirable to cool the sealing lid 3 so as not to move, and the cooling time for the sealing lid 3 not to move is preferably about 2 seconds to 100 seconds, more preferably 5 to 30 seconds. As a cooling method, a method of stopping the power supply of the lid heating means 31 and naturally cooling the raised temperature may be used. In the present embodiment, the power supply is stopped for 10 seconds, and the sealing lid holding jig 12 is kept fixed.

A weight 24 of 350 g was placed on the lid pressing means 33, and a load was applied to the sealing lid 3. This load was 1 mm.
1 to 300 g, preferably 5 to 100 g per ²
g. In the case of this embodiment, from the contact area of the exhaust pipe
Assuming that 1 mm ² = 10 g, a weight of about 350 g was to be placed. Thereafter, the evacuation by the vacuum evacuation device is stopped.

This eutectic bonding basically dislikes an oxidizing atmosphere, but the inside of the exhaust pipe is one of the desirable atmospheres because the inside of the exhaust pipe is vacuum.

In the present invention, Au is used as a preform.
-Ge 12% was used, but without being limited to this, Au
-Sn 20%, Au-Bi 82%, Au-Ga 15.4
%, Au-Sb 25%, etc. can be used, and these alloy preforms can be eutectic bonded in a temperature range of about 240 ° C to 370 ° C.

(Exhaust Pipe Removal Step) The heating means 8 for supplying power from the heating power supply line 9 shown in FIG.
Then, the temperature of the junction between the vacuum sealing container 1 and the lower driving means 16 is increased, and the vacuum sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe 7 are separated. FIG. 12 shows this detached state.

In this manner, the inside of the vacuum vessel 1 shown in FIG. 8 can be taken out in a state where the inside of the vacuum vessel 1 is evacuated and the sealing lid 3 closing the exhaust hole 20 is adhered and fixed to the vacuum sealed vessel 1.

(Adhesion temperature) In the above process, focusing on the adhesion method, first, the vacuum-sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe 7 are bonded with the frit glass 5 at, for example, 430 ° C. or higher, and the vacuum-sealed container 1 is further sealed. The lid 3 is bonded at, for example, 400 ° C., and then the vacuum sealed container 1 and the exhaust pipe 7 are separated at a high temperature of about 430 ° C. In this case, the sealing lid 3 is
In order to prevent the temperature of the bonded portion from becoming high, an appropriate distance is provided between the exhaust pipe 7 and the sealing lid 3 to facilitate the detachment.

The vacuum sealed container 1 is, for example,
It stores a display device that forms an image with an electron-emitting device or an ultraviolet-emitting device.It may be a case where the inside is evacuated to a vacuum state, or a specific gas may be mixed in each case. May be slightly different.

With the present sealing device, the degree of vacuum inside the vacuum sealed container 1 is kept constant for a long time, and the thinness of the display device is achieved by thin and firm sealing means using a sealing lid. You.

FIG. 15 shows the sealing cover 3 of the fourth embodiment.
3 is a schematic diagram of the joint portion, and the upper diagram is an enlarged schematic diagram of only the joint portion, and the lower diagram is an overall view of the joint portion.

[Fifth Embodiment] (Image Display Device) An example of an image display device in which a high vacuum is formed by the above-described vacuum sealed container and sealing lid will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the display panel of the image display device.

In FIG. 13, reference numeral 121 denotes an electron source substrate on which a plurality of electron-emitting devices are arranged; 131, a rear plate on which the electron source substrate 121 is fixed; 136, a phosphor 134 and a metal back 135 formed on the inner surface of a glass substrate 133; This is the finished face plate. Reference numeral 132 denotes a support frame, and a rear plate 131 and a face plate 136 are connected to the support frame 132 using frit glass or the like.

Reference numeral 138 denotes an envelope which is sealed, for example, by firing in air or nitrogen at a temperature range of 400 to 500 ° C. for 10 minutes or more. Then, after forming, activating and stabilizing the electron-emitting device, the vacuum is increased and the sealing lid 3 of the present invention is brought into close contact with the electron-emitting device to form an image forming apparatus. The method of sealing the sealing lid 3 is the same as in the above-described embodiment.

The envelope 138 includes the face plate 13.
6, a support frame 132 and a rear plate 131.
Since the rear plate 131 is provided mainly for the purpose of reinforcing the strength of the substrate 121, if the substrate 121 itself has sufficient strength, the separate rear plate 131 can be unnecessary. That is, the support frame 132 is directly sealed to the substrate 121, and the face plate 136, the support frame 132 and the substrate 1 are sealed.
The envelope 138 may be constituted by 21.

On the other hand, by providing a support (not shown) called a spacer between the face plate 136 and the rear plate 131, an envelope 138 having sufficient strength against atmospheric pressure can be formed.

Reference numeral 124 denotes an electron-emitting portion of a surface conduction type electron-emitting device. Reference numerals 122 and 123 denote X-direction wiring and Y-direction wiring connected to a pair of device electrodes of the surface conduction electron-emitting device. is there.

In the case of monochrome, the phosphor 134 can be composed of only the phosphor. In the case of a color phosphor, the phosphor is composed of a black conductive material called a black stripe or a black matrix depending on the arrangement of the phosphor and the phosphor. The purpose of providing the black stripes and the black matrix is to make the color mixing and the like inconspicuous by making the painted portions between the phosphors of the necessary three primary color phosphors black in the case of color display, An object of the present invention is to suppress a decrease in contrast due to light reflection. As a material for the black stripe, other than a material mainly containing graphite which is usually used,
It is possible to use a material having conductivity and low transmission and reflection of light.

The face plate 136 may be provided with a transparent electrode (not shown) on the outer surface of the phosphor 134 in order to further increase the conductivity of the phosphor 134.

When the enclosure is sealed with the rear plate 131, the face plate 136, and the support frame 132 of the envelope described above,
In the case of color, it is necessary to make each color phosphor correspond to an electron-emitting device, and sufficient alignment is indispensable.

In order to maintain the degree of vacuum after sealing the envelope 138, a getter process may be performed. This is because the getter disposed at a predetermined position (not shown) in the envelope 138 is heated by resistance heating or high-frequency heating immediately before or after the envelope 138 is sealed. , Heating and forming a deposited film.

Here, steps after the forming process of the surface conduction electron-emitting device can be set as appropriate.

The display panel constructed using the electron sources in the simple matrix arrangement is driven by a drive circuit based on the NTSC television signal, so that the image is transmitted from the phosphor 134 side of the envelope 138 to the image display. Can be observed.

The sealing lid 3 is preferably provided on the substrate side or on the side of the support frame 132 so as not to block the image display portion.

[0130]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the sealing means for the container has a flat lid shape, it does not protrude from the container and a flat panel-shaped sealed container is produced. can do. Therefore, when this sealed container is applied to a flat display panel or the like, the panel can be made thin.

Further, since the sealing lid and the container are bonded by eutectic bonding of the metal film surface, a strong bonding that can sufficiently withstand vacuum is obtained.

Further, the bonding method of the present invention has a lower bonding temperature than the conventional bonding using frit glass, so that the amount of gas release is small and the work is easy. That is, during work,
In addition, since the amount of released gas after the operation is small, there is no adverse effect on the elements and the like in the container, there is almost no deterioration, and there is no need to provide a gas shield for shielding the released gas. In particular, when used for a flat display panel or the like, the released gas does not adversely affect the display elements and the like in the panel and does not deteriorate the elements.

Furthermore, since the bonding can be performed in a short time, the productivity is improved. In addition, extra processing for providing a screw hole, a groove, or the like for joining is unnecessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are a partial plan view and a sectional view taken along the line AA ′ showing a sealed portion of a vacuum-sealed container according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a sealing device in an exhaust preparation stage.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a sealing device showing a state where an exhaust pipe is attached to a sealed container.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a sealing device showing a state where a sealing lid is attached to a sealed container.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a sealing device showing a state where an exhaust pipe is removed from a sealed container.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are a partial plan view and a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ', respectively, showing a sealed portion of the vacuum-sealed container according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are a partial plan view and a sectional view taken along the line AA ′ showing a sealed portion of the vacuum-sealed container according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a partial plan view (a) and a sectional view taken along the line AA ′ showing a sealed portion of a vacuum-sealed container according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a sealing device in an exhaust preparation stage.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a sealing device showing a state where an exhaust pipe is attached to a sealed container.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a sealing device showing a state where a sealing lid is attached to a sealed container.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a sealing device showing a state where an exhaust pipe is removed from a sealed container.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display panel of an image display device using the sealed container of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing a joint portion of the sealing lid according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a schematic view showing a joint of a sealing lid according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vacuum sealed container 2 metal film 3 sealing lid 4 preform 5 frit glass 6 metal film 7 exhaust pipe 8 heating means 9 heating power line 10 exhaust port 11 bonding means 12 sealing lid holding jig 13 movable vacuum bulkhead 14 current introduction Terminal 15 Power line 16 Lower drive means 17 Upper drive means 18 Drive guide shaft 20 Exhaust hole 21 Side wall 22 Frit glass 23 Bearing 24 Weight 31 Lid heating means 33 Lid pressurizing means

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H01J 31/12 H01J 31/12 CF term (Reference) 5C012 AA09 BD01 BF08 BF12 TT10 5C032 AA07 BB18 DD01 DD10 5C035 AA20 BB10 EE04 EE08 5C036 AA10 EE14 EE17 EF01 EF06 EF08 EF09 EF14 EG02 EG05 EH11 5C040 FA01 FA02 HA06 JA40 KB04 MA09 MA22 MA23 MA26

Claims (21)

[Claims] 1. A sealed container for a flat panel display device, wherein an exhaust hole of the sealed container is sealed by eutectic bonding of a sealing lid. 2. The sealed container according to claim 1, wherein the flat display device is a device using an electron-emitting device. 3. The sealed container according to claim 1, wherein the flat display device is a plasma display. 4. A method for sealing a sealed container, comprising: attaching an exhaust pipe covering an exhaust hole of the container; exhausting the inside of the container through the exhaust pipe; In the exhaust pipe, a step of eutectic sealing a sealing lid to an exhaust hole of the container and sealing the same, and a step of separating the exhaust pipe and the container and removing the exhaust pipe from the container are provided. A method for sealing a sealed container, comprising: 5. The eutectic bonding, wherein the sealing lid made of a component containing Si and a metal film formed around an exhaust hole of the container are closely bonded to each other. The sealing method of the above-mentioned sealing container. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the metal film is made of Au. 7. The eutectic bonding includes a first metal film formed on the sealing lid and a second metal film formed around an exhaust hole of the container.
5. The method for sealing a sealed container according to claim 4, wherein the sealing is performed by heating, pressurizing, and vibrating to join the metal film. 8. One of the first and second metal films is formed of Au.
The method for sealing a sealed container according to claim 7, wherein the -Si alloy and the other are Au. 9. The eutectic bonding is characterized in that a preform is sandwiched on a metal film formed on one of a sealing lid and an exhaust hole, and is bonded by heating, pressurizing, and vibrating. The method for sealing a sealed container according to claim 4. 10. The sealing lid and the container are made of a component containing Si, and the metal film formed on the one is Au,
The method for sealing a sealed container according to claim 9, wherein the preform is an alloy containing Au or Au-Si. 11. The method for sealing a sealed container according to claim 4, wherein the sealing lid containing Si is made of glass. 12. The step of attaching the exhaust pipe includes heating and fusing the frit glass provided at the attachment joint, and then bonding the solidified frit glass, and removing the exhaust pipe includes heating and melting the frit glass. The method for sealing a sealed container according to any one of claims 4 to 11, wherein the separation is performed after the separation. 13. The sealing of a sealed container according to claim 4, wherein the eutectic bonding is performed by heating at a temperature lower than a separation temperature or a bonding temperature of the exhaust pipe. Method. 14. A method for sealing a sealed container, comprising: attaching an exhaust pipe covering an exhaust hole of the container; exhausting the inside of the container via the exhaust pipe; A step of joining a sealing lid to an exhaust hole of the container in the exhaust pipe to seal the exhaust pipe, and a step of separating the exhaust pipe and the container and removing the exhaust pipe from the container. A method for sealing a sealed container. 15. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first metal film formed on the sealing lid and the second metal film formed around the exhaust hole of the container are brought into close contact with each other via a preform. The method for sealing a sealed container according to claim 14, wherein the bonding is performed by applying pressure. 16. The first and second metal films are made of Au, and the preform is made of Au-Ge, Au-Sn,
The method for sealing a sealed container according to claim 15, wherein the sealing container is an alloy containing any of Au-Bi, Au-Ga, and Au-Sb. 17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the joining is performed by heating at a temperature lower than a separation temperature or a joining temperature of the exhaust pipe. 18. A sealing device used for manufacturing a sealed container, wherein: means for attaching an exhaust pipe covering an exhaust hole of the container; means for exhausting the inside of the container via the exhaust pipe; Means for eutectically joining a sealing lid to an exhaust hole of the container in the exhaust pipe in a closed state, and means for separating the exhaust pipe and the container and removing the exhaust pipe from the container. And a sealing device. 19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the means for attaching the exhaust pipe includes means for heating and melting the frit glass provided at the attachment joint, and means for moving and holding the exhaust pipe. The sealing device as described in the above. 20. The eutectic bonding means for sealing includes means for heating, pressurizing, and vibrating the sealing lid and an exhaust hole in close contact with each other. 19. The sealing device according to 18. 21. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an electron-emitting device and an image-forming member to which electrons emitted from the electron-emitting device are irradiated, inside the sealed container according to claim 1 or 2. .