JP2009053509A - Vacuum laminating device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To temporarily fix a plate-like work with a simple structure, to prevent temperature rise due to generation of heat associated with emission of light of a light emitting diode, and to improve illuminance of a light source for curing seal. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of small-diameter recesses 1b are formed on a surface 1a side of a holding plate 1 along a seal member C, and the light emitting diode as the light source 2 for curing seal is provided in the small-diameter recesses 1b. Thus, the light source 2 for curing seal is integrally incorporated into the holding plate 1. The seal member C is partially cured by emitting light from the light emitting diode of the light source 2 for curing seal toward the seal member C, and both the plate-like works A, B are temporarily fixed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a glass substrate such as CF glass or TFT glass or PES (Poly-Ether-Sulphone) in the manufacturing process of a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display (PDP), and a flexible display. The present invention relates to a vacuum laminating apparatus in which a plate-like workpiece such as a synthetic resin substrate made of a plastic film is detachably held and bonded.
Specifically, two plate-like workpieces, which are detachably held with respect to a pair of opposing holding plates, are aligned in a vacuum chamber, bonded together via a sealing material, and the sealing material is cured. The present invention relates to a vacuum bonding apparatus.

  Conventionally, as a vacuum bonding apparatus of this type, a plurality of light guide tubes are attached to an upper container of a vacuum chamber by a pressure support part, and an insertion hole penetrates the pressure plate in the vacuum chamber vertically. Each light guide tube formed and inserted through this insertion hole is supported by a pressure support portion so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and these light guide tubes are connected to a light source disposed outside the vacuum chamber via an optical fiber. Then, the pressure plate on which the upper substrate is adsorbed is lowered, the table on which the lower substrate is mounted is horizontally moved to align both substrates, and then the pressure plate is lowered, and the upper substrate is used as a sealing material and a liquid crystal material. After that, the light guide tube is lowered by the pressure support portion, and the upper substrate is pressed at the tip of the light guide tube so that the distance between the two substrates becomes a predetermined interval. However, the light generated by the light source is guided through the optical fiber. By irradiating from the tip of the substrate, there is one that partially cures the sealing material between both substrates and temporarily fixes both substrates to suppress positional deviation of the bonded substrate and a decrease in gap accuracy (for example, patents) Reference 1).

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-151325 (page 7-11, FIG. 2-8)

However, in such a conventional vacuum bonding apparatus, each light guide tube connected to the seal curing light source outside the vacuum chamber and the optical fiber is airtight with respect to the upper container of the vacuum chamber. In order to penetrate vertically, there is a problem that the structure of these hermetic holding parts becomes complicated and large, and the manufacturing cost increases.
Further, since the light is guided from the seal curing light source outside the vacuum chamber to the light guide tube that can be moved up and down through the optical fiber, the optical fiber is bent and deformed easily by the vertical movement of the light guide tube. There was also a problem that care was required.

The first invention of the present invention is intended to temporarily fix a plate-like workpiece with a simple structure.
In addition to the object of the first invention, the second invention aims to prevent temperature rise caused by heat generated by light emission of the light emitting diode.
The third invention aims to improve the illuminance of the light source for seal curing in addition to the object of the first invention or the second invention.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a first invention of the present invention is a light emitting diode in which a plurality of small-diameter recesses are formed along a sealing material on the surface side of a holding plate, and a light source for seal curing is formed in these small-diameter recesses Is provided.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a structure is provided in which the pedestal plate of the holding plate and the light emitting diode of the seal curing light source are provided in contact with each other so as to be able to conduct heat.
In a third aspect of the present invention, a configuration in which the inner surface of the small-diameter concave portion disposed around the light emitting portion of the light emitting diode of the seal curing light source is formed in a mirror shape to the configuration of the first invention or the second invention. It is characterized by that.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of small-diameter recesses are formed along the sealing material on the surface side of the holding plate, and a light-emitting diode is provided as a light source for curing the seal in the small-diameter recesses. A curing light source is integrally incorporated, and the sealing material is partially cured by temporarily irradiating the sealing material from the light emitting diodes of the seal curing light source, whereby both plate-like workpieces are temporarily fixed.
Therefore, the plate-like workpiece can be temporarily fixed with a simple structure.
As a result, the airtight holding part is compared with the conventional one that penetrates the light guide tube connected to the seal hardening light source outside the vacuum chamber with an optical fiber in an airtight manner and vertically movable through the upper container of the vacuum chamber. Can be greatly reduced, and the light source for sealing and curing is downsized by the light-emitting diode, so that the opening area of the small-diameter recess in which they are arranged can be extremely small.
Thereby, since the hole diameter of the small-diameter concave portion is smaller than the thickness dimension of the plate-like workpiece, the plate-like workpiece can be pressed in a state closer to a smooth surface by the surface of the holding plate. Even if the substrate is not pressed at the tip of the light guide tube so that the distance is the predetermined distance, the partial gap reduction of the two plate-like workpieces can be suppressed, and the light guide unit does not need to be moved up and down. Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
Furthermore, it is no longer necessary to pay attention to the cutting and handling of the optical fiber as compared with the conventional light guiding tube that is guided from the light source for curing the seal outside the vacuum chamber to the light guide tube that can move up and down through the optical fiber. And maintenance inspection becomes easy.
Further, since the light emitting diode is used as the light source for curing the seal, it is possible to save power and secure long-term stability.

In addition to the effect of the first invention, the second invention provides the base plate of the holding plate and the light emitting diode of the light source for curing the seal in contact with each other so as to allow heat conduction, so that the base plate of the holding plate emits light. It is used as a heat absorbing / dissipating material (heat sink) for diodes.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent a temperature rise due to heat generated by light emission of the light emitting diode.
As a result, the light emitting diode of the seal curing light source can be used stably over a long period of time, and there is no possibility of adverse effects due to heat generation on the plate workpiece to be bonded.

In addition to the effects of the first invention or the second invention, the third invention forms the inner surface of the small-diameter concave portion arranged around the light emitting portion of the light emitting diode of the seal curing light source in a mirror shape, Diffused light from the light emitting portion of the light emitting diode is reflected by the mirror-like inner surface of the small-diameter concave portion and guided toward the sealing material.
Therefore, the illuminance of the seal curing light source can be improved.
As a result, even if it is a small light emitting diode, the illuminance necessary to cure the sealing material can be obtained, and the light emitting diode can be further downsized.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a vacuum bonding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention uses a glass substrate used for a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display (PDP) or a flexible display panel as a plate-like work A or B. They are each detachably held and bonded by a work holding means such as suction, adhesion, vacuum suction, or a combination thereof.

  The vacuum bonding apparatus includes a pair of upper and lower holding plates 1 formed of a platen having a thickness that does not bend and deform with a rigid body such as metal or ceramics in a chamber S that is a closed space that can be opened and closed. , 1 are disposed, and the two substrates A and B are detachably held on the substantially smooth surfaces 1a and 1a facing the parallel surfaces of the upper and lower holding plates 1 and 1, respectively. After reaching a predetermined degree of vacuum, the substrates A and B are sequentially aligned and superposed in the XYθ direction (horizontal direction), and the substrates A and B are crushed to a predetermined gap and bonded together. The process is complete.

More specifically, workpiece holding means made of, for example, an electrostatic chuck, a suction chuck, an adhesive chuck, or a combination thereof is provided on the surfaces 1a and 1a of the upper and lower holding plates 1 and 1, and these workpiece holding means can A plurality of substrates A and B are held in contact with the surfaces 1a and 1a, respectively.
In this work holding state, either one or both of the upper and lower holding plates 1 and 1 are relatively adjusted and moved in the XYθ direction by a driving means (not shown) to roughly and finely align the substrates A and B. Are performed sequentially.

  Thereafter, as an example of a method for overlapping the substrates A and B described above and a method for forming a gap between them, the upper substrate A is forcibly separated from the upper holding plate 1 and applied onto the lower substrate B. The liquid crystal is sealed and superimposed between the two by instantaneously press-bonding to the sealing material C, and then the atmosphere in the chamber S is returned to atmospheric pressure, whereby both the sealed substrates A and B are sealed. The pressure difference between the substrates A and B is pressurized to a predetermined gap by a pressure difference generated inside and outside the substrate.

  As another example of the gap forming method, by moving one or both of the upper and lower holding plates 1 and 1 relatively close to each other in the Z direction (vertical direction) while the substrates A and B are held. The liquid crystal is sealed with an annular sealing material C between the two, and then overlapped, and then moved further closer and pressed to form a predetermined gap between the sealed substrates A and B. It is also possible to press up to the point.

  Thereafter, after such a bonding process of both substrates A and B is completed, the direction in which either one or both of the upper and lower holding plates 1 and 1 are relatively separated in the Z direction by lifting means (not shown). Then, the substrates A and B are peeled off from either one of the surfaces 1a and 1a so that they can be carried out of the chamber S.

  And in embodiment of the vacuum bonding apparatus of this invention, arrangement | positioning of the sealing material C by which several small diameter recessed part 1b was cyclically apply | coated to either one or both of the surface side of the upper-and-lower holding plates 1 and 1 mentioned above. Light emitting diodes are respectively provided as light sources 2 that are formed at appropriate intervals along the position so as to face the position, and that harden the sealing material C in the small-diameter recesses 1b.

  The light emitting diode of each seal curing light source 2 is made of, for example, an ultraviolet light emitting LED element. As a specific example of this LED element, a cover lens 2b is fixed to the surface of the light emitting part 2a as necessary, and the light emitting part. The lead wire 2c from 2a passes through the partition wall W partitioning the inside and outside of the chamber S in an airtight manner and communicates with the LED driving power source 2d, and electricity is supplied from the LED driving power source 2d to the light emitting unit 2a in the chamber S.

Further, the inner surface of the small-diameter recess 1b disposed around the light emitting portion 2a of each light emitting diode is formed in a mirror shape, and the diffused light from the light emitting portion 2a is reflected by the mirror inner surface to the sealing material C. It is preferable that the light is directed toward.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, only the upper holding plate 1 is supported by the elevating means so as to reciprocate in the Z direction, and only the lower holding plate 1 is supported by the driving means so as to be movable in the XYθ direction. A plurality of small-diameter recesses 1b are formed only on the surface side of the lower holding plate 1 and light emitting diodes of the seal curing light source 2 are respectively provided, and a seal curing light beam such as ultraviolet rays is emitted from the light emitting portion 2a of these light emitting diodes. The case where the sealing material C is partially cured by irradiating the sealing material C between the bonded substrates A and B and the substrates A and B are temporarily fixed is shown.

  In the illustrated example, at least the surface 1a of the lower holding plate 1 is formed into a film with an elastically deformable insulating organic material such as polyimide, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) as the work holding means. Each formed electrostatic chuck is provided, and each small-diameter recess 1b is formed over the film-like electrostatic chuck 1a and a pedestal plate 1c provided along the entire back surface thereof. The light-emitting diode of the seal curing light source 2 is disposed at a depth position where it does not come into contact even if it is compressed and deformed (position away from the surface 1a by about 200 μm or more).

  The pedestal plate 1c is formed of a metal such as aluminum or other conductive material, for example, and the through hole 3 is opened across the pedestal plate 1c and the film-like electrostatic chuck 1a, and sealed from the back side opening. It is preferable to insert the curing light source unit 4 and assemble them together.

  The seal curing light source unit 4 includes an attachment portion 4a for disposing the light emitting diode of the seal curing light source 2, a reflection portion 4b disposed around the light emitting portion 2a and the cover lens 2b of the light emitting diode, The mounting portion 4a and the reflecting portion 4b include a positioning portion 4c for arranging the mounting portion 4a and the reflecting portion 4b at appropriate positions in the through hole 3. Are integrally formed.

The light emitting diode mounting portion 4a is preferably provided in contact with the pedestal plate 1c so as to be able to conduct heat, and the reflecting portion 4b is a cylindrical body whose inside is formed into a mirror surface by, for example, electrolytic polishing. Is preferred.
Further, as a preferable example of the positioning portion 4c, as shown in the figure, a step portion 1d that is formed to have a larger diameter than the other attachment portions 4a and the reflection portion 4b and fits to the large diameter portion is formed on the pedestal plate 1c. The light-emitting diode is formed by inserting the seal curing light source unit 4 from the opening on the back surface side of the through hole 3 and fitting the large-diameter portion of the positioning portion 4c with the step portion 1d of the base plate 1c. The part 2a and the cover lens 2b are arranged at predetermined positions in the small-diameter recess 1b.

Next, the effect of such a vacuum bonding apparatus will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper holding plate is held while holding the upper and lower substrates A and B with film-like electrostatic chucks on the surfaces 1a and 1a of the upper and lower holding plates 1 and 1 in a vacuum state in the chamber S. The lower holding plate 1 is adjusted and moved in the XYθ direction while lowering 1 in the Z direction by the elevating means, and the alignment and superposition of the substrates A and B are sequentially performed. The bonding process is performed by crushing the gap.

After this bonding process is completed, the LED driving power source 2d outside the chamber S is energized to the light emitting diodes respectively housed in the small-diameter recesses 1b of the lower holding plate 1, thereby causing the light emitting portions 2a of these light emitting diodes to A seal curing light beam is irradiated toward the sealing material C between the substrates A and B, respectively.
Thereby, a part of this annular sealing material C is partially cured, and both the substrates A and B are temporarily fixed.

  At this time, the mounting portions 4a of the respective light emitting diodes are provided in contact with the pedestal plate 1c made of a conductive material of the lower holding plate 1 so as to be able to conduct heat. Is used as a heat absorbing / dissipating material (heat sink), and the temperature rise of the light emitting diode which is the light source 2 for curing the seal is prevented.

  Further, if the inner surface of the reflecting portion 4b disposed around the light emitting portion 2a and the cover lens 2b of the light emitting diode is formed in a mirror shape, the diffused light from the light emitting portion 2a of the light emitting diode is reflected on the inner surface of the reflecting portion 4b. Since the light is reflected and guided toward the sealing material C, the illuminance of the seal curing light source 2 is improved, and the seal curing light source unit 4 can be downsized.

Further, when the substrates A and B are overlapped with each other, the upper holding plate 1 is reciprocated in the Z direction by the lifting means, and when the substrates A and B are aligned with each other, the lower holding plate 1 is adjusted and moved in the XYθ direction. Since the amount of adjustment movement at the time of alignment is much smaller than the amount of reciprocation at the time of superposition, it is preferable that the light emitting diode of the seal curing light source 2 is provided only on the lower holding plate 1.
This makes it difficult for the lead wire 2c connected to the LED drive power source 2d to be subjected to movement, and the structure of the hermetic holding portion for the partition wall W partitioning the inside and outside of the vacuum chamber S can be simplified accordingly.

In addition, the vacuum bonding apparatus of the present invention is a glass substrate used for a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, or a flexible display panel as the plate-like workpieces A and B, such as electrostatic adsorption, adhesion, vacuum adsorption, or a combination thereof. Although the case where the workpiece holding means is detachably held and bonded is shown, the present invention is not limited to this, and the plate-like workpieces A and B may be synthetic resin substrates made of a plastic film such as PES, for example. .
Even in this case, the same effects as the above-described vacuum bonding method and vacuum bonding apparatus can be obtained.

Furthermore, in the previous embodiment, a plurality of small-diameter recesses 1b are formed only on the surface side of the lower holding plate 1 that adjusts and moves in the XYθ direction when the two substrates A and B are aligned, and the light emitting diode of the seal curing light source 2 is formed. Although the case where each is internally mounted and temporarily fixed by irradiating from the light emitting portion 2a of these light emitting diodes to the sealing material C between the substrates A and B is shown, the upper holding plate 1 is not limited to this but is not shown. Alternatively, a plurality of small-diameter recesses 1b may be formed on the surface of the substrate, and the light emitting diodes of the seal curing light source 2 may be respectively provided to cure the sealing material C between the substrates A and B.
Moreover, although the case of temporary fixing was shown in the present Example, you may use other than temporary fixing of both board | substrates A and B. FIG.

It is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows one Example of the vacuum bonding apparatus of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

A Plate workpiece (upper substrate) B Plate workpiece (lower substrate)
C sealing material S chamber 1 holding plate (upper holding plate, lower holding plate) 1a surface 1b small diameter recess 1c pedestal plate 2 seal curing light source 2a light emitting part

Claims (3)

Two plate-like workpieces (A, B) held by a pair of opposing holding plates (1) are aligned in a vacuum chamber (S), and bonded together via a sealing material (C). In a vacuum bonding apparatus for curing the sealing material (C),
A plurality of small-diameter recesses (1b) are formed along the sealing material (C) on the surface (1a) side of the holding plate (1), and light-emitting diodes are used as seal hardening light sources (2) in these small-diameter recesses (1b). A vacuum bonding apparatus characterized by comprising: The vacuum bonding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base plate (1c) of the holding plate (1) and the light emitting diode of the seal curing light source (2) are provided in contact with each other so as to be capable of conducting heat. The vacuum bonding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an inner surface of the small-diameter concave portion (1b) disposed around the light emitting portion (2a) of the light emitting diode of the seal curing light source (2) is formed in a mirror shape.

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