JP2009226698A - Method for manufacturing stamper roller and stamper roller manufactured by the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive method for manufacturing a stamper roller capable of manufacturing an emboss sheet where a regular fine uneven pattern is formed on the surface with high quality, high productivity and without defect, and the stamper roller manufactured with the method. <P>SOLUTION: The method for manufacturing the stamper roller 36 by providing a stamper 26d on the surface of a roller is equipped with an electroforming foil manufacturing step of providing an electroforming foil 26a on the surface of a substrate 20 having an uneven shape formed by an original plate roller 13 by an electroforming method, a peeling step of peeling an electroforming foil 26a from the surface of the substrate 20 to make into a peeling sheet 26b, and a cylinder joining step of using a suction roller 30 as a roller and sucking fixing a cut peeling sheet 26c made by laser cutting the peeling sheet the peeling sheet 26b into a desired size, abutting the cross section of the cutting peeling sheet 26c, and laser welding the butted place into a cylindrical shape. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a stamper roller manufacturing method and a stamper roller manufactured by the method, and in particular, an electroformed foil is provided by electroforming on an uneven shape of a substrate surface, and the electroformed foil is removed from the substrate. The present invention relates to a stamper roller manufacturing method in which a peeled release sheet is provided on a roller surface and a stamper roller manufactured by the method.

  In recent years, embossed sheets have been used for electronic displays such as liquid crystals. In addition, flat lenses such as lenticular lenses and fly-eye lenses, embossed sheets such as light diffusion sheets, brightness enhancement sheets, optical waveguide sheets, and prism sheets are widely used as optical applications. As such an embossed sheet, a sheet having a regular fine uneven pattern formed on the surface is known. Various methods are known as a method for forming such a regular fine uneven pattern.

  Among various methods, for example, a resin is applied to the surface of a stamper roller having a regular uneven pattern formed on the surface by an application means, and a continuously running sheet is sandwiched between a stamper roller and a nip roller. In a state where the resin is in contact with the sheet, generally, the resin is irradiated with ionizing radiation and cured, and then the sheet is peeled off from a stamper roller to obtain an embossed sheet on which a fine uneven pattern is formed.

  However, when manufacturing this stamper roller, there is a method of cutting the surface of the roller with a diamond bite. However, in micron-order pattern formation, extremely high precision processing is required and processing time is enormous. Processing costs are also expensive. And because the stamper roller is consumed due to mass production, it is necessary to prepare a spare stamper roller, and if the stamper roller surface is damaged due to troubles during the manufacture of the embossed sheet, the stamper roller is almost corrected. This is not possible, and the cost required for this roller is extremely increased.

  Therefore, it has been proposed to obtain a stamper roller by sticking a stamper on which a fine uneven pattern is formed to a cylinder (element tube roller) (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). By manufacturing the stamper roller in this way, the stamper roller can be obtained in a short time and at a low cost.

In addition, as a method of manufacturing the stamper roller, the stamper roller is manufactured in the process shown in FIG. In the stamper roller manufacturing method shown in FIG. 4, first, a mold sheet 1 formed from an original plate roller provided with a desired concavo-convex pattern shape on an acrylic plate with a double-sided adhesive sheet 2 so that the concavo-convex pattern shape is on the surface. Fix to 3. Then, the electroformed foil 4 is provided on the surface by electroforming, and is peeled off. The peeled electroformed foil 4 is cut so that the vertical width is substantially the circumference of the blank tube roller 5 and the horizontal width is equal to or less than the width of the blank tube roller 5, and the cross section (upper and lower end portions) of the electroformed foil 4 is abutted. The butted portion is welded with a laser 6 or the like and joined in a cylindrical shape. Then, the electroformed foil 4 formed in a cylindrical shape is fitted into the raw tube roller 5 and becomes a stamper roller as a whole.
JP-A-8-161775 JP 2006-164877 A

  However, in the stamper roller manufactured by the method shown in FIG. 4, there is a problem that the embossed sheet cannot be manufactured with high accuracy because a float occurs between the electroformed foil having the concavo-convex pattern and the blank tube roller. was there.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and can produce an embossed sheet having a regular fine unevenness pattern formed on its surface with high quality without any defects, and can be manufactured with high productivity and low cost. It is an object of the present invention to provide a roller manufacturing method and a stamper roller manufactured by the method.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is a stamper roller manufacturing method for manufacturing a stamper roller by providing a stamper on the roller surface, on the surface of the substrate on which the concavo-convex shape is formed by the original plate roller. An electroformed foil manufacturing process in which an electroformed foil is provided by electroforming, a peeling process in which the electroformed foil is peeled from the surface of the base material to form a release sheet, a suction roller is used as the roller, and the release sheet And a cylindrical joining step in which the cut and release sheet laser-cut into a desired size is suction fixed to the suction roller, the cross section of the cut and peel sheet is butted, and the butted portion is laser welded and joined into a cylindrical shape. It is characterized by providing.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the cut release sheet obtained by laser cutting the release sheet, which reproduces the concave / convex pattern shape of the original roller, in accordance with the size of the suction roller, is fixed by suction with the suction roller, and the cross section of the cut release sheet By using a stamper roller that is obtained by laser welding the butt portions and joining them together in a cylindrical shape, there is no occurrence of floating. That is, by restraining the cut and release sheet by suction of the suction roller, distortion and deformation due to welding can be prevented. Therefore, the embossed sheet can be manufactured with high quality without any defects, and a low-cost stamper roller can be provided with high productivity.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the desired size is between the cut and release sheet cross sections in which the cut and release sheet cross sections do not completely match each other at the butting of the cut and release sheet cross sections. The size is such that a gap is formed.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is easy to weld by setting the size so that there is a gap between the cut and release sheet sections so that the cut and release sheet sections do not completely meet each other on the suction roller by the butting of the cut and release sheet sections. It can be performed. That is, when the cut and release sheet sections completely face each other, it is difficult to perform the first spot temporary fixing welding. Therefore, the embossed sheet can be manufactured with high quality without any defects by having a size that allows the gap between the cut and peeled sheet cross sections to be completely abutted with each other by matching the cut and peeled sheet cross sections. .

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, in the suction roller, the number of holes per unit area in the vicinity of the butting position where the cross section of the cut and peeled sheet is butted is a unit other than in the vicinity of the butting position. More than the number of holes per area.

  According to the third aspect, by increasing the number of holes in the vicinity of the abutting portion of the suction roller, it is possible to suppress the end of the release sheet that is likely to be lifted. Therefore, since the cylindrical cut-release sheet can be produced with high accuracy, the embossed sheet can be manufactured with high accuracy without causing floating.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first to third aspects of the present invention, the entire circumference of the four sides of the cylindrical cut-release sheet is laser welded to the suction roller.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the cylindrical cutting / peeling sheet is formed through the holes of the suction roller by laser welding the entire circumference of the four sides of the cylindrical cutting / peeling sheet with the suction roller, even if the liquid flows inside the suction roller. Since liquid does not leak from both ends (upper and lower sides of the cylinder), the stamper roller can be controlled to a constant temperature such as cooling or warming. Therefore, the embossed sheet can be manufactured with higher accuracy.

  A fifth aspect of the present invention is a stamper roller manufactured by the manufacturing method according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

  The stamper roller manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention has high productivity and low cost, and can produce an embossed sheet having a regular fine unevenness pattern formed on the surface with high quality without any defects.

  As described above, an embossed sheet having a regular fine unevenness pattern formed on the surface can be manufactured with high quality without defects, and it is manufactured by a low-cost stamper roller manufacturing method with high productivity and the manufacturing method thereof. Stamper rollers can be provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  First, the manufacturing method of the base material which provided the uneven | corrugated shape on the surface is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a resinous belt-like replica manufacturing apparatus 10 that manufactures a resinous belt-like replica provided with a concavo-convex pattern using an original roller. The apparatus 10 for producing a belt-like replica made of resin includes a belt-like flexible support supply means 11, an application means 12, an original plate roller 13, a nip roller 14, a resin curing means 15, a peeling roller 16, and a protection. The film supply means 17 and the belt-like replica take-up means 18 made of resin are configured.

  The original roller 13 is required to have an uneven pattern accuracy, mechanical strength, roundness, etc. that can transfer and form unevenness on the surface of the belt-like flexible support W. Such an original plate roller 13 is preferably a metal roller.

  A regular fine uneven pattern is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the original roller 13. In the present invention, such a regular fine concavo-convex pattern is required to have the same shape as the fine concavo-convex pattern on the surface of the concavo-convex sheet as a product.

  As the concavo-convex sheet as a product, for example, a lenticular lens in which fine concavo-convex patterns are arranged two-dimensionally, or a fine cone such as a fly-eye lens, cone, pyramid, etc., in which fine concavo-convex patterns are arranged three-dimensionally. A flat lens or the like laid in the direction is a target, and the regular fine uneven pattern on the outer peripheral surface of the original roller 13 corresponds to this.

  As a method of forming a regular fine uneven pattern on the outer peripheral surface of the original roller 13, a method of cutting the surface of the original roller 13 with a diamond bit (single point), photoetching, electron beam drawing on the surface of the original roller 13, The method of forming irregularities directly by laser processing etc. can be adopted, and irregularities are formed on the surface of thin metal plate by photo etching, electron beam drawing, laser processing, stereolithography, etc. Can be wound around and fixed to the original roller 13.

  In addition, unevenness is formed on the surface of materials that are easier to process than metal by photoetching, electron beam drawing, laser processing, stereolithography, etc., and this shape is formed by electroforming etc. to create a thin metal plate In addition, a method in which the plate-like body is wound around and fixed to the periphery of the roller to form the original roller 13 can also be employed.

  The master roller 13 manufactured in this manner is provided in the resin band-shaped replica manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in FIG.

  The strip-shaped flexible support supply means 11 feeds the strip-shaped flexible support W, and includes a feed roll on which the sheet W is wound.

  The coating means 12 is a device that applies a radiation curable resin liquid to the surface of the belt-like flexible support W, a liquid supply source 12A that supplies the radiation curable resin liquid, a liquid supply device (liquid feed pump) 12B, The coating head 12C includes a support roller 12D that wraps and supports the belt-like flexible support W during coating, and a pipe for supplying a radiation curable resin liquid from the liquid supply source 12A to the coating head 12C. The As the coating head 12C, a coating head of a die coater (extrusion type coater) is employed.

  As the drying means 19, various known systems can be adopted as long as the coating liquid applied to the sheet W can be uniformly dried, such as a tunnel-shaped drying apparatus shown in FIG. 1. . For example, a radiant heating method using a heater, a hot air circulation method, a far infrared method, a vacuum method, or the like can be employed.

  It is preferable to perform a mold release process on the surface of the original roller 13. In this way, by performing the mold release process on the surface of the original roller 13, the shape of the fine uneven pattern can be maintained satisfactorily. As the mold release treatment, various known methods such as coating treatment with a fluorine resin or a silicone resin can be employed. In particular, it is also effective to form a thin film on the pattern forming surface by vapor deposition or sputtering treatment with a fluorine compound or a silicone compound. The master roller 13 is preferably provided with driving means. The original roller 13 rotates counterclockwise (CCW) as shown by the arrow in the figure.

  The nip roller 14 forms a roller while pressing the sheet W while being paired with the original roller 13, and is required to have predetermined mechanical strength, roundness, and the like. The longitudinal elastic modulus (Young's modulus) on the surface of the nip roller 14 is set to an appropriate value because roller molding is insufficient when it is too small, and when it is too large, it reacts sensitively to the inclusion of foreign substances such as dust and tends to cause defects. It is preferable. The nip roller 14 is preferably provided with driving means. The nip roller 14 rotates in the clockwise direction (CW) as shown in the figure.

  In order to apply a predetermined pressing force between the original roller 13 and the nip roller 14, it is preferable to provide a pressurizing means on either the original roller 13 or the nip roller 14. Similarly, it is preferable to provide fine adjustment means on either the original roller 13 or the nip roller 14 so that the gap (clearance) between the original roller 13 and the nip roller 14 can be accurately controlled.

  The resin curing means 15 is a radiation irradiating device provided opposite to the original roller 13 on the downstream side of the nip roller 14. This resin curing means 15 transmits the sheet W through radiation irradiation and cures the resin liquid layer. The resin curing means 15 can irradiate radiation (light) having a wavelength corresponding to the curing characteristics of the resin. It is preferable that an amount of radiation corresponding to the transport speed can be irradiated. As the resin curing means 15, for example, a columnar radiation lamp having substantially the same length as the width of the belt-like flexible support W can be adopted. Further, a plurality of columnar radiation lamps can be provided in parallel, and a reflector can be provided on the back surface of the radiation lamp.

  Further, the light shielding member 15A is provided so that the radiation emitted from the resin curing means 15 is not irradiated onto the coating layer before the unevenness on the surface of the original roller 13 is transferred and formed on the surface of the belt-like flexible support W. It is preferable.

  The peeling roller 16 is paired with the original roller 13 and separates the strip-like flexible support W from the original roller 13, and is required to have predetermined mechanical strength, roundness, and the like. The strip-shaped flexible support W is separated from the master roller 13 while the strip-shaped flexible support W wound around the peripheral surface of the master roller 13 is sandwiched between the rotating master roller 13 and the stripping roller 16 at the peeling site. It peels and it winds around the peeling roller 16. In order to ensure this operation, the peeling roller 16 is preferably provided with a driving means. The peeling roller 16 rotates in the clockwise direction (CW) as shown in the figure.

  In addition, when the temperature of resin etc. rises by hardening, the structure which provides a cooling means to the peeling roller 16 can also be employ | adopted in order to cool the strip | belt-shaped flexible support body W at the time of peeling, and to ensure peeling.

  Although not shown in the figure, a plurality of backup rollers are provided to face each other between the pressing position (3 o'clock position) of the original roller 13 and the peeling position (9 o'clock position). A configuration in which the curing process is performed while pressing the belt-like flexible support W with the roller 13 can also be adopted.

  The belt-shaped replica take-up means 18 made of resin accommodates the strip-shaped flexible support (resin-made strip-shaped replica) W after being peeled off, and the strip-shaped flexible support (resin-made strip-shaped replica). It is comprised from the winding roll etc. which wind W up. In this sheet winding means 18, the protective film H supplied from the protective film supply means 17 provided adjacent to the sheet winding means 18 is supplied to the surface of the belt-like flexible support (resin-made belt-like replica) W. In an overlapped state, it is stored in the belt-shaped replica take-up means 18 made of resin.

  Next, the stamper roller of the present invention is produced using the produced resinous belt-like replica (hereinafter referred to as the base material 20).

  FIG. 2 is a process diagram showing an example of a stamper roller manufacturing method according to the present invention.

  First, it fixes to the acrylic board 24 with the double-sided adhesive sheet 22 to the resinous strip | belt shaped replicas (base material 20) cut to appropriate length (FIG. 2 (a)). An electroformed foil 26a is provided by electroforming on the irregular surface of the fixed substrate 20 surface, and the electroformed foil 26a is peeled off from the substrate 20 (FIG. 2B). The release sheet 26b from which the electroformed foil 26a has been peeled from the substrate 20 is laser-cut to a desired size by a laser 28 (FIG. 2 (c)). The cut / separated sheet 26c laser-cut to a desired size is sucked and fixed by the suction roller 30 and the cross section of the cut / release sheet 26c is butted and welded with a laser 32 to be joined in a cylindrical shape (FIG. 2). (D)). Thus, the stamper roller 36 of the present invention is completed.

  Here, the acrylic plate 24 is not limited to the acrylic plate but may be other as long as the flatness of the base material 20 can be maintained when the electroformed foil 26a is provided by electroforming. When fixing the board | substrate 20 with an acrylic board, it is preferable that the thickness of an acrylic board is 3 mm or more. The thickness of the electroformed foil 26a provided by the electroforming method is preferably 280 μm or more, and by setting the thickness to 280 μm or more, the waist of the electroformed foil 26a comes out and is easily peeled off from the substrate 20.

  As described above, the cut and peeled sheet 26c obtained by laser cutting the release sheet 26b reproducing the uneven pattern shape of the original roller 13 in accordance with the size of the suction roller 30 is suction-fixed to the suction roller 30 and the cross section of the cut and peeled sheet 26c is shown. Since the butted portions and the butted portions are laser-welded and joined in a cylindrical shape, there is no occurrence of floating. Therefore, the embossed sheet can be manufactured with high quality without any defects, and the low-cost stamper roller 36 can be provided with high productivity.

  FIG. 3 shows a suction roller 30 according to the present invention. 3 (a) is a front view of the suction roller 30, FIG. 3 (b) is a cross-sectional view of the suction roller 30, and FIG. 3 (c) is an enlarged view of an abutting portion 40 of the cut and peeled sheet cross section at the suction roller 30. It is.

  When the release sheet 26b peeled from the substrate 20 is laser-cut, the cut release sheet cross sections do not completely meet each other at the abutting portion 40 of the cut release sheet cross section so that there is a gap between the cut release sheet cross sections. To do. Welding can be easily performed by setting the size so that there is a gap between the cut and release sheet cross sections so that the cut and release sheet cross sections do not completely abut each other on the suction roller. That is, when the cut and release sheet sections completely face each other, it is difficult to perform the first spot temporary fixing welding. Therefore, the embossed sheet can be manufactured with high quality without any defects by having a size that allows the gap between the cut and peeled sheet cross sections to be completely abutted with each other by matching the cut and peeled sheet cross sections. . The gap between the cut and peeled sheet cross sections is preferably in the range of 2 mm to 3 mm.

  In addition, the number of holes 31 per unit area in the vicinity of the butting location 40 of the suction roller 30 is preferably larger than the number of holes in a unit area other than the vicinity of the butting location 40. By increasing the number of holes in the vicinity of the abutting portion of the suction roller 30, it is possible to suppress the end of the release sheet that is easily lifted from rising. Therefore, since a cylindrical cut-release sheet can be produced with high accuracy, there is no occurrence of floating, and an embossed sheet can be manufactured with high accuracy by using this stamper roller 36.

  In the present invention, both end circumferences 27 and 27 of the cylindrical cut / release sheet 26d are also laser-welded to the suction roller 30 (all four sides of the cylindrical cut / release sheet 26d) to achieve performance as a cooling roller. They can be combined (see FIG. 2 (e)). In other words, the circumferential ends 27 and 27 of the cylindrical cut and release sheet 26d are laser-welded to the suction roller 30 so that even if a liquid flows through the suction roller, the cylindrical cut and release sheet 26d is cylindrical through the hole 31 of the suction roller 30. Since the liquid does not leak from both ends (upper and lower sides of the cylinder) of the cut and peel sheet, the stamper roller 36 can be controlled to a constant temperature such as cooling or warming. Therefore, the embossed sheet can be manufactured with higher accuracy.

  As described above, it is possible to provide a highly accurate stamper roller 36 even if the expensive original plate roller 13 is not consumed and the surface of the stamper roller 36 is damaged due to troubles during manufacture. Can do. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture an embossed sheet with high quality without defects and with good productivity and at low cost. The stamper roller 36 manufactured in this way can be manufactured at a cost of 1/10 or less as compared with the stamper roller 36 used as the embossing roller for the original roller 13. In addition, the stamper roller 36 of the present invention can be manufactured in a period of 1/5 or less as compared with the original roller 13 in terms of construction period.

  Furthermore, the present invention is particularly effective when the pitch of the uneven pattern shape of the embossed sheet to be manufactured is 100 μm or less. The reason why the original roller having a pitch of 100 μm or less is manufactured is that the manufacturing cost is significantly higher than that of the original roller having a pitch larger than 100 μm.

  Next, each material applied to the present invention will be described. As the belt-like flexible support W, a resin film, paper (resin-coated paper, synthetic paper, etc.), metal foil (aluminum web, etc.) and the like can be used. As the material of the resin fill, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyester, polyolefin, acrylic, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyamide, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate, Known materials such as polyethylene naphthalate, polyamideimide, polyimide, aromatic polyamide, cellulose acylate, cellulose triacetate, cellulose acetate propionate, and cellulose diacetate can be used. Of these, polyester, cellulose acylate, acrylic, polycarbonate, and polyolefin can be preferably used.

  Resins that can be used in the present invention include a reactive group-containing compound such as a (meth) acryloyl group, a vinyl group, or an epoxy group, and a radical or cation that can react with the reactive group-containing compound by irradiation with ultraviolet rays or the like. Those containing compounds that generate active species can be used.

  Further, as necessary, various additives such as antioxidants, ultraviolet absorbers, light stabilizers, silane coupling agents, coating surface improvers, thermal polymerization inhibitors, leveling agents, surfactants, colorants, storage Stabilizers, plasticizers, lubricants, solvents, fillers, anti-aging agents, wettability improvers, mold release agents, and the like can be blended as necessary.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of the manufacturing method of the stamper roller which concerns on this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the example of the said embodiment, Various aspects can be taken.

The figure which shows the structure of the manufacturing apparatus of the base material (concavo-convex sheet) concerning the present invention. The figure which shows the structure of the manufacturing method of the stamper roller of this invention The figure which shows the suction roller which concerns on this invention Conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a conventional stamper roller manufacturing method

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Manufacturing apparatus of resinous belt-shaped replicas, 11 ... Strip | belt-shaped flexible support supply means, 12 ... Coating | coated means, 13 ... Original plate roller, 14 ... Nip roller, 15 ... Resin hardening means (radiation irradiation apparatus), 15A ... Light shielding member, 16 ... peeling roller, 17 ... protective film supply means, 18 ... resin-made belt-like replica winding means, 20 ... base material, 22 ... double-sided adhesive sheet, 24 ... acrylic plate, 26a ... electroformed foil, 26b ... Release sheet, 26c ... Cut and release sheet, 26d ... Cylindrical cut and release sheet (stamper), 27 ... Circumference of end, 28 ... Laser, 30 ... Suction roller, 31 ... Hole, 32 ... Laser, 36 ... Stamper roller , 40 ... matching point

Claims (5)

A stamper roller manufacturing method for manufacturing a stamper roller by providing a stamper on the roller surface,
An electroformed foil manufacturing process in which an electroformed foil is provided by electroforming on a substrate surface on which an uneven shape is formed by an original roller;
A peeling step in which the electroformed foil is peeled from the surface of the base material to form a release sheet;
A suction roller is used as the roller, a cut release sheet obtained by laser cutting the release sheet to a desired size is fixed to the suction roller by suction, the cross section of the cut release sheet is butted, and the butted portion is laser welded. And a cylindrical joining step for joining them into a cylindrical shape.   The said desired size is a size in which a gap is formed between the cut and peeled sheet cross sections so that the cut and peeled sheet cross sections do not completely match each other at the butting of the cut and peeled sheet cross sections. Manufacturing method for stamper rollers.   3. The suction roller according to claim 2, wherein the number of holes per unit area in the vicinity of the butting position where the cut and release sheet cross sections are butted is larger than the number of holes per unit area in the vicinity of the butting position. The manufacturing method of the stamper roller as described in 2.   The method for manufacturing a stamper roller according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the entire circumference of the four sides of the cylindrical cut and release sheet is laser-welded to the suction roller.   A stamper roller manufactured by the manufacturing method according to claim 1.

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