JP2010145540A - Sealing device, sealing method, and method for manufacturing flat panel display - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sealing device capable of improving productivity, and to provide a sealing method and a method for manufacturing a flat panel display. <P>SOLUTION: The sealing device comprises: a laser beam source section; a holding means holding, in stacked state, a first substrate and a second substrate with a sealing section formed thereon; an irradiation means which introduces a laser beam emitted from the laser beam source section and emits it toward the sealing section; a moving means for changing the relative position between the holding means and the irradiation means; a sealing propriety detecting means which has a positional information detecting section detecting positional information of the first substrate and positional information of the second substrate, and a sealing propriety determining section for calculating the dimension between the end face of the sealing section and the first substrate on the basis of the detected positional information and determining the propriety of sealing on the basis of the calculation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sealing device, a sealing method, and a method for manufacturing a flat panel display.

  In flat panel displays such as organic EL (Electroluminescence) displays, liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, surface-conduction electron-emitting device displays (SED), and field-emission displays (FED), the electronic devices and circuits housed inside are hermetically sealed. is doing.

  For example, in a flat panel display, two glass substrates are opposed to each other in parallel at a predetermined interval, and the peripheral edges of the two glass substrates are sealed so that the electrodes and fluorescence formed inside the glass substrates are sealed. The body layer and the like are hermetically sealed.

  In such hermetic sealing, resin sealing with an ultraviolet curable resin or the like is performed, but moisture in the air may pass through the sealing portion. For this reason, sealing with a frit having higher airtight reliability is performed for those that are liable to be deteriorated by moisture or the like (for example, an organic EL display).

Here, in the sealing using a frit, a technique is known in which a laser beam is irradiated from the surface of the glass substrate toward the sealing portion and melt-bonded. And the technique which performs the leak test | inspection of the sealed part and excludes a rejection product is proposed (refer patent document 1).
According to the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is possible to eliminate a product having a leak in the sealing portion. However, since the sealing state is inspected after sealing, sealing is performed even to those with a high probability of being rejected, which may cause a reduction in productivity. For example, if there is a problem with the state of the glass substrate or the applied frit (sealed state), or if a problem occurs when two glass substrates are opposed, sealing after sealing is performed. The probability that leakage will occur at the stop will increase. Therefore, if sealing is performed even in such a case, useless sealing work and inspection work are performed, which may reduce productivity.
JP-T-2004-530284

  The present invention provides a sealing device, a sealing method, and a flat panel display manufacturing method capable of improving productivity.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, the laser light source unit, the first substrate, the holding unit that holds the second substrate on which the sealing unit is formed, and the laser light source unit. The irradiation means for introducing the emitted laser light and emitting it toward the sealing portion, the holding means, the moving means for changing the relative position of the irradiation means, and the position of the first substrate A position information detection unit that detects information and position information of the second substrate, and calculates a dimension between the end surface of the sealing unit and the first substrate based on the detected position information; There is provided a sealing device comprising: a sealing propriety determination unit including a sealing propriety determination unit that determines sealing propriety based on a result of the calculation.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the laser light source unit, the first substrate, and the holding unit that holds the second substrate on which the sealing unit is formed in an overlapped state, An irradiation unit that introduces laser light emitted from a laser light source unit and emits the laser beam toward the sealing unit, a moving unit that changes a relative position of the holding unit, and the irradiation unit, and the sealing A sealing state detecting means comprising: a temperature detecting unit that detects the temperature of the part; and a sealing state determination unit that determines the quality of the sealing state based on the detected temperature of the sealing part. A sealing device is provided.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the first substrate and the second substrate on which the sealing portion is formed are overlapped, and the sealing portion is irradiated with laser light to thereby apply the first substrate. A sealing method for sealing a space formed between the substrate and the second substrate, wherein the positional information of the first substrate and the positional information of the second substrate are detected, and Calculating a dimension between an end face of the sealing portion and the first substrate based on the detected position information, and determining whether sealing is appropriate based on a result of the calculation. A stopping method is provided.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the first substrate and the second substrate on which the sealing portion is formed are overlapped, and the sealing portion is irradiated with laser light to thereby apply the first substrate. A sealing method for sealing a space formed between the second substrate and the second substrate, wherein the temperature of the sealing portion is detected and sealing is performed based on the detected temperature of the sealing portion. There is provided a sealing method characterized by determining whether the stopped state is good or bad.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a flat panel display, characterized in that sealing is performed by the sealing method described above.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the sealing device which can aim at the improvement of productivity, the sealing method, and the manufacturing method of a flat panel display are provided.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each drawing, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted suitably.
In addition, as an example, description will be given taking sealing in the manufacture of an organic EL display as an example.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view for illustrating the sealing device according to the present embodiment.
Note that arrows XYZ in FIG. 1 represent three directions orthogonal to each other, XY represents a horizontal direction, and Z represents a vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sealing device 100 includes a moving unit 110, a sealing unit 120, a sealing suitability detection unit 140, a sealing state detection unit 150, and a control unit 130.
The moving means 110 is provided with a gantry 111 and an XY table 112 and a stand 113 provided on the upper surface of the gantry 111.
The XY table 112 has a driving portion 112a having a mounting portion (not shown) provided on the upper surface of the gantry 111 and reciprocating in the Y direction, and a driving portion 112a provided on the mounting portion (not shown) of the driving portion 112a and reciprocating in the X direction. The drive part 112b which has the attachment part which does not carry out is provided. A holding table 112c, which is a holding unit that holds an object to be processed (glass substrates G1 and G2), is provided on a mounting portion (not shown) of the driving unit 112b. That is, there is provided a holding table 112c which is a holding unit that holds the glass substrate G2 and the glass substrate G1 on which the sealing portion F is formed in an overlapped state. The holding table 112c includes, for example, an electrostatic chuck or the like, and can hold two glass substrates stacked so as to face each other with electrostatic force or the like.

Therefore, the relative position between the holding table 112c and a laser head 115 or the like, which will be described later, that is, the object to be processed (glass substrates G1 and G2) held on the holding table 112c and the laser head. The position relative to 115 or the like can be changed. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the holding table 112c side is moved, but the side of the laser head 115 or the like may be moved, or both may be movable.
It is also possible to provide means for holding the peripheral edges of the glass substrates G1 and G2 so that the positions of the two glass substrates G1 and G2 stacked so as to face each other do not shift.

  The stand 113 is provided with a holder 114, and a laser head 115, a position information detection unit 141, and a temperature detection unit 151 are attached to predetermined positions of the holder 114. Further, the longitudinal position (X-direction position) of the laser head 115, the position information detection unit 141, and the temperature detection unit 151 with respect to the holder 114 can be adjusted. Further, the Y direction position and the Z direction position of the laser head 115, the position information detection unit 141, and the temperature detection unit 151 can also be adjusted.

The sealing unit 120 is provided with a laser head 115 and a laser light source unit 121.
A laser head 115 which is a laser beam irradiation means includes a condensing lens 116 (see FIG. 2) therein, and transmits a laser beam transmitted and introduced from a laser light source unit 121 described later, and a sealing unit F made of a frit. Exit toward That is, the laser head 115 which is an irradiation unit introduces the laser beam emitted from the laser light source unit 121 and emits the laser beam toward the sealing unit F.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for illustrating a laser head.
The laser head 115 is provided with a condensing lens 116 for condensing the laser light transmitted and introduced from the laser light source unit 121 into a dot-like circular spot. For this reason, the laser beam can be condensed in a dot shape on the sealing portion F made of the frit to be irradiated.

  A light receiving end 122 a of an optical fiber 122 is connected to the laser light source unit 121, and an emission end 122 b of the optical fiber 122 is connected to the laser head 115. Therefore, the laser light emitted from the laser light source unit 121 can be transmitted and introduced to the laser head 115 via the optical fiber 122.

  For example, the laser light source unit 121 may emit a semiconductor laser. However, it is not limited to the semiconductor laser and can be changed as appropriate. In this case, it is preferable to use a laser having a wavelength of about 700 nm to 1200 nm that can pass through the glass substrate and efficiently heat the frit. Examples of such a laser include a semiconductor laser having a wavelength of 810 nm and a Nd-YAG laser having a wavelength of 1064 nm.

  In addition, the sealing unit 120 switches a power source (not shown) for supplying power to the laser light source unit 121, an output adjusting unit (not shown) for adjusting the laser light output to a desired value, and ON / OFF of the laser light. For this purpose, an output switching means (not shown) or the like can be provided as appropriate.

  The control unit 130 controls the sealing unit 120 (for example, emission and stop of laser light to the laser head 115 (output switching), output adjustment, etc.) and operation control of the XY table 112. Further, the sealing unit 120 and the XY table 112 are controlled so as not to seal the sealing portion F that is determined to be unsuitable for sealing by the sealing suitability detection unit 140 described later. Further, the sealing unit 120 and the XY table 112 are controlled so as not to continue the sealing of the sealing portion F determined to be defective by the sealing state detection unit 150 described later. In addition, information on determination results by the sealing suitability detection unit 140 and the sealing state detection unit 150 can be stored in a storage unit (not shown) or output to an external database or the like.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the state of the two glass substrates G1 and G2 that are overlaid.
If the glass substrates G1, G2 and the frit of the sealing portion F are flat, the end face of the sealing portion F and the surface of the glass substrate G2 come into contact with each other. However, in reality, there may be a warp of the glass substrates G1 and G2 and a frit coating height distribution of the sealing portion F. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, a gap is generated between the end face of the sealing portion F and the surface of the glass substrate G2, and the dimension of this gap becomes the gap dimension L.

Even if there is such a gap, the gap between the glass substrates G1 and G2 can be sealed by the sealing portion F if the laser beam is irradiated toward the sealing portion F.
That is, when laser light is irradiated toward the sealing portion F, the sealing portion F made of frit melts and its volume expands. Therefore, even if there is a gap between the end face of the sealing part F and the surface of the glass substrate G2, the sealing part F comes into contact with the surface of the glass substrate G2 so as to fill the gap. Then, when the irradiation position of the laser beam is changed, the melted sealing portion F is cooled and solidified, and the space between the glass substrates G1 and G2 is sealed by the sealing portion F.

However, if the gap dimension L is too large, the end surface of the melted sealing portion F cannot reach the surface of the glass substrate G2, or the contact area between the end surface of the sealing portion F and the surface of the glass substrate G2 is small. Airtightness may be impaired.
For this reason, in the present embodiment, the suitability of sealing is determined by detecting the gap dimension L.

Next, returning to FIG. 1, the sealing suitability detection unit 140 will be illustrated.
The sealing suitability detection unit 140 includes a position information detection unit 141 and a sealing suitability determination unit 142.
The position information detection unit 141 detects position information (surface position information) of the glass substrates G1 and G2.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the state of detection.
As shown in FIG. 4, the laser light emitted from the laser head 115 is condensed on the sealing portion F and moved by the XY table 112 so that the locus 123 of the irradiation position draws a closed loop. Moreover, in the sealing part F adjacent to the sealing part F which is sealing, the positional information detection part 141 detects the positional information (surface position information) of the glass substrates G1 and G2. At this time, similarly to the irradiation position locus 123, the detection position locus 143 is moved so as to draw a closed loop. In addition, since the sealing part F does not transmit laser light, the detection is performed so as to draw a closed loop in the vicinity of the sealing part F. In this way, position information (surface position information) around the sealing portion F can be detected.
In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, since the positional relationship between the laser head 115 and the position information detection unit 141 is constant, the movement of the irradiation position and the movement of the detection position are performed simultaneously. Moreover, both locus | trajectories become the same shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the positional relationship between the laser head 115 and the position information detection unit 141 may change. For example, the position information detection unit 141 may be provided in a separate moving unit (not shown) so that the laser head 115 and the position information detection unit 141 move separately.

  1 and 4 exemplify the positional information (surface position information) on the sealing portion F adjacent to the sealing portion F (sealing portion F performing sealing) irradiated with laser light. Information) is detected, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, you may make it detect the positional information (information of surface position) regarding the arbitrary sealing parts F which are not sealed. That is, position information (surface position information) related to the sealing portion F different from the sealing portion F irradiated with the laser light can be detected.

Examples of the position information detection unit 141 include those that detect the surface positions of the glass substrates G1 and G2 using laser light.
For example, exemplifying the one that irradiates the laser light toward the glass substrates G1 and G2 and detects the respective surface positions S1 and S2 from the reflected light from the glass substrate G1 and the reflected light from the glass substrate G2. Can do. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a device capable of detecting position information can be appropriately selected. For example, as in the case of laser light, a device that detects position information using ultrasonic waves or the like, or a device that detects position information by mechanically measuring the dimension between the glass substrate G1 and the holding table 112c, etc. It can be illustrated. In this case, from the viewpoint of suppressing damage to the glass substrate, it is preferable to detect the position information in a non-contact manner using laser light, ultrasonic waves, or the like.

The sealing suitability determination unit 142 includes an end surface of the sealing unit F provided on the glass substrate G1 and the glass substrate based on the position information (surface position information) of the glass substrates G1 and G2 detected by the position information detection unit 141. The dimension between the surface of G2 (gap dimension L) is calculated, and the suitability of sealing is determined based on the calculation result (gap dimension L).
That is, the sealing suitability detection unit 140 includes a position information detection unit 141 that detects position information (surface position information) of the glass substrate G1 and position information (surface position information) of the glass substrate G2, and the detected position. Sealing which calculates the dimension (gap dimension L) between the end face of the sealing part F and the glass substrate G2 based on the information (information on the surface position) and determines the suitability of sealing based on the result of this calculation 142 parts of suitability determination.

Here, the relationship between the gap dimension L and the propriety of sealing is illustrated.
FIG. 5 is a schematic graph for illustrating the relationship between the gap dimension L and the propriety of sealing. The vertical axis represents the gap dimension L, and “A” described on the horizontal axis indicates that the airtightness is good, and “B” indicates that the airtightness is problematic.
As described above, if the gap dimension L is too large, the airtightness may be impaired.
According to the knowledge obtained by the present inventor, if the predetermined value Lmax is not exceeded, good airtightness can be obtained as shown in “A”, and if it exceeds the predetermined value Lmax, as shown in “B”. There is a problem with airtightness. And it turned out that Lmax is substantially the same as the height dimension L2 of the sealing part F. That is, if the gap dimension L is smaller than the height dimension L2 of the sealing portion F, good airtightness can be obtained, and if the gap dimension L is larger than the height dimension L2 of the sealing portion F, the airtightness is improved. It turns out that a problem arises.

  For this reason, if a predetermined value Lmax (for example, the height dimension L2 of the sealing portion F) is input in advance to the sealing suitability determination unit 142, the sealing is determined based on this value and the calculated gap size L. Appropriateness can be determined.

  In addition, since this determination is made before sealing, it is inappropriate to perform sealing, that is, for those that are determined to have a high risk of airtightness even after sealing. May not be sealed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a sealing operation that is highly likely to be wasted, so that productivity can be improved.

In this way, it is possible to know whether sealing is appropriate before sealing. In the present embodiment, the quality of the sealed portion is further determined based on the temperature of the sealing portion F during the sealing operation.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the state of the sealing portion. 6A is a schematic diagram for illustrating the case where the sealed portion is defective (when a gap is generated), and FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram for illustrating the case where the sealed portion is good. is there.
As described above, if the gap dimension L becomes too large, the end surface of the melted sealing portion F cannot reach the surface of the glass substrate G2, or the end surface of the sealing portion F and the surface of the glass substrate G2 are in contact with each other. The area becomes smaller. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, there may be a case where the gap F1 is generated in the sealed portion and the airtightness cannot be maintained.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6B, if the gap dimension L is appropriate, good sealing can be performed without generating the gap F1 in the sealed portion.

However, even if the gap dimension L is appropriate, the gap F1 may occur in the sealed portion. For example, when the irradiation condition of the laser beam is inappropriate, the end face of the melted sealing portion F may not reach the surface of the glass substrate G2.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the quality of the sealed part is further determined.

Here, as a result of examination, the present inventor has obtained knowledge that if the temperature of the sealing portion F during the sealing operation can be known, the quality of the sealed portion can be determined.
FIG. 7 is a schematic graph for illustrating the relationship between the temperature of the sealing portion and the state of the sealed portion. In FIG. 7, “C” indicates that the laser beam output is 10 W (watts), “D” indicates that the laser beam output is 11 W (watts), and “E” indicates that the laser beam output is 8 W (watts). Watt). “C” and “D” are the cases where there is no gap F1, the sealing portion F is good, and the ratio of the width of the frit melted and the glass substrate welded to the width W of the sealing portion. When the (welding rate) is 100% and 80%, respectively, “E” is when the gap F1 is present and the sealing portion F is not welded to the counter glass substrate.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the output of the laser beam is increased from “C” to “D”, the maximum temperature reached by the sealing portion F also increases. However, when there is a gap F1, even if the laser beam output is “E”, which is lower than “C”, the maximum temperature reached by the sealing portion F is rather high.
This is because when the gap F1 is not present, the heat of the sealing portion F is easily transferred to the glass substrate G2, so that the maximum temperature of the sealing portion F is lowered. This is probably because heat is hardly transmitted to the glass substrate G2, so that the maximum temperature reached by the sealing portion F becomes higher.

  Therefore, if the relationship between the laser beam output and the maximum temperature is obtained in advance, the state of the sealed portion can be known from the temperature of the sealing portion F. For example, when the temperature of the sealing portion F exceeds a predetermined range, it can be known that the gap F1 is generated.

Next, returning to FIG. 1, the sealing state detection means 150 will be illustrated.
The sealing state detection unit 150 is provided with a temperature detection unit 151 and a sealing state determination unit 152.
The temperature detection unit 151 detects the temperature of the sealing unit F during the sealing operation. An example of the temperature detection unit 151 is an infrared radiation thermometer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and one that can detect the temperature of the sealing portion F can be appropriately selected. For example, the thing etc. which detect temperature by making a thermocouple etc. contact the sealing part vicinity can be illustrated. In this case, from the viewpoint of suppressing damage to the glass substrate, it is preferable that the temperature can be detected in a non-contact manner like the infrared radiation thermometer described above.
The sealing state determination unit 152 determines the quality of the sealing state based on the temperature of the sealing unit detected by the temperature detection unit 151.
That is, the sealing state detection unit 150 includes a temperature detection unit 151 that detects the temperature of the sealing unit F, and a sealing state determination unit that determines the quality of the sealing state based on the detected temperature of the sealing unit F. 152. Moreover, the temperature detection part 151 detects the temperature of the sealing part F with which the laser beam is irradiated.

  In the determination of the quality of the sealed state, as described above, when the relationship between the output of the laser beam and the maximum temperature reached is obtained in advance, and the temperature of the sealed portion F exceeds a predetermined range, Assuming that the gap F1 is generated, it can be determined that the sealing state is defective.

The following are examples of the detection result of the sealing portion temperature and the determination of sealing failure.

As shown in Table 1, for example, when the laser light source 121 or the like breaks down and a “laser light output abnormality” occurs, the sealing state is “defective” regardless of the temperature of the sealing portion F. Judgment can be made. Note that “abnormality of laser light output” can be determined by a detection means (not shown) provided in the laser light source unit 121 or the like.
In addition, when “a gap occurs in the sealing portion”, as described above, “the temperature is too high compared to the normal case”, it is determined that the sealing state is “bad” based on the detected temperature. Can be done. This is a case where the determination is made by the sealing state detection means 150. When the occurrence of a gap is detected by the sealing suitability detection unit 140, sealing can be prevented from being performed, so that the determination by the sealing state detection unit 150 can be omitted.

  Further, in the case of “small welding width”, since the sealing portion that generates heat and melts is smaller than the irradiation with laser light, “the temperature is too low compared to normal”. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the sealing state is defective based on the detected temperature.

  Further, in the case of “large welding width”, since the sealing portion that generates heat and melts is larger than that irradiated with the laser beam, “the temperature is too high compared to normal”. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the sealing state is defective based on the detected temperature.

If it does as mentioned above, the quality of the part sealed during sealing work can be known. This eliminates the need for a separate inspection after sealing. As a result, the production process can be simplified and productivity can be improved. Further, when it is determined that the sealing state is defective during the sealing operation, the subsequent sealing operation can be stopped. In such a case, useless work can be reduced, so that productivity can be improved. In addition, since the welded portion can be reduced, it is easy to repair a defective portion and to reuse a material.
1 includes the sealing suitability detecting unit 140 and the sealing state detecting unit 150, but either one may be provided. However, if both are provided, since the determination before sealing and the determination during sealing can be performed, productivity can be further improved.

  Here, when the width dimension of the sealing part F changes with board | substrate positions, the highest reached temperature measured also changes. When the width dimension is small and the gap F1 is generated, since the frit width is small, the radiation thermometer measures an apparently low temperature. For this reason, an observation optical system and a sealing part shape recognition function are mounted on the laser head 115 that emits laser light, and the width dimension of the sealing part F is detected simultaneously with the laser irradiation, and the sealing defect corresponding to the width dimension is detected. It is preferable to change the judgment temperature for judging the above.

Next, the operation of the sealing device 100 will be illustrated.
First, two superposed glass substrates G1 and G2 are placed and held on the holding table 112c of the XY table 112 by a conveying means (not shown). Note that the glass substrate G2 is provided with a sealing portion F in a frame shape, and an electronic element, a circuit, and the like are provided inside the frame-shaped sealing portion F.

  Next, laser light emitted from the laser light source unit 121 by controlling the sealing unit 120 by the control unit 130 is transmitted and introduced into the laser head 115 via the optical fiber 122. Then, the light is emitted so as to be condensed on the sealing portion F in a dot shape by the condensing lens 116 provided in the laser head 115.

  On the other hand, by controlling the operation of the XY table 112 by the control means 130, the irradiation position of the laser beam is moved in the horizontal plane so that the locus 123 of the irradiation position draws a closed loop. Therefore, the sealing part F is heated and melted by the laser light applied to the sealing part F so that the glass substrates G1 and G2 are hermetically bonded, and a space defined by the sealing part F is formed therein. Is done. An area defined by the sealing portion F becomes a pixel area.

Further, the glass substrates G1 and G2 can be superposed in an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas or argon gas, and laser light can be irradiated toward the sealing portion F in that state. By doing so, the electronic elements and circuits provided in the space defined by the sealing portion F can be sealed in a sealed space in an inert gas atmosphere.
In such a case, for example, the moving unit 110 may be housed in an airtight container such as a chamber, and the inside of the chamber may be an inert gas atmosphere.

Further, in the sealing part F adjacent to the sealing part F that performs sealing, the positional information detection unit 141 detects the positional information (surface position information) of the glass substrates G1 and G2. At this time, as described above, the locus 143 of the detection position is moved so as to draw a closed loop in the same manner as the locus 123 of the irradiation position.
And the end surface of the sealing part F provided in the glass substrate G1 based on the positional information (surface position information) of the glass substrates G1 and G2 detected by the positional information detection unit 141 in the sealing suitability determination unit 142 and the glass A dimension between the surface of the substrate G2 (gap dimension L) is calculated, and the suitability of sealing is determined based on the calculation result (gap dimension L).

Further, the temperature detector 151 detects the temperature of the sealing part during the sealing operation.
Based on the temperature of the sealing portion detected by the temperature detection unit 151, the sealing state determination unit 152 determines the quality of the sealing state.

  When the melting and sealing of one sealing portion F is completed, the glass substrates G1 and G2 are moved by the XY table 112, and the next sealing portion F is melted and sealed. Accordingly, the detection positions of the position information detection unit 141 and the temperature detection unit 151 are also moved.

  Here, when it is determined by the sealing suitability detection unit 140 that it is inappropriate to perform sealing, the sealing unit 120 and the XY table 112 are controlled so as not to seal the part. That is, the sealing means 120 is controlled so that the laser beam is not irradiated to the sealing portion F of the portion. Further, the movement by the XY table 112 can be performed so that the portion is skipped and the other sealing portion F is irradiated with the laser light.

  Further, when the sealing state detection unit 150 determines that the sealing state is defective, the sealing unit 120 and the XY table 112 are controlled so as not to continue the sealing of the part. That is, the sealing means 120 is controlled so as to stop the irradiation of the laser beam with respect to the sealing portion F of the portion. Further, the movement by the XY table 112 can be performed so that the irradiation of the laser beam is stopped and the portion is skipped and the laser beam is irradiated to another sealing portion F. In addition, information on determination results by the sealing suitability detection unit 140 and the sealing state detection unit 150 can be stored in a storage unit (not shown) or output to an external database or the like.

  When all the sealing portions F have been melted and sealed, the glass substrates G1 and G2 sealed by a transport unit (not shown) are carried out.

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to know the propriety of sealing before the sealing is performed by the sealing propriety detection unit 140. And it can be made not to seal with respect to what is determined to be unsuitable for sealing, i.e., with a high risk of problems in airtightness even after sealing. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a sealing operation that is highly likely to be wasted, so that productivity can be improved.
Moreover, the quality of the part sealed during the sealing work can be known by the sealing state detection means 150. This eliminates the need for a separate inspection after sealing. As a result, the production process can be simplified and productivity can be improved. Further, when it is determined that the sealing state is defective during the sealing operation, the subsequent sealing operation can be stopped. In such a case, useless work can be reduced, so that productivity can be improved. In addition, since the welded portion can be reduced, it is easy to repair a defective portion and to reuse a material.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view for illustrating a sealing unit according to another embodiment. 8A is a schematic perspective view for illustrating the configuration of the laser head, and FIG. 8B is a schematic perspective view for illustrating the state of scanning of the laser light.
In the present embodiment, linear irradiation is performed on the sealing portion F by scanning with laser light. In other words, the laser beam is scanned to perform pseudo linear focusing on the sealing portion F.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the laser head 215 is provided with a condenser lens 210, a reflection mirror 211, a galvano mirror 212 as a scanning unit, and an fθ lens 213. The fθ lens 213 is a lens designed so that the scanning speed of the light spot that passes through the lens and is perpendicularly incident on the irradiation surface is always constant regardless of the incident position on the lens. Therefore, if the fθ lens 213 is used, scanning at a constant speed can be easily performed.

In such a laser head 215, the laser light emitted from the laser light source unit 121 is guided to the emission end 122 b through the optical fiber 122 and emitted from the emission end 122 b toward the condenser lens 210. The laser light incident on the condensing lens 210 is condensed and incident on the galvano mirror 212 via the reflection mirror 211. Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, the laser light is linearly scanned by swinging the galvano mirror 212 as a scanning means at a high speed. The laser beam scanned linearly by the galvanometer mirror 212 is irradiated onto the sealing portion F that is the irradiation surface through the fθ lens 213. At this time, scanning at a constant speed is performed by the action of the fθ lens 213. The entire circumference of the loop-shaped sealing portion F can be sealed by changing the relative position with the glass substrates G1 and G2 by the XY table 112.
In this case, the control related to the laser beam scanning such as the scanning speed and the scanning range can be performed by the control unit 130 described above.

  In addition, although the galvanometer mirror 212 was illustrated as a scanning means, it is not necessarily limited to this, What can scan a laser beam can be selected suitably. For example, a polygon mirror rotation method (polygon mirror) may be used.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the state of the irradiated portion. 9A is a schematic diagram for illustrating the state of the irradiated portion in the linear portion of the sealing portion, and FIG. 9B is a schematic view for illustrating the state of the irradiated portion in the corner portion of the sealing portion. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9A, in the linear portion of the sealing portion F, scanning is performed so that a linear scanning range 220 is formed. In this case, the detection position 221 of the temperature detection unit 151 can be set substantially at the center of the scanning range 220.
Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, at the corner portion of the sealing portion F, scanning is performed such that a scanning range 222 that matches the shape of the corner portion is formed. In this case, the detection position 221 of the temperature detection unit 151 can be set substantially at the center of the scanning range 222.
As shown in FIG. 1, the positional relationship between the laser head 215 and the temperature detection unit 151 can be fixed, or the laser head 215 and the temperature detection unit 151 are provided separately. The laser head 215 and the temperature detector 151 can be moved separately.

  Here, the entire circumference of the loop-shaped sealing portion F is sealed by irradiating a high-power laser in a dot shape and moving the positions of the glass substrates G1 and G2 at high speed by the XY table 112. Can do. However, by doing so, the heating time per unit area is shortened and the sealing property may be deteriorated. That is, if the high-power laser is irradiated in the form of dots and the glass substrates G1 and G2 are moved at high speed, local rapid heating and rapid cooling may occur in the irradiated portion, causing cracks and increased welding variations. There is.

  In this case, the heating time per unit area can be increased by increasing the circular beam size, but the energy that is wasted increases, and the organic element portion (pixel region) surrounded by the sealing portion F is increased. ) May increase in temperature, or may cause new problems such as an increase in residual stress.

  On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to irradiate the sealing portion F with linear laser light by scanning the laser light. That is, it is possible to condense the linear laser light on the sealing portion F by scanning the laser light. Therefore, even if the moving speed of the glass substrates G1 and G2 is increased, the heating time per unit area can be increased because of linear irradiation. As a result, sealing properties can be improved. Further, since the irradiation is linear, less energy is wasted, an increase in the temperature of the organic element portion (pixel region) surrounded by the sealing portion F can be suppressed, and the occurrence of residual stress can also be suppressed. Can do.

Next, the sealing method according to the present embodiment will be illustrated together with a method for manufacturing a flat panel display. In addition, the case of the manufacturing method of an organic EL display is illustrated as an example of the manufacturing method of the flat panel display which concerns on this Embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart for illustrating a method of manufacturing an organic EL display. As shown in FIG. 10, the manufacturing process of the organic EL display includes a step of forming an array substrate by providing an anode electrode and partition walls (step S1), and a transfer body (donor substrate) is placed on and closely adhered to the array substrate. A transfer step (step S2) in which transfer is performed by irradiating laser light, a step of forming a sealing substrate by providing a sealing portion F made of frit on the substrate (step S3), an array substrate and a sealing substrate Are bonded together (step S4), a sealing process is performed by irradiating the sealing portion F with laser light (step S5), and the formed structure is a plurality of organic EL elements. When the display is an aggregate of displays, it includes a cleaving process (step S6) in which cleaving is performed and cleaving into a single organic EL display.

In addition, a step of inspecting the formed array substrate and sealing substrate can be provided. For example, a step of inspecting the operation of electronic elements and circuits formed on the array substrate using an array tester, a step of inspecting the appearance and dimensions of the sealing portion F provided on the sealing substrate using an appearance inspection device, etc. Can be illustrated.
Further, the position information of the portions that failed in these inspections (“M” and “N” shown in FIG. 10) is provided to the control means 130 of the sealing device 100. In this case, it is possible to prevent the portions M and N that have failed from being sealed. By doing so, useless sealing work is not performed, and re-sealing and reuse described later are facilitated.

The sealing device 100 and the sealing method according to the present embodiment can be used in the sealing step (step S5).
In this case, sealing is performed by irradiating the sealing portion F with laser light, and sealing is performed in a sealing portion F (for example, an adjacent sealing portion F) different from the sealing portion F irradiated with the laser light. Judge whether or not to stop. That is, the position information (surface position information) of the glass substrate G1 and the position information (surface position information) of the glass substrate G2 are detected, and the sealing portion F is based on the detected position information (surface position information). The dimension (gap dimension L) between the end face of the glass substrate G2 and the glass substrate G2 is calculated, and the suitability of sealing is determined based on the result of this calculation.

  Moreover, the quality of the part sealed in the sealing part F currently sealed is determined. The quality of the sealed portion can be determined based on the temperature of the sealing portion F. That is, the temperature of the sealing part F is detected, and the quality of the sealed state is determined based on the detected temperature of the sealing part F. Also, the quality of the sealed state is determined for the sealed portion F irradiated with the laser beam. Note that the details of these determinations are the same as those described above, and are therefore omitted.

  And the part which failed in the test | inspection of an array substrate and a sealing substrate, determination of the propriety of sealing, and the determination of the quality of the sealed part ("M" shown in FIG. 10, "N", " The position information of “P”) is used to classify non-defective products and defective products. Moreover, it can also be used for sorting such as resealing, reusing, and disposal.

  Those that pass the inspection of the array substrate and the sealing substrate, the determination of the propriety of the sealing, and the determination of the quality of the sealed portion become a non-defective product and are carried out to the process of mounting the mechanism member. Examples of the mechanism member include a driver IC and a drive circuit that generates a control signal input to the driver IC.

  Those that fail in the inspection of the array substrate and the sealing substrate, the determination of the propriety of the sealing, and the determination of the quality of the sealed portion are defective and are resealed, reused, and discarded. Here, if the defective portion is minor, re-sealing is performed in which sealing is performed by irradiating the sealing portion F in the cleaved state with laser light. Moreover, the thing which has the malfunction which cannot be resealed has decomposed | disassembled the thing in the cleaved state, and is reused as a material. Those that cannot be reused are discarded.

In addition, since the technique of each known process can be applied to devices other than the sealing device 100 and the sealing method according to the present embodiment, description thereof will be omitted.
Further, the glass substrates G1 and G2 can be superposed in an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen gas or argon gas, and laser light can be irradiated toward the sealing portion F in that state. By doing so, the electronic elements and circuits provided in the space defined by the sealing portion F can be sealed in a sealed space in an inert gas atmosphere. In such a case, for example, the moving means 110 may be housed in an airtight container such as a chamber, and the inside of the chamber may be an inert gas atmosphere.

  According to the organic EL display manufacturing method (flat panel display manufacturing method) according to the present embodiment, it is possible to know whether sealing is appropriate before sealing. In addition, it is possible to know the quality of the portion sealed during the sealing operation. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a sealing operation that is highly likely to be wasted. Moreover, it is not necessary to perform a separate inspection after sealing. Therefore, productivity can be improved. Further, since the welded portion can be reduced, re-sealing and material reuse are facilitated.

  In addition, although the manufacturing method of the organic EL display was illustrated as a manufacturing method of the flat panel display which concerns on this Embodiment, it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to other flat panel display manufacturing methods such as a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, a surface conduction electron-emitting device display (SED), and a field emission display (FED).

Heretofore, the present embodiment has been illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions.
As long as the features of the present invention are provided, those skilled in the art appropriately modified the design of the above-described embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention.
For example, the shape, dimensions, material, arrangement, and the like of each element included in the sealing device 100 are not limited to those illustrated, but can be changed as appropriate.
Moreover, each element with which each embodiment mentioned above is combined can be combined as much as possible, and what combined these is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as the characteristics of the present invention are included.

It is a model perspective view for illustrating the sealing device concerning this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram for illustrating a laser head. It is a schematic diagram for illustrating the mode of the two glass substrates superimposed. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the mode of a detection. It is a schematic graph for demonstrating the relationship between a gap dimension and the propriety of sealing. It is a schematic diagram for illustrating the state of a sealing part. It is a schematic graph for demonstrating the relationship between the temperature of a sealing part, and the state of the sealed part. It is a model perspective view for illustrating the sealing means concerning other embodiments. It is a schematic diagram for illustrating the mode of an irradiation part. It is a flowchart for illustrating the manufacturing method of an organic EL display.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Sealing device, 110 Moving means, 115 Laser head, 120 Sealing means, 121 Laser light source part, 130 Control means, 140 Sealing suitability detection means, 141 Position information detection part, 142 Sealing suitability determination part, 150 Sealing State detection means, 151 temperature detection unit, 152 sealing state determination unit, 215 laser head, L gap size, F sealing unit, G1 glass substrate, G2 glass substrate

Claims (11)

A laser light source unit;
Holding means for holding the first substrate and the second substrate on which the sealing portion is formed in an overlapped state;
Irradiation means for introducing laser light emitted from the laser light source part and emitting the laser light toward the sealing part;
Moving means for changing the relative positions of the holding means and the irradiation means;
A position information detector that detects position information of the first substrate and position information of the second substrate; and an end surface of the sealing portion and the first substrate based on the detected position information. A sealing propriety detection unit having a sealing propriety determination unit that calculates a dimension between and determines a propriety of sealing based on a result of the calculation,
A sealing device comprising:   The sealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position information detection unit detects the position information regarding a sealing unit different from the sealing unit irradiated with the laser beam.   A sealing state detection means further comprising: a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature of the sealing unit; and a sealing state determination unit that determines whether the sealing state is good or not based on the detected temperature of the sealing unit. The sealing device according to claim 1, further comprising a sealing device. A laser light source unit;
Holding means for holding the first substrate and the second substrate on which the sealing portion is formed in an overlapped state;
Irradiation means for introducing laser light emitted from the laser light source part and emitting the laser light toward the sealing part;
Moving means for changing the relative positions of the holding means and the irradiation means;
A sealing state detection unit having a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the sealing unit, and a sealing state determination unit that determines the quality of the sealing state based on the detected temperature of the sealing unit;
A sealing device comprising:   The sealing device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the temperature detection unit detects a temperature of the sealing unit irradiated with laser light. A first substrate and a second substrate on which a sealing portion is formed are overlapped, and the sealing portion is irradiated with laser light to be formed between the first substrate and the second substrate. A sealing method for sealing the space formed,
The position information of the first substrate and the position information of the second substrate are detected, and the dimension between the end surface of the sealing portion and the first substrate is calculated based on the detected position information. And the sealing method characterized by determining the propriety of sealing based on the result of the said calculation.   The sealing method according to claim 6, wherein whether the sealing is appropriate is determined for a sealing portion different from the sealing portion irradiated with laser light.   The sealing method according to claim 6, wherein the temperature of the sealing portion is detected, and the quality of the sealing state is determined based on the detected temperature of the sealing portion. A first substrate and a second substrate on which a sealing portion is formed are overlapped, and the sealing portion is irradiated with laser light to be formed between the first substrate and the second substrate. A sealing method for sealing the space formed,
A sealing method, comprising: detecting a temperature of the sealing portion and determining whether the sealing state is good or not based on the detected temperature of the sealing portion.   The sealing method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the quality of the sealing state is determined for the sealing portion irradiated with laser light.   A flat panel display manufacturing method, wherein sealing is performed by the sealing method according to claim 6.