JP2012053181A - Method for adjusting moisture content of plastic film, method for manufacturing color filter, and device for adjusting moisture content of plastic film - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for adjusting moisture content of plastic films capable of uniformizing the moisture content of the plastic films in a short period of time.SOLUTION: In the method of adjusting moisture content of plastic films, first, strip-shape plastic films 1 are wound with support members 2 to form a roll body 4 of the plastic films 1 such that gap layers 3 exist between the plastic films 1 due to the support bodies 2. Next, the gap layers 3 are decompressed. After that, the decompression of the gap layers 3 is released and a gas of a prescribed temperature and humidity level is supplied in the gap layers 3.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for adjusting the moisture content of a plastic film for adjusting the moisture content of a strip-shaped plastic film, a method for producing a color filter including this method, and a moisture content adjusting device for a plastic film, and in particular, the moisture content of a plastic film. The present invention relates to a method for adjusting the moisture content of a plastic film, a method for producing a color filter, and a moisture content adjusting device for a plastic film.

  In recent years, it has been studied to use a roll-shaped plastic film having flexibility as a base material for forming a pattern made of metal or resin and having a predetermined functionality in a display member constituting a color filter or a TFT array. ing. Thus, by making the base material made of plastic, it is possible to reduce the thickness and cost of the color filter and the TFT array and to prevent the base material from cracking.

  However, when a plastic film is used as the base material of the display member, there is a problem that it is difficult to form a black matrix, a colored layer, a columnar structure, and a TFT array with a predetermined accuracy on the plastic film. That is, in the process of forming a predetermined pattern on the plastic film, fine processing means such as photolithography or an ink jet method is used. In the process, heat applied to the plastic film, moisture content contained in the plastic film, etc. As a result, the dimensions of the plastic film change, and the accuracy of the pattern is impaired.

  In order to deal with this, for example, methods as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are disclosed.

JP 2003-66423 A JP 2003-177551 A

  By the way, a roll-shaped plastic film usually has a different moisture content depending on the position of the film (outside winding, inside winding, width direction). Here, the moisture content refers to the ratio (weight ratio) of the amount of water absorbed in the plastic film to the saturated water absorption amount of the plastic film at the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere. When the moisture content of the plastic film is lower than the moisture content in an equilibrium state with the outside air, the plastic film absorbs moisture in the outside air, but when the moisture content is higher than the moisture content in the equilibrium state, the plastic film releases moisture in the plastic film. . When a plastic film is wound into a roll, the movement of moisture is faster in the outer part than in the inner part, but the movement of moisture is extremely slow in the inner part. The time required to reach an equilibrium state differs between the inner part and the inner part. As a result, the moisture content of the plastic film differs between the outer part and the inner part. The same applies to the width direction of the plastic film. In the central portion in the width direction of the plastic film, the movement of moisture is slower than in the end portion in the width direction, and the moisture content differs between the center portion and the end portion. For this reason, in order to make the moisture content of the plastic film uniform, a period of several weeks to several months is required.

  In addition, plastic films immediately after being manufactured by a film manufacturer are often in a dry state due to the characteristics of the manufacturing method. For this reason, the portion inside the roll of the roll-shaped plastic film is in a state where the moisture content is extremely lowered, and the portion outside the roll is in a state where the moisture content is increased by exposure to outside air. Here, even if it is a case where it is cut off from the outside air and maintained in a dry state immediately after production, in the process of manufacturing the display member, since it is in contact with the outside air in each process, the moisture content of the plastic film is maintained uniformly. It is difficult to do.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing process of a display member, there exist a heating process, a process which contacts water, etc., and the moisture content of a plastic film may fluctuate. Thus, in the manufacturing process of a display member using a roll-shaped plastic film, there are many factors that cause the moisture content to be non-uniform. On the other hand, if storage (curing) is required for adjusting the moisture content over several weeks to several months for each process, a lot of time is spent to manufacture the display member.

  Next, the moisture content of the plastic film in the display member and the dimensional change of each of the plurality of patterns formed on the plastic film will be described. In the display member, it is necessary that fine patterns of several micron to several hundreds of micron are arranged at accurate positions over a long dimension. The long dimension here is, for example, the size of the display size of the display, and it is necessary that the pixels are regularly arranged from end to end of the screen and the length from the end to the end is also determined. Therefore, when the moisture content of the plastic film on which the pattern is formed is changed and the plastic film is expanded and contracted, the dimension of the pattern is deviated from the design dimension and cannot be commercialized as a display member.

  In manufacturing a display member, there are several methods for forming a pattern having a predetermined functionality. In general, a so-called printing is a plate, a photolithography is a photomask, and a direct drawing ink-jet printing is a design program. The drawing operation determines the position and dimensions of the pattern. In these, when the pattern is formed, the dimension of the pattern is closest to the design dimension.

  Here, when a pattern is formed on a plastic film with different moisture content in each part, and then the moisture content is in an equilibrium state in the outside air environment, the stretch behavior of the plastic film is not uniform in each part. There is a problem that the dimensions of the formed patterns are different. For this reason, when forming a pattern, the moisture content is uniform throughout the roll-shaped plastic film, and the moisture content is in an equilibrium state with respect to a predetermined outside air state. It is necessary.

  By the way, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of storing a plastic film in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment so that the moisture content and dimensions of the plastic film are within ± 10% of the equilibrium moisture content at a predetermined temperature and humidity. ing. However, in this case, as described above, the time required to reach the predetermined moisture content differs between the inner part and the outer part of the roll-shaped plastic film. For this reason, much time is spent in order to make the moisture content of a plastic film uniform.

  Further, in Patent Document 2, a predetermined dimension is accurately reproduced by managing the time until the exposure after the plastic film is subjected to heat dehydration. However, in this case, precise time management is required, and there is a problem that the time required to reach a predetermined moisture content differs between the inner part and the outer part of the roll-shaped plastic film. .

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such points, and a method for adjusting the moisture content of a plastic film capable of making the moisture content of the plastic film uniform in a short time, and a method for producing a color filter including this method And an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for adjusting the moisture content of a plastic film.

  The present invention includes a step of winding a belt-shaped plastic film through a support member, and forming a wound body of the plastic film so that the gap layer is interposed by the support member; and a step of reducing the pressure of the gap layer And, after the step of depressurizing the void layer, releasing the depressurization of the void layer and supplying a gas of a predetermined temperature and humidity to the void layer, and adjusting the moisture content of the plastic film Provide a method.

  In the above-described method for adjusting the moisture content of the plastic film, the plastic film winding body is accommodated in the chamber after the step of forming the plastic film winding body and before the step of depressurizing the gap layer. In the step of reducing the pressure in the chamber, the pressure in the chamber may be reduced, and in the step of supplying a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity, the pressure reduction in the chamber may be released and the gas may be supplied into the chamber.

  Further, in the above-described method for adjusting the moisture content of the plastic film, in the step of supplying a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity, the gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity is supplied to the void layer through a foreign matter removal filter that removes the foreign matter. It may be.

  Further, in the above-described method for adjusting the moisture content of a plastic film, in the step of supplying a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity, the gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity may be adjusted and supplied to the gap layer. Good.

  In the above-described method for adjusting the moisture content of the plastic film, the temperature and humidity of the gas fed into the void layer are the same as the temperature and humidity of the outside air when forming a pattern made of metal or resin that is subsequently formed on the plastic film. You may make it adjust so that it may become.

  Further, in the above-described method for adjusting the moisture content of a plastic film, the plastic film winding body is subjected to water absorption treatment after the step of forming the plastic film winding body and before the step of decompressing the void layer. Also good.

  In the above-described method for adjusting the moisture content of a plastic film, the plastic film winding body is dried after the step of forming the plastic film winding body and before the step of decompressing the gap layer. Also good.

  The present invention includes a step of adjusting the moisture content of the plastic film by executing the above-described method for adjusting the moisture content of the plastic film, and a step of forming a pattern having functionality for a color filter on the plastic film. Provided is a method for producing a color filter, characterized in that a color filter is obtained.

  The present invention provides a holding member for holding a plastic film winding body in which a belt-shaped plastic film is wound up via a supporting member, and a gap layer is interposed by the supporting member, and a winding of the plastic film. A chamber that accommodates the body and the holding member, a decompression unit that decompresses the inside of the chamber and decompresses the gap layer, and a gas supply unit that supplies a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity to the chamber. An apparatus for adjusting the moisture content of a plastic film is provided.

  In the above-described plastic film moisture content adjusting device, the gas supply unit may be provided with a foreign substance removal filter for removing foreign substances from the gas fed into the chamber.

  In the above-described plastic film moisture content adjusting device, the gas supply unit may be provided with an air conditioning unit for adjusting the temperature and humidity of the gas fed into the chamber.

  Moreover, in the moisture content adjusting device for the plastic film described above, the air conditioning unit is configured such that the temperature and humidity of the gas fed into the chamber is the temperature and humidity of the outside air when forming a pattern made of metal or resin that is subsequently formed on the plastic film. You may make it adjust so that it may become the same.

  According to the present invention, first, a plastic film is wound with a gap layer formed by a support member interposed therebetween to form a wound body of the plastic film, and then the gap layer is depressurized to form a gap layer. The gas inside is discharged to the outside, and then the decompression of the void layer is released, and a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity is supplied to the void layer from which the gas has been discharged. Thereby, the whole plastic film can be in contact with a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity. Further, by reducing the pressure of the gap layer, the gas can be quickly discharged from the gap layer, and can be quickly replaced with a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity. For this reason, the moisture content of a plastic film can be made uniform in a short time.

  In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to form a pattern made of metal or resin and having functionality for a color filter on a plastic film having a uniform moisture content. For this reason, the dimensional accuracy of the pattern can be improved, and the accuracy of the display image of the color filter can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a water content adjusting device for a plastic film in a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a plastic film winding body is held in the plastic film moisture content adjusting device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a plastic film winding body according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig.4 (a) is a top view which shows an example of arrangement | positioning of a supporting member in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4B is a side view of FIG. FIG.4 (c) is a top view which shows the other example of arrangement | positioning of a supporting member. FIG.4 (d) is a side view of FIG.4 (c). FIG.4 (e) is a top view which shows the further another example of arrangement | positioning of a supporting member. FIG. 4F is a side view of FIG. FIG. 5 is a view showing a flowchart of a method for adjusting the moisture content of a plastic film according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6: is a perspective view which shows the moisture content adjusting device of the plastic film in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 7: is a perspective view which shows the moisture content adjusting device of the plastic film in the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 are views showing a plastic film moisture content adjusting method, a color filter manufacturing method including this method, and a plastic film moisture content adjusting device in the first embodiment of the present invention. is there.

  First, the moisture content adjusting device 10 for the plastic film 1 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Here, the moisture content adjusting device 10 of the plastic film 1 adjusts the moisture content of the plastic film 1 used as a base material of a display member (not shown) with a color filter (not shown), for example (curing). To do).

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the moisture content adjusting device 10 of the plastic film 1 is such that the belt-shaped plastic film 1 is wound up via a support member 2 and the gap layer 3 is interposed by the support member 2. A holding member 11 that holds the wound body 4 of the plastic film 1 formed in the above, a chamber 13 that houses the wound body 4 and the holding member 11 of the plastic film 1, and discharges the gas in the gap layer 3 to the outside. In order to do so, the decompression unit 15 that decompresses the inside of the chamber 13 to decompress the gap layer 3, and the gas supply that supplies the gas to the chamber 13 in order to supply a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity to the gap layer 3 Unit 20.

  Here, the plastic film 1 is wound around a cylindrical core 5 as shown in FIGS.

  A gap layer 3 is formed between the plastic films 1 by the support member 2 in the wound body 4 of the plastic film 1. Here, the example of arrangement | positioning of the supporting member 2 is demonstrated using FIG. In the arrangement example shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the support member 2 is arranged to extend in the axial direction of the core 5 (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the plastic film 1). In this case, it is preferable that the supporting members 2 are arranged so as to be shifted from each other in the circumferential direction. Thereby, the gas of predetermined temperature and humidity can contact the whole plastic film 1 uniformly. Further, in the arrangement examples shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D, the support member 2 extends in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the core 5 (longitudinal direction of the plastic film 1). It is arrange | positioned at the both edges along a direction. In this case, the support member 2 is preferably made of a porous sheet as will be described later so as to supply a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity to the gap layer 3. Further, in FIGS. 4E and 4F, unevenness is formed on the contact surface of the support member 2 arranged in the same manner as the arrangement example shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D with the plastic film 1. Yes. In this case, a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity can be supplied to the gap layer 3 through the recess 2 a of the support member 2.

  Further, the support member 2 is other than the pattern made of metal or resin already formed on the plastic film 1 (or the pattern formed in the process after the adjustment of the moisture content of the plastic film 1) in the plastic film 1. It is preferable to arrange in the region. This can prevent the pattern from being damaged. The pattern formed on the plastic film 1 is made of metal or resin, has a desired functionality for a color filter, and is appropriately selected according to the use of the plastic film 1 or the like. Specific examples of such a pattern include, for example, a black matrix for a color filter, a pixel of a plurality of colors (red, green, blue), a metal pattern of a TFT array, or a conductive / insulating pattern on a circuit board. be able to.

  The holding member 11 has a holding member main body 11a erected on the bottom surface of the chamber 13, and a fitting portion 11b extending in the lateral direction from the upper portion of the holding member main body 11a and formed in a columnar shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the fitting portion 11 b is fitted into the hollow portion 5 a of the cylindrical core 5 to hold the winding body 4 of the plastic film 1. In this case, the hollow portion 5 a of the core 5 is blocked by the fitting portion 11 b of the holding member 11. In this way, the wound body 4 is held away from the inner side surface, the bottom surface, and the like of the chamber 13, thereby ensuring air permeability in the gap layer 3.

  The chamber 13 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a door for taking in and out the wound body 4 of the plastic film 1, an exhaust port communicating with the decompression unit 15, and an intake port communicating with the gas supply unit 20. (Both not shown). The chamber 13 is provided with a pressure gauge (for example, a vacuum gauge) 25 that measures the pressure in the chamber 13. The volume of the chamber 13 is preferably small enough to accommodate the winding body 4 and the holding member 11 of the plastic film 1 so that the inside of the chamber 13 can be quickly decompressed.

  The decompression unit 15 is not particularly limited as long as the inside of the chamber 13 can be decompressed and the gas can be exhausted. However, the decompression unit 15 is particularly preferably a vacuum pump. Any vacuum pump may be used as long as the pressure in the chamber 13 can be reduced to 1 kPa. Further, an exhaust valve 27 capable of shutting off gas discharge is provided between the chamber 13 and the decompression unit 15, and when the pressure in the chamber 13 is reduced to a predetermined pressure, the exhaust from the chamber 13 is reduced. It is configured so that gas discharge can be stopped quickly.

  It is preferable that the gas supply unit 20 includes an intake valve 21 that can release (depress) a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity into the decompressed chamber 13 by releasing the decompression of the chamber 13. As a result, a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity can be quickly supplied to the decompressed chamber 13. In the present embodiment, the gas fed into the gap layer 3 is composed of outside air having a predetermined temperature and humidity (for example, 25 degrees, 40% RH), and such outside air is the intake valve 21. The air is sucked into the chamber 13 via the.

  Next, the material of the plastic film 1 will be described. The plastic film 1 applicable in the present embodiment may be flexible enough to be wound up in a roll shape. For example, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polyimide (PI), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), poly List synthetic resins such as etherimide (PEI), cellulose triacetate (CTA), cyclic polyolefin (COP), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polysulfone (PSF), polyamideimide (PAI), norbornene resin, allyl ester resin, etc. In particular, PEN and PET are preferable.

  The thickness of the plastic film 1 is preferably in the range of 1 μm to 1000 μm, more preferably in the range of 10 μm to 500 μm, and still more preferably in the range of 50 μm to 250 μm. This is because if the thickness of the plastic film 1 is excessively larger than the above range, the flexibility is impaired, the plastic film 1 is easily broken, and it becomes difficult to form the wound body 4 of the roll-shaped plastic film 1. On the other hand, when it is thinner than the above range, there is no strain and handling in each step becomes difficult.

  Although it does not specifically limit as a width | variety of the plastic film 1, For example, it is preferable to exist in the range of 100 mm-1000 mm, and it is more preferable that it exists in the range of 150 mm-600 mm.

  In addition, the plastic film 1 may have a configuration composed of a single layer, or may have a configuration in which a plurality of layers are stacked.

  Next, the support member 2 will be described. The support member 2 used in the present embodiment is a member for forming the void layer 3 between the plastic films 1 wound around the core 5 by surface irregularities. The supporting member 2 is not particularly limited as long as it has flexibility, high air permeability and moisture permeability, and high releasability. For example, availability, ventilation In consideration of the property and moisture permeability, a moisture permeable film such as a porous sheet can be suitably used. Specific examples of the porous sheet include a polyethylene porous sheet (Sunmap manufactured by Nitto Denko), microvoided biaxially stretched polypropylene (YUPO manufactured by YUPO Corporation), and a nonwoven fabric.

  When a porous sheet is used for the support member 2, the surface roughness (Ra) of the porous sheet is preferably 1 μm or more, more preferably 2 μm or more, and further preferably 5 μm or more. preferable. This is because when Ra is smaller than the above range, the support member 2 has less voids, and the air permeability and moisture permeability deteriorate. In addition, Ra of a porous sheet is 10 micrometers or less normally. Moreover, "surface roughness (Ra)" here is "arithmetic mean surface roughness", and is measured based on JIS-B0601.

As another example of the supporting member, an embossed film on which irregularities are formed can be used. Such embossed films, for example, has a relatively large irregularities such as the contact area between the plastic film 1 is 0.01 mm ² 100 mm ² approximately, the spacing irregularities, for example, about 0.1mm~10mm Therefore, it is suitable for imparting air permeability to the gap layer 3. The embossed film may be, for example, a carrier tape that is used for general purposes, or may be a member in which an arbitrary uneven shape is formed by embossing.

  The thickness of the support member 2 is preferably in the range of 20 to 2000 μm, more preferably in the range of 50 to 1000 μm, and still more preferably in the range of 100 to 700 μm. If the thickness of the support member 2 is too thin than the above range, the gap layer 3 tends to be crushed when the plastic film 1 is wound, and if it is too thick, the plastic film 1 is difficult to wind up. Because it becomes.

  Moreover, as for the width of the support member 2, the support member 2 can be partially disposed on the plastic film 1 so that the moisture content inside and outside the roll when the plastic film 1 is wound is uniform. The width is not particularly limited as long as it is a width, and is appropriately selected depending on the width of the plastic film 1 and the size of the region where the pattern is formed.

  Although it is difficult for the entire surface of the plastic film 1 to be in contact with the gap layer 3 by interposing the support member 2, the contact area between the support member 2 and the plastic film 1 is sufficiently small. By doing so, it becomes possible to make the moisture content of the plastic film 1 uniform.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment having such a configuration, that is, the method for adjusting the moisture content of the plastic film 1 according to the present embodiment and the method for manufacturing a color filter including this method will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, as shown in FIG. 5, a strip-shaped plastic film 1, a support member 2, and a core 5 are prepared (step S1).

  Subsequently, the belt-shaped plastic film 1 is wound around the core 5 via the support member 2, and the wound body 4 of the plastic film 1 is formed so that the gap layer 3 is interposed by the support member 2. (Step S2). In this case, it is preferable that the supporting member 2 is disposed in a region other than the pattern made of a metal or resin already formed on the plastic film 1 (or a region other than the pattern formed thereafter) in the plastic film 1. . The method for winding the plastic film 1 is not particularly limited as long as it can be wound with low tension without crushing the gaps of the support member 2, and the gap layer 3 can be formed. Thus, a general winder (not shown) can be used. Moreover, it is preferable that the number of windings of the plastic film 1 is appropriately selected according to the application.

  Next, the wound body 4 of the plastic film 1 is accommodated in the chamber 13 (step S3).

  Next, the core 5 on which the wound body 4 of the plastic film 1 is formed is held by the holding member 11 (step S4). Here, the fitting portion 11 b of the holding member 11 is fitted into the hollow portion 5 a of the core 5.

  After holding the winding body 4, the inside of the chamber 13 is depressurized and the void layer 3 is depressurized in order to discharge the gas in the void layer 3 to the outside (step S5). During this time, the exhaust valve 27 is opened and the pressure inside the chamber 13 is reduced by the pressure reduction unit 15. The pressure in the chamber 13 can be confirmed by a pressure gauge 25 provided in the chamber 13. In this case, the inside of the chamber 13 is preferably depressurized to 1 to 50% (about 1 to 50 kPa) of atmospheric pressure, more preferably depressurized to 5 to 25% (about 5 to 25 kPa), More preferably, the pressure is reduced to 7 to 15% (about 7 to 15 kPa). This is because if the pressure during decompression is high, it will be difficult to sufficiently discharge the gas from the void layer 3, and if the pressure during decompression is low, moisture will be released from the plastic film 1. Further, it is preferable that the time for depressurization is short. After the pressure in the chamber 13 reaches a predetermined pressure (preferably, the pressure described above), the depressurization is promptly released to suck in the gas. It is preferable to return the pressure to atmospheric pressure. Specifically, after reaching a predetermined pressure, it is preferable to close the exhaust valve 27 and open the intake valve 21 within 0.1 to 10 seconds to start the intake of gas into the chamber 13. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the release of moisture from the plastic film 1.

  Next, the decompression of the void layer 3 is released, and a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity is supplied to the void layer 3 from which the gas has been discharged (step S6). In this case, the exhaust valve 27 is closed and the intake valve 21 is opened, the decompression in the chamber 13 is released, and a gas (outside air) having a predetermined temperature and humidity is sucked into the chamber 13 through the intake valve 21. Thus, the gas is supplied to the gap layer 3, and moisture is transferred between the gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity and the plastic film 1. Further, when the gas is supplied to the gap layer 3, the inside of the chamber 13 including the gap layer 3 returns to the atmospheric pressure from the reduced pressure state. Thereby, the pressure of the gas in contact with the plastic film 1 can be set to the same atmospheric pressure as the environment in the process of forming a pattern to be performed later, and the saturated water absorption that varies depending on the pressure of the gas can be made equal. it can. For this reason, the dimensional accuracy of the pattern formed in the plastic film 1 can be improved.

  Note that the above-described step S5 and step S6 are preferably repeated a predetermined number of times. In step S6, as described above, moisture is transferred between the gas supplied to the gap layer 3 and the plastic film 1. In this case, the humidity of the gas in the gap layer 3 increases or decreases. This is because it becomes difficult to bring the moisture content of the plastic film 1 close to the moisture content in an equilibrium state with a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity. Therefore, by repeating steps S5 and S6, the plastic film 1 can come into contact with a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity. In this case, the moisture content of the plastic film 1 is balanced with the gas having the predetermined temperature and humidity. The moisture content in the state can be set. In this case, the time interval from the release of the reduced pressure of the void layer 3 to the start of the reduced pressure of the void layer 3 is preferably 1 to 2880 minutes, and more preferably 5 to 1440 minutes. More preferably, it is 15 to 720 minutes.

  After steps S5 and S6 are repeated a predetermined number of times, the wound body 4 of the plastic film 1 is removed from the holding member 11 (step S7) and taken out from the chamber 13 (step S8).

  The take-up body 4 of the plastic film 1 taken out is set in a color filter manufacturing apparatus (not shown), and the plastic film 1 is fed out. The plastic film 1 is made of metal or resin, and has the functionality for a color filter. A pattern (for example, a black matrix for a color filter and pixels of a plurality of colors) is formed. A specific pattern forming method is not particularly limited as long as a desired pattern can be accurately formed. For example, a generally known method such as a photolithography method or an ink jet method may be used. it can.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, first, the plastic film 1 is wound around the gap layer 3 formed by the support member 2 to form the wound body 4 of the plastic film 1, and then, The void layer 3 is depressurized and the gas is discharged outward. Thereafter, the depressurization of the void layer 3 is released, and a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity is supplied to the void layer 3 from which the gas has been discharged. Thereby, the whole plastic film 1 can be in contact with a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity. Moreover, by reducing the pressure of the gap layer 3, the gas can be quickly discharged from the gap layer 3, and can be quickly replaced with a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity. For this reason, the moisture content of the plastic film 1 can be made uniform in a short time.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the step of depressurizing the void layer 3 and discharging the gas outward (step S5), and supplying the gas of a predetermined temperature and humidity to the void layer 3 from which the gas has been discharged. The process (step S6) to be performed is repeated a predetermined number of times. Thereby, the moisture content of the plastic film 1 can be made uniform to the moisture content in an equilibrium state with a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity.

  Furthermore, according to this Embodiment, the pattern which consists of a metal or resin and has the functionality for color filters can be formed in the plastic film 1 in which the moisture content became uniform. For this reason, the dimensional accuracy of the pattern can be improved, and the accuracy of the display image of the color filter can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, when the moisture content of the plastic film 1 is extremely low, the winding body 4 of the plastic film 1 may be subjected to water absorption treatment after step S2 and before step S3. good. Thereby, the moisture content of the plastic film 1 can be raised in a short time to the moisture content in an equilibrium state with a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity. As the water absorption treatment, water may be jetted or immersed in the winding body 4 of the plastic film 1, or a method of exposing to a high temperature and high humidity atmosphere may be used.

  In the present embodiment, when the moisture content of the plastic film 1 is extremely high, the winding body 4 of the plastic film 1 may be dried after step S2 and before step S3. good. Thereby, the moisture content of the plastic film 1 can be lowered in a short time to the moisture content in an equilibrium state with a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity. In addition, as a drying process, the method etc. which heat the winding body 4 of the plastic film 1 are mentioned.

Second Embodiment Next, a plastic film moisture content adjusting method, a color filter manufacturing method, and a plastic film moisture content adjusting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  The second embodiment shown in FIG. 6 differs mainly in that the intake valve is provided with a foreign matter removal filter that removes foreign matter from the gas fed into the chamber. Other configurations are the same as those in FIGS. This is substantially the same as the first embodiment shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the same parts as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the intake valve 21 is provided with a foreign matter removal filter 30 that removes foreign matters such as dust from the gas (outside air) fed into the gap layer 3.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the gas from which foreign matters such as dust are removed can be sent into the gap layer 3. For this reason, it is possible to prevent foreign matters such as dust from adhering to the surface of the plastic film 1.

Third Embodiment Next, a plastic film moisture content adjusting method, a color filter manufacturing method, and a plastic film moisture content adjusting device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  The third embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is mainly different in that an air conditioning unit for adjusting the temperature and humidity of the gas sent into the chamber is provided in the intake valve, and other configurations are the same as those in FIGS. This is substantially the same as the first embodiment shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, the same parts as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the intake valve 21 is provided with an air conditioning unit 40 that adjusts the temperature and humidity of the gas fed into the gap layer 3. The air conditioning unit 40 takes in the outside air, and the temperature and humidity of the taken-in outside air are made of metal or resin formed on the plastic film 1 and are used to form a pattern having functionality for a color filter. Adjust the temperature and humidity to be the same. Or you may make it the air-conditioning unit 40 adjust the temperature / humidity of the taken-out outside air so that it may become the same as the temperature / humidity of the outside air in the arbitrary processes which the plastic film 1 exposes after this. For example, when a display panel (not shown) including a display member using the plastic film 1 is completed and the dimensions of the pattern are defined in a state where the temperature is 25 degrees and the relative humidity is 40% RH, The air conditioning unit 40 preferably adjusts the temperature and humidity of the outside air to 25 degrees and 40% RH. Thereby, the dimensional accuracy of the pattern when the display panel is completed can be further improved. In the present embodiment, the decompression unit 15 and the air conditioning unit 40 are integrally configured.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the outside air is made of the metal or resin formed on the plastic film 1 so as to be the same as the temperature and humidity of the outside air when the pattern having the functionality for the color filter is formed. And is fed into the chamber 13. Thereby, the whole plastic film 1 can be in contact with the outside air having temperature and humidity when forming the pattern. For this reason, it is possible to make the moisture content uniform over the entire plastic film 1 to the moisture content in an equilibrium state with the outside air when forming the pattern.

  Moreover, according to this Embodiment, the temperature / humidity of the gas supplied to the space | gap layer 3 can be adjusted arbitrarily. For this reason, the moisture content of the plastic film 1 can be made into the moisture content in an equilibrium state with the gas of arbitrary temperature and humidity.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment by this invention has been described, naturally, within the scope of the gist of this invention, these embodiment can also be combined suitably partially. Further, in the present embodiment, various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

Example 1
The moisture content of each part of the plastic film 1 whose moisture content was adjusted by the moisture content adjusting method of the plastic film 1 of the present invention was measured.

  First, a PET film (300 mm wide and 30 m long PET film (Cosmo Shine A4100 manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., 125 μm thick)) was prepared as the plastic film 1, and a 30 mm wide porous film (Nitto Denko Sun) was prepared as the support member 2. Map, 200 μm thickness). This porous film was placed on both edges (both edges along the longitudinal direction) of the PET film, wound around a cylindrical core (inner diameter 3 inches) 5, and a gap layer 3 having a thickness of 200 μm was interposed. A roll 4 of PET film was formed. At this time, the moisture content of the PET film was 0.11% throughout. The moisture content can be measured using a microwave on-line moisture meter (manufactured by Markham), an electric resistance moisture meter (manufactured by Yamazaki Seiki Laboratory Co., Ltd.), or in accordance with JIS-K7209. it can. The winding operation was performed at 25 degrees and 39% RH outside air.

  Next, the PET film winding body 4 is accommodated in the chamber 13, the fitting portion 11 b of the holding member 11 is fitted into the hollow portion 5 a of the core 5, and the PET film winding body 4 is held by the holding member 11. I let you. Thereafter, the wound body 4 was allowed to stand in the chamber 13 for 144 hours.

  Thereafter, the vacuum pump used as the decompression unit 15 was operated and the exhaust valve 27 was opened to reduce the pressure in the chamber 13 to 10 kPa. Looking at the vacuum gauge provided in the chamber 13, the exhaust valve 27 is closed at the moment (within 1 second) when the pressure in the chamber 13 reaches 10 kPa, and the exhaust valve 21 is shut off and the intake valve 21 is opened. Thus, outside air having a predetermined temperature and humidity was sucked into the gap layer 3. Such decompression operation and intake operation were repeated 8 times to cure the PET film. In addition, as a curing time of PET film, 48 hours were spent as a whole. Further, in this example, outside air of 25 degrees and 39% RH was sucked into the chamber 13.

  As Comparative Example 1, a PET film equivalent to the above was wound around the core 5 without using the support member 2 (without interposing the void layer 3). In addition, the moisture content before winding of this PET film was 0.11% over the whole. Thereafter, the mixture was allowed to stand for 48 hours under an outside air of 25 degrees and 39% RH.

  After 48 hours, the water content of each PET film was measured.

  In the PET film of Comparative Example 1, the moisture content was 0.32% at the outer part of the winding, and reached an equilibrium state with the outside air. Uniformity was not obtained. On the other hand, in the PET film of Example 1, at all measurement points, 0.30% to 0.32% which is almost equivalent to 0.32% which is a saturated water absorption rate of 25 degrees in a curing environment and 39% RH. It was confirmed that the water content was increased. Moreover, the numerical value (minimum value ÷ maximum value) indicating the uniformity of moisture content was 94%, and it was confirmed that curing was completed uniformly throughout.

Example 2
Using the PET film cured according to Example 1, 100 patterns of 200 mm × 200 mm were formed. The temperature and humidity of the outside air during pattern formation was 25 degrees and 39% RH. As a pattern forming method, general photolithography was used.

  As Comparative Example 2, a pattern was formed in the same manner as described above using the PET film obtained in Comparative Example 1.

  The uniformity of the dimension of the pattern formed on each PET film was evaluated. That is, in the pattern of Comparative Example 2, the dimensional variation in 100 patterns from the outer part to the inner part was found to be a difference of 40 μm with respect to the design dimension of 100 mm. The difference was within 10 μm. This confirmed the uniformity of the pattern dimensions.

  In addition, about evaluation of the uniformity of a dimension, specifically, it can carry out as follows. When the design dimension of the pattern is known, as described above, it is evaluated how much the measured dimension of each pattern is shifted with reference to the design dimension. In addition, when the design dimension is unknown, the average dimension is obtained from the dimension measured in any of a plurality of patterns, and how much the measured dimension of each pattern is deviated based on this average dimension. evaluate. Further, it is generally preferable to use a length measuring device for measuring the dimensions. In particular, a precise length measuring machine capable of measuring dimensions to the micrometer unit is more preferable. For example, an ultra-precision automatic two-dimensional coordinate measuring machine manufactured by SOKKIA or a CNC image measuring system manufactured by Nikon Instruments Company can be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Plastic film 2 Support member 2a Concave part 3 Cavity layer 4 Winding body 5 Core 5a Hollow part 10 Moisture content adjusting device 11 Holding member 11a Holding member main body 11b Fitting part 13 Chamber 15 Decompression unit 20 Gas supply unit 21 Intake valve 25 Pressure Total 27 Exhaust valve 30 Foreign matter removal filter 40 Air conditioning unit

Claims (12)

Winding a belt-shaped plastic film through a support member, and forming a plastic film winding body so that a void layer is interposed by the support member;
Depressurizing the void layer;
After the step of depressurizing the void layer, the step of releasing the depressurization of the void layer and supplying a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity to the void layer is provided. . After the step of forming the plastic film winding body and before the step of depressurizing the void layer, the plastic film winding body is accommodated in the chamber,
In the process of depressurizing the void layer, the inside of the chamber is depressurized,
The method for adjusting the moisture content of a plastic film according to claim 1, wherein in the step of supplying a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity, the decompression in the chamber is released and the gas is supplied into the chamber.   3. The plastic film according to claim 2, wherein in the step of supplying the gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity, the gas having the predetermined temperature and humidity is supplied to the void layer through a foreign matter removing filter that removes the foreign matter. Water content adjustment method.   The water content of a plastic film according to claim 2 or 3, wherein in the step of supplying a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity, the gas having the predetermined temperature and humidity is supplied to the gap layer after adjusting the temperature and humidity. Rate adjustment method.   The temperature and humidity of the gas fed into the gap layer is adjusted so as to be the same as the temperature and humidity of the outside air when forming a pattern made of metal or resin that is subsequently formed on the plastic film. 5. A method for adjusting the moisture content of a plastic film according to 4.   6. The plastic film winding body is subjected to water absorption treatment after the step of forming the plastic film winding body and before the step of decompressing the void layer. A method for adjusting the moisture content of a plastic film.   6. The plastic film winding body is dried after the step of forming the plastic film winding body and before the step of depressurizing the void layer. A method for adjusting the moisture content of a plastic film. A step of adjusting the moisture content of the plastic film by executing the method of adjusting the moisture content of the plastic film according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
Forming a pattern having functionality for a color filter on a plastic film,
A method for producing a color filter, comprising obtaining a color filter. A holding member for holding a plastic film winding body in which a belt-shaped plastic film is wound up via a supporting member, and a void layer is interposed by the supporting member;
A chamber for receiving a plastic film winding body and a holding member;
A decompression unit for decompressing the inside of the chamber and decompressing the void layer;
And a gas supply unit for supplying a gas having a predetermined temperature and humidity into the chamber.   The moisture content adjusting device for a plastic film according to claim 9, wherein the gas supply unit is provided with a foreign matter removing filter for removing foreign matter from the gas fed into the chamber.   The water content adjusting device for a plastic film according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the gas supply unit is provided with an air conditioning unit for adjusting the temperature and humidity of the gas fed into the chamber.   The air conditioning unit adjusts the temperature and humidity of the gas fed into the chamber to be the same as the temperature and humidity of the outside air when forming a pattern made of metal or resin that is subsequently formed on the plastic film. Item 12. A water content adjusting device for a plastic film according to Item 11.

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