JP2012230255A - Sealing device and sealing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sealing device which is capable of obtaining sufficient static electricity to surely electrostatically chuck an upper substrate by an ultraviolet-transmissive sheet and is capable of hardening a sealant without attenuation of transmission of ultraviolet light, with respect to manufacturing of a cell structure of a liquid crystal panel or the like.SOLUTION: In the sealing device which irradiates a preliminarily applied sealant with ultraviolet light to bond a pair of upper and lower substrates, metal electrodes which generate static electricity for electrostatic chucking in an ultraviolet transmission range of a transparent sheet material are disposed, and a condenser lens is disposed over a space between the metal electrodes on the incidence side of ultraviolet light throughout in a lengthwise direction, and an ultraviolet-transmissive sheet is provided so that ultraviolet light condensed by the condenser lens is emitted from between the metal electrodes toward the upper substrate.

Description

  In the present invention, an upper substrate and a lower substrate are carried into a sealing device, and alignment of the carried upper and lower substrates and a sealing material previously applied to the upper substrate or the lower substrate are cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays (UV). Thus, the present invention relates to a sealing device and a sealing method in which upper and lower substrates are bonded together with a display functional layer interposed therebetween.

  Typical examples of panel displays such as liquid crystal panels, organic EL panels, and electronic paper panels employ a cell structure that is sealed with a display function layer interposed between a pair of upper and lower substrates. ing. In the cell structure in the liquid crystal panel, an alignment film, a transparent electrode, a deflection filter, and the like are arranged so as to sandwich the liquid crystal material, and the upper and lower substrates are sealed. On the other hand, in an organic EL panel, a display functional layer made of a transparent electrode and an organic semiconductor is disposed to seal between the upper and lower substrates, and the organic semiconductor is directly caused to emit light by the transparent electrode. In a typical configuration of an electronic paper panel, a microcapsule enclosing pigment particles and an oily material and a display functional layer made of a transparent electrode are arranged to seal between the upper and lower substrates. Further, in a naked-eye type three-dimensional display, a lenticular sheet is attached to the surface of the cell structure of the liquid crystal panel or organic EL panel configured as described above so that a three-dimensional image can be obtained.

  FIG. 13 shows an example of a conventional liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus. As shown in FIG. 13, a sealing material 51 is applied in a closed ring shape to one of a pair of upper and lower substrates (lower substrate 50) on which transparent electrodes are formed. The transparent spherical spacers are sprayed on the area surrounded by the sealing material 51, and the liquid crystal material 52 is dropped. The lower substrate 50 is placed and fixed via an elastic sheet 55 on a positioning table 54 that is supported in the vacuum chamber 53 so as to be movable in the horizontal direction in parallel with the surface of the lower substrate 50. On the other hand, the upper substrate 56 is sucked and fixed to a suction plate 57 supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction in the vacuum chamber 53.

  Next, after the air in the vacuum chamber 53 is exhausted (evacuated) to reach a predetermined degree of vacuum, the suction plate 57 is lowered and the sealing material 51 and the liquid crystal material 52 on the lower substrate 50 are moved to the upper substrate 56. The position is stopped at a position just before the contact, and the positional relationship between the alignment marks of the upper substrate 56 and the lower substrate 50 facing each other is adjusted by moving the positioning table 54 to perform rough alignment processing of the upper and lower substrates 50 and 56.

  Then, after the air in the vacuum chamber 53 is further exhausted to increase to a predetermined degree of vacuum, the suction plate 57 is further lowered to pressurize the upper substrate 56 toward the lower substrate 50, so that the upper substrate 56 and the lower substrate 50 The cell gap between them is maintained in a state held by a transparent spherical spacer. At this time, the sealing material 51 on the lower substrate 50 is crushed between the upper and lower substrates 50 and 56, and similarly the crushed liquid crystal material 52 is diffused into a region surrounded by the sealing material 51 and the upper and lower substrates 50 and 56. The entire region is filled with the liquid crystal material 52.

  Next, the vacuum chamber 53 is sucked to return to atmospheric pressure, the positional relationship between the alignment marks of the upper substrate 56 and the lower substrate 50 facing each other in atmospheric pressure is adjusted by moving the positioning table 54, and the upper and lower substrates 50. , 56 precise alignment processing is performed. Finally, the upper and lower substrates 50 and 56 subjected to the alignment process are taken out of the vacuum chamber, irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure the sealing material 51, and the manufacturing process of the cell structure is completed (see Patent Document 1). .

  On the other hand, since the organic semiconductor of the organic EL panel has a property of gradually degrading due to the influence of oxygen and moisture and lowering the luminance, a method for removing bubbles and moisture in the sealing material has been proposed (see Patent Document 2). ). The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes an exhaust unit that makes it possible to exhaust both the first space and the second space partitioned by an elastic sheet, and the first space is provided by the exhaust unit. Is controlled so as to be a negative pressure with respect to the second space, and the differential pressure generated in both spaces is applied to one of the sealing substrate and the element substrate via the elastic sheet, so that the pressure bonding of both substrates can be performed. It is made possible.

  In addition, in the manufacturing process of a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, when an ultraviolet ray is irradiated by an optical press method to cure a photo-curing type sealing material, the deterioration of the organic semiconductor becomes particularly significant when irradiated with an ultraviolet ray. In general, a light-shielding mask pattern is formed on quartz light-shielding glass so that only the sealing material is irradiated with ultraviolet rays (see Patent Document 3).

  In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 3, a light-shielding glass is disposed on the back side of a substrate on which an electro-optic layer is formed, and a sealing material is used to seal the substrate and the sealing member in order to airtightly cover the electro-optic layer. In this state, the substrate and the sealing member are bonded by irradiating ultraviolet rays from the light-shielding glass side and curing the sealing material in a state in which the substrate is sealed, and for this reason, the contact surface with the light-shielding glass substrate Water-repellent treatment is applied to the glass to prevent the light-shielding glass and the substrate from sticking to each other.

  The configuration disclosed in Patent Document 3 is a method of using extremely expensive quartz glass, and there is a problem in terms of durability and the like. Therefore, the applicant of the present application has a sheet member having flexibility and translucency. The upper substrate that is the cell structure is pressed against this UV transmitting sheet, and when the transmittance of the UV transmitting sheet falls to an allowable range, the unused part can be continuously supplied. . Then, a first chamber and a second chamber that can be depressurized are formed by using the ultraviolet transmitting sheet as a boundary so that pressure control from both surfaces of the cell structure can be performed (see Patent Document 4).

JP 2002-296601 A JP 2005-276754 A JP 2006-004707 A JP 2009-058883 A

  By the way, the liquid crystal panel and the organic EL panel tend to be enlarged, and the manufacturing apparatus is also enlarged with the enlargement of the panel. In addition, even when the panel is enlarged, the upper and lower substrates for bonding to and from the sealing device are carried in and out by a dedicated transport device, so that no manual work is required. If the upper and lower boards are carried in and out by human work, the proper humidity cannot be maintained due to dust scattering from the clothes of the worker or evaporation of sweat from the body, and an environment equivalent to a clean room is obtained. This will significantly reduce the production yield.

  In order to improve the production efficiency, it is desirable that the chambers formed above and below the cell structure have the minimum necessary capacity. In other words, the inside of the chamber in which the upper and lower substrates are bonded must always have a high degree of vacuum every step, and the degree of vacuum in the cell gap between the substrates must be high. However, when the capacity of this chamber is large, the amount of air sucked in the chamber is also large, so that the operation time of the vacuum pump becomes proportionally long, which is a major factor and decreases the production efficiency. , Will increase production costs.

  In particular, when manufacturing an organic EL panel, a very high degree of vacuum is required. Therefore, it is necessary to make the chamber as small as possible so that a vacuum state can be efficiently formed. In addition, while the chamber is downsized, it is equipped with an open / close door that allows the upper and lower substrates to be carried into the chamber and the completed cell structure to be carried out, so that automatic production is possible. Must be.

  Further, since the upper substrate that has been carried in must be kept at a fixed position in the chamber, a method for supporting the end portion of the upper substrate as in Patent Document 3 has been proposed. When such a method is used, the upper substrate is temporarily placed on the support portion, and an unstable state in which the upper substrate is only placed on the lower substrate due to the lowering of the support portion, that is, the upper substrate is Since the position is not fixed on the lower substrate, there is a possibility that the position shift occurs, and accurate alignment cannot be performed.

  This alignment process is an important process in the manufacturing process of liquid crystal panels and organic EL panels. However, a panel used for a three-dimensional display that allows a stereoscopic image to be viewed with the naked eye requires extremely high precision alignment. . That is, in a three-dimensional display, a lenticular sheet in which lenticular lenses corresponding to each pixel of the panel are arranged is arranged on the surface of the panel. At this time, unless the lenticular lens is accurately matched with each pixel of the panel. Don't be.

  In addition, the strength of the electric field formed by the liquid crystal material in the liquid crystal panel, the organic semiconductor in the organic EL panel, and the transparent electrode received by the microcapsules in the electronic paper panel must be uniform in all display regions. For this reason, it is ideal that the cell gap is completely constant in all display areas. However, in actual liquid crystal panel manufacturing, the tolerance is strictly required to be 0.1 μm or less, but this accuracy is maintained. Will improve quality and yield.

  However, in the configuration including the stage on which the lower substrate is placed as in the example disclosed in Patent Document 4, it is difficult to always maintain the complete level of the stage, and it is also necessary to constantly monitor the level. Have difficulty. However, if the stage is tilted and the upper substrate is pressed against the lower substrate by mechanical means, the pressing force becomes uneven, and the tilt affects the wide and narrow cell gaps. It will be.

  Therefore, the applicant of the present application, when sealing the pair of upper and lower substrates, securely fixes the upper substrate to enable accurate alignment and presses the upper substrate toward the lower substrate in the sealing process. In this case, even if the stage on which the lower substrate is placed is inclined, the upper substrate is placed in a state of following the stage deviation so that the uneven pressure distribution can be avoided. A method has been proposed in which the upper substrate is electrostatically chucked by generating static electricity (Coulomb force) through a pair of comb-like transparent electrodes formed on the disposed ultraviolet transmissive sheet.

The reason why the transparent electrode is employed in the ultraviolet transmissive sheet in the above method is to cure the sealing material as described above, and to ensure that sufficient ultraviolet rays are evenly applied to any part of the sealing material. . However, when the transparent electrode is used in this way, there is no problem in the transmission of ultraviolet rays, but the volume resistivity of the transparent electrode represented by indium tin oxide (ITO) is 10 ⁻⁴ Ω · cm or less. On the other hand, since the volume resistivity of the metal electrode is on the order of 10 ⁻⁶ Ω · cm, the conductivity of the transparent electrode is considerably lower than that of the metal electrode, and a high voltage that can be applied so that dielectric breakdown does not occur. Since the upper limit of the value is low, static electricity cannot be sufficiently generated, and there is a possibility that sufficient adsorption power cannot be obtained. In addition, the transparent electrode is formed by sputtering, PLD, or the like, but requires a considerably higher production cost than the formation of a metal electrode.

  In this way, the transparent electrode with low conductivity can improve the withstand voltage by increasing the thickness, but when the thickness exceeds 50 μm, the unevenness appearing on the adsorption surface becomes prominent, and the adhesion with the upper substrate becomes remarkable. As well as lowering, the insulation between the electrodes is lowered and causes dielectric breakdown. Therefore, in order to make the electrode thin and to be able to apply a high voltage, the use of a metal electrode is suitable and can generate a large amount of static electricity, but the amount of transmitted ultraviolet light is blocked by the metal electrode and halved, The problem that it becomes impossible to fully harden a sealing material will generate | occur | produce. The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and employs a metal electrode in the ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet to generate a large static electricity to enable a reliable electrostatic chuck and to sufficiently absorb ultraviolet rays. The object is to solve a trade-off problem in which the sealing material can be sufficiently cured by permeation.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above problems by means described below. That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in the sealing device in which the pre-applied sealing material is irradiated with ultraviolet rays and the pair of upper and lower substrates are bonded together, the transparent sheet material has an ultraviolet transmission range for the electrostatic chuck. And a condensing lens is arranged over the entire length between the metal electrodes on the ultraviolet incident side, and the ultraviolet light collected by the condensing lens is disposed between the metal electrodes and the upper substrate. It is made to be a sealing device provided with the ultraviolet transmissive sheet | seat made to radiate | emit toward.

  In the invention according to claim 2, in the sealing device according to claim 1, the condensing lens of the ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet has a lenticular structure and is formed into a sheet shape.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the sealing device according to the first or second aspect, a condensing lens is provided with a diffusing lens disposed over the entire length between the metal electrodes on the ultraviolet ray emitting side of the ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet. It is made to be an ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet that diffuses and emits ultraviolet rays incident from above toward the upper substrate.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the sealing device according to the third aspect, the diffusion lens of the ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet has a lenticular structure and is formed into a sheet shape.

  In the invention according to claim 5, in the sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, a light diffusion layer is disposed so as to cover the entire length between the metal electrodes on the ultraviolet ray emitting side of the ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet, The ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet is configured so that the ultraviolet rays incident from the condenser lens are diffused and emitted toward the upper substrate.

  The invention according to claim 6 is a sealing method in which a sealing material applied in advance is cured and a pair of upper and lower substrates are bonded to each other, and the lower substrate with the sealing material applied to the main surface is sealed in the sealing device. A step of carrying in on the stage inside, a step of carrying in the upper substrate on the lower substrate in the sealing device, and an electric current passing through the metal electrode formed on the ultraviolet transmissive sheet disposed above the upper substrate. The step of electrostatically chucking the upper substrate by generating, and the step of curing the applied sealing material by irradiating ultraviolet rays in a state where the upper substrate is pressed against the lower substrate by the ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet Thus, the upper substrate and the lower substrate are bonded together to obtain a cell structure.

  According to the present invention, when a pair of upper and lower substrates are bonded together, a high voltage current can be applied to the metal electrode formed on the ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet, so that the upper substrate is electrostatically chucked and fixed in place. Therefore, accurate positioning and alignment are possible. When the upper substrate presses the lower substrate, even if the stage on which the lower substrate is placed is tilted, the upper substrate is in a state of following the tilt of the stage together with the ultraviolet light transmitting sheet, so that uneven distribution of pressure can be avoided. The gap becomes constant. Furthermore, since the ultraviolet rays to be radiated are condensed by the condenser lens and emitted from between the metal electrodes toward the upper substrate, the sealing material can be sufficiently cured, and the quality and yield can be improved. .

It is sectional drawing explaining the structure of the sealing device of this invention. It is sectional drawing explaining the structure of the sealing device of this invention. It is a fragmentary perspective view explaining the structure of the sealing device of this invention. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement aspect of the principal part of the sealing device of this invention. It is a figure explaining the structure of the intake / exhaust circuit of the sealing device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the lower board | substrate used as a cell structure. It is explanatory drawing of the upper board | substrate used as a cell structure. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement aspect of the sealing device of this invention. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement aspect of the sealing device of this invention. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement aspect of the sealing device of this invention. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement aspect of the sealing device of this invention. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement aspect of the sealing device of this invention. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement aspect of the sealing device of this invention. It is a figure explaining the ultraviolet permeable sheet of this invention. It is a partial expanded sectional view which shows the structure of the ultraviolet permeable sheet of this invention. It is a partial expanded sectional view which shows the other structure of the ultraviolet permeable sheet of this invention. It is a partial expanded sectional view which shows other structure of the ultraviolet permeable sheet of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the conventional sealing device.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes an empty housing that is a hollow body having a first chamber CH1 inside, an opening 1a is formed on the upper surface, and a substrate carry-in window 1b is formed on an arbitrary side surface. Is formed. Further, the vacant housing 1 is provided with an intake / exhaust pipe P1 connected to an intake / exhaust circuit described later.

  A stage 2 containing a mechanism that can be finely moved in the X direction, the Y direction, and the θ direction is provided in the center of the interior of the vacant housing 1, and a rod 3 fixed to the stage 2 is provided with the vacant housing 1. The rod 3 moves up and down by the driving force of the motor 5 applied to the gear box 4, and the stage 2 moves up and down inside the vacant housing 1. An airtight seal S is provided on the support portion of the rod 3 on the bottom surface of the vacant housing 1 so that the airtight state of this portion is maintained.

  Furthermore, below the bottom surface of the vacant housing 1, the support rods 6 that support the four corners on the diagonal line of the lower substrate W <b> 1 carried into the vacant housing 1 from the lower surface are moved up and down. The fluid pressure cylinder 7 is arranged and fixed. An airtight seal S is provided on the support portion of the support rod 6 on the bottom surface of the vacant housing 1 so that the airtight state of this portion is maintained.

  The support rod 6 that supports the lower substrate W1 penetrates through the stage 2 and moves up and down. However, this is because the lower substrate W1 is placed on the stage 2 in the widest possible range, and pressure is applied during molding. This is because there is no biased part. An alignment camera 10 is provided on the side of the stage 2 so that an image signal for alignment with the lower substrate W1 and the upper substrate W2 can be obtained.

  Next, an ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11 that transmits ultraviolet rays is disposed on the upper surface of the vacant housing 1 so as to cover the entire range, and the ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11 is fed from a supply roll 12 and wound. The take-up roll 13 is wound up. The ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11 employs a flexible material, such as PET resin or PFE resin, and is in close contact with the upper surface of the flange 1c of the vacant housing 1, so that the airtightness of this portion is maintained.

  The ultraviolet transmissive mask support frame 14 placed on the flange 1c of the vacant casing 1 on the ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11 is a frame having a shape substantially matching the outer shape of the vacant casing 1, and has a flange 14a inside thereof. The ultraviolet mask 15 is accommodated in support. The ultraviolet mask 15 is formed with a plurality of through holes 15 a for guiding a necessary amount of ultraviolet rays emitted from a lamp house 19, which will be described later, disposed above the vacant housing 1. Further, the ultraviolet transmissive mask support frame 14 is provided with an intake / exhaust pipe P2 connected to an intake / exhaust circuit, which will be described later, and O-rings 16 and 17 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the frame to maintain airtightness. I'm trying to droop.

  A movable sealing board 18 for covering and closing the opening 14b is placed on the upper surface of the ultraviolet transmissive mask support frame 14. The movable sealing plate 18 is carried into a fixed position of the ultraviolet transmissive mask support frame 14 from the front and rear direction or the horizontal direction by a transport mechanism (not shown), and is placed on the ultraviolet transmissive mask support frame 14 as shown in FIG. The pressure is applied downward by a pressurizing device (not shown). Thereby, the space surrounded by the inner surface of the ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11, the ultraviolet transmissive mask support frame 14, and the back surface of the movable sealing plate 18 becomes the second chamber CH2. Since the O-rings 16 and 17 are crushed by the pressurization by the pressurizing device, the airtightness of this portion is sufficiently maintained.

  A lamp house 19 is disposed above the movable sealing board 18, and an ultraviolet lamp 20 that sequentially emits ultraviolet rays toward the opening 19 a is disposed inside the lamp house 19. A heat ray cut filter 21 for blocking the radiant heat and a shutter 22 that can be freely opened and closed are accommodated.

  The mechanism element of the present invention is configured as described above. However, in order to achieve automation of the apparatus, it is necessary to provide an opening / closing window in the substrate carry-in window 1b of the vacant housing 1. FIG. 3 shows an example of such a configuration. As shown in FIG. 3, an opening / closing door 23 covering the entire surface of the board carry-in window 1b is arranged so that power is transmitted by the gear mechanism of the elevating device 24 so as to move up and down. ing.

  On the other hand, a fluid pressure tube 25 is disposed on the entire circumference of the flange portion of the substrate carry-in window 1b as shown in FIG. 3, and when the door 23 is lowered as shown in FIG. The fluid in the fluid pressure tube 25 is sucked to avoid contact with the open / close door 23. When the substrate carry-in window 1b is thus opened, the lower substrate W1 and the upper substrate W2 can be carried in by the robot arms RB1 and RB2 as shown in FIG.

  When the loading of the lower substrate W1 and the upper substrate W2 is completed, the open / close door 23 is raised as shown in FIG. 4B, and a pressurized fluid is injected into the fluid pressure tube 25 to expand it, thereby obtaining an airtight state. To be able to. The upper substrate W2 carried into the vacant housing 1 as described above is electrostatically chucked by static electricity generated by energization of the transparent electrodes 11a and 11b of the ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11 as will be described later. Will be held.

  Here, the structure of the intake / exhaust circuit of the apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the air supply / exhaust pipe P1 connected to the vacant casing 1 is connected to the atmosphere A via a valve 26a, and is connected to a vacuum pump 28 via valves 26b and 26c. On the other hand, the intake / exhaust pipe P2 connected to the ultraviolet transmitting mask support frame 14 is connected to the atmosphere A through a valve 27a, and is connected to the vacuum pump 28 through valves 27b and 27c. The pipes from the valve 26c and the valve 27c to the vacuum pump 28 are connected to each other on the way, and are connected to the vacuum pump 28 by one pipe. The valves 26c and 27c are valves for adjusting the vacuum pressure, and are provided for controlling the ultimate vacuum pressure after exhausting.

  The sealing device of the present invention is configured as described above, and the processing steps until the lower substrate W1 and the upper substrate W2 are carried into the vacant housing 1 and the cell structure 30 is completed will be described below. However, since the lower substrate W1 and the upper substrate W2 must be prepared in advance, first, the processing of the preformed lower substrate W1 and upper substrate W2 is an example in the case of a liquid crystal panel. This will be described below.

  As shown in FIG. 6, transparent spherical spacers 31b are dispersed in a plurality of liquid crystal display areas 31a having predetermined vertical and horizontal intervals on one side of the lower substrate W1, or photo spacers are formed to form the lower substrate W1. When the upper substrate W2 is bonded, a gap in the liquid crystal display region 31a between the substrates W1 and W2 can be secured. Further, a plurality of alignment marks 31c for positioning the substrates W1 and W2 are provided outside the plurality of liquid crystal display areas 31a.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of closed annular sealing materials 32a are applied to one surface of the upper substrate W2 at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions. The sealing material 32a has an ultraviolet curable property, and a cylindrical silica fiber 32b is mixed in the sealing material 32a in advance so as to ensure a gap in the sealing portion between the substrates W1 and W2. Yes.

  Further, a closed annular sealing material 32c is applied so as to surround the entire area where the plurality of sealing materials 32a are applied. Similarly to the sealing material 32a, a cylindrical silica fiber 32b is mixed in the sealing material 32c in advance so that a gap in the sealing portion between the substrates W1 and W2 can be secured when the substrates W1 and W2 are bonded together. ing. Note that the silica fiber 32b mixed in the sealing material 32a and the sealing material 32c has the same material, shape and size.

  Furthermore, a plurality of alignment marks 32d and temporary fixing ultraviolet curable resins 32e are provided outside the closed annular seal member 32c. In addition, a predetermined amount of liquid crystal material 32f is dropped at a plurality of positions in a region surrounded by each closed annular sealing material 32a by a liquid quantitative discharge device such as a dispenser. In addition, when forming an organic EL panel in the apparatus of the present invention, a substrate in which an organic EL layer is formed on one of both substrates W1 and W2 is used, and another substrate corresponding to this is sealed. It can be formed to be a substrate.

  Note that transparent glass is often used as a material for both substrates W1 and W2 in the manufacture of liquid crystal panels and organic EL panels, but transparent synthetic resin films tend to be frequently used in the manufacture of electronic paper panels. In addition, when the purpose is to manufacture a cell structure for a three-dimensional display, a lenticular sheet is previously pasted on the surface of the substrate to be an image display surface.

  The plurality of lower substrates W1 and upper substrates W2 preformed as described above are stored by a carry-in device (not shown) and ready for molding. Each component shown in FIG. 1 under such a premise is in an initial state in which a processing step is started, and the support rod 6 and the stage 2 of the lower substrate W1 are in the lowest lowered position. When the operation of the apparatus is started, first, the fluid pressure cylinder 7 is actuated as shown in FIG. 8A, and the support rod 6 is raised as shown in FIG. At this time, the valve 27b is opened, the second chamber CH2 is evacuated, and the ultraviolet transmitting sheet 11 is in close contact with the ultraviolet mask 15.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4A, the lower substrate W1 is carried in by the robot arm RB1 from the opened substrate carry-in window 1b, and on the tip 6a of the support rod 6, as shown in FIG. 8B. Placed. Alternatively, the lower substrate W1 may be carried in first by the robot arm RB1, and then the flow pressure cylinder 7 may be operated to raise the support rod 6.

  When the lower substrate W1 is placed on the tip 6a of the support rod 6 by the above process, the support rod 6 is lowered as shown in FIG. 8C, and the lower substrate W1 is disposed at a position close to the stage 2. . When the lower substrate W1 is in the arrangement state shown in FIG. 8C, the upper substrate W2 is carried in by the robot arm RB2 as shown in FIG. 8D. When the upper substrate W2 is carried in, the alignment camera 10 detects the alignment mark 31c of the lower substrate W1 and the alignment mark 32d of the upper substrate W2, and fine adjustment by the robot arm RB2 based on this image signal makes it possible to adjust both the substrates W1, W2. Horizontal alignment is possible.

  When the upper substrate W2 is carried in as described above, an electric current flows through the transparent electrodes 11a and 11b of the ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet 11 to generate static electricity, and the upper substrate W2 is attracted to perform an electrostatic chuck. As shown in FIG. 8E, the upper substrate W2 is secured on the ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet 11. At the same time, the open / close door 23 rises, and as shown in FIG. 4 (B), the pressurized fluid is injected into the fluid pressure tube and expands, whereby this portion becomes airtight and the first chamber CH1 is sealed. It becomes the state.

  In this state, the valve 26b is opened, evacuation of the first chamber CH1 is started, and the degree of vacuum is increased to about 10 Pa (Pascal) by adjusting the valve 26c. At this time, the valve 27c is adjusted so that the second chamber CH2 does not become a negative pressure so that the ultraviolet light transmitting sheet 11 is not drawn into the first chamber CH1 side.

  In this way, setting the first chamber CH1 to a high degree of vacuum is significant particularly in the case of manufacturing an organic EL panel. Oxygen and humidity in the first chamber CH1 and the air in the air accompanying the exhaust are exhausted. Impurities can be removed and the yield can be increased.

  When the exhaust of the first chamber CH1 is completed at a high vacuum degree by the above process, the fluid pressure cylinder 7 is actuated as shown in FIG. 8 (F), and the lower substrate W1 is attached to the sealing material 32c of the upper substrate W2 by the support rod 6. Raise it until it touches and temporarily fix it. At the same time, the degree of vacuum in the first chamber CH1 is increased by adjusting the valve 26c to about 50 Pa as an example, and the gas supply means 29 is opened with the valve 29a to sufficiently dry the inert gas G such as argon or nitrogen gas. Introduce from.

  The process of FIG. 8G shows a state in which the degree of vacuum of the first chamber CH1 is increased to about 100 Pa while the stage 2 is further raised. At this time, the stage 2 is raised and the lower substrate is placed, and further, the valve 26c is adjusted and the vacuum in the first chamber CH1 is maintained while the stage is maintained at the highest position in the process of FIG. Increase until the degree is about 50 kPa. 8G and 8H, since the upper substrate W2 is secured on the ultraviolet transmitting sheet 11, the stage 2 can be finely moved to perform accurate alignment.

  In the step of FIG. 8I, the valve 26b is closed while the degree of vacuum in the first chamber CH1 is maintained at about 50 kPa, and the valve 27a is opened to introduce the atmosphere A into the second chamber CH2. Shows the state. Thus, when the atmosphere A fills the second chamber CH2, the atmospheric pressure is about 101 kPa, so the inside of the first chamber 1 becomes a negative pressure, and the second chamber CH2 positive pressure passes through the through hole 15a. The ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11 is pushed down to be in close contact with the entire surface of the upper substrate W2, and pressure is applied.

  The process of FIG. 8J shows a state in which the movable sealing plate 18 is removed from the upper surface of the ultraviolet transmissive mask support frame 14 by the transport mechanism, and even if the movable sealing plate 18 is removed, the ultraviolet ray is removed. Since the upper surface of the transmission sheet 11 is still at atmospheric pressure, the negative pressure state in the first chamber CH1 is maintained. Therefore, even in this state, the pressure applied to the second substrate W2 by the ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11 does not change.

  In this way, when atmospheric pressure is applied to the upper substrate W2, the upper substrate W2 moves to the lower substrate W1 side, and the gap between the two substrates W1 and W2 is reduced. If this is a case where a liquid crystal panel is formed, the cell gap between the substrates W1 and W2 is determined by the silica fiber 32b and the spacer 31b, and approaches, for example, about 5 μm. A region surrounded by both the substrates W1 and W2 and the sealing material 32a is filled with a liquid crystal material 32f.

  Next, in the process of FIG. 8 (K), the shutter 22 is opened for a predetermined time, and the necessary light quantity determined by the ultraviolet light UV mask 15 through the heat ray cut filter 21 of the ultraviolet lamp previously lit is transmitted through the ultraviolet light. The light passes through the sheet 11 and is irradiated on the upper substrate W2. Thereby, the sealing materials 32a and 32c positioned between the lower substrate W1 and the upper substrate W2 are cured, and the cell structure 30 having a predetermined cell gap is completed.

  When the cell structure 30 is completed in this manner, the valve 26b is closed and the valve 26a is opened, so that the atmosphere A is introduced into the first chamber CH2 as shown in FIG. 8L. . At the same time, the application of the direct current to the transparent electrodes 11a and 11b of the ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet 11 is cut off, and the generation of static electricity is terminated and the electrostatic chuck is released. Then, the stage 2 is lowered to the initial position, the open / close door 23 is moved by the elevating device 24, and the cell supported by the tip 6 a of the support rod 6 of the fluid pressure cylinder 7 from the substrate carry-in window 1 b of the vacant housing 1. The structure 30 can be taken out by the robot arm RB1 or RB2.

  Next, the ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11 of the present invention will be described in detail. As schematically shown in FIG. 9, the ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11 is formed such that metal electrodes 11a and 11b made of copper, nickel, or the like meander and alternately form a comb-teeth shape. By applying a direct current from the clamp terminals 8a and 8b connected to the terminal end portions 11c and 11d of the 11b, static electricity is generated on the surface thereof, so that the upper substrate W2 can be electrostatically chucked. The wiring pattern of the metal electrodes 11a and 11b is not limited to the form shown in FIG.

  Further, as shown macroscopically in FIG. 10, the metal electrodes 11a and 11b are arranged on the UV transmissive sheet 11 such as the above-described PET resin or PFE resin, and are fixed by applying a transparent insulating adhesive 11e. Yes. If the line width of the metal electrodes 11a and 11b is less than 0.05 mm, a sufficient electric field strength cannot be obtained in the electrostatic chuck, and if it exceeds 10 mm, the electric field strength for obtaining the gradient force characteristic of the bipolar electrostatic chuck. The repetition interval is large and sufficient adsorption force cannot be obtained. Therefore, in the present invention, the line width of the metal electrodes 11a and 11b is set to 1 mm, and the width between the electrodes is set to 1 mm as a reference.

  Thus, the metal electrodes 11a and 11b are arranged on the ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11, and a plano-convex and cylindrical condensing lens 11f is formed as shown in FIG. 10 so as to straddle between the metal electrodes 11a and 11b. To place. The condensing lens 11f has a lenticular structure and can be formed as a single sheet, and the condensing lens 11f can be accurately positioned between the electrodes.

  When the ultraviolet ray transmissive sheet 11 of the present invention configured as described above is irradiated with ultraviolet rays UV, the ultraviolet rays UV irradiated on the metal electrodes 11a and 11b are refracted by the condenser lens 11f, as indicated by broken line arrows in FIG. As shown in the figure, the light is emitted toward the back surface of the ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11. Thereby, the ultraviolet rays UV can enter the upper substrate W2 without being blocked by the metal electrodes 11a and 11b, and can accelerate the curing of the sealing materials 32a and 32c.

  The configuration shown in FIG. 11 is to allow the ultraviolet rays UV incident from the condenser lens 11f to be actively diffused, and is a plano-concave and cylindrical shape so as to straddle the emission side between the metal electrodes 11a and 11b. The diffusing lens 11g is arranged as shown in FIG. The diffusing lens 11g may also have a lenticular structure and is formed into a single sheet. By arranging the diffusing lens 11g on the emission side of the ultraviolet ray UV in this way, the incident ultraviolet ray UV can be actively diffused, and the equalization of the light amount of the ultraviolet ray UV incident on the upper substrate W2 is promoted. be able to.

  In the case of the configuration shown in FIG. 12, a light diffusing film 11h is attached to the back surface of the ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11, and the ultraviolet light incident from the condenser lens 11f is diffused by the light diffusing film 11h and enters the upper substrate W2. It is possible to promote equalization of the amount of ultraviolet light UV. When the light diffusing film 11h is employed in this manner, consideration for positioning between the metal electrodes 11a and 11b is not necessary, so that the manufacturing process can be simplified.

  As described in detail above, in the sealing device of the present invention, the metal electrodes 11a and 11b are formed on the ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet 11, and a high voltage current can be passed through the metal electrodes 11a and 11b to strongly generate static electricity. Thus, the upper substrate W2 can be reliably electrostatically chucked, and can be fixed in a fixed position. When the upper substrate W2 presses the lower substrate W1, even if the stage 2 on which the lower substrate W1 is placed is inclined, the upper substrate is in a state of following the inclination of the stage 2 together with the ultraviolet transmitting sheet 11, so that the pressure Can be avoided, and the cell gap between the upper and lower substrates W1 and W2 is constant.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the ultraviolet rays UV blocked by the metal electrodes 11a and 11b are positively collected and emitted from the ultraviolet transmissive sheet 11, the light amounts are averaged without attenuating the light amounts. Therefore, a uniform curing process is possible, and the quality and the yield can be improved.

  In the above description of the present invention, a liquid crystal panel and an organic EL panel have been described as examples of the embodiments. However, products similar to these can be manufactured in other product fields, and can be widely applied. Can do.

1 ... Empty housing 2 ... Stage 3 ... Rod 4 ... Gear box 5 ... Motor 6 ... · Support rod 7 · · · Fluid pressure cylinder 8a · 8b · · Clamp terminal 10 · · · Alignment camera 11 · · · UV transmissive sheet 11a · · · Metal electrode 11b · · · Metal Electrode 11f ··· Condensing lens 11g ··· Diffusion lens 11h ··· Light diffusion film 12 ··· Supply roll 13 ··· Winding roll 14 ··· UV transparent mask Support frame 15 ... UV mask 16.17 ... O-ring 18 ... Moving seal 19 ... Lamp house 20 ... UV lamp 21 ... Heat ray cut filter 22 ... Shutter 23 ... ··· Opening and closing door 24 ··· Lifting device 25 ··· Fluid pressure tube 28 ··· Vacuum pump 30 ··· Cell structure W1 · · · Lower substrate W2 ··· .... Upper substrate CH1 ... First chamber CH2 ... Second chamber

Claims (6)

In a sealing device in which a pair of upper and lower substrates are bonded to each other by irradiating ultraviolet rays onto a pre-applied sealing material,
A metal electrode for generating static electricity for the electrostatic chuck is disposed in the ultraviolet transmission range of the transparent sheet material, and a condensing lens is disposed over the entire length between the metal electrodes on the ultraviolet incident side. A sealing device, comprising: an ultraviolet transmissive sheet configured to emit the ultraviolet rays condensed by the step toward the upper substrate from between the metal electrodes.   The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the condensing lens of the ultraviolet light transmitting sheet has a lenticular structure and is formed in a sheet shape.   The diffusing lens is arranged over the entire length of the metal electrode on the ultraviolet ray emitting side of the ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet, and ultraviolet rays incident from the condenser lens are diffused and emitted toward the upper substrate. Or the sealing device of Claim 2.   The sealing device according to claim 3, wherein the diffusion lens of the ultraviolet light transmitting sheet has a lenticular structure and is formed in a sheet shape.   A light diffusing layer is disposed so as to cover the entire length between the metal electrodes on the ultraviolet ray emitting side of the ultraviolet ray transmitting sheet, and ultraviolet rays incident from the condenser lens are diffused and emitted toward the upper substrate. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2. A sealing method in which a sealing material applied in advance is cured and a pair of upper and lower substrates are bonded together,
A step of carrying in a lower substrate having a sealing material applied to an important part of the surface onto a stage in a sealing device; a step of carrying in the upper substrate on the lower substrate in the sealing device; and the upper substrate A process of electrostatically chucking the upper substrate by generating static electricity through current on a metal electrode formed on the ultraviolet transmissive sheet disposed above the upper electrode, and pressing the upper substrate toward the lower substrate by the ultraviolet transmissive sheet A sealing method characterized in that a cell structure is obtained by bonding the upper substrate and the lower substrate by a process of irradiating ultraviolet rays in a state and curing the sealing material.

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