JP7274335B2 - Pressure defoaming device and pressure defoaming method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a pressurized defoaming apparatus and a pressurized defoaming method.

In a substrate with a sheet, which is a work piece in which a sheet member such as a polarizing plate is attached to a substrate such as a glass substrate via an adhesive layer, air bubbles may enter the adhesive layer between the sheet member and the substrate. , pressure defoaming treatment is performed by a pressure defoaming device to remove air bubbles.

The pressurized degassing device may be a pressurized degassing device in which a predetermined number of workpieces are placed in an autoclave and subjected to heating and pressurization for batch processing, or a preliminary chamber is provided before and after the pressurized heating chamber. A tunnel-type pressurized defoaming apparatus (for example, see Patent Literature 1) that continuously performs pressurized defoaming is known.

JP 2004-358377 A

However, in the conventional pressurized degassing apparatus for batch processing, the process of arranging a plurality of workpieces on a tray or the like is complicated, and there is a possibility that dust generation may deteriorate the yield. In addition, the tunnel-type pressurized defoaming apparatus is large and complicated, and there is a possibility that maintenance and management costs will increase.

In addition, in the conventional pressurized degassing apparatus and tunnel type pressurized degassing apparatus for batch processing, air is injected into the pressurized chamber to create a state of higher pressure than the atmospheric pressure, and in this state, about several 10 minutes It took a very long time for the defoaming treatment.

The pressurized degassing processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a base having an installation surface on which a sheet-attached substrate having a sheet attached to the substrate is installed, and a base that moves in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface and hits the installation surface. A cylinder enclosing the sheet-attached substrate placed on the installation surface in a contact state, and a piston moving in the vertical direction within the cylinder, wherein the cylinder abuts on the installation surface. In this configuration, the gas in the cylinder is compressed by moving the piston in a direction approaching the base in a state in which the substrate with the sheet is housed and sealed in the cylinder.

The pressurized defoaming method of the present disclosure includes an installation step of installing a sheet-attached substrate having a sheet attached to the substrate on the installation surface of a base having an installation surface; a cylinder that moves relative to the base and surrounds the sheet-attached substrate placed on the installation surface in contact with the installation surface; and moves in the vertical direction within the cylinder. a sealing step of sealing the substrate with sheet on the installation surface by means of a piston and a sealing step of sealing the substrate with sheet on the installation surface; and a pressurizing step of pressurizing the gas in the cylinder by moving in a direction approaching the base.

According to the pressure defoaming apparatus of the present disclosure, a highly reliable sheet-attached substrate can be manufactured at low cost without using a large-sized apparatus. In addition, in a state in which the substrate with the sheet is housed and sealed in the cylinder, the gas in the cylinder is compressed in a short time by moving the piston toward the base, thereby performing defoaming in a short time. can do.

Moreover, according to the pressurized defoaming method of the present disclosure, a highly reliable sheet-attached substrate can be manufactured at low cost without using a large-sized apparatus. In addition, in a state in which the substrate with the sheet is housed and sealed in the cylinder, the gas in the cylinder is compressed in a short time by moving the piston toward the base, thereby performing defoaming in a short time. can do.

1 is a front view showing a pressurized defoaming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an enlarged part of a pressure defoaming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 3 is a process diagram showing a pressurized defoaming process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a front view showing a pressure defoaming treatment process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a front view showing a pressure defoaming treatment process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a front view showing a pressure defoaming treatment process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a front view showing a pressure defoaming treatment process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a front view showing a pressure defoaming treatment process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a front view showing a pressure defoaming treatment process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

A pressurized degassing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a pressurized defoaming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 1, the side wall of the pressurizing cylinder 17 is omitted to simplify the explanation. A base 12 is fixed on a horizontal base 11 . A column 13 is installed perpendicularly to the base 11 .

A lifting cylinder 14 is fixed to the column 13 . The lifting cylinder 14 may be realized by a double-acting pneumatic cylinder, for example. The lift cylinder 14 is provided with a plunger 15 , and a first support plate 16 is fixed to the lower end of the plunger 15 . The first support plate 16 is provided so as to be vertically movable along the column 13 . The plunger 15 can move the first support plate 16 in the vertical direction by changing the amount of protrusion from the main body of the lifting cylinder 14 by air pressure. The lifting cylinder 14 may be of a hydraulic drive type. Further, an actuator driven by an electric motor may be used instead of the lifting cylinder 14 .

A pressurizing cylinder 17 is fixed to the lower surface of the first support plate 16 . The pressurizing cylinder 17 has its upper end fixed to the first support plate 16 . A piston 18 is arranged in the pressurizing cylinder 17 . When the first support plate 16 descends and the lower end of the pressurizing cylinder 17 comes into contact with the mounting surface 12a of the base 12, the space SP (see FIG. 6) surrounded by the mounting surface 12a, the pressurizing cylinder 17, and the piston 18 ) is kept confidential. In order to improve airtightness, for example, an O-ring may be provided on the lower end surface of the pressurizing cylinder 17 or on the mounting surface 12a.

Supports 19a and 19b are fixed on the first support plate 16, and a second support plate 20 is fixed in parallel with the first support plate 16 above the supports 19a and 19b. A piston drive motor 21 is attached to the upper surface of the second support plate 20 . The piston drive motor 21 may be realized by, for example, a servomotor. A screw shaft 22 extends from the piston drive motor 21 through the second support plate 20 . A screw receiving body 23 is fixed to the upper end of the piston 18. A screw shaft 22 is threadedly engaged with the screw receiving body 23 and penetrates therethrough. 23 and piston 18 can be moved vertically.

A heater 12b such as a ceramic heater may be provided as a heating means on the base 12 of the pressurized defoaming apparatus 10 of the present disclosure. The heater 12b preferably heats the substrate with sheet 40 to a temperature of about 50.degree. C. to 60.degree. If the heating temperature of the substrate with sheet 40 is less than 50° C., the adhesive layer of the substrate with sheet 40 is insufficiently softened, which tends to make it difficult to perform defoaming treatment effectively. If the heating temperature of the substrate with sheet 40 exceeds 60° C., the adhesive layer of the substrate with sheet 40 is too softened, and the substrate and the sheet tend to be misaligned. The heater 12 b may be built in the base 12 . In that case, it is advantageous to uniformly heat the entire base 12 .

The pressurized degassing apparatus 10 of the present disclosure moves in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface 12a of the base 12, and the sheet-attached substrate 40 is installed on the installation surface 12a in contact with the installation surface 12a. and a piston 18 that moves in the vertical direction within the pressurizing cylinder 17 . The pressurizing cylinder 17 may have a reinforcing annular member 17a at its upper end and a reinforcing annular member 17b at its lower end. The piston 18 has, at its lower end portion, a press for compressing the space SP defined by the installation surface 12a of the base 12, the pressurizing cylinder 17 in contact with the installation surface 12a, and the piston 18 in the pressurizing cylinder 17. It has a plate 18a. The pressing plate 18a includes a groove that circulates on its side surface and a flexible resin-made O-ring installed in the groove. Then, the pressure plate 18 a moves up and down inside the pressure cylinder 17 while the O-ring is pressed against and abuts against the inner surface of the side wall of the pressure cylinder 17 . Thereby, the space SP can be compressed in a sealed state.

The pressing plate 18a is not limited to a flat plate shape, and may have a shape having a concave surface such as a curved surface that is recessed with respect to the space SP on the side of the space SP. In this case, the pressure plate 18a can be prevented from coming into contact with the sheet-attached substrate 40, and the space SP can be compressed to a higher atmospheric pressure. In addition, the pressurizing cylinder 17 has a circular cross-sectional shape in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction parallel to the piston 18, but may have an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape, or a polygonal shape with pentagons or more.

In addition, the pressurized degassing apparatus 10 of the present disclosure is provided in the space SP defined by the installation surface 12a of the base 12, the pressurization cylinder 17 in contact with the installation surface 12a, and the piston 18 in the pressurization cylinder 17. , a gas introducing portion for introducing a gas such as air is preferably provided. The gas is not limited to air, and may be an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon. The gas introduction part includes a pump that compresses gas and supplies it into the space SP, an air supply pipe that extends from the pump to the space SP, and an air supply port that faces the space SP at the tip of the air supply pipe, a nozzle, etc. for introducing gas. have a mouth and As in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an air introduction port 12c may be provided as a gas introduction port through the base 12 vertically. The air introduction port 12c can introduce high-pressure air when introducing air into the space SP inside the pressurizing cylinder 17 . The air inlet 12c is closed except when air is introduced. The air inlet 12c can also be provided, for example, on a side wall of a pressurizing cylinder 17, which will be described later.

The gas introducing part may introduce the gas in the space SP in a direction that does not hit the substrate with sheet 40 . For example, the position of the air inlet 12c is preferably at a position where the air stream introduced into the space SP from the air inlet 12c does not directly hit the substrate with sheet 40 . Further, the direction in which the nozzle or the like, which is the tip of the air supply pipe and faces the space SP, extends may be different from the direction directly facing the substrate with sheet 40 . This configuration prevents the temperature of the sheet-attached substrate 40 from deviating from the temperature range (approximately 50° C. to 60° C.) suitable for the defoaming process by directly hitting the sheet-attached substrate 40 with the gas at room temperature or the like. can be suppressed.

On the installation surface 12a of the base 12, a sheet-attached substrate 40, in which a polarizing plate 42 is attached to a substrate 41 made of, for example, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, which is a substrate having a rectangular shape in plan view, is attached. Install. The sheet-attached substrate 40 is an array substrate in which pixel electrodes made of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) or the like for a liquid crystal display device, thin film transistors (Thin Film Transistors) are arranged in a matrix, or a color filter or a black matrix for a liquid crystal display device. etc. may be formed on the counter substrate. Further, the sheet-attached substrate 40 may be a liquid crystal display panel in which the array substrate and the opposing substrate are sealed at their peripheries with a sealing member, and the space sealed inside the sealing member is filled with liquid crystal. When the sheet-attached substrate 40 is a liquid crystal display panel, a polarizing plate 42 may be attached to each of both surfaces of the liquid crystal display panel.

The substrate 41 is not limited to a substrate for a liquid crystal display device, and may be a substrate for an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display device, a substrate for an LED (Light-Emitting Diode) display device, or the like. The substrate 41 may be a glass substrate, a plastic substrate, a ceramic substrate, a metal substrate, or the like. In order to facilitate confirmation of the state of bubble formation, the substrate 41 may be a translucent substrate such as a glass substrate or a plastic substrate. good. Further, the planar view shape of the substrate 41 may be various shapes such as a rectangular shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, and a trapezoidal shape.

Further, the sheet is not limited to the polarizing plate 42, and may be an optical sheet for collecting light, a reflective sheet, a transparent sheet having a desired refractive index for preventing reflection, a protective sheet for substrate protection, or the like. That is, the sheet-attached substrate 40 applied to the pressurized degassing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is obtained by bonding the substrate 41 and the sheet via an adhesive layer, and air bubbles are prevented from being generated in the adhesive layer. Anything that needs to be suppressed may be used.

A substrate 41 shown in FIG. 1 is a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device. An adhesive layer is formed on one surface of the substrate 41 by a coating method, a printing method, or the like. affixed to. Further, the base 21 is preferably provided with a support pin 32 as a support member that supports the substrate with sheet 40 in a state of being separated from the installation surface 12a. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 1 , a plurality of (four in this embodiment) support pins 32 are provided on the installation surface 12 a of the base 12 . The support pin 32 is mounted or fixed on the installation surface 12 a of the base 12 . Then, the substrate with sheet 40 is held by the robot arm 30, the substrate with sheet 40 is moved above the support pins 32, the substrate with sheet 40 is placed on the support pins 32, and the substrate with sheet 40 is placed on the installation surface 12a. The sheet-attached substrate 40 is supported by the support pins 32 in a state separated from the . That is, there is a space between the installation surface 12a and the sheet-attached substrate 40. As shown in FIG. With this configuration, a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure can be applied to both the front surface and the rear surface of the sheet-attached substrate 40 . For example, when the substrate 41 has a configuration in which sheets are attached to both the front surface and the back surface, such as a liquid crystal display panel, the adhesive layers attached to both the front surface and the back surface of the substrate 41 are defoamed. can be done effectively.

One supporting member may be provided on the base 12 . In that case, for example, the support member may be columnar, and the area of the end surface (support surface) of the upper end thereof should be sufficient to support the central portion of the supported surface of the substrate with sheet 40 . In this case, the area of the end face of the upper end of the support member may be, for example, about 5% to 20% of the area of the supported surface of the substrate with sheet 40 . Also, a plurality of supporting members may be provided on the base 12 . In that case, for example, the support member may be columnar or pin-shaped, and the area of the end surface of the upper end thereof should be sufficient to support the edge of the supported surface of the substrate with sheet 40 . In this case, the area of the end face of the upper end of the support member may be, for example, about 5% or less of the area of the supported surface of the substrate with sheet 40 . Further, in this case, three or more supporting members may be provided on the base 12 so that the substrate with sheet 40 can be supported more stably.

Further, the support member is not limited to a shape such as a columnar shape or a pin shape, and may have a shape such as a T shape having a support portion longer in the lateral direction than the base portion at the upper end.

The support pin 32 as a support member can be made of hard resin material such as poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK). The material of the support pin 32 is not limited to the resin material, and may be a ceramic material, a metal material, or the like. If the support pin 32 is made of ceramic, it will have excellent heat resistance. If the support pin 32 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, it can also function as a grounding member that removes static electricity from the substrate with sheet 40 .

The support member may also be made of an elastic material such as polyurethane or silicone resin. In this case, it is possible to prevent the sheet such as the polarizing plate 42 adhered to the back side of the sheet-attached substrate 40 from being dented, scratched, or the like due to contact of the supporting member.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion P surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the sheet-attached substrate 40 is installed on the installation surface 12a. The sheet-attached substrate 40 is vacuum-adsorbed by a hand 31 provided at the tip of the robot arm 30 and conveyed. Four support pins 32 are arranged on the installation surface 12 a so as to support the four corners of the substrate with sheet 40 , and the substrate with sheet 40 is supported by the four support pins 32 by the robot arm 30 .

As shown in FIG. 2( a ), the sheet such as the polarizing plate 42 attached to the back side of the sheet-attached substrate 40 is prevented from being dented or scratched due to contact of the support pins 32 . Furthermore, the support pins 32 are columnar and tapered as they move away from the installation surface 12a, and are provided in a plurality on the base 12, and the end of the substrate with sheet 40 is supported by the inclined side surfaces of the support pins 32. It is good to be In this case, since the sheet attached to the back surface of the substrate 41 does not contact the upper ends of the support pins 32, the sheet is not dented or damaged. The inclination angle of the inclined side surface of the support pin 32 with respect to the axial direction of the support pin 32 may be about 10° to 30°.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2(b), for the above purpose, the support pin 32 has a columnar shape with a stepped portion that tapers in steps as it separates from the installation surface 12a. A plurality of substrates 40 with sheets may be provided on the base 12 , and the ends of the substrates 40 with sheets may be supported by the stepped portions of the support pins 32 .

In this manner, the sheet-attached substrate 40 to which the polarizing plate 42 is adhered can be installed on the installation surface 12a via the support pins 32. As shown in FIG. With the support pins 32, the sheet-attached substrate 40 can be accurately positioned and placed on the installation surface 12a while being supported from below by the hand 31 of the robot arm 30, reducing the possibility of damaging the substrate 41 and the polarizing plate 42. Therefore, the yield can be improved. In addition, even if the sheet-attached substrate 40 is such that sheets are attached to both sides of the substrate 41, the back surface of the sheet-attached substrate 40 does not come into contact with the installation surface 12a. can be subjected to pressure defoaming treatment. Further, even if the base 12 is cold, the back surface of the sheet-attached substrate 40 does not directly contact the installation surface 12a, so that the sheet-attached substrate 40 does not easily cool down, and the pressure defoaming treatment can be performed while maintaining an appropriate temperature. can be done.

Since the pressurized degassing treatment apparatus 10 of the present disclosure performs the pressurized degassing treatment process in units of one sheet, compared to the case where a plurality of sheets are batch-processed as in the above-described conventional technology, the pressurized degassing treatment It is possible to provide a highly reliable sheet-attached substrate with less variation in the conditions, stabilizing the quality. That is, in the case of the conventional pressurized degassing apparatus for batch processing, a temperature distribution tends to occur between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the space in the pressurizing chamber, in which the temperature in the central portion is slightly lower than that in the peripheral portion. There was a possibility that the pressurized defoaming treatment of the part might be slightly more difficult to progress than the peripheral part. The pressure defoaming apparatus 10 of the present disclosure solves the above problems. In addition, since there is no step of storing a large number of substrates with sheets 40 in a tray or the like and a step of removing them from the tray after the pressure defoaming treatment, labor can be saved. Moreover, since it is not necessary to use a large-sized apparatus such as an autoclave, it is possible to realize a compact and low-cost pressurized defoaming line.

Next, the pressurized defoaming process will be described. Adhesive such as an acrylic adhesive is applied to the surface of the substrate 41 to which the polarizing plate 42 is attached, and the polarizing plate 42 is placed thereon. A substrate 40 is constructed. Then, in a state where the polarizing plate 42 is pressed against the substrate 41 by the roller, the polarizing plate 42 is moved from one side of the sheet-attached substrate 40 toward the opposite side while rotating the roller. The substrate 41 is adhered through an adhesive layer having a thickness of about 25 μm. This ensures that no air bubbles remain in the adhesive layer. However, even if the above adhesion treatment is performed, air bubbles may be generated in the adhesive layer between the polarizing plate 42 and the substrate 41 . The air bubbles cause color unevenness on the display screen and adversely affect the display performance. Therefore, the air bubbles must be removed or reduced to such an extent that the display performance is not adversely affected. For example, it is desirable that the diameter of air bubbles generated in the adhesive layer between polarizing plate 42 and substrate 41 is 30 μm or less.

FIG. 3 : is process drawing which shows a pressure defoaming process. 4 to 9 are front views of the pressure defoaming apparatus 10 showing the pressure defoaming process. First, before entering the pressurizing and defoaming process, the temperature of the substrate 41 and the polarizing plate 42 is adjusted so as to be suitable for defoaming the substrate 41 and the polarizing plate 42 in order to easily attach the polarizing plate 42 to the substrate 41 . . For example, the substrate 41 to which the polarizing plate 42 is adhered is heated to about 60° C. by the heater 12b provided on the base 12 . The heating softens the adhesive layer between the substrate 41 and the polarizing plate 42, making it easier to remove air bubbles when pressurized.

Then, the pressurized defoaming process is started. In the installation step S1, as shown in FIG. 4, the pressurizing cylinder 17 places the sheet-attached substrate 40 on the hand 31 of the robot arm 30, which is located above the installation surface 12a of the base 12. It is arranged on the support pin 32 arranged on the installation surface 12a. Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the robot arm 30 withdraws from the base 12 after transporting the sheet-attached substrate 40 .

During the pressurized defoaming process, if the substrate 41 or the polarizing plate 42 is cooled and the temperature of the sheet-attached substrate 40 is likely to deviate from the temperature suitable for defoaming, the heater 12b provided on the base 12 is used. May be heated. By including such a heating step in the pressure defoaming process, the sheet-attached substrate 40 having the polarizing plate 42 adhered to the substrate 41 can be kept at an appropriate temperature, and the defoaming effect can be improved.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6, in the sealing step S2, the lifting cylinder 14 is operated to protrude the plunger 15 to lower the pressurizing cylinder 17 so as to come into contact with the installation surface 12a, and the sheet-attached substrate 40 is lowered. Assume that it is in the closed space SP. A seat is placed in a sealed air chamber, which is a space SP defined by the installation surface 12a, the pressurizing cylinder 17 placed in contact with the installation surface 12a, and the piston 18 in the pressurizing cylinder 17. A substrate 40 will be present.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7, in a gas introducing step S3, as indicated by an arrow A, air is introduced into the space SP through the air inlet 12c, and the air pressure in the sealed air chamber is reduced to 1.0% of the atmospheric pressure. Raise it about 5 times. The direction in which the air introduced into the space SP does not hit the substrate with sheet 40 is such that the air introduced into the space SP does not hit the substrate with sheet 40 directly. If the pressure can be applied only by the piston 18, the gas introduction step S3 is not necessarily required. steps become smaller. As a result, sufficient pressurization can be achieved in a short period of time, and working hours can be shortened. At this time, the atmospheric pressure of the air chamber is, for example, about 0.15 MPa.

In this embodiment, a hole passing through the base 12 functions as an air inlet 12c, and air is introduced from below. Therefore, since the polarizing plate 42 is not directly exposed to the air flow, it becomes easier to keep the substrate 41 and the polarizing plate 42 at appropriate temperatures, and the defoaming effect can be improved. After introducing a predetermined amount of air into the space SP, a valve (not shown) interposed in an air supply pipe that is a flow path that connects the air inlet 12c and a pump that is a source of compressed air pressure for the air inlet 12c. ) is closed to prevent backflow of air in the subsequent pressurization step S4.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8, in the pressurizing step S4, the piston driving motor 21 is operated to rotate the screw shaft 22, and the piston 18 connected to the screw shaft 22 and the screw receiving body 23 is lowered. The piston 18 is moved toward the installation surface 12 a to compress the air in the air chamber and pressurize the substrate with sheet 40 . The descent speed of the piston 18 may be constant, or may be gradually reduced as the descent progresses. In this case, the sheet-attached substrate 40 is subjected to a high atmospheric pressure for a longer period of time, so that the defoaming process can be performed more effectively.

Subsequently, the piston 18 is stopped, and the pressurized state is maintained for a predetermined time in the holding step S5. The pressure of the air chamber is, for example, about 0.7 MPa (seven times the atmospheric pressure), and this state is maintained for about 5 seconds, for example. The air pressure in the air chamber reduces the volume of air bubbles in the adhesive layer between the substrate 41 and the polarizing plate 42 or eliminates the air bubbles. The reduction or disappearance of the air bubbles is mainly due to the action that the air bubbles are finely separated and dispersed in the adhesive layer by pressurization of the polarizing plate 42 with compressed air, thereby miniaturizing the air bubbles. In addition, there are air bubbles that escape from the adhesive layer between the substrate 41 and the polarizing plate 42 . In order to efficiently reduce or eliminate such bubbles, the pressure in the air chamber should be about 0.6 MPa (six times the atmospheric pressure) to about 1 MPa (10 times the atmospheric pressure).

Subsequently, in the pressure reducing step S6, the piston 18 is lifted to reduce the pressure, and the pressurizing cylinder 17 is lifted to bring the atmosphere around the sheet-attached substrate 40 to the atmospheric pressure. The upward speed at which the piston 18 is lifted may be constant, but the upward speed may be gradually increased as the lift progresses. In this case, the sheet-attached substrate 40 is subjected to a high atmospheric pressure for a longer period of time, so that the defoaming process can be performed more effectively. In the depressurization step S6, the air bubbles existing in the adhesive layer between the substrate 41 and the polarizing plate 42 are retained in a state of disappearance or contraction.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9, in the moving step S7, the substrate with sheet 40 is placed on the hand 31 of the robot arm 30, and the substrate with sheet 40 is transferred to the next step, and is applied as shown in S8. The pressure defoaming process is completed.

In the conventional pressurized degassing treatment method, a large number of sheet-attached substrates are placed in a large autoclave and treated, so there is a problem that the temperature conditions vary depending on the position of the sheet-attached substrates in the autoclave, but the present disclosure. In the pressurized defoaming treatment method, the pressure defoaming treatment process is performed on a sheet-by-sheet basis, so variations in the conditions of the pressurized defoaming treatment are reduced and the quality is stabilized. A defoaming treatment method can be provided. In addition, since there is no step of storing a large number of sheet-attached substrates in a tray or the like and a step of removing the substrates from the tray after pressure defoaming treatment, labor can be saved. In addition, since there is no dust generated when the tray is accommodated and ejected, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the yield. Furthermore, in a state in which the sheet-attached substrate 40 is housed and sealed in the pressurizing cylinder 17, the gas in the pressurizing cylinder 17 is compressed in a short period of time by moving the piston 18 in a direction approaching the base. The defoaming process can be performed in an extremely short time of about 10 seconds or less.

In the pressurized defoaming method of the present disclosure, as described above, in the installation step S1, the sheet-attached substrate 40 may be supported in a state separated from the installation surface 12a by the supporting member provided on the base 12. In this case, a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure can be applied to both the front surface and the rear surface of the sheet-attached substrate 40 . For example, when the substrate 41 has a configuration in which sheets are attached to both the front surface and the back surface, such as a liquid crystal display panel, the defoaming treatment of the adhesive layers on both the front surface and the back surface of the substrate 41 can be effectively performed. It can be carried out.

Further, it is preferable to include a gas introducing step S3 for introducing gas into the pressurizing cylinder 17 after the sealing step S2 and before the pressurizing step S4. In this case, by increasing the air pressure in the air chamber (space SP) before the pressurization step S4 by the piston 18, the downward movement stroke of the piston 18 is reduced. As a result, sufficient pressurization can be achieved in a short period of time, and working hours can be shortened.

Moreover, in the gas introducing step S3, it is preferable to introduce the gas in a direction that does not hit the substrate with sheet 40 . In this case, the temperature of the sheet-attached substrate 40 is prevented from deviating from the temperature range (approximately 50° C. to 60° C.) suitable for the defoaming process due to direct contact with the sheet-attached substrate 40 with the gas having a temperature such as room temperature. be able to.

Further, in the gas introduction step S3, the temperature of the gas introduced into the space SP may be set to a temperature range (approximately 50° C. to 60° C.) suitable for defoaming. In this case, the introduction direction of the gas introduced into the space SP may be the direction toward the sheet-attached substrate 40 .

Moreover, it is preferable to include a heating step of heating the sheet-attached substrate 40 before the pressing step S4. In this case, by heating the sheet-attached substrate 40 before the pressurizing step S4, the adhesive layer between the substrate 41 and the polarizing plate 42 is softened, making it easier to remove air bubbles when pressurized. In order to improve the heating efficiency of the sheet-attached substrate 40, a heating device having a heating chamber may be provided in the pre-process of the pressure defoaming process. In this case, since the sheet-attached substrate 40 is heated before being carried into the pressure-defoaming apparatus 10, the time from the start of the installation step S1 in the pressure-defoaming apparatus 10 to the end of the moving step S7 can be shortened.

In the pressurized defoaming apparatus 10 of the present disclosure, the pressurizing cylinder 17 may move relative to the base 12 in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface 12a of the base 12 . That is, the pressurizing cylinder 17 may be installed at a fixed position and the base 12 may be moved in the vertical direction. In this case, an elevating cylinder or the like may be provided below the base 12 so that the base 12 can move in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the pressurizing cylinder 17 and the base 12 may be configured to be movable in the vertical direction.

The pressure-defoaming apparatus 10 of the present disclosure may perform pressure-defoaming treatment on a plurality of sheet-attached substrates 40 at once. Also, a plurality of pressurized degassing apparatuses 10 of the present disclosure may be provided in one work line, and they may be operated in parallel. In that case, a large number of sheet-attached substrates 40 can be subjected to the pressure defoaming treatment more efficiently.

The invention may be embodied in many other forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are merely examples in all respects, and the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims and is not restricted by the text of the specification. Furthermore, all modifications and changes within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

10 pressurized defoaming device 11 base 12 base 12a installation surface 12b heater 12c air inlet 17 pressurizing cylinder 18 piston 40 substrate with sheet 41 substrate 42 polarizing plate

Claims (9)

a base having an installation surface on which a sheet-attached substrate having a sheet adhered to the substrate is installed;
a cylinder that moves in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface and surrounds the substrate with the sheet installed on the installation surface in a state of contact with the installation surface;
a piston that moves in the vertical direction within the cylinder;
In a state in which the cylinder abuts against the mounting surface and the sheet-attached substrate is accommodated and sealed in the cylinder, the piston is moved in a direction approaching the base, thereby compressing the gas in the cylinder. Pressure defoaming equipment. 2. The pressurized degassing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base has a supporting member that supports the substrate with the sheet in a state of being separated from the installation surface. The support member has a columnar shape that tapers away from the installation surface, and a plurality of the support members are provided on the base,
3. The pressurized degassing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the edge of the sheet-attached substrate is supported by the inclined side surface of the supporting member. 4. The space defined by the mounting surface, the cylinder in contact with the mounting surface, and the piston in the cylinder includes a gas introducing portion for introducing gas into the space. The pressurized defoaming apparatus according to 1. 5. The pressurized degassing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gas introduction unit introduces the gas in a direction that does not hit the substrate with the sheet. The pressurized degassing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the base comprises a heater. an installation step of installing a sheet-attached substrate having a sheet attached to the substrate on the installation surface of a base having an installation surface;
a cylinder that moves relative to the base in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface and surrounds the sheet-attached substrate that is in contact with the installation surface and is installed on the installation surface; a sealing step of sealing the sheet-attached substrate on the installation surface with the piston that moves in the vertical direction within;
In a state in which the cylinder abuts against the installation surface and the substrate with sheet is accommodated and sealed in the cylinder, the piston is moved in a direction approaching the base to pressurize the gas in the cylinder. A pressurization step and a pressurization defoaming treatment method. 8. The pressure defoaming method according to claim 7, further comprising a gas introducing step of introducing gas into said cylinder after said sealing step and before said pressurizing step. 9. The pressurized defoaming method according to claim 7, further comprising a heating step of heating the sheet-attached substrate before the pressurizing step.

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