KR101076305B1 - Apparatus and method for manufacturing printed electronics device - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a pattern printing unit for forming an electronic circuit pattern on a substrate; And it may include a drying / curing unit for drying and / or curing the electronic circuit pattern formed on the substrate using a pulsed laser. According to this, the substrate is not damaged during the drying and / or curing process, and therefore, defects due to damage to the substrate can be reduced.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING PRINTED ELECTRONICS DEVICE

The present invention relates to an electronic device manufacturing apparatus and method, and more particularly to a printed electronic device manufacturing apparatus and method for producing a variety of electronic devices using the printing technology.

Recently, the rapid development of industrial technology, especially information and communication field, including electronic devices, is focused on convenience of consumers, miniaturized, portable, and high-functionality, and multi-functional integration, multimedia, which is integrated with broadcasting, computer, and communication. have.

Modern electronic information and communication devices are subject to much more stringent conditions than in the past in terms of appearance, size / weight, performance, convenience, and price. Examples of such conditions include a combination of ultra-compact, ultra-lightweight, ultra-thin, ultra-low power consumption, and foldable, high-performance (ultra-high speed) for the user to carry around at all times. Fully functional but inexpensive.

In order to satisfy such conditions, the miniaturization, ultra-thinness, and use of flexible substrates must be preceded. In accordance with such recent circumstances, printed electronic technologies that produce various electronic devices (parts) using printing technology have been in the spotlight, and electronic devices or electronic parts produced by such printed electronic technologies are referred to as printed electronic devices. Such printed electronic devices include radio frequency identification tags (RFIDs), solar cells, batteries, transistors, displays, packaging, smart cards, and the like.

Looking at the method of manufacturing the printed electronic device as described above, first, the inkjet (Inkjet), Screen (Aerosol), Flexo ( Electronic circuits are patterned through various printing methods such as Flexo) and gravure, and then dried and cured to form patterns of nano or micro-sized particles by applying appropriate heat using lamps. To prepare.

However, in the conventional method of manufacturing a printed electronic device as described above, by heating and patterning a pattern of nano or micro-sized particles patterned on the substrate, the substrate is damaged by heat and defects are generated. Accordingly, there is a problem that the yield is lowered.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and by drying and curing by applying a laser pulse to the pattern of nano or micro particles patterned on the substrate, it is possible to prevent damage to the substrate by heat to reduce defects and improve yield The present invention provides an apparatus and method for manufacturing a printed electronic device.

An apparatus for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pattern printing unit for forming an electronic circuit pattern on a substrate; And a drying / curing unit for drying and / or curing the electronic circuit pattern formed on the substrate using a pulsed laser.

On the other hand, the drying / curing unit, a laser generator for generating a laser; And a pulse generator for irradiating an electronic circuit pattern of the substrate by making the laser generated by the laser generator into a pulsed laser. It may include.

In addition, the drying / curing unit, the splitter for distributing the laser generated in the laser generator to the pulse generator; It may further include.

On the other hand, the substrate is formed with a first layer and a second layer stacked on the first layer, the drying / curing unit, the laser of the wavelength band that can dry / harden the first layer, and the first layer The first layer and the second layer may be dried and / or cured using at least one laser of a wavelength band laser capable of drying and / or curing the second layer.

The drying / curing unit may further include a first laser generator capable of generating a pulsed laser of a first wavelength band; And a second laser generator capable of generating a pulsed laser of a second wavelength band, wherein the pulsed laser generated by the first laser generator is irradiated onto the first layer of the substrate, and the second laser generator The pulsed laser generated by the generator may be irradiated to the second layer laminated on the first layer.

According to one or more exemplary embodiments, a method of manufacturing a printed electronic device includes: a patterning step of forming an electronic circuit pattern on a substrate; Generating a pulsed laser; And irradiating the pulsed laser on the electronic circuit pattern formed on the substrate.

In the method of manufacturing a printed electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic circuit pattern formed on the substrate includes a first layer and a second layer, and the generating of the pulsed laser may include: Generating a first pulsed laser of a wavelength band capable of drying and / or curing the laser, and generating a second pulsed laser of a wavelength band capable of drying and / or curing the second layer. can do.

The irradiating may include irradiating the first pulse laser to the first layer and irradiating the second pulse laser to the second layer.

On the other hand, the step of irradiating, after irradiating the first pulse laser to the first layer, and irradiating the second pulse laser to the second layer, or the irradiation of the first pulse laser It may be to perform the irradiation of the second pulse type laser at the same time.

According to the present invention, since the source for drying and curing the electronic circuit pattern of the nano or microparticles patterned on the substrate is not a heat damaging substrate but a laser pulse that does not affect the substrate, the substrate is not dried during the curing and curing process. It is not damaged, and therefore, the defect by the damage of a board | substrate can be reduced and a yield can be aimed at.

1 is a view schematically showing a drying / curing unit which is a main part of an apparatus for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a view schematically showing a drying / curing unit which is a main part of an apparatus for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a view schematically showing a drying / curing unit which is a main portion of a device for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a view schematically showing a drying / curing unit which is a main part of an apparatus for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a view schematically showing a drying / curing unit which is a main part of an apparatus for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;
6 is a view showing a cycle of a laser pulse according to an embodiment of the present invention,
7 is a functional block diagram of a controller according to an embodiment of the present invention;
8 and 9 are photographs showing the results of drying / curing using a laser pulse according to an embodiment of the present invention,
10A is a photograph showing the result of drying / curing a multilayer substrate using a laser according to an embodiment of the present invention;
10B is a view showing AFM scanning of the cross section of FIG. 10A,
11 is a photograph showing the result of drying / curing using a laser according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a printed electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Objects, other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood through the following preferred embodiments associated with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments disclosed herein are provided so that the disclosure can be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

In this specification, when an element is referred to as being on another element, it may be directly formed on another element, or a third element may be interposed therebetween. Also in the figures, the thickness of the components is exaggerated for an effective description of the technical content.

Embodiments described herein will be described with reference to cross-sectional and / or plan views, which are ideal exemplary views of the present invention. In the drawings, the thicknesses of films and regions are exaggerated for effective explanation of technical content. Therefore, the shape of the exemplary diagram may be modified by manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the specific forms shown, but also include changes in the shapes that are produced according to the manufacturing process. For example, the etched regions shown at right angles may be rounded or have a predetermined curvature. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures have attributes, and the shapes of the regions illustrated in the figures are intended to illustrate specific forms of regions of the elements and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Although the terms first, second, etc. have been used in various embodiments of the present disclosure to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. The embodiments described and illustrated herein also include complementary embodiments thereof.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In the present specification, the singular form includes plural forms unless otherwise specified in the specification. As used herein, the words 'comprises' and / or 'comprising' do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the specific embodiments below, various specific details are set forth in order to explain the invention more specifically and to help understand. However, one of ordinary skill in the art can understand that the present invention can be used without these various specific details. In some cases, it is mentioned in advance that parts of the invention which are commonly known in the description of the invention and which are not highly related to the invention are not described in order to prevent confusion in explaining the invention without cause.

1 is a view schematically showing a drying / curing unit which is a main part of an apparatus for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the apparatus for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention forms a layer L1 on the substrate 10 using functional ink of nano or micro particles, and forms the layer L1. And a pattern printing unit (not shown) for patterning an electronic circuit pattern and a drying / curing unit 100 for drying / curing the electronic circuit pattern formed on the layer L1 of the substrate 10. Here, the drying / curing unit will be used to mean "drying and / or curing unit". On the other hand, the pattern printing unit is not a main component of the present invention, and also can be understood by known techniques, it will be omitted in the present specification and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The characteristic of the present invention is that the drying / curing unit 100 does not use a lamp or the like that can cause thermal damage to the substrate 10, but uses a laser pulse that has a slight effect only near the surface of the substrate 10. The electronic circuit pattern formed on the substrate 10 is dried / cured.

According to the above features, the drying / curing unit 100 of the apparatus for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a laser generator 110, a pulse generator 120, and a controller 130.

The laser generator 110 generates a laser which is a source for drying / curing the electronic circuit pattern formed on the substrate 10. Since the laser generator 110 can be understood by a known technology, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The pulse generator 120 converts the laser generated by the laser generator 110 into a pulse shape and irradiates the layer L1 of the substrate 10. The pattern of the electronic circuit patterned on the layer L1 by the pulsed laser is dried and cured. The laser affects only the surface of the substrate 10 or the laser is irradiated near the surface of the substrate 10. Since the substrate 10 is not damaged or thermally deformed, the phenomenon does not occur.

Here, the application of the laser in the form of a pulse means that the laser is applied to the layer L1 on the substrate 10 at a constant intensity, but not at a constant period or intermittently. The period may be appropriately set according to the material of the layer L1 on which the electronic circuit pattern is formed, the structure of the pattern, the intensity of the laser, and the like. For example, assuming that there are two laser pulses having the same wavelength, a laser having a longer pulse period can penetrate deeper than a laser having a short pulse period (for example, FIGS. 6A and 6B). ). For another example, assuming that there are two laser pulses having the same pulse period, the laser pulses with the shorter wavelength can penetrate deeper than the laser pulses with the long wavelength among them. As another example, assuming that there are two laser pulses having the same wavelength and the period of the pulse, among them, a laser pulse having a higher energy density may penetrate deeper than a laser pulse having a low energy density.

The controller 130 serves to adjust the pulse rate of the pulse generator 120, the material and structure of the layer (L1) in which the speed or period of the pulse is formed by the controller 130, the electronic circuit pattern or It may be appropriately set according to the intensity of the laser or the like.

Controller 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention can control the overall operation of the printed electronic device manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6, the controller 130 may include a central processing unit 131 (CPU), a memory 132 (MEMORY), and a support circuit 133 (SUPPORT CIRCUIT). The CPU 131 may be one of various computer processors that can be industrially applied to control the printed electronic device manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment. The memory 132 is connected to the CPU 131 in operation. The memory 132 may be installed locally or remotely as a computer readable recording medium, and may be readily available, such as, for example, random access memory (RAM), ROM, floppy disk, hard disk, or any digital storage form. At least one or more memories. The support circuit 133 (SUPPORT CIRCUIT) is operatively coupled with the CPU 131 to support typical operation of the processor. Such support circuit 133 may include a cache, a power supply, a clock circuit, an input / output circuit, a subsystem, and the like.

For example, in the printed electronic device manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment, a series of processes for allowing lasers having different wavelength bands to be irradiated from the variable wavelength laser generator to the layer L1 of the substrate 10 may include a memory ( 132). Typically software routines may be stored in memory 132. The software routine may also be stored or executed by another CPU (not shown), which may be located at a distance from the printed electronic device manufacturing apparatus.

Although the process according to the invention has been described as being executed by software routines, at least some of the processes of the invention may be performed by hardware. As such, the processes of the present invention may be implemented in software executed on a computer system, or in hardware such as an integrated circuit, or in combination of software and hardware.

In the apparatus for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above, a substrate 10 having a predetermined electronic circuit pattern formed on the substrate 10 by a pattern printing unit is dried / dried on a conveyor (not shown). When transferred to the curing unit 100, the laser generated by the laser generator 110 is made into a laser pulse by the pulse generator 120 is irradiated to the layer (L1) of the substrate 10. The electronic circuit pattern patterned on the layer L1 or the layer L1 is dried, cured, and discharged by the laser pulse irradiated as described above. At this time, the electronic circuit pattern patterned on the layer (L1) is usually formed of particles of nano or micro size, the size of the particles is preferably formed uniformly.

In the drying and curing step as described above, since the laser pulse affects only the surface or the layer L1 of the substrate 10 and does not affect the inside of the substrate 10, the substrate 10 is not thermally deformed or damaged. Therefore, defects due to damage of the substrate 10 can be reduced, and the yield can be increased.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the laser generator 110 and the pulse generator 120 are shown as separate functional blocks, but as an example, the laser generator 110 and the pulse generator 120 are implemented as one device. It would also be possible. For example, the laser generator 110 itself may generate a pulsed laser.

In addition, in this embodiment, the pulsed laser generated from the pulse generator 120 is shown to be directly irradiated to the substrate 10, but this is illustrative, and other means not shown (e.g., reflecting the laser It may be possible to irradiate the substrate 10 via a mirror).

2 is a view schematically showing a drying / curing unit 200 which is a main part of an apparatus for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drying / curing unit 200 of the apparatus for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to the second embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of pulse generators for making laser pulses generated by the laser generator 210 ( 220, 221, ..., N are provided, thereby lasering each of the plurality of layers L1, L2, ..., N formed on the plurality of substrates 10, 11, ..., N that are transported on the conveyor. Same as the drying / curing unit 100 according to the first embodiment described above, except that it is configured to simultaneously irradiate pulses to simultaneously dry / cure a plurality of layers L1, L2,..., N. It is composed.

However, in the present embodiment, a beam splitter 240 is further provided to distribute the laser generated by the laser generator 210 to the plurality of pulse generators 220, 221,. The beam splitter 240 transmits a portion of the laser generated by the laser generator 210 to, for example, the first pulse generator 220, and partially reflects the laser beam toward the second pulse generator 221. 220, 221, ..., N) to distribute the laser.

With continued reference to FIG. 2, the substrate 10, the substrate 11, and the layers L1 and L2 are assigned different reference numerals, but these substrates 10, 11, and layers L1 and layer L2 may be the same. That is, after the laser based on the laser pulse generated by the pulse generator 220 is irradiated with the laser (L1) of the substrate 10, when the substrate 10 is moved by the conveyor, the moved substrate (that is, With the layer L2 of the identification number '11', a laser based on the laser pulse generated by the pulse generator 221 may be irradiated.

Meanwhile, the substrate 10 and the substrate 11 may be different from each other. That is, they can be irradiated simultaneously by the pulse generator 220 and the pulse generator 221, respectively.

In addition, as will be described later, at least one of the substrate 10 and the substrate 11 may be a multi-layer substrate composed of two or more layers. These layers can only react (ie, cure) in a particular wavelength band, so in this case the laser generator 210 can generate a laser in a particular wavelength band.

Other configurations and effects are the same as the drying / curing unit 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention described above, and the detailed description is omitted by giving the reference numerals associated with FIG.

3 is a view schematically showing a drying / curing unit of the apparatus for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the drying / curing unit 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention has a depth direction with respect to a substrate 10A having two or more layers L1 and L2, that is, a multi-layered layer. It is configured to allow selective processing, the laser generator is composed of a variable wavelength laser generator 310 for generating lasers of different wavelength bands, and the controller 330 is a wavelength band of the variable wavelength laser generator 310 It is configured to adjust.

In the drying / curing unit 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the variable wavelength laser generator 310 is, for example, a laser of the first wavelength band λ 1 and a laser of the second wavelength band λ 2. May occur selectively or sequentially. Here, the electronic circuit pattern patterned on the first layer L1 or the first layer L1 of the substrate 10A, for example, reacts in the laser of the first wavelength band λ1, and the second layer L2. ) Or the telephone circuit pattern patterned on the second layer L2 may react with the laser of the second wavelength band λ2.

Therefore, when the substrate 10A is transferred to the drying / curing unit 300, first, the laser of the first wavelength band λ 1 is moved to the first layer L1 according to the laser pulse generated by the pulse generator 320. Irradiated, the electronic circuit pattern of the first layer L1 is dried / cured. Subsequently, a laser of the second wavelength band λ 2 is generated from the variable wavelength laser generator 310, and the laser is irradiated to the second layer L 2 according to the laser pulse generated by the pulse generator 320. At this time, since the laser of the second wavelength band λ1 does not react to the first layer L1 but only to the second layer L2, the electronic circuit pattern formed by patterning the second layer L2 is dried / Cures.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the drying and curing using a laser pulse of the wavelength band suitable for the layer to be dried and cured, in the case of a multi-layered substrate to adjust the energy density of the laser pulse to penetrate the substrate I can regulate it.

For example, when the laser pulse of the second wavelength band λ2 is irradiated to the second layer L2, when the energy density of the laser pulse of the second wavelength band λ2 is weak, the second layer ( The laser pulse may not be reached until L2), so that the energy density can be made stronger to dry and cure the second layer L2.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the drying and curing using a laser pulse of the wavelength band suitable for the layer to be dried and cured, in the case of a multi-layered substrate to adjust the period of the laser pulse to control the penetration of the multi-layered substrate I can regulate it.

For example, when the period of a laser pulse is extended, it can penetrate deeper than when the period of a laser pulse is short.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the drying and curing using a laser pulse of the wavelength band corresponding to the layer to be dried and cured, in the case of a multi-layer substrate by adjusting the wavelength of the laser pulse to control the penetration of the multi-layer substrate I can regulate it.

For example, shortening the wavelength of a laser pulse can penetrate deeper than when the wavelength of a laser pulse is long.

As described above, according to the present invention, the wavelength, the period of the laser pulse, the energy density and the like can be adjusted at least one or more, thereby selectively drying and curing the multilayer substrate.

Other configurations and operation effects are the same as those of the first and second embodiments of the present invention described above, and the detailed description will be omitted by attaching the reference numerals associated with FIGS. 1 and 2.

4 is a view schematically showing a drying / curing unit 400 of the apparatus for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the drying / curing unit 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of variable wavelength laser generators 410, 411,..., N, and a plurality of pulse generators. , N). The drying / curing unit 400 may be formed at the same time or sequentially in each of the first layer L1 to the fourth layer L4 formed on the plurality of substrates 10A and 11A to be transported on a conveyor. By irradiating a laser pulse of the fourth wavelength band (λ4), the pattern formed on the first layer (L1) to the fourth layer (L4) or the first layer (L1) to the fourth layer (L4) is configured to dry / cure It is.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate 10A may be composed of a first layer L1 reacting in the first wavelength band λ1 and a second layer L2 reacting in the second wavelength band λ2. The substrate 11A may include a third layer L3 reacting in the third wavelength band λ3 and a fourth layer L4 reacting in the fourth wavelength band λ4. The variable wavelength laser generator 410 generates the laser of the first wavelength band lambda 1 and the laser of the second wavelength band lambda 2, and the variable wavelength laser generator 411 generates the laser of the third wavelength band lambda 3 It is possible to generate a laser of four wavelength bands [lambda] 4. In this case, the first layer L1 and the second layer L2 of the substrate 10A, and the third layer L3 and the fourth layer L4 of the substrate 11A may be processed simultaneously or sequentially. have.

Therefore, by drying and curing nanoparticles using a laser having excellent energy density in a specific wavelength band, it is possible to solve existing problems such as damage to the substrate. In addition, the problem of damaging the substrate can be further prevented by adjusting the pulse of the laser irradiated to the layer.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the substrate 10A and the substrate 11A are identical to each other, the first layer L1 and the third layer L3 are identical to each other, and the second layer L2 and the fourth layer are the same. As the layers L4 are identical to each other, the first layer L1 of the substrate 10A is irradiated by the laser generated by the variable wavelength laser generator 410, and the fourth layer L4 of the substrate 11A is irradiated. Again, the laser may be irradiated by the laser generated by the variable wavelength laser generator 411. In this case, the substrate 10A or 11A may be, for example, a layer reacting in the first wavelength band λ1 (eg, L1 or L3) and a layer reacting in the third wavelength band λ3 (eg, For example, L2 or L4, the variable wavelength laser generator 410 generates a first wavelength band (λ1) laser, the variable wavelength laser generator 411 generates a third wavelength band (λ3) laser. You can. The layer (eg, L1) of the substrate 10A or 11A is first irradiated with a laser generated from the variable wavelength laser generator 410 (the first layer L1 reacting by the first wavelength band λ1). The laser generated from the variable wavelength laser generator 110 may then be irradiated (the second layer L2 reacting by the third wavelength band λ3 may be processed).

Other configurations and effects are the same as the drying / curing unit according to the third embodiment of the present invention described above. Therefore, the reference numerals associated with FIG. 3 are assigned to a detailed description thereof.

FIG. 5 is a view schematically showing a drying / curing unit 500 of a printed electronic device manufacturing apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the drying / curing unit 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention includes two pulse generators 520 and 521 connected to one variable wavelength laser generator 510. It features. Here, on the substrate 10A, the first layer L1 reacting with the laser of the first wavelength band λ1 and the second layer L2 reacting with the laser of the second wavelength band λ2 are formed. Can be.

According to the drying / curing unit 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention as described above, the laser of the first wavelength band λ 1 and the laser of the second wavelength band λ 2 are converted from the variable wavelength laser generator 510. The laser of the first wavelength band lambda 1, which is generated at the same time and is generated in this way, is, for example, a pulsed laser by a pulse generated by the first pulse generator 520, and a laser of the second wavelength band. Are each made of a pulsed laser by pulses produced by the second pulse generator 521, and are irradiated to the substrate 10A at the same time. Therefore, the first layer L1 and the second layer L2 may be dried / cured at the same time.

That is, in the fourth embodiment described above, after the pulsed laser of the first wavelength band λ1 is irradiated to the first layer L1 of the substrate 10A, the laser pulse of the second wavelength band λ2 is applied to the substrate 10A. By irradiating the second layer L2 of), the drying / curing time for one substrate 10A may be long.

However, in the fifth embodiment, the laser pulses of the first wavelength band λ1 and the laser pulses of the second wavelength band λ2 are respectively directed to the first layer L1 and the second layer L2 of the substrate 10A. By irradiating at the same time, the drying / curing time of the first layer L1 and the second layer L2 can be reduced to 1/2 compared to the fourth embodiment, and the yield can be improved. At this time, since the wavelength of the pulsed laser irradiated to the first layer L1 does not oscillate in the second layer L2, the second layer L2 is not dried / cured. In addition, since the wavelength of the pulsed laser irradiated to the second layer L2 does not oscillate in the first layer L1, the first layer L1 is not dried / cured. In addition, since the laser of the first wavelength band [lambda] 1 and the laser of the second wavelength band [lambda] 2 are not irradiated to the substrate 10A, damage such as deterioration of the substrate 10A does not occur.

Since other configurations and operation effects are the same as those of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the reference numerals associated with FIG.

8 and 9 are photographs showing the result of drying / curing using a laser pulse according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a photograph showing the result of drying and curing the substrate patterned with ITO nanoparticles using a laser pulse (power 50mW) having a wavelength of 355nm. Referring to FIG. 8, when the laser pulse according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applied to the particle particles patterned as the left photo, it may be hardened as shown in the right photo of FIG. 8.

9 is a photograph showing the result of drying and curing a substrate patterned with zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium oxide (TiO 2) nanoparticles using a laser pulse (power 50 mW) having a wavelength of 55 nm. Referring to FIG. 9, when the laser pulse according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applied to the particle particles patterned as the left picture, it may be hardened as shown in the right picture of FIG. 9.

10A and 10B are photographs showing the result of drying / curing a multilayer substrate using a laser of a specific wavelength band according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10A is a photograph taken from the upper side of the polymer substrate (ie, taken while looking at the -z axis direction from the + z axis), and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 10A (that is, looking at the -x direction from the + x direction). AFM (Atomic Force MicroScope) scanning picture taken from the photo taken.

This example shows that the metal nanoparticles patterned on the polymer substrate are selectively dried and cured using a YAG laser (wavelength 532 nm). 10A and 10B, according to the present invention, only the metal nanoparticles may be selectively dried and cured without damaging the polymer substrate which is the polymer substrate.

11 is a photograph showing the result of drying and curing using a laser of a specific wavelength band according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates that the substrate on which the metal nanoparticles are patterned is dried and cured using an Excimer laser having a wavelength of 248 nm. According to the present invention, only the surface may be dried and cured.

12 is a method of manufacturing a printed electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 12, the embodiment coats ink on a substrate (S1201), patterns using various printing techniques (S1203), and irradiates a pulsed laser to dry and / or harden the patterned electronic circuit pattern. (S1205). Generating the pulsed laser (S1202) is performed before the above-described step S1205, and may be performed simultaneously with or before S1201 or S1203.

Generating the pulsed laser (S1202) may be performed using a laser generator for generating a pulsed laser. Alternatively, step S1202 may be performed using a laser generator and a pulse generator to generate a continuous laser.

On the other hand, the step of generating a pulsed laser (S1202), it is possible to generate a laser of the wavelength band corresponding to the electronic circuit pattern formed on the substrate. For example, in operation S1202 of generating a pulsed laser, when the substrate is a multilayer substrate laminated with a first layer and a second layer, a laser having a wavelength band corresponding to the first layer and a wavelength corresponding to the second layer may be used. It may be to generate a laser of the band.

The apparatus and method for manufacturing a printed electronic device according to the present invention as described above is a source for drying / curing an electronic circuit pattern patterned on a substrate, without using a lamp that causes thermal deformation of the substrate, and the like. Since the laser pulse which does not affect the use thereof, the defective rate due to the damage of the substrate can be lowered, so that the yield can be improved.

In the above-described embodiments, it has been described that two layers are provided on the substrate in the vertical direction, but the number of layers may be three or more, and in this case, the ink curing system of the present invention may be sufficiently applied. .

Also, in the above-described embodiments, the laser generator and the pulse generator are shown as separate functional blocks, but this is merely an example, and the laser generator and the pulse generator may be implemented as one device. For example, the laser generator itself may generate a pulsed laser.

In addition, in the above-described embodiments, the variable wavelength laser generator and the pulse generator are shown as separate functional blocks, but this is merely exemplary, and the variable wavelength laser generator and the pulse generator may be implemented as one device. For example, the variable wavelength laser generator itself can produce a pulsed laser having a wavelength of a particular band.

In addition, in the above-described embodiments, the pulsed laser generated from the pulse generator is shown to be directly irradiated onto the substrate, but this is illustrative, and other means (for example, a mirror reflecting the laser) (not shown) may be used. It may also be configured to irradiate the substrate via.

Also, in the above embodiments, while the substrate has been described as moving, it may be possible that the substrate is fixed and configured to move the laser generator (or variable wavelength laser generator) and / or the pulse generator.

In the above, the present invention has been described by way of example. It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Accordingly, the invention may be freely practiced within the scope of the claims unless otherwise stated.

A substrate on which an electronic circuit pattern of nano or micro particles is patterned
100,200,300,400,500; drying / curing unit
Laser generator
310,410,510; Variable Wavelength Laser Generator
120,220,320,420,421,520; pulse generator
130,230,330,430,530; controller
240; beam splitter

Claims (9)

A pattern printing unit for forming an electronic circuit pattern composed of multiple layers on a substrate; And
And a drying / curing unit generating a plurality of lasers and irradiating toward the electronic circuit pattern to dry and cure the electronic circuit pattern.
The plurality of lasers irradiated toward the electronic circuit pattern each have a wavelength band corresponding to each layer constituting the multi-layer as a pulsed laser, and a pulse period of each of the pulsed lasers does not damage the substrate. Printed electronic device manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the adjusted. The method of claim 1,
The drying / curing unit,
A variable wavelength laser generator for generating the plurality of lasers; And
A first pulse generator configured to irradiate an electronic circuit pattern of the substrate by using any one of a plurality of lasers generated by the variable wavelength laser generator as a pulsed laser; Printed electronic device manufacturing apparatus comprising a. The method of claim 2,
The drying / curing unit,
A second pulse generator configured to irradiate an electronic circuit pattern of the substrate by making another laser among the plurality of lasers generated by the variable wavelength laser generator into a pulsed laser; And
A splitter for distributing a laser generated by the variable wavelength laser generator to the first pulse generator and the second pulse generator; Printed electronic device manufacturing apparatus characterized in that it further comprises. The method of claim 2,
The drying / curing unit,
And a controller for adjusting the wavelength band of each of the lasers to which the variable wavelength laser is generated to respond to each layer constituting the multi-layer. The method of claim 4, wherein
The controller also,
And controlling the pulse period of the pulsed laser produced by the first pulse generator so as not to damage the substrate. Forming an electronic circuit pattern composed of multiple layers on a substrate;
Generating a plurality of lasers having a wavelength band responsive to each layer constituting the multi-layer;
And irradiating the plurality of lasers toward the electronic circuit pattern to dry and harden the electronic circuit pattern.
The plurality of lasers irradiated toward the electronic circuit pattern are all pulsed lasers, and the period of each of the pulsed lasers is adjusted so as not to damage the substrate. The method of claim 6,
And a plurality of lasers generated in the step of generating the plurality of lasers are made by a variable wavelength laser generator. The method of claim 6,
The drying and curing may include irradiating a first pulsed laser to a first layer among the layers constituting the multi-layer, and then applying a second pulsed laser to the second layer among the layers constituting the multi-layer. A method of manufacturing a printed electronic device, characterized by irradiating. The method of claim 6,
The drying and curing may include irradiating a first pulsed laser, which is one of the pulsed lasers, to a first layer among the layers constituting the multi-layer, and at the same time a second of the layers constituting the multi-layer. And irradiating a second pulsed laser, which is another one of the pulsed lasers, to the layer.

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