KR101999634B1 - Apparatus for interconnecting between polymer tube and metal micro-wire and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and method for adhesion between a polymer tube and a micro-metal wire according to the present invention are disclosed. A method for bonding between a polymer tube and a micro-metal wire according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of placing a micro-metal wire in a groove containing an ultraviolet-curing adhesive to coat the micro-metal wire with the ultraviolet- ; An aligning step of aligning the coated micro-metal wire on the surface of a polymer tube passing through a hole spaced apart from the groove by a predetermined distance; And a bonding step of curing the UV cured adhesive coated on the micro-metal wire by irradiating ultraviolet light onto the micro-metal wire being aligned to align the micro-metal wire to the surface of the polymer tube by the cured ultraviolet- .

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for bonding a polymer tube to a micro-metal wire,

The present invention relates to a process for bonding a polymer to a metal, and more particularly to a method for bonding a micro polymer tube to a micro-metal wire.

Recently, wearable, flexible, and stretchable displays and sensors have been actively studied in the field of electronic devices. In accordance with these research trends, the thickness of the material gradually becomes thinner and the use of soft material is required. In accordance with this demand, substrates are generally used in a very flexible and stretchable planar form of polymer substrates, and in the case of electrodes and wiring, very thin films or microwires are used. However, since the thin film and microwire process currently used have been studied and developed based on the conventional silicon wafer, glass-based semiconductor, and display industry, Processes are being researched to enable polymer substrates or polymer substrates. There are two major ways to divide these processes: one is to create electrodes directly on the substrate, and the other is to bond the micro-wires to the substrate.

First, thin film deposition processes, electroplating, and printing processes using conductive ink have been studied in the case of generating electrodes directly on a substrate. In the case of a thin film deposition process, there are generally methods such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD). These methods generally involve depositing or chemically bonding the vapor phase electrode material on the substrate to be grown by phase transition. At this time, such a process basically requires a high-temperature process and requires a very flat 2-D plane such as a silicon wafer or a glass substrate. Therefore, unlike silicon wafers and glass substrates, the polymer substrates to be used in the present industry are vulnerable to heat and have a roughness, so it is difficult to apply the previously developed deposition process. Also, since the process is performed in a high-vacuum chamber, the process cost is high. Electroplating is the process of plating a desired metal onto a conductive material. Though the process is simpler and less expensive than the thin film deposition process, it is not suitable because it does not have conductivity in the case of a polymer substrate, and the surface after electroplating is relatively rough compared with the thin film deposition process. In the case of conductive ink, since the method using a solvent is used, the substrate need not be flat like a thin film deposition process, but an additional thermal annealing treatment is required to improve the mechanical and electrical performance after printing the ink. Such a heat treatment is generally performed at a temperature of about 120 to 150 ° C. or higher, and the glass transition temperature of the polymer is about 100 ° C., which may cause thermal damage. Therefore, studies are being actively carried out to improve the disadvantages of each process.

Ultrasonic welding, laser welding, and the like exist as a method of bonding the micro-wires to the substrate. Ultrasonic welding is a process that is actively used in the semiconductor field. Such a process is a process focused on a semiconductor. In order to perform a smooth ultrasonic welding, the target substrate must be rigid so that ultrasonic energy should be transmitted between the surface of the target substrate and the micro-wires. However, it is very soft in the case of the polymer substrate currently used, so that the ultrasonic energy is dispersed and the proper bonding is not achieved. There is also a scale limit because the stage or bonding area of commonly used ultrasonic welding equipment is very localized. In the case of laser welding, it is a method of applying heat locally using a laser. However, due to the principle of the laser being sensitive to the focus, it is affected by the shape of the substrate. In addition, since the laser is a method of locally welding, there is a scale limit, and the laser source value itself is very expensive, which is expensive to process.

For these reasons, it is very difficult to produce or bond high-quality electrodes on soft polymer substrates. In addition, conventional high-precision processing methods are mostly influenced by the shape and heat treatment of the substrate such as requiring a 2-D plane substrate. Therefore, there is no process for producing and bonding high-quality electrodes with a large area on a substrate having a curved surface such as a polymer 2-D plane or a cylindrical shape.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the problems of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of aligning micro-metal wires coated with an ultraviolet curing adhesive on a long-length fine polymer tube surface having a small diameter, And bonding the micro-metal wire to the surface of the polymer tube by irradiating and curing the ultraviolet-curing adhesive. The present invention also provides an apparatus and method for adhesion between a polymer tube and a micro-metal wire.

It should be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be variously modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for bonding a polymer tube and a micro-metal wire according to an aspect of the present invention includes the steps of disposing a micro-metal wire in a groove containing an ultraviolet- A coating step of coating the ultraviolet curable adhesive; An aligning step of aligning the coated micro-metal wire on the surface of a polymer tube passing through a hole spaced apart from the groove by a predetermined distance; And a bonding step of curing the UV cured adhesive coated on the micro-metal wire by irradiating ultraviolet light onto the micro-metal wire being aligned to align the micro-metal wire to the surface of the polymer tube by the cured ultraviolet- .

Further, in the aligning step, each of the plurality of coated microwave metal wires may be aligned and aligned with different positions on the surface of the polymer tube.

In addition, in the aligning step, the coated microwave metal wires may be arranged at a predetermined interval on the surface of the polymer tube, and the aligned microwave metal wires may be contacted to the polymer tube.

In addition, in the adhering step, the ultraviolet curing adhesive of the aligned micro-metal wire can be cured using a single wavelength ultraviolet ray.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for bonding a polymer tube and a micro-metal wire, comprising: a solution container for coating a micro-metal wire with an ultraviolet curing adhesive; An alignment die for aligning the coated micro-metal wires in the solution container against the surface of the polymer tube; And curing the ultraviolet curable adhesive coated on the micro-metal wire by irradiating ultraviolet light onto the micro-metal wires aligned in the alignment die and adhering the micro-metal wire to the surface of the polymer tube with the cured ultraviolet- And the like.

In addition, the solution container may include a hole through which the polymer tube penetrates, an upper part having grooves for coating the micro-metal wires on both sides of the polymer tube, And a lower part disposed at a lower portion of the upper part and having a groove for coating the micro-metal wire at a lower portion of the polymer tube.

The alignment die may also include an upper part having the polymer tube and a groove on the top of the polymer tube to align the micro-metal wire in abutment; And a lower part disposed below the upper part, the lower part having grooves for aligning the micro-metal wires on both sides of the polymer tube and on both sides of the polymer tube.

The alignment die may also include an upper part having the polymer tube and a groove on the top of the polymer tube to align the micro-metal wire in abutment; And a lower part disposed at a lower portion of the upper part, the lower part having grooves for aligning the micro-metal wires on both sides and lower sides of the polymer tube and the polymer tube, respectively; And spacers disposed between the upper and lower sides of the lower part, respectively.

In addition, a system for bonding between a polymer tube and a micro-metal wire according to the present invention includes: a compression jig for pressing and contacting the micro-metal wire on both sides of the polymer tube passed through the alignment die; A pair of rolls pulling the polymer tube and the micro-metal wire in contact; And a linear actuator for moving the platform on which the pair of rolls are mounted, in a process advancing direction.

In addition, the curing means may cure the ultraviolet curing adhesive of the aligned micro-metal wire using ultraviolet light of a single wavelength.

As described above, the effects that may occur when the micro-metal wire is bonded to the fine polymer tube using the process developed in the present invention are as follows.

1) It is free from installation environment of process equipments because it can proceed in ambient air condition. The equipment is compact, requiring only a small space compared to other process equipment. In addition, the micro-metal wire used in the process, the ultraviolet ray hardening adhesive, and the fine polymer tube are both commercially available, and the process material cost is low because they are already optimized in the industry. Lastly, the ultraviolet (UV) process is used, which can save a great deal of processing time. Therefore, the overall cost of building and maintaining the system can be reduced compared to other processes.

2) If the materials used in the process are the same, they can be applied separately using optimized processes that have been studied in existing industries and academia. This means that you can take advantage of all the properties of each of the high-quality materials optimized over time. Therefore, it is possible to produce high-quality products because it is a process that proceeds separately from the limitations presented in the existing processes.

3) It is easy to customize process according to the required situation. For example, microgold wire, medical grade ultraviolet curing adhesive, and biocompatible fine polymer tubes can be used in the medical industry. When applied to the wearable, flexible, and stressable electronic device industries, flexible micro-gold or silver wire and soft ultraviolet curing adhesives with very small modulus can be applied to achieve the desired flexible characteristics. Conversely, if rigid properties are required, the strength can be increased while maintaining a fine scale using micro stainless steel wires and brittle ultraviolet curing adhesives with high modulus.

4) The present invention can be applied to a substrate having a curved surface such as a tube relative to a conventional process. Therefore, it can contribute to the 3-D solid-based electronic device industry, not the active 2-D plane-based electronic device industry.

5) Because it is easy to apply to large-scale process compared to current micro-scale process, it can contribute to mass production of micro-process. Therefore, it can be very helpful for the industrialization of wearable, flexible, and scalable electronic devices that require microprocessing.

However, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above effects, and may be variously extended without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

1 is a schematic representation of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.
2 is a view showing a method of bonding a micro-metal wire according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view showing a part for coating a micro-metal wire with an ultraviolet curing adhesive.
4 is a view showing a part for guiding a micro-metal wire and a fine polymer tube.
5 is a view showing thermal damage to a fine polymer tube caused by using an erroneous ultraviolet lamp during ultraviolet curing.
FIG. 6 is an optical microscope photograph of a micro-metal wire and a fine polymer tube after the process of the present invention is firmly fixed through an ultraviolet curing adhesive.
Fig. 7 is an analytical photograph after application of various sizes of micro-metal wires to the process of the present invention.
Fig. 8 is a photograph of a metal wire having a diameter of 25 mu m bonded to a 1 m fine polymer tube through the process of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a graph showing evaluation of bending characteristics through a three-point bending test of a fine polymer tube before the process and a tube after the process. FIG.
10 is a photograph showing the bending reliability evaluation according to various radius of curvature of the tube after the process.

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention are different, but need not be mutually exclusive. For example, certain features, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in connection with an embodiment. It is also to be understood that the position or arrangement of the individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled, if properly explained. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar functions throughout the several views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT (S) A system and method for adhesion between a micro polymer tube and a micro-metal wire according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In particular, in the present invention, micro-metal wires coated with an ultraviolet-curing adhesive are aligned on the surface of a micro-polymer tube, ultraviolet rays are irradiated on the aligned micro-metal wires, and micro- A new bonding method is proposed.

The present invention can adhere a micro-metal wire on the surface of a small-diameter fine polymer tube using a newly proposed bonding process. At this time, the bonded micro-metal wire is strongly adhered to the polymer tube through the ultraviolet hardening adhesive and the polymer tube is not thermally damaged by using the ultraviolet lamp having a single wavelength. The present invention can be used to process large parts of 1 m or more through a pair of polymer rolls and linear actuators used for continuous processes, guided fine polymer tubes and micrometal wires, have. The present invention can also contribute to industrial development because it is possible to perform an electrode process on a recently required polymer substrate and to perform a large area process.

1 is a schematic representation of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, an apparatus for bonding a polymer tube and a micro-metal wire according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a solution container 100, an alignment die 200, jig 300, a pair of rolls 400, a linear actuator 500, and a curing unit 600.

The solution container 100 may contain a solution for coating the micro-metal wire. Here, as the solution, an ultraviolet curable adhesive may be used.

The solution container 100 may align at least one micro-metal wire coated with the ultrafine polymer tube 10 and the ultraviolet-curing adhesive in parallel at regular intervals.

For example, the solution container 100 may align each of a plurality of micro-metal wires at different locations on the surface of the micro-polymer tube so as to be spaced apart from each other.

The alignment die 200 can align and align at least one micro-metal wire coated with a UV-curable adhesive through the solution container 100 on the surface of the fine polymer tube.

For example, the alignment die 200 can align each of a plurality of micro-metal wires coated with an ultraviolet curable adhesive against different locations on the surface of the micro-polymer tube.

The compression jig 300 presses the micro-metal wire, particularly the micro-metal wire positioned on both sides of the polymer tube, through the alignment die 200 onto the surface of the polymer tube to contact the surface of the polymer tube .

This is because the micro-metal wires located on both sides of the polymer tube in the alignment die 200 may not contact the surface of the micro-polymer tube.

The pair of rolls 400 can move the polymer tube and the micro-metal wire passing through the compression jig 300 in the process direction. At this time, the polymer tube and the micro-metal wire, to which the adhesive-fixed starting point is formed, may be fixed to the pair of rolls before the bonding process is started. The reason why the starting point is formed is that the micro-metal wire slips from the polymer tube when pulled in the process direction by fixing a few millimeters of the wire to the polymer tube by using a quick-setting adhesive such as an instant adhesive, This is to prevent the phenomenon.

The linear actuator 500 moves the movable drawing platform on which the pair of rolls 400 are mounted in the process direction to secure a space for installing the UV lamp. At this time, the linear actuator 500 can move the movable drawing platform to a predetermined position for the space in which the UV lamp is installed, in the process direction.

The curing means 600 may apply ultraviolet light to the aligned micro-metal wires to cure the ultraviolet-cured adhesive coated on the micro-metal wire to adhere the micro-metal wires to the surface of the polymer tube with a cured ultraviolet- .

At this time, as the curing means 600, for example, a UV lamp may be used.

2 is a view showing a method of bonding a micro-metal wire according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a method of bonding a micro-metal wire according to an embodiment of the present invention includes coating a micro-metal wire with an ultraviolet-curing adhesive (S210), aligning the coated micro- (S220), an ultraviolet ray is irradiated on the aligned micro-metal wire to cure the ultraviolet-curable adhesive coated on the micro-metal wire to bond the micro-metal wire to the surface of the polymer tube by the cured ultraviolet- Step S230.

Specifically, 1) First, a micro-metal wire bonding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can coat a micro-metal wire with a UV-curing adhesive using a solution container (S210). Thus, the adhesive is first coated on the micro-metal wire to facilitate manipulation of the micro-metal wire. That is, coating will prevent the movement of the micro-metal wire by weight and static electricity on the micro-metal wire, which makes it easier to mount on the machined part, that is, the alignment die. Here, the micro-metal wire may be formed of gold, silver, copper, aluminum, or the like.

The metal wire is too small to be manipulated and sensitive to static electricity. And adheres easily to a predetermined surface, particularly a polymer surface, by static electricity. In addition, after being detached from the polymer surface, it can be damaged by plastic deformation or folding. Thus, it is difficult to manipulate the metal wire, so an ultraviolet curing adhesive coating is needed to facilitate manipulation of the metal wire.

In addition, due to the resistance through the viscosity of the adhesive, fine tension is applied to the micro-wires during the process, so that the UV-cured adhesive coating can be prevented from deviating from the wire guided portion during the process.

2) Four micrometallic wires are attached to a fine polymer tube using up, down, left, right, or two micro-wires, for example, The metal wires can be aligned and aligned by guiding them in the left and right (horizontal) directions (S220). At this time, the fine polymer tube inserts a metal rod into the inner diameter to improve the straightness of the polymer.

At this time, the starting point of the micro-metal wire and the fine polymer tube can be fixed before the bonding process starts. The reason for fixing is to continuously extract the micro-metal wires with the micro-polymer wires adhered to the surface of the micro-polymer tube. That is, by pulling the polymer tube whose starting point is fixed, the bonded micro-metal wire is also pulled together. At this time, the micro-metal wire is fixed to the micro-polymer tube by using an adhesive, and the micro-polymer tube having the start point thus fixed is pressed and fixed through the pair of rolls.

Here, the starting point of the polymer tube may be a portion caught by a tweezer.

3-1) An ultraviolet lamp may be installed after aligning the aligned micro-metal wires and the micro-polymer tube (w / a set of roll) using the linear actuator for the length of the ultraviolet lamp. The linear actuator pulls the micrometal wire and micro polymer tube with fixed starting points and creates a space or gap for the UV lamp to be set for UV curing.

3-2) The ultraviolet curing adhesive of the micro-metal wire can be cured through an ultraviolet lamp. In this case, the time required for curing generally depends on the type of adhesive and the performance of the lamp. In general, only a few seconds to one minute is required.

UV curing is necessary to hold the metal wire without additional grip jig. In this process, the ultraviolet lamp must be controlled to prevent UV penetration of the alignment die. If ultraviolet penetration occurs in the alignment die, the metal wire coated with the ultraviolet curing adhesive is adhered to the surface of the alignment die and is destroyed. Therefore, it is important to determine the position of the ultraviolet lamp.

For example, the ultraviolet lamp is installed at a distance from the process system.

4) The portion of the micro-metal wire which is hardened and completely fixed to the fine polymer tube is moved as the pair of rolls is rotated. Thereafter, when a portion of the adhesive that has not yet been cured appears, the adhesive is cured using an ultraviolet lamp again and the process is repeated for the desired length.

3-1), 3-2) Further explanation: Since a linear ultraviolet lamp was used in this process, a lamp was installed after the length of the ultraviolet lamp was pulled by using a linear actuator. However, in the case of a spot-type ultraviolet lamp, since the installation space is not required, the adhesive can be hardened while being pulled by the linear actuator. Therefore, when a spot-type ultraviolet lamp is used, the speed of the linear actuator can be controlled in accordance with the performance of the ultraviolet lamp.

Figs. 3A-3B show parts for coating a micro-metal wire with an ultraviolet curing adhesive. Fig.

Referring to FIGS. 3A to 3B, a component for coating a micro-metal wire with an ultraviolet curing adhesive, that is, a solution container 100 is shown. The part has a hole through which the fine polymer tube 10 having a metal rod 10a inserted in the center thereof can pass, and a groove through which the ultraviolet curing adhesive can be contained in the first, second, and third sides. This part is also divided into two parts, an upper part 120 and a lower part 110, to facilitate mounting of the micro-metal wire 20. [ In the case of a micro-metal wire, it is difficult to attach to a penetration-type part. The lower part 110 assists in side wire alignment and bottom wire alignment while the upper part 120 assists in top wire alignment.

This part independently guides the four micro-metal wires to minimize the influence of each other during the process and provides ease of handling of the micro-metal wires by first coating the UV curing adhesive.

In addition, a stopper 130 may be provided to prevent the upper part 120 from moving in accordance with the process direction. The stopper 130 may have any shape, but it is preferable that the stopper 130 is formed by fixing a metal block having a proper size.

Figures 4A-4C show parts for guiding micro-metal wires and fine polymer tubes.

Referring to FIGS. 4A-4C, there is shown a component, or alignment die 200, that aids in aligning the four microwires against the polymer tube. In the case of the upper part, it is the part where machining passes through the path of the micro-wire and the hole through which the polymer tube passes. In this case, horizontal wires are made by micro machining. Vertical wires are designed to have minute spacing when assembling parts. Such a component is also divided into two parts, an upper part 220 and a lower part 210, as components for the prior adhesive coating. However, in the case of horizontal wires, if the workpiece is not mounted correctly, friction and stress concentration will occur on the wire and the wire will be destroyed. In order to compensate for this, the alignment die 200 is modified to have a dimension tolerance as shown in FIG. 4B. The surface of the lower part 210 is positioned at the center of the polymer tube and then a wire is placed on the surface of the lower part 210. A gap between the upper part 220 and the lower part 210, spacer) 30 to prevent the wire from being squeezed. The spacer 30 is made of a 100 mu m polymer film so that a gap is formed between the upper part 220 and the lower part 210. [ Then, a compression component, that is, a compression jig 300 is used so that the metal wire can contact the polymer tube. Compression components are fabricated using silicone rubber and PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) films to reduce stress concentration and friction of the body, for example, a 3D printing body or wire for displacement gap control.

5 is a view showing thermal damage to a fine polymer tube caused by using an erroneous ultraviolet lamp during ultraviolet curing.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown thermal damage of a fine polymer tube that can be generated according to the type of ultraviolet lamp used in the process. Ultraviolet mercury lamps generally used in the ultraviolet processing industry are used as ultraviolet lamps. In the case of mercury lamps, it also emits infrared rays (IR) that can act as heat as well as ultraviolet light for curing UV adhesive. As a result, heat may be generated in the fine polymer tube, which may cause thermal damage. Therefore, it is necessary to select a suitable lamp to prevent such a phenomenon, and it can be solved by using an ultraviolet LED lamp which emits in a single wavelength in a UV process on a heat-sensitive substrate such as a polymer.

FIG. 6 is an optical microscope photograph of a micro-metal wire and a fine polymer tube after the process of the present invention is firmly fixed through an ultraviolet curing adhesive.

Referring to FIG. 6, an optical microscope photograph showing a state in which a micro-metal wire is adhered onto a surface of a fine polymer tube through a process developed in the present invention. In the case of microwave metal wires, 25 μm gold wire was used and because of the difficulty of accurate analysis with ordinary cameras, the results of the process were analyzed through an optical microscope. As shown in the figure, we succeeded in attaching micro-metal wires to micro-polymer tubes with various small diameters (less than 1 mm).

Fig. 7 is an analytical photograph after application of various sizes of micro-metal wires to the process of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, micro-metal wires of different diameters are bonded on one kind of fine polymer tube surface. Optical microscope photographs and resistance measurements show that the process is completed completely on the surface of the fine polymer tube without damaging both the 25 μm diameter gold wire and the 15 μm gold wire.

Fig. 8 is a photograph of a metal wire having a diameter of 25 mu m bonded to a 1 m fine polymer tube through the process of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, there is shown an experimental result demonstrating that the large area process emphasized in the present invention is possible. Four 25 μm diameter gold wires were bonded to the surface of the fine polymer tube with a length of 1 m. The resistance measurement showed that the length of the bonded micro gold wire was about 1 m.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing evaluation of bending characteristics through a three-point bending test of a fine polymer tube before the process and a tube after the process. FIG.

Referring to FIG. 9, there is shown an experimental photograph and a data analysis graph evaluating the bending characteristics of the fine polymer tube having the micro-polymer tube bonded with the four micro-metal wires after the process, through the three-point bending test. The change of the bending characteristic can be grasped by the three-point bending test. Based on this, it is possible to fabricate tubes with desired bending characteristics after processing by independently changing the materials of micro-metal wire, ultraviolet curing adhesive, and fine polymer tube.

10 is a photograph showing the bending reliability evaluation according to various radius of curvature of the tube after the process.

Referring to FIG. 10, there is shown a photograph that evaluates the reliability of the micro-metal wire and the adhesive according to the bending conditions after the process. Stress due to radius of curvature is applied to the tube after the process using metal pipes with various radius of curvature. At this time, the micro-metal wire is located at the outermost position in the vertical direction from the center axis of the tube to receive the maximum stress. This allows the breakdown of the micro-metal wire under certain bending conditions or the peeling between the micro-metal wire and the micro-polymer tube to be analyzed so that the reliability of each material can be determined and then the material can be changed to meet the required properties.

Comparing the existing processes and the process of the present invention, the process is summarized as shown in [Table 1].

Method Shape of substrate Requirement Scale Cost Thin film deposition Planar High Temperature Process small High Electroplating Arbitrary Electrical conductivity Large Low Conductive ink Arbitrary Heat annealing (~ 150 ℃) Large Low Ultrasonic welding Planar Rigid & Brittle Small Low Laser welding Planar Laser focusing Small High Proposed process Curved - Large Low

Referring to Table 1, there are various processes for forming and bonding microelectrodes on a current substrate. First, micro-electrodes are formed and bonded on a 2-D plane substrate by thin-film deposition, ultrasonic welding, and laser welding. Since thin film deposition and ultrasonic welding have been developed for the semiconductor industry, it is possible to successfully process the substrate by using 2-D silicon wafers and glass substrates for high-temperature process and ultrasonic energy transfer. However, polymer substrates that are in the spotlight are very different from silicon wafers and glass substrates. In addition, because the process is developed for the semiconductor industry, the scale is very small and the process cost for the thin film deposition is very high. In the case of laser welding, it is not sensitive to the material properties of the substrate because it applies local thermal energy using a laser. However, in the case of a laser, it is very sensitive to focus, which makes it difficult to focus on a non-2-D substrate. In addition, the laser source value itself is very expensive, and the process principle itself is a process with limited scale because it generates local thermal energy using laser. In addition, electroplating and conductive ink are used as a process that is not affected by the substrate. However, in the case of electroplating, the substrate should be a conductor having conductivity, but it is not suitable because it is a non-conductive material such as a polymer substrate. In addition, in the case of conductive ink, light is received by the same method as printing, but heat treatment at about 120 to 150 ° C is required to improve the mechanical and electrical properties of the ink. Such a temperature is higher than the glass transition temperature of the polymer and may cause thermal damage.

Therefore, the present invention excludes the thermal process, which is the greatest factor that can damage the polymer substrate. In addition, the present invention is optimized for cost savings, which is a key component of the process, since it proceeds in ambient air and the equipment is compact. Since the materials used in the present invention are independently processed in the conventional industry, high-quality and low-cost materials can be used and a large area process is possible. Finally, it can be applied to the non-planar tube, which focuses on the existing process. This can contribute to diversity and development in the 3-D industry as well as the 2-D industry.

Currently, medical industry is one of the most actively studied and utilized microtubes. In the medical industry, as the scale of operations is minimized through the concept of minimally invasive surgery, applications are being actively studied with respect to microtubes as shown in the figure. In such a case, there is a catheter application as a fine polymer tube and a needle application as a micro-metal tube. In the case of a catheter application, a biomedical sensor is actively being suggested, but in order to accurately drive it, accurate electrical connection from the patient to the body is important. In this case, it is possible to connect the micro-metal wire to the bio-signal sensor developed by bonding the micro-metal wire to the catheter surface using the present invention. The present invention can also be applied to a needle such as a fine metal tube. The present invention is applicable to fine metal tubes as well as fine polymer tubes because it is affected by the geometry or dimensions of the substrate rather than the substrate material. In addition, there are a growing number of microtubule-based applications that enable delivery systems, and in addition to the medical industry, they can be used in all cases where fluid or gas is passed through a tube and analyzed through a sensor. Further, since the present invention is a micro-process, it can be sufficiently applied to a tube having a thin thickness, which is currently attracting attention, thereby contributing greatly to all industries and researches using a micro-polymer tube or a micro-tube shape.

The features, structures, effects and the like described in the embodiments are included in one embodiment of the present invention and are not necessarily limited to only one embodiment. Furthermore, the features, structures, effects and the like illustrated in the embodiments can be combined and modified by other persons skilled in the art to which the embodiments belong. Therefore, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to these combinations and modifications.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of illustration, It can be seen that various modifications and applications are possible. For example, each component specifically shown in the embodiments can be modified and implemented. It is to be understood that all changes and modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

100: solution container
200: alignment die
300: compression jig
400: a pair of rolls
500: linear actuator
600: Curing means

Claims (10)

A coating step of placing a micro-metal wire in a groove containing an ultraviolet-curing adhesive to coat the micro-metal wire with the ultraviolet-curing adhesive;
An aligning step of aligning the coated micro-metal wire on the surface of a polymer tube passing through a hole spaced apart from the groove by a predetermined distance; And
Aligning the micro-metal wire with ultraviolet light to cure the ultraviolet-cured adhesive coated on the micro-metal wire, and adhering the micro-metal wire to the surface of the polymer tube with the cured ultraviolet- ≪ / RTI > A method for bonding between a polymer tube and a micro-metal wire. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the aligning step aligns each of the coated plurality of microwave metal wires to different locations on the surface of the polymer tube. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the aligning step aligns the coated microwave metal wire at a predetermined distance on the surface of the polymer tube and compresses the aligned microwave metal wire into contact with the polymer tube to cause adhesion between the polymer tube and the microwave metal wire Way. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the bonding step cures the ultraviolet cure adhesive of the aligned microwave metal wire using a single wavelength of ultraviolet radiation. A solution container for coating a micro-metal wire with an ultraviolet curing adhesive;
An alignment die for aligning the coated micro-metal wires in the solution container against the surface of the polymer tube; And
Irradiating ultraviolet light onto the micro-metal wires aligned in the alignment die to cure the ultraviolet-curable adhesive coated on the micro-metal wire and bonding the micro-metal wire to the surface of the polymer tube by the cured ultraviolet- An apparatus for bonding between a polymer tube and a micro-metal wire, comprising a curing means. 6. The method of claim 5,
The solution container comprises:
An upper part having a hole through which the polymer tube penetrates and a groove for coating the micro-metal wire on both sides of the polymer tube; And
And a lower part disposed at a lower portion of the upper part and having a groove for coating the micro-metal wire under the polymer tube. 6. The method of claim 5,
The alignment die comprises:
An upper part having the polymer tube and a groove on the top of the polymer tube for aligning the micro-metal wires in abutment; And
And a lower part disposed at a lower portion of the upper part and having grooves for aligning and aligning the micro-metal wires on both sides and lower sides of the polymer tube and the polymer tube, Lt; / RTI > 6. The method of claim 5,
The alignment die comprises:
An upper part having the polymer tube and a groove on the top of the polymer tube for aligning the micro-metal wires in abutment; And
A lower part disposed below the upper part, the lower part having grooves for aligning the micro-metal wires on both sides and lower sides of the polymer tube and the polymer tube; And
And spacers disposed between the upper and lower sides of the lower part, respectively, for bonding between the polymer tube and the micro-metal wire. 6. The method of claim 5,
A compression jig for pressing and contacting the micro-metal wire on both sides of the polymer tube passed through the alignment die;
A pair of rolls pulling the polymer tube and the micro-metal wire in contact; And
Further comprising a linear actuator for moving the platform on which the pair of rolls is mounted in the process direction. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the curing means comprises:
An apparatus for bonding between a polymer tube and a micro-metal wire, wherein the aligned ultraviolet curing adhesive of the micro-metal wire is cured using a single wavelength of ultraviolet light.

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