KR20080051922A - Apparatus and method of fabricating thin film pattern - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for manufacturing a thin film pattern are provided to reduce the complexity of a manufacturing process by performing a patterning process without using a photolithography process. A bracket(250) includes a soft mold having a groove and a protrusion unit except the groove. A roll shaped printing roller(200) is wound with the bracket. An apparatus applies an etch resist solution(266a) on a substrate(262) on which a thin film(264a) is formed. An electromagnet(280) is located at a side of the substrate. A magnetic substance(260) is fixed on the bracket. The magnetic substance is detachable with the electromagnet by the magnetic field. The bracket includes an elastic plate, a mold supporting plate, and the soft mold. The elastic plate is directly connected to the printing roller. The mold supporting plate is adhered to the elastic plate by using an adhesive agent. The soft mold is attached to the mold supporting plate by the adhesive agent.

Description

Apparatus And Method of Fabricating Thin Film Pattern

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a liquid crystal display device.

2 is a view for explaining an apparatus and method for manufacturing a thin film pattern according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows the movement of the etch resist solution upon contact of the substrate with the soft mold shown in FIG. 2. FIG.

4 is a view for explaining a method of manufacturing a thin film pattern manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a view showing an apparatus for manufacturing a thin film pattern according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a cross-sectional view showing in detail the bracket of FIG.

7A to 7F are diagrams showing step by step manufacturing processes of a thin film pattern using the apparatus for manufacturing a thin film pattern shown in FIG. 5 according to the present invention.

    <Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

131,262 substrate 133a, 266a etch resist solution

134,234: soft molds 132a, 264a: thin film

132b: thin film pattern 15: liquid crystal

19: data line 20: thin film transistor

21 pixel electrode 22 color filter substrate

143,230: mold support plate 184: master mold

250: blanket 200: printing roller

260: magnetic material 280: electromagnet

275 hinge portion 266 etch resist pattern

The present invention relates to a thin film pattern of a flat panel display device, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for manufacturing a thin film pattern that can simplify the manufacturing process and reduce costs by performing a patterning process without using a photo process.

In today's information society, display elements are more important than ever as visual information transfer media. Cathode ray tubes or cathode ray tubes, which are currently mainstream, have problems with weight and volume.

The flat panel display device includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma display panel (PDP), and an electroluminescence (EL). Most are commercially available and commercially available.

Liquid crystal display devices can meet the trend of light and short and short of electronic products and mass production is improving, and are rapidly replacing cathode ray tubes in many applications.

In particular, an active matrix type liquid crystal display device that drives a liquid crystal cell using a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as "TFT") has the advantages of excellent image quality and low power consumption, and secures the latest mass production technology. As a result of research and development, it is rapidly developing into larger size and higher resolution.

In the active matrix type liquid crystal display device, as shown in FIG. 1, the color filter substrate 22 and the TFT array substrate 23 are bonded to each other with the liquid crystal layer 15 interposed therebetween. The liquid crystal display shown in FIG. 1 shows a part of the entire effective screen.

The color filter 13 and the common electrode 14 are formed on the rear surface of the upper glass substrate 12 on the color filter substrate 22. The polarizing plate 11 is attached on the front surface of the upper glass substrate 12. In the color filter 13, color filter layers of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) colors are disposed to transmit light of a specific wavelength band, thereby enabling color display. A black matrix (not shown) is formed between the color filters 13 of adjacent colors.

In the TFT array substrate 23, the data lines 19 and the gate lines 18 cross each other on the front surface of the lower glass substrate 16, and TFTs 20 are formed at the intersections thereof. In addition, the pixel electrode 21 is formed in the cell region between the data line 19 and the gate line 18 on the front surface of the lower glass substrate 16. The TFT 20 drives the pixel electrode 21 by switching the data transfer path between the data line 19 and the pixel electrode 21 in response to the scanning signal from the gate line 18. The polarizing plate 17 is attached to the rear surface of the TFT array substrate 23.

The liquid crystal layer 15 adjusts the amount of light transmitted through the TFT array substrate 23 by the electric field applied thereto.

The polarizers 11 and 17 attached to the color filter substrate 22 and the TFT substrate 23 transmit light polarized in either direction, and their polarization directions when the liquid crystal 15 is in the 90 ° TN mode. Are orthogonal to each other.

An alignment film (not shown) is formed on the liquid crystal facing surfaces of the color filter substrate 22 and the array TFT substrate 23.

A manufacturing process for manufacturing an active matrix liquid crystal display device is divided into a substrate cleaning, a substrate patterning process, an alignment film forming / rubbing process, a substrate bonding / liquid crystal injection process, a mounting process, an inspection process, a repair process, and the like. In the substrate cleaning process, foreign substances contaminated on the substrate surface of the liquid crystal display device are removed with a cleaning liquid. The substrate patterning process is divided into a patterning process of a color filter substrate and a patterning process of a TFT array substrate. In the alignment film formation / rubbing process, an alignment film is applied to each of the color filter substrate and the TFT array substrate, and the alignment film is rubbed with a rubbing cloth or the like. In the substrate bonding / liquid crystal injection process, a color filter substrate and a TFT array substrate are bonded together using a sealant, a liquid crystal and a spacer are injected through the liquid crystal injection hole, and then the liquid crystal injection hole is sealed. In the mounting process, a tape carrier package (hereinafter referred to as "TCP") in which integrated circuits such as a gate drive integrated circuit and a data drive integrated circuit are mounted is connected to a pad portion on a substrate. Such a drive integrated circuit may be directly mounted on a substrate by a chip on glass (hereinafter referred to as "COG") method in addition to the tape automated bonding method using the aforementioned TCP. The inspection process includes an electrical inspection performed after signal wiring such as data lines and gate lines and pixel electrodes are formed on the TFT array substrate, and an electrical inspection and a visual inspection performed after the substrate bonding / liquid crystal injection process. The repair process restores the substrate that is determined to be repairable by the inspection process. Non-repairable substrates are discarded in the inspection process.

In the manufacturing method of most flat panel display devices including the liquid crystal display device, the thin film material deposited on the substrate is patterned by a photolithography process. Photolithography processes are generally a series of photographic processes that involve the application of photoresist, mask alignment, exposure, development and cleaning. However, such a photolithography process requires a long process time, a large waste of photoresist material and a strip solution, and requires expensive equipment such as an exposure apparatus.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for manufacturing a thin film pattern which can simplify the manufacturing process and reduce the cost by performing the patterning process without using a photo process.

In order to achieve the above object, the apparatus for manufacturing a thin film pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a blanket comprising a soft mold having a groove and a protrusion except the groove; A printing roller in roll form in which the blanket is wound; An apparatus for applying an etch resist solution on a substrate on which a thin film is formed; An electromagnet positioned on one side of the substrate; And a magnetic body fixed to the bracket and selectively detachable from the electromagnet by a magnetic field.

The blanket includes an elastic plate in direct contact with the printing roller; A mold support plate bonded to the elastic plate using an adhesive and having flexibility and elasticity; And the soft mold attached through the mold support plate and an adhesive.

The soft mold, the mold support plate and the elastic plate may include at least one of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyurethane, and photocurable acrylate.

PET film is used as the said mold support plate.

The magnetic body is non-overlapping with the soft mold and adhered through an adhesive on the elastic plate of the bracket.

One side of the bracket and one side of the printing roller is connected through a hinge portion.

Repulsive force or attractive force acts between the electromagnet and the magnetic body by electricity supplied to the electromagnet.

Method for producing a thin film pattern according to the present invention comprises the steps of providing a printing roller in the form of a roll wound the blanket comprising a soft mold; Sequentially forming a thin film and an etch resist solution on the substrate; The bracket is released from the printing roller; Placing the bracket on the etch resist solution such that the groove and the protrusion except the groove contact the etch resist solution; Forming an etch resist pattern corresponding to the shape of the groove and the protrusion of the soft mold; Rewinding the bracket onto the printing roller; And removing the thin film that is not overlapped with the etch resist pattern to form a thin film pattern.

The releasing of the blanket from the printing roller may include a step of attracting force between an electromagnet positioned around one side of the substrate and a magnetic body fixed to one side of the block; The bracket is released from the printing roller based on the magnetic material.

The rewinding of the bracket to the printing roller may include: rewinding the blanket to the printing roller based on a hinge portion connecting the bracket and the printing roller; Repulsive force is applied between the electromagnet and the magnetic material.

The mounting of the bracket onto the etch resist solution includes the step of curing the etch resist solution while the soft mold of the bracket is in contact with the etch resist solution.

Other objects and features of the present invention in addition to the above object will become apparent from the description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7F.

2 to 4, the apparatus and method for manufacturing a thin film pattern according to the first embodiment of the present invention may form a thin film pattern having a shape desired by a designer by using a soft mold 134 instead of a conventional photoresist pattern process. Introducing the process by the in-plane printing method.

In-plane printing method, that is, the thin film pattern process using the soft mold 134 is a process of applying an etch resist solution 133a on the substrate 131 on which the thin film 132a is formed and soft. A patterning process of the etch resist layer 133 using the mold 134, an etching process for patterning the thin film 132, a stripping process of a residual etch resist pattern, and an inspection process.

The thin film 132a formed on the substrate 131 is a basic material used as a metal pattern, an organic pattern, and an inorganic pattern present in an array of flat panel display elements, and is formed on the substrate 131 by a known coating process or a deposition process. do.

The etch resist solution 133a includes a main resin, an activator, an initiator, a thermal flow derivative, or the like, which is at least one of a liquid polymer precursor or a liquid monomer.

The etch resist solution 133a containing such a material is applied onto the thin film 132a by a coating process such as nozzle spraying or spin coating.

The soft mold 134 is made of a highly elastic rubber material, for example, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or the like, and the groove 134a corresponding to the pattern to be left on the substrate 131 is formed. Here, the soft mold 134 having the groove 134a and the protruding surface 134b is surface treated with hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity. Hereinafter, in the present invention, the case where the soft mold 134 is hydrophobic will be described by way of example.

After the soft mold 134 is aligned on the etch resist solution 133a, the soft mold 134 is pressurized to the etch resist solution 133a at a pressure such that contact with the thin film 132a is possible, that is, its own weight.

For example, the capillary force generated by the pressure between the soft mold 134 and the glass substrate 131 and the repulsive force between the soft mold 134 and the etch resist solution 132a may be used. 133a moves into the groove 134a of the soft mold 134 as shown in FIG. As a result, an etch resist pattern 133b is formed on the thin film 132a in the form of a groove 134a pattern of the soft mold 134 and a pattern reversely transferred. Thereafter, after the soft mold 134 and the substrate 131 are separated, a wet etching process or a dry etching process may be performed. At this time, since the etch resist pattern 133b serves as a mask, only the thin film 132a positioned below the etch resist pattern 133b remains on the substrate 131 and the other thin films 132a are removed. Subsequently, the etch resist pattern 134b is removed by a strip process, and short and disconnection of the thin film pattern 132b is inspected through an electrical and optical inspection of the thin film pattern 132b.

The soft mold 134 is separated from the substrate 131, washed with ultraviolet (UV) and ozone (O ₃ ), and then re-injected into the patterning process of another thin film 132a.

4 shows a method of manufacturing an apparatus for manufacturing a thin film pattern according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, a master mold 184 having a thin film pattern 182 such as a photoresist pattern and an inorganic pattern is formed on the substrate 180.

Subsequently, a molding material 135 including polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and a small amount of curing agent is coated on the master mold 184 on which the thin film pattern 182 is formed. Subsequently, the liquid molding material 135 is left untreated in the mask mold 184 by being left on the master mold 184 at room temperature (about 25 ° C.) for about 1 hour to 2 days or by heat curing at about 80 ° C. for about 1 hour. Soft mold 134 is formed.

Thereafter, a mold supporting plate 143 (or referred to as a “back-plane”) to which the adhesive 145 has been applied is provided, and the soft mold unseparated from the mask mold 184 with the adhesive 145 interposed therebetween. After the mold support plate 143 is brought into close contact with the back of the 134, the adhesive 145 is cured by being left for about 1 day (24 hours) to 2 days.

Accordingly, the mold support plate 143 is firmly adhered to the rear surface of the soft mold 134 through the adhesive 145.

As the adhesive 145, a material in which a photoinitiator such as Igarcure 379 is mixed with glycidyl methacrylate is used, or a material in which a photoinitiator such as butyl methacrylate and Igarcure 379 is mixed is used. Can be.

Thereafter, the soft mold 134 is separated from the master mold 184 to form a soft mold 134 having grooves having the same shape as the thin film pattern 182 in the master mold 184. Here, the mold support plate 143 serves to prevent the shrinkage of the soft mold 134, and separates the soft mold 134 from the master mold 184 and transfers and stamps the soft mold 134. It is used as a means for. The soft mold formed by the above-described manufacturing process is used to form a thin film pattern of the flat panel display element.

The second embodiment of the present invention proposes a technique of applying the soft mold 134 introduced in the first embodiment of the present invention to a roll printing method.

5 shows an apparatus for manufacturing a thin film pattern according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

5 shows a roll printing apparatus aligned on a substrate on which a thin film is formed.

The roll printing apparatus includes a flexible blanket 250, a roll-shaped printing roller 200 in which the blanket 250 is wound, and a magnetic material 260 fixed to one side of the blanket 250. And an electromagnet 280 that exhibits magnetic force when electricity flows. The electromagnet 280 is located on one side of the substrate 262 on which the thin film 264a is formed. The block 250 is fastened through the printing roller 200 and the hinge portion 275 to be released or rewound.

6 shows a specific cross-sectional structure of the block 250.

First, the blanket 250 includes at least one of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyurethane, and photocurable acrylate, and a thin film pattern to be formed on the substrate 262 to be formed. And a soft mold 234 having a groove 234a corresponding to and a protrusion 234b excluding the groove 234a and a surface opposite to a surface on which the grooves 234a and the protrusion 234b are formed. The elastic plate bonded to the back of the) using the first adhesive 232 and the mold support plate 230 (back-plane), the mold support plate 230 and the second adhesive 242 having flexibility and elasticity ( 240). That is, the bracket 250 is composed of a mold support plate 230 and a soft mold 234 sequentially accumulated on the elastic plate 240.

The magnetic body 260 is fixed on the elastic plate 240 using the second adhesive 242.

The mold support plate 230 may be made of the same material as the soft mold 234 or may be formed of a PET (Poly ethyleneterephtalate) film.

The mold support plate 230 is bonded to the soft mold 234 using the manufacturing method illustrated in FIG. 4. Accordingly, the mold support plate 230 prevents the shrinkage of the soft mold 234 and separates the soft mold 134 from the master mold and serves as a transfer means of the soft mold 234. .

The elastic plate 240 has elasticity and flexibility and is a portion in direct contact with the printing roller 200 in the bracket 250. The elastic plate 240 is well wound on the printing roller 200 and also serves to absorb and cushion the impact on the soft mold 134. The elastic plate 240 is formed of the same material as the soft mold 234. That is, at least one of PDMS, polyurethane, photocurable acrylate (acrylate) to include elasticity and flexibility.

Since the first and second adhesives 232 and 242 should help to form a complete structure when a thin film is formed, primers of the type silane coupling agent are used.

Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 7, a process of manufacturing a thin film using the roll printing apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 is as follows.

As shown in FIG. 7A, a thin film 264a and an etch resist solution 266a are formed on the substrate 262. Thereafter, the electromagnet 280 is positioned on one side of the substrate 262.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7B, the roll printing apparatus is aligned such that the magnetic body 260 of the roll printing apparatus is positioned on the electromagnet 280. Thereafter, as electricity for the attraction of the electromagnet 280 is supplied, the electromagnet 280 becomes magnetic and attracts the magnetic body 260. Accordingly, as the bracket 250 is separated from the printing roller 200 and the printing roller 200 is rotated, the bracket 250 is seated on the etch resist solution 264a as shown in FIG. 7C. The etch resist solution 266a is pressurized by the self weight of 250. Accordingly, the etch resist solution 266a is caused by the capillary force generated by the pressure between the soft mold 134 and the substrate 260 and the repulsion force between the soft mold 234 and the etch resist solution 266a. It moves into the groove 234a of this soft mold 234. At the same time, ultraviolet (UV) curing is performed to form an etch resist pattern 266 on the thin film 264a in a pattern inverted and transferred to the groove 234a and the protrusion 234b patterns of the soft mold 234.

Here, the etch resist solution is formed in the form of a liquid polymer precursor (liquid prepolymer), and only the part in contact with the bracket 250 is capable of ultraviolet (UV) curing. That is, the etch resist solution does not undergo ultraviolet (UV) curing in a general atmospheric environment containing oxygen (O ₂ ), but ultraviolet (UV) curing occurs in a vacuum or inactive environment. Accordingly, the etch resist solution can be isolated from the atmospheric environment at the moment when the etch resist solution is in contact with the bracket 250, thereby causing curing by ultraviolet (UV).

As such an etch resist material, a material in which 1 to 10% of Irgacure 369 is mixed with glycidyl methacrylate is used.

Thereafter, as the printing roller 200 rotates in a direction opposite to that of FIG. 7C, the printing roller 200 is wound on the bracket 250 again, starting with the hinge portion 275 as shown in FIG. 7D. Thereafter, the electromagnet 280 pushes the magnetic body 260 as electricity for repulsive force is supplied to the electromagnet 280.

As a result, the bracket 250 is separated on the substrate 262, so that the etch resist pattern 266 is formed on the thin film 264a as shown in FIG. 7E.

Thereafter, the thin film pattern 264 is formed as shown in FIG. 7F by removing the thin film 264a that is not overlapped with the etch resist pattern 266 by an etching process using the etch resist pattern 266 as a mask.

The apparatus and method for manufacturing a thin film pattern according to the second embodiment of the present invention can reduce the precision and processing speed of the pattern, and can improve the process and logistics flow by enabling the in-line process. In-line process is a process method having the advantage that can complete the patterning without interruption of the process by performing a continuous process using a conveyor. This in-line process is advantageous as the multiple roll printing devices are placed in a confined space. The roll printing method takes advantage of the in-line process method as it takes up less space than other methods.

Apparatus and method for manufacturing a thin film pattern according to the present invention include an electrode layer, an organic material layer, and an organic layer of a flat panel display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma display panel (PDP), and an electroluminescent device (EL). It can be applied to a process for patterning an inorganic layer or the like.

As described above, the apparatus and method for manufacturing a thin film pattern according to the present invention can simplify the manufacturing process of the thin film pattern by performing a patterning process without using a photo process.

In addition, the apparatus and method for manufacturing a thin film pattern according to the present invention can form a thin film pattern by a roll printing method using a soft mold without using a photo process. The process technology can be further improved.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (11)

A blanket comprising a groove and a soft mold having a protrusion except the groove; A printing roller in roll form in which the blanket is wound; An apparatus for applying an etch resist solution on a substrate on which a thin film is formed; An electromagnet positioned on one side of the substrate; And a magnetic material fixed to the blanket and selectively detachable from the electromagnet by a magnetic field. The method of claim 1, The bracket is, An elastic plate in direct contact with the printing roller; A mold support plate bonded to the elastic plate using an adhesive and having flexibility and elasticity; Apparatus for manufacturing a thin film pattern comprising the soft mold attached through the mold support plate and an adhesive. The method of claim 2, The soft mold, the mold support plate, and the elastic plate may include at least one of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyurethane, and photocurable acrylate. . The method of claim 2, The apparatus for manufacturing a thin film pattern, characterized in that a PET film is used as the mold support plate. The method of claim 2, The magnetic material is non-overlapping with the soft mold and the thin film pattern manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the adhesive is bonded on the elastic plate of the blanket. The method of claim 1, One side of the bracket and one side of the printing roller is a thin film pattern manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that connected via a hinge. The method of claim 1, Apparatus for producing a thin film pattern, characterized in that the repulsive force or attraction acts between the electromagnet and the magnetic material by the electricity supplied to the electromagnet. Providing a printing roller in a roll form in which a bracket including a soft mold is wound; Sequentially forming a thin film and an etch resist solution on the substrate; The bracket is released from the printing roller; Placing the bracket on the etch resist solution such that the groove and the protrusion except the groove contact the etch resist solution; Forming an etch resist pattern corresponding to the shape of the groove and the protrusion of the soft mold; Rewinding the bracket onto the printing roller; And forming a thin film pattern by removing the thin film that is not overlapped with the etch resist pattern. The method of claim 8, The bracket is released from the printing roller, An attraction force acting between an electromagnet positioned around one side of the substrate and a magnetic body fixed to one side of the block; The method of manufacturing a thin film pattern, characterized in that the step of releasing the blanket from the printing roller based on the magnetic material. The method of claim 8, Rewinding the bracket to the printing roller, Rewinding the blanket to the printing roller based on a hinge portion connecting the bracket and the printing roller; The method of manufacturing a thin film pattern, characterized in that it further comprises the step of the repulsive force acting between the electromagnet and the magnetic material. The method of claim 8, The bracket is seated on the etch resist solution, And curing the etch resist solution while the soft mold of the blanket is in contact with the etch resist solution.

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