KR20100118222A - A flexible substrate for display panel and a method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A flexible substrate for a display panel and a method for manufacturing the same are provided to realize uniform thermal expansion, thereby obtaining uniformity for thermal expansion. CONSTITUTION: The first heat-resistant resin is coated and hardened on a glass cloth(105) in a glass cloth film. A plurality of apertures(115) are punched with a specific pattern in a heat-resistant film. The apertures simultaneously penetrate the first heat-resistant resin and the glass cloth. The first heat-resistant resin and the second heat-resistant resin are made of the same resin.

Description

Flexible substrate for display panel and manufacturing method therefor {A FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE FOR DISPLAY PANEL AND A METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a flexible substrate for a display panel, and more particularly, through a patterned glass cloth structure through a punching process, curls generated when a film is manufactured using a conventional solvent casting method. And it relates to a flexible substrate for a display panel that can prevent the problem of occurrence of roughness (Roughness).

Currently, a display device (for example, a liquid crystal display device) that is widely used uses a transparent electrode substrate made of a glass material. However, glass substrates have limitations in thinning and reducing the weight of liquid crystal displays due to their thick thickness and heavy weight, and are vulnerable to impact resistance. In particular, glass substrates are not applicable to flexible displays due to the brittleness of glass materials.

Accordingly, a flexible substrate made of a plastic optical film material is in the spotlight as a material to replace a conventional glass substrate, and the flexible substrate is used in next-generation display devices such as liquid crystal displays, organic ELs, and e-paper. It has very suitable properties.

Compared to the glass substrates used in conventional display panels, the flexible substrate made of plastic optical film material is thin, light, flexible, flexible, and can be processed into various forms, thereby reducing the weight, thickness, and The surface display function can be implemented.

Due to the advantages of the flexible substrate as described above, various researches and developments are being made on materials and structures of the flexible substrate.

In detail, in the initial stage of development, there is an example in which a transparent film material made of a plastic polymer is used, and an epoxy resin, an acid anhydride-based curing agent, a composition using an alcohol curing catalyst, or the like is applied as a material of the flexible substrate.

However, the flexible substrate composed of the above materials has a large coefficient of linear expansion, and especially when applied to an active matrix display element substrate, it causes problems such as warpage and disconnection of aluminum wiring in the manufacturing process, and is more resistant to heat than the glass substrate. Thermal characteristics such as coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and optical characteristics such as transparency and refractive index are weak, which limits the application of the flexible substrate.

Therefore, in order to apply the plastic optical film material to a display panel substrate, in particular, a matrix display element substrate, heat resistance and high transmittance must be satisfied, and above all, a plastic optical film material having a low coefficient of thermal expansion and film surface roughness is used. It is essential to develop.

As described above, a conventionally known technique for reducing the coefficient of thermal expansion of a plastic optical film material has been developed. A composite film structure including a glass powder, an inorganic filler such as glass cloth, and the like has been developed. Is being presented. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-51960 discloses a resin sheet containing an epoxy resin and a glass fiber in the form of glass fabric, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-233851 proposes a transparent substrate made of glass cloth and resin.

However, the conventional composite film structure and its manufacturing method which produce a transparent substrate by impregnating glass cloth with resin had the following problems.

First, the process of producing glass fibers in the form of a fabric is not simple, and especially when the film is made large by using a hot press method, the process becomes long and complicated because it causes film curl. Increasing the production cost, there was a problem that the production of large films is difficult.

Second, when manufacturing a glass cloth impregnated film using a UV-curing resin, due to the structural properties of the glass fiber in the form of a fabric and shrinkage phenomenon of the glass cloth, the finished film is not flat surface roughness (Roughness) There is a problem that it is very rough to cause a poor quality of the display device.

Third, when the glass cloth is impregnated by the solvent casting method, a local volatilization rate difference occurs in the film due to the high volatilization rate of the solvent, resulting in severe film curl and poor surface roughness. There was a problem that occurred.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to solve the problem of curl and poor surface roughness (Curl) occurred when manufacturing a film using a solvent casting (Solvent Casting) method It is to provide a flexible substrate for a display panel that can be prevented and a method of manufacturing the same.

Another object of the present invention is to improve the surface roughness of the substrate and at the same time to ensure a low coefficient of thermal expansion, a flexible substrate for a display panel that can minimize the phase difference change of the pattern cell due to shrinkage expansion of the substrate during high temperature process To provide.

The object is a flexible substrate for a display panel having a glass cloth impregnated into a second heat resistant resin by solvent casting, wherein the glass cloth is formed by penetrating a plurality of openings punched in a specific shape. Achievable with flexible substrates.

According to the flexible substrate for a display panel according to the present invention and a method for manufacturing the same, a solvent casting method can improve thermal properties of a heat resistant resin having a high coefficient of thermal expansion through a glass cloth pattern and a film structure including the same. While producing a film by using it can prevent the curl (Curl) and poor surface roughness (Roughness) to occur in the film, it is possible to continuously process and mass production, there is a remarkable effect that is advantageous for the enlargement of the film.

In addition, the glass cloth pattern structure of the present invention, unlike the glass cloth composed of a conventional glass fiber in the form of a fabric, the height variation is significantly reduced, thereby improving the surface roughness of the substrate while at the same time induces the thermal expansion uniformly induced thermal expansion There is a remarkable effect that can ensure the uniformity for.

1 (a) to (d) is a view showing a manufacturing process of a flexible substrate for a display panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a AA of the final flexible substrate through the manufacturing process of FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 1 is a photograph showing an embodiment of the present invention, which is actually manufactured through a manufacturing process.

The flexible substrate for a display panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a flexible substrate for a display panel having a glass cloth impregnated inside the second heat resistant resin 120 by solvent casting. It is a main technical feature that the glass cloth 105 is formed by penetrating a plurality of opening surfaces 115 punched into a specific shape.

By improving the physical properties of the flexible substrate through the film structure of the present invention as described above, while ensuring the proper transmittance, and overcome the limitations of the thermal expansion coefficient reduction of the conventional plastic substrate, and above all, the resin sheet comprising a conventional glass cloth Due to the roughness of the surface (Contrast) can be eliminated the problem that the contrast (Contrast) is reduced.

In addition, it is possible to prevent the problem of film curl and poor surface roughness occurring when the solvent casting method is used, and has the advantage of actively utilizing the solvent casting method capable of continuous processing.

The flexible substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of manufacturing a glass cloth, forming a plurality of opening surfaces 115 penetrating the glass cloth 105, and a plurality of opening surfaces 115 ) Is formed by impregnating the glass cloth 105 formed in the second heat resistant resin 120 using a solvent casting method.

Hereinafter, each manufacturing step of the flexible substrate for a display panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention and preferred embodiments and technical features will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

(1) glass cloth manufacturing steps

Glass cloth (105) is a means for improving the dimensional stability by lowering the coefficient of thermal expansion of the substrate composed of a resin, it is present in the resin impregnated state.

The glass fiber constituting the glass cloth 105 according to the present invention should be matched with the second heat-resistant resin 120 impregnated with the glass cloth 105, specifically, the glass cloth 105. It is preferable that the second heat resistant resin 120 is made of a glass fiber material having a difference in refractive index within ± 0.01.

This is because when the flexible substrate of the present invention is applied to a display device (eg, a liquid crystal display) that requires a transparent substrate, light emitted from the liquid crystal passes through the substrate to reach a user, and the flexible substrate of the present invention is Due to the structural characteristics of the glass cloth 105 impregnated inside the second heat resistant resin 120 constituting the substrate, the difference in refractive index between the second heat resistant resin 120 and the glass cloth 105 should be minimized to display a clear image. Because you can.

(2) forming a plurality of opening surfaces penetrating the glass cloth

Once the glass cloth 105 production is complete, a punching operation is performed such that an opening surface 115 having a particular shape penetrates through the thickness of the glass cloth 105 using a punching machine.

Specifically, the punching operation is such that a plurality of opening surfaces 115 are formed in the glass cloth 105, and the plurality of opening surfaces 115 are spaced at regular intervals from each other over the entire surface of the glass cloth 105. It is preferable to configure to have a lattice pattern that is repeatedly formed while maintaining. Hereinafter, this will be referred to as a "glass cloth pattern 110".

As shown in Figure 3, the shape of the opening surface 115 may be configured in a variety of shapes, such as rectangular, hexagonal, circular, but preferably constituted by a rectangular or hexagonal shape, more preferably It is preferable that the length of each side is composed of the same square or regular hexagon.

This can induce the thermal expansion uniformly as the opening surfaces 115 having the same length ratio (horizontal: vertical) are arranged at the same distance from each other, thereby ensuring uniformity against thermal expansion, which ensures dimensional stability. Because it can improve.

Specific reasons and technical features for punching out the plurality of opening surfaces 115 in the glass cloth 105 of the present invention are as follows.

First, unlike the conventional glass cloth, in which the deviation occurs in height as the glass fiber is formed in the form of a fabric, the glass cloth 105 of the present invention has an area (that is, a fiber) that generates a height deviation in the glass cloth 105. By penetrating the opening surface 115 in most of the entangled portion, it is possible to secure an advantage of improving the surface roughness of the glass cloth 105 itself.

Second, the flexible substrate according to the present invention basically has a film structure for preventing a problem that may occur when using the method while being able to apply a solvent casting process.

That is, the main problem that occurs when the solvent casting method is applied is that the local volatilization rate difference occurs in the film due to the rapid volatilization speed of the solvent, resulting in severe film curl and poor surface roughness.

However, as shown in FIG. 2, the film structure according to the present invention is provided to the glass cloth 105 when the liquid cured resin 120 is applied to the glass cloth 105 in the glass cloth 105 impregnation process. The liquid resin 120 is introduced through the respective opening surfaces 115, and the introduced liquid resin 120 is in contact with the glass cloth 105 and one side surface of the glass cloth 105. Is fixed to reach.

Accordingly, the cured resin 120 introduced and fixed through the opening surface 115 serves to prevent shrinkage of the glass cloth 105, resulting from shrinkage of the glass cloth 105 during the solvent casting process. There is an effect to prevent the occurrence of film curl (Curl) and surface roughness (Roughness) defects.

The degree of forming the opening surface 115 in the glass cloth 105 of the present invention is preferably configured such that the glass cloth 105 has an opening ratio of 5% to 80%. The aperture ratio of the glass cloth 105 is a value representing the empty area where no glass cloth is formed in the unit area in%. For example, when only 0.3 cm 2 of the glass cloth occupies within 1 cm 2 of the unit area, the aperture ratio of the glass cloth is 70%. Will be%. When the aperture ratio of the glass cloth 105 is less than 5%, the adhesive area between the cured resin and the transfer belt is reduced, thereby preventing the film cloth and the surface from fully exhibiting the effect of preventing the shrinkage of the glass cloth 105. The problem of poor roughness still exists.

In addition, when the opening ratio of the glass cloth 105 is greater than 80%, the glass cloth content impregnated inside the resin 120 may not be sufficient, thereby offsetting the high coefficient of thermal expansion of the resin 120 itself. The thermal deformation problem of the substrate generated in the high temperature liquid crystal display process still exists.

(3) impregnating the glass cloth with the opening surface punched into the resin

After the glass cloth pattern 110 manufactured by the above-described process is disposed on a conveyance belt (for example, glass or SUS belt) of the solvent casting device, the second heat resistant resin 120 is attached to the glass cloth pattern 110. Casting according to the solvent casting method to form a film is completed the manufacture of the flexible substrate according to the present invention.

Specific examples of the second heat resistant resin 120 impregnating the glass cloth pattern 110 include polysulfone, polyether, polyether lmide, and polyarylate (PAR). As described above, it is preferable to use at least one selected from heat-resistant resins having a glass transition point of 200 ° C. or higher, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

This is because when the flexible substrate according to the present invention is applied to a liquid crystal display process requiring a process temperature of 180 ° C. or higher, it is necessary to minimize dimensional stability by minimizing substrate deformation due to the high coefficient of thermal expansion of the resin itself.

In addition, the second heat resistant resin has to match the refractive index of the glass cloth pattern 110, and specifically, a resin having a difference in refractive index within ± 0.01 from the glass cloth pattern 110 impregnated in the second heat resistant resin. It is preferable to configure the substrate by selecting.

The flexible substrate of the present invention manufactured through the above-described process may improve the thermal characteristics of the heat-resistant resin having a high coefficient of thermal expansion through the glass cloth pattern 110 and the film structure including the same. At the same time, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of curl and surface roughness defects in the film while manufacturing the film by using the solvent casting method, which enables continuous process and mass production, and has the advantage of being large in film Will have

In addition, as a plurality of opening surfaces 115 penetrating the glass cloth are provided, the glass cloth content in the substrate may be reduced, thereby improving transmittance and haze.

4 (a) to (e) is a view showing a manufacturing process of a flexible substrate for a display panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a BB of the final flexible substrate through the manufacturing process of FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention actually manufactured through the manufacturing process of FIG. 4.

In the flexible substrate for a display panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention, a glass cloth 205 is manufactured, and a thin resin (hereinafter referred to as first heat resistant resin) 210 is coated on the glass cloth 205. And punching a plurality of opening surfaces 235 in a glass cloth (hereinafter, referred to as glass cloth film) 220 that is thinly coated and cured by the first heat resistant resin 210, and a plurality of opening surfaces 235. ) Is formed by impregnating a glass cloth film (hereinafter referred to as a glass cloth film pattern: 230) to the heat resistant resin (hereinafter referred to as a second heat resistant resin: 240) by a solvent casting method.

Since the basic technical idea of forming the glass cloth film pattern 230 in which the plurality of opening surfaces 235 are punched and then impregnating the inside of the second heat resistant resin is the same as in the first embodiment, hereinafter, refer to FIGS. 4 to 6. Therefore, only differences of the flexible substrate for the display panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

As shown in Fig. 4 (a), the second embodiment of the present invention is directed to the glass cloth 205 before the punching operation for forming the plurality of opening surfaces 115 in the manufactured glass cloth 205. A process of applying a thin layer of the first heat-resistant resin 210 to the entire surface of the curing is first performed.

The thin coating means that the thickness of the first heat resistant resin 210 is smaller than the thickness of the second heat resistant resin 240.

As the first heat resistant resin 210 applied before the punching operation of the glass cloth 205, it is preferable to use a heat resistant resin having a difference in refractive index matched to the glass cloth 205 within ± 0.01, and the second heat resistant resin 240 to be described later. It is preferable to select and configure the same resin as.

For example, if a polyarylate resin is used as the second heat resistant resin 240 constituting the flexible substrate of the present invention, the first heat resistant resin 210 may also use a polyarylate resin. This allows the material having the same refractive index as that of the second heat resistant resin 240 constituting the substrate to be laminated on the glass cloth 205 to prevent light scattering and the like, thereby enabling the optical performance of the liquid crystal display device to be optimally implemented. For sake.

In addition, as in the first embodiment, the first heat resistant resin 210 and the second heat resistant resin 240 may include polysulfone, polyether, polyether lmide, and polyarylate. It is preferable to use at least one selected from heat-resistant resins having a glass transition point of 200 ° C. or higher, such as (PAR: polyarylate), but are not necessarily limited thereto.

As described above, when the glass cloth film 220 in which the first heat resistant resin 210 is thinly coated and cured is prepared, the first heat resistant resin 210 and the glass cloth constituting the glass cloth film 220 are next. A punching operation is performed to form a plurality of opening surfaces 235 that simultaneously pass through 205.

The opening surface 235 is configured to have a lattice pattern repeatedly formed at regular intervals over the entire surface of the glass cloth film 220 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Do it.

Referring to FIGS. 4 (c) and (d), the glass cloth film pattern 230 in which the punching operation is completed in a state in which the first heat resistant resin 210 is thinly coated is disposed on a transfer belt of a solvent casting machine, and then solvent Production of the flexible substrate according to the present invention is completed by casting according to the casting method to form a film.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the flexible substrate according to the second embodiment may be formed through a film structure in which the glass cloth film pattern 230 coated with the first heat resistant resin 210 is impregnated in the second heat resistant resin 240. In addition to the advantages of the embodiment 1 it is possible to further secure the following advantages.

That is, by first coating a flat layer of the first heat-resistant resin 210 on the glass cloth surface having a poor surface roughness and the surface roughness improving effect through the glass cloth film pattern 230 of the present invention. There is an effect that can primarily improve the surface roughness of the cloth itself.

Table 1 is actual measurement data of the physical properties of the flexible substrate according to the manufacturing method of the flexible substrate according to the present invention, Examples 1 to 6 of the actual flexible substrate is a polyarylate (PAR) resin Example 1 to Example 5 is composed of a glass cloth pattern formed with a square opening surface formed at regular intervals, Example 6 is composed of a glass cloth pattern formed with a hexagonal opening surface at regular intervals of the substrate Each physical property was measured. In addition, Comparative Example 1 of Table 1 shows the physical properties of the conventional flexible substrate formed of a heat-resistant resin impregnated with a glass cloth without a pattern, Comparative Example 2 and Comparative Example 3 is composed of a glass cloth pattern having a rectangular opening surface The glass cloth pattern was configured to have an opening ratio of 4% and 85%, respectively.

Example One 2 3 4 5 6 Comparative Example 1 Comparative Example 2 Comparative Example 3 Aperture ratio (%) 20 30 40 50 60 30 - 4 85 Pattern shape Square Hexagonal shape - Square Square Coefficient of thermal expansion
ppm / ℃
15
15
17
18
19
15
15
13
27 Transmittance
550 nm (%)
90
90
91
91
91
90
89
83
91 Roughness (nm) 12 14 16 19 22 14 180 2000 21

As shown in Table 1, the flexible substrate according to the present invention through the glass cloth structure configured to have a predetermined shape pattern through a punching operation, while ensuring the thermal expansion coefficient of the conventional flexible substrate composed of a heat-resistant resin containing a glass cloth as it is It can be seen that the surface roughness of the substrate can be greatly improved. It can also be seen that the transmittance of the substrate is improved by the structure in which the glass cloth content in the substrate is reduced.

In addition, as shown in Comparative Example 2 and Comparative Example 3, when the opening ratio of the glass cloth pattern of the present invention is configured to exceed 80%, the coefficient of thermal expansion exceeds 25ppm, and when the opening ratio is less than 5%, the roughness It appears very coarse, making it unsuitable as a flexible substrate for display panels.

Therefore, the extent to which the opening surface 115 is formed in the glass cloth 105 of the present invention is preferably configured such that the glass cloth 105 has an opening ratio of 5% to 80%.

In the above, although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described and illustrated, it is obvious that various changes and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims. Such modified embodiments should not be understood individually from the spirit and scope of the present invention, but should fall within the claims appended to the present invention.

1 (a) to (d) illustrate a manufacturing process of a flexible substrate for a display panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A 'of the final flexible substrate through the fabrication process of FIG. 1; FIG.

FIG. 3 is a photograph showing an embodiment of the present invention in which FIG. 1 is actually manufactured through a manufacturing process.

4 (a) to (e) illustrate a manufacturing process of a flexible substrate for a display panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B 'of the final flexible substrate through the fabrication process of FIG. 4.

6 is a photograph showing an embodiment of a second embodiment of the present invention actually manufactured through the manufacturing process of FIG. 4.

** Description of symbols for the main parts of the drawing **

100, 200: flexible substrate 105, 205: glass cloth

120, 210, 240: heat resistant resin 115, 235: opening surface

110: glass cloth pattern 220: glass cloth film

230: glass cloth film pattern

Claims (15)

A flexible substrate for display panel having a glass cloth impregnated inside a second heat resistant resin by solvent casting, wherein the glass cloth is formed with a plurality of openings punched in a specific shape. A flexible substrate for display panel, characterized by the above-mentioned. The glass cloth which hardened | coated and hardened | cured the 1st heat resistant resin to the glass cloth, A flexible substrate for display panel, comprising: impregnating the glass cloth film inside a second heat resistant resin by container casting, wherein the heat resistant film has a plurality of openings punched in a specific shape simultaneously with the first heat resistant resin and the glass cloth. A flexible substrate for display panel, characterized in that formed through. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The plurality of openings are formed to have a lattice pattern that is repeatedly formed while maintaining a constant distance from each other over the entire surface of the glass cloth or glass cloth film. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The specific shape is a flexible substrate for a display panel, characterized in that the rectangular or hexagonal shape. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The glass cloth or the glass cloth film having the plurality of opening surfaces is formed, the flexible substrate for a display panel, characterized in that the opening ratio of 5% to 80%. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The second heat resistant resin is at least one selected from polysulfone, polyether, polyether lmide, and polyarylate (PAR: polyarylate) having a glass transition point of 200 ° C. or more. Flexible substrate for display panel. The method according to claim 1 or 2, A flexible substrate for display panel, characterized in that the difference in refractive index between the second heat resistant resin and the glass cloth is within ± 0.01. The method of claim 1, The difference in refractive index between the first heat resistant resin and the glass cloth is within ± 0.01. The method of claim 2, And said first heat resistant resin and the second heat resistant resin are made of the same resin. 3. The method of claim 2, The first heat resistant resin is a flexible substrate for a display panel, characterized in that formed in a thickness thinner than the second heat resistant resin. As a method of manufacturing a flexible substrate for a display panel, Glass cloth (Glass Cloth) manufacturing step consisting of a glass fiber in the form of a fabric; Penetrating through the plurality of openings punched in a specific shape in the glass cloth; And A method of manufacturing a flexible substrate for a display panel, comprising the step of impregnating a glass cloth having a plurality of opening surfaces in a second heat resistant resin by solvent casting. As a method of manufacturing a flexible substrate for a display panel, Glass cloth (Glass Cloth) manufacturing step consisting of a glass fiber in the form of a fabric; Preparing a glass cloth film by coating a first heat resistant resin on the glass cloth; Punching a plurality of opening surfaces having a specific shape to penetrate the first heat resistant resin and the glass cloth constituting the glass cloth at the same time; And A method of manufacturing a flexible substrate for a display panel, comprising impregnating a glass cloth film having a plurality of opening surfaces formed therein into a second heat resistant resin by solvent casting. 13. The method of claim 12, The said 1st heat resistant resin uses the same resin as the said 2nd heat resistant resin, The manufacturing method of the flexible panel for display panels characterized by the above-mentioned. 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, The glass cloth or the glass cloth film is punched to have an opening ratio of 5% to 80%. 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, The plurality of openings are punched to have a lattice pattern that is repeatedly formed while maintaining a constant distance from each other over the entire surface of the glass cloth or glass cloth film.

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