KR20190055713A - Method and apparatus for attaching and detaching thin film using electrostatic force - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for attaching and detaching a thin film using electrostatic force, which prevent a polarizing plate from being pushed by a roller even if using the roller to attach the polarizing plate by using electrostatic force to support the polarizing plate when attaching the polarizing plate to a display panel, is possible to easily change attaching force by changing a voltage level supplied for generation of the electrostatic force in a power source unit, and is possible to reduce operation time required for replacement and detachment because of using a cleaning agent to maintain an electrostatic chuck, thereby ultimately lowering a cost required for an operation of attaching the polarizing plate to the display panel.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for attaching and detaching a thin film using electrostatic force,

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a thin film attaching / detaching method and apparatus using electrostatic force.

The following description merely provides the background information related to the embodiments of the present invention and does not constitute the prior art.

2. Description of the Related Art A typical display panel is a device for displaying various kinds of electrical information into visual information and displaying them as an image. Display panels are used in a variety of electronic devices and are manufactured in various sizes depending on the type of electronic device being applied. Thanks to advances in display technology and customers' demand, the production volume of small display panels used for large-sized display panels and smart phones for TVs is increasing day by day.

In recent years, a display panel having a curved structure, a foldable structure, or a rollable structure has been developed for improving various display performances such as luminance, afterimage, and viewing angle.

Regardless of the shape of the panel, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels and liquid crystal display (OLED) panels most commonly used in display panels currently include various plate-shaped optical systems such as polarizers and filters have.

A method of mechanically fixing a thin plate-like structure in a plurality of unit processes for manufacturing a display panel by using a clamp-type structure, a method of adsorbing by using a vacuum pump, and a method of attaching the thin plate- Method and the like.

When such a thin plate-shaped object is mechanically fixed by using a structure having a clamping structure, portions of the clamping structure contacting the clamping structure may be damaged. Further, if heat treatment or the like is carried out in the state of being supported by such a structure, it may additionally cause a problem such that heat is less transmitted to the vicinity of a portion where the structure is touched. A method of adsorbing by using a vacuum pump can be carried without damaging a thin plate-shaped object, but it has a disadvantage that it can not be used in an environment where it is difficult to apply vacuum adsorption, for example, in a vacuum chamber.

Fig. 1 shows the structure of a conventional polarizing plate.

The polarizing plate 100 used in the display panel includes a protective film 110, a polarizing section 120 and a release paper 130. The polarizer 120 includes a first triacetylcellulose (122) layer, a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) layer, a second TAC layer, and a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) layer.

When the polarizing plate 100 is attached to the display panel, the polarizing plate 100 and the display panel are put in the attaching device, and then cleaning is performed to remove foreign substances and the like. Thereafter, the release paper 130 is removed from the polarizer 100 and attached to the display panel in a state where the protective film 110 is attached on the polarizer 120. An alignment process is performed to attach the display panel to a desired position of the display panel, and after the attachment, inspection is performed to discriminate good and defective products.

Fig. 2 shows a configuration in which the polarizing plate shown in Fig. 1 is attached to a display panel.

It can be confirmed that the release film 130 is removed from the polarizer 100 and the protective film 110 is attached to the display panel 200 with the protective film 110 attached thereto.

Figures 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D illustrate the flow of a typical polarizer attachment process.

The cleaned polarizer 100 is aligned on the display panel 200 (see FIG. 3A). When alignment of the polarizer 100 is completed, the release paper 130 is removed from the polarizer 100 (see FIG. 3B). The polarizer 120 on which the release paper 130 is removed, that is, the protective film 110, is disposed on the display panel 200. Thereafter, the protective film 110 is pressed using the roller 340 to closely adhere the polarizing portion 120 to which the protective film 110 is attached (FIG. 3C). Finally, inspection is performed using the inspection apparatus 350 to confirm whether the polarizing section 120 with the protective film 110 attached thereto is correctly aligned and adhered on the display panel 200 (FIG. 3D).

4 is a conceptual diagram of a conventional polarizer attaching / detaching apparatus.

The polarizer plate attaching / detaching device 400 includes a support portion 410, a flat plate portion 420, and an adhesive sheet 430. The support portion 410 is formed to fix and support both ends of the flat plate portion 420. The flat plate portion 420 is made of a flat plate-shaped metal material, so that the adhesive sheet 430 can be attached to one side. The adhesive sheet 430 is attached to one side of the both sides of the flat plate 420 and is configured to lift the polarizer 120 with the protective film 110 attached to the other side thereof.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D show a process of attaching a polarizing plate using the polarizing plate attaching / detaching apparatus shown in FIG.

The polarizer / detachment device 400 moves and lowers the support 410 to bring the adhesive sheet 430 into contact with the upper surface of the polarizer 120 to which the protective film 110 is attached (see FIG. 5A). Here, the adhesive force of the adhesive sheet 430 should be able to lift the polarizer 120 with the protective film 110 attached thereto. The polarizer attachment and detachment unit 400 moves the polarizer unit 120 with the protective film 110 on the display panel 500 in a state where the polarizer unit 120 with the protective film 110 is fixed. Thereafter, the supporting part 410 of the polarizer-attaching / detaching device 400 is moved so that the polarizing part 120 with the protective film 110 is brought into contact with a desired position of the display panel 500, So that the polarizing unit 120 with the protective film 110 attached thereto is brought into close contact with the display panel 500. When the polarizer 120 is brought into close contact with the display panel 500, the polarizer attachment / detachment device 400 raises the support 410 to separate the polarizer 120 having the protective film 110 from the adhesive sheet 430 . However, if the adhesive force of the adhesive sheet 430 is too strong, the polarizer 120 with the protective film 110 may not be separated from the adhesive sheet 430 even if the adhesive sheet 430 is raised.

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a problem that may occur when a conventional polarizer attaching / detaching apparatus is used.

As described above, the polarizer / detachment device 400 needs to raise the support part 410 to separate the polarizing part 120 attached with the protective film 110 from the adhesive sheet 430. However, if the adhesive force of the adhesive sheet 430 is too strong, the polarizer 120 with the protective film 110 may not be separated from the adhesive sheet 430 even if the adhesive sheet 430 is raised.

6, the protective film 110, which is to be attached to the polarization unit 120 without being detached, may be separated from the polarization unit 120. In this case,

The adhesive force of the adhesive sheet 430 is determined by the chemical composition ratio of the synthetic resin contained in the adhesive sheet. In order to precisely control the adhesive force, the chemical composition ratio of the synthetic resin must be finely adjusted. Even if the adhesive sheet 430 is formed so as to have a desired adhesive force by finely adjusting the chemical composition ratio of the synthetic resin, the adhesive force continuously changes due to factors such as temperature, humidity, or pressure. Also, even if it is initially prepared to have an appropriate adhesive force, the magnitude of the adhesive force can be varied by repeated use. In this case, the polarizing unit 120 may be contaminated and the polarizing plate 100 itself may have to be discarded, rework must be performed, the subsequent process must be stopped to precisely regulate the adhesive force, Which can cause a lot of disruption to the production of the panel.

Therefore, it is possible to control the magnitude of the adhesive force so that the polarizing part with the protective film can be stably handled, but periodic replacement is not necessary, and a cost effective thin film attaching / detaching method is needed.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a protective film formed to protect a structure when a structure adhered in a process of attaching a thin film structure such as a polarizing plate formed of a thin film and a multilayer thin film to a target object such as a display panel, And to provide a thin film attaching / detaching method and apparatus using the electrostatic force so as to stably perform attachment and detachment so as not to be separated.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electrostatic chuck which is formed in a plate shape for adsorbing a thin film including at least one layer using an electrostatic force; A flat plate part formed in a metal plate shape and fixed to one surface of the electrostatic chuck to fix the electrostatic chuck; A support for supporting both ends of the flat plate; And a power supply unit electrically connected to the electrostatic chuck to supply electric energy to the electrostatic chuck so as to form an electrostatic force.

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a thin film detachment apparatus, comprising: preparing a thin film including at least one layer, into a thin film attaching / detaching apparatus using an electrostatic force; An adsorption transfer step of forming an electrostatic force to adsorb the thin film by an electrostatic chuck, and transferring the adsorbed thin film to a predetermined position on the object; A pressing process in which the thin film is brought into close contact with the object and then the thin film is pressed against the object using a roller in a state in which the thin film is in contact with the object to adhere the thin film to the object; And a thin film separating step of separating the thin film from the electrostatic chuck by removing an electrostatic force formed on the electrostatic chuck.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a thin film attaching / detaching method using an electrostatic force that prevents a polarizing plate from being pushed by a roller even when a polarizing plate is closely contacted with a roller by supporting the polarizing plate by using an electrostatic force when the polarizing plate is brought into close contact with a display panel There is an effect that a device can be provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an effect of providing a thin film attaching / detaching method and apparatus using an electrostatic force which can completely eliminate the separation of a protective film by removing an electrostatic force.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is an advantage that the magnitude of the voltage supplied for generating the electrostatic force in the power supply unit can be varied to easily change the adhering force.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an electrostatic chuck can be maintained and managed by using a cleaning agent, so that a working time due to replacement and separation can be reduced, and ultimately, a thin film There is an effect that a detachment method and an apparatus can be provided.

Fig. 1 shows the structure of a conventional polarizing plate.
Fig. 2 shows a configuration in which the polarizing plate shown in Fig. 1 is attached to a display panel.
Figures 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D illustrate the flow of a typical polarizer attachment process.
4 is a conceptual diagram of a conventional polarizer attaching / detaching apparatus.
FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D show a process of attaching a polarizing plate using the polarizing plate attaching / detaching apparatus shown in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a problem that may occur when a conventional polarizer attaching / detaching apparatus is used.
7 is a conceptual diagram of a thin film attaching / detaching apparatus using an electrostatic force according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for attaching and detaching a thin film using an electrostatic force according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in the drawings, like reference numerals are used to denote like elements in the drawings, even if they are shown in different drawings. In the following description of the present invention, detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

In describing the components of the embodiments according to the present invention, the first, second, i), ii), a), b) and the like can be used. Such a code is intended to distinguish the constituent element from other constituent elements, and the nature of the constituent element, the order or the order of the constituent element is not limited by the code. It is also to be understood that when a component is referred to as being "comprising" or "comprising," it should be understood that it is not intended to exclude other components, it means.

Hereinafter, a thin film attaching / detaching method and apparatus using electrostatic force according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7 is a conceptual diagram of a thin film attaching / detaching apparatus using an electrostatic force according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The thin film attaching / detaching apparatus 700 using an electrostatic force according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a support portion 710, a flat plate portion 720, an electrostatic chuck 730, and a power source portion 740.

The support portion 710 fixes and supports both end portions of the flat plate portion 720 and serves to move the flat plate portion 720 in the horizontal and vertical directions. In the thin film attaching / detaching apparatus 700 using the electrostatic force according to the embodiment of the present invention, the support portion 710 moves the flat plate portion 720. However, in a state where the support portion 710 is fixed, A panel (not shown) may be implemented to move. Such movement of the display panel may be formed using a movable stage.

The flat plate portion 720 is formed in a flat plate shape and is supported by the supporting portion 710. The flat plate portion 720 may be formed of various materials, but it is preferable that the flat plate portion 720 is formed using a material having high strength and corrosion resistance such as SUS.

The electrostatic chuck 730 is fabricated by forming a conductive metal pattern of a predetermined shape on a flat plate-like substrate. Here, the substrate may be formed of various materials other than the conductive material. On both sides of the electrostatic chuck 730, a pair of electrodes for receiving electrical energy from the power supply unit 740 are formed. The power supply unit 740 is electrically connected to the electrostatic chuck 730 to apply a voltage to the conductive metal pattern included in the electrostatic chuck 730. Also, the power supply unit 740 is implemented to change the magnitude of the voltage supplied to the electrostatic chuck 730. The electrostatic chuck 730 is brought into close contact with one surface of the flat plate part 720 and moves together with the flat plate part 720 as the supporting part 710 moves.

The electrostatic chuck 730 forms an electrostatic force only while receiving electrical energy from the power supply unit 740 to absorb the thin film, and is separated from the thin film while the electrical energy is not supplied from the power supply unit 740. The electrostatic chuck 730 may further include a switch unit (not shown) for switching electrical energy supplied from the power supply unit 740 to facilitate the adsorption and separation process.

In addition, the power supply unit 740 may be implemented to vary the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck 730.

The thin film attaching / detaching apparatus 700 using an electrostatic force according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may further include a visual inspection unit (not shown) for inspecting the adhesion state of the thin film and the object, for example, the polarizing plate and the display panel. The thin film attaching / detaching apparatus 700 using an electrostatic force according to an embodiment of the present invention separates the thin film adsorbed by the electrostatic chuck 730 at a predetermined position of a target object, Not shown) may be additionally included.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for attaching and detaching a thin film using an electrostatic force according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The thin film attaching and detaching method using an electrostatic force according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a preparation process, an adsorption transfer process, a adhesion process, and a thin film separation process.

In the preparing process, the thin film including at least one layer is put into a thin film attaching / detaching apparatus using electrostatic force and cleaned (S810). Here, the thin film may include a polarizing plate, a glass substrate, a semiconductor wafer, or the like, which is formed of a single layer or formed into a multilayer.

In the adsorption transfer process, the polarizer is aligned and the protective film under the lower part of the polarizer, that is, the release paper is removed (S820). Thereafter, the power supply unit 740 is operated to form an electrostatic force on the electrostatic chuck 730, and the thin film is sucked using the electrostatic force formed on the electrostatic chuck 730 (S830). Here, the object may be a display panel. To move the adsorbed thin film to the display panel, a support 710 may be used. In addition, instead of moving the thin film adsorbed by moving the supporting part 710, the display panel can be moved to a position where the electrostatic chuck 730 is positioned using a movable stage (not shown). In addition, the adsorption transfer process may include a voltage change process for adjusting the intensity of the voltage applied from the power supply unit 740 so as to vary the magnitude of the electrostatic force formed in accordance with the thickness, material, or weight of the thin film.

Then, the adsorbed thin film is transported to a predetermined position on the target body, and the thin film is lowered and pressed against the target body (S840). Here, in order to further increase the adhesion of the thin film, the thin film can be pressed using a roller (not shown) while the thin film is in contact with the object.

In the thin film separation process, the electrostatic force formed on the electrostatic chuck 730 is removed to separate the thin film from the electrostatic chuck 730 (S850). Here, the thin film separation process further includes an electrostatic chuck cleaning process for removing foreign substances in a region where the electrostatic chuck 730 and the thin film are in contact when the number of times of performing the adsorption transfer process and / or the thin film separation process exceeds a predetermined number .

For example, in order to produce 1000 display panels having a polarizing plate attached thereto, the electrostatic chuck is repeatedly carried out to adsorb and separate 1000 polarizing plates. The electrostatic chuck 730 may be contaminated during the repeated adsorption and separation process, and the contamination may be removed through the electrostatic chuck cleaning process, thereby reducing the defective rate and preventing the entire process from being interrupted for a long period of time.

In addition, the thin film separation process may further include an inspection process (S860) for confirming whether the polarizing plate is correctly attached to the display panel. Here, this inspection process (S860) may be performed through a visual inspection apparatus.

In FIG. 8, it is described that each process is sequentially executed, but it is not limited thereto. In other words, it is applicable that the process described in FIG. 8 is changed or executed by one or more processes in parallel, so that FIG. 8 is not limited to the time series order.

Meanwhile, each process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 can be implemented as a computer-readable code in a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording apparatuses in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. That is, a computer-readable recording medium includes a magnetic storage medium (e.g., ROM, floppy disk, hard disk, etc.), an optical reading medium (e.g., CD ROM, And the like). In addition, the computer-readable recording medium may be distributed over a network-connected computer system so that computer-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. Various modifications and variations will be possible without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments according to the present invention are intended to illustrate rather than limit the technical spirit of the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of embodiments according to the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope of equivalents should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

100: Polarizing plate 110: Protective film
120: polarizing portion 122: first TAC layer
124: PVA layer 126: second TAC layer
128: PSA layer 130: release paper
200, 500: display panel 340, 440: roller
350: Inspection apparatus 400, 700: Thin film attaching / detaching apparatus
410, 710: Support portion 420, 720:
430: adhesive sheet 730: electrostatic chuck
740:

Claims (9)

An electrostatic chuck formed in a plate shape for adsorbing a thin film including at least one layer using an electrostatic force;
A flat plate part formed in a metal plate shape and fixed to one surface of the electrostatic chuck to fix the electrostatic chuck;
A support for supporting both ends of the flat plate; And
A power supply unit electrically connected to the electrostatic chuck to supply electric energy to the electrostatic chuck so as to form an electrostatic force;
And the thin film attaching / detaching apparatus using the electrostatic force. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the electrostatic chuck comprises:
Wherein the thin film adsorbs the thin film while receiving electrical energy from the power supply unit and is separated from the thin film while receiving no electrical energy from the power supply unit. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the electrostatic chuck comprises:
Further comprising a switch unit for switching electric energy supplied from the power supply unit to adsorb or separate the thin film. The method of claim 3,
Further comprising a roller for separating the thin film adsorbed on the electrostatic chuck at a predetermined position of the target object and then pressing the thin film to closely contact the target object. 5. The method of claim 4,
The power supply unit,
Wherein the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck is variable. 6. The method of claim 5,
The thin film attaching / detaching apparatus using electrostatic force according to claim 1, further comprising a visual inspection unit for inspecting the adhesion state of the thin film and the object. Preparing a thin film including at least one layer by charging it into a thin film attaching / detaching apparatus using an electrostatic force and cleaning the thin film;
An adsorption transfer step of forming an electrostatic force to adsorb the thin film by an electrostatic chuck, and transferring the adsorbed thin film to a predetermined position on the object;
A pressing process in which the thin film is brought into close contact with the object and then the thin film is pressed against the object using a roller in a state in which the thin film is in contact with the object to adhere the thin film to the object; And
A thin film separation process for removing the electrostatic force formed on the electrostatic chuck and separating the thin film from the electrostatic chuck
Wherein the thin film attaching / detaching method comprises the steps of: 8. The method of claim 7,
In the thin film separation process,
Further comprising an electrostatic chuck cleaning step of removing foreign substances in a region where the electrostatic chuck and the thin film are in contact when the number of times of performing the adsorption transfer process and / or the thin film separation process exceeds a preset number of times, A method of attaching and detaching a thin film. 9. The method of claim 8,
In the adsorption transfer process,
And adjusting a voltage applied from the power supply unit to vary the magnitude of the electrostatic force according to the thickness, material, or weight of the thin film.

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