TWI462641B - Device for removing film for laser induced thermal imaging - Google Patents

Description

Laser-induced film removal device for thermal imaging

The present invention relates to a device for removing a film for Laser Induced Thermal Imaging (LITI), and more particularly to a device for stably removing a film for laser induced thermal imaging (LITI) provided on a substrate.

The organic electroluminescent display in the flat panel display has an advantage in that it can be used as a display medium for moving images regardless of the size; this is because the response time is less than 1 millisecond, the power consumption is low, and since it is self-illuminating Has an excellent viewing angle. Further, based on the existing semiconductor processing technology, an organic electroluminescence display can be manufactured under a low temperature condition by a simple process, and therefore, it is attractive as a next-generation flat panel display.

Depending on the materials and processes used, organic electroluminescent displays can generally be classified into a polymer type display using a wet method and a low molecular weight type display using a deposition method.

However, in the patterning method employed in the polymer or low molecular weight luminescent layer, the ink jet printing method has a disadvantage in that the organic layer other than the luminescent layer is made of a limited material and is used for ink jet printing. The structure must be formed on the substrate. Further, when the light-emitting layer is patterned by the deposition method, it is difficult to manufacture a large-sized display device due to the influence of the metal mask.

Laser induced thermal imaging (LITI), as an alternative to this mapping method, has only recently developed.

The LITI method converts the laser light emitted by the light source into heat energy, which in turn transfers the patterning material to the target substrate to form a pattern.

In the LITI method, a donor film covers the entire substrate as a receptor, and the donor film and substrate are fixed on a platform. Further, the donor film and the substrate are further bonded to each other by a lamination process, and then subjected to laser imaging to form a pattern.

It should be noted that the above is only for understanding the background art and is not a description of the art.

Typically, when the donor film is removed from the substrate, air is introduced uncontrollably, causing the donor film to wrinkle and damage the imaged portion of the substrate. Therefore, we need to solve this problem.

It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a device for continuously ejecting air toward a donor film according to a roller position to stably remove a laser-induced film for thermal imaging from a substrate while adjusting air introduction, thereby preventing unnecessary air leakage. This causes defects on the substrate.

According to an aspect of the invention, a laser-induced film for thermal imaging film removal apparatus includes: a substrate stage on which a substrate is disposed; a roller unit for pressing a donor film disposed on the substrate stage; and an air suction The unit is disposed on the substrate stage and removes air escaping between the donor film and the substrate.

The air suction unit may include: a plurality of air suction pipes passing through the substrate stage, a gas collecting pipe communicating with the air suction pipe, an exhaust pipe communicating with the gas collecting pipe, and communicating with the exhaust pipe to suck air Exhaust pump.

The suction duct may be disposed around the substrate.

The air suction unit may sequentially suck air according to the position of the roller unit.

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the description of the appended claims.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are not drawn to exact scale, and the line thickness or element size may be exaggerated for convenience of description and clarity. Moreover, the terms defined herein take into account the functionality of the present invention and may vary depending on the habit or intent of the user and the operator. Therefore, the meaning of the terms should be determined in accordance with the entire disclosure as described herein.

1 is a schematic view of a device for removing a film for laser induced thermal imaging (LITI) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a getter unit of the above device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; A substrate stage schematic diagram of the above-described apparatus for removing a film for laser induced thermal imaging (LITI) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which a substrate and a donor film are provided; FIG. 4 is the above according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Schematic diagram of the suction pipe arrangement of the device.

1 to 4, the above apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate stage 10, a roller unit 20, and a suction unit 50.

The substrate stage 10 has a recess in which a substrate 11 and a donor film member 12 are disposed.

The substrate stage 10 is laterally moved, and the substrate stage 10 can be moved by wheels, rails, variable length cylinders, or other various structures.

When the laser beam is irradiated onto the donor film member 12, the photothermal conversion layer of the donor film member 12 converts the laser beam into thermal energy to expand upon heat dissipation. Therefore, the organic layer, that is, the conversion layer, also expands and is separated from the donor film member 12, thereby forming an organic layer on the substrate 11. Here, the patterning material is attached to the substrate 11 in accordance with the irradiation direction of the laser.

The donor film member 12 includes a film 13 that reacts with the laser and a carrier 14 that is attached to the edge of the film 13.

The roller unit 20 presses the donor film member 12. The roller unit 20 includes a pair of connecting plates 21 and rollers 22 which are connected to a structure (not shown). The pair of webs 21 are separated from each other by a corresponding distance according to the width of the film 13. The roller 22 is rotatably disposed between the pair of connecting plates 21, thereby pressing the film 13.

The getter unit 50 is disposed on the substrate stage 10 and removes air escaping between the donor film member 12 and the substrate 11.

The air suction unit 50 includes an intake pipe 51, a gas collection pipe 52, an exhaust pipe 53, and an exhaust pump 54.

The suction pipe 51 passes through the substrate stage 10. The suction duct 51 is constituted by a plurality of ducts which are provided in a portion of the substrate stage 10 corresponding to a portion between the film 13 of the donor film member 12 and the bracket 14.

The gas collecting pipe 52 is disposed on the substrate stage 10 for communication with the corresponding suction pipe 51.

The exhaust pipe 53 is provided on the substrate stage 10 for communicating with the gas collecting pipe 52. The exhaust pipe 53 passes through the moving unit 38, and the moving unit 38 is disposed on the substrate stage 10 for longitudinal movement. When the moving unit 38 moves upward, the air between the substrate 11 and the film 13 is discharged, and the substrate 11 and the film 13 are evacuated.

The exhaust pump 54 is connected to the exhaust pipe 53. When the exhaust pump 54 is driven, the air is discharged, so that the introduced air which is unnecessary for the film 13 and the substrate 11 is discharged.

The intake pipe 51 is provided around the substrate 11, and the intake air between the substrate 11 and the film 13 is sucked.

The suction pipe 51 is composed of a plurality of pipes which are divided into a plurality of pipe groups a, b, c and d to sequentially suck air.

The suction ducts 51 arranged in groups may sequentially suck air according to the position of the roller unit 20.

The suction pipes 51 are respectively connected to the gas collecting pipe 52, and the gas collecting pipe 52 is connected to the separate exhaust pipe 53, and is further connected to the exhaust pump 54, or the gas collecting pipe 52 and the single exhaust pipe 53 with the gas path switching valve. Connected.

Next, the operation method of the apparatus for removing the film for laser induced thermal imaging will be described.

When the roller 22 presses the film 13, air is continuously fed between the substrate 11 and the film 13 in accordance with the position of the roller 22, and the film 13 is separated from the substrate 11.

Here, the roller 22 presses the film 13 over the entire length corresponding to the width of the film, thereby preventing the film 13 from wrinkling due to excessive air pressure.

In the process of continuously feeding air between the substrate 11 and the film 13, a part of the air is sent into a region where the roller 22 between the substrate 11 and the film 13 does not pass.

Here, when the exhaust pump 54 is driven, air leaking to an unnecessary position is discharged through the intake pipe 51, the header pipe 52, and the exhaust pipe 53.

That is, when the roller 22 passes through the suction pipes 51 of the group a, the air leaked between the film 13 and the substrate 11 is sucked by the exhaust pipes 51 of the groups b, c, and d.

Then, as the substrate stage 10 moves, when the roller 22 passes through the suction pipes 51 of the b group, the air leaked between the film 13 and the substrate 11 is sucked by the suction pipes 51 of the groups c and d.

Further, as the substrate stage 10 moves, when the roller 22 passes through the group c suction pipe 51, the air leaked between the film 13 and the substrate 11 is sucked by the group d suction pipe 51.

Also, according to these embodiments, the laser-induced film for thermal imaging film removal device can discharge the leaked air through the suction unit, thereby preventing the film from being damaged by air leakage.

Although a few embodiments have been described in the present invention, it should be understood that these embodiments are intended to be illustrative only, and not to limit the scope of the invention Various modifications, changes and variations are possible, and the spirit and scope of the invention is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

1. . . Device

10. . . Substrate table

11. . . Substrate

12. . . Donor film

13. . . film

14. . . bracket

20. . . Roller unit

twenty one. . . Connection plate

twenty two. . . Roller

38. . . Motion unit

50. . . Suction unit

51. . . Suction pipe

52. . . Gas collection tube

53. . . exhaust pipe

54. . . Exhaust pump

1 is a schematic view of a device for removing a film for laser induced thermal imaging (LITI) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a schematic view of a getter unit of the above apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a schematic diagram of a substrate stage of the above-described apparatus for removing a film for laser induced thermal imaging (LITI), in which a substrate and a donor film are disposed, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a schematic view showing an arrangement of intake pipes of the above apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

1. . . Device

10. . . Substrate table

11. . . Substrate

12. . . Donor film

13. . . film

14. . . bracket

20. . . Roller unit

twenty one. . . Connection plate

twenty two. . . Roller

Claims (4)

A device for removing a film for laser induced thermal imaging, comprising: a substrate stage on which a substrate is disposed; a roller unit for sequentially pressing a donor film disposed on the substrate stage; and an air suction unit The substrate is removed from the substrate and the air escaping between the donor film and the substrate is removed. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air suction unit includes: a plurality of air suction pipes that pass through the substrate stage, a gas collecting pipe that communicates with the air suction pipe, and an exhaust pipe that communicates with the gas collecting pipe; And an exhaust pump that communicates with the exhaust pipe to suck air. The device of claim 2, wherein the suction duct is disposed around the substrate. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the air suction unit sequentially sucks air according to the position of the roller unit.