Adsorption roller, peeling and attaching device and method for flexible device

Abstract

The present invention discloses an adsorption roller, a mechanical peeling and attaching device and method for flexible devices. The adsorption roller is applied to the peeling and attaching of flexible devices, and includes a columnar roller body. A plurality of long strip-shaped adsorption areas are arranged at intervals on the side surface of the roller body. The width of each adsorption area is ≤ 1 cm. Independent air guiding channels for each adsorption area are provided in the roller body. The roller body is also provided with multiple groups of ventilation holes corresponding to the adsorption areas. One end of each ventilation hole opens on the corresponding adsorption area, and the other end is communicated with the corresponding air guiding channel. By means of the air extraction operation of the ventilation holes and the rotation operation of the roller itself, the adsorption roller can conveniently and non-destructively achieve the mechanical peeling and attaching of flexible devices, can avoid the problems encountered in traditional laser peeling, and has good application prospects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of flexible film products, and particularly to an adsorption roller, a peeling and attaching device and method for flexible devices. Background Art

[0002] With the gradual expansion of the market for various consumer electronics products, the related technologies of display screens have also developed rapidly. Display technologies such as flexible display and foldable display can bring more abundant usage performances and are pursued by many manufacturers. With the continuous development of manufacturing processes and technologies, the forms of flexible display devices are becoming more and more diverse. While the screen size is continuously increasing, the display quality is also constantly improving. Many manufacturers have successively launched flexible and foldable electronic products.

[0003] Traditional flexible display devices have the following structure: A flexible material is used as the substrate of the flexible device, and the electrode layer, TFT matrix, display layer, and encapsulation layer in the flexible device are arranged on the flexible substrate. Flexible display devices require that each component therein has a certain and similar bending radius and does not get damaged or detached under the condition of bending in order to achieve the integrity of the flexible display device. Flexible display devices such as flexible electronic paper, flexible liquid crystal display, and flexible organic electroluminescent display devices, etc. Compared with ordinary display devices, flexible display devices have the following many advantages: light weight, small volume, thinness, and convenient to carry; more resistant to impact and seismic, and can adapt to a wider working environment; can be curled, and the appearance has a more artistic design aesthetic; can adopt the roll-to-roll production process of printing technology, and is easier to achieve large-scale production with lower costs.

[0004] Traditional flexible display products are mainly prepared by the following attaching and detaching production process. The attaching and detaching production process means that the flexible device as a whole is first prepared on a rigid substrate and then peeled off from the rigid substrate. The specific preparation process of attaching and detaching includes: using a rigid substrate such as glass as the carrier substrate, first attaching the flexible substrate to the rigid carrier substrate, and then successively preparing the functional main part of the flexible device on the flexible substrate, including the electrode layer, TFT matrix, display layer, and encapsulation layer, etc. After the flexible device is made, it is peeled off from the surface of the rigid substrate to take out the flexible device. The advantages of this production process are: Preparation with the help of a rigid substrate will not affect the manufacturing accuracy of the display device, and the manufacturing equipment and process are similar to those of traditional TFT-LCD, and no major adjustments are required. Therefore, it is more suitable for mass production applications in the short term.

[0005] The existing production processes for removal can be divided into two types. One is the laser lift-off technology, which directly uses a laser at the interface between the flexible substrate and the carrier substrate, and separates them by damaging the bond between the plastic substrate and the carrier with high-energy laser. The other is the mechanical lift-off technology, which utilizes the different bonding forces between certain release layers and the flexible substrate and the carrier substrate. After cutting off the parts with stronger bonding at the edges of the device, the flexible device is separated along the release layer. However, for the laser lift-off technology, small particles that are difficult to avoid in the production process will be embedded at the interface between the flexible substrate and the carrier substrate, which will significantly affect the lift-off yield of the flexible device. For the mechanical lift-off technology, the traditional lift-off method is to use a fixture to clamp and peel the flexible device, which often causes deformation damage to the flexible device. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Based on this, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an adsorption roller for use in the peeling and attaching of flexible devices. The adsorption roller can be used as a tool to assist in separating the flexible device from the carrier substrate, so as to avoid deformation damage when the flexible device is separated from the carrier substrate.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a peeling and attaching device for flexible devices including the above adsorption roller. Further, a method for peeling flexible devices that can separate flexible devices from the carrier substrate without damage, and a method for attaching flexible devices that attach the peeled flexible devices to the surface of a support film are provided.

[0008] An adsorption roller is applied to the peeling and attaching of flexible devices. The adsorption roller includes a columnar roller body. The side surface of the roller body is provided with a plurality of elongated adsorption regions distributed at intervals. The width of each adsorption region is ≤1 cm. Independent air guiding channels are provided in the roller body corresponding to each adsorption region. The roller body is also provided with multiple groups of ventilation holes corresponding to the adsorption regions. One end of each ventilation hole opens on the corresponding adsorption region, and the other end is connected to the corresponding air guiding channel.

[0009] In one embodiment, the opening of the ventilation hole on the adsorption region is circular, and the diameter of the opening of the ventilation hole on the adsorption region is 0.1 mm to 1 mm; and / or, the roller body is cylindrical.

[0010] In one embodiment, the distance between adjacent strip-shaped adsorption regions is ≤2 cm; and / or,

[0011] The distances between adjacent strip-shaped adsorption regions are the same.

[0012] In one embodiment, it further includes an elastic coating layer coated on the side surface of the drum body, and through holes corresponding to the positions of the ventilation holes on the side surface of the drum body are formed in the elastic coating layer; and / or,

[0013] The openings of multiple groups of the ventilation holes on the side surface of the drum body are arranged in an array.

[0014] Furthermore, a peeling and attaching device for a flexible device includes an air extraction mechanism and an adsorption drum according to any one of the above embodiments, and the air extraction mechanism is connected to each air guide channel in the adsorption drum.

[0015] In one embodiment, it further includes a control mechanism. An air valve for controlling the on-off of the air guide channel is arranged on the air guide channel, and the air valve is electrically connected to the control mechanism.

[0016] And, an application of the adsorption drum according to any one of the above embodiments or the peeling and attaching device for a flexible device according to any one of the above embodiments in peeling or attaching a flexible device.

[0017] Specifically, a method for peeling a flexible device includes the following steps:

[0018] Prepare a release layer on the surface of the carrier substrate;

[0019] Prepare a flexible device on the side surface of the release layer away from the carrier substrate;

[0020] Attach the adsorption drum according to any one of the above embodiments to the surface of the flexible device, evacuate through the air guide channels in the adsorption drum to make the ventilation holes adsorb the flexible device, and rotate the adsorption drum to make the adsorption drum roll, and peel the flexible device from the surface of the carrier substrate along the release layer.

[0021] In one embodiment, the release layer includes multiple sub-release layers stacked on top of each other. After forming the multiple stacked sub-release layers and before preparing the flexible device, it further includes: removing a part of the release layer outside the area required for preparing the flexible device.

[0022] In one embodiment, the flexible device is a flexible organic light-emitting display device.

[0023] And, a method for attaching a flexible device includes the following steps:

[0024] A method for peeling off a flexible device as described in any of the above embodiments is used to adsorb the flexible device onto the side surface of an adsorption roller, and then the adsorption roller with the flexible device adsorbed thereon is placed on a support film, the adsorption roller is rolled, and air is supplied to an air guide channel in the adsorption roller, so that the flexible device is desorbed from the adsorption roller and attached to the support film.

[0025] The beneficial effects of the adsorption roller of the present invention will be described below through the specific usage of the adsorption roller in the mechanical peeling and attaching process of the flexible device.

[0026] In the process of preparing a flexible device on a carrier substrate, a release layer is formed in advance. After the flexible device is prepared, the adsorption roller of the present invention can be used to peel it off. Specifically, the side surface of the roller body is divided into a strip adsorption area, and the adsorption area is provided with an opening of a vent, and the vent is connected to the outside world through an air guide channel. In the actual peeling operation, the adsorption roller can be used to fit one end of the flexible device. Since the flexible device will be slightly deformed, a bonding area will be formed. The contact points of the two are controlled so that the vent is located on the bonding area. The vent in the bonding area is vacuumed through the air guide channel, and a negative pressure is formed in the bonding area, and the flexible device in this area is adsorbed on the side surface of the roller body. Then, the roller body is rotated to roll along the flexible device, and the flexible device is attached to the side surface of the roller body in batches by means of negative pressure. Since the adsorption force formed by the negative pressure is much greater than the bonding force between the release layer and the adjacent layer, during the peeling operation, the flexible device is separated from the carrier substrate along the release layer.

[0027] Moreover, the adsorption roller can also conveniently transfer the flexible device attached to its surface to the support film. The adsorption roller with the flexible device adsorbed thereon is placed on the support film, one end of the flexible device is aligned with the support film, and then rotated in the opposite direction, and gas is injected into the vent holes therein in sequence to release the negative pressure state, so that the flexible device is desorbed from the adsorption roller, and is transferred to the support film as the adsorption roller rotates.

[0028] In summary, the adsorption roller can realize mechanical peeling and attachment of flexible devices conveniently and non-destructively by means of the air extraction operation of the vent holes and the rotation operation of the roller itself, and can avoid the problems encountered in traditional laser peeling, and has good application prospects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the process of laser peeling off flexible devices in traditional technology;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of an adsorption roller 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3A schematic diagram of a manufacturing process of a flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A top view of the flexible display device shown;

[0033] Figure 5 For the use of Figure 2 The suction roller 20 shown peels off Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the peeling process of the flexible display device;

[0034] Figure 6 For the use of Figure 2 The suction roller 20 shown will Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the reattachment process of the flexible display device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described more fully below with reference to the relevant drawings. The preferred embodiments of the present invention are given in the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosure of the present invention more thorough and comprehensive.

[0036] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. "Multiple" used herein means a combination of two or more items. If not expressly stated or those skilled in the art do not have a common understanding of this, the concepts of proportion or concentration in this application should be considered to be mass proportion or mass concentration.

[0037] The traditional method of peeling flexible devices from carrier substrates is mainly laser lift-off. However, during the laser lift-off process, small particles that are difficult to avoid in the production process are located at the interface between the flexible substrate and the carrier substrate, which will significantly affect the yield of the flexible device. For details, please refer to Figure 1 , the surface of the carrier substrate 110 is attached with the prepared flexible substrate 120 and the flexible display function body 130. In the production process, it is inevitable to generate small particles 111 between the carrier substrate 110 and the flexible substrate 120. These small particles will significantly affect the local energy during the laser etching process, resulting in the inability to effectively destroy the interface part where the particles 111 are located. Therefore, in the subsequent separation process, crack defects 121 will be generated on the flexible substrate 120 and even the flexible display function body 130 at the original position of the particles, affecting the peeling yield.

[0038] To avoid the problems existing in the laser lift-off process, there are also some ways to additionally provide one or more release layers between the carrier substrate and the flexible substrate to reduce the adhesion force between the carrier substrate and the flexible substrate, and then the flexible device is peeled off by a method similar to using a jig to clamp.

[0039] In view of the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides an adsorption roller capable of assisting in peeling a flexible device, and a peeling method of a flexible device using the adsorption roller. In particular, corresponding to the peeling method, a attaching method of a flexible device using the adsorption roller is also provided.

[0040] First, please refer to Figure 2 As shown, an adsorption roller 20 is applied to the peeling and attaching of a flexible device. The adsorption roller 20 includes a columnar roller body 200. A plurality of strip-shaped adsorption areas 210 are arranged at intervals on the side surface of the roller body 200, and the width d of each strip-shaped adsorption area ≤ 1 cm (as marked in Figure 2 ). Corresponding to each adsorption area 210, an independently air-conducting air-conducting channel 220 is further provided in the roller body. The roller body 200 is further provided with a plurality of groups of ventilation holes 201 corresponding to the adsorption areas 210. One end of each ventilation hole 201 opens on the corresponding adsorption area 210, and the other end is connected to the corresponding air-conducting channel 220. Among them, in order to reduce the stress of the adsorption roller 20 on the flexible device and improve the peeling yield, the roller body 200 can be cylindrical.

[0041] It can be understood that the strip-shaped adsorption area 210 is an area delimited on the side surface of the roller body 200, but the entire adsorption area 210 can play the role of adsorbing the flexible device in the corresponding area. In addition, the ventilation hole 201 corresponding to the adsorption area 210 means that one end of the ventilation hole 201 opens on the adsorption area 210; the air-conducting channel 220 corresponding to the ventilation area 210 means that the air-conducting channel 220 is connected to the ventilation hole 201 corresponding to the adsorption area 210. The width d of the adsorption area 210 should be understood as the distance between the two side edges, as shown in Figure 2 shown.

[0042] The usage method of the adsorption drum 20 is as follows: Attach one of the adsorption areas 210 to the surface of the flexible device, then the ventilation holes 201 on the strip-shaped adsorption area 210 are sealed by the flexible device. By evacuating through the air guide channel 220, negative pressure can be generated at the ventilation holes 201, causing the bonding area of the flexible device to be pressed onto the strip-shaped adsorption area 210. By rolling the drum body 200, the flexible device can be lifted and gradually attached to the surface of the adsorption drum 20. For another example, the adsorption drum 20 can also be used to transfer the flexible device. Just attach one end of the flexible device to the support film, and at the same time inflate the ventilation holes 201 and rotate the adsorption drum 20, then the flexible device can be detached from the surface of the adsorption drum and transferred to the support film.

[0043] In one specific example, a plurality of ventilation holes 201 are provided on each strip-shaped adsorption area 210. The plurality of ventilation holes 201 can generate adsorption force on the flexible device from multiple positions, making the force on the flexible device more balanced and avoiding damage caused by excessive local stress. Optionally, the plurality of ventilation holes 201 are evenly distributed on the strip-shaped adsorption area 210. The evenly distributed ventilation holes 201 can further balance the stress received by the flexible device. The specific form of the even distribution is, for example, the distance between two adjacent ventilation holes 201 is equal. Optionally, on the strip-shaped adsorption area 210, the ventilation holes 201 are distributed in a one-dimensional or multi-dimensional matrix. In other specific examples, the ventilation holes 201 can also be distributed in a wavy line.

[0044] It can be understood that, on the premise that the strip-shaped adsorption area 210 has the shape defined by the above technical solution, it can be determined by the actual distribution of the ventilation holes 201. For a specific distribution method of the ventilation holes 201, there may be multiple ways to divide the strip-shaped adsorption area 210, but as long as one of the division methods conforms to the above technical solution, it can be regarded as a specific implementation manner of the adsorption drum of the present invention.

[0045] In one specific example, all the ventilation holes 201 of one strip-shaped adsorption area 210 are commonly connected to one of the air guide channels 220, as shown in the Figure 2 structure shown. By performing vacuum pumping or inflation treatment on this air guide channel 220, the air pressure at each ventilation hole 201 of this strip-shaped adsorption area 210 can be changed simultaneously. Figure 2To simplify the schematic diagram, only one gas guiding channel 220 connected to one group of vent holes 201 is shown. Those skilled in the art can make similar settings for other gas guiding channels accordingly. "Independent gas guiding for each" means that during the process of exhausting or ventilating through the gas guiding channel 220, different gas guiding channels 220 do not interfere with each other. More specifically, that is, when exhausting air from one gas guiding channel 220, the gas in another gas guiding channel 220 will not be affected, so that exhausting or gas transportation can be carried out separately in different groups of vent holes 201. There can be various ways to achieve independent gas guiding. For example, multiple gas guiding channels 220 can be respectively connected to the outside, so there is no cross gas path between different gas guiding channels 220, and exhausting air from one gas guiding channel 220 will not affect another. Another example is that multiple gas guiding channels 220 can also be connected to a main gas guiding channel connected to an external exhausting or gas transportation mechanism to simplify the specific structure of the adsorption drum. However, at the same time, a valve for controlling the on / off of the gas path is provided on each gas guiding channel 220. When exhausting or transporting gas through one gas guiding channel 220, the valves on other gas guiding channels 220 are closed, so that other gas guiding channels 220 will not be affected either, realizing independent gas guiding.

[0046] It can also be understood that Figure 2 For the convenience of illustration, part of the gas guiding channel 220 is arranged outside the drum body 200, but the gas guiding channel 220 can also be entirely arranged inside the drum body 200 and then led out through the main gas guiding channel or separately led out.

[0047] In one specific example, the opening of the vent hole 201 on the side surface of the drum body 200 is circular, and the diameter of the vent hole is 0.1 mm to 1 mm; for example, the diameter of the vent hole is 0.1 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm or 1 mm. Compared with a square, diamond, or regular hexagon, etc., the edge of the circular opening vent hole 201 is a smooth curve, which can balance the force on the flexible device attached to the vent hole 201.

[0048] In one specific example, the distance between adjacent strip-shaped adsorption areas 210 ≤ 2 cm. For example, the distance between adjacent strip-shaped adsorption areas 210 is 0.01 cm, 0.1 cm, 0.5 cm, 1 cm, 1.5 cm, 2 cm. The distance between adjacent strip-shaped adsorption areas 210 should not be too wide, otherwise it is easy to cause the flexible device to be difficult to stably adhere to the surface of the adsorption drum 20 and fall off or partially fall off. In addition, adjacent strip-shaped adsorption areas 210 can be two adjacent areas, and the openings of the vent holes 201 corresponding to the two adsorption areas 210 can be distributed at intervals to avoid contact with each other.

[0049] In one specific example, the distances between adjacent strip-shaped adsorption regions 210 are the same.

[0050] In one specific example, the vents 201 are distributed in an array as a whole. The vents 201 distributed in an array are evenly distributed, so that the flexible device adsorbed by each vent 201 is also subjected to a relatively uniform force, and the situation of damage caused by excessive local force or detachment caused by insufficient local force is avoided as much as possible. For example, there are a plurality of vents 201 The center line is in a straight line, forming each row or column. It can also be understood that the rows and columns of the array are preferably orthogonal, but can also be non-orthogonal, as long as it can realize the technical concept of "strip adsorption".

[0051] In one specific example, the drum body 200 is further provided with an elastic coating layer ( Figure 2 (not shown in the figure). The elastic coating layer is provided with through holes corresponding to the positions of the vent holes 201 on the side surface of the roller body 200. The elastic coating layer refers to a coating layer that undergoes elastic deformation when subjected to a certain pressure. An elastic coating layer is further provided on the side surface of the roller body 200 and through holes are provided on the surface of the elastic coating layer. When the roller body 200 is pressed against the surface of the flexible device, both the roller body 200 and the flexible device can undergo a certain degree of deformation, so as to effectively increase the attachment area between the two and reduce the pressure on the two. In the process of peeling and attaching, the flexible device can be protected, and a good sealing effect can be formed to maintain the negative pressure in the vent hole 201 for a long time, so as to significantly improve the yield rate of the production process.

[0052] In one specific example, the material of the elastic coating layer is silicone. Silicone has the advantages of being soft, transparent and aging-resistant, and is more suitable as the material of the elastic coating layer to better play the actual role of the elastic coating layer.

[0053] In one specific example, the thickness of the elastic coating layer is 0.1 mm to 1 mm. Specifically, for example, the thickness of the elastic coating layer is 0.1 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm or 1 mm.

[0054] In some specific examples, the material of the drum body 200 can be selected from hard materials, such as metal or plastic.

[0055] In one specific example, a rotating member 230 is further provided on the adsorption roller 20. The rotating member 230 is fixedly connected to the roller main body 200 and is used to drive the roller main body 200 to rotate. Optionally, for example, if the rotating member 230 is arranged on the central axis of the roller main body 200, then by simply pushing the rotating member 230, the roller main body 200 can be rolled in the horizontal direction. The rotating member 230 can be arranged on one bottom surface of the roller main body 200, or can be arranged on both bottom surfaces of the roller main body 200 at the same time. The rotating members 230 arranged on both bottom surfaces at the same time can make the thrust received by the roller main body 200 evenly distributed, avoiding the situation where the two opposite bottom surfaces of the roller main body are out of sync, and ensuring that the overall flexible device does not deform.

[0056] Further, a mechanical peeling and attaching device for a flexible device includes an air extraction mechanism and the adsorption roller 20 according to the above embodiment. The air extraction mechanism is connected to each air guide channel 220 in the adsorption roller 20. The air extraction mechanism can be, for example, an air pump. The air extraction mechanism can be respectively connected to each air guide channel 220 to realize independent air extraction of each air guide channel 220.

[0057] In one specific example, in order to simplify the air path of the device, all the air guide channels 220 can be connected through a total air guide channel. At this time, air valves 221 as shown should also be provided on each air guide channel 220 to realize independent air extraction of each air guide channel 220. In order to realize the automatic opening and closing of the air valve 221, a control mechanism can also be provided. The control mechanism is electrically connected to the air valve 221. At this time, the air valve 221 can be a solenoid valve. Figure 2 Shown to achieve independent air extraction of each air guide channel 220. In order to realize the automatic opening and closing of the air valve 221, a control mechanism can also be provided. The control mechanism is electrically connected to the air valve 221. At this time, the air valve 221 can be a solenoid valve.

[0058] Further, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a peeling method for a flexible device. Please also refer to Figure 3 which includes the following steps:

[0059] Step S1, preparing a release layer 320 on the surface of the carrier substrate 310;

[0060] In one specific example, the carrier substrate 310 is a rigid substrate. Optionally, the rigid substrate is, for example, glass, etc.

[0061] In one specific example, the material of the release layer 320 is selected from materials with relatively low adsorption force to the carrier substrate, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, etc. The specific preparation method of the release layer 320 can be, for example: spraying a graphene solution and / or a carbon nanotube solution, etc. in a mist form onto the carrier substrate to form a release layer liquid film. Then, drying the release layer liquid film with a nitrogen air knife, and then baking at a high temperature to remove the solvent to form a solid thin film.

[0062] In one specific example, the release layer 320 includes multiple sub-release layers. The multiple sub-release layers can be prepared by repeating the preparation method as described above multiple times. The number of sub-release layers can specifically be 3 to 5 layers. Figure 3 The case of having 3 sub-release layers is shown, which respectively include a first sub-release layer 321, a second sub-release layer 322, and a third sub-release layer 323. Among them, the thickness of any single sub-release layer can be 50 nm to 500 nm. More specifically, the thickness of a single sub-release layer can be 200 nm. To avoid the introduction of the release layer 320 significantly affecting the preparation process of the device itself, the overall thickness of the release layer 320 can be 500 nm to 2000 nm. More specifically, the overall thickness of the release layer 320 can be about 1000 nm. The peeling force between the sub-release layers is very weak. For example, the peeling force between the sub-release layers is 0.1 N / cm to 0.5 N / cm. Therefore, during the subsequent mechanical peeling process, the separation will preferentially occur between the sub-release layers. That is, by setting multiple sub-release layers, the adsorption force between the interfaces during peeling can be reduced. And whether the fine particles 301 are embedded between the flexible substrate and the sub-release layer or between the carrier substrate and the sub-release layer, they will only affect the integrity of the release layer at the separation location and will not affect the flexible device.

[0063] In one specific example, after forming the release layer 320, it further includes the step of patterning the release layer 320. The step of patterning the release layer 320 specifically includes removing a part of the release layer 320 other than the area corresponding to the preparation (subsequent preparation) of the flexible device. For example Figure 4 As shown, the area of the release layer 320 is usually slightly larger than that of the flexible device 330, and the bonding force of the edge part of the formed release layer 320 is relatively strong, which will cause this part to be more difficult to peel during the peeling process and affect the peeling quality. Therefore, removing this non-device area can improve the peeling quality. The specific method of patterning the release layer 320 can be dry etching. For example, using high-energy plasma to bombard the release layer 320 film in the non-device area to completely remove this area. In addition, there is usually a gap of 8 mm to 15 mm reserved between the edge of the release layer 320 and the edge of the carrier glass 310, as Figure 4 shown.

[0064] Step S2, prepare the flexible device 330 on the surface of the release layer 320 away from the carrier substrate 310.

[0065] In one specific example, the flexible device 330 is a flexible display device, and the display function main body in the flexible display device can be selected from electronic paper, flexible liquid crystal display, flexible electroluminescent display, etc.

[0066] In one specific example, during the process of fabricating the flexible device 330, it further includes the step of forming a flexible substrate 331 on the surface of the release layer 320 away from the carrier substrate 310. The material of the flexible substrate 331 can be selected from polyimide (PI). Polyimide has excellent bending resistance and is particularly suitable as the material for flexible display devices. The specific method for fabricating the flexible substrate 331 can be as follows: coating a polyimide solution on the carrier substrate 310 including the release layer 320, and then performing high-vacuum drying to rapidly volatilize and remove most of the solvents in the polyimide. Then, by means of heating and drying, the solvents are further removed and the polyimide material is crosslinked and cured to finally form a flexible substrate 331 with good thickness uniformity. In one specific example, the thickness of the flexible substrate 331 is 10 μm to 50 μm. More specifically, the thickness of the flexible substrate 331 can be about 20 μm. In one specific example, the region of the flexible substrate 331 protrudes 3 mm to 5 mm from the edge of the region of the release layer 320, and the edge of the region of the flexible substrate 331 is 5 mm to 10 mm away from the edge of the region of the carrier substrate 310, as Figure 4 shown in the size of the flexible substrate 331.

[0067] The steps for fabricating the flexible device 330 further include: after fabricating the flexible substrate 331, fabricating the device functional body of the flexible device. Taking a flexible display device as an example, the functional body of the flexible display device may include a barrier layer 332, a driving element 333, a light-emitting device 334, a packaging layer 335, and a polarizer 336 that are sequentially stacked.

[0068] The barrier layer 332 is used to block water and oxygen; the driving element 332 is a thin-film transistor (TFT) and its bonding area leads. The thin-film transistor is used to drive the light-emitting device 335 thereon to emit light. The light-emitting device 334 can be an organic light-emitting diode. The thin-film transistor drives the pixelated light-emitting device 334 to emit light to display a pattern. The device region refers to the region where the functional body of the flexible device 330 is located, as Figure 3 shown in the content, the size of the region where the barrier layer 332 is located is the same as the size of the region where the release layer 320 is located.

[0069] In one specific example, the specific preparation process of the flexible device 332 may include: sequentially preparing a barrier layer, a thin film transistor (TFT) array, a pixelated light-emitting diode, a packaging layer, and a polarizer. The light-emitting diode may be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), and more specifically, an active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED). Since the water and oxygen transmission rate of the flexible substrate 331 may be relatively high, a barrier layer needs to be fabricated at this time to isolate water and oxygen when manufacturing the light-emitting device 332. The barrier layer may adopt an organic / inorganic alternating structure, such as parylene / silicon nitride / parylene / silicon nitride stacked layers, or an inorganic / inorganic alternating structure, such as silicon nitride / silicon dioxide / silicon nitride stacked layers. Then, a TFT array for driving the light-emitting device is fabricated on the barrier layer. According to the different TFT process temperatures, materials of the flexible substrate 331 with different temperature resistance properties can be correspondingly selected. Next, the light-emitting device is prepared, film packaging is performed, and then a polarizer is provided. The preparation method of the light-emitting device can select a printing process or a vapor deposition process.

[0070] In one specific example, after the flexible device 330 is prepared, it further includes the step of laser cutting to remove the flexible substrate 331 and the carrier substrate 310 in the area outside the flexible device, removing the flexible substrate 331 and the carrier substrate 310 in the non-device area.

[0071] Step S3: Peel off the flexible device 330.

[0072] To facilitate the representation and understanding of the peeling process, a specific schematic diagram of step S3 is shown in Figure 5 .

[0073] Adopt an adsorption roller 20 as shown in Figure 2 , attach it to the surface of the flexible device 330, evacuate through the air guide channel 220 in the adsorption roller 20, so that the vent holes 201 adsorb the flexible device 330. At the same time, rotate the adsorption roller 20 to make the adsorption roller 20 roll, and peel off the flexible device 330 from the surface of the carrier substrate 310 along the release layer 320. Among them, for the case where the release layer 320 includes multiple sub-release layers, the peeling site will occur between the sub-release layers.

[0074] It should be noted that during the above peeling process, the flexible device 330 is relatively prone to wrinkles, which will significantly affect its manufacturing yield. Directly clamping the flexible device 330 with a fixture will cause wrinkles in the flexible device, but the peeling method using the above adsorption roller 20 can better avoid the generation of wrinkles. The flexible device 330 is attached to all or part of a strip-shaped adsorption area 210. As part of a single adsorption, a strip-shaped adsorption area 210 can lift the entire flexible device 330 and fix it on the adsorption roller 20, preventing further deformation of the flexible device 330 after it is lifted. In addition, making the ventilation holes 201 more uniform and the strip-shaped adsorption areas 210 more dense helps to evenly distribute the overall adsorption force of the flexible device 330 and avoid damage to the flexible device 330 due to excessive local stress.

[0075] In one specific example, when the adsorption roller 20 rolls, each strip-shaped adsorption area 210 is sequentially attached to the surface of the flexible device, and the air guide channels 220 communicating with the ventilation holes 201 on the strip-shaped adsorption area 210 are correspondingly evacuated, creating negative pressure at the ventilation holes 201 in this part to adsorb the flexible device 330.

[0076] In one specific example, when the adsorption roller 20 rolls, the forward speed of the adsorption roller 20 is 3 mm / s to 5 mm / s.

[0077] Through the above peeling process, the flexible device 330 can be transferred to the side surface of the adsorption roller 20.

[0078] Furthermore, another embodiment of the present invention also provides an attaching method for the flexible device 330, that is, transferring the flexible device 330 from the surface of the adsorption roller 20 to the support film 400.

[0079] Specifically, please refer to Figure 6 , after peeling the flexible device 330 from the carrier substrate 310 and transferring it to the adsorption roller 20 using the peeling method of the above embodiment, place the adsorption roller 20 adsorbed with the flexible device 330 on the support film 400, make the adsorption roller 20 roll, and supply air to the air guide channels 220 in the adsorption roller 20 to desorb the flexible device 330 from the adsorption roller 20 and attach it to the support film 400. More specifically, place the adsorption roller 20 on the support film 400, press one strip-shaped adsorption area 210 against the support film 400, and supply air to the air guide channels 220 communicating with the ventilation holes 201 on the strip-shaped adsorption area 210 to desorb and attach the flexible device 330 adsorbed by the strip-shaped adsorption area 210 to the surface of the support film 400. Move the adsorption roller and repeat the above steps to make the flexible device 330 detach from the surface of the adsorption roller 20 and attach to the surface of the support film 400, thus completing the attachment of the flexible device 330.

[0080] In one specific example, during the process of desorbing the flexible device 330 from the adsorption drum 20, it further includes the step of controlling the downward pressure of the adsorption drum 20, and the downward pressure is 0.1 MPa to 0.4 MPa. Optionally, the forward speed of the adsorption drum 20 is 1 mm / s to 3 mm / s.

[0081] The peeling method of the flexible device in the above embodiment adopts a mechanical peeling process. When the flexible device is separated, the interface of the release layer fractures and falls off. Part of the release layer remains on the carrier glass, while the other part adheres to the flexible substrate. In addition, the peeling force between the release layers is very weak, between 0.1 and 0.5 N / cm. Therefore, whether the particles are embedded between the flexible substrate and the release layer or between the carrier glass and the release layer, they will not affect the quality of the separated flexible device.

[0082] According to the bar-shaped adsorption area of the adsorption drum, the flexible device is slowly peeled off completely from the carrier glass, and at the same time, the complete attachment of the flexible device to the support film is also achieved. The peeling process of the flexible device and the attachment process of the support film are integrated on the adsorption drum, simplifying the equipment and process, and being more conducive to engineering applications. In addition, when the adsorption drum is used in the process of mechanically peeling and attaching flexible display devices, according to the actual test results of the production process and considering the weight and size of the drum in the actual preparation process, it is particularly suitable for the case where the size of the carrier substrate is G4.5 and below or the size of the flexible display device is 31 inches and below. During the peeling process and the attachment process, the flexible display device will basically not be deformed or damaged due to the peeling or attachment process itself. Under appropriate process parameters, the adsorption drum can also be applicable to the peeling process of a carrier substrate with a size of G8.5 or a flexible display device with a size of 65 inches.

[0083] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, it should be considered as the scope described in this specification.

[0084] The above-described embodiments only represent a preferred implementation manner of the present invention, and the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be construed as a limitation to the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several modifications and improvements can still be made, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the invention patent should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A peeling method for a flexible device, characterized in that, Including the following steps: Prepare a release layer on the surface of the carrier substrate, the release layer includes multiple sub-release layers stacked on top of each other; during subsequent mechanical peeling, separation will preferentially occur between the sub-release layers; Remove a part of the release layer outside the area required for preparing the flexible device; Prepare a flexible device on the surface of the release layer away from the carrier substrate; Attach an adsorption roller to the surface of the flexible device, the adsorption roller includes a columnar roller body, the side surface of the roller body is provided with a plurality of strip-shaped adsorption areas distributed at intervals, the width of each adsorption area ≤ 1 cm, and the roller body is correspondingly provided with independent air guide channels for each adsorption area, and the roller body is also provided with multiple groups of ventilation holes corresponding to the adsorption areas, one end of each ventilation hole opens on the corresponding adsorption area, and the other end is connected to the corresponding air guide channel; Evacuate through the air guide channels in the adsorption roller to make the ventilation holes adsorb the flexible device, and rotate the adsorption roller to make the adsorption roller roll, and peel the flexible device from the surface of the carrier substrate along the release layer.

2. The peeling method of the flexible device according to claim 1, characterized in that The opening of the ventilation hole on the adsorption area is circular, and the diameter of the opening of the ventilation hole on the adsorption area is 0.1 mm to 1 mm; and / or, the roller body is cylindrical.

3. The peeling method of the flexible device according to claim 1, characterized in that The distance between adjacent strip-shaped adsorption areas ≤ 2 cm; and / or, The distance between each adjacent strip-shaped adsorption area is the same.

4. The peeling method of the flexible device according to claim 1, characterized in that It further includes an elastic coating layer coated on the side surface of the roller body, and the elastic coating layer is provided with through holes corresponding to the positions of the ventilation holes on the side surface of the roller body; and / or, The openings of the multiple groups of ventilation holes on the side surface of the roller body are arranged in an array.

5. The peeling method of the flexible device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The material of the release layer is selected from one or more of graphene and carbon nanotubes.

6. The peeling method of the flexible device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The total thickness of the release layer is 500 nm to 2000 nm.

7. The peeling method of the flexible device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, After preparing the flexible device, it further includes the step of laser cutting to remove the flexible substrate and the carrier substrate in the area outside the flexible device, and removing the flexible substrate and the carrier substrate in the non-device area.

8. The peeling method of the flexible device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The flexible device is a flexible organic light-emitting display device.

9. The peeling method of the flexible device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The specific preparation process of the flexible device includes: sequentially preparing a barrier layer, a thin film transistor array, a pixelated light-emitting diode, a packaging layer, and a polarizer.

10. A method for attaching a flexible device, characterized in that, Including the following steps: Adopt the peeling method of the flexible device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 to adsorb the flexible device on the side surface of the adsorption roller, then place the adsorption roller with the adsorbed flexible device on the support film, make the adsorption roller roll, and supply air to the air guide channels in the adsorption roller to desorb the flexible device from the adsorption roller and attach it to the support film.

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