Nanoimprint demolding apparatus and method

Abstract

The application discloses a nano-imprint demolding device and method, and belongs to the technical field of nano-imprint. The nano-imprint demolding device is characterized in that: the upper vacuum adsorption device and the lower vacuum adsorption device are arranged, and the piston structure for adjusting the vacuum area in the upper vacuum adsorption device is arranged, so that the nano-imprint demolding is realized. The vacuum pressure in the cavity is continuously adjusted by air intake, so that the product surface and the imprint seal surface are uniformly stressed, the demolding progress is flexibly controlled, product fragments are avoided, manual demolding is replaced, product fragments generated in the demolding process are avoided, human abnormality is avoided, and production efficiency and product quality are improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of nanoimprint, and particularly relates to a nanoimprint demolding device and method. BACKGROUND

[0002] The nanoimprint process is a wafer-level replication technology, and after the imprinting is completed, the pattern stamp used for nanoimprint and the product after curing need to be demolded. The existing demolding mode is basically manual demolding. Since the substrate of the nanoimprint product is basically a silicon or glass substrate, and the thickness is basically less than 1 mm, the demolding after the product imprinting is completed is easy to cause the substrate to be broken, and manual demolding can extend human-made defects, and the demolding efficiency is low, and the product quality is not up to standard. SUMMARY

[0003] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of the application is to provide a nanoimprint demolding device and method, which solves the technical problems that the substrate is easy to be broken, human-made defects are easy to occur, the demolding efficiency is low, and the product quality is not up to standard during the demolding of the existing nanoimprint.

[0004] In order to achieve the above purpose, the application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] The application discloses a nanoimprint demolding device, which comprises a cavity, an opening is arranged at the top of the cavity, an upper vacuum adsorption device is arranged at the opening, a lower vacuum adsorption device is arranged at the bottom of the cavity, a gap exists between the upper vacuum adsorption device and the lower vacuum adsorption device in the cavity, a product after completing imprinting is placed in the gap, a piston structure for adjusting a vacuum area is arranged in the upper vacuum adsorption device, an air inlet is arranged at the bottom of the cavity, and an air outlet is arranged at the top of the upper vacuum adsorption device.

[0006] Further, the upper vacuum adsorption device comprises an upper vacuum adsorption cavity, an upper vacuum suction interface and an air outlet are arranged at the top of the upper vacuum adsorption cavity, respectively, an upper vacuum suction disc is arranged at the bottom of the upper vacuum adsorption cavity, one end of the upper vacuum suction disc is in contact with the product after completing imprinting through the opening at the top of the cavity, and the piston structure is arranged in the upper vacuum adsorption cavity and between the other end of the upper vacuum suction disc and the top of the upper vacuum adsorption cavity.

[0007] Further, the piston structure comprises a push rod and a piston, one end of the push rod is connected with the piston, the piston is arranged in the upper vacuum adsorption cavity and between the other end of the vacuum suction disc and the top of the upper vacuum adsorption cavity, and the push rod drives the piston to move left and right in the upper vacuum adsorption cavity.

[0008] Further, the lower vacuum suction device comprises a lower vacuum suction cavity, the bottom of the lower vacuum suction cavity is provided with a lower vacuum suction interface, and the top of the lower vacuum suction cavity is provided with a lower vacuum suction pad; the lower vacuum suction pad is in contact with the product after embossing.

[0009] Further, the product after embossing comprises an embossing stamp substrate, an embossing stamp pattern and an embossing product; the embossing stamp substrate, the embossing stamp pattern and the embossing product are sequentially and closely arranged from top to bottom; the embossing stamp substrate is in contact with the upper vacuum suction pad; the embossing product is in contact with the lower vacuum suction pad; and the side edge area where the embossing stamp pattern and the embossing product are in contact is provided with an opening cutter.

[0010] Further, air leakage bubble cotton is arranged between the embossing stamp substrate and the upper vacuum suction pad.

[0011] Further, sealing rings are arranged on both sides of the opening at the top of the cavity; the sealing rings are in close contact with the embossing stamp substrate; the sealing rings are in the shape of a horn mouth and are made of stainless steel or embedded glass.

[0012] Further, the embossing stamp substrate is made of glass or a substrate composed of glass and PET soft film, and has a thickness greater than 0.2 mm and less than 1 mm; and the embossing product is formed of glass or silicon substrate and resin glue.

[0013] The application further discloses a use method of the nanoembossing demolding device.

[0014] S1: first, place the product after embossing on the lower vacuum suction device, adjust the height of the lower vacuum suction device so that the product after embossing is in contact with the upper vacuum suction device; then, open the area of the product after embossing that needs to be separated, introduce gas from the gas inlet, inflate and pressurize the cavity, and make the product after embossing after opening bear uniform force;

[0015] S2: then, move the piston structure from one end of the area that needs to be separated to the other end, simultaneously open the vacuum suction of the upper vacuum suction device, so that the upper vacuum suction device adsorbs the product after embossing, and in the process of moving the piston structure, the gas is discharged through the exhaust port to maintain pressure balance;

[0016] S3: release the vacuum, and complete product demolding.

[0017] Further, the upper vacuum suction device comprises an upper vacuum suction cavity, a vacuum suction interface, an exhaust port, a vacuum suction pad and a piston structure; the piston structure comprises a push rod and a piston, and the push rod drives the piston to move left and right in the inside of the upper vacuum suction cavity;

[0018] The lower vacuum suction device comprises a lower vacuum suction cavity, a lower vacuum suction interface, and a lower vacuum suction pad.

[0019] The finished embossed product comprises, from top to bottom, an embossing stamp base, an embossing stamp pattern, and an embossed product; the area where the embossing stamp pattern and the embossed product are in contact is provided with an opening knife for opening the area where the embossing stamp pattern and the embossed product are in close contact; the embossing stamp base is provided with air leakage bubble cotton between the embossing stamp base and the upper vacuum suction pad; the opening on the top of the cavity is provided with a sealing ring on both sides; the sealing ring is in close contact with the embossing stamp base.

[0020] The nano-imprint demolding device comprises the following steps when in use:

[0021] S11: By adjusting the height of the lower vacuum suction pad, the embossing stamp base is in complete contact with the air leakage bubble cotton and the sealing ring, and at the same time, the lower vacuum suction interface is used to draw vacuum, so that the embossed product is uniformly adsorbed on the lower vacuum suction pad; the opening knife is used to open the area where the embossing stamp pattern and the embossed product are in close contact, gas is introduced from the gas inlet to inflate and pressurize the cavity, so that the finished embossed product after opening is uniformly stressed;

[0022] S22: Then, the push rod drives the piston to move from one end of the area to be separated to the other end, and at the same time, the upper vacuum suction interface is opened to draw vacuum, so that the vacuum suction force is transferred to the embossing stamp base through the air leakage bubble cotton, and in the process of moving the piston structure, the gas is discharged through the exhaust port to maintain pressure balance;

[0023] S3: Release the vacuum to complete the product demolding.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] The present application discloses a nano-imprint demolding device, which is realized by the setting of the upper vacuum suction device and the lower vacuum suction device, and the cooperation of the piston structure in the upper vacuum suction device for adjusting the vacuum area, so as to realize nano-imprint demolding; by continuously adjusting the vacuum pressure in the cavity, the product surface and the embossing stamp surface are uniformly stressed, the demolding progress is flexibly controlled, product fragments are avoided, manual demolding is replaced, product fragments generated in the demolding process are avoided, human abnormality is avoided, and production efficiency and product quality are improved.

[0026] Further, by setting the soft material air leakage bubble cotton, the embossing stamp (including the embossing stamp base and the embossing stamp pattern) is adsorbed with the upper vacuum suction structure, and at the same time, the air leakage bubble cotton functions as a buffer, so as to protect the embossing stamp base and prevent it from being fragmented or deformed.

[0027] The present invention also discloses a method for using the above-mentioned nano-imprint demolding device, which has the advantages of adjustable demolding speed, uniform force on the imprint stamp and product substrate during demolding to effectively avoid demolding fragments, can replace existing manual demolding, and avoids human error during demolding. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the nanoimprint demolding device of the present invention;

[0029] Wherein: 1-Cavity; 2-Lower vacuum suction cup; 3-Upper vacuum suction cup; 4-Sealing ring; 5-Piston; 6-Upper vacuum port; 7-Exhaust port; 8-Push rod; 9-Opening knife; 10-Air inlet; 11-Bubble-leaking cotton; 12-Imprint stamp base; 13-Imprint stamp pattern; 14-Imprinted product; 15-Upper vacuum adsorption cavity; 16-Lower vacuum adsorption cavity; 17-Lower vacuum port. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To enable those skilled in the art to understand the features and effects of the present invention, the terms and expressions used in the specification and claims are explained and defined in general below. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the ordinary meaning understood by those skilled in the art regarding the present invention, and in case of conflict, the definitions in this specification shall prevail.

[0031] The theories or mechanisms described and disclosed herein, whether right or wrong, should not in any way limit the scope of the invention, that is, the contents of the invention can be implemented without being limited by any particular theory or mechanism.

[0032] In this document, all features defined by numerical ranges or percentage ranges, such as numerical values, quantities, contents, and concentrations, are for the sake of brevity and convenience only. Accordingly, descriptions of numerical ranges or percentage ranges should be considered as covering and specifically disclosing all possible sub-ranges and individual numerical values ​​(including integers and fractions) within those ranges.

[0033] In this article, unless otherwise specified, “contains,” “includes,” “containing,” “has,” or similar terms cover the meanings of “composed of” and “mainly composed of,” for example, “A contains a” covers the meanings of “A contains a and others” and “A contains only a.”

[0034] This invention discloses a nanoimprinting demolding device, comprising a cavity 1, an opening at the top of the cavity 1, an upper vacuum adsorption device at the opening, a lower vacuum adsorption device at the bottom of the cavity 1, a gap between the upper and lower vacuum adsorption devices within the cavity 1, and a completed imprinted product placed within the gap; a piston structure for adjusting the vacuum area is provided inside the upper vacuum adsorption device; an air inlet 10 is provided at the bottom of the cavity 1; and an exhaust port 7 is provided at the top of the upper vacuum adsorption device.

[0035] For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in each implementation scheme or embodiment are described herein. Therefore, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, the technical features in each implementation scheme or embodiment can be combined arbitrarily, and all possible combinations should be considered within the scope of this specification.

[0036] This invention discloses a nano-imprinting demolding device. The cavity 1 is equipped with an upper vacuum adsorption device and a lower vacuum adsorption device. The upper vacuum adsorption device is equipped with a piston structure for adjusting the vacuum area. The imprinted product is placed between the upper and lower vacuum adsorption devices. The imprinted product consists of an imprinting stamp base 12, an imprinting stamp pattern 13, and an imprinted product 14, which are arranged in close contact. The imprinting stamp base 12 is in contact with the upper vacuum adsorption device, and the imprinted product 14 is in contact with the lower vacuum adsorption device. An air inlet 10 is provided at the bottom of the cavity 1 to uniformly introduce air into the imprinting pattern stamp and the product opening, pressurizing the air and ensuring uniform force on the product. An exhaust port 7 is provided at the top of the upper vacuum adsorption device.

[0037] Preferably, the upper vacuum adsorption device comprises an upper vacuum adsorption cavity 15, a vacuum port 6, an exhaust port 7, and an upper vacuum suction cup 3; the upper vacuum port 6 and the exhaust port 7 are respectively located at the top ends of the upper vacuum adsorption cavity 15, and the upper vacuum suction cup 3 is located at the bottom of the upper vacuum adsorption cavity 15, and the upper vacuum suction cup 3 has a vacuum hole structure; the piston structure comprises a push rod 8 and a piston 5, one end of the push rod 8 is connected to the piston 5, and the piston 5 is located inside the upper vacuum adsorption cavity 15, between the other end of the upper vacuum suction cup 3 and the top of the upper vacuum adsorption cavity 15, and the push rod 8 drives the piston 5 to move left and right inside the upper vacuum adsorption cavity 15, through the left and right... The size of the vacuum area is adjusted by moving it to the right; a bubble-leaking cotton 11 is provided between the embossing stamp base 12 and the upper vacuum suction cup 3 to adsorb the embossing stamp (embossing stamp base 12 and embossing stamp pattern 13) with the upper vacuum suction cup structure 3, and at the same time, it plays a buffering role to protect the embossing stamp base 12 and prevent it from breaking or deforming; the vacuum suction cup 3 adsorbs the embossing stamp base 12 through the bubble-leaking cotton 11; an opening knife 9 is provided on the side area where the embossing stamp pattern 13 and the embossed product 14 come into contact, which is used to open the embossing pattern stamp (embossing stamp base 12 and embossing pattern 13) with the product structure 14 during the demolding process. The opening knife is a thin blade with a thickness of about 0.2 mm.

[0038] Preferably, the lower vacuum adsorption device consists of a lower vacuum adsorption cavity 16, a lower vacuum port 17, and a lower vacuum suction cup 2. The lower vacuum port 17 is located at the bottom of the lower vacuum adsorption cavity 16, and the lower vacuum suction cup 2 is located at the top of the lower vacuum adsorption cavity 16 and contacts the imprinted product 14. The lower vacuum suction cup 2 has a vacuum hole structure.

[0039] The device includes an upper vacuum adsorption chamber 15, with an upper vacuum port 6 and an exhaust port 7 respectively opened on the top of the upper vacuum adsorption chamber 15; an upper vacuum suction cup 3 is provided at the bottom of the upper vacuum adsorption chamber 15, and one end of the upper vacuum suction cup 3 contacts the product that has been imprinted through the opening at the top of the chamber 1; the piston structure is located inside the upper vacuum adsorption chamber 15, between the other end of the upper vacuum suction cup 3 and the top of the upper vacuum adsorption chamber 15.

[0040] Preferably, sealing rings 4 are provided on both sides of the opening at the top of the cavity 1; the sealing rings 4 are in close contact with the stamp base 12 and mainly play a sealing role; the sealing rings 4 are flared and made of stainless steel or inlaid glass.

[0041] Preferably, the material of the embossing stamp substrate 12 is glass or a composite substrate of glass and PET soft film, with a thickness greater than 0.2 mm and less than 1 mm; the embossing stamp pattern 13 is mainly the embossing pattern required for printing, which can ensure that the required product is formed on the product substrate; the embossed product 14 is mainly formed by glass or silicon substrate and resin adhesive.

[0042] The present invention will be further illustrated below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that after reading the teachings of this invention, those skilled in the art can make various alterations or modifications to the invention, and these equivalent forms also fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0043] The main working process of the nanoimprinting release device disclosed in this invention is as follows:

[0044] Step 1: Place the completed imprinted product (imprinted stamp base 12, imprinted stamp pattern 13, and imprinted product 14) on the lower vacuum suction cup 2. Adjust the height of the lower vacuum suction cup 2 to ensure that the imprinted stamp base 12 is in complete contact with the bubble cotton 11 and the sealing ring 4. At the same time, open the vacuum through the lower vacuum port 17 to evenly force and adsorb the imprinted product 14 onto the lower vacuum suction cup 2.

[0045] Step 2: Using the slit cutter 9, make a slit between the stamp (stamp base 12, stamp pattern 13) and the stamped product 14.

[0046] Step 3: By adjusting the size of the air inlet valve at the air inlet 10, the cavity 1 is pressurized with air to ensure that the force between the stamp and the product opening is uniform.

[0047] Step 4: Move the piston structure (push rod 8 and piston 5) to the right, and simultaneously evacuate at the upper vacuum port 6, so that the vacuum suction is transferred to the stamp base 12 through the bubble-leaking cotton 11; the gas during the movement of the piston structure (push rod 8 and piston 5) to the right is discharged through the exhaust port 7 to maintain pressure balance; in this way, when the piston structure moves to the rightmost end, the stamp base will be attracted by vacuum suction, and with the continuous air intake and pressurization through the air inlet 10, there is a supporting force between the stamped product 14 and the stamp (stamp base 12 and stamp pattern 13), and the upper vacuum suction cup 3 has a vacuum suction, thus achieving the purpose of demolding.

[0048] Step 5: Release the vacuum, open the demolding equipment, remove the product and the stamp, and complete the product demolding.

[0049] The above content is only for illustrating the technical concept of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications made to the technical solution based on the technical concept proposed in this invention shall fall within the scope of protection of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A nanoimprinting release device, characterized in that, The device includes a cavity (1), the top of which has an opening and an upper vacuum adsorption device; the bottom of the cavity (1) has a lower vacuum adsorption device; there is a gap between the upper and lower vacuum adsorption devices in the cavity (1), and the finished imprinted product is placed in the gap; the upper vacuum adsorption device has a piston structure for adjusting the vacuum area; the bottom of the cavity (1) has an air inlet (10); and the top of the upper vacuum adsorption device has an exhaust port (7).

2. The nanoimprint demolding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper vacuum adsorption device includes an upper vacuum adsorption cavity (15), and the top of the upper vacuum adsorption cavity (15) is provided with an upper vacuum port (6) and an exhaust port (7); the bottom of the upper vacuum adsorption cavity (15) is provided with an upper vacuum suction cup (3), and one end of the upper vacuum suction cup (3) contacts the product that has been imprinted through the opening at the top of the cavity (1); the piston structure is located inside the upper vacuum adsorption cavity (15) and is located between the other end of the upper vacuum suction cup (3) and the top of the upper vacuum adsorption cavity (15).

3. The nanoimprint demolding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The piston structure includes a push rod (8) and a piston (5). One end of the push rod (8) is connected to the piston (5). The piston (5) is located inside the upper vacuum adsorption cavity (15) and between the other end of the vacuum suction cup (3) and the top of the upper vacuum adsorption cavity (15). The push rod (8) drives the piston (5) to move left and right inside the upper vacuum adsorption cavity (15).

4. The nanoimprint demolding device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lower vacuum adsorption device includes a lower vacuum adsorption cavity (16), the bottom of which is provided with a lower vacuum port (17), and the top of which is provided with a lower vacuum suction cup (2); the lower vacuum suction cup (2) is in contact with the product that has been imprinted.

5. The nanoimprinting demolding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The completed embossing product includes an embossing stamp base (12), an embossing stamp pattern (13), and an embossed product (14); the embossing stamp base (12), the embossing stamp pattern (13), and the embossed product (14) are arranged in close contact from top to bottom; the embossing stamp base (12) is in contact with the upper vacuum suction cup (3); the embossed product (14) is in contact with the lower vacuum suction cup (2); an opening knife (9) is provided on the side area where the embossing stamp pattern (13) and the embossed product (14) are in contact.

6. The nanoimprinting demolding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, A bubble-leaking cotton (11) is provided between the stamp base (12) and the upper vacuum suction cup (3).

7. The nanoimprinting demolding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The top opening of the cavity (1) is provided with sealing rings (4) on both sides; the sealing rings (4) are in close contact with the stamp base (12); the sealing rings (4) are flared and made of stainless steel or inlaid glass.

8. The nanoimprinting demolding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The material of the embossed stamp substrate (12) is glass or a substrate made of glass and PET soft film, with a thickness greater than 0.2 mm and less than 1 mm; the embossed product (14) is formed by glass or silicon substrate and resin adhesive.

9. The method of using the nanoimprint demolding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: First, place the imprinted product on the lower vacuum adsorption device. Adjust the height of the lower vacuum adsorption device to make the imprinted product contact the upper vacuum adsorption device. Then, open the area of ​​the imprinted product that needs to be separated and introduce gas from the air inlet (10) to pressurize the cavity (1) so that the imprinted product after the opening is subjected to uniform force. S2: Then move the piston structure from one end of the area to be separated to the other end, and simultaneously open the upper vacuum adsorption device to draw a vacuum, so that the upper vacuum adsorption device adsorbs the product that has been printed, and during the movement of the piston structure, the gas is discharged through the exhaust port (7) to maintain pressure balance. S3: Release the vacuum and complete the product demolding.

10. The method of using the nanoimprint demolding device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The upper vacuum adsorption device includes an upper vacuum adsorption cavity (15), a vacuum port (6), an exhaust port (7), a vacuum suction cup (3), and a piston structure; the piston structure includes a push rod (8) and a piston (5), the push rod (8) driving the piston (5) to move left and right inside the upper vacuum adsorption cavity (15); The lower vacuum adsorption device includes a lower vacuum adsorption cavity (16), a lower vacuum port (17), and a lower vacuum suction cup (2); The completed embossing product includes an embossing stamp base (12), an embossing stamp pattern (13), and an embossed product (14) arranged sequentially from top to bottom; an opening knife (9) is provided in the area where the embossing stamp pattern (13) and the embossed product (14) are in contact, for opening the area where the embossing stamp pattern (13) and the embossed product (14) are in close contact; a bubble-leaking cotton (11) is provided between the embossing stamp base (12) and the upper vacuum suction cup (3); sealing rings (4) are provided on both sides of the opening at the top of the cavity (1); the sealing rings (4) are in close contact with the embossing stamp base (12); The nanoimprint release device includes the following steps during use: S11: By adjusting the height of the lower vacuum suction cup (2), the stamp base (12) is made to fully contact the bubble cotton (11) and the sealing ring (4). At the same time, a vacuum is drawn through the lower vacuum port (17) to evenly adsorb the stamped product (14) onto the lower vacuum suction cup (2). The opening knife (9) is used to open the area where the stamp pattern (13) and the stamped product (14) are in close contact. Gas is introduced from the air inlet (10) to pressurize the cavity (1) so that the stamped product after the opening is subjected to uniform force. S22: Then push rod (8) drives piston (5) to move from one end of the area to be separated to the other end, and simultaneously open upper vacuum port (6) to draw vacuum, so that vacuum suction is transferred to the stamp base (12) through leaking bubble cotton (11), and gas is discharged through exhaust port (7) during piston structure movement to maintain pressure balance. S3: Release the vacuum and complete the product demolding.

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