Glass components and manufacturing methods

Abstract

A glass element and a manufacturing method are provided. The manufacturing method includes: providing a glass substrate; depositing a photoresist layer on the glass substrate; heating the glass substrate with the photoresist layer deposited thereon at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time in an oxygen-free environment to volatilize the polymer components in the photoresist layer; and depositing a metal reflective layer on the photoresist layer to form the glass element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of displays, and more specifically to a glass element for a display and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most reflective displays use silver alloys as the metallic reflective layer because silver alloys have extremely high reflectivity, which can greatly improve the brightness of the display. However, silver alloys are prone to chemical reactions with other substances. For example, during product reliability testing, they can easily react with unreacted macromolecules (e.g., unreacted reactive monomers) in ultraviolet photoresist (UV adhesives), resulting in displays that appear opaque (e.g., yellowish or blackish). Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure is made to solve the aforementioned problems. This disclosure provides a method to prevent yellowing or blackening of glass components used in displays. Specifically, after coating a UV adhesive layer onto a glass substrate, the glass component coated with the UV adhesive layer is placed in an oxygen-free environment and baked at high temperature to allow unreacted macromolecules in the UV adhesive layer to fully volatilize. Then, a metal reflective layer is coated, thereby eliminating the reaction between unreacted macromolecules and the metal in subsequent reliability tests, thus solving the problem of yellowing or blackening of the display screen.

[0004] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a glass element, comprising: providing a glass substrate; disposing a photoresist layer on the glass substrate; heating the glass substrate with the photoresist layer disposed thereon at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time in an oxygen-free environment to cause the polymer components in the photoresist layer to volatilize; and disposing a metal reflective layer on the photoresist layer to form the glass element.

[0005] In some embodiments, the method further includes applying a high-temperature reliability test process to the glass element.

[0006] In some embodiments, the oxygen-free environment is a nitrogen-sealed chamber.

[0007] In some embodiments, the predetermined temperature is 200°C, and the predetermined time is greater than or equal to 3 hours.

[0008] In some embodiments, the material of the metal reflective layer is a silver alloy.

[0009] In some embodiments, forming the glass element by depositing a metal reflective layer on the photoresist layer includes: cooling the glass substrate on which the photoresist layer is deposited to room temperature; and disposing a metal material on the photoresist layer to form the metal reflective layer.

[0010] A first aspect of this disclosure provides a glass element comprising: a glass substrate; a photoresist layer disposed on the glass substrate; and a metal reflective layer disposed on the photoresist layer, wherein, before the metal reflective layer is disposed, the glass substrate on which the photoresist layer is disposed is heated at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time in an oxygen-free environment to allow the polymer components in the photoresist layer to volatilize, and wherein, after the predetermined heating time, the metal reflective layer is disposed on the photoresist layer to form the glass element.

[0011] In some embodiments, after the glass element is formed, a high-temperature reliability test process is applied to the glass element.

[0012] In some embodiments, the oxygen-free environment is a nitrogen-sealed chamber.

[0013] In some embodiments, the predetermined temperature is 200°C, and the predetermined time is greater than or equal to 3 hours.

[0014] In some embodiments, the material of the metal reflective layer is a silver alloy. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a glass element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 2 A process flow diagram of a method for manufacturing a glass element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 3 The curves showing the weight change trend of a glass substrate with a photoresist layer provided during the heating process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0018] Figure 4 A comparison diagram is shown of a glass element manufactured according to the manufacturing method of the present disclosure and a glass element manufactured by a conventional method.

[0019] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a glass element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0021] It should be understood that the steps described in the method embodiments of this disclosure may be performed in different orders and / or in parallel. Furthermore, method embodiments may include other steps and / or omit certain steps.

[0022] The embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for manufacturing a glass element. Figure 1 A flowchart of a method 1000 for manufacturing a glass element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 A process flow diagram of a method for manufacturing a glass element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The following will be combined with... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The manufacturing method 1000 is described in detail.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the glass element manufacturing method 1000 includes the following steps:

[0024] S1100: Provides glass substrates;

[0025] S1200: A photoresist layer is deposited on a glass substrate;

[0026] S1300: A glass substrate with a photoresist layer is heated at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time in an oxygen-free environment to allow the polymer components in the photoresist layer to evaporate; and

[0027] S1400: A metal reflective layer is formed on the photoresist layer to create a glass element.

[0028] Figure 1 The steps S1100-S1400 above correspond to respectively Figure 2 The graphical steps (a)-(d) in the diagram are described below. Figure 2 The specific implementation methods of the above steps are described in detail.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, in step (a), a glass substrate 110 is provided. For example, the material of the glass substrate 110 may be silicon dioxide. Alternatively, the material of the glass substrate 110 may also be other types of glass materials, such as aluminosilicate glass.

[0030] Then, in step (b), a photoadhesive layer 120 is formed on the glass substrate 110. The material of the photoadhesive layer 120 can be a UV adhesive. UV adhesives are typically composed of a base resin, active monomers, photoinitiators, and other main components, along with stabilizers, crosslinking agents, coupling agents, and other additives. Under irradiation with UV light of an appropriate wavelength (e.g., 250-420 nm), the photoinitiator rapidly generates free radicals or ions, thereby initiating the polymerization and crosslinking of the base resin and active monomers into a network structure, thus achieving the purpose of bonding materials. For example, a specific method for forming the photoadhesive layer 120 on the glass substrate 110 may include: firstly, coating the upper surface of the glass substrate 110 with the photoadhesive layer 120, and then irradiating the photoadhesive layer 120 with an ultraviolet lamp 20, causing the photoinitiator in the photoadhesive layer 120 to generate free radicals or ions, thereby causing the photoadhesive layer 120 to cure and firmly adhere to the upper surface of the glass substrate 110.

[0031] It should be noted that during the curing process of the photoresist layer 120 by irradiating it with ultraviolet lamp 20 in step (b), it cannot be guaranteed that the active monomers with macromolecular structures in the photoresist layer 120 will be completely cross-linked with the base resin. In this case, the residual active monomers in the photoresist layer 120 will chemically react with the metal layer coated on it during subsequent processing (e.g., high-temperature reliability testing), thereby producing other colored substances (e.g., yellow, black), making the glass components manufactured thereby appear yellow or black.

[0032] To prevent residual active monomers from chemically reacting with the metal layer coated thereon during subsequent processing, the manufacturing method 1000 of this disclosure includes, after depositing a photoresist layer 120 on a glass substrate 110, further comprising, in step (c), placing the glass substrate 110 with the photoresist layer 120 deposited thereon in an oxygen-free environment 10 and heating it at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time to allow the polymer components (i.e., active monomers) in the photoresist layer 120 to fully volatilize. For example, the oxygen-free environment 10 may be a nitrogen-sealed chamber. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the predetermined temperature is preferably 200°C, and the predetermined time is preferably greater than or equal to 3 hours.

[0033] For example, the duration of heating a glass substrate 110 with a photoresist layer 120 in an oxygen-free environment can be determined by experimental weight measurement. Figure 3 The curves showing the weight change trend of a glass substrate with a photoresist layer provided during the heating process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0034] like Figure 3As shown, for example, heating of a glass substrate with a photoresist layer begins at time 0 minutes in an oxygen-free environment. At this time, the weight of the glass substrate with the photoresist layer is 100%, i.e., the initial weight. Then, as time passes, the weight of the glass substrate with the photoresist layer gradually decreases due to the volatilization of the polymer components in the photoresist layer. In the first 100 minutes, the weight of the glass substrate with the photoresist layer drops rapidly from 100% to approximately 97%; during the period of 100-200 minutes, the weight decrease gradually slows down; after 200 minutes, the weight of the glass substrate with the photoresist layer gradually stabilizes, approximately between 96% and 96.5%. To shorten the manufacturing process while ensuring sufficient volatilization of the polymer components, a heating time of 3 hours (i.e., 180 minutes) can be selected. In other embodiments, to obtain a higher quality product, the heating time can be appropriately extended, for example, making the heating time greater than 3 hours, such as 4 hours, 5 hours, etc.

[0035] In addition, it should be noted that in order to allow the polymer components in the photopolymer layer to fully volatilize, while performing the heating treatment as described above in the oxygen-free environment 10, the photopolymer layer 120 can continue to be irradiated with ultraviolet lamp 20, so that the active monomers therein can further crosslink with the base resin, thereby further reducing the residue of active monomers.

[0036] Then, return to Figure 2 After the heat treatment in an oxygen-free environment is completed in step (c), a metal reflective layer 130 can be formed on the photoresist layer 120 in step (d) to form the glass element 100. Optionally, forming the glass element 100 by forming the metal reflective layer 130 on the photoresist layer 120 may include: first cooling the glass substrate 110 on which the photoresist layer 120 is disposed to room temperature (e.g., 25°C); and then placing a metal material on the photoresist layer 120 to form the metal reflective layer 130.

[0037] However, it should be understood that the metal reflective layer 130 can be formed by sputtering, but is not limited to sputtering, and can also be formed by other processes or methods (such as physical deposition or chemical deposition). For example, the methods for forming the metal reflective layer include, but are not limited to, vacuum thermal evaporation, electron beam evaporation, magnetron sputtering, plasma chemical vapor deposition, etc. The thickness of the metal reflective layer 130 is preferably in the range of 200nm-240nm. For example, the material of the metal reflective layer 130 can be aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), or a silver alloy. The metal reflective layer 130 can reflect light incident upon it back, thereby reducing light loss and increasing the brightness of the display.

[0038] Furthermore, the metal reflective layer 130 may, as needed, consist of a plurality of grooves and ridges arranged at intervals as shown in the figure. The plurality of grooves and ridges may be formed, for example, by photolithography, which includes, but is not limited to, exposure and development techniques.

[0039] In such Figure 2 After forming the glass element comprising a glass substrate 110, a photoresist layer 120 and a metal reflective layer 130 as shown in (d), the manufacturing method 1000 may optionally include subjecting the glass element 100 to a high-temperature reliability test (also known as HTO) treatment.

[0040] High-temperature reliability testing is a crucial component of industrial product reliability testing. Industrial product reliability testing aims to assess a product's ability to maintain functional reliability throughout its specified lifespan, under all expected usage scenarios, and in all environments, including transportation and storage. For example, after product manufacturing is complete, various environmental testing equipment is used to simulate high and low temperatures, high temperature and high humidity, and temperature variations in climatic environments. This accelerates the product's performance in its operating environment, verifying whether it meets the quality objectives anticipated during research, design, and manufacturing. This overall assessment of the product determines its reliability lifespan.

[0041] High-Temperature Reliability Testing (HTO) typically involves placing the product in an oven (85°C) for over 240 hours to accelerate aging, followed by evaluation to determine if its service life meets specifications. For example, the glass element 100 in this disclosure requires continuous baking at 85°C for 240 hours, after which various performance characteristics (e.g., color) of the glass element 100 are evaluated. The embodiments of this disclosure anticipate using the aforementioned oxygen-free heating method to fully volatilize the macromolecules in the photoresist layer, thereby avoiding chemical reactions between the macromolecules in the photoresist layer and the metal reflective layer during HTO. Therefore, for this disclosure, the color of the glass element 100 is one of the key performance indicators after HTO.

[0042] Figure 4 A comparison diagram is shown of a glass element manufactured according to the manufacturing method of embodiments of the present disclosure and a glass element manufactured by a conventional method. For example, Figure 4 The figures show the results without heating in an anaerobic environment (i.e., without heating). Figure 2 Images of the glass element shown in step (c) before and after the HTO test, and images of the glass element after heating in an oxygen-free environment (i.e., undergoing...). Figure 2 Images of the glass element before and after the HTO test in step (c) shown.

[0043] As shown in the figure, before the HTO test, there was little difference in transparency and color between glass components that were not heated in an oxygen-free environment and those that were heated in an oxygen-free environment; both were essentially transparent and colorless. However, after 240 hours of high-temperature testing, the glass components that were not heated in an oxygen-free environment were significantly more yellow than those that were heated in an oxygen-free environment (as shown in the figure, a deeper color). This is because the macromolecules (i.e., active monomers) in the photoresist layer of the glass components that were heated in an oxygen-free environment had been fully volatilized. Even during the 240-hour high-temperature test, only a very small amount of residual macromolecules reacted chemically with the metal reflective layer, and the amount of colored substances produced was negligible, having little impact on the color and transparency of the glass components. Conversely, for the glass components that were not heated in an oxygen-free environment, a larger amount of macromolecules remained in their photoresist layer. These macromolecules reacted fully with the metal reflective layer during the 240-hour high-temperature test, producing a large amount of colored substances, ultimately making the glass components appear noticeably yellow.

[0044] The above description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, describes a method for manufacturing a glass element according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Compared to conventional manufacturing methods, the glass element manufactured by adding a heating step in an oxygen-free environment has higher transparency, stronger reflectivity, and does not exhibit yellowing.

[0045] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a glass element for a display. Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a glass element 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0046] As shown in the figure, the glass element 100 includes a glass substrate 110, a photoresist layer 120 disposed on the glass substrate 110, and a metal reflective layer 130 disposed on the photoresist layer 120.

[0047] During the manufacturing process of the glass element 100, for example, before the metal reflective layer 130 is applied, the glass substrate 110 with the photoresist layer 120 applied is heated at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time in an oxygen-free environment to allow the polymer components in the photoresist layer 130 to volatilize, thereby preventing a chemical reaction between the polymer components and the metal reflective layer in subsequent processes to produce colored substances. Furthermore, after heating for the predetermined time, the metal reflective layer 130 is applied to the photoresist layer 120 to form the glass element 100.

[0048] The specific setup methods for the photoresist layer and the metal reflective layer have been described above. Figure 1 The method described in detail in 1000 will not be repeated here.

[0049] In some examples, the aforementioned anaerobic environment may be a nitrogen-sealed chamber, the aforementioned predetermined temperature may be 200°C, and the aforementioned predetermined time may be greater than or equal to 3 hours.

[0050] In some examples, the material of the aforementioned metal reflective layer 130 is at least one of aluminum, silver, or a silver alloy.

[0051] In some examples, after the glass element 100 is formed, it is necessary to subject it to a high-temperature reliability test to determine its reliability and lifespan. Details of the high-temperature reliability test and its final effects are as described above. Figure 4 As shown, it will not be elaborated further here.

[0052] It should be noted that the above text regarding Figure 1-4 Other details and additional technical features of the described method for manufacturing glass components also apply to... Figure 5 The glass element 100 of the embodiment is as described herein or is obviously not applicable based on the context.

[0053] In the foregoing description, embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the above embodiments are merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art should understand that the combination of constituent elements and processes of the present embodiments can be modified in various ways, and such modifications also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a glass component, comprising: providing a glass substrate; disposing a photoresist layer on the glass substrate; heating the glass substrate with the photoresist layer disposed thereon at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time in an oxygen-free environment to volatilize unreacted active monomers in the photoresist layer; and disposing a metal reflective layer on the photoresist layer to form the glass component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: subjecting the glass component to a high temperature reliability test process. The oxygen-free environment is a nitrogen gas tight chamber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The predetermined temperature is 200 °C and the predetermined time is greater than or equal to 3 hours.

4. The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The metal reflective layer is of a silver alloy.

5. The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein, Disposing a metal reflective layer on the photoresist layer to form the glass component comprises:

6. The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein, cooling the glass substrate with the photoresist layer disposed thereon to room temperature; and disposing a metal material on the photoresist layer to form the metal reflective layer.

7. A glass component, comprising: a glass substrate; a photoresist layer disposed on the glass substrate; and a metal reflective layer disposed on the photoresist layer, wherein, prior to disposing the metal reflective layer, the glass substrate with the photoresist layer disposed thereon is heated at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time in an oxygen-free environment to volatilize unreacted active monomers in the photoresist layer, and wherein, after heating for the predetermined time, the metal reflective layer is disposed on the photoresist layer to form the glass component.

8. The glass component of claim 7, further subjecting the glass component to a high temperature reliability test process after forming the glass component. The oxygen-free environment is a nitrogen gas tight chamber. The predetermined temperature is 200 °C and the predetermined time is greater than or equal to 3 hours.

9. The glass element of claim 7, wherein, The metal reflective layer is of a silver alloy.

10. The glass element of any one of claims 7-9, wherein, ​ 11. The glass element of any one of claims 7-9, wherein, ​

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