Mechanical arm for transferring light-emitting elements and preparation method of display panel

Abstract

The invention discloses a mechanical arm for transferring a light-emitting element and a preparation method of a display panel, and relates to the technical field of light-emitting element transferring. The at least one pickup unit group is installed on the mechanical body, the pickup unit group comprises a plurality of pickup units which are sequentially arranged in the first direction, and each pickup unit is provided with a limiting structure used for adsorbing and fixing a light-emitting element; wherein the size of the limiting structure in the picking unit can be adjusted, and / or the distance between the adjacent picking units in the same picking unit group can be adjusted. The mechanical arm provided by the invention can be used for batch transfer of light-emitting elements with different sizes and different intervals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of light-emitting element transfer, and in particular to a robotic arm for transferring light-emitting elements and a method for preparing a display panel. Background Art

[0002] Micro-light-emitting element display technology is a display technology that miniaturizes and matrices traditional display devices and uses integrated circuit technology to make drive circuits to achieve addressing control and individual drive of each pixel. Display panels using micro-light-emitting elements are superior to traditional display panels in terms of brightness, life, contrast, response time, energy consumption, viewing angle, resolution and other indicators. They also have the advantages of self-luminescence, simple structure, small size and energy saving, and have become one of the main development directions in the field of display devices today.

[0003] At present, in the process of manufacturing display panels using micro-light-emitting elements, a robot arm is required to transfer the micro-light-emitting elements multiple times. The existing robot arm can only transfer micro-light-emitting elements with fixed transfer parameters, but is not convenient for transferring micro-light-emitting elements with different transfer parameters. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a robot arm for transferring light-emitting elements and a method for preparing a display panel. When the robot arm is used to transfer light-emitting elements, light-emitting elements with different transfer parameters can be transferred. The specific scheme is as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a robotic arm for transferring a light-emitting element, comprising:

[0006] Mechanical body;

[0007] At least one pickup unit group installed on the mechanical body, the pickup unit group includes a plurality of pickup units arranged in sequence along a first direction, and the pickup unit has a limiting structure for adsorbing and fixing the light-emitting element;

[0008] The size of the limiting structure in the pickup unit can be adjusted, and / or the distance between adjacent pickup units in the same pickup unit group can be adjusted.

[0009] Based on the above description, it can be seen that in the robot arm provided in the present application, the picking unit of the picking unit group can be Through the limitThe positioning structure in the picking unit can absorb and transfer the light-emitting element, so the robotic arm can control a picking unit to absorb and transfer the light-emitting element to achieve the transfer of a single light-emitting element. It can also absorb and transfer multiple light-emitting elements at the same time through multiple picking units to achieve batch transfer of multiple light-emitting elements. If the size of the limiting structure in the picking unit can be adjusted, the size of the limiting structure in the picking unit can be adjusted so that the limiting structure can absorb and fix light-emitting elements of different sizes, thereby achieving the transfer of light-emitting elements of different sizes through the robotic arm. If the distance between adjacent picking units in the same picking unit group can be adjusted, the distance between adjacent picking units can be adjusted so that the robotic arm can be used for batch transfer of light-emitting elements with different spacings.

[0010] A second aspect of the present application provides a method for preparing a display panel, comprising:

[0011] Providing an array substrate;

[0012] The above-mentioned robot arm simultaneously transfers multiple light-emitting elements to the array substrate through multiple picking units in the picking unit group, and welds and fixes the light-emitting elements to the array substrate.

[0013] Based on the above description, it can be known that in the preparation method provided in the present application, the light-emitting elements are transferred to the array substrate by the above-mentioned mechanical arm. The mechanical arm can adjust the size of the limiting structure according to the size of the light-emitting elements in the display panel, so that the limiting structure can adapt to the size of the light-emitting elements in the display panel, and realize the transfer of light-emitting elements of a given size in the display panel to the array substrate individually or in batches. The mechanical arm can also adjust the distance between the pickup units according to the distance between the light-emitting elements in the display panel, so that the distance between the pickup units adapts to the distance between the light-emitting elements in the display panel, and realize the transfer of light-emitting elements of a given spacing in the display panel to the array substrate individually or in batches. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the related technologies, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without paying any creative work.

[0015] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the drawings of this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification so as to facilitate understanding and reading by persons familiar with this technology. They are not used to limit the conditions under which this application can be implemented, and therefore have no substantive technical significance. Any structural modification, change in proportion or adjustment of size, without affecting the effects and purposes that can be achieved by this application, should still fall within the scope of the technical contents disclosed in this application.

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a robotic arm provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the distribution of each pickup unit in the same pickup unit group provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of another robotic arm provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of another mechanical arm provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of another mechanical arm provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 6 A top view of a pickup unit provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the pickup unit shown;

[0023] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of another mechanical arm provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Fig. 9 for Figure 8 A top view of a picking unit in the robot arm shown;

[0025] Fig.10 for Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of a picking unit in the robot arm shown;

[0026] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the light emitting element transfer principle provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Fig.12 Another schematic diagram of the light emitting element transfer principle provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Fig.13 A cross-sectional view of a pickup unit provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of a process for preparing a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Fig.15 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of preparing a display panel by batch transferring light-emitting elements by a robotic arm provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Reference numerals:

[0032] 11-mechanical body; 111-support member; 112-rotating telescopic shaft; 12-pick-up unit group; 121-pick-up unit; 13-limiting structure; 14-fork finger; 15-installation part; 16-first adjustment member; 180-pick-up body; 181-first protrusion; 182-second protrusion; 19-second adjustment member; 20-light-emitting element; 201-electrode; 21-temporary bonding block; 22-debonding module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the embodiments of the present application. It is known to those skilled in the art that with the development of technology and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0034] As described in the background technology, conventional robotic arms can only transfer light-emitting elements with fixed transfer parameters. The transfer parameters include the size of the micro-light-emitting elements and the distance between adjacent micro-light-emitting elements when the micro-light-emitting elements are transferred in batches. Therefore, conventional robotic arms can only transfer micro-light-emitting elements of a single size. When transferring multiple micro-light-emitting elements in batches at the same time, conventional robotic arms can only transfer micro-light-emitting elements with fixed spacing in batches.

[0035] In order to solve the above problems, the embodiment of the present application provides a robot arm for transferring light emitting elements, comprising:

[0036] Mechanical body;

[0037] At least one pickup unit group installed on the mechanical body, the pickup unit group includes a plurality of pickup units arranged in sequence along a first direction, and the pickup unit has a limiting structure for adsorbing and fixing the light-emitting element;

[0038] The size of the limiting structure in the pickup unit can be adjusted, and / or the distance between adjacent pickup units in the same pickup unit group can be adjusted.

[0039] In the robotic arm provided in the embodiment of the present application, the picking units of the picking unit group can adsorb and transfer the light-emitting elements through a limiting structure, so the robotic arm can control one picking unit to adsorb and transfer the light-emitting elements to realize the transfer of a single light-emitting element, and can also use multiple picking units to simultaneously adsorb and transfer multiple light-emitting elements to realize batch transfer of multiple light-emitting elements.

[0040] In addition, the size of the limiting structure in the pickup unit can be adjusted, and / or the distance between adjacent pickup units in the same pickup unit group can be adjusted. If the size of the limiting structure in the pickup unit can be adjusted, the size of the limiting structure in the pickup unit can be adjusted so that the limiting structure can adsorb and fix light-emitting elements of different sizes, thereby enabling the transfer of light-emitting elements of different sizes through a robotic arm. If the distance between adjacent pickup units in the same pickup unit group can be adjusted, the distance between adjacent pickup units can be adjusted so that the robotic arm can be used for batch transfer of light-emitting elements of different spacings.

[0041] In the embodiment of the present application, the micro light emitting element may be a Micro LED or a Mini LED. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the light emitting element is not limited to a micro light emitting element, but may also be a conventional large-sized LED.

[0042] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the present application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0043] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a robotic arm provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the robotic arm can be used to transfer light-emitting elements, which may be micro LEDs (such as Micro LEDs or Mini LEDs) or conventional large-sized LEDs.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the robotic arm includes:

[0045] Mechanical body 11;

[0046] At least one pickup unit group 12 installed on the mechanical body, the pickup unit group 12 includes a plurality of pickup units 121 arranged in sequence along the first direction X, and the pickup unit 121 has a limiting structure 13 for adsorbing and fixing the light-emitting element;

[0047] The size a of the limiting structure 13 in the picking unit 121 can be adjusted, and / or the distance b between adjacent picking units 121 in the same picking unit group 12 can be adjusted.

[0048] In the embodiment of the present application, the picking unit 121 of the picking unit group 12 can adsorb and transfer the light-emitting element through the limiting structure 13, so the robotic arm can control one picking unit 121 to adsorb and transfer the light-emitting element to realize the transfer of a single light-emitting element, and can also use multiple picking units 121 to simultaneously adsorb and transfer multiple light-emitting elements to realize batch transfer of multiple light-emitting elements.

[0049] If the size a of the limiting structure 13 in the picking unit 121 can be adjusted, the size a of the limiting structure 13 in the picking unit 121 can be adjusted so that the limiting structure 13 can adsorb and fix light-emitting elements of different sizes, thereby enabling light-emitting elements of different sizes to be transferred by a robotic arm.

[0050] If the distance b between adjacent picking units 121 in the same picking unit group 12 can be adjusted, the distance b between adjacent picking units 121 can be adjusted so that the robot arm can be used for batch transfer of light-emitting elements with different pitches.

[0051] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the distribution mode of each pickup unit in the same pickup unit group provided in the embodiment of the present application is based on the above implementation mode and combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the mechanical body 11 includes a support member 111, and the support member 111 extends along a first direction X; the support member 111 has N fingers 14 on the same side surface, and the fingers 14 extend along a second direction Y, and the second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X; along the first direction X, the N fingers 14 are sequentially from the first finger to the Nth finger, and N is a positive integer greater than 1, such as Figure 2 From bottom to top, there are the first interdigital finger, the second interdigital finger, ..., the Nth interdigital finger; the picking unit group 12 has N picking units 121, and along the first direction X, the N picking units 121 are the first picking unit to the Nth picking unit, such as Figure 2 From bottom to top, there are the 1st picking unit, the 2nd picking unit, ..., the Nth picking unit; the i-th picking unit is located at the i-th fork, and i is a positive integer not greater than N.

[0052] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the illustrated manner, the support member 111 extends along the first direction X. On the same side of the support member 111, the first to Nth fingers are sequentially arranged along the first direction X, and the respective pick-up units 121 in the same pick-up unit group 12 are arranged on the first to Nth fingers in a one-to-one correspondence, so as to facilitate the assembly of the pick-up units 121 on the support member 111. The batch transfer of light-emitting elements can be realized by a robot arm of the finger structure.

[0053] exist Figure 1In the illustrated manner, the positions of the fingers 14 on the support 111 can be set to be fixed along the first direction X. At this time, the distance b between adjacent picking units 121 is fixed, that is, b cannot be adjusted.

[0054] refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of another robotic arm provided in an embodiment of the present application, based on the above implementation, Figure 3 In the shown manner, the support member 111 includes N mounting portions 15 arranged in sequence in a first direction X, and two adjacent mounting portions 15 are connected by a first adjusting member 16, and the first adjusting member 16 is used to adjust the distance between two adjacent mounting portions 15; wherein, along the first direction X, the N mounting portions 15 are sequentially from the 1st mounting portion to the Nth mounting portion, and the i-th pickup unit is located on the i-th mounting portion.

[0055] exist Figure 3 In the illustrated method, the N pick-up units 121 in the same pick-up unit group 12 can be mounted on the mounting portion 15 in a one-to-one correspondence, and the distance between two adjacent pick-up units 121 in the same pick-up unit group 12 can be adjusted by the first adjustment member 16 between two adjacent mounting portions 15, that is, adjustment b. In this method, the distance b can be adjusted by the first adjustment member 16, so that b can be adjusted according to demand, so that the robot arm is not limited to batch transfer of light-emitting elements distributed at a single distance.

[0056] Optionally, the first adjusting element 16 may be a distance adjuster, through which the distance between two adjacent mounting portions 15 may be adjusted, thereby adjusting the distance between two adjacent pickup units 121 correspondingly installed on the two mounting portions 15, that is, the adjustment of b may be achieved.

[0057] In the embodiment of the present application, if a picking unit group 12 has N picking units 121, when the robot arm is used to transfer multiple light-emitting elements in batches at the same time, at most N light-emitting elements arranged in a straight line can be transferred simultaneously through one picking unit group 12.

[0058] When n light emitting elements arranged in a straight line with a first pitch need to be transferred in batches, n is a positive integer not greater than N. b can be adjusted to be equal to the first pitch, such that the n light emitting elements can be transferred in batches simultaneously through n consecutive pickup units 121 in the same pickup unit group 12. As described above, b can be adjusted to be equal to the first pitch by the first adjustment member 16.

[0059] When n light emitting elements arranged in a straight line at a second pitch need to be transferred in batches, the second pitch is not equal to the first pitch. b can be adjusted to be equal to the second pitch, such that the n light emitting elements can be transferred in batches at the same time by n consecutive pickup units 121 in the same pickup unit group 12. As described above, b can be adjusted to be equal to the second pitch by the first adjustment member 16.

[0060] In one embodiment, each first adjusting member 16 is adjusted and controlled synchronously so that the distances between adjacent picking units 121 in the same picking unit group 12 are the same. At this time, when the robot arm performs batch transfer of n light emitting elements arranged along a straight line, the n light emitting elements need to be arranged at equal intervals.

[0061] In another embodiment, each first adjusting member 16 can be adjusted and controlled individually, and the distance between any two adjacent picking units 121 in the same picking unit group 12 can be adjusted independently. At this time, when the robot arm transfers n light-emitting elements arranged along a straight line in batches, the n light-emitting elements can be arranged at non-equidistant intervals.

[0062] refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of another mechanical arm provided in an embodiment of the present application, based on the above implementation mode, Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the fingers 14 can rotate around the support 111. In this embodiment, the number and spacing of the pickup units 121 in the same pickup unit group 12 can be adjusted by rotating the fingers around the support 111.

[0063] like Figure 4 For example, if there are three fingers 14 arranged continuously in the first direction X, each of the three fingers 14 can be provided with a corresponding pick-up unit 121, and the distance between two adjacent pick-up units 121 is c, which is equivalent to having three pick-up units 121 with a spacing of c in one pick-up unit group 12, and b=c at this time. When the middle finger 14 is rotated outside the straight line of arrangement of the other fingers 14, it is equivalent to changing the number of pick-up units 121 in the pick-up unit group 12 to two, and the distance between adjacent pick-up units 121 becomes 2c+d, where d is the width of the finger 14 in the first direction X, and b=2c+d at this time.

[0064] exist Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the number of fingers 14 can be set according to the requirements, thereby setting the maximum number of pickup units 121 in the same pickup unit group 12, not limited to Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, three fingers 14 are provided, but the number of fingers 14 may be any number.

[0065] In an embodiment of the present application, the robotic arm may include a first adjusting member 16; or, the robotic arm may include a forked finger 14 that can rotate about the support member 111 as the axis; or, the robotic arm includes a first adjusting member 16 and includes a forked finger 14 that can rotate about the support member 111 as the axis, so that b in the robotic arm is adjustable.

[0066] refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of another mechanical arm provided in an embodiment of the present application, based on the above implementation mode, Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of pick-up unit groups 12 are sequentially mounted on the mechanical body 11 along the second direction Y, wherein the i-th pick-up unit in each pick-up unit group 12 is located on the i-th interdigital finger. In this embodiment, through the plurality of pick-up units 121, the mechanical arm can simultaneously handle two rows of light-emitting elements to improve the efficiency of batch transfer.

[0067] exist Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, two pickup unit groups 12 are installed on the mechanical body 11 as an example for illustration. Any number of pickup unit groups 12 can be sequentially arranged on the mechanical body 11 according to the use requirements, and the number of pickup unit groups 12 can be greater than 2, and is not limited to Figure 5 Two shown.

[0068] exist Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the mechanical body 11 is provided with eight interdigital fingers 14 as an example for illustration, and correspondingly, each pickup unit group 12 may have eight pickup units 121. Any number of interdigital fingers 14 may be sequentially provided on the mechanical body 11 according to usage requirements, and the number of interdigital fingers 14 is not limited to eight, and may be any number.

[0069] Optionally, for the robotic arm provided in any embodiment of the present application, in the same pick-up unit group 12, the limiting structure 13 has a fixed size; the size of the limiting structure 13 in at least two pick-up unit groups 12 is different. In this way, the size of the limiting structure 13 in the pick-up unit group 12 is fixed, and can be used to transfer light-emitting elements of adapted size. Since the size a of the limiting structure 13 in at least two pick-up unit groups 12 is different, the robotic arm has at least two pick-up unit groups 12 corresponding to different values ​​of a, so that the robotic arm can be used to transfer light-emitting elements of at least two different sizes.

[0070] In one embodiment, when a plurality of pick-up unit groups 12 are sequentially mounted on the mechanical body 11, the value of a in each pick-up unit group 12 can be fixed, and the values ​​of a in at least two pick-up unit groups 12 are different. In this case, the mechanical arm does not need a mechanical structure for adjusting a, and can be used to transfer light-emitting elements of different sizes.

[0071] For the robotic arm provided in any embodiment of the present application, when a plurality of picking unit groups 12 are sequentially mounted on the mechanical body 11, the size a of the limiting structure 13 in at least one picking unit group 12 can also be set to be adjustable, so that the robotic arm can be used to transfer light-emitting elements of different sizes. In this manner, for the picking unit group 12 with adjustable a, a can be adjusted to transfer light-emitting elements of different sizes. For other picking unit groups 12, a can be fixed. If there are at least two picking unit groups 12 with fixed a, for these picking unit groups 12 with fixed a, the a of each picking unit group 12 can be set to be different from each other, or the a of each picking unit group 12 can be the same.

[0072] In the embodiment of the present application, for the robotic arm provided in any embodiment of the present application, the support member 111 is connected to a rotating telescopic shaft 112, and the rotating telescopic shaft 112 can adjust the support member 111 to move in the second direction Y, and can also adjust the support member 111 to rotate along an axis parallel to the second direction Y. Based on the rotating telescopic shaft 112, the robotic arm can move in the XY plane, and rotate based on the axis parallel to the second direction Y. The spatial position of the support member 111 can be adjusted as needed to adjust the spatial position of the picking unit group 12, so as to facilitate the transfer of the light-emitting element by the robotic arm.

[0073] refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , Figure 6 A top view of a pickup unit provided in an embodiment of the present application, Figure 7 for Figure 6 The cross-sectional view of the picking unit shown, based on the above embodiment, the picking unit 121 shown includes: a picking body 180; a first protrusion 181 and a second protrusion 182 located on the same side surface of the picking body 180; wherein the first protrusion 181 and the second protrusion 182 are opposite to each other in the second direction Y, and there is a distance between them, and the distance is the dimension a of the limiting structure 13, so as to form a limiting structure 13 for adsorbing and fixing the light-emitting element; the second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X.

[0074] exist Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, two protrusions are provided on the same side surface of the pickup body 180, and a limiting structure 13 for accommodating the light emitting element is formed based on the distance between the two protrusions. By adjusting the distance between the first protrusion 181 and the second protrusion 182 in the second direction Y, the value of a can be adjusted, so that the limiting structure 13 can be used for the transfer of light emitting elements of different sizes.

[0075] refer to Figure 8-Figure 10 , Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of another mechanical arm provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. Fig. 9 for Figure 8 A top view of the picking unit in the robot arm is shown. Fig.10 for Figure 8 The cross-sectional view of the picking unit in the robot arm shown in the figure is based on the above implementation mode. Figure 8-Figure 10 In the illustrated manner, the first protrusion 181 is fixed to the pickup body 180, and the second protrusion 182 is connected to the second adjusting member 19, which is used to adjust the distance of the second protrusion 182 relative to the first protrusion 181. In this manner, the second protrusion 182 is driven to move on the pickup body 180 by the second adjusting member 19 to adjust the distance of the second protrusion 182 relative to the first protrusion 181, and the adjustment of a can be achieved, so that the pickup unit 121 can be adapted to the adsorption and fixation of light-emitting elements of different sizes, and can be used to transfer light-emitting elements of different sizes.

[0076] Optionally, the second adjusting member 19 may be a distance adjuster, and the distance adjuster may be used to adjust the movement of the second protrusion 182 on the picking body 180 to adjust the distance of the second protrusion 182 relative to the first protrusion 181, thereby achieving adjustment of a.

[0077] In an embodiment of the present application, the robotic arm can be provided with a first adjusting member 16 so that the robotic arm can adjust b, or the robotic arm can be provided with a second adjusting member 19 so that the robotic arm can adjust a, or the robotic arm can be provided with both a first adjusting member 16 and a second adjusting member 19 so that the robotic arm can adjust a and b.

[0078] When the robot arm provided in the embodiment of the present application transfers the light emitting element, the transfer principle can be as follows: Fig.11 or Fig.12 shown.

[0079] refer to Fig.11 , Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the light emitting element transfer principle provided in the embodiment of the present application, combined with the above embodiment drawings and Fig.11 As shown, the size a of the limiting structure 13 can be set to match the size of the light emitting element 20, so that the light emitting element can be fixed by adsorption through the limiting structure 13. In this way, during the transfer process, the size a of the limiting structure 13 is equal to or approximately equal to the size of the light emitting element 20 in the second direction Y, so that the two opposite side walls of the light emitting element 20 in the second direction Y can be directly clamped and fixed, so as to facilitate the transfer of the light emitting element 20.

[0080] One side surface of the light emitting element 20 has two electrodes 201 , and the other opposite surface of the light emitting element 20 faces the limiting structure 13 .

[0081] refer to Fig.12 , Fig.12 Another schematic diagram of the light emitting element transfer principle provided in the embodiment of the present application, combined with the above embodiment drawings and Fig.11 As shown, the top of the light emitting element 20 has a temporary bonding block 21, wherein the size a of the limiting structure 13 is adapted to the size of the temporary bonding block 21, so that the temporary bonding block 21 can be fixed by adsorption through the limiting structure 13. In this way, during the transfer process, the size a of the limiting structure 13 is equal to or approximately equal to the size of the temporary bonding block 21 on the surface of the light emitting element 20 in the second direction Y, so that the transfer of the light emitting element 20 can be achieved by clamping and fixing the temporary bonding block 21.

[0082] exist Fig.12 In the illustrated method, since there is no need to mechanically clamp the light emitting element 20, damage to the light emitting element 20 during the transfer process can be prevented to avoid affecting the performance of the light emitting element 20, thereby improving the product yield. The temporary bonding block 21 is fixed on the surface of the light emitting element 20 away from the electrode 201.

[0083] refer to Fig.13 , Fig.13 A cross-sectional view of a pickup unit provided in an embodiment of the present application, based on the above implementation, Fig.13 In the illustrated embodiment, the pick-up unit 121 further includes a debonding module 22, which is used to separate the temporary bonding block 21 and the light-emitting element 20 after the light-emitting element 20 is transferred. In this embodiment, the robot arm can not only be used to transfer the light-emitting element 20, but also can separate the temporary bonding block 21 and the light-emitting element 20 through the debonding module 22 after the transfer of the light-emitting element 20 is completed.

[0084] Optionally, the debonding module 22 is a laser or a heater.

[0085] When the temporary bonding block 21 is bonded and fixed to the light-emitting element 20 by photosensitive material, the debonding module 22 can be a laser, which can use the laser to emit light of the required wavelength to make the photosensitive material lose its viscosity, thereby achieving the purpose of separating the temporary bonding block 21 and the light-emitting element 20.

[0086] When the temporary bonding block 21 is bonded and fixed to the light-emitting element 20 by a thermosensitive material, the debonding module 22 may be a heater, which may be used to heat the temporary bonding block 21 to make the thermosensitive material lose its viscosity, thereby achieving the purpose of separating the temporary bonding block 21 and the light-emitting element 20.

[0087] The debonding module 22 may be Fig.13As shown, it is fixed on a side surface of the pickup body 180 away from the protrusion. In other embodiments, the debonding module 22 can also be integrated inside the pickup body 180 to reduce the volume of the device and improve the integration.

[0088] Based on the above embodiment, another embodiment of the present application further provides a method for preparing a display panel. The preparation method can be as follows: Fig.14 shown.

[0089] refer to Fig.14 , Fig.14 A schematic diagram of a process for preparing a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the preparation method includes:

[0090] Step S11: providing an array substrate;

[0091] Step S12: Based on the robot arm provided in any of the above embodiments, the robot arm picks up multiple The pickup unit simultaneously transfers multiple light-emitting elements to the array substrate, and solders the light-emitting elements to the array substrate. Connect and fix.

[0092] Based on the foregoing description, the robotic arm can adjust a so that the picking unit can transfer light-emitting elements of different sizes, and / or the robotic arm can b so that adjacent picking units can transfer light-emitting elements of different spacings.

[0093] In an embodiment of the present application, the display panel includes at least two light-emitting elements with different luminous colors. For a display panel with micro LEDs as display pixels, the display panel includes at least red pixels R, green pixels G, and blue pixels B. The red pixels R, green pixels G, and blue pixels B have different sizes due to different luminous efficiencies. For the same display panel, pixels of different sizes need to have different limiting structures a for transfer. The red pixels R, green pixels G, and blue pixels B are all micro LEDs.

[0094] When the display panel includes at least two light-emitting elements with different light-emitting colors, in one embodiment, the size of the limiting structure can be adjusted to be used to transfer light-emitting elements of different sizes. In another embodiment, the size of the limiting structure is fixed, and the sizes of the limiting structures in at least two pickup unit groups are different to be used to transfer light-emitting elements of different sizes.

[0095] Taking the display panel as an example, the Micro LED display panel is composed of multiple micron-sized LEDs that are independently packaged to form a single display pixel. It has incomparable advantages in terms of luminous efficiency, power consumption, contrast, response speed, lifespan, etc., and is an important choice for the next generation of mainstream display screens. At present, there are still many technical bottlenecks to be overcome in the mass production of Micro LED display panels, such as Micro LED preparation, mass transfer (MT), detection and repair, etc. Mass transfer is the process of transferring a large number of Micro LEDs from the source substrate to the target substrate, which affects the process of mass production of Micro LED display panels. Therefore, how to quickly and accurately transfer a large number of Micro LEDs to the target position has become a problem that needs to be solved in mass transfer technology.

[0096] Based on the robotic arm provided in the embodiment of the present application, not only can batch transfer of Micro LEDs be achieved, but Micro LEDs of different sizes and different pitches in the display panel can also be transferred by the same robotic arm without replacing transfer accessories, thereby improving the transfer efficiency of Micro LEDs.

[0097] refer to Fig.15 , Fig.15 The schematic diagram is a working principle diagram of preparing a display panel by transferring light-emitting elements in batches using a robot arm according to an embodiment of the present application. The preparation process of the display panel mainly includes: Fig.15 Six process steps are shown:

[0098] Step ①: Preparation of Micro LED chip substrate. Prepare a chip substrate with multiple Micro LEDs.

[0099] Step ②: Mass transfer and picking of Micro LEDs. The Micro LEDs on the chip substrate can be transferred to the carrier board in batches by a robotic arm, so that the electrodes of the Micro LEDs are all facing the carrier board.

[0100] Step ③: Mass transfer of Micro LEDs to the array substrate (BP). The Micro LEDs on the carrier board can be transferred to the array substrate in batches by a robotic arm. Before this transfer, since the electrodes of the Micro LEDs are all facing the carrier board, this transfer can make the electrodes of the Micro LEDs all face the array substrate so that they can be welded and fixed to the circuit on the array substrate.

[0101] Step ④: Mass release and bonding of Micro LEDs. Based on step ③, after the Micro LEDs are mass transferred to the array substrate using a robotic arm, the Micro LEDs are released in batches onto the array substrate, and the Micro LEDs and the circuits on the array substrate are welded and fixed.

[0102] Step ⑤: Repeat steps ② to ④.

[0103] Step ⑥: Micro LED mass transfer is completed, and all pixels of the display panel on the array substrate are transferred.

[0104] Based on the above description, it can be known that the robotic arm provided in the embodiment of the present application can be used to realize batch transfer of light-emitting components of different sizes and different spacings, so as to improve transfer efficiency and improve product yield.

[0105] In the specification of this application, each embodiment is described in a progressive, parallel, or progressive and parallel manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other. The embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other if there is no contradiction.

[0106] It should be noted that in the description of the present application, it should be understood that the description of the drawings and embodiments is illustrative rather than restrictive. The same reference numerals throughout the embodiments of the specification identify the same structure. In addition, for the sake of understanding and ease of description, the drawings may exaggerate the thickness of some layers, films, panels, regions, etc. It is also understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as "on" another element, the element may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. In addition, "on" refers to positioning an element on or below another element, but does not essentially refer to positioning on the upper side of another element according to the direction of gravity.

[0107] The terms "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. When a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it may be directly connected to the other component or there may be a centrally arranged component at the same time.

[0108] It should also be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises", "comprising" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that an article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprising a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the article or device including the above elements.

[0109] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to implement or use the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A robotic arm for transferring a light emitting element, characterized in that: The robotic arm comprises: Mechanical body; At least one pickup unit group installed on the mechanical body, the pickup unit group comprising a plurality of pickup units arranged in sequence along a first direction, the pickup unit having a limiting structure for adsorbing and fixing the light emitting element; Wherein, the size of the limiting structure in the pickup unit is adjustable, and / or, in the same pickup unit group, the distance between adjacent pickup units is adjustable.

2. The robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mechanical body comprises a support member, the support member extends along the first direction; the support member has N fingers on the same side surface, the fingers extend along a second direction, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; along the first direction, the N fingers are sequentially from the first finger to the Nth finger, N is a positive integer greater than 1; The pickup unit group has N pickup units, and along the first direction, the N pickup units are sequentially from the 1st pickup unit to the Nth pickup unit; the i-th pickup unit is located at the i-th fork, and i is a positive integer not greater than N.

3. The robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The support member includes N mounting portions arranged in sequence along the first direction, and two adjacent mounting portions are connected by a first adjusting member, and the first adjusting member is used to adjust the distance between the two adjacent mounting portions; Wherein, along the first direction, the N mounting parts are sequentially from the 1st mounting part to the Nth mounting part, and the i-th pickup unit is located on the i-th mounting part.

4. The robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The interdigitated fingers can rotate around the support member as an axis.

5. The robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: Along the second direction, a plurality of the pickup unit groups are sequentially mounted on the mechanical body; The i-th picking unit in each of the picking unit groups is located on the i-th finger.

6. The robotic arm according to claim 5, characterized in that: In the same pickup unit group, the limiting structure has a fixed size; and the sizes of the limiting structures in at least two pickup unit groups are different.

7. The robotic arm according to claim 5, characterized in that: The size of the limiting structure in at least one of the pickup unit groups is adjustable.

8. The robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The support member is connected to a rotating and telescopic shaft, and the rotating and telescopic shaft can adjust the support member to move in the second direction and can also adjust the support member to rotate along an axis parallel to the second direction.

9. The robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pickup unit comprises: a pickup body; a first protrusion and a second protrusion located on the same side surface of the pickup body; The first protrusion and the second protrusion are opposite to each other in the second direction, with a distance therebetween, so as to form a limiting structure for adsorbing and fixing the light-emitting element; the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

10. The robotic arm according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first protrusion is fixed to the pickup body, and the second protrusion is connected to a second adjusting member, and the second adjusting member is used to adjust the distance between the second protrusion and the first protrusion.

11. The robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the light emitting element has a temporary bonding block; The size of the limiting structure is adapted to the size of the temporary bonding block, so that the temporary bonding block can be fixed by adsorption through the limiting structure.

12. The robotic arm according to claim 11, characterized in that: The pickup unit further includes a debonding module for separating the temporary bonding block and the light emitting element after the light emitting element is transferred.

13. The robotic arm according to claim 12, characterized in that: The debonding module is a laser or a heater.

14. A method for preparing a display panel, characterized in that: include: providing an array substrate; Based on the robotic arm as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, multiple light-emitting elements are synchronously transferred to the array substrate through multiple pickup units in the pickup unit group, and the light-emitting elements are welded and fixed to the array substrate.

15. The preparation method according to claim 14, characterized in that: The display panel comprises at least two light-emitting elements having different light-emitting colors; The size of the limiting structure can be adjusted so as to be used to transfer the light-emitting elements of different sizes; Alternatively, the size of the limiting structure is fixed, and the sizes of the limiting structures in at least two of the pickup unit groups are different, so as to be used to transfer the light-emitting elements of different sizes respectively.

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