Detection method of optical film

Abstract

The invention discloses a detection method of an optical film, and relates to the technical field of optical film detection. Comprising the following steps: cutting an optical film to obtain a film preliminary sample; vertically placing the preliminary diaphragm sample in a mold; preparing a metallographic phase cold inlay material and pouring the metallographic phase cold inlay material into the mold until the membrane preliminary sample is immersed; after the metallographic phase cold inlay material is cured, demolding is conducted; and grinding the supporting block, placing the detection sample under a microscope, and carrying out side projection detection to obtain microstructure size data of the optical film. According to the detection method of the optical film, the optical film sample is fixed and protected in all directions through solidification of the metallographic phase cold inlay, the microstructure is not damaged in the grinding process, and the microstructure damaged part of the optical film at the notch can be removed through grinding, so that an observation surface presents an ideal original form, and the detection accuracy is improved. A skew damage structure caused by external force damage is avoided, the design result is accurately fed back, and the size data of the microstructure can be conveniently and accurately detected by the microscope in the follow-up process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical film detection technology, and more specifically, to a method for detecting optical films. Background Technology

[0002] The optical performance of an optical film is achieved by combining optical microstructure with UV adhesive. Whether the microstructure of the optical film meets the design requirements after coating directly determines whether the performance of the optical film meets the standards. Therefore, the detection of the microstructure of the optical film is a key step in the manufacturing process of optical films.

[0003] Currently, there are three main methods for detecting the microstructure of optical films (films after UV adhesive molding). The first method is to cut the film with scissors and then use a microscope for side projection inspection. The second method is to use a hammer and blade to tap the cut film and then use a microscope for side projection inspection. The third method is to use a high-precision 3D microscope for three-dimensional morphological analysis.

[0004] However, all of the aforementioned existing technologies have significant drawbacks: the first two direct cutting methods are prone to deformation and damage to the microstructure of the optical film during the cutting process (the degree of deformation and damage is related to the strength of the microstructure), making it impossible to accurately obtain the dimensional data of the microstructure, and thus impossible to effectively confirm whether the microstructure conforms to the original optical structure design. The third method, which uses a high-precision 3D microscope for inspection, has excessively high equipment procurement and usage costs, and there may be some differences between the three-dimensional graphics synthesized by the equipment and the microstructure of the actual product, resulting in insufficient accuracy of the inspection results. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a method for detecting optical films, which can solve the problem in the prior art that the microstructure of optical films is easily damaged, resulting in large deviations in the detection results.

[0006] A method for detecting optical films, comprising: S1. Cut the optical film to obtain a preliminary sample of the film; S2. Provide a mold with a volume larger than the sample, and place the preliminary sample of the membrane vertically inside the mold; S3. Prepare the metallographic cold mounting material and pour it into the mold, ensuring that it covers the preliminary sample of the diaphragm. S4. After the metallographic cold mounting material has cured and formed a support block, the preliminary sample of the film is located inside the support block. The support block is then demolded. S5. Grind the support block until the cut of the preliminary sample of the film is exposed. Continue grinding until the cut of the preliminary sample of the film is completely ground down. The remaining part is used as the test sample. Place the test sample under a microscope for side projection detection to obtain the microstructure size data of the optical film.

[0007] The present invention provides a method for detecting optical films, which, compared with the prior art, has, but is not limited to, the following beneficial effects: The detection method for this optical film achieves all-round fixation and protection of the optical film sample through the curing of metallographic cold mounting material. Not only does it not damage the microstructure during the grinding process, but it can also remove the damaged parts of the optical film microstructure at the cut, so that the observation surface presents the ideal original shape, rather than the skewed and damaged structure caused by external force. This accurately reflects the design results and facilitates the subsequent accurate detection of the microstructure size data under a microscope.

[0008] Furthermore, in step S2, a clamp is required to hold the preliminary sample of the membrane by means of bonding and fixing, and then place it in the mold.

[0009] Furthermore, the cut surface of the preliminary diaphragm sample faces the top of the mold.

[0010] Furthermore, in step S3, the metallographic cold inlay material is prepared by mixing a curing agent and acrylic powder in a preset ratio, and the mixture is stirred evenly during the mixing process until there are no granular lumps before being poured in.

[0011] Furthermore, the curing agent is either epoxy resin or acrylic resin.

[0012] Furthermore, in step S4, the amount of metallographic cold inlay material poured fills the cavity of the mold, and the curing environment is a normal temperature and pressure environment.

[0013] Furthermore, in step S4, the curing time of the metallographic cold mounting material is 1h to 2h, and the support block formed after curing forms an integrated cured sample with the preliminary diaphragm sample and the fixture.

[0014] Furthermore, in step S5, a polishing machine is used to grind the support block, and the grinding method is step-by-step grinding. First, a coarse grinding process is used to remove excess metallographic cold inlay material, and then a fine grinding process is used to grind the cut of the preliminary sample of the film.

[0015] Furthermore, the grinding disc used in the coarse grinding process has a mesh size of 400-600.

[0016] Furthermore, the grinding disc used in the fine grinding process has a mesh size of 1000~1200. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a method for detecting an optical film according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a clamp holding a preliminary sample of a diaphragm. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing a preliminary sample of a membrane placed inside a mold. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of pouring metallographic cold-mounting material into a mold; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the metallographic cold-mount material cured into a support block and demolded. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing how the support block is ground to form a test sample. Figure 7 This is an electron microscope image of the membrane microstructure.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Fixture; 2. Mold; 3. Support block. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings showing multiple embodiments according to this application. It should be understood that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments described in this application without creative effort will fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used in the description of this application is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit this application; the terms "comprising," "including," "having," "containing," etc., in the description, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are open-ended terms. Therefore, "comprising," "including," or "having" refers to, for example, a method or apparatus having one or more steps or elements, but is not limited to having only these one or more elements. The terms "first," "second," etc., in the description, claims, or accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order or hierarchy. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0021] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0022] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "attachment" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0023] It should be emphasized that when the term "comprising / including" is used in this specification, it is used to explicitly indicate the presence of the stated feature, integer, step, or component, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components, or groups of features, integers, steps, or components.

[0024] In this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, in this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0025] Microstructure is a specialized term in the field of optical film manufacturing. It refers to the micron-sized protrusions / recesses with regular geometric shapes that are processed on the surface of an optical film using UV adhesive and molding processes to achieve specific optical properties (such as refraction, reflection, and focusing). Examples of such microstructures include cylindrical, spherical, and microprism-shaped structures.

[0026] The scale of microstructures is mostly in the micrometer range (1μm~100μm). Some of them can be directly observed in morphology and measured in size using a high-magnification optical microscope. Generally, the size data of the structure is detected by the side projection of the microscope.

[0027] After production, optical films require testing to confirm whether their microstructure conforms to the design dimensions and whether their morphology is complete, thereby verifying whether the processed structure meets the standards. It should be noted that microstructure differs from microstructure. Microstructure is a general term in materials science, referring to the ultra-microscopic structure of molecules, atoms, grains, grain boundaries, or the phase structure and defects (such as vacancies and dislocations) within a material. It is an inherent property of the material itself, not an artificially formed geometric structure. This application tests the microstructure of the optical film, rather than analyzing the material composition of the film itself.

[0028] See Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a method for detecting optical films, including: S1. Cut the optical film to obtain a preliminary sample of the film.

[0029] In this embodiment, scissors are used as the cutting tool, and the initial sample of the membrane is a sheet-like structure adapted to the size of the subsequent mold 2. The scissor cutting operation is simple and low-cost. The sheet-like sample adapted to the mold 2 can avoid the waste of the embedding material, while ensuring the stability of the sample in the mold 2, preventing the sample from shifting during the curing process, and further improving the accuracy of sample preparation.

[0030] S2. Provide a mold 2 with a volume larger than the sample, and place the preliminary sample of the membrane vertically inside the mold 2.

[0031] See Figures 2-3 As shown, the initial diaphragm sample is quite thin, making it difficult to stand upright in the cavity of mold 2. Therefore, a clamp 1 is required. The initial diaphragm sample is held in place by the clamp 1 through a bonding and fixing method before being placed inside mold 2. The cut surface of the initial diaphragm sample must face the top of mold 2.

[0032] To facilitate subsequent microscopic examination, clamp 1 is transparent, allowing the optical film to be clearly observed from all angles. The transparent clamp is made of a rigid, deformation-resistant material to prevent clamp 1 itself from deforming and compressing the initial sample, ensuring a secure and stable fit without sample displacement. The cut surface, i.e., the microstructure surface, faces the top of mold 2, preventing clamp 1 and the insert from obscuring or compressing the microstructure, thus protecting the original morphology of the microstructure from the fixation stage and improving detection accuracy.

[0033] S3. Prepare the metallographic cold mounting material and pour it into mold 2, ensuring that the preliminary sample of the film is submerged.

[0034] See Figure 4 As shown, in this step, the metallographic cold-mounting material is prepared by mixing a curing agent and acrylic powder in a preset ratio. The mixture is stirred evenly until no granular lumps remain before pouring. The mixing ratio is adjusted based on the actual operating environment's temperature and humidity and is not specifically limited.

[0035] The curing agent is either epoxy resin or acrylic resin.

[0036] In this embodiment, the formulation of the curing agent and acrylic powder ensures the curing strength of the inlay, thereby effectively protecting the microstructure. Furthermore, the metallographic cold inlay is transparent, facilitating subsequent microscopic observation of the film's microstructure. Uniform stirring until free of lumps ensures a uniform structure after curing, preventing uneven grinding surfaces caused by inlay clumping during the grinding process, which could affect test results. It also ensures good adhesion to the sample after infusion.

[0037] S4. After the metallographic cold mounting material has cured, a support block 3 is formed. The preliminary sample of the film is located inside the support block 3. The support block 3 is then demolded.

[0038] See Figures 4-5 As shown, in this embodiment, the amount of metallographic cold mounting material poured in needs to fill the cavity of mold 2, and the curing environment is a normal temperature and pressure environment. The curing time of the metallographic cold mounting material is 1h~2h. After curing, the support block 3 formed, together with the preliminary diaphragm sample and the fixture 1, forms an integrated cured sample.

[0039] The metallographic cold mounting material fills the cavity, ensuring the sample is completely encapsulated and providing all-around protection. This prevents air bubbles and voids from forming inside the cured mounting material (support block 3), which can lead to uneven stress and damage to the microstructure during grinding. Room temperature and pressure curing eliminates the need for additional temperature and pressure control equipment, reducing process complexity and sample preparation costs, making it suitable for rapid on-site sample preparation. The 1-2 hour curing time balances curing efficiency and strength, enabling rapid sample preparation while ensuring complete curing of the metallographic cold mounting material to form a hard protective structure. The integrated curing effect ensures that the preliminary sample, fixture 1, and mounting material form a unified whole, preventing displacement of the preliminary sample during grinding and further guaranteeing the integrity of the microstructure.

[0040] S5, see reference Figures 6-7 As shown, the support block 3 is ground until the cut of the preliminary diaphragm sample is exposed. Grinding continues until the cut of the preliminary diaphragm sample is completely ground down, and the diaphragm, flush with the top of the fixture 1, is exposed. At this point, the top surfaces of the diaphragm, fixture 1, and support block 3 are all in the same plane. The remaining portion of the preliminary diaphragm sample after grinding is used as a test sample. The test sample is placed under a microscope for side projection detection to obtain the microstructure size data of the optical diaphragm. In this embodiment, the microstructure of the optical diaphragm detected under the microscope is a cylindrical structure.

[0041] Because the support block 3 supports the test sample (membrane), the membrane will not be damaged during the grinding process, and the membrane will not be bent or deformed due to the friction generated by grinding. Therefore, the microstructure of the membrane presents the most accurate and ideal state.

[0042] It should be noted that during grinding, a polishing machine is used to grind the support block 3, and the grinding method is step-by-step grinding. That is, a coarse grinding process is first used to remove excess metallographic cold mounting material, and then a fine grinding process is used to grind the cut edges of the preliminary sample of the film. The sample detection surface after fine grinding is flat and free of scratches. Step-by-step grinding can avoid excessive grinding force caused by coarse grinding in one go, which could damage the sample microstructure or cause the grinding surface to tilt. The flat and scratch-free detection surface of the sample after fine grinding can ensure that there is no stray light interference during microscope projection detection, and the dimensional data of the microstructure can be clearly obtained, improving the accuracy of the detection results.

[0043] In this embodiment, the grinding disc used in the coarse grinding process has a mesh size of 400-600, and the grinding disc used in the fine grinding process has a mesh size of 1000-1200.

[0044] Compared with existing technologies, this invention achieves comprehensive fixation and protection of optical film samples through the curing of metallographic cold mounting materials. This ensures that the microstructure is not damaged during the grinding process, and the observation surface retains its ideal original morphology, rather than a skewed or broken structure caused by external force, thus accurately reflecting the design results. Simultaneously, conventional microscope equipment is used for detection, significantly reducing detection costs. Moreover, the overall procedure is simple to operate, with high sample preparation efficiency, making it suitable for batch detection of optical film microstructures.

[0045] Although the optical film is still cut in this application, and damage to the microstructure of the optical film at the cut is unavoidable, the damaged part of the microstructure is removed through the subsequent grinding process and the auxiliary support of the metallographic cold mounting material. The observation surface shows the undamaged part, which facilitates the subsequent accurate detection of the microstructure size data by microscope.

[0046] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely a few specific examples of the present invention. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and any variations that can be conceived by those skilled in the art should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for detecting optical films, characterized in that, include: S1. Cut the optical film to obtain a preliminary sample of the film; S2. Provide a mold (2) with a volume larger than the sample, and place the preliminary sample of the membrane vertically in the mold (2); S3. Prepare metallographic cold mounting material and pour it into the mold (2), ensuring that the preliminary sample of the diaphragm is submerged; S4. After the metallographic cold mounting material has cured, a support block (3) is formed. The preliminary sample of the film is located inside the support block (3). The support block (3) is demolded. S5. Grind the support block (3) until the cut of the preliminary sample of the film is exposed. Continue grinding until the cut of the preliminary sample of the film is completely ground. The remaining part is used as the test sample. Place the test sample under a microscope for side projection detection to obtain the microstructure size data of the optical film.

2. The method for detecting optical films as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In S2, a fixture (1) is required. The fixture (1) clamps the preliminary sample of the membrane by bonding and fixing it, and then places it in the mold (2).

3. The method for detecting optical films as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The cut surface of the preliminary sample of the membrane faces the top of the mold (2).

4. The method for detecting optical films as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, the metallographic cold inlay material is prepared by mixing a curing agent and acrylic powder in a preset ratio. During the mixing process, the mixture is stirred evenly until there are no granular lumps before it is poured in.

5. The method for detecting optical films as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The curing agent is either epoxy resin or acrylic resin.

6. The method for detecting optical films as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In S4, the amount of metallographic cold inlay fills the cavity of the mold (2), and the curing environment is normal temperature and pressure.

7. The method for detecting optical films as described in claim 2, characterized in that, In S4, the curing time of the metallographic cold mounting material is 1h~2h, and the support block (3) formed after curing forms an integrated cured sample with the preliminary diaphragm sample and the fixture (1).

8. The method for detecting optical films as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In S5, a polishing machine is used to grind the support block (3), and the grinding method is step-by-step grinding. First, a coarse grinding process is used to remove excess metallographic cold inlay material, and then a fine grinding process is used to grind the cut of the preliminary sample of the film.

9. The method for detecting optical films as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The coarse grinding process uses a grinding disc with a mesh size of 400-600.

10. The method for detecting optical films as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The fine grinding process uses a grinding disc with a mesh size of 1000-1200.

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