Pattern forming device and pattern forming method

Abstract

To suppress a residual film in pattern forming.SOLUTION: A pattern forming device 100 comprises: a conveying section 10 having a plurality of rolls on which a base film 1 is spun and by which the base film 1 is conveyed; a coating die 30 that supplies resin 5 to the surface of the base film 1 conveyed by the conveying section 10; a mold roll 20 having concave portions 21 and convex portions 22 that constitute a pattern 2 on its outer circumference and that transfers the pattern 2 onto the base film 1 by contacting the surface of the base film 1 to which the resin 5 is supplied; and a lamp 35 that irradiates the base film 1 with light and cures the resin 5. The coating die 30 moves between an upstream guide roll 13 and a downstream guide roll 14 of the plurality of rolls to supply the resin 5 toward the base film 1 while pressing the base film 1 that is not in contact with the rolls.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pattern forming apparatus and a pattern forming method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a film manufacturing apparatus that includes a coating die, a support roll, a roll mold, a press roll, a peeling roll, and an ultraviolet ray irradiation device, and that applies a ultraviolet ray curable resin to a base film, forms the resin, and cures the resin to form a film. In this film manufacturing apparatus, a support roll is disposed in a position facing the coating die. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-142926 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In so-called roll-to-roll pattern forming, a curable resin is supplied to a substrate supported by rolls, as in the film manufacturing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1. In such an apparatus, vibration occurs due to the rotation of the rolls, so a certain amount of gap is provided between the coating die and the substrate (roll) so that the rolls and the coating die do not interfere with each other.

[0005] On the other hand, in pattern molding, the resin material sandwiched between the convex parts of the mold roll and the substrate remains on the substrate in a cured state, resulting in a residual film. In order to remove such a residual film, an ashing process or the like is required, which increases the number of steps and costs, so it is desirable to reduce the residual film.

[0006] As a method for reducing the residual film, there is a method of reducing the gap between the coating die and the substrate to reduce the thickness of the curable resin on the substrate. However, when attempting to supply the curable resin with a thin film thickness, there are some places where the curable resin is not supplied locally, and the resin on the substrate is likely to have streaks along the longitudinal direction. In addition, in a film manufacturing device such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to secure a certain amount of gap between the coating die and the roll to avoid interference between them, so there is a limit to how much the coating die can be brought closer to the substrate to reduce the thickness of the curable resin on the substrate.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a pattern forming apparatus and a pattern forming method that can reduce the amount of film remaining on a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a pattern forming apparatus includes a conveying unit having a plurality of rolls around which a substrate is wrapped and conveying the substrate using the plurality of rolls, a resin supplying unit that supplies a curable resin to the surface of the substrate conveyed by the conveying unit, a mold roll having recesses and protrusions that constitute a pattern formed on its outer periphery and that transfers a pattern to the substrate by contacting the surface of the substrate to which the curable resin has been supplied, and a curing unit that hardens the curable resin on the substrate to which the pattern has been transferred, and the resin supplying unit moves between a predetermined pair of rolls among the plurality of rolls and supplies the curable resin toward the substrate while pressing the substrate that is not in contact with the rolls.

[0009] Moreover, according to one aspect of the present invention, the pattern forming method includes a supplying step of supplying a curable resin onto the surface of a substrate transported by a plurality of rolls, a transfer step of pressing a mold roll having recesses and protrusions that constitute a pattern on its outer periphery against the surface of the substrate while rotating, to transfer the pattern to the substrate, and a curing step of curing the curable resin on the substrate to which the pattern has been transferred. In the supplying step, the curable resin is supplied toward the substrate while the substrate moves between a predetermined pair of rolls among the plurality of rolls and is pressed against the substrate that is not in contact with the rolls. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to these aspects, the resin supply unit supplies the curable resin not to the substrate on the roll but to the substrate not in contact with the roll, so there is no risk of interference with the roll, and the resin supply unit can press the substrate to supply the curable resin. The resin supply unit supplies the curable resin while pressing the substrate, so that the gap between the substrate and the resin supply unit can be reduced. In addition, the curable resin is sandwiched between the resin supply unit and the substrate and supplied onto the substrate while a predetermined pressure is applied, so that the occurrence of a portion where the curable resin is not locally supplied can be suppressed, and the curable resin can be stably supplied onto the substrate with a desired film thickness. Therefore, the film thickness of the curable resin on the substrate can be thinned, and the residual film can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a pattern forming device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram of a pattern forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a configuration around a coating die of the pattern forming device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the conveying speed and the minimum film thickness in an example and a comparative example of an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a graph showing the case where the viscosity of the resin is 60 [mPa·S], and (b) is a graph showing the case where the viscosity of the resin is 100 [mPa·S]. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, a pattern forming apparatus 100 and a pattern forming method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in each drawing, the scale of each component is appropriately changed for convenience of explanation, and is not necessarily strictly illustrated.

[0013] First, the configuration of a pattern forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, the pattern forming apparatus 100 is of the so-called roll-to-roll type, and is an apparatus that forms a pattern 2 with an ultraviolet (UV) curable resin (hereinafter also simply referred to as "resin") 5 on one surface (film surface) of a base film 1 as a sheet-like substrate. In the following, the pattern forming apparatus 100 will be described assuming that the up-down direction in Fig. 1 is the vertical direction. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, "up" and "down" refer to up and down in the vertical direction, that is, the up-down direction in the drawing.

[0015] The base film 1 is a resin film having a flat film surface that is continuous over a predetermined length. The base film 1 is made of a light-transmitting material. In the following description, the base film 1 integrated with the resin 5 that forms the pattern 2 is also referred to as a "pattern film 3."

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the pattern forming apparatus 100 includes a conveying section 10 that conveys the base film 1 in the longitudinal direction, a mold roll 20 having recesses 21 and protrusions 22 formed on its outer periphery that constitute a predetermined pattern 2, an electric motor 23 (see FIG. 2) as a drive section that rotates the mold roll 20, a coating die 30 as a resin supply section that supplies resin 5 to the film surface of the base film 1, a lamp 35 as a curing section that hardens the resin 5 on the base film 1 and integrates it with the base film 1, and a controller 50 (see FIG. 2) that controls the pattern forming apparatus 100.

[0017] The conveying section 10 has a plurality of rolls around which the base film 1 is wound. The plurality of rolls include a pay-out roll 11 that pays out the base film 1, a take-up roll 12 that takes up the base film 1 paid out from the pay-out roll 11, a pressing roll 25 between which the base film 1 is inserted and the mold roll 20, a peeling roll 26 that peels the pattern film 3 from the mold roll 20, and a plurality of guide rolls that support the base film 1 being conveyed between the pay-out roll 11 and the take-up roll 12.

[0018] The payout roll 11 and the take-up roll 12 are each driven to rotate around a central axis by an electric motor (not shown) (see the arrow in the figure). The central axis of the payout roll 11 and the central axis of the take-up roll 12 are arranged parallel to each other. The base film 1 paid out from the payout roll 11 is wound by the take-up roll 12, so that the base film 1 is transported in the longitudinal direction between the payout roll 11 and the take-up roll 12. The electric motor that rotates the payout roll 11 and the take-up roll 12 is controlled by a controller 50 so that the base film 1 is transported at a predetermined speed while applying a predetermined tension so as not to cause bending. In the following description, the payout roll 11 side is referred to as the "upstream" in the transport direction, and the take-up roll 12 side is referred to as the "downstream" in the transport direction.

[0019] The base film 1 transported between the pay-out roll 11 and the take-up roll 12 is stretched around the multiple guide rolls. The multiple guide rolls include a drive roll that is driven to rotate by power from a drive source (not shown) such as an electric motor, and a driven roll that is driven to rotate as the base film 1 is transported. The multiple guide rolls form a transport path for the base film 1. Unless otherwise specified, the multiple guide rolls may be composed of either drive rolls or driven rolls.

[0020] The multiple guide rolls include an upstream guide roll 13 and a downstream guide roll 14 that support the base film 1 before and after the supply position of the resin 5 by the coating die 30 (before and after the transport flow of the base film 1), an in-feed roll 15a that supports the base film 1 between the upstream guide roll 13 and the pay-out roll 11, a first sensing roll 17 that supports the base film 1 between the upstream guide roll and the in-feed roll 15a, and a second sensing roll 18 that supports the base film 1 between the downstream guide roll 14 and the pressing roll 25.

[0021] The upstream guide roll 13 and the downstream guide roll 14 are arranged vertically with a gap between them. Therefore, the base film 1 is transported vertically from the bottom to the top from the upstream guide roll 13 to the downstream guide roll 14. The upstream guide roll 13 and the downstream guide roll 14 correspond to a predetermined pair of rolls in the claims.

[0022] The upstream guide roll 13 is configured to be movable along the horizontal direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 1), which is the direction in which the resin 5 is discharged by a coating die 30 described later (see the arrow in FIG. 1).

[0023] The downstream guide roll 14 is a suction roll configured to be able to suck in gas from the inside to the outside, and is also a drive roll that is rotationally driven by power. The downstream guide roll 14 has a roll portion 14a in which through holes 14b communicating the inside and outside are formed to allow gas to pass through, and a suction portion 14c that sucks in air from the inside of the roll portion 14a by negative pressure. The suction portion 14c is, for example, a pump that sucks air. The downstream guide roll 14 is provided so as not to be movable in the horizontal direction. Note that the roll portion 14a may be formed of a porous material that allows gas to pass through, instead of a configuration in which the through holes 14b are formed.

[0024] Usually, the base film 1 coated with the resin 5 cannot be supported by sandwiching both sides between the guide rolls and the nip rolls. In contrast, by configuring the downstream guide roll 14 as a suction roll, the base film 1 wrapped around the downstream guide roll 14 is pressed against the downstream guide roll 14 by being sucked from the inside of the downstream guide roll 14 through the through holes 14b by the suction section 14c. As a result, even without providing a nip roll, the base film 1 is pressed against the downstream guide roll 14, and slippage between the base film 1 and the downstream guide roll 14 is suppressed.

[0025] The in-feed roll 15a is a drive roll that is driven to rotate by power. In addition, at a position facing the in-feed roll 15a with the base film 1 sandwiched therebetween, an in-feed nip roll 15b is provided that presses the base film 1 against the in-feed roll 15a and supports the base film 1 together with the in-feed roll 15a. The in-feed nip roll 15b is made of a non-slip material such as rubber, and the in-feed roll 15b presses the base film 1 against the in-feed roll 15a, thereby suppressing slippage between the base film 1 and the in-feed roll 15a. The in-feed nip roll 15b is a driven roll that rotates in accordance with the transport of the base film 1.

[0026] The first sensing roll 17 and the second sensing roll 18 are different only in the positions where they are provided, and are similar in specific configuration. The first and second sensing rolls 17, 18 are driven rolls. The first and second sensing rolls 17, 18 each have a first load sensor 17a as a first tension detection unit and a second load sensor 18a as a second tension detection unit that measure a reaction force from the base film 1 that they support. The first load sensor 17a and the second load sensor 18a are, for example, load cells attached to a roll bearing or the like. The first load sensor 17a and the second load sensor 18a can measure the tension of the base film 1 at the respective positions where the first sensing roll 17 and the second sensing roll 18 are provided by measuring the reaction force acting from the base film 1 on the first sensing roll 17 and the second sensing roll 18. The measurement results of the first and second load sensors 17a, 18a of the first and second sensing rolls 17, 18 are input to the controller 50.

[0027] The multiple guide rolls also include an out-feed roll 16 that supports the pattern film 3 between the peeling roll 26 and the winding roll 12, and a third sensing roll 19 that supports the pattern film 3 between the peeling roll 26 and the out-feed roll 16.

[0028] The out-feed roll 16 has a similar configuration to the downstream guide roll 14. In other words, the out-feed roll 16 functions as both a suction roll and a drive roll.

[0029] The third sensing roll 19 , like the first and second sensing rolls 17 , 18 , has a third load sensor 19 a as a third tension detection unit and measures the reaction force from the base film 1 .

[0030] The central axis of the mold roll 20 is set parallel to the central axes of the pay-out roll 11 and the take-up roll 12. Recesses 21 and protrusions 22 constituting the pattern 2 to be molded in the base film 1 are formed on the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the mold roll 20. The base film 1 transported from the pay-out roll 11 to the take-up roll 12 is wound around the lower part of the mold roll 20.

[0031] The electric motor 23 (see FIG. 2) drives the mold roll 20 to rotate around the central axis. The electric motor 23 is controlled by the controller 50 so that the rotation speed of the mold roll 20 is synchronized with the conveying speed of the base film 1 by the conveying unit 10. The electric motor 23 rotates the mold roll 20, thereby sequentially bringing the convex portions 22 and concave portions 21 on the outer periphery of the mold roll 20 into contact with the film surface of the base film 1. As a result, the pattern on the outer periphery of the mold roll 20 is transferred to the resin 5 on the film surface of the base film 1.

[0032] The pressing roll 25 is provided adjacent to the mold roll 20 so that its central axis is parallel to that of the mold roll 20. The pressing roll 25 is provided rotatably about its central axis, and the base film 1 located on the upstream side of the mold roll 20 is wound around its outer circumferential surface. The base film 1 is inserted between the pressing roll 25 and the mold roll 20, and the outer circumferential surface of the pressing roll 25 faces the outer circumferential surface of the mold roll 20 with the base film 1 sandwiched between them. Therefore, the pressing roll 25 rotates freely due to the transport (movement) of the base film 1 wound around it.

[0033] The pressing roll 25 is configured to move forward and backward with respect to the mold roll 20 by an actuator (not shown). That is, the distance between the central axes of the pressing roll 25 and the mold roll 20 can be adjusted by the actuator. In this embodiment, the pressing roll 25 can be moved in the left-right direction in FIG. 1 by the actuator. This allows the adhesion force of the mold roll 20 to the base film 1 to be adjusted. The operation of the actuator is controlled by a controller 50.

[0034] The peeling roll 26 is provided adjacent to the mold roll 20 so that its central axis is parallel to that of the mold roll 20. The peeling roll 26 is provided rotatably about its central axis, and the base film 1 located downstream of the mold roll 20 is wound around its outer circumferential surface. The base film 1 is inserted between the peeling roll 26 and the mold roll 20, and the outer circumferential surface of the peeling roll 26 faces the outer circumferential surface of the mold roll 20 with the base film 1 sandwiched between them. The peeling roll 26 rotates freely due to the transport (movement) of the base film 1 around which it is wound.

[0035] The peeling roll 26 is configured to move forward and backward with respect to the mold roll 20 by an actuator (not shown). That is, the distance between the central axes of the peeling roll 26 and the mold roll 20 can be adjusted by the actuator. In this embodiment, the peeling roll 26 can be moved in the left-right direction in FIG. 1 by the actuator. The pattern film 3 is guided by the peeling roll 26 and peeled off from the mold roll 20 together with the resin 5.

[0036] The lamp 35 is a light source capable of emitting ultraviolet light, and for example, an LED lamp is used. The operation of the lamp 35 is controlled by the controller 50. The lamp 35 is provided below the mold roll 20 so as to irradiate ultraviolet light toward the contact portion between the mold roll 20 and the base film 1 (the lower part of the mold roll 20 in FIG. 1). The ultraviolet light emitted from the lamp 35 is irradiated through the translucent base film 1 to the resin 5 on the base film 1 to which the convex portions 22 and concave portions 21 of the mold roll 20 have been transferred. As a result, the resin 5 on the base film 1 is cured and integrated (fixed) with the base film 1.

[0037] The lamp 35 is not limited to an LED lamp, and may be any other lamp capable of irradiating ultraviolet rays. Alternatively, the mold roll 20 may be made of a light-transmitting material, and the lamp 35 may be provided inside the mold roll 20 to irradiate ultraviolet rays onto the resin 5 on the base film 1 through the mold roll 20.

[0038] The coating die 30 ejects uncured resin 5 to be supplied onto the film surface of the base film 1, forming a film of the resin 5 on the film surface of the base film 1. The operation of the coating die 30 is controlled by a controller 50.

[0039] The coating die 30 supplies the resin 5 to the base film 1, which moves between the upstream guide roll 13 and the downstream guide roll 14 and is in a position not in contact with (not supported by) either of the guide rolls, by discharging the resin 5 in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the base film 1 (left and right direction in FIG. 1 ). More specifically, the vertical supply position of the resin 5 by the coating die 30 corresponds to the center between the upstream guide roll 13 and the downstream guide roll 14. In this way, in this embodiment, the resin 5 is applied to the base film 1 by off-roll coating, in which the resin 5 is applied to the base film 1 in a state not supported by the guide rolls, rather than by on-roll coating, in which the resin 5 is applied to the base film 1 supported by the guide rolls.

[0040] The coating die 30 is configured so as to be movable back and forth in the horizontal direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 1) toward the base film 1 that is in the supply position.

[0041] 3, the coating die 30 has a die lip 31 as a tip portion facing the base film 1. The die lip 31 has an outlet 31a that extends in the discharge direction of the coating die 30 and discharges the resin 5. The die lip 31 has a rounded portion 32 provided downstream of the outlet 31a in the conveyance direction of the base film 1 (upper side in the figure), and a relief portion 33 provided upstream of the outlet 31a in the conveyance direction of the base film 1 (lower side in the figure). The rounded portion 32 and the relief portion 33 are provided above and below the outlet 31a in the vertical direction, sandwiching the outlet 31a therebetween.

[0042] The rounded portion 32 is formed by a convex curved surface (R-shape). The relief portion 33 is formed by an inclined surface that inclines so as to move away from the base film 1 as it moves away from the discharge port 31a toward the upstream in the transport direction.

[0043] As described later, the coating die 30 contacts the base film 1 via the discharged resin 5, and therefore does not basically contact the base film 1 directly. However, due to fluctuations in the discharge pressure from the coating die 30 or the influence of unintended external forces, the coating die 30 may come into direct contact with the base film 1, which may cause scratches or the like on the base film 1. In contrast, in this embodiment, even if the die lip 31 contacts the base film 1, the relief portion 33 does not contact the base film 1, and only the rounded portion 32 contacts the base film 1. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of scratches or the like on the base film 1.

[0044] The pattern forming apparatus 100 further includes a die driving unit 40 as a first driving unit that moves the coating die 30 toward and away from the base film 1, and a roll driving unit 45 as a second driving unit that moves the upstream guide roll 13 toward and away from the base film 1. The die driving unit 40 and the roll driving unit 45 are each controlled by a controller 50.

[0045] The die driving unit 40 is an actuator that moves the coating die 30 linearly along the supply direction of the resin 5 by the coating die 30. The die driving unit 40 has an electric motor 41 as a drive source, and a ball screw mechanism (not shown) that moves linearly by rotation of the electric motor 41.

[0046] The roll driving unit 45 is an actuator that moves the upstream guide roll 13 linearly along the supply direction of the resin 5 by the coating die 30. Like the die driving unit 40, the roll driving unit 45 has an electric motor 46 as a drive source, and a ball screw mechanism (not shown) that moves linearly by rotation of the electric motor 46. The driving direction of the upstream guide roll 13 by the roll driving unit 45 is parallel to the driving direction of the die driving unit 40.

[0047] The die driving unit 40 and the roll driving unit 45 are not limited to the above configuration, and any known configuration can be adopted as long as it is capable of moving the coating die 30 or the upstream guide roll 13 in a linear manner.

[0048] The controller 50 is composed of a microcomputer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an I / O interface (Input / Output Interface). The RAM stores data for CPU processing, the ROM stores control programs and the like for the CPU in advance, and the I / O interface is used for inputting and outputting information to and from connected devices. The controller 50 may be composed of multiple microcomputers. The controller 50 is programmed to be capable of executing at least the processes required for executing the control according to each embodiment and modification. The controller 50 may be configured as a single device, or may be divided into multiple devices and configured to distribute the processes of each control among the multiple devices.

[0049] The controller 50 controls the operation of each component of the pattern forming apparatus 100 so as to enable the pattern forming method described herein to be performed.

[0050] Next, a pattern forming method performed by the pattern forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0051] The pattern forming method according to this embodiment includes a supplying step of supplying resin 5 onto the surface of base film 1 being transported from pay-out roll 11 to take-up roll 12, a transfer step of pressing mold roll 20, which has recesses 21 and protrusions 22 forming a pattern formed on its outer periphery, against the surface of base film 1 while rotating to transfer the pattern to base film 1, a curing step of irradiating ultraviolet light toward resin 5 on base film 1 to which the pattern has been transferred, to cure resin 5 on base film 1, and a peeling step of peeling base film 1 from mold roll 20. Each step will be specifically described below.

[0052] [Supply process] In the supply process, the electric motors that drive the payout roll 11 and the take-up roll 12 of the conveying section 10 are rotated at a predetermined speed in a predetermined direction to convey the base film 1 at a predetermined conveying speed. Also, the electric motor 23 is rotated to rotate the mold roll 20 at a constant speed in a predetermined rotation direction. The rotation speed of the mold roll 20 is set to a speed that corresponds to the conveying speed of the base film 1 by the conveying section 10.

[0053] Immediately after the start of pattern forming, the coating die 30 is withdrawn away from the base film 1 and extrudes the resin 5 until the properties of the resin 5 stabilize. When the properties of the resin 5 stabilize, the coating die 30 moves toward the base film 1 based on a signal such as an operation of an operation button (not shown) by an operator. Then, the coating die 30 continuously coats the resin 5 onto the film surface (the surface facing the mold roll 20) of the base film 1 at the supply position. As a result, a film of the resin 5 having a predetermined thickness is formed on the surface of the base film 1 facing the mold roll 20.

[0054] In the supplying step, the positions of the coating die 30 and the upstream guide roll 13 are controlled, and the speed of the rolls in the transport section 10 is controlled. These controls will be described in detail later.

[0055] [Transfer process] The base film 1 coated with the resin 5 in the supplying step passes between the pressing roll 25 and the mold roll 20. At this time, the outer periphery of the mold roll 20 is pressed against the resin 5 on the base film 1. As a result, the resin 5 sandwiched between the base film 1 and the convex parts 22 of the mold roll 20 flows so as to fill the concave parts 21 of the mold roll 20. In this way, a pattern corresponding to the convex parts 22 and concave parts 21 on the outer periphery of the mold roll 20 is transferred to the resin 5 on the base film 1. As the outer periphery of the mold roll 20 is pressed against the resin 5 on the base film 1 in sequence with the rotation, a pattern 2 that is continuous in the longitudinal direction is formed on the base film 1.

[0056] [Curing process] In the curing step, first, the lamp 35 is turned on. When the base film 1 to which the pattern has been transferred moves to a position facing the lamp 35, the resin 5 on the base film 1 is irradiated with ultraviolet light from the lamp 35 and is cured and fixed to the base film 1. In this way, the resin 5 on the base film 1 transported around the outer periphery of the mold roll 20 is successively integrated with the base film 1.

[0057] [Peeling process] The base film 1 (pattern film 3 ) to which the resin 5 has been fixed in the curing process is peeled off from the outer periphery of the mold roll 20 by being guided (redirected) away from the mold roll 20 by the peeling roll 26 .

[0058] In this manner, the pattern 2 is formed on the film surface of the base film 1, to obtain a patterned film 3. The patterned film 3 on which the pattern 2 is formed is taken up by a take-up roll 12.

[0059] Next, the position control of the coating die 30 and the upstream guide roll 13 in the supplying step will be described.

[0060] In this embodiment, the base film 1 is pressed by the coating die 30 and is forced to the opposite side of the coating die 30 (the right side in FIG. 1), and the resin 5 of the coating die 30 is applied to the base film 1. When the base film 1 is not forced by the coating die 30, the base film 1 is transported along a common tangent L1 (a dashed line in FIG. 3) that connects the outer circumferences of the upstream guide roll 13 and the downstream guide roll 14, which form the transport path of the base film 1. This common tangent L1 is a straight line that runs (parallel) along the vertical direction.

[0061] 3, the base film 1 is pressed from a state where it is not pressed by the coating die 30 to a state where it is bent and enters the space between the upstream guide roll 13 and the downstream guide roll 14. In other words, the pressed state of the base film 1 is a state where a part of the base film 1 goes beyond the common tangent line L1 between the upstream guide roll 13 and the downstream guide roll 14, which is the transport path of the base film 1 in the unpressed state.

[0062] The amount of pressing of the base film 1 is adjusted by controlling the horizontal position (the discharge direction of the coating die 30) between the coating die 30 and the upstream guide roll 13. As the coating die 30 moves toward the base film 1 and is positioned to the right in Fig. 3, and as the upstream guide roll 13 moves toward the coating die 30 and is positioned to the left in Fig. 3, the amount of pressing of the base film 1 becomes larger.

[0063] Here, normally, when the amount of resin 5 discharged from the coating die 30 is reduced or the conveying speed of the base film 1 is increased in order to reduce the film thickness of the resin 5 to be applied, localized liquid cutting (localized areas where the resin 5 is not applied) may occur on the base film 1. Such localized liquid cutting is stretched in the longitudinal direction of the base film 1 as the base film 1 is conveyed, causing longitudinal streaks in the applied resin 5, which ultimately causes coating defects.

[0064] In contrast, in this embodiment, the resin 5 discharged from the coating die 30 is applied to the base film 1 with a film thickness according to the pressure balance between the discharge pressure from the coating die 30 and the tension of the base film 1. The resin 5 to be applied is held by the coating die 30 and the base film 1 with a predetermined pressure, so that localized liquid shortage and the like are unlikely to occur, and the resin can be applied in a stable state with a uniform film thickness. Therefore, in this embodiment, the resin 5 can be thinly applied onto the base film 1.

[0065] As described above, the discharged resin 5 is sandwiched between the coating die 30 and the base film 1. Therefore, basically, the coating die 30 does not directly contact the base film 1, but contacts it via the discharged resin 5.

[0066] The tension of the base film 1 is determined according to the pressing amount of the coating die 30 and the rotation speed of the drive roll included in the conveying section 10. Thus, by adjusting the pressing amount of the coating die 30, the balance of pressure acting on the resin 5 can be adjusted, and as a result, the film thickness of the applied resin 5 can be adjusted. In general, the greater the pressure acting on the resin 5, that is, the greater the pressing amount of the coating die 30 and the greater the tension of the base film 1, the thinner the film thickness of the resin 5 can be.

[0067] In addition, by controlling the positions of the coating die 30 and the upstream guide roll 13, it is possible to adjust the incidence angle θ1 of the base film 1 guided to the supply position of the resin 5 by the coating die 30 and the exit angle θ2 of the base film 1 conveyed from the supply position. Note that in this embodiment, the incidence angle θ1 and the exit angle θ2 of the base film 1 are the angles on the acute angle side (minor angle) with respect to the base film 1 in a state not pressed by the coating die 30, in other words, the reference line L2 (dashed line in FIG. 3) along the vertical direction.

[0068] As the incidence angle θ1 of the base film 1 increases, the pressure acting on the resin 5 increases. For this reason, in general, by increasing the incidence angle θ1 of the base film 1, the resin 5 can be applied to a thinner film thickness.

[0069] Next, the speed control of the drive roll will be described.

[0070] As described above, in order to reduce the thickness of the resin 5 of the base film 1, it is effective to increase the tension of the base film 1. On the other hand, when the tension of the base film 1 is increased, it becomes relatively easier to stretch in the longitudinal direction compared to when the tension is low. If the pattern 2 is transferred to the resin 5 on the base film 1 in a state of being stretched in the longitudinal direction, there is a risk that the shape of the transferred pattern will change (deform) due to the contraction of the base film 1 when the tension is subsequently removed.

[0071] Therefore, in the pattern forming of this embodiment, the rotation speed of the drive roll among the rolls in the transport section 10, and therefore the speed difference between the rolls, can be controlled, and the tension of the base film 1 can be controlled according to the position during transport.

[0072] In the pattern forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the rotation speeds of the in-feed roll 15a, downstream guide roll 14, and out-feed roll 16, which are driving rolls, are controlled so that the tensions measured by the first, second, and third sensing rolls 17, 18, and 19 become predetermined tensions. Hereinafter, the rotation speeds of the in-feed roll 15a, downstream guide roll 14, and out-feed roll 16 are designated V1, V2, and V3, respectively.

[0073] The tension of the base film 1 measured by the first sensing roll 17 is the tension of the base film 1 (first substrate portion) until it is wrapped around the in-feed roll 15a and transported to the downstream guide roll 14, and can be considered as the tension at the position where the resin 5 is applied. The in-feed roll 15a corresponds to the first drive roll.

[0074] The tension of the base film 1 measured by the second sensing roll 18 is the tension of the base film 1 (second substrate portion) wrapped around the downstream guide roll 14 and transported to the mold roll 20, and can be considered to be the tension of the base film 1 in a state before the pattern 2 is transferred by the mold roll 20. The downstream guide roll 14 corresponds to the second drive roll.

[0075] The tension of the base film 1 measured by the third sensing roll 19 is the tension of the base film 1 until it is wrapped around the mold roll 20 and transported to the out-feed roll 16, and can be considered to be the tension of the base film 1 (pattern film 3) during pattern molding when the pattern 2 is transferred and the resin 5 is hardened on the base film 1.

[0076] In this embodiment, the mold roll 20 is configured as a drive roll and is driven to rotate at a constant speed by a predetermined speed. Therefore, by controlling the speed difference between the rotation speed of the mold roll 20 and the rotation speed V2 of the upstream guide roll 13, the tension of the base film 1 between the upstream guide roll 13 and the mold roll 20 (the tension measured by the second sensing roll 18) is adjusted.

[0077] By controlling the speed difference between the rotational speed V1 of the in-feed roll 15a and the rotational speed V2 of the upstream guide roll 13, the tension of the base film 1 to which the resin 5 is applied (the tension measured by the first sensing roll 17) can be adjusted.

[0078] By controlling the speed difference between the rotational speed V3 of the mold roll 20 and the out-feed roll 16, the tension of the base film 1 between the mold roll 20 on which the pattern 2 is formed and the out-feed roll 16 (tension measured by the third sensing roll 19; hereinafter also referred to as "post-transfer tension") can be adjusted.

[0079] In this embodiment, the rotation speed V1 of the in-feed roll 15a and the rotation speed V2 of the upstream guide roll 13 (in other words, the speed difference between them) are controlled so that the tension measured by the first sensing roll 17 is greater than the tension measured by the second sensing roll 18. This makes it possible to increase the tension of the base film 1 onto which the resin 5 is applied, thereby enabling the resin 5 to be applied more thinly, while reducing the tension when transferring the pattern 2 to suppress deformation of the pattern 2 after the tension is removed.

[0080] In addition, by controlling the rotation speed V3 of the outfeed roll 16 and the rotation speed of the take-up roll 12, the tension after transfer and the tension of the base film 1 (pattern film 3) between the outfeed roll 16 and the take-up roll 12 (hereinafter also referred to as "take-up tension") can be adjusted separately. In other words, by controlling the rotation speed V3 of the outfeed roll 16 and the rotation speed of the take-up roll 12, the tension after transfer and the take-up tension can be made different from each other. The rotation speed V3 of the outfeed roll 16 is controlled so that the tension after transfer is a predetermined tension that is determined in advance in order to keep the shape of the pattern film 3 without deformation. On the other hand, it is desirable to increase the tension at the start of winding on the take-up roll 12 and decrease the tension toward the end of winding so as not to cause winding slippage or winding tightness. Such adjustment of the winding tension is more effective as the winding diameter by the take-up roll 12 is larger. Therefore, as in this embodiment, the post-transfer tension and the winding tension can be controlled separately, so that the post-transfer tension is maintained at a predetermined tension and the winding tension is adjusted according to the winding conditions, thereby enabling stable winding by the winding roll 12 while maintaining the shape of the pattern film 3.

[0081] Such control of the tension of the base film 1 is particularly effective for a thin base film 1 that is easily deformed by tension.

[0082] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0083] 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the minimum film thickness of the resin 5 in the examples and comparative examples and the conveying speed of the base film 1. The minimum film thickness of the resin 5 here means the minimum film thickness that can be coated without causing localized liquid cutting (vertical streaks).

[0084] The examples are off-roll coating corresponding to the above embodiment. The comparative examples are on-roll coating in which resin 5 is applied from a coating die 30 to a base film 1 supported by a downstream guide roll 14. The examples and comparative examples are under the same conditions except for the on-roll / off-roll method.

[0085] The resin 5 to be applied is a radical polymerization type acrylic UV-curable resin. The graph in Figure 4 plots the minimum coating film thickness for each conveying speed by changing the discharge amount from the coating die 30 with the coating width standardized at 80 [mm]. Figure 4(a) shows the case where the liquid viscosity is 60 [Pa·S], and Figure 4(b) shows the case where the liquid viscosity is 100 [Pa·S].

[0086] As shown in FIG. 4(a), when the liquid viscosity is 60 [Pa·S], in the embodiment, the minimum film thickness is 1 [μm] at a conveying speed of 1 [m / min], and 2 [μm] at a conveying speed of 5 [m / min]. In contrast, in the comparative example, the minimum film thickness is 5 [μm] at a conveying speed of 1 [m / min], and 16 [μm] at a conveying speed of 5 [m / min]. Thus, in the embodiment, the minimum film thickness can be made thinner than in the comparative example, and the effect is more pronounced as the conveying speed increases. In other words, the rate of increase in the minimum film thickness due to an increase in the conveying speed is smaller in the embodiment than in the comparative example, and the difference between the embodiment and the comparative example becomes larger as the conveying speed increases. This tendency is also seen in the case of a liquid viscosity of 100 [Pa·S] shown in FIG. 4(b), so it can be said that the same tendency will occur even if the liquid viscosity of the resin 5 is different.

[0087] From the above, it can be said that this embodiment can reduce the film thickness of the resin 5 to be applied and also makes it easier to increase the conveying speed, compared to on-roll coating. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to increase the conveying speed and improve productivity while reducing the residual film by reducing the film thickness.

[0088] In the manner described above, the positions of the coating die 30 and the upstream guide roll 13 and the speed of the drive roll (the tension control of the base film 1) are controlled. These position controls and speed controls may be automatic controls based on a program that uses measured values ​​obtained by sensing the operation of the components of the pattern forming device 100 and preset values, or may be manual controls that are controlled in response to operation input from an operator via an operation unit or the like.

[0089] Next, modified examples of this embodiment will be described. The following modified examples are also within the scope of the present invention, and it is possible to combine the following modified examples with each configuration of the above embodiment, to combine the following modified examples with each other, or to combine the following modified examples with other embodiments. In each modified example, the same components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the upstream guide roll 13 is configured to be movable along the discharge direction of the coating die 30, and the downstream guide roll 14 is configured to be immovable. In contrast, the upstream guide roll 13 may be configured to be immovable, and the downstream guide roll 14 may be configured to be movable along the discharge direction of the coating die 30. In addition, both the upstream guide roll 13 and the downstream guide roll 14 may be configured to be movable along the discharge direction of the coating die 30. Furthermore, it is preferable that at least one of the upstream guide roll 13 and the downstream guide roll 14 is configured to be movable along the discharge direction of the coating die 30, but both may be configured to be immovable. Even in this case, if the coating die 30 is configured to be movable in the discharge direction, the resin 5 can be applied while pressing the base film 1 by the coating die 30.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the in-feed roll 15a is used as a drive roll to control its rotation speed, thereby controlling the tension of the base film 1 to which the resin 5 is applied. The out-feed roll 16 is used as a drive roll to control its rotation speed, thereby controlling the tension of the pattern film 3. In contrast, the in-feed roll 15a may not be provided, and the pay-out roll 11 may be used as a drive roll to control its rotation speed. Similarly, the out-feed roll 16 may not be provided, and the take-up roll 12 may be used as a drive roll to control its rotation speed. Even in these cases, the same effects as those of the above embodiment can be achieved.

[0092] From the viewpoint of controlling the tension of the base film 1 onto which the resin 5 is applied and the tension of the base film 1 onto which the pattern 2 is transferred to be different from each other, the configuration of the third sensing roll 19 and the speed control of the out-feed roll 16 may be omitted. Furthermore, the configuration of the speed control itself in the above embodiment is not essential, and the speed control of the drive roll (tension control of the base film 1) may not be performed.

[0093] In the above embodiment, suction rolls (downstream guide roll 14, out-feed roll 16) are provided to prevent slippage of the base film 1 coated with the resin 5. In contrast, if slippage of the base film 1 does not occur, the downstream guide roll 14 and the out-feed roll 16 do not have to be suction rolls. Similarly, even if the in-feed roll 15a is provided, the in-feed nip roll 15b does not have to be provided.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the resin 5 is an ultraviolet curable resin, and the curing means is the lamp 35 capable of irradiating ultraviolet rays. In contrast, in the above embodiment, a thermosetting resin may be used as the curable resin. In this case, the pattern forming apparatus 100 may be provided with a heater that heats the curable resin as the curing means.

[0095] The effects of the embodiment will be described below.

[0096] A pattern forming device 100 for forming a pattern 2 on a sheet-like base film 1 includes a conveying section 10 having a plurality of rolls around which the base film 1 is wrapped and conveying the base film 1 by the plurality of rolls, a coating die 30 for supplying resin 5 to the surface of the base film 1 conveyed by the conveying section 10, a mold roll 20 having recesses 21 and protrusions 22 constituting the pattern 2 formed on its outer periphery and contacting the surface of the base film 1 to which the resin 5 has been supplied, thereby transferring the pattern 2 to the base film 1, and a lamp 35 for irradiating the base film 1 with light to harden the resin 5. The coating die 30 moves between an upstream guide roll 13 and a downstream guide roll 14 among the plurality of rolls, and supplies the resin 5 toward the base film 1 while pressing the base film 1 which is not in contact with the rolls.

[0097] In addition, the pattern forming method of this embodiment for forming a pattern 2 on a sheet-like base film 1 includes a supplying process in which resin 5 is supplied from a coating die 30 onto the surface of the base film 1 transported by multiple rolls, a transfer process in which a mold roll 20, on whose outer periphery the recesses 21 and protrusions 22 constituting the pattern 2 are formed, is rotated and pressed against the surface of the base film 1 to transfer the pattern 2 to the base film 1, and a curing process in which the resin 5 on the base film 1 to which the pattern 2 has been transferred is cured.In the supplying process, the resin 5 is supplied toward the base film 1 while pressing the base film 1, which moves between an upstream guide roll 13 and a downstream guide roll 14 among the multiple rolls and is not in contact with the rolls.

[0098] According to these configurations, the coating die 30 supplies the resin 5 not to the base film 1 on the roll but to the base film 1 not in contact with the roll, so there is no risk of interference with the roll, and the coating die 30 supplies the resin 5 while pressing the base film 1. The resin 5 is supplied by the coating die 30 while pressing the base film 1, so that the gap between the base film 1 and the coating die 30 can be reduced. In addition, the resin 5 is sandwiched between the coating die 30 and the base film 1 and supplied onto the base film 1 while a predetermined pressure is applied, so that the occurrence of a portion where the resin 5 is not locally supplied can be suppressed, and the resin 5 can be stably supplied onto the base film 1 with a desired film thickness. Therefore, the film thickness of the resin 5 on the base film 1 can be thinned, and the residual film can be reduced.

[0099] Furthermore, in this embodiment, compared to on-roll coating, even if the conveying speed of the base film 1 is increased, an increase in the film thickness of the coatable resin 5 is suppressed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the productivity of the pattern film 3 can be improved by increasing the conveying speed of the base film 1 while reducing the residual film.

[0100] In addition, the residual film reduction method for reducing the residual film by reducing the film thickness of the resin 5 to be applied includes improving the accuracy of each component of the pattern forming device 100, providing a vacuum mechanism on the upstream side of the coating die 30 to reduce the air on the upstream side and suppress liquid cutting, and reducing the viscosity of the resin 5 to be applied. According to this embodiment, the off-roll coating method is adopted and the coating die 30 is pressed against the base film 1, so that the film thickness of the resin 5 can be reduced without using these methods. Therefore, the residual film can be reduced at low cost. It is to be noted that the combination of this embodiment and the above-mentioned residual film reduction method is not inhibited, and the two may be combined.

[0101] Moreover, in the pattern forming apparatus 100, the coating die 30 is configured to be movable along the perpendicular direction of the base film 1 facing it.

[0102] According to this configuration, the amount of pressing of the coating die 30 against the base film 1 can be adjusted, so that the resin 5 can be applied to the base film 1 in a desired film thickness according to the manufacturing conditions.

[0103] Moreover, in the pattern forming apparatus 100 , the upstream guide roll 13 is configured to be movable along the extrusion direction of the resin 5 by the coating die 30 .

[0104] According to this configuration, the pushing amount of the coating die 30 and the incident angle θ1 of the base film 1 to the supply position can be adjusted by moving the upstream guide roll 13. This allows the resin 5 to be coated on the base film 1 with a desired film thickness according to the manufacturing conditions.

[0105] In addition, in the pattern forming apparatus 100, the resin supply section has a coating die 30 having a die lip 31 with an outlet 31a through which the resin 5 is discharged, and the die lip 31 has a rounded portion 32 having a convex curved surface, which is provided downstream of the outlet 31a in the conveying direction of the base film 1 opposite the die lip 31, and an escape portion 33 which is provided upstream of the outlet 31a in the conveying direction of the base film 1 and is formed so as to be spaced away from the base film 1.

[0106] In this configuration, even if the coating die 30 and the base film 1 come into direct contact with each other, the coating die 30 contacts the base film 1 only at the rounded portion 32 of the die lip 31. This makes it possible to prevent the base film 1 from being scratched or otherwise damaged due to direct contact between the coating die 30 and the base film 1.

[0107] In the pattern forming apparatus 100, the downstream guide roll 14 is a suction roll configured to be able to suck in outside gas from the inside.

[0108] In this configuration, even if the base film 1 has the resin 5 supplied to its surface, the base film 1 can be pressed against the downstream guide roll 14 by suction from the inside. This makes it possible to suppress slippage of the base film 1 on the downstream guide roll 14.

[0109] The pattern forming apparatus 100 further includes a first sensing roll 17 for detecting the tension of a first substrate portion, which is the base film 1, located upstream in the conveying direction from the supply position of the resin 5 by the resin supply unit, and a second sensing roll 18 for detecting the tension of a second substrate portion, which is the base film 1, located downstream in the conveying direction from the supply position of the resin supply unit and upstream of the mold roll 20. The rolls include an in-feed roll 15a around which the first substrate portion of the base film 1 is wrapped and which is rotationally driven by power, and a downstream guide roll 14 around which the second substrate portion of the base film 1 is wrapped and which is rotationally driven by power, and the rotational speeds of the in-feed roll 15a and the downstream guide roll 14 are each controlled so that the tension detected by the second sensing roll 18 is lower than the tension detected by the first sensing roll 17.

[0110] In this configuration, the tension of the first substrate portion to which the resin 5 is applied is relatively high, and the tension of the second substrate portion to which the pattern 2 is transferred is relatively low. Therefore, by increasing the tension, the thickness of the coating film can be made thin, and deformation of the pattern 2 when the tension is removed can be suppressed.

[0111] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-mentioned embodiments merely show some of the application examples of the present invention, and it is not intended that the technical scope of the present invention be limited to the specific configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 100 Pattern forming device 1 Base film 1 (substrate) 2 Pattern 10. Conveyor 11 Payout roll 12 Winding roll 13 Upstream guide roll (pair of rolls) 14 Downstream guide roll (pair of rolls, second drive roll) 15a In-feed roll (first drive roll) 16 Outfeed roll (roll) 17a First load sensor (first tension detection section) 18a Second load sensor (second tension detection section) 20 Mold roll 21 Recess 22 Convex 30 Coating die (resin supply section) 31 Die Lip 31a Discharge port 32 Rounded part 33 Relief 35 Lamp (curing part)

Claims

1. A pattern forming apparatus for forming a pattern on a sheet-like substrate, comprising: a conveying section having a plurality of rolls around which the base material is wound, and conveying the base material by the plurality of rolls; a resin supplying section that supplies a curable resin to a surface of the base material transported by the transporting section; a mold roll having an outer periphery on which recesses and protrusions constituting the pattern are formed, the mold roll contacting the surface of the substrate to which the curable resin is supplied to transfer the pattern to the substrate; a curing unit that cures the curable resin on the substrate to which the pattern has been transferred, The resin supplying unit moves between a predetermined pair of the rolls among the plurality of rolls, and supplies the curable resin toward the substrate while pressing the substrate in a state where the substrate is not in contact with the rolls. Pattern forming device.

2. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1 , The resin supply unit is configured to be movable along a vertical direction of the opposing base material. Pattern forming device.

3. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, At least one of the pair of rolls is configured to be movable along a direction in which the resin is discharged by the resin supply unit. Pattern forming device.

4. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, The resin supply unit has a coating die provided with a die lip having an outlet through which the curable resin is discharged, The die lip is a rounded portion having a convex curved surface and provided downstream of the discharge port in the conveying direction of the base material and facing the die lip; a relief portion provided upstream of the discharge port in the transport direction of the substrate and formed away from the substrate, Pattern forming device.

5. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, Of the pair of rolls, the roll on the downstream side in the conveyance of the base material is a suction roll configured to be able to suck in gas from the inside to the outside. Pattern forming device.

6. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, a first tension detection unit that detects a tension of a first substrate portion that is the substrate and is located upstream of a supply position of the curable resin by the resin supply unit in a transport direction of the substrate; a second tension detection unit that detects a tension of a second base material portion that is the base material and is located downstream of the supply position of the resin supply unit in the conveying direction and upstream of the mold roll, The roll is A first drive roll around which the first substrate portion of the substrate is wrapped and which is rotationally driven by power; A second drive roll around which the second substrate portion of the substrate is wrapped and which is rotationally driven by power, The rotation speeds of the first drive roll and the second drive roll are controlled so that the tension detected by the second tension detection unit is lower than the tension detected by the first tension detection unit. Pattern forming device.

7. A pattern forming method for forming a pattern on a sheet-like substrate, comprising the steps of: a supplying step of supplying a curable resin from a resin supplying section onto a surface of the substrate transported by a plurality of rolls; a transfer step of pressing a mold roll, the mold roll having recesses and protrusions that constitute the pattern formed on its outer periphery, against the surface of the substrate while rotating the mold roll to transfer the pattern to the substrate; A curing step of curing the curable resin on the substrate to which the pattern has been transferred, In the supplying step, the curable resin is supplied toward the substrate while the substrate is pressed against the rolls by moving between a predetermined pair of the rolls among the plurality of rolls and not in contact with the rolls. Pattern forming method.

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