Member for workpiece adhesion chuck device, workpiece adhesion chuck device, and workpiece bonding machine

Abstract

To provide a workpiece adhesion chuck device that is not limited in the selection of an upper surface plate and enables production of high-performance products.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a workpiece adhesion chuck device that maintains a thin-plate workpiece vacuum-suctioned in the atmosphere, by adhesive holding under a vacuum environment, and releases the workpiece, and thereafter exposes the periphery of the workpiece to the atmosphere. The workpiece adhesion chuck device includes: a platen having an opposing surface provided to be movable relative to the workpiece in a direction approaching or separating from the workpiece; an adhesion part for adhesively holding the workpiece on the platen; a release part for releasing the adhesively held workpiece; and a vacuum suction part for suction-holding the workpiece in the atmosphere, the workpiece adhesion chuck device being formed of a plurality of members arranged, each of which incorporates the adhesion part, the release part, and the vacuum suction part into a single component.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a workpiece adhesive chuck device member used in a substrate bonding machine that bonds a workpiece, such as a touch panel, cover glass, cover film or FPD, to another workpiece, such as a touch panel, cover glass, cover film or FPD, such as a flat panel display (FPD) or sensor device, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light-emitting diode (OLED), plasma display (PDP) or flexible display, or a touch panel FPD, 3D (three-dimensional) display or e-book, and the like; a workpiece adhesive chuck device; and a workpiece bonding machine equipped with the self-adhesive workpiece adhesive chuck device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of workpiece bonding machine, for example, a workpiece adhesive chuck device having an adhesive portion that uses adhesive force to fix an upper workpiece seated on an upper surface plate and a peeling portion that expands to induce a force in the opposite direction to the adhesive force so that the upper workpiece is released from the adhesive portion, a workpiece bonding machine that includes an upper surface plate on which the upper workpiece is seated, and a lower surface plate on which a lower workpiece that is to be joined to the upper workpiece is seated. The operation of the workpiece bonding machine begins with the upper workpiece being lifted by vacuum suction and attached to the adhesive portion of the upper surface plate. Next, the upper and lower chambers are connected and a vacuum is applied. At this point, the vacuum suction ceases to function, and the upper workpiece is held in place solely by the adhesive portion. After the upper and lower workpieces are aligned, the release portion is expanded in a vacuum atmosphere, causing the upper workpiece to detach from the adhesive rubber and face the lower workpiece positioned below, thereby bonding the upper and lower workpieces together. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation in a vacuum atmosphere of a conventional workpiece bonding machine in which the upper workpiece, which is held by vacuum suction, is transferred to the adhesive part by transitioning to a vacuum atmosphere, and then the workpieces are bonded. The suction ports for vacuum suction are provided on the upper surface plate UP, as shown in Figure 7. Furthermore, since it is necessary to transfer workpiece holding by vacuum suction to workpiece holding by the adhesive portion, the upper surface plate UP and the workpiece adhesive chuck device CK are manufactured so that the heights of their lower surfaces are approximately the same, and the workpiece adhesive chuck device CK is fitted into the upper surface plate UP. For this reason, in conventional workpiece bonding machines, not only is the processing of the upper surface plate costly, but the material of the upper surface plate is also limited. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, because the upper workpiece UW is in surface contact with the upper surface plate UP, static electricity can be generated depending on the workpiece when the upper workpiece UW is peeled off in a vacuum atmosphere. Meanwhile, in recent years, substrates for LCDs and other devices have become increasingly thinner due to demands for smaller, thinner, and lighter devices, and thin plate-like workpieces, including thin substrates, are extremely susceptible to deformation. For this reason, static electricity generated by the surface contact between the substrate and the surface plate attracts the substrate, causing unwanted warping in the substrate, resulting in a decrease in product yield and the inability to produce high-performance products. Furthermore, as product sizes become more diverse, there is a demand for processing large substrates in the same equipment, or processing multiple small substrates simultaneously in the same equipment, and a processing system that can quickly accommodate these diverse sizes is required.

[0004] The present invention addresses such problems, namely, problems caused by providing a vacuum suction unit separate from the work adhesive chuck device, and aims to provide a work adhesive chuck device and a work bonding machine equipped with the work adhesive chuck device that do not require complex processing or shaping of the upper surface plate and do not limit the material selection, and that enable the production of high-performance products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve such an object, the technical means according to the present invention is a member for a workpiece adhesive chuck device having at least the following configuration.

[0006] This component is used in a work adhesive chuck device that maintains a thin plate-shaped workpiece vacuum-adsorbed at atmospheric pressure by adhesively holding it in a vacuum atmosphere, and then peels off the workpiece, after which the area around the workpiece is opened to the atmosphere, and is characterized in that an adhesive part that adhesively holds the workpiece, a peeling part that peels off the adhesively held workpiece, and a vacuum adsorption part that adsorbs and holds the workpiece at atmospheric pressure are all contained in a single component.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the technical means according to the present invention is a workpiece adhesive chuck device having at least the following configuration.

[0008] This work adhesive chuck device maintains a thin plate-like workpiece vacuum-adsorbed at atmospheric pressure by adhesively holding it in a vacuum atmosphere, and then releases the workpiece before opening the area around the workpiece to the atmosphere.The device is characterized in that a plurality of work adhesive chuck device components are arranged on a base plate having an opposing surface that is freely movable relatively in a direction approaching or moving away from the workpiece, and each component includes an adhesive section that adhesively holds the workpiece, a release section that releases the adhesively held workpiece, and a vacuum adsorption section that adsorbs and holds the workpiece at atmospheric pressure.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the technical means according to the present invention is a workpiece bonding machine having at least the following configuration.

[0010] This workpiece bonding machine is characterized in that a plurality of the above-mentioned workpiece adhesive chuck devices are provided on either or both of a pair of opposing base plates, and the workpiece is adhesively held by the adhesive portion of the workpiece adhesive chuck device, and the workpiece is pressed and peeled off from the adhesive portion by a plurality of peeling portions of the workpiece adhesive chuck device provided on one of the pair of base plates, and is bonded to another workpiece held on the other of the pair of base plates. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] By virtue of these characteristics, the present invention provides the following advantageous effects. It is possible to provide a work adhesive chuck device that does not limit the material selection for the upper surface plate and enables the production of high-performance products, and a work bonding machine equipped with the work adhesive chuck device. Furthermore, a plurality of sizes of substrates to be bonded by this apparatus can be selected, and it is also possible to simultaneously bond a plurality of small sized substrates in a single bonding operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are explanatory views showing a workpiece adhesive chuck device according to an embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention, in which (a) is a vertical sectional front view and (b) is a bottom view. [Figure 2] 2A to 2C are process diagrams illustrating a workpiece bonding operation by a workpiece bonding machine according to an embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention. [Figure 3] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating an operation in a vacuum atmosphere of the workpiece bonding machine according to the embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of workpiece placement relative to a workpiece adhesive chuck device according to an embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention, in which an upper surface plate is viewed from below. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the arrangement of a workpiece relative to a workpiece adhesive chuck device according to an embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention, as viewed from below on an upper surface plate. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams showing a workpiece adhesive chuck device according to an embodiment (second embodiment) of the present invention, in which (a) is a longitudinal front view, (b) is a bottom view, and (c) is a longitudinal front view showing the state of vacuum suction. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the operation of a conventional workpiece bonding machine in a vacuum atmosphere. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the drawings are created for the purpose of explanation, and for the sake of clarity, components not necessary for the explanation may be intentionally omitted. Furthermore, components may be intentionally enlarged or reduced in size for the purpose of explanation, and the drawings are not drawn to an exact scale. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different drawings indicate parts with the same function, and duplicate explanations in each drawing will be omitted as appropriate.

[0014] First Embodiment (Configuration of workpiece adhesive chuck device) As shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), the work adhesive chuck device A of the first embodiment of the present invention is a work holding device that adheres a thin plate-like upper work UW, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) substrate, to a first opposing surface 11 using a vacuum suction portion 4 provided in the center, and then receives the upper work UW by firmly and detachably adhesively holding it through contact with an adhesive portion 2 provided on the outside of the vacuum suction portion 4, and then pushes and deforms a peeling portion 3 provided on the outside of the adhesive portion 2 toward the upper work UW, thereby pushing and peeling the upper work UW from the adhesive portion 2 and handing it over. Such a work adhesive chuck device A is used in a work bonding machine that bonds substrates together, a work transport device that transports substrates, etc. Figure 1(a) shows the upper surface plate UP of the work bonding machine.

[0015] To explain in more detail, the work adhesive chuck device A of the first embodiment of the present invention has as its main components an opposing surface that is freely movable relative to the upper work UW in a direction approaching or moving away from the upper work UW as the upper surface plate UP of the work bonding machine moves, an adhesive portion 2 that is arranged on the opposing surface so as to face the surface of the upper work UW, a peeling portion 3 that is arranged on the opposing surface so as to be elastically deformable, and a vacuum suction portion 4 that is arranged in the center of the opposing surface. The workpiece bonding machine is equipped with a separation drive unit that moves either the upper surface plate UP or the lower surface plate LP, or both, closer to or farther apart relative to one another, a peeling drive unit that deforms the peeling unit 3 so that it protrudes toward the upper workpiece UW, and a control unit that controls the operation of the separation drive unit and the peeling drive unit, etc. The upper surface plate UP and the lower surface plate LP are usually arranged to face each other in the vertical direction, and the facing direction of the first opposing surfaces 11 and the upper workpiece UW is hereinafter referred to as the "Z direction." The direction along the first opposing surfaces 11 and the upper workpiece UW that intersects with the Z direction is hereinafter referred to as the "XY direction."

[0016] The upper surface plate UP is a surface plate formed from a hard, lightweight material assembled from aluminum profiles, but is not limited to this configuration and can also be a flat plate made of metal plate or plastic. A workpiece adhesive chuck device A is fastened to the bottom side of the upper surface plate UP in the figure with fasteners 111. The workpiece adhesive chuck device A is formed in the shape of a circular plate from a hard material such as metal, ceramic, or hard synthetic resin, and a first opposing surface 11 is formed along the outer periphery near the outer periphery of the lower surface in the figure. The first opposing surface 11 does not contribute to vacuum suction, adhesion, or peeling. The circular plate may also be formed in a rectangular shape.

[0017] The adhesive portion 2 is an adhesive sheet made entirely or partially of an adhesive material such as rubbers, elastomers, photosensitive resins, acrylics, or silicones. The adhesive portion 2 is formed in a circular ring shape along the inside of the first opposing surface 11 of the workpiece adhesive chuck device A. If the workpiece adhesive chuck device A is rectangular, the adhesive portion may also be formed in a rectangular frame shape. Furthermore, the adhesive portion 2 has an adhesive surface formed on the front side facing the surface of the upper workpiece UW in the Z direction, and an attachment surface formed on the back side. The attachment surface is fixed to the first opposing surface 11 of the workpiece adhesive chuck device A so as to be immovable in the Z direction and the X and Y directions. The adhesive surface of the adhesive part 2 is configured to come into contact with a part of the surface of the upper workpiece UW, thereby adhering to the contacted area and removably holding the adhered area. In the case shown in Figure 1(b), a specific example of the adhesive surface is formed with an uneven surface by surface processing during rubber molding. This reduces the contact area of ​​the adhesive surface with the surface of the upper workpiece UW, controlling the adhesive force so that it is easier to push and peel off with the peeling part 3. As another example (not shown), instead of surface processing during molding, post-processing such as blasting (sandblasting), laser processing, or etching can be used to form the adhesive surface into an uneven shape, or the adhesive surface can be changed to an uneven shape or structure other than that shown in the illustration.

[0018] The peeling part 3 is made entirely or in part of an elastic material that can be elastically deformed, such as rubbers such as fluororubber or ethylene propylene diene (EPDM) rubber, elastomer, soft synthetic resin, or the like, and is composed of a diaphragm or elastic plate formed into a thin, circular or rectangular plate. The peeling part 3 is arranged outside the adhesive part 2 on the first opposing surface 11 of the workpiece adhesive chuck device A, and has a pressing surface formed on the front side that faces the surface of the upper workpiece UW in the Z direction. In the peeling section 3, the pressing surface elastically protrudes and deforms in the Z direction, and acts to peel off the adhesive at the adhered portion adhesively held by the adhesive surface on the surface of the upper workpiece UW. In addition to the release portions arranged on the outside of the adhesive portion 2, they may also be arranged on the inside of the adhesive portion. In this case, the inner release portion of the multiple release portions is preferably provided approximately in the center and is formed into a circular shape when the work adhesive chuck device is in the shape of a circular plate, or is formed into a rectangular shape when the work adhesive chuck device is in the shape of a rectangular plate. The outer release portion of the multiple release portions is preferably provided in the shape of a ring such as a circle or ellipse, or a frame such as a square or polygon, along the outer edge of the adhesive portion. In addition, it is preferable to form a vacuum-breaking pressure passage on the pressure surface of the outer peeling portion that is located on the outside excluding the inner peeling portion, so that the space inward from the outer peeling portion where the adhesive portion is located communicates with the outer space further outside from the outer peeling portion, etc. Similarly, it is preferable to form a vacuum-breaking adhesive passage on the adhesive surface of the adhesive portion so that the space in which the adhesive portion is located communicates with the inner space inward from the adhesive portion where the inner peeling portion is located.

[0019] As a specific example of the peeling part 3, in the case shown in FIG. 1(a), the peeling part is composed of a diaphragm or elastic plate integrally formed by, for example, compression molding or injection molding. The diaphragm or elastic plate has a pressing surface formed so that it can be elastically deformed. In the illustrated example, the multiple pressing surfaces are formed unevenly by surface processing during rubber molding. This allows the peeling part 3 to smoothly peel and separate from the surface of the peeling part 3 that is in contact with the upper workpiece UW when transitioning from an elastically deformed driven state to a drive-released state. Mounting portions are formed on the outer peripheries of the diaphragm and the elastic plate. The mounting portions are preferably sandwiched between the upper and lower support plates 112, 113 that constitute the workpiece adhesive chuck device A, and are attached and fixed so as to be immovable in the Z direction and the X and Y directions. This allows the pressing surface to be supported along the first opposing surface 11 of the workpiece adhesive chuck device A so as to be elastically deformable in the Z direction. As another example (not shown), instead of surface processing during molding, it is also possible to use post-processing such as blasting (sandblasting), laser processing, or etching to form the pressing surface in an uneven shape, or to change the pressing surface to an uneven shape or structure other than that shown in the illustration.

[0020] The vacuum suction unit 4 is provided in the workpiece adhesive chucking device A. After the substrate to be fixed is loaded into the adhesive chucking device from outside the device, the vacuum suction unit 4 first fixes and holds the substrate by vacuum suction, thereby enabling adhesive fixation by the adhesive chuck. Specifically, the vacuum suction unit 4 is provided in the center of the first opposing surface 11, and a suction hole 41 connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) is located in the center, with a suction pad 42 arranged around the suction hole 41. The vacuum suction unit 4 and the suction pad 42 work together to generate a suction effect. The suction pad 42 is made of a material such as fluororubber, nitrile rubber, silicone rubber, or polyurethane. Instead of the suction pad, this vacuum suction portion 4 may be, for example, a metal or plastic plate whose surface is set at the same height in the Z direction as the first opposing surface, with holes or grooves connected to the vacuum pump machined on the surface. The vacuum suction unit 4 is also configured to be able to switch between a vacuum source such as a vacuum pump and an air supply source such as a compressor, and can contribute to the suction and release of the workpiece, or the removal of the workpiece by air blowing. The suction surface of the vacuum suction unit 4 that comes into contact with the upper workpiece UW is set to be at approximately the same height as the first opposing surface 11 at that position in the Z direction. As a result, when the upper workpiece UW is held by vacuum suction, the substrate is hardly deformed by the suction force of the vacuum suction, and the upper workpiece UW is not damaged or cracked. Furthermore, even if an extremely thin upper workpiece UW is used, even a minute misalignment does not occur, so high-quality bonding can be performed.

[0021] In the workpiece bonding machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the workpiece adhesive chuck device A has a vacuum suction portion 4, it is not necessary to align the height of the lower surface of the upper surface plate UP and the workpiece adhesive chuck device A. Therefore, it is not necessary to fit the workpiece adhesive chuck device A into the upper surface plate UP; it can simply be attached to the lower surface of the upper surface plate UP. Therefore, the workpiece adhesive chuck device according to the embodiment of the present invention has a vacuum suction function that conventional workpiece adhesive chuck devices do not have, and can be thought of as a self-adhesive workpiece adhesive chuck device. Specifically, with respect to the relationship with the upper surface plate, multiple unitized workpiece adhesive chuck devices A are individually arranged on the upper surface plate. However, since a large workpiece may be held by multiple workpiece adhesive chuck devices, it is preferable to keep the height variation of each unit within 100 μm. Specific arrangement examples will be described later.

[0022] The approaching and separating drive unit is composed of an actuator or the like that moves either or both of the upper surface plate UP and the lower surface plate LP toward or away from each other, and its operation is controlled by the control unit. The peeling drive unit is composed of an actuator that deforms the pressing surface of the peeling unit 3 toward the upper workpiece UW, and its operation is controlled by the control unit. In the illustrated example, an example of the actuator constituting the peeling drive unit includes a drive source such as a compressor that supplies a driving fluid (not shown) consisting of a gas such as air or gas or a liquid such as water, and a flow path that leads from the supply source to the primary side of each of the peeling units 3 via the drive source. Parts of the flow path may be drilled so as to penetrate multiple locations in the upper surface plate UP and the upper and lower support plates 112, 113 of the workpiece adhesive chuck device A in the Z direction. This allows the driving fluid from the drive source to pass through the flow path and be supplied to the peeling units 3 of the workpiece adhesive chuck device A. Furthermore, if necessary, a flow control valve, a pressure control valve, or the like may be provided along the flow path. The control unit described below controls the driving source to supply a predetermined amount of driving fluid toward the primary side of the peeling unit 3, creating a pressure difference between the primary side and secondary side of the peeling unit 3 and causing the multiple pressing surfaces to elastically expand and deform in the Z direction.

[0023] The control unit is a controller that is electrically connected to not only the contact / separation drive unit and the peeling drive unit but also other device elements. The controller that serves as the control unit controls the operation of each unit sequentially at preset timings according to a program preset in a control circuit (not shown).

[0024] The configuration of the workpiece adhesive chuck device A and workpiece bonding machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as described above, integrates the functions of vacuum suction, adhesive holding, and peeling, thereby enabling a substrate to be stably held from the vacuum suction unit to the adhesive holding unit, and then subsequently peeled from the adhesive holding unit by the peeling unit. Furthermore, the integration of the vacuum suction, adhesive holding, and peeling functions prevents relative positional misalignment between each function. This prevents misalignment of substrates processed in each step of the bonding machine, enabling high-precision bonding and high-quality bonding without substrate distortion. Furthermore, because each adhesive chuck has its own independent vacuum suction, adhesive chuck, and peeling functions, it is possible to bond not only large substrates using all of the workpiece adhesive chucks A equipped in all of the workpiece bonding machines, but also single or multiple small-sized substrates using one or more workpiece adhesive chucks A simultaneously. Furthermore, the configuration of the workpiece adhesive chuck device A and workpiece bonding machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention also provides excellent antistatic properties, making it advantageous for static electricity countermeasures. The bonding operation performed by the workpiece bonding machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0025] (About workpiece joining operation) A workpiece bonding operation performed by the workpiece adhesive chuck device and the workpiece bonding machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Fig. 2 is a process diagram illustrating the workpiece bonding operation by the workpiece bonding machine according to the embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention.

[0026] 2(a), in the previous step, the upper workpiece UW is loaded into the device by the substrate loading tool WI, and is held by the workpiece adhesive chucking device A by vacuum suction of the vacuum suction part 4 of the workpiece adhesive chucking device A. Meanwhile, the lower workpiece LW is placed on the substrate tray WT provided on the lower surface plate LP. In the example of FIG. 2, a work tray WT is used, but it is also possible to place the lower work LW directly on the lower surface plate LP without using the work tray WT.

[0027] In Fig. 2(b), the upper and lower chambers (not shown) are connected, and the inside of the chambers is evacuated to create a vacuum atmosphere. As a result, the vacuum suction part 4 of the work adhesive chuck device A stops functioning, but the adhesive action of the adhesive part 2 provided on the work adhesive chuck device A is maintained, so that the upper work UW continues to be held by the work adhesive chuck device A, as shown in Fig. 2(c).

[0028] 2(c), the upper surface plate UP or the lower surface plate LP is moved in the XY direction and in the θ direction, which is a rotational direction on the same plane as the XY direction, so that the bonding position of the upper workpiece UW and the lower workpiece LW becomes appropriate. At this time, the upper workpiece UW, which is adhesively held by the adhesive surface of the adhesive portion 2, waits without applying a peeling force so that the pressing surface of the peeling portion 3 contracts and deforms in a concave shape relative to the first opposing surface 11, or becomes a surface at approximately the same height as the first opposing surface 11.

[0029] On the other hand, in FIG. 2(d), the actuation of the peeling drive unit causes the pressing surface in the peeling unit 3 to deform beyond the first opposing surface 11, pressing it against the non-adhesive portion of the upper workpiece UW, and then pushing it further in the same direction, forcibly peeling the upper workpiece UW from the adhesive surface of the adhesive portion 2. After peeling the upper workpiece UW from the adhesive surface, the pressing surface deforms in the opposite direction, moving away from the surface of the upper workpiece UW in the Z direction. This action results in the upper and lower workpieces being bonded together. In this way, FIGS. 2(c) and 2(d) can be considered as a vacuum bonding process.

[0030] 2(e), the chamber is then opened to the atmosphere. Meanwhile, a main seal is placed on the lower workpiece LW to surround each element in the matrix—for example, if the workpiece is a liquid crystal glass substrate LCD, the matrix-shaped liquid crystal LC arranged on it—and a separate peripheral seal is placed around the periphery of the substrate to press the entire liquid crystal glass substrate LCD together. The upper and lower chambers are connected, and the upper workpiece UW and lower workpiece LW are bonded together in a vacuum atmosphere. After that, the upper and lower chambers are separated and opened to the atmosphere, and the upper workpiece UW and lower workpiece LW are pressed together by atmospheric pressure, resulting in a strong bond.

[0031] After the upper and lower workpieces have been firmly bonded together in this manner, the upper surface plate UP is moved upward by the drive of the approaching / separating drive unit, as shown in FIG. 2(f).

[0032] In the embodiment shown here, the upper workpiece UW does not come into surface contact with the upper surface plate UP throughout all of the steps shown in Figures 2(a) to 2(f). This is because the workpiece adhesive chuck device A is always present between the upper workpiece UW and the upper surface plate UP. The advantages of this will be explained in more detail by comparing Figures 3 and 7. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the workpiece bonding machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a vacuum atmosphere, and Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a conventional workpiece bonding machine in a vacuum atmosphere.

[0033] In conventional workpiece bonding machines, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper workpiece UW is in surface contact with the upper surface plate UP. This means that when peeling the upper workpiece UW in a vacuum atmosphere, static electricity is generated, attracting the upper workpiece UW and potentially causing unnecessary warping of the upper workpiece UW. Naturally, this could also lead to problems with subsequent bonding to the lower workpiece LW. In contrast, in the workpiece bonding machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper workpiece UW does not come into contact with the upper surface plate UP at all, making static electricity less likely to be generated. The peeling unit 3 smoothly peels the upper workpiece UW, minimizing the risk of warping of the upper workpiece UW, resulting in successful bonding of the upper and lower workpieces. As a result, the relative positioning accuracy when bonding the upper workpiece UW and the lower workpiece LW, which is caused by static electricity, is improved, and defects in the product formed by bonding the upper workpiece UW and the lower workpiece LW, which are caused by static electricity, are improved, making it possible to produce high-quality products with a good yield.

[0034] As explained above, the workpiece adhesive chuck device according to the embodiment of the present invention does not need to be fitted into the upper surface plate, but can simply be attached to the underside of the upper surface plate, eliminating the need for machining the fitting portion of the upper surface plate and reducing costs. Furthermore, the range of materials that can be used for the upper surface plate is broadened. In this embodiment, the upper surface plate is formed from a hard, lightweight material assembled from aluminum profiles, contributing to the weight reduction of the entire device. The weight reduction is achieved by the workpiece adhesive chuck device being a self-adhesive type with a vacuum suction function, but the self-adhesive type also has other advantages in the workpiece bonding machine. This will be explained below.

[0035] (Example of workpiece adhesive chuck device placement) As explained above, the workpiece adhesive chuck device according to the embodiment of the present invention has an integrated structure that includes vacuum suction, adhesive holding, and peeling mechanisms. Unlike conventional devices, the device is not completed by simply fitting the workpiece adhesive chuck device into a surface plate. Therefore, the workpiece adhesive chuck device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be modularized into a single unit, or the positions of multiple workpiece adhesive chuck devices can be selectively rearranged for layout. Due to these characteristics, the workpiece adhesive chuck device according to the embodiment of the present invention can accommodate a variety of situations involving a variety of workpieces.

[0036] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of workpiece arrangement relative to a workpiece adhesive chuck device according to an embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention, viewed from below on an upper surface plate. As shown in FIG. 4, on the underside of the upper surface plate UP, workpiece adhesive chuck devices A are arranged in 10 rows in the vertical direction and 14 columns in the horizontal direction as viewed in the drawing, for a total of 140 workpiece adhesive chuck devices A. This arrangement makes it possible to accommodate large workpieces as in the past. In the illustrated example, 140 workpiece adhesive chuck devices A are shown adsorbing a large glass substrate LCD with vacuum adsorption portions 4 or holding it with adhesive portions 2 in a vacuum atmosphere.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another example of workpiece placement relative to the workpiece adhesive chuck device according to an embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention, viewed from below on the upper surface plate. As shown in FIG. 5 , the workpiece adhesive chuck devices A are arranged in three columns in the vertical direction and three rows in the horizontal direction on the underside of the upper surface plate UP, for a total of nine workpiece adhesive chuck devices A. This arrangement shows each workpiece adhesive chuck device A adsorbing a single glass substrate LCD with its vacuum suction portion 4 or holding it with its adhesive portion 2 in a vacuum atmosphere. In the example shown in FIG. 5 , nine glass substrates, each measuring approximately 100 mm x 100 mm, can be simultaneously held and released. In addition, if the drive systems for each vacuum suction portion and peeling portion of the workpiece bonding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention are configured as separate systems, the workpiece adhesive chuck devices A can be individually controlled, allowing multiple small workpieces to be held and released not only simultaneously but also individually. Furthermore, even if some of the small workpieces arranged on the surface of the platen are missing, the substrate can be reliably held without empty suction. It is not necessary to provide one drive system for each workpiece adhesive chuck device A. For example, if one workpiece is held by four workpiece adhesive chuck devices A, it is sufficient to provide one drive system for every four. In other words, the vacuum suction unit can perform the desired function as long as its drive system is divided at least according to the size of the workpiece to be fixed and held.

[0038] Second Embodiment (Configuration of workpiece adhesive chuck device) As shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the work adhesive chuck device B of the second embodiment of the present invention is a work holding device that adsorbs a thin plate-like upper work UW, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) substrate, using a vacuum adsorption section 4 provided in the center, and then receives the upper work UW by firmly and detachably adhesively holding it through contact with an adhesive section 2 provided on the outside of the vacuum adsorption section 4, and then pushes and deforms a peeling section 3 provided on the outside of the adhesive section 2 toward the upper work UW, thereby pushing and peeling the upper work UW from the adhesive section 2 and handing it over. Such a work adhesive chuck device B is used in a work bonding machine that bonds substrates together, a work transport device that transports substrates, etc. Figure 6(a) shows the upper surface plate UP of the work bonding machine.

[0039] The workpiece adhesive chuck device B according to the second embodiment of the present invention has the same configurations as the adhesive portion 2 and the peeling portion 3 as the workpiece adhesive chuck device A according to the first embodiment, but differs in the configuration of the vacuum suction portion 4. That is, the vacuum suction portion 4 has suction holes 41 but does not have suction pads 42. The area where the suction pads 42 were arranged in the first embodiment is now a second opposing surface 12 that is provided separately from the first opposing surface 11. The first opposing surface 11 and the second opposing surface 12 do not contribute to vacuum suction, adhesion, or peeling. The suction hole 41 may be a circular hole connected to the vacuum pump, or may be a groove formed in the part of the working surface that comes into suction contact with the upper workpiece UW, thereby improving the effectiveness of vacuum suction.

[0040] The vacuum suction action can be achieved by suctioning and holding the upper workpiece UW solely through the suction holes 41 without protruding the peeling portion 3. Alternatively, the peeling portion 3 can be elastically protruded. That is, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the diaphragm bulges downward. Specifically, in the atmosphere, the diaphragm bulges approximately 0.5 mm when air of approximately 0.03 MPa is blown in, and contacts the upper workpiece UW. Note that the illustration is exaggerated. Meanwhile, a vacuum is drawn through the suction holes 41, creating a vacuum in the internal space defined by the diaphragm. Even if the peeling portion 3 subsequently deforms to a position more retracted than the first opposing surface 11 and the second opposing surface 12, or even if it deforms to a position equivalent to the second opposing surface 12, the vacuum suction of the upper workpiece UW is maintained. The workpiece adhesive chuck device B according to the second embodiment has the advantage of eliminating the need for suction pads, making it easier to manufacture.

[0041] The workpiece adhesive chuck device and workpiece bonding machine according to the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes design changes within the scope of the present invention. For example, although the peeling portion has been described as being located on the outside of the adhesive portion, the peeling portion may be located both inside and outside of the adhesive portion. Any previously known configurations of the adhesive portion and the peeling portion may be adopted. As explained in this specification, the fact that the work adhesive chuck device is of a self-adhesive type does not simply mean that the object on which the vacuum suction part is placed has been changed from a surface plate to the work adhesive chuck device, but it should be correctly understood that this is a technically superior and significant feature, as it does not cause surface contact between the surface plate and the work, thereby preventing warping of the substrate and enabling the production of high-performance substrates, and it also allows for a wide variety of usage and placement modes for the work adhesive chuck device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1 Opposite surface 11 First opposing surface 111 Fasteners 112 Upper support plate 113 Lower support plate 12 Second opposing surface 2 Adhesive part 3 Peeling section 4 Vacuum suction part 41 suction holes 42 Suction pad UP upper surface plate LP lower surface plate UW upper work LW Lower work WI board loading tool WT work tray (substrate tray) LCD liquid crystal display (glass substrate)

Claims

1. A member used in a work adhesive chuck device in which a thin plate-like workpiece vacuum-adsorbed under atmospheric pressure is maintained by adhesive holding in a vacuum atmosphere, and then the workpiece is released, and the periphery of the workpiece is opened to the atmosphere, An adhesive part that adhesively holds the workpiece, a release part that releases the adhesively held workpiece, and a vacuum suction part that suction-holds the workpiece under atmospheric pressure are all included in one component. A member for a work adhesive chuck device characterized in that:

2. the adhesive portion, the peeling portion, and the vacuum suction portion are disposed on one surface facing the workpiece, the adhesive portion and the vacuum suction portion are disposed adjacent to each other, The adhesive portion and the peeling portion are disposed adjacent to each other.

2. The member for a workpiece adhesive chuck device according to claim 1.

3. The vacuum suction portion, the adhesive portion, and the peeling portion are arranged concentrically.

2. The member for a workpiece adhesive chuck device according to claim 1.

4. the peeling portion is provided on the outer side of the adhesive portion, The vacuum suction portion is provided inside the adhesive portion.

4. The member for a workpiece adhesive chuck device according to claim 3.

5. The peeling portion peels off the workpiece by elastic deformation.

2. The member for a workpiece adhesive chuck device according to claim 1.

6. The vacuum suction section is vacuum-sucked by a suction pad provided at the outlet of the vacuum suction path.

2. The member for a workpiece adhesive chuck device according to claim 1.

7. A workpiece adhesive chuck device in which a thin plate-like workpiece vacuum-adsorbed under atmospheric pressure is maintained by adhesive holding in a vacuum atmosphere, and then the workpiece is released, and the surroundings of the workpiece are opened to the atmosphere, A plurality of members for a workpiece adhesive chuck device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 are arranged on a surface plate having an opposing surface that is provided so as to be relatively movable in a direction approaching or separating from the workpiece. A workpiece adhesive chuck device characterized by:

8. The workpiece adhesive chuck device is fixed and held so that the workpiece adhesive chuck device member protrudes from the surface of the surface plate.

8. The workpiece adhesive chuck device according to claim 7.

9. The drive system of the vacuum suction unit is divided at least according to the size of the workpiece to be fixed and held.

8. The workpiece adhesive chuck device according to claim 7.

10. The vacuum suction portion performs vacuum suction by utilizing the space generated when the plurality of peeling portions expand.

8. The workpiece adhesive chuck device according to claim 7.

11. The workpiece adhesive chuck device member has an attachment / detachment mechanism, and its position can be changed relative to the surface plate in the workpiece adhesive chuck device.

8. The workpiece adhesive chuck device according to claim 7.

12. The peeling part has an air-driven diaphragm structure.

8. The workpiece adhesive chuck device according to claim 7.

13. A workpiece bonding machine in which a plurality of the workpiece adhesive chuck devices according to claim 7 are provided on either one or both of a pair of opposing surface plates, The workpiece is adhesively held by the adhesive portion of the workpiece adhesive chuck device, and the workpiece is pressed and peeled off from the adhesive portion by a plurality of peeling portions of the workpiece adhesive chuck device provided on one of the pair of surface plates, and is then bonded to another workpiece held on the other surface plate of the pair of surface plates. A workpiece bonding machine characterized by the above.

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