Actuator, workpiece bonding machine, and workpiece bonding method

Abstract

The objective is to provide a workpiece bonding machine and a workpiece bonding method that can solve problems that arise in processes related to workpiece bonding. [Solution] The problem is solved by a work bonding machine comprising a work holding mechanism that separates one or both of a thin plate-shaped workpiece held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, thereby opening the area around the workpiece to the atmosphere, and an actuator that is used by circumferentially arranging actuators along the circumference of the workpiece outer seal and pressing the workpiece outer seal overall, and further comprising a control unit, the control unit performing pressing control to press the workpiece outer seal after the work bonding operation in a vacuum atmosphere and before separating the workpiece.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an actuator used in a substrate bonding machine for bonding another workpiece such as a touch panel, a cover glass, a cover film, or an FPD to a workpiece such as a flat panel display (FPD) such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic EL display (OLED), a plasma display (PDP), a flexible display, or a sensor device, or a liquid crystal module (LCM), a flexible printed wiring board (FPC), etc., such as a touch panel type FPD, a 3D (three-dimensional) display, or an e-book. The present invention also relates to a workpiece bonding machine equipped with the actuator and a workpiece bonding method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of workpiece bonding machine, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a workpiece bonding machine including an upper platen on which an upper workpiece is placed, a lower platen on which a lower workpiece to be bonded to the upper workpiece is placed, a workpiece chuck having an adhesive rubber for fixing the upper workpiece placed on the upper platen using adhesive force, and an adhesive release device for inducing a force in a direction opposite to the adhesive force so that the upper workpiece is detached from the adhesive rubber. The operation of the workpiece bonding machine begins with the upper workpiece being lifted by a vacuum chuck and attached to adhesive rubber on the upper platen. Next, the upper workpiece is detached from the adhesive rubber and brought into contact with the lower workpiece located below by inflating a heating and expansion section in a vacuum atmosphere where the upper and lower chambers are connected. The lower workpiece has, for example, a frame-shaped pattern surrounding the display area of ​​the liquid crystal display, which serves to press the upper and lower workpieces together, and an outer periphery seal to press the entire workpiece together. Figure 1 shows an example of such a workpiece, where the main seal MS is positioned to surround each of the matrix-shaped liquid crystals LC placed on the lower workpiece (liquid crystal glass substrate LCD), and separately, an outer periphery seal (dummy seal DS) is positioned to surround the outer edge of the substrate in order to press the entire liquid crystal glass substrate LCD together. After the upper and lower workpieces are bonded together in a vacuum atmosphere with the upper and lower chambers connected and the chambers separated to open to the atmosphere, the upper and lower workpieces are pressed together by atmospheric pressure and firmly bonded. After the bonded workpieces are removed, each of the matrix is ​​cut, and thereafter the outer seal no longer contributes to the bonding, so the outer seal is also called a dummy seal DS. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a liquid crystal display panel manufacturing apparatus that prevents the occurrence of cell thickness unevenness by deliberately creating a seal path by deforming a part of the outer peripheral seal when exposed to the atmosphere. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-126342 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-170673 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] The operation of the workpiece bonding machine described in Patent Document 1 is such that bonding is achieved by the pressure difference between atmospheric pressure and vacuum when the internal space sealed by the dummy seal DS is opened to the atmosphere while it is in a near-vacuum state. However, in the case of workpieces that undergo heat treatment in a process prior to the workpiece bonding process, warping may occur in the workpiece due to the heat treatment. In the case of workpieces that use multiple dummy seals, the upper workpiece may not reach the dummy seal due to the influence of the surface tension of the main seal and the distance between the dummy seals, or simply due to poor application of the sealing material, which can result in a faulty dummy seal. In such cases, it becomes impossible to form a closed space sealed by the dummy seal DS, and the pressure difference between atmospheric pressure and vacuum is not sufficient when opened to the atmosphere, which can result in a faulty bond in the finished workpiece. No workpiece bonding machine has existed that addresses this issue. The device described in Patent Document 2 deforms the outer periphery seal, but it is unrelated to the technical problem of securing a closed space sealed by the dummy seal DS.

[0005] Furthermore, with the increasing resolution of displays in recent years, the bonding accuracy of two workpieces, an upper and a lower workpiece, is required to be on the order of submicrons, necessitating precise alignment. On the other hand, when separating and bonding one or both of thin plate-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, there is a problem that even slight movement of the base plate due to the separation operation reduces the bonding accuracy.

[0006] The present invention aims to address these problems and provides a workpiece bonding machine and workpiece bonding method that can solve various problems that arise in processes related to workpiece bonding. For example, one objective is to stabilize the movement of the lower platen, which may occur during the upper workpiece separation operation, and to perform high-precision bonding of two workpieces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve this objective, the technical means according to the present invention is a workpiece bonding machine having at least the following configuration.

[0008] A workpiece bonding machine comprising a workpiece holding mechanism that separates one or both of a thin plate-shaped workpiece held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, thereby opening the area around the workpiece to the atmosphere, and an actuator that is used by circumferentially arranging actuators along the circumference of the workpiece outer peripheral seal, and which presses the workpiece outer peripheral seal overall, further comprising a control unit, the control unit being characterized by performing pressing control to press the workpiece outer peripheral seal before separating the workpiece in a vacuum atmosphere.

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

[0010] A workpiece bonding machine comprising a workpiece holding mechanism that separates one or both of thin plate-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, thereby opening the area around the workpieces to the atmosphere, and a second actuator that is arranged circumferentially and used to directly press a lower platen, further comprising a control unit, the control unit being characterized in that it performs pressing control by directly pressing the lower platen with the second actuator at least before separating the workpieces.

[0011] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the technical means according to the present invention is a workpiece bonding method comprising at least the following configuration. A workpiece bonding method comprising at least the steps of peeling off one or both of thin plate-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, and opening the area around the workpieces to the atmosphere, characterized in that it includes at least the step of pressing a seal on the outer circumference of the workpieces before peeling off the workpieces in a vacuum atmosphere.

[0012] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the technical means according to the present invention is a workpiece bonding method comprising at least the following configuration. A workpiece bonding method comprising at least the steps of peeling off one or both of thin sheet-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, and opening the area around the workpieces to the atmosphere, wherein the method includes at least the step of directly pressing a lower platen before peeling off the workpieces. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] Having these characteristics, the present invention provides the following effects. This makes it possible to solve problems that arise in processes related to workpiece bonding. Specifically, one of the objectives is to stabilize the movement of the lower platen during the upper workpiece separation operation by fixing the vibration of the lower platen, thereby enabling high-precision bonding of two workpieces. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional workpiece bonding machine and an example of a liquid crystal glass substrate targeted by the workpiece bonding machine according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing a workpiece bonding machine according to an embodiment, and is a bottom view of the upper platen. [Figure 3] This is a side cross-sectional view showing a part of the actuator and upper platen according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the workpiece bonding operation performed by a workpiece bonding machine according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a liquid crystal glass substrate targeted by the workpiece bonding machine according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing the drive system and other components of a workpiece bonding machine according to an embodiment, and is a bottom view of the upper platen. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing a workpiece bonding machine that prevents the lower platen from wobbling, and is a bottom view of the upper platen. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram showing a work bonding machine that takes into account both poor pressure bonding and prevention of the shaking operation of the lower platen, and is a bottom view of the upper platen.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0015] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, the prerequisite embodiments will be described in detail based on the drawings. (Overall Configuration) As shown in FIG. 2, the work bonding machine according to the embodiment targets a thin plate-like work made of, for example, a substrate such as a liquid crystal glass substrate LCD, adsorbs it by a vacuum chuck, and contacts it with an adhesive portion, thereby firmly and removably adhesively holding and receiving the work. Due to the protruding deformation of the peeling portion directed towards the work, a plurality of work adhesive chuck devices 2 that push and peel off the work from the adhesive portion and transfer it, and a plurality of actuators 1 that are rectangular and press the entire outer peripheral seal of the work are the main components. In addition, the work bonding machine includes an upper platen UP that supports the upper glass substrate ULCD and a lower platen LP that supports the lower glass substrate LLCD. As shown in FIG. 4, the actuator 1 is disposed on the upper platen UP together with a work adhesive chuck device 2 not shown. The lower platen LP is not provided with the work adhesive chuck device 2 or the actuator 1. However, the lower platen LP may also be provided with the work adhesive chuck device 2 or the actuator 1. The upper platen UP and the lower platen LP are platens formed of a hard material such as, for example, metal, ceramic, or hard synthetic resin.

[0016] The work adhesive chuck device 2 mainly has an adhesive surface and a peeling portion. In addition, the work adhesive chuck device 2 is an adhesive sheet in which the whole or a part of it is made of a material having adhesiveness such as, for example, rubbers such as fluorine rubber and butyl rubber, elastomers, photosensitive resins, acrylic-based and silicone-based materials. As shown in FIG. 2, the work adhesive chuck device 2 is formed in a circular frame shape, but in addition, it may be formed in an annular shape such as an ellipse or a frame shape such as a square or polygon.

[0017] The adhesive surface of the workpiece adhesive chuck device 2 is configured to adhere to a portion of the workpiece by contacting it, thereby detachably holding the portion to be adhered. Specifically, by forming an uneven surface during the molding of rubber materials, the contact area of ​​the adhesive surface with the surface of the workpiece is reduced, thereby limiting the adhesive force to facilitate peeling.

[0018] Multiple release sections, not shown, are made up of elastically deformable elastic materials such as rubbers like fluororubber or ethylene propylene diene (EPDM) rubber, elastomers, or soft synthetic resins, and consist of diaphragms or elastic plates with a thin, plate-like elastically deformable surface, such as a circular or rectangular shape. The multiple release sections are arranged to sandwich the inner and outer sides of the adhesive surface and have one or more pressing surfaces facing the workpiece surface. The pressing surfaces are configured to elastically protrude and deform toward the workpiece surface along a direction perpendicular to the workpiece surface. Specific examples of release sections include diaphragms or elastic plates integrally formed or incorporated by compression molding or injection molding. As this is a known function, a detailed explanation is omitted, but according to the release sections of this embodiment, even thin, easily deformable workpieces can be smoothly peeled off with relatively small deflection deformation.

[0019] The workpiece bonding machine includes a drive unit for moving either the upper platen UP or the lower platen LP, or both, closer together or further apart; a drive unit for separating the workpiece from the upper and lower platens using a separation unit; a drive unit for an actuator that presses the outer periphery seal of the workpiece; and a control unit that controls each of these drive systems.

[0020] (Actuator configuration) The actuator that presses the outer periphery seal of the workpiece, which is a characteristic configuration of the embodiment, will now be described. As explained earlier, Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a liquid crystal glass substrate as a workpiece targeted by a conventional workpiece bonding machine, but the liquid crystal glass substrate targeted by the workpiece bonding machine according to the embodiment is generally the same. However, the detailed dimensional settings and arrangement of the outer periphery seal (dummy seal) are special due to the need for optimization of the workpiece bonding machine according to the embodiment and other requirements. In the liquid crystal glass substrate LCD targeted by the workpiece bonding machine according to the embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, a main seal MS is arranged so as to surround each of the matrix-shaped liquid crystals LC, and separately, a dummy seal DS is arranged to surround the outer periphery of the substrate in order to press the entire liquid crystal glass substrate LCD together. As a dimensional setting for optimization of the dummy seal DS, the line width of the dummy seal DS is made smaller than the line width of conventional seals. In addition, in order to make the effective area on the glass substrate that will be used as the material as large as possible in which the matrix-shaped liquid crystals LC can be arranged, the dummy seal DS is arranged in a closed loop shape as close to the edge of the substrate as possible.

[0021] As mentioned above, this embodiment, or even conventional work bonding machines, can smoothly peel off easily deformable thin plate-shaped workpieces with relatively small deflection deformation. However, the problem does not end there. In some cases, the substrate may warp during a process prior to the work bonding process, such as a heat treatment process. Even if the peeling is performed smoothly, the workpiece may be warped after peeling. Therefore, the work bonding machine according to this embodiment is equipped with an actuator that presses the outer periphery seal (dummy seal DS) of the workpiece. Conventionally, the bonding of the upper and lower substrates relied solely on the adhesive force of the sealant. For this reason, the sealant was sometimes applied in slightly larger quantities and with a wider line width. However, if the warping of the substrate is greater than expected, even if more sealant is applied, the necessary bonding will not be achieved unless the upper and lower substrates physically come into contact. Therefore, the dummy seal DS is applied to the area where it is pressed, ensuring that the upper and lower substrates are securely bonded together. Therefore, less sealing material is needed, and the line width of the dummy seal DS can be made smaller than before.

[0022] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a workpiece bonding machine according to an embodiment, and is a bottom view of the upper platen. That is, it is a view of the upper platen UP from below. The upper platen UP is equipped with multiple actuators 1 along with multiple workpiece adhesive chuck devices 2. The actuators 1 are arranged to surround the entire circumference of the liquid crystal glass substrate LCD along the dummy seal DS shown in Figure 1. However, as shown in Figure 2, at the four corners, the position of the actuator 1 is offset vertically in the view of the drawing compared to the positions of the actuators 1 to the left and right of the adjacent actuators 1, in order to avoid the camera hole CH. It is preferable to face the center line of the dummy seal DS, so many actuators 1 are arranged along the center line of the dummy seal DS, but even if some actuators 1 are slightly offset, it is not a significant problem as long as they can contact the dummy seal DS. For this reason, at the location of the camera hole CH, they are arranged to avoid it. It should be noted that even though multiple actuators 1 surround the entire circumference of the liquid crystal glass substrate LCD, a certain distance is provided between each individual separated actuator 1. This is because the rigidity of the glass allows for compression, and therefore, the actuator 1 does not need to be arranged continuously around the entire circumference.

[0023] Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing a part of the actuator and upper platen according to the embodiment. Figure 3(a) shows the actuator 1 configured with a diaphragm 12. As shown in Figure 3(a), the actuator 1 is normally positioned on the upper platen UP such that its pressing surface 11 is flush with the lower surface of the upper platen UP. However, when fluid is injected from the air inlet 13 and the diaphragm 12 presses down on the pressing surface 11, the pressing surface 11 protrudes downward from the upper platen UP and presses against the upper substrate to which the dummy seal DS is applied. The pressing surface 11 is made of conductive PEEK. Conductive PEEK is used because static electricity tends to be generated when pressing, but other materials may be used as long as static electricity countermeasures can be taken. The diaphragm 12 and the pressing surface 11 are joined by fitting or screw fastening. The actuator 1, which utilizes the diaphragm 12, can also be shared with the air drive system that operates the workpiece adhesive chuck device 2, thereby simplifying the drive system.

[0024] Figure 3(b) shows another example of an actuator, in which actuator 1' is composed of a mechanical cylinder 14. As shown in Figure 3(b), actuator 1' is normally positioned on the upper platen UP such that its pressing surface 11 is flush with the lower surface of the upper platen UP. However, when the mechanical cylinder 14, driven by a driving means (not shown), presses down on the pressing surface 11, the pressing surface 11 protrudes downward from the upper platen UP and presses against the upper substrate to which the dummy seal DS is applied. In actuator 1, pressing is achieved by the diaphragm 12 expanding completely, making it difficult to control the stroke limit. However, in actuator 1', either an air-driven system or a motor-driven system can be used for the mechanical cylinder 14, and in particular, the motor-driven system has the advantage of making it easier to control the stroke limit.

[0025] (Regarding the workpiece bonding operation) The workpiece bonding operation by the workpiece bonding machine according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the workpiece bonding operation performed by the workpiece bonding machine according to the embodiment.

[0026] In Figure 4(a), the upper glass substrate ULCD is fixed to the upper platen UP, and the lower glass substrate LLCD is fixed to the lower platen LP. At this time, the atmosphere inside the chamber (not shown) is approximately a vacuum. The lower glass substrate LLCD has a main seal MS applied in a colony-like manner, and a dummy seal DS is applied near the outer edge of the substrate. The main seal MS and dummy seal DS may also be formed on the upper glass substrate ULCD.

[0027] In Figure 4(b), when the upper glass substrate ULCD is separated from the upper base plate UP by a delamination area (not shown), the problems inherent in the upper glass substrate ULCD become apparent. The warping of the edges of the upper glass substrate ULCD, which was caused by the pretreatment, is reproduced by the delamination, and in this state, the dummy seal DS may not be able to bond the upper and lower glass substrates together. In this situation, even if the environment is opened to the atmosphere, a closed space is not formed by the dummy seal DS, and therefore bonding cannot be achieved.

[0028] However, the workpiece bonding machine according to this embodiment is equipped with an actuator 1 that presses the dummy seal DS. As shown in Figure 4(c), by injecting air into the diaphragm and causing the pressing surface 11 to protrude downward, the warped portion of the upper glass substrate ULCD can be brought into physical contact with the lower glass substrate LLCD. The dummy seal DS then effectively contributes to the bonding of the upper and lower substrates.

[0029] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 4(d), when the system is opened to the atmosphere (Atmospheric Open), the upper and lower substrates are compressed by the pressure difference between the internal vacuum space formed by the dummy seal DS and the outside, making the bond between the main seal MS and the dummy seal DS stronger. Specifically, the gap between the upper and lower substrates to which the sealing material is applied was about 100 μm before compression by atmospheric pressure, due to the effects of liquid crystal, etc., but after compression, it becomes about 3 μm, the height restricted by the spacer.

[0030] Incidentally, the warping of the edge of the upper glass substrate UCLD shown in Figure 4(b) was explained as being caused by the effects of pretreatment, but such warping can also occur due to other factors. For example, warping may occur during the bonding process due to the distance to the liquid crystal and main seal MS, and the surface tension of the liquid crystal. The thickness of the sealant before bonding is on the order of 10 μm, while the thickness of the liquid crystal before bonding is about 100 μm. However, because liquid crystal has a large surface tension, the liquid crystal spreads out between the substrates immediately after bonding, and the upper and lower substrates are bonded together with great force. Since the liquid crystal is widely and evenly distributed from the center outwards of the substrate, the upper and lower substrates are bonded together with strong force from the center first. As a result, the peripheral part of the dummy seal DS, which is relatively located on the outside, experiences a delay in the bonding process, and due to the high viscosity of the sealant, it may remain in a warped shape.

[0031] The dummy seal DS tends to warp as it moves away from the main seal MS and the liquid crystal, which poses a significant problem when trying to increase the usable area of ​​the substrate. Conventionally, the only way to deal with this was to minimize the warping that tends to occur in the preceding process or to increase the amount of dummy seal DS applied. However, in this embodiment, the problem can be fundamentally solved because the upper glass substrate ULCD can be physically pressed and brought into contact with the dummy seal DS. In addition, during the application of the sealant by the dispenser, the sealant may be applied in an uneven manner, resulting in variations in the application height. In this application process, the application height may be larger at the beginning and end of the application, which also causes variations in application height.

[0032] Furthermore, substrate warping can also occur due to other factors. In the explanation so far, it has been stated that the dummy seal DS forms an internal enclosed space and achieves bonding of the upper and lower substrates using the pressure difference between vacuum and atmospheric pressure, but the dummy seal DS also has other roles. After the bonding process, the substrate is subjected to other processes, such as immersion in chemicals, and the dummy seal DS also plays a role in protecting the internal components through the space it forms. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a liquid crystal glass substrate that is assumed to be such a substrate and is targeted by the work bonding machine according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, in the liquid crystal LCD' of the other example, in addition to the dummy seal DS positioned near the outer edge of the substrate, a first dummy seal DS1 and a second dummy seal DS2 are arranged in a triple layer relative to the main seal MS positioned in each of the liquid crystal matrix LCs. In the processing after the bonding process, the substrate may be cut into smaller pieces for processing due to the size of the processing apparatus. In that case, even if the outermost dummy seal DS is severed by cutting and fails to achieve its protective function, the protective function of the main seal MS and liquid crystal will be maintained as long as the second dummy seal DS2 or the first dummy seal DS1 is not cut. On the other hand, the distance from the liquid crystal to the outermost dummy seal DS will increase, which may cause warping at the edges of the substrate, as mentioned above. The workpiece bonding machine according to this embodiment can also effectively handle liquid crystal LCD', another example. In this case, the actuator that applies pressure only needs to be provided for the outermost dummy seal DS, and it is not necessary to provide it for the first dummy seal DS1 or the second dummy seal DS2. The reason why actuators are needed is to ensure the formation of a vacuum internal space. That is, when bonding is achieved by differential pressure, the compression by the first dummy seal DS1 and the second dummy seal DS2 will be reliable.

[0033] (Actuator drive system) The actuator drive system will now be explained. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the drive system of the workpiece bonding machine according to the embodiment, and is a bottom view of the upper platen. The actuator is assumed to be a diaphragm-based actuator 1. As mentioned above, the actuator 1, which utilizes a diaphragm 12, can also be shared with the air drive system that operates the workpiece adhesive chuck device 2. In conventional workpiece bonding machines, in order to prevent workpiece deflection during peeling, the air drive system for the workpiece adhesive chuck device 2 was sometimes provided with multiple systems, for example, on the inside and outside, so that the timing of inflating the diaphragm could be varied. Such air drive system design techniques can be easily reused in the workpiece bonding machine according to the embodiment, either as is or with only minor modifications. As shown in Figure 6, the workpiece bonding machine according to this embodiment has three drive systems as an air drive system: a first drive system DR1 for driving the workpiece adhesive chuck device 2, a second drive system DR2 for driving the actuator 1 in the left-right direction as viewed in the drawing, and a third drive system DR3 for driving the actuator 1 in the up-down direction as viewed in the drawing. The gas piping in each system is constructed to be directly connected to the individual diaphragms. However, the piping may be integrated using connectors or block manifolds, or connected together by a so-called gun drill that drills horizontal holes in the upper platen UP. Also, the number of drive systems may be four or more.

[0034] <Note> Earlier, Figure 4 was used to describe a workpiece bonding operation that prevents crimping defects. However, by using the actuator according to this embodiment, it is also possible to solve other problems that arise in processes related to workpiece bonding. This multifaceted invention will be described below. <a1> A workpiece bonding method comprising at least the steps of peeling off one or both of thin sheet-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, and opening the area around the workpieces to the atmosphere, This includes at least a step of pressing the outer periphery seal of the workpiece before performing the workpiece bonding operation in a vacuum atmosphere. A method for bonding workpieces characterized by the following features.

[0035] According to the above configuration, the warping inherent in the workpiece can be corrected by heat treatment or other means, thereby improving the bonding accuracy of the two workpieces.

[0036] <a2> Furthermore, during the workpiece bonding operation in a vacuum atmosphere, the outer periphery seal of the workpiece is pressed. A method for bonding workpieces as described in A1, characterized by the features described above.

[0037] According to the above configuration, it is possible to correct the warping of the workpiece and perform high-quality workpiece bonding without causing poor bonding.

[0038] <a3> A workpiece bonding machine comprising a workpiece holding mechanism that separates one or both of thin plate-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, thereby opening the area around the workpieces to the atmosphere, and an actuator that is used by circumferentially positioning the actuator along the circumference of the workpiece outer periphery seal, and which presses the workpiece outer periphery seal overall, Furthermore, it includes a control unit, The control unit performs pressing control to press the outer periphery seal of the workpiece before performing the workpiece bonding operation in a vacuum atmosphere. A workpiece bonding machine characterized by the following features.

[0039] According to the above configuration, a workpiece bonding machine can be provided that can correct the warping of workpieces and perform high-quality workpiece bonding without causing bonding defects.

[0040] <a4> The control unit performs pressing control to press the outer periphery seal of the workpiece during the workpiece bonding operation in a vacuum atmosphere. A workpiece bonding machine as described in A3, characterized by the features described above.

[0041] According to the above configuration, a workpiece bonding machine can be provided that can correct the warping of the workpiece and perform high-quality workpiece bonding without causing bonding defects.

[0042] <b1> A workpiece bonding method comprising at least the steps of peeling off one or both of thin sheet-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, and opening the area around the workpieces to the atmosphere, This process includes at least a step of pressing the outer periphery seal of the workpiece before peeling the workpiece in a vacuum atmosphere. A method for bonding workpieces characterized by the following features.

[0043] To explain the behavior around the lower workpiece, whether the lower workpiece is placed directly on the lower platen or via a substrate plate, the lower workpiece rarely shifts away from the lower platen. This is because the contact area between these two or three components is large, and sufficient frictional force acts between them. On the other hand, the lower platen, which is connected to the machine frame, has a moving mechanism and some play in the equipment, so very slight wobbling may occur. However, with the above configuration, the wobbling of the lower platen that may occur during the upper workpiece separation operation is fixed, stabilizing the operation during upper workpiece separation and improving the alignment accuracy of the two workpieces.

[0044] <b2> A workpiece bonding machine comprising a workpiece holding mechanism that separates one or both of thin plate-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, thereby opening the area around the workpieces to the atmosphere, and an actuator that is used by circumferentially positioning the actuator along the circumference of the workpiece outer periphery seal, and which presses the workpiece outer periphery seal overall, Furthermore, it includes a control unit, The control unit performs pressing control to press the outer periphery seal of the workpiece before peeling the workpiece in a vacuum atmosphere. A workpiece bonding machine characterized by the following features.

[0045] According to the above configuration, it is possible to fix the vibration of the lower platen that may occur during the upper workpiece separation operation, stabilize the operation during the upper workpiece separation, and provide a workpiece bonding machine that can perform high-precision alignment of two workpieces.

[0046] Furthermore, the following inventions can be cited as ways to prevent the lower platen from wobbling. <c1> A workpiece bonding method comprising at least the steps of peeling off one or both of thin sheet-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, and opening the area around the workpieces to the atmosphere, The process includes at least a step of directly pressing the lower platen before removing the workpiece. A method for bonding workpieces characterized by the following features.

[0047] <c2> The workpiece bonding method according to C1, characterized in that the step of directly pressing the lower platen is performed by directly pressing the holding plate without using a glass substrate.

[0048] <c3> Furthermore, the lower platen continues to press down even during the workpiece bonding operation in a vacuum atmosphere. A workpiece bonding method according to C1 or C2, characterized by the above.

[0049] <c4> Furthermore, the pressure of the lower platen is maintained even when the workpiece is being detached. A workpiece bonding method according to C3, characterized by the features described herein.

[0050] <c5> A workpiece bonding machine comprising a workpiece holding mechanism that separates one or both of thin sheet-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, and then opens the area around the workpieces to the atmosphere, and a second actuator that is arranged around the circumferential direction and directly presses against a lower platen, Furthermore, it includes a control unit, The control unit performs pressing control by directly pressing the lower platen with the second actuator before peeling off the workpiece. A workpiece bonding machine characterized by the following features.

[0051] <c6> Furthermore, even during the workpiece bonding operation in a vacuum atmosphere, the second actuator is used to maintain pressure on the lower platen through pressure control. A workpiece bonding machine as described in C5, characterized by the features described herein.

[0052] <c7> Furthermore, when detaching the workpiece, the second actuator is used to maintain pressure on the lower platen through pressure control. A workpiece bonding machine as described in C6, characterized by the features described herein.

[0053] <c1> ~ <c7>To illustrate the invention in detail, Figure 7 is shown. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a workpiece bonding machine that prevents vibration of the lower platen, and is a bottom view of the upper platen. That is, it is a view of the upper platen UP from below. The upper platen UP is equipped with multiple second actuators 1' along with multiple workpiece adhesive chuck devices 2. The second actuators 1' are arranged circumferentially around the outside of the liquid crystal glass substrate LCD. In this example, multiple separate actuators are arranged, but the second actuators 1' may be linear in shape or rectangular in shape surrounding the glass substrate LCD. With such a configuration, vibration of the lower platen that may occur during the upper workpiece peeling operation can be fixed, and the operation during upper workpiece peeling can be made more stable. The second actuators 1' are also composed of actuator 1, or a diaphragm or a mechanical cylinder, similar to actuator 1'. In the configuration of Figure 7, it is not possible to adequately address poor bonding caused by warping of the workpiece or uneven sealing amount of the outer peripheral seal, but there are workpieces for which poor bonding is not a problem, so this configuration can be said to be an invention specifically for preventing vibration of the lower platen.

[0054] moreover, <c1> ~ <c7>The invention may be provided with modified or additional configurations. For example, <c1> ~ <c3>Regarding the invention, if the pressing means is driven rapidly in the initial stage of the process of directly pressing the lower platen, it may actually cause a shift in the relative position (relative position in the alignment direction) between the upper and lower platens. To avoid this, if the second actuator 1' is composed of a diaphragm or an air-driven mechanical cylinder, it is advisable to introduce the following control process (a) or (b) in the initial stage of the pressing process. (a) A process in which the pressing force is gradually increased by flow control means such as a speed controller, so as not to press the surface plate down abruptly. (b) A two-stage pressing process using an electro-pneumatic regulator (or GAP control) to lightly press before the final fine-tuning, press while tuning, and then firmly press to secure after tuning is complete.

[0055] Also, <c5> ~ <c7>Regarding the invention, as an example of how it can handle workpieces with poor compression due to warping of the workpiece or uneven sealing amount of the outer peripheral seal, it is also effective to arrange actuator 1 in combination with the second actuator 1'. An example of using two actuator systems in combination in this way is shown in Figure 8. Compared to the configuration shown in Figure 7, that is, the configuration equipped with a second actuator 1' that directly presses the lower platen, this configuration adds actuator 1 that presses the outer peripheral seal of the workpiece as a whole.

[0056] Also, <c5> ~ <c7>Regarding the invention, the second actuator 1' may be positioned on the upper platen so as to directly press against the lower platen on the outside of the glass substrate, or it may be positioned so as to press against the side of the lower platen, or so as to press against the back surface of the lower platen. In particular, if the second actuator 1' is configured as a motor-driven mechanical cylinder and is positioned so as to press against the back surface of the lower platen, the vibration of the lower platen can be suppressed without applying pressure to the lower platen by utilizing the brake or locking mechanism of the motor that drives the mechanical cylinder.

[0057] Furthermore, if the second actuator 1' is configured as an air-driven mechanical cylinder, the movement of the cylinder rod can be locked by a lock cylinder mechanism, thereby suppressing the wobbling of the lower platen without pressurizing the platen. When the second actuator 1' is a lock cylinder mechanism, the drive of the piston that locks the cylinder rod can be (1) air + spring (single-acting), (2) air (double-acting), (3) diaphragm + air (vacuum), or (4) electric actuator (motor).

[0058] Although the actuators and workpiece bonding machines according to the embodiments have been described in detail above, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention is included even if the design is modified as appropriate. For example, although the example of an adhesive chuck was described as the workpiece holding mechanism, the problem of dummy seal failure occurs in common with electrostatic chucks and suction plates that utilize differential pressure, so the present invention can be applied to them as well. Furthermore, regarding the arrangement of actuators, instead of using multiple separated actuators, linear actuators may be arranged, or they may be arranged in a rectangular shape. As described herein, conventional methods have been devised to ensure that the outer peripheral seal (dummy seal) makes reliable contact so that bonding in an open atmosphere can be achieved. However, it should be correctly recognized that the present invention is a broad technical concept that allows for situations in which the outer peripheral seal (dummy seal) is formed in a way that prevents contact, and overcomes the problems associated with such situations using an actuator. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1. Actuator (Actuator for pressing the outer perimeter seal of the workpiece) 1' Actuator (Actuator for pressing the outer edge seal of the workpiece) 1' Second actuator (actuator for pressing the lower platen) 11 Pressing surface 12 diaphragms 13 Air inlet 14 Mechanical Cylinder 2. Workpiece adhesive chuck device UP upper surface plate LP lower surface plate ULCD glass substrate LLCD lower glass substrate MS Main Seal DS Dummy Seal (Outer Edge Seal) DS1 First Dummy Seal DS2 Second Dummy Sticker DR1 First drive system DR2 Second drive system DR3 Third Drive System < / c5> < / c5> < / c1> < / c1> < / c1>

Claims

1. A workpiece bonding machine comprising a workpiece holding mechanism that separates one or both of thin plate-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, thereby opening the area around the workpieces to the atmosphere, and an actuator that is used by circumferentially positioning the actuator along the circumference of the workpiece outer periphery seal, and which presses the workpiece outer periphery seal overall, Furthermore, it includes a control unit, The control unit performs pressing control to press the outer periphery seal of the workpiece before peeling the workpiece in a vacuum atmosphere. A workpiece bonding machine characterized by the following features.

2. A workpiece bonding machine comprising a workpiece holding mechanism that separates one or both of thin sheet-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, and then opens the area around the workpieces to the atmosphere, and a second actuator that is arranged around the circumferential direction and directly presses against a lower platen, Furthermore, it includes a control unit, The control unit performs pressing control by directly pressing the lower platen with the second actuator before peeling off the workpiece. A workpiece bonding machine characterized by the following features.

3. Furthermore, even during the workpiece bonding operation in a vacuum atmosphere, the second actuator is used to maintain pressure on the lower platen through pressure control. The workpiece bonding machine according to feature 2.

4. Furthermore, when detaching the workpiece, the second actuator is used to maintain pressure on the lower platen through pressure control. The workpiece bonding machine according to feature 3.

5. A workpiece bonding method comprising at least the steps of peeling off one or both of thin sheet-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, and opening the area around the workpieces to the atmosphere, This process includes at least a step of pressing the outer periphery seal of the workpiece before peeling the workpiece in a vacuum atmosphere. A method for bonding workpieces characterized by the following features.

6. A workpiece bonding method comprising at least the steps of peeling off one or both of thin sheet-shaped workpieces held by a pair of holding plates in a vacuum atmosphere, and opening the area around the workpieces to the atmosphere, The process includes at least a step of directly pressing the lower platen before removing the workpiece. A method for bonding workpieces characterized by the following features.

7. The workpiece bonding method according to claim 6, characterized in that the step of directly pressing the lower platen is performed by directly pressing the holding plate without using a glass substrate.

8. Furthermore, the lower platen continues to press down even during the workpiece bonding operation in a vacuum atmosphere. The workpiece bonding method according to claim 6 or 7.

9. Furthermore, the pressure of the lower platen is maintained even when the workpiece is being detached. The workpiece bonding method according to feature 8.

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