Crimping and joining device

Abstract

The present invention provides a press-bonding apparatus for liquid crystal display elements that can suppress heat conduction to the liquid crystal display elements during ACF heat-compression bonding, thereby improving quality and reducing labor costs. [Solution] The crimping device comprises a crimping stage 5 that supports an image display element 1, a pressure head 7 that joins a component (circuit board 2) to the image display element 1 by thermocompression, a fluid delivery unit (air blower unit 9) that delivers a cooling fluid (gas), and a flow passage (recess 8) that allows the fluid delivered from the fluid delivery unit to flow toward the display area of ​​the image display element 1. A heat conductive member 6 having higher thermal conductivity than the crimping stage 5 is placed on the crimping stage 5, one end of the heat conductive member 6 is placed near the image display element 1, and the other end of the heat conductive member 6 is exposed inside the flow passage.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure bonding apparatus used for manufacturing image display elements, and particularly to a pressure bonding apparatus that bonds a flexible printed circuit (FPC) to an image display element by thermocompression via an anisotropic conductive film (hereinafter referred to as "ACF"). [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, thermocompression bonding using ACF has been widely used as a method for bonding a flexible printed circuit (hereinafter referred to as "FPC") to an image display element such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic electroluminescence panel (organic EL panel). In this bonding method, the image display element and the FPC are electrically and mechanically bonded together by applying a constant pressure to the ACF disposed between the image display element and the FPC while heating the ACF at a constant temperature.

[0003] In the pressure bonding apparatus according to such a bonding method, the FPC is pressed against the image display element by a heated pressure bonding head. At this time, the heat of the pressure bonding head is transferred to the image display element through heat conduction, which may deteriorate members constituting the image display element (liquid crystal, alignment film, etc.). In order to prevent this, pressure bonding apparatuses that cool the image display element by supplying a cooling gas to the image display element have been proposed. (See, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2) [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-211401 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2020-166104 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] In conventional crimping devices, even if the image display element is cooled by supplying cooling gas to it, heat is easily transferred to the entire substrate, especially when the image display element is made of a substrate with high thermal conductivity (e.g., silicon), which can cause deterioration of components placed on the substrate (liquid crystal, alignment film, color filter, light-emitting layer, etc.). In other words, there is a problem that the heat from the crimping head can damage the image display element.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a crimping and bonding apparatus that can reduce damage to image display elements caused by the heat of the crimping head. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A crimping and joining apparatus comprising: a crimping stage for supporting an image display element; a pressure head for joining components to the image display element by thermocompression; a fluid delivery unit for delivering a cooling fluid; and a flow passage for circulating the fluid delivered from the fluid delivery unit toward the display area of ​​the image display element, wherein a heat conductive member having higher thermal conductivity than the crimping stage is arranged on the crimping stage, one end of the heat conductive member is positioned near the image display element, and the other end of the heat conductive member is exposed inside the flow passage.

[0008] The heat conductive member may be a crimping device in which one end is positioned to be in contact with the image display element.

[0009] The one end of the heat conductive member may be a crimping device positioned directly below the portion of the image display panel to which the component is joined.

[0010] The one end of the heat conductive member may be a crimping device positioned directly below the portion of the image display panel opposite to the portion to which the component is joined.

[0011] The other end of the heat conductive member may be a crimping device positioned to face the fluid delivery section.

[0012] The surface of the other end of the heat conductive member may be a crimping device having an uneven shape.

[0013] The other end of the heat conductive member may be a crimping device having a through hole.

[0014] The heat conductive member may be configured to be in an adjustable position relative to the crimping stage in a crimping and joining device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce damage to the image display element caused by the heat of the crimping head. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a side view of the crimping device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2(a)] This is a side view of the crimping device in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 2(b)] This is a side view showing a modified example of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a side view of the crimping device in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the figures. [Examples]

[0018] FIG. 1 is a side view of the pressure bonding apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the pressure bonding apparatus 12 according to Embodiment 1 includes a pressure bonding stage that supports an image display element 1, and a pressure bonding head 7 that presses a circuit board (FPC) 2 against the image display element 1. The image display element 1 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel in which liquid crystal is sealed between a first substrate 3 made of silicon and a second substrate 4 made of glass. The image display element 1 is placed on the upper surface of the pressure bonding stage 5 with the first substrate 3 facing downward, and in this state, the circuit board 2 is bonded to electrode terminals provided on the first substrate 3 via an ACF. A recess 8 is formed in the pressure bonding stage 5. When pressure-bonding the liquid crystal display element 1 and the circuit board 2 via the ACF, the liquid crystal display element 1 is placed on the upper surface of the pressure bonding stage 5 such that the recess 8 faces the pixel region (display area) of the liquid crystal display element 1. An air blowing unit 9 is provided on the bottom surface of the recess 8, and gas such as air or nitrogen is sent from the air blowing unit 9 toward the pixel region of the liquid crystal display element 1. The air blowing unit 9 is configured of, for example, a blower such as a fan, or an injection nozzle connected via a pipe to an externally installed gas supply device. The temperature of the gas sent from the air blowing unit 9 is, for example, room temperature or lower. When the temperature of the gas sent from the air blowing unit 9 is lower than the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere, the gas is relatively heavy and therefore easily stays inside the recess 8. Furthermore, since the recess 8 is closed by the liquid crystal display element 1 placed on the pressure bonding stage 5, the gas easily stays inside the recess 8.

[0019] In the crimping stage 5, a plate-shaped heat conductive member 6 with high thermal conductivity is arranged so as to extend in the vertical direction. The heat conductive member 6 is made of a material (such as aluminum or copper) that has a higher thermal conductivity (for example, 200 W / m·K or higher) than the material constituting the main body of the crimping stage 5. The upper end of the heat conductive member 6 is arranged to be in contact with the liquid crystal display element 1 directly below the crimping portion where the circuit board 2 is crimped to the liquid crystal display element 1, and the lower end of the heat conductive member 6 is arranged to extend into the interior of the crimping stage 5. The upper end of the heat conductive member 6 is preferably arranged to be in contact with the liquid crystal display element 1, but may be arranged slightly spaced apart from the liquid crystal display element 1. That is, the upper end of the heat conductive member 6 only needs to be arranged in the vicinity of the liquid crystal display element 1. In addition, a part of the side surface of the heat conductive member 6 is exposed inside the recess 8. That is, a part of the side surface of the heat conductive member 6 is exposed inside the gas flow path from the air blowing unit 9 toward the pixel region of the liquid crystal display element 1.

[0020] Heat generated from the crimping head 7 is sequentially transferred to the upper end of the heat conductive member 6 via the circuit board, the ACF, and the first substrate 3, then diffuses from there into the gas sent from the air blowing unit 9 via the side surface of the heat conductive member 6 exposed inside the recess 8, and also diffuses into the interior of the crimping stage 5 via the lower end of the heat conductive member 6. Owing to these arrangements, heat generated from the crimping head 7 is less likely to be transferred to the pixel region of the liquid crystal display element 1. In particular, since the heat conductive member 6 is in contact with the gas sent from the air blowing unit 9, the heat dissipation effect is enhanced. [Example]

[0021] Figure 2(a) is a side view of a crimping device in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2(a), in Embodiment 2, a plate-shaped heat conductive member 10 is arranged so as to straddle both the left and right ends of the recess 8 of the crimping stage 5. Both the left and right ends of the heat conductive member 10 are positioned to be dropped into stepped portions provided on the outer circumference of the recess 8 of the crimping stage 5. The lateral central portion of the heat conductive member 10 is positioned to be spaced apart from the bottom surface of the crimping stage 5 and the lower surface of the image display element 1, respectively. That is, the central portion of the heat conductive member 10 is exposed inside the recess 8. Furthermore, the right end of the heat conductive member 10 is positioned to contact the first substrate 3 directly below the crimping portion of the liquid crystal display element 1, while the left end of the heat conductive member 10 is positioned so as not to contact the first substrate 3 of the liquid crystal display element 1.

[0022] The heat generated from the crimping head 7 is transferred sequentially through the circuit board 2, ACF, and first substrate 3 to the right end of the heat conductive member 10. From there, it further diffuses into the gas blown out from the air blower 9 via the central part of the heat conductive member 10 exposed inside the recess 8, and also diffuses into the interior of the crimping stage 5 via the left end of the heat conductive member 10. Furthermore, since a gap is formed between the central part of the heat conductive member 10 and the lower surface of the liquid crystal display element 1, heat is not directly transferred from the heat conductive member 10 to the pixel area of ​​the liquid crystal display element 1. As a result, the heat generated from the crimping head 7 is less likely to be transferred to the pixel area of ​​the liquid crystal display element 1. In particular, since the heat conductive member 10 is positioned facing the air blower 9 inside the recess 8, a higher heat dissipation effect is obtained than in Example 1.

[0023] Figure 2(b) is a side view showing a modified example of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Note that in Figure 2(b), only the area around the heat conduction member 10 is shown; the rest of the structure is the same as in Figure 2(a) and is therefore omitted from the illustration. As shown in Figure 2(b), in the modified example of Embodiment 2, a grid-like or linear uneven shape is formed on the lower surface of the heat conduction member 10. This increases the surface area of ​​the heat conduction member 10 that is air-cooled by the gas blown out from the air blower 9, thereby enhancing the heat dissipation effect from the crimping head 7. Furthermore, as another means of increasing the surface area of ​​the heat conduction member 10, for example, a plurality of through holes penetrating vertically may be formed in the heat conduction member 10. Forming such through holes in the heat conduction member 10 not only increases the surface area of ​​the heat conduction member 10, but also allows a portion of the gas blown out from the air blower 9 to be directly supplied to the lower surface of the image display element 1. [Examples]

[0024] Figure 3 is a side view of a crimping device in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, in Embodiment 3, a substantially block-shaped heat conductive member 11 is positioned on the side of the image display element 1 opposite the crimping portion, with the recess 8 of the crimping stage 5 in between. The upper surface of the heat conductive member 11 is configured as a support surface that supports the left end of the image display element 1 (the end opposite the crimping portion), and a part of it is provided with an adsorption hole 11a for vacuum adsorption of the image display element 1. In addition, a part of the side surface of the heat conductive member 11 is exposed inside the recess 8.

[0025] The heat generated from the crimping head 7 is transferred to the heat conductive member 11 via the circuit board 2, ACF, and first substrate 3 in sequence, and then diffuses into the interior and surrounding area of ​​the heat conductive member 11. In the configuration of Embodiment 3, the heat generated from the crimping head 7 temporarily passes through the pixel area of ​​the image display element 1, but if the heat dissipation capacity of the heat conductive member 11 is high, the temperature rise of the image display element 1 can be suppressed.

[0026] As the material for the heat conductive member 11, aluminum, copper, ceramics, resin, SUS, etc., can be used. It is desirable that their thermal conductivity be higher than, for example, 0.38 W / m·K. The heat conductive member 11 may also be configured to move laterally toward and toward the crimping stage 5. In this configuration, the temperature rise of the image display element 1 can be effectively suppressed by appropriately adjusting the width of the recess 8 (for example, making the width narrower than 7.5 mm) or appropriately adjusting the contact area between the first substrate 3 and the heat conductive member 11 (for example, increasing the contact area).

[0027] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can take various other forms. For example, the air blower 9 can be replaced with a configuration that delivers other cooling fluids such as liquid. Also, the image display element is not limited to liquid crystal panels or organic EL panels, but may be other image display elements. Furthermore, the component crimp-bonded to the image display element is not limited to a flexible printed circuit board (FPC), but may be other component such as an integrated circuit board (IC). In addition, the component crimp-bonded to the image display element may be crimp-bonded to the image display element via a bonding member other than the ACF. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1. Liquid crystal display element 2. Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPC) 3 First board 4 Second board 5 Crimping Stage 6. Heat conductive material 7 Crimping head 8 recesses 9. Air blower 10 Heat conductive material 11 Heat conductive material 11a Adsorption hole 12 Crimping and joining device

Claims

1. A crimping stage that supports the image display element, A pressure head for joining components to the image display element by thermocompression bonding, A fluid discharge unit that delivers cooling fluid, A crimping device comprising a flow passage for circulating the fluid discharged from the fluid discharge unit toward the display area of ​​the image display element, A heat conductive member having higher thermal conductivity than the crimping stage is placed on the crimping stage. One end of the heat conductive member is positioned near the image display element. The other end of the heat conductive member is exposed inside the flow passage. A crimping and joining device characterized by the following features.

2. The crimping device according to claim 1, characterized in that one end of the heat conductive member is arranged to be in contact with the image display element.

3. The crimping device according to claim 1, characterized in that one end of the heat conductive member is positioned directly below the portion of the image display panel to which the component is joined.

4. The crimping device according to claim 1, characterized in that one end of the heat conductive member is positioned directly below the portion of the image display panel opposite to the portion to which the component is joined.

5. The crimping device according to claim 1, characterized in that the other end of the heat conductive member is arranged to face the fluid delivery section.

6. The crimping device according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface of the other end of the heat conductive member has an uneven shape.

7. The crimping device according to claim 1, characterized in that the other end of the heat conductive member has a through hole.

8. The crimping and joining apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat conductive member is configured to be adjustable in position relative to the crimping stage.

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