Novel materials and hardware for automatically cleaning flexible electronic circuit web rolls

Abstract

The new material and device can remove small defects from long rolls of flexible electronic circuit material while they are in continuous motion. The cleaning material is designed to remove small particles without transferring defects or damaging the flexible electronic circuit. The device generally consists of a variable-speed, motor-driven cylinder mounted on a movable bracket. The cylinder can adapt the speed of the cleaning material so that it always contacts the web roll being cleaned. The bracket can rotate, thus allowing the same material to be used more than once. A separate material is used to remove debris from the cleaning material. A similar device, also consisting of a movable motor-driven cylinder, is used to apply a debris-removing film to the cleaning film, allowing the cleaning film to be used multiple times. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] 〔Priority Claim / Related Applications〕 This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 120 and 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 634,545, filed on February 23, 2018, entitled "Novel Material And Hardware To Automatically Clean Flexible Electronic Web Rolls", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to novel materials and hardware that are integrated into roll-to-roll manufacturing systems and can be used to clean the working surfaces of web film rolls used to manufacture various items and products, including, for example, flexible electronic circuits and other similar applications including organic LEDs (OLEDs), display panels, and photovoltaic devices.

Background Art

[0003] Flexible electronic circuits, also known as flex circuits, are a technology for assembling electronic circuits by mounting electronic devices on flexible web substrates such as polyimide, PEEK, or transparent conductive polyester films. In addition, flex circuits can be silver circuits screen-printed on polyester sheets or other similar flexible sheets. With lower manufacturing costs and the ability to flex compared to conventional silicon-based devices, this technology enables many computer and display applications. For example, this technology can also be used to produce solar cells and LED lighting panels. This processing method is known as roll-to-roll processing, web processing, reel-to-reel processing, or R2R processing.

[0004] To mass-produce flexible electronic circuits at low cost and in large quantities, manufacturers are developing roll-to-roll technology that provides in-line processing of wide and long rolls up to 1m wide and 2000m long. While manufacturers exist that can produce these material rolls, the manufacturing process leaves small defects ranging from 0.5 to 250 microns on the surface of the material.

[0005] Various stages within the device manufacturing process also generate defects on the working surface of the web material. These defects from the roll manufacturing and device manufacturing processes can hinder device processing and lead to a low overall yield of working devices from the rolls of flexible electronic circuits.

[0006] Removing these very small defects from the surface of flexible electronic circuit web rolls is difficult. They are tightly bonded by electrostatic forces, particularly van der Waals forces, which are too strong to overcome by conventional cleaning techniques such as rinsing. Solvent-based cleaning solutions can damage the device and cannot be used effectively.

[0007] While it is possible to clean the surface of a flexible electronic circuit web using an adhesive roll, the rapid accumulation of defects on the adhesive roll will render it ineffective very quickly. Furthermore, most adhesives are excessively sticky, damaging the surface or transferring some material to the flexible electronic circuit web roll. Such transfers also result in yield loss, reducing the number of actuators generated on the surface of the flexible electronic circuit roll. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0008] [Non-Patent Document 1] pdfs.semanticscholar.org / 1eb5 / d0be006ae57dfeb0cbaa8ac4ec1a56c59a19.pdf [Non-Patent Document 2] inpressco.com / wp-content / uploads / 2015 / 10 / Paper653457-3462.pdf [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] Cleaning systems for flexible electronic circuit webs using single or double rollers certainly exist today. Figure 5 shows an example of a commercially available cleaning system using rollers. The roller (16) is made of adhesive material, typically silicone. This material is cleaned by a roll (15) of adhesive tape, which can be discarded periodically. However, the silicone roller (16) must repeatedly come into contact with the roll 15 being cleaned. In addition, the small cleaning surface area is repeatedly in contact with the long material roll. Cleaning must be stopped to replace the adhesive cleaning roll, and therefore there is a significant trade-off between cleanliness and line downtime. With a buildup of larger particles on the adhesive tape, it will no longer effectively clean the roller. Similarly, this technique does not adequately remove small particles due to the electrostatic coupling of small particles discussed above. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] Therefore, there is a need in this field for a novel cleaning material that can remove defects from the surface of flexible electronic circuit rolls without adhesion or material transfer. There is also a need for a device that allows this material to be continuously stretched when long flexible electronic circuit rolls are stretched throughout the manufacturing process. There is also a need for another material that can remove defects / debris from the cleaning material and therefore can be used multiple times on very long material rolls, and there is a need for a device that attaches a defect removal sheet to the cleaning sheet.

[0011] Some embodiments are illustrated as examples and are not limited by the drawings in the accompanying drawings, where the same reference numeral may indicate the same element. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of an example of a cleaning material and positioning device according to various embodiments. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of an example of a cleaning device according to various embodiments described herein. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of a cleaning material used to clean a flexible roll according to various embodiments described herein. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of a cleaning material used to remove defects from the cleaning material according to various embodiments described herein. [Figure 5] This is a diagram of an existing cleaning system consisting of a cleaning roller having a second material roll used to clean the roller. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The disclosure of the present invention is particularly applicable to cleaning systems and methods for roll-to-roll manufacturing systems for flexible electronic circuits, as disclosed in the drawings and described below together with specific cleaning structures, and the disclosure of the present invention will be described in this context. However, it will be acknowledged that the cleaning systems and methods can be used in other manufacturing applications where it is desirable that the system can be effectively cleaned. For example, the cleaning systems and methods can be used in conjunction with roll-to-roll processing systems and methods that can be used, for example, to perform nanoimprint photolithography or to manufacture solar cells such as flexible polymer solar cells, perovskite solar cells, organic solar cells, etc. The cleaning systems and methods can also be used to clean flexible web rolls for automotive applications, which are thought to involve various requirements for constructing different types of stackable battery configurations using roll-to-roll technology. The cleaning systems and methods can also be used to clean flexible web rolls for biomechanical applications, where cleanliness and defect control are critical for roll-to-roll manufacturing of various wearable technologies in which electronic and mechanical devices are integrated, printed, or embossed onto various fabrics and flexible substrates that can be worn on the skin, as well as wearable pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, the cleaning system and method can also clean roll-to-roll systems used to manufacture display products such as flexible AMOLED (Active Matrix Light Emitting Diode) displays, which can be used in next-generation flex display phones, for example.Furthermore, the cleaning systems and methods can be used in roll-to-roll fabrication methods for flexible circuits, examples of which are described in pdfs.semanticscholar.org / 1eb5 / d0be006ae57dfeb0cbaa8ac4ec1a56c59a19.pdf and inpressco.com / wp-content / uploads / 2015 / 10 / Paper653457-3462.pdf, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0014] The terms used herein are intended solely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit them. When used herein, the terms “and / or” include any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant enumerated items. When used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include both singular and plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. When used herein, the terms “comprise” and / or “comprising” indicate the presence of the described features, stages, operations, elements, and / or components, but it will be further understood that this does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, stages, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0015] Unless otherwise specified, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the same meaning as in the context of the relevant art and the disclosure of the present invention, and it will be further understood that they should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.

[0016] It will be understood that several techniques and steps are disclosed in order to describe the embodiments. Each of these steps and techniques has its own advantages, and each can be used in conjunction with one or more, or possibly all, of the other techniques disclosed. Therefore, for clarity, this specification does not unnecessarily repeat all possible combinations of the individual steps. Nevertheless, this specification and the claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the disclosures and claims of the present invention.

[0017] Novel cleaning materials, devices, apparatus, and methods for positioning cleaning materials for roll-to-roll web sheet manufacturing are discussed herein. For illustrative purposes, many specific details are listed in the following description to provide a complete understanding. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be carried out without these specific details. The disclosure of the present invention is to be considered illustrative and not intended to limit the disclosure of the present invention to the specific embodiments shown in the following drawings or description.

[0018] Web material cleaning systems, devices, and methods are described below with reference to accompanying drawings illustrating one or more embodiments. Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of a cleaning material and positioning device according to various embodiments. In various embodiments, a device 100 for cleaning a flexible web roll 1 has a device 101 comprising at least two winding cylinders 31, 32 that pass a cleaning material 2 over an additional cylinder 4 and bring it into contact with the material 1 to be cleaned. In the example of Figure 1, cylinder 31 may be a source cylinder from which the cleaning material is unwound, and cylinder 32 may be a winding cylinder from which the cleaning material is wound after a portion of it has been used to clean the flexible web roll 1. Device 100 may be known as a mobile cleaning device. In one embodiment, the direction of movement of the cleaning material 2 is the same as the direction of movement of the material 1 to be cleaned, as shown by the arrows in Figure 1. The material 1 may be supported by another cylinder 6, as shown in Figure 1. In another embodiment not shown in Figure 1, the material 1 to be cleaned can be stretched relative to the material 2 to be cleaned, and the material 2 to be cleaned passes over the roller 4 without support cylinders. The cylinders 31 and 32 can be driven by variable-speed motors that can be synchronized so that the speed and direction of the material 2 to be cleaned is substantially similar to the speed of movement of the material 1. In this embodiment, the motors of cylinders 31 and 32 can rotate in either direction. Linear arrows show examples of the directions of movement of the web 1 and the material 2 to be cleaned during the cleaning process.

[0019] In this embodiment, cylinders 31 and 32 are supported by a movable bracket 5 that transmits power to a motor. The bracket 5 can move out of the face of the web 1 and rotate through 180 degrees to reverse the cleaning roll motion and the direction of the cleaning material 2, i.e., requires a motor that rotates in either direction. When reversing the direction of the cleaning material 2, the cleaning material is wound around the winding cylinder 32, and then each portion of the cleaning material 2 is wound onto the source cylinder 31 after cleaning the web 1. The bracket 5 can then be retracted to position the cleaning material 2 relative to the roll 1. This can allow the same roll of material 2 to be used multiple times for cleaning. In this embodiment, the bracket 5 can also be designed to allow for easy replacement of the roll of cleaning material 2. The bracket 5 can be made from aluminum, a metal alloy, a hard web, or other suitable material. In a preferred embodiment, the bracket 5 and cylinders 31 and 32 are under the control of a system sequence controller. The sequence controller is a software program that runs on a computer, either on the main system controller for the web manufacturing tool or on a standalone unit integrated into the main system controller via a data connector—RS232 or similar. The sequence controller will control the cylinder motors 31 and 32. It will continuously match the speed between the cleaning film and the web material being processed, including stopping the cleaning roll when the web is stopped. This sequencer will also control the movement and rotation of the bracket 5 or 9. The sequence controller will collect data from the sensor 15 described below. When the sensor indicates that the roll is nearing the end, the bracket will pull out the cylinder, stop the cylinder, rotate it 180 degrees, and then restart the cylinder to match the speed to the web material. The sequencer will move the bracket so that the cylinders 31 and 32 are in contact with the web material.After these have rotated for the number of times defined by the user, the sequencer will pull the bracket 5 or 9 away from the web material and provide a signal to the system indicating that it is time to replace the material.

[0020] Debris can be removed from the cleaning material 2 using the second device 102 as shown in Figure 1. In some embodiments, the device 100 for cleaning the flexible web roll 1 has a second device 102 configured with at least two wrapping cylinders 81, 82 that pass the second cleaning material 7 over the additional cylinder 10 to bring it into contact with the cleaning material 2 to be cleaned. In the example shown in Figure 1, the cylinder 81 can be a source cylinder around which the second cleaning material 7 is wound, and the cylinder 82 can be a take-up cylinder around which the cleaning material 7 is wound after each part thereof has cleaned the cleaning material 2. In this embodiment, this contact occurs when the material 2 is supported by the cylinder 3. The position of the second device 102 can also be above the cleaning material 2. In another embodiment of the device, the device 102 may be on the side where the cleaning material 2 is unwound from the cylinder 31. In another embodiment, the second cleaning material 7 can be supported by the additional cylinder 10. In another embodiment, the second cleaning material 7 may be stretched relative to the cylinder 10 without support. The cylinders 81, 82 are driven by a variable speed motor that can synchronize with the moving speed of the cleaning material 2. In a preferred embodiment, the cylinder motor can rotate in any direction.

[0021] In this embodiment, the cylinders 81, 82 are supported by a movable bracket 9 that transmits electric power to the motor. The bracket 9 can move out from the surface of the cleaning material 2 and rotate through 180 degrees to reverse the direction of the second cleaning material 7. Thereafter, the bracket 9 can be retracted to position the second cleaning material 7 relative to the cleaning material 2. When reversing the direction of the second cleaning material, the cylinder 82 can be used as a source cylinder, while the cylinder 81 can be used as a take-up cylinder. This can allow the same roll of material to be used multiple times for cleaning. In a preferred embodiment, the bracket 9 can also be designed to allow easy replacement of the roll of cleaning material. The bracket 9 can be made of aluminum, metal alloy, rigid web, or other suitable materials. In a preferred embodiment, the bracket 9 and the cylinders 81, 82 are under the control of a system sequence controller. The materials for the cleaning material 2 and the second cleaning material 7 are described below with reference to Figures 3 to 4.

[0022] In operation, device 100 continuously moves a cleaning material web 2, which moves at the same speed as the flexible electronic circuit roll 1, to clean the flexible electronic circuit roll 1 as it moves continuously. Both the flexible electronic circuit roll 1 and the cleaning material 2 move so that different parts of the cleaning material 2 clean each different part of the flexible electronic circuit roll 1. In addition, device 102 carries a second cleaning material 7, which moves and comes into contact with each part of the cleaning material 2, as shown in Figure 1, to continuously clean the cleaning material 2 in the winding cylinder. As described above, the direction of motion of both cleaning material 2 and cleaning material 7 can be reversed so that both cleaning material 2 and cleaning material 7 can be reused. As a result, cleaning material 2 and cleaning material 7 can be used for a longer period of time before they need to be replaced. As shown in Figure 1, the web 1 and the cleaning material can come into contact / adjacent with each other at the first cleaning point, and cleaning material 2 and the second cleaning material can come into contact / adjacent with each other at the second cleaning point. In operation, the cleaning material 2 has multiple parts, each part cleaning a specific part of the web 1 when the web 1 and the cleaning material 2 are moving in the same direction and at the same speed. Similarly, the second cleaning material 7 has multiple parts, each part cleaning a specific part of the cleaning material 2 when the cleaning material 2 and the second cleaning material 7 are moving in the same direction and at the same speed.

[0023] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an example of a cleaning device 200 according to various embodiments described herein. In this embodiment, each of the cylinders 31, 32 (corresponding to cylinders 31, 32 in Figure 1) or cylinders 81, 82 may have a sensor 15 that can determine how much material 2 or 7 remains on the cleaning material roll. For example, the most commonly used sensor 15 for this purpose is a commercially available distance sensor that measures the distance from a fixed point to the roll surface, and these are typically laser or infrared reflection sensors. Another type of sensor could be a through-beam laser sensor at a fixed point above the cylinder to indicate that the roll needs to be replaced when the through-beam is not interrupted while the roll is empty. The signal from this sensor can be integrated with a system sequence controller to determine when to rotate the bracket 5 or 9 as described above.

[0024] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a cleaning material 2 used to clean a flexible electronic circuit web 1. The selected cleaning material 2 should be flexible and effective in removing small particles, and should not contaminate the surface of the flexible electronic circuit roll 1. An example of this material is a silicone and silicone-containing polymer having a durometer Shore A of 40 to 100 and a surface energy of 15 to 40 dynes / cm2. An example of this material is a commercially available cured two-component silicone material on a polyester carrier film. The surface energy can be measured using the Fowkes two-component method, which uses water and diiodomethane as the probe solution. In another embodiment, polyimide can be used as the cleaning material 2. Polyimide has good cleaning properties but is less tacky than silicone. This can be an advantage for areas where the web material is under lower tension and where it can adhere to silicone and affect the web tool. The cleaning material 2 may include a cleaning surface layer 11 with a polymer thickness of 20 to 300 microns and can be supported on a web film 12 in the range of 20 to 300 microns. The web film 12 can be made of polyester, polyethylene, polyimide, or other appropriately flexible and durable web films. In some embodiments of material 2, for repeated use of the cleaning material and depending on the adhesive properties of the cleaning layer 11, the cleaning surface layer 11 may have a release agent or release liner on the winding side of the layer 11. The release agent or release liner can be used for any type of material to extend the life of the cleaning film by providing mechanical support during winding and unwinding processes.

[0025] The contaminants to be picked up include organic contaminants, metallic contaminants, by-products of the manufacturing process, and biological contaminants brought in by individuals working within the facility. Particle sizes are expected to range from 0.1 microns to 10 centimeters. The particles adhere to the purifying film by electrostatic attraction, and most particles are held in place by van der Waals forces. The type of purifying material is expected to be selected to match the web film being purified with the fixtures holding the web. This material is expected to be selected to optimize purifying without significantly deforming the material being purified.

[0026] The cleaning material can be the same width as the web material, and it can be narrower or slightly wider than the web material. This can be defined by the user. The width of the cleaning material can be between 10 cm and 1000 cm. There may also be embodiments with wider cleaning material.

[0027] Figure 4 shows a cross-section of material 7 used to remove debris from a cleaning material. The selected material should be flexible, effective in removing small particles, and should not contaminate the surface of the cleaning material 3. This material may include pressure-sensitive adhesives and other non-curing adhesives. In this embodiment, the cleaning material 7 may include a cleaning surface layer 13 that can be supported on a web film 14, which may have a polymer thickness of 20 to 300 microns and may be in the range of 20 to 300 microns. The web film may consist of polyester, polyethylene, polyimide, or other appropriately flexible and durable web films. In some embodiments, for repeated use of the cleaning material 13 and depending on the adhesive properties of the cleaning surface layer 11, the cleaning surface layer 13 may have a release agent or release liner on the roll-up side of the layer 13. In another embodiment, each of the cleaning materials shown in Figures 3 and 4 may have cleaning material surfaces on both sides of the supporting web.

[0028] In another embodiment of this device, multiple devices, each configured with different cleaning films to optimize the cleaning of different types of particles, can be arranged along the web surface. The cleaning films can have different surface properties, such as surface roughness, viscosity, or surface energy, to more efficiently pick up different particle types. In one embodiment, a device with a rougher, more viscous surface can first contact the web to remove larger particles, and then a device with a smoother, less viscous film can remove smaller particles. In another embodiment, one material can be selected based on the optimal surface properties for collecting metallic particles, and another material can be selected based on the optimal surface properties for collecting organic particles.

[0029] In another embodiment, an antistatic device such as an ionizer can be placed on the web material at the input side of the cleaning device (to the left of the exemplary device shown in Figure 1) to remove any possible charge present on the surface before cleaning. A similar antistatic device can be placed at the output side of the cleaning device (to the right of the exemplary device shown in Figure 1).

[0030] While preferred materials for the elements have been described, the device is not limited to these materials. Other materials with similar properties can be used.

[0031] While systems, devices, and methods have been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments and examples may operate similarly and / or achieve similar results. Such equivalent embodiments and examples are all within the spirit and scope of the disclosure of the present invention, as envisioned and covered by the following claims.

[0032] The above has been described with reference to specific embodiments for illustrative purposes. However, the above illustrative description is not intended to be comprehensive or to limit the disclosure of the present invention to the forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments have been selected and described in such a way as to best illustrate the principles of the disclosure of the present invention and its practical applications, thereby allowing the disclosure and various embodiments of the present invention to be best utilized with various modifications suitable for specific applications envisioned by those skilled in the art.

[0033] The systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented by one or more components, systems, servers, electrical equipment, or other sub-components, or distributed among such components. When implemented as a system, such a system may include and / or involve components such as software modules, general-purpose CPUs, and RAM, as found in general-purpose computers. In embodiments where the present invention resides on a server, such a server may include or involve components such as a CPU, RAM, and the like, as found in general-purpose computers.

[0034] In addition, the systems and methods of this specification can be achieved by implementations having heterogeneous or entirely different software, hardware, and / or firmware components beyond those described above. With respect to such other components (e.g., software, processing components, etc.) and / or computer-readable media associated with or embodying the invention, for example, aspects of the innovations of this specification can be implemented without conflict with many general-purpose or dedicated computer systems or configurations. Various exemplary computer systems, environments, and / or configurations suitable for use with the innovations of this specification may include, but are not limited to, software or other components embodied in or on a personal computer, server computer devices such as servers or routing / connection components, handheld or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set-top boxes, consumer electronic devices, network PCs, other existing computer platforms, and distributed computer environments including one or more of the systems or devices described above.

[0035] In some cases, aspects of the systems and methods of the present invention can be achieved or executed through logic units and / or logic instructions, for example, including program modules executed in association with such components or circuits. Generally, program modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or therein implement specific instructions herein. The present invention can also be implemented in connection with a circuit configuration in which distributed software, computers, or circuits are connected through a communication bus, circuit, or link. In a distributed configuration, control / instructions may be made from both local and remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices.

[0036] The software, circuits, and components described herein may also include and / or utilize one or more types of computer-readable media. Computer-readable media may be any available media residing on, associated with, or accessible by such circuits and / or computer components. Exemplary and not limited to, computer-readable media may include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any way or technique for storing information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD), or other optical storage, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other media that can be used to store desired information and are accessible from computer components. Communication media may include computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and / or other components. Furthermore, communication media may include wired media such as wired networks or direct wired connections, but none of such media as described herein include temporary media. Any combination of the foregoing is included in the scope of computer-readable media.

[0037] In this description, terms such as components, modules, and devices may refer to any type of logical or functional software element, circuit, block, and / or process that can be implemented in various ways. For example, the functions of various circuits and / or blocks can be combined with each other to form any number of other modules. Each module may further be implemented as a software program stored in tangible memory (e.g., random access memory, read-only memory, CD-ROM memory, hard disk drive, etc.) that is read by a central processing unit to implement the functions of the innovations described herein. Alternatively, a module may have programming instructions that are transmitted to a general-purpose computer or processing / graphics hardware via a transmission carrier. Similarly, a module may be implemented as a hardware logic circuit that implements the functions included in the innovations described herein. Finally, a module may be implemented using dedicated instructions (SIMD instructions), field-programmable logic arrays, or any combination thereof, providing a desired level of performance and cost.

[0038] As disclosed herein, features consistent with the disclosure of the present invention can be implemented through computer hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, the systems and methods disclosed herein can be embodied in various forms, including data processors such as computers, which may also include databases, digital electronic circuits, firmware, software, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, while some of the disclosed embodiments describe specific hardware components, the systems and methods consistent with the innovations disclosed herein can be implemented in any combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. Moreover, the above features and other embodiments and principles of the innovations disclosed herein can be implemented in various environments. Such environments and related applications may include general-purpose computers or computer platforms that can be specifically constructed to perform various routines, processes, and / or operations according to the present invention, or that can be selectively invoked or reconfigured by code to provide the necessary functionality. The processes disclosed herein are not inherently associated with any particular computer, network, architecture, environment, or other device, but can be implemented by an appropriate combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, a program written in accordance with the teachings of the present invention can be used with various general-purpose machines, or it may be more convenient to construct a dedicated device or system to perform the necessary methods and techniques.

[0039] It should also be noted that the various logic units and / or functions disclosed herein can be made effective with respect to their behavior, register transfers, logic components, and / or other characteristics using any number of combinations of hardware and firmware, and / or as data and / or instructions embodied in various machine-readable or computer-readable media. Computer-readable media that can embody such formatted data and / or instructions include, but not limited to, various forms of non-volatile storage media (e.g., optical, magnetic, or semiconductor storage media), but not temporary media. Throughout this specification, words such as “comprise” and “comprising” should be interpreted as illustrative, not limited to, but including, “including, but not limited to,” rather than as clearly intended in relation to the context. Where a word is used singular or plural, it also includes the plural or singular, respectively. In addition, the words “here,” “below here,” “above,” “down,” and words of similar intent refer to this entire example and not to any particular part thereof. When the word "or" is used in relation to a list of two or more items, this word can be interpreted as encompassing any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.

[0040] While certain currently preferred embodiments of the present invention have been specifically described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations of the embodiments illustrated and described herein can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to be limited only to the extent required by applicable laws.

[0041] While the foregoing has referred to specific embodiments of the disclosure of the present invention, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that modifications in these embodiments can be made without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 1 Flexible electronic circuit web roll 2. Cleaning materials 5. Movable bracket 7. Second Cleaning Material 100 Flexible Web Roll Cleaning Devices

Claims

1. A device for adding a purifying material, A portion of the cleaning material is moved and positioned relative to a portion of the web surface of a moving flexible electronic circuit, and the portion of the cleaning material is used to remove debris from that portion of the web surface of the moving flexible electronic circuit, and the cleaning material is attached to a moving cleaning device of a certain length. A second cleaning material of a certain length attached to a moving device, wherein the portion of the second cleaning material is positioned relative to a portion of the moving cleaning material, and the portion of the second cleaning material is used to remove debris from that portion of the moving cleaning material. Includes, The moving flexible electronic circuit web surface has multiple parts, each part moves over a cleaning point over time, the length of the cleaning material has multiple parts, each part moves adjacent to the cleaning point over time, and the cleaning material moves at the same speed as the moving flexible electronic circuit web surface so that the moving flexible electronic circuit web surface is cleaned. The length of the second cleaning material has multiple parts, each part passing through the second cleaning point over time, the length of the moving cleaning material has multiple parts, each part becoming adjacent to the second cleaning point over time, and the second cleaning material moves at the same speed as the moving cleaning material so that the moving cleaning material is cleaned at the second cleaning point. The aforementioned mobile cleaning device further includes a source cylinder and a winding cylinder, The cleaning material is unwound from the source cylinder and, after the cleaning material has cleaned the moving flexible electronic circuit web surface, is wound onto the winding cylinder. A device characterized by the following features.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the source cylinder and the winding cylinder has a motor that drives the movement of the cleaned material beyond the cleaned point.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the cleaning material has a width equal to the width of the moving flexible electronic circuit web surface.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the source cylinder further includes a sensor that determines the amount of cleaning material remaining on the source cylinder.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving cleaning device further includes an additional cylinder that generates a contact patch between the cleaning material and the moving flexible electronic circuit web surface at the cleaning point.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a support cylinder directly below the continuously moving flexible electronic circuit web surface that presses the portion of the flexible electronic circuit web surface that moves continuously at the cleaning point against the portion of the cleaning material.

7. The moving cleaning device further includes a bracket connected to the additional cylinder, the source cylinder, and the winding cylinder, which reverses the direction of the cleaning material. The cleaning material is unwound from the winding cylinder and wound up by the source cylinder so that the cleaning material can be reused. The apparatus according to feature 5.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the bracket rotates 180 degrees to reverse the direction of the cleaning material.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the moving cleaning device further includes the source cylinder, the winding cylinder, a sensor for determining the amount of cleaning material remaining on the source cylinder, and an integrated control system for controlling the operation of the bracket.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning material moves beyond the cleaning point in the same direction as the direction of movement of the continuously moving flexible electronic circuit web surface.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning material further comprises a cleaning layer which is one of a polyimide layer and a polymer layer.

12. The polymer layer has a durometer Shore of 40 to 100 and 15 to 40 dynes / cm². 2 The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that it has a surface energy.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the polymer layer is a silicone-containing polymer layer.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the cleaning layer has a thickness between 20 and 300 microns.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the cleaning material further includes a web layer directly beneath the cleaning layer.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that the web layer has a thickness between 20 and 300 microns.

17. A method for cleaning the web surface of a continuously moving flexible electronic circuit, A step of moving the cleaning material at the same speed as the continuously moving flexible electronic circuit web surface, the step of unwinding the cleaning material from the source cylinder, and a step of winding the cleaning material onto the winding cylinder after the cleaning material has come into contact with the continuously moving flexible electronic circuit web surface, The steps include bringing a portion of the moving cleaning material into contact with a portion of the continuously moving flexible electronic circuit web surface at the cleaning point, The steps include removing debris from the portion of the continuously moving flexible electronic circuit web surface when the portion of the moving cleaning material comes into contact with the portion of the continuously moving flexible electronic circuit web surface, A step of moving a second cleaning material at the same speed as the first cleaning material, and bringing a portion of the second cleaning material into contact with a portion of the continuously moving cleaning material at the second cleaning point, and using that portion of the second cleaning material to remove debris from that portion of the continuously moving cleaning material, The steps include determining the amount of cleaning material remaining on the source cylinder using a sensor in the source cylinder, Includes, The step of bringing the cleaning material into contact with the continuously moving flexible electronic circuit web surface at the cleaning point includes the step of using an additional cylinder to generate contact between the cleaning material and the continuously moving flexible electronic circuit web surface at the cleaning point. The method is characterized in that the step of moving the cleaning material further includes the step of driving the source cylinder and the winding cylinder.

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