Thermocompression roll-to-roll laminator

Abstract

The present invention discloses a thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator configured to laminate a film onto a substrate in a vacuum state by passing a plurality of rollers and to compress the substrate on which the film is laminated. The thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator comprises a vacuum chamber that is depressurized by a vacuum pump, a laminating roller section installed in the vacuum chamber for laminating a film onto a substrate, and at least one hot press roller section installed in the vacuum chamber for processing the substrate on which the film is laminated into a flat surface by compressing it while applying heat. The hot press roller section comprises a lower roller with a fixed position, an upper roller formed to be movable vertically relative to the lower roller, and a stopper formed to be movable vertically to adjust the separation distance, wherein an upper roller support frame is formed to be able to be engaged to support the upper roller to physically limit the separation distance of the upper roller relative to the lower roller.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator configured to laminate a film onto a substrate in a vacuum state by passing it through a plurality of rolls and to compress the substrate on which the film is laminated. Background Technology

[0002] A thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator refers to a device that laminates a flexible medium, such as a film, onto a substrate using rollers. Furthermore, the thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator is characterized by applying heat during the process of compressing the substrate on which the film is laminated.

[0003] Thermal compression roll-to-roll laminators are applied in the manufacturing process of circuit boards for electronic products. Furthermore, as these electronic products become smaller and lighter, technological development is underway to meet these specifications and improve their quality.

[0004] Meanwhile, the factors determining the lamination quality of electronic products include ensuring that there are no voids, such as air bubbles, in the laminated area, and realizing the target fine thickness and flatness.

[0005] Accordingly, the development of a laminator capable of meeting specifications such as fine thickness and flatness of a substrate having a miniaturized and lightweight structure, without creating empty spaces in the substrate on which the film is laminated, can be considered. The problem to be solved

[0006] One objective of the present invention is to provide a thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator capable of achieving a target thickness and flatness of a substrate by enabling more stable control of the gap between rollers through which the substrate passes and control of the pressure applied to the substrate. means of solving the problem

[0007] To achieve the objective of the present invention, a thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a vacuum chamber that is depressurized by a vacuum pump; a laminating roller unit installed in the vacuum chamber and laminating a film on a substrate; and at least one hot press roller unit installed in the vacuum chamber and processing the substrate on which the film is laminated into a flat surface by applying heat. The hot press roller unit comprises: a lower roller with a fixed position; an upper roller formed to be movable vertically relative to the lower roller; and a stopper formed to be movable vertically to adjust the separation distance, wherein an upper roller support frame is formed to be able to be engaged to physically limit the separation distance of the upper roller relative to the lower roller.

[0008] According to one example related to the present invention, the stopper comprises: a stopper body positioned to face the upper roller support frame in the vertical direction and formed to be movable in the vertical direction; and a linear driving unit having a moving block formed to be movable in the horizontal direction while in contact with the bottom surface of the stopper body, wherein the bottom surface of the stopper body in contact with the moving block may be formed at an angle so that the stopper body moves in the vertical direction when the moving block moves in the horizontal direction.

[0009] According to one example related to the present invention, the upper surface of the movable block that contacts the inclined bottom surface of the stopper body may be formed to be inclined in correspondence with the inclined bottom surface of the stopper body.

[0010] According to one example related to the present invention, the linear drive unit may further include a drive motor; and a screw shaft configured to be rotatable in both directions by the drive motor and formed to screw-couple the movable block to move the movable block in a horizontal direction.

[0011] According to one example related to the present invention, the stopper body may include a base portion that forms a bottom surface in contact with the moving block and is located at the bottom of the lower roller; and an extension portion that branches off from the base portion to both sides with the lower roller in between and is arranged to face the upper roller support frame in the vertical direction.

[0012] According to one example related to the present invention, a hot press roller support frame with rails installed in the vertical direction is provided within the vacuum chamber, and the extension may be coupled to the rails to guide the vertical movement of the stopper body.

[0013] According to one example related to the present invention, a sensor configured to detect the vertically moved position of the extension may be installed in the hot press roller support frame.

[0014] According to one example related to the present invention, the stopper may be provided to correspond to the upper roller support frame located on each side of the upper roller, so that the separation distance between each side of the upper roller and the lower roller can be independently adjusted.

[0015] According to one example related to the present invention, the hot press roller unit may be provided in a plurality and configured to sequentially press the substrate on which the film is laminated by distributing the amount of compression.

[0016] According to one example related to the present invention, the hot-press roll-to-roll laminator may further include: a preheating unit installed in the vacuum chamber and formed to apply heat to the substrate on which the film is temporarily attached before entering the laminating roller unit; and a cooling roller unit installed in the vacuum chamber and cooling the substrate on which the film, which is sequentially compressed by the hot-press roller unit, is laminated. Effects of the invention

[0017] The effects of the present invention obtained through the above-described solution are as follows.

[0018] The thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator of the present invention comprises a vacuum chamber that forms a vacuum environment and a hot press roller unit installed in the vacuum chamber that processes a substrate laminated with a film by applying heat and compressing it to make it flat. Herein, the hot press roller unit comprises a lower roller with a fixed position, an upper roller that moves up and down relative to the lower roller, and a stopper formed to be movable up and down and capable of engaging with an upper roller support frame that supports the upper roller, so as to physically limit the distance between the lower roller and the upper roller that is adjusted according to the up and down movement of the upper roller.

[0019] With the configuration of such a thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator, the laminating and thermal compression processes are performed under vacuum conditions, thereby preventing the formation of voids, such as bubbles, in the substrate. Additionally, while thermal compression is being performed on the substrate, the size of the gap between the upper roller and the lower roller through which the substrate passes can be stably maintained by a stopper that physically supports the upper roller, and fine adjustment of the gap size between the rollers becomes possible. Along with this, pressure control of the upper roller and the lower roller for compressing the substrate can also be achieved more stably.

[0020] That is, a thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator can be provided to perform a laminating process for a circuit board that ensures quality while satisfying specifications applicable to electronic products having a miniaturized and lightweight structure, by enabling more stable control of the gap between rollers determining the thickness and flatness of the film-laminated substrate and the pressure applied to the substrate. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0021] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a hot-press roll-to-roll laminator according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the vacuum chamber and its internal configuration illustrated in FIG. 1. Figure 3 is a plan view of the vacuum chamber and its internal configuration shown in Figure 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the laminating roller section and the hot press roller section shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the hot press roller section illustrated in FIG. 4 viewed from another side. Figure 6 is a view of the hot press roller section illustrated in Figure 5, seen from the inside and from the front. Figure 7 is a drawing showing the stopper of the hot press roller part illustrated in Figure 6 moving a certain distance along the vertical direction. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0022] Hereinafter, a heat-pressing roll-to-roll laminator related to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[0023] In this specification, identical or similar reference numbers are assigned to identical or similar components even in different embodiments, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0024] A singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a hot-press roll-to-roll laminator (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the vacuum chamber (110) and its internal configuration shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the vacuum chamber (110) and its internal configuration shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the laminating roller section (120) and the hot press roller section (130) shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the hot press roller section (130) shown in FIG. 4 viewed from another side. FIG. 6 is a view of the hot press roller section (130) shown in FIG. 5 viewed from the inside and forward. FIG. 7 is a view showing the stopper (133) of the hot press roller section (130) shown in FIG. 6 moved a certain distance along the vertical direction.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 7, the thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator (100) is configured to laminate a film (F) onto a substrate (S) by passing it through a plurality of rolls and to compress the substrate (S) on which the film (F) is laminated. The thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator (100) is configured to make line contact rather than surface contact with the substrate (S), so that the process can be performed with relatively low pressure, that is, with a low load, compared to the surface contact method.

[0027] The thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator (100) can be configured to continuously repeat the laminating and thermal compression processes. That is, for a substrate (S) on which the laminating process of a film (F) and the thermal compression process of the substrate (S) on which the film (F) is laminated are completed as a first process, the process of laminating a new film (F) onto the substrate (S) and performing the thermal compression process can be continuously repeated as a second process. Accordingly, a laminated substrate (S) having a structure in which a plurality of films (F) are stacked on the substrate (S) can be manufactured.

[0028] The hot-press roll-to-roll laminator (100) includes a vacuum chamber (110), a laminating roller section (120), and a hot-press roller section (130).

[0029] The vacuum chamber (110) is configured to be depressurized by a vacuum pump (111). Multiple vacuum pumps (111) may be provided. For reference, in the case of a conventional general laminator, the laminating process is performed in an atmospheric environment, and during this process, voids such as bubbles occur on the substrate (S), which causes a problem of degraded lamination quality, and this leads to defects in the laminated substrate (S).

[0030] And, a load lock chamber (171, 172) may be installed in the vacuum chamber (110).

[0031] The load lock chambers (171, 172) are configured to create an environment identical to the vacuum level of the vacuum chamber (110) so that the vacuum level acting on the substrate (S) before and after the substrate (S) enters the vacuum chamber (110) is not broken. The load lock chambers (171, 172) may include an inlet-side load lock chamber (171) positioned at the inlet side of the vacuum chamber (110) and an outlet-side load lock chamber (172) positioned at the outlet side of the vacuum chamber (110). Additionally, the inlet-side load lock chamber (171) and the outlet-side load lock chamber (172) may each be equipped with a door valve (171a, 172a) for entry and exit between the outside and the load lock chambers (171, 172), and a gate valve (171b, 172b) for entry and exit between the load lock chambers (171, 172) and the vacuum chamber (110).

[0032] More specifically, the substrate (S) is introduced into the inlet-side load lock chamber (171) with the door valve (171a) of the inlet-side load lock chamber (171) open. Subsequently, a vacuum is created with the door valve (171a) and gate valve (172b) of the inlet-side load lock chamber (171) closed. Next, the door valve (171a) of the inlet-side load lock chamber (171) is closed and the gate valve (171b) is opened, and the substrate (S) is transferred into the vacuum chamber (110). Afterward, after the laminating and heat pressing processes for the substrate (S) are completed inside the vacuum chamber (110), the gate valve (172b) is opened while the outlet-side load lock chamber (172) is maintained in a vacuum state, and the substrate (S) is introduced into the outlet-side load lock chamber (172). Finally, the gate valve (172b) of the exit-side load lock chamber (172) can be closed and the door valve (172a) opened so that the substrate (S) is discharged to the outside from the exit-side load lock chamber (172).

[0033] The laminating roller unit (120) is installed within the vacuum chamber (110). The laminating roller unit (120) is configured to laminate a film (F) onto a substrate (S). The laminating roller unit (120) may be made of a rubber material. The laminating roller unit (120) is configured to laminate the film (F) without voids by applying uniform pressure and temperature to the substrate (S) in a vacuum state. The laminating roller unit (120) may be equipped with a lower roller (121) and an upper roller (122) arranged in the vertical direction.

[0034] The above film (F) can be, for example, DFSR (Dry Film Solder Resist) or ABF (Ajinomoto Build-up Film). ABF (Ajinomoto Build-Up Film) is one of the insulating materials for semiconductor packaging substrates (S) developed by Ajinomoto. In addition, the substrate (S) to which the film (F) is laminated can ultimately be an FC-BGA (Flip Chip Ball Grid Array). FC-BGA is a type of PCB (Printed Circuit Board) used when the size of the substrate (S) is larger than the chip. To manufacture high-performance semiconductors, it is necessary to equip CPUs, GPUs, etc., with a large number of cores; however, as the number of cores increases, the size of the semiconductor substrate (S) also increases, so the above FC-BGA must be used as a necessity to manufacture high-performance semiconductors.

[0035] The hot press roller section (130) is installed in the vacuum chamber (110) together with the laminating roller section (120). The hot press roller section (130) is configured to flatten the substrate (S) on which the film (F) is laminated by applying heat.

[0036] Additionally, the hot press roller section (130) includes a lower roller (131), an upper roller (132), and a stopper (133).

[0037] The lower roller (131) may be positioned below the upper roller (132) and formed to have a fixed position. The substrate (S) is configured to pass through a gap formed between the lower roller (131) and the upper roller (132).

[0038] The upper roller (132) may be formed to be movable vertically relative to the lower roller (131). That is, the upper roller (132) may be formed to be movable so as to move closer to or further away from the lower roller (131). The hot press roller section (130) may be provided with an upper roller support frame (132b) that supports the upper roller (132). The upper roller support frame (132b) may be formed to move vertically together with the upper roller (132). The upper roller (132) may be made to be movable vertically by, for example, a motor or a hydraulic device.

[0039] Additionally, the hot press roller section (130) is formed to be rotatable in contact with the upper roller (132) and the lower roller (131), respectively, to additionally apply pressure to the upper roller (132) and the lower roller (131) on the substrate (S). It may further include an upper auxiliary roller (132a) positioned above the upper roller (132) to press the upper roller (132) downward, and a lower auxiliary roller (131a) positioned below the lower roller (131) to press the lower roller (131) upward. Accordingly, the thickness and flatness of the target substrate (S) can be realized more precisely. For reference, flatness is also called planarity and refers to a geometric tolerance that regulates how flat the surface of a workpiece is. By referring to the flatness, one can check how flat or flat the processed surface is.

[0040] Additionally, the hot press roller section (130) may be provided in multiple numbers and configured to sequentially press the substrate (S) on which the film (F) is laminated by distributing the amount of compression. For example, the distance between the lower roller (131) and the upper roller (132) of the hot press roller section (130) positioned at the front end may be controlled to a first value, and the distance between the lower roller (131) and the upper roller (132) of the hot press roller section (130) positioned at the rear end may be controlled to a second value that is smaller than the first value. Accordingly, the phenomenon of damage to the substrate (S) caused by applying an excessive amount of compression to the substrate (S) all at once while passing through the hot press roller section (130) is prevented, and the quality of the laminated and heat-pressed substrate (S) can be improved.

[0041] The stopper (133) is formed such that the upper roller support frame (132b) can be caught to physically limit the distance between the upper roller (132) and the lower roller (131). The stopper (133) can also be formed to be movable up and down to adjust the distance between the upper roller (132) and the lower roller (131).

[0042] Additionally, the stopper (133) may be provided to correspond to the upper roller support frame (132b) located on each side of the upper roller (132). Furthermore, the stopper (133) may be formed to independently adjust the distance between each side of the upper roller (132) and the lower roller (131). With such a configuration of the stopper (133), since the stopper (133) is provided as a set corresponding to each side of the upper roller (132), the size of the gap (G) between the upper roller (132) and the lower roller (131) can be adjusted more precisely.

[0043] Meanwhile, the stopper (133) may include a stopper body (133a) and a linear driving unit (133b).

[0044] The stopper body (133a) is positioned to face the upper roller support frame (132b) in the vertical direction. The stopper body (133a) forms a portion that substantially engages with the upper roller support frame (132b). The stopper body (133a) is formed to be movable in the vertical direction.

[0045] Additionally, the stopper body (133a) may include a base part (133a2) and an extension part (133a3).

[0046] The base portion (133a2) forms a bottom surface that contacts the movable block (133b1). That is, the base portion (133a2) forms a portion that substantially contacts the movable block (133b1). The base portion (133a2) may be positioned to be located below the lower roller (131) which is fixedly positioned.

[0047] The extension portion (133a3) branches off from the base portion (133a2) on both sides with the lower roller (131) in between and is positioned to face the upper roller support frame (132b) in the vertical direction. For example, the extension portion (133a3) may be formed as a C-shaped plate with an open upper side formed together with the base portion (133a2). As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the two ends branched off and extended from the base portion (133a2) are positioned to face the two ends of the upper roller support frame (132b) that are positioned to face each other. The extension portion (133a3) substantially performs the role of physically restricting the downward movement of the upper roller (132).

[0048] The linear drive unit (133b) is provided with a movable block (133b1) that is formed to be movable in a horizontal direction while in contact with the bottom surface (133a1) of the stopper body (133a).

[0049] Here, the bottom surface (133a1) of the stopper body (133a) in contact with the moving block (133b1) can be formed at an angle so that the stopper body (133a) moves up and down when the moving block (133b1) moves in the horizontal direction.

[0050] For example, the bottom surface (133a1) of the stopper body (133a) in contact with the moving block (133b1) may be formed to slope downward at a certain angle (A) toward the right relative to the drawing, as shown in FIG. 7. Here, while the moving block (133b1) is in contact with the bottom surface (133a1) of the stopper body (133a), it can move horizontally by the linear driving unit (133b). At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, when the moving block (133b1) moves toward the right relative to the drawing, the bottom surface (133a1) of the stopper body (133a) is pushed upward by the moving block (133b1). Accordingly, the downward movement of the upper roller (132) is restricted at a higher position than before the movement of the stopper (133).

[0051] Conversely, when the moving block (133b1) moves to the left with respect to FIG. 7, the stopper body (133a) moves downward, and the downward movement of the upper roller (132) is restricted to a lower position than before the movement of the stopper (133).

[0052] Additionally, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7, the upper surface (133b1a) of the movable block (133b1) that contacts the inclined bottom surface (133a1) of the stopper body (133a) may be formed to be inclined in correspondence with the inclined bottom surface (133a1) of the stopper body (133a). At this time, the upper surface (133b1a) of the movable block (133b1) and the inclined bottom surface (133a1) of the stopper body (133a) that contacts it may be formed to be in mutual surface contact.

[0053] Alternatively, the moving block (133b1) may be formed in a sphere or dome shape so that its end contacts the inclined bottom surface (133a1) of the stopper body (133a). When the moving block (133b1) is formed in a sphere or dome shape, the frictional force generated between the moving block (133b1) and the inclined bottom surface (133a1) of the stopper body (133a) is reduced, thereby reducing the power required for the horizontal movement of the moving block (133b1).

[0054] Meanwhile, the linear drive unit (133b) may further include a drive motor (133b2) and a screw shaft (133b3).

[0055] The drive motor (133b2) is formed to provide the power required to drive the linear drive unit (133b). That is, the linear drive unit (133b) is configured to move the moving block (133b1) in a horizontal direction by the power generated from the drive motor (133b2).

[0056] The screw shaft (133b3) can be configured to rotate in both directions by means of a drive motor (133b2). Here, the moving block (133b1) is screw-coupled to the screw shaft (133b3) so as to move horizontally as the screw shaft (133b3) rotates in one direction. For example, the moving block (133b1) may be configured to move to the right with respect to FIG. 6 when the screw shaft (133b3) rotates clockwise by means of the drive motor (133b2), and to move to the left when the screw shaft (133b3) rotates counterclockwise.

[0057] Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, a hot press roller support frame (112) with a rail (112a) extending in the vertical direction may be provided inside the vacuum chamber (110).

[0058] Here, the extension (133a3) of the stopper body (133a) may be coupled to the rail (112a) to guide the movement of the stopper body (133a) in the up and down direction. That is, the stopper body (133a) may be coupled to the rail (112a) that forms the up and down movement path of the stopper body (133a), so as to move stably along a preset path formed by the rail (112a) without deviating from the path.

[0059] Additionally, a sensor (112b) configured to detect the vertically moved position of the extension (133a3) may be installed on the hot press roller support frame (112). For example, the sensor (112b) may be fixed to the hot press roller support frame (112) and positioned adjacent to the side of the stopper body (133a). At this time, as the stopper body (133a) moves up and down, the sensor (112b) may be positioned at different locations on the side of the stopper body (133a), and may detect the current position of the stopper body (133a) based on the amount of change in the side position of the stopper body (133a) that occurs according to the amount of vertical movement of the stopper body (133a).

[0060] Meanwhile, the heat-pressing roll-to-roll laminator (100) may further include a preheating section (140) and a cooling roller section (150).

[0061] The preheating unit (140) may be installed within the vacuum chamber (110) and formed to apply heat to the substrate (S) on which the film (F) is temporarily attached before entering the laminating roller unit (120). The preheating unit (140) may be configured to generate heat using an infrared (IR) method. The preheating unit (140) may consist of a lower preheating device (141) and an upper preheating device (142) that are positioned to face each side of the substrate (S) and generate heat. The lower preheating device (141) and the upper preheating device (142) may each be formed to have a plate shape. In the drawings of the present invention, the preheating unit (140) is shown as being positioned at the front of the laminating roller unit (120), but it may be positioned at other locations within the vacuum chamber (110). For example, the preheating unit (140) may be positioned between a plurality of hot press roller units (130).

[0062] The cooling roller unit (150) is installed within the vacuum chamber (110) and can be formed to cool the substrate (S) on which the film (F), which has been sequentially compressed by the hot press roller unit (130), is laminated. As the laminated and heat-pressed substrate (S) passes through the cooling roller unit (150), the phenomenon of deformation caused by heat being restored can be prevented. In addition, the cooling roller unit (150) can perform the role of cooling the carrier film (CF) on the substrate (S) on which the film (F) is laminated to facilitate the peeling of the carrier film (CF). The cooling roller unit (150) may be equipped with a lower roller (151) and an upper roller (152) arranged in the vertical direction.

[0063] The heat-press roll-to-roll laminator (100) may further include a release paper peeling unit positioned at the rear end of the cooling roller section (150) to peel off a carrier film (CF) on a substrate (S) and discharge the substrate (S) from the vacuum chamber (110).

[0064] Meanwhile, the thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator (100) may further include a film tacking section (160). The film tacking section (160) is configured to attach the film (F) only to the front end of the substrate (S) and transfer it to the next process. The film tacking section (160) may be placed outside the vacuum chamber (110). The film tacking section (160) may be equipped with a tacking unit (163). The tacking unit (163) may, for example, tacking the film (F) to the substrate (S) at a predetermined location, and then cutting the tacking film (F) to fit the size of the substrate (S) and supplying it into the vacuum chamber (110) together with the substrate (S). As shown in FIG. 1, the film attachment portion (160) may be equipped with a lower winder (161) for winding a film (F) that is attached to the bottom surface of a substrate (S) and an upper winder (162) for winding a film (F) that is attached to the top surface of a substrate (S).

[0065] Meanwhile, the thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator (100) may further include a carrier film unwinder (181) and a carrier film rewinder (182) that supply and retrieve a carrier film (CF) formed to wrap around the substrate (S) so that the substrate (S) can move within the vacuum chamber (110) without falling. The substrate (S) can move stably within the vacuum chamber (110) while wrapped in the carrier film (CF). The carrier film (CF) can also perform the role of preventing contamination of the substrate (S) during the process.

[0066] The carrier film unwinder (181) and the carrier film rewinder (182) may each be equipped with a lower winder (181a, 182a) that winds a carrier film (CF) corresponding to the bottom surface of the substrate (S) and an upper winder (181b, 182b) that winds a film (F) that is temporarily attached to the top surface of the substrate (S). The carrier film unwinder (181) and the carrier film rewinder (182) may each be configured to allow adjustment of the winding tension of the carrier film (CF).

[0067] Meanwhile, the stopper (133) can be applied in the same or similar manner to the laminating roller section (120) and the cooling roller section (150) as well as to the hot press roller section (130). That is, as the substrate (S) passes through the laminating roller section (120) and the cooling roller section (150) within the vacuum chamber (110), the gap (G) between the rollers can be stably controlled by the stopper (133). Accordingly, the thickness and flatness of the target substrate (S) can be realized more precisely.

[0068] According to the configuration of the thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator (100) described above, the laminating process and the thermal compression process are performed in a vacuum state, thereby preventing the formation of empty spaces such as bubbles in the substrate (S). Additionally, while thermal compression is being performed on the substrate (S), the size of the gap (G) between the upper roller (132) and the lower roller (131) through which the substrate (S) passes can be stably maintained by a stopper (133) that physically supports the upper roller (132), and fine adjustment of the gap (G) size between the rollers becomes possible. Along with this, pressure control of the upper roller (132) and the lower roller (131) for compressing the substrate (S) can also be achieved more stably. At this time, the finely adjustable gap (G) size can be controlled in micro units. That is, a thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator (100) can be provided to perform a laminating process on a substrate (S) that can ensure quality while satisfying specifications applicable to electronic products having a miniaturized and lightweight structure, by more stably controlling the gap (G) between rollers that determine the thickness and flatness of the substrate (S) laminated with the film (F) and controlling the pressure applied to the substrate (S).

[0069] The foregoing description is merely illustrative, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and technical spirit of the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination. Explanation of the symbols

[0070] 100 : Hot-press roll-to-roll laminator 110: Vacuum chamber 111: Vacuum pump 120 : Laminating roller section 130: Hot press roller section 131: Lower roller 132: Upper roller 133 : Stopper 133a : Stopper body 133b: Linear drive unit 133b1 : Move block 133b2 : Drive motor 133b3: Screw shaft 140 : Preheating section 150 : Cooling roller section 160 : Film tack joint 171 : Inlet-side load lock chamber 172 : Exit-side load lock chamber 181 : Carrier Film Unwinder 182 : Carrier Film Rewinder CF : Carrier Film F: Film S: Substrate

Claims

Claim 1 A vacuum chamber depressurized by a vacuum pump; a laminating roller unit installed within the vacuum chamber and laminating a film on a substrate; and at least one hot press roller unit installed within the vacuum chamber and processing the substrate on which the film is laminated into a flat surface by pressing it while applying heat, wherein the hot press roller unit comprises: a lower roller with a fixed position; an upper roller formed to be movable vertically relative to the lower roller; and a stopper formed to be movable vertically to adjust the separation distance, wherein the upper roller support frame supporting the upper roller is formed to be engaging to physically limit the separation distance of the upper roller relative to the lower roller, and the stopper comprises a stopper body arranged to face the upper roller support frame in the vertical direction and formed to be movable vertically. A heat-pressing roll-to-roll laminator comprising a linear driving unit having a moving block formed to be movable in a horizontal direction while in contact with the bottom surface of the stopper body, wherein the bottom surface of the stopper body in contact with the moving block is formed at an angle so that the stopper body moves in an up-and-down direction when the moving block moves in a horizontal direction. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A heat-pressing roll-to-roll laminator according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper surface of the movable block in contact with the inclined bottom surface of the stopper body is formed to be inclined in correspondence with the inclined bottom surface of the stopper body. Claim 4 A thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator according to claim 1, wherein the linear drive unit further comprises: a drive motor; and a screw shaft configured to be rotatable in both directions by the drive motor, and formed such that the moving block is screw-coupled to move the moving block in a horizontal direction. Claim 5 A heat-pressing roll-to-roll laminator according to claim 1, wherein the stopper body comprises: a base portion located at the bottom of the lower roller and forming a bottom surface that contacts the moving block; and an extension portion branched out from the base portion to both sides with the lower roller in between and arranged to face the upper roller support frame in the vertical direction, respectively. Claim 6 A hot press roller support frame having rails installed in the vertical direction within the vacuum chamber in claim 5, and an extension part coupled to the rail to guide the vertical movement of the stopper body, characterized in that. Claim 7 A hot-press roll-to-roll laminator according to claim 6, characterized in that a sensor is installed on the hot-press roller support frame to detect the vertically moved position of the extension. Claim 8 A heat-pressing roll-to-roll laminator according to claim 1, characterized in that the stopper is provided to correspond to the upper roller support frame located on each side of the upper roller, and is formed so that the separation distance between each side of the upper roller relative to the lower roller can be independently adjusted. Claim 9 A thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator according to claim 1, characterized in that the hot press roller section is provided in a plurality of units and is configured to sequentially compress the substrate on which the film is laminated by distributing the compression amount. Claim 10 A thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator according to claim 9, further comprising: a preheating unit installed within the vacuum chamber and formed to apply heat to the substrate on which the film is temporarily attached before entering the laminating roller unit; and a cooling roller unit installed within the vacuum chamber and cooling the substrate on which the film, sequentially compressed by the hot press roller unit, is laminated. Claim 11 The apparatus comprises at least one hot press roller section for flattening a substrate laminated with a film by pressing it while applying heat, wherein the hot press roller section includes: a first roller with a fixed position; a second roller formed to be movable relative to the first roller along a first direction so as to move away from or closer to the first roller; and a stopper formed to be movable in both directions along the first direction to adjust the separation distance, wherein a second roller support frame is formed to be engagingly formed to support the second roller to physically limit the separation distance of the second roller relative to the first roller, and the stopper includes a stopper body formed to be movable in the first direction and positioned to face the second roller support frame in the first direction. A heat-pressing roll-to-roll laminator comprising a linear driving unit having a moving block formed to be movable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction while in contact with the bottom surface of the stopper body, wherein one surface of the stopper body in contact with the moving block is formed at an angle so that the stopper body moves in the first direction when the moving block moves in the second direction. Claim 12 delete Claim 13 A heat-pressing roll-to-roll laminator according to claim 11, characterized in that the stopper is provided to correspond to the second roller support frame located on each side of the second roller, and is formed so that the separation distance between each side of the second roller relative to the first roller can be independently adjusted. Claim 14 A thermal compression roll-to-roll laminator according to claim 11, characterized in that the hot press roller section is provided in a plurality of units and configured to sequentially compress the substrate on which the film is laminated by distributing the compression amount.

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