Method and apparatus for manufacturing flexible light-emitting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11101258-B2
Application number	US-201816968052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2018
Priority date	May 9, 2018
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

According to a flexible light-emitting device production method of the present disclosure, after an intermediate region (30i) and a flexible substrate region (30d) of a plastic film (30) of a multilayer stack (100) are divided, the interface between the plastic film (30) and a glass base (10) is irradiated with lift-off light. The multilayer stack (100) is separated into the first portion (110) and the second portion (120) while the multilayer stack (100) is kept in contact with the stage (212). The first portion (110) includes the intermediate region (30i) and a light-emitting device (1000) which are adhered to the stage (212). The light-emitting device (1000) includes a functional layer region (20) and the flexible substrate region (30d). The second portion (120) includes the glass base (10). The intermediate region (30i) adhered to the stage (212) is removed from the stage while the light-emitting device (1000) is kept adhered to the stage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a flexible light-emitting device, comprising:
providing a multilayer stack which has a first surface and a second surface, the multilayer stack including
a glass base which defines the first surface,
a functional layer region including a TFT layer and a light-emitting device layer,
a synthetic resin film provided between the glass base and the functional layer region and bound to the glass base, the synthetic resin film including a flexible substrate region supporting the functional layer region and an intermediate region surrounding the flexible substrate region, and
a protection sheet which covers the functional layer region and which defines the second surface;

dividing the intermediate region and the flexible substrate region of the synthetic resin film from each other so that the intermediate region has a single continuous sheet-like structure that has openings;
irradiating an interface between the synthetic resin film and the glass base with lift-off light; and
separating the multilayer stack into a first portion and a second portion by increasing a distance from a stage to the glass base while the second surface of the multilayer stack is kept in contact with the stage,
wherein the first portion of the multilayer stack includes the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film and a light-emitting device which are adhered to the stage, the light-emitting device including the functional layer region and the flexible substrate region of the synthetic resin film, and the second portion of the multilayer stack includes the glass base, and
the method further comprises removing the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film adhered to the stage from the stage while the light-emitting device is kept adhered to the stage, and
wherein the lift-off light is incoherent light.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after removing the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film from the stage, performing a process on the light-emitting device which is in contact with the stage.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the process includes any of attaching a dielectric and/or electrically-conductive film to the light-emitting device, cleaning or etching the light-emitting device, and mounting an optical part and/or an electronic part to the light-emitting device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein separating the multilayer stack into the first portion and the second portion is carried out while the stage holds the second surface of the multilayer stack.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein irradiating the interface between the synthetic resin film and the glass base with the lift-off light is carried out while the stage holds the second surface of the multilayer stack.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein
a surface of the stage includes a first region which is to face the light-emitting device and a second region which is to face the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film, and
suction in the first region is higher than suction in the second region.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before bringing the second surface of the multilayer stack into contact with the stage, placing a suction sheet on the stage, the suction sheet having a plurality of openings,
wherein the stage includes a porous plate on which the suction sheet is to be placed, and
the suction sheet includes a first region which is to be in contact with the light-emitting device and a second region which is to face the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film, an aperture ratio of the first region being higher than an aperture ratio of the second region.

8. A method for producing a flexible light-emitting device, comprising:
providing a multilayer stack which has a first surface and a second surface, the multilayer stack including
a glass base which defines the first surface,
a functional layer region including a TFT layer and a light-emitting device layer,
a synthetic resin film provided between the glass base and the functional layer region and bound to the glass base, the synthetic resin film including a flexible substrate region supporting the functional layer region and an intermediate region surrounding the flexible substrate region, and
a protection sheet which covers the functional layer region and which defines the second surface;

dividing the intermediate region and the flexible substrate region of the synthetic resin film from each other so that the intermediate region has a single continuous sheet-like structure that has openings;
irradiating an interface between the synthetic resin film and the glass base with lift-off light; and
separating the multilayer stack into a first portion and a second portion by increasing a distance from a stage to the glass base while the second surface of the multilayer stack is kept in contact with the stage,
wherein the first portion of the multilayer stack includes the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film and a light-emitting device which are adhered to the stage, the light-emitting device including the functional layer region and the flexible substrate region of the synthetic resin film, and the second portion of the multilayer stack includes the glass base, and
the method further comprises removing the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film adhered to the stage from the stage while the light-emitting device is kept adhered to the stage, and
wherein
the light-emitting device layer includes a plurality of arrayed micro LEDs, and
the lift-off light is laser light.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, after removing the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film from the stage, performing a process on the light-emitting device which is in contact with the stage.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the process includes any of attaching a dielectric and/or electrically-conductive film to the light-emitting device, cleaning or etching the light-emitting device, and mounting an optical part and/or an electronic part to the light-emitting device.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein separating the multilayer stack into the first portion and the second portion is carried out while the stage holds the second surface of the multilayer stack.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein irradiating the interface between the synthetic resin film and the glass base with the lift-off light is carried out while the stage holds the second surface of the multilayer stack.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein
a surface of the stage includes a first region which is to face the light-emitting device and a second region which is to face the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film, and
suction in the first region is higher than suction in the second region.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, before bringing the second surface of the multilayer stack into contact with the stage, placing a suction sheet on the stage, the suction sheet having a plurality of openings,
wherein the stage includes a porous plate on which the suction sheet is to be placed, and
the suction sheet includes a first region which is to be in contact with the light-emitting device and a second region which is to face the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film, an aperture ratio of the first region being higher than an aperture ratio of the second region.

Assignees

• Sakai Display Products Corp

Inventors

• Kishimoto Katsuhiko
• Tanaka Kohichi

Classifications

• H10W90/00 Primary

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10D86/0214

  using temporary substrates · CPC title

• H10H20/80

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H05B33/10

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources · CPC title

• G09F9/30

  in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements (panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00) · CPC title