Method and apparatus for manufacturing flexible light emitting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021028363-A1
Application number	US-201816967367-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 9, 2018
Priority date	May 9, 2018
Publication date	Jan 28, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

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

First claim

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 plurality of functional layer regions each including a TFT layer and a light-emitting device layer,
a synthetic resin film provided between the glass base and the plurality of functional layer regions and bound to the glass base, the synthetic resin film including a plurality of flexible substrate regions respectively supporting the plurality of functional layer regions and an intermediate region surrounding the plurality of flexible substrate regions, and
a protection sheet which covers the plurality of functional layer regions and which defines the second surface;
dividing the intermediate region and respective ones of the plurality of flexible substrate regions of the synthetic resin film from one another and keeping the divided synthetic resin film bound to the glass base; irradiating an interface between the plurality of flexible substrate regions of the synthetic resin film and the glass base with lift-off light while the second surface of the multilayer stack is held by the stage; 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 held by the stage, wherein the first portion of the multilayer stack includes a plurality of light-emitting devices which are in contact with the stage, and the plurality of light-emitting devices respectively include the plurality of functional layer regions and include the plurality of flexible substrate regions of the synthetic resin film, and the second portion of the multilayer stack includes the glass base and the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film,
wherein the lift-off light is incoherent light, the incoherent light being radiated from a surface-emission light source that comprises a plurality of light emitting diode devices for emitting ultraviolet light, and
the irradiation intensity of the lift-off light is temporally and/or spatially modulated by modulating a driving current flowing through each of the plurality of light emitting diode devices.

2 . (canceled)

3 . (canceled)

4 . (canceled)

5 . (canceled)

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
a surface of the stage includes a first region which is to face the plurality of light-emitting devices and a second region which is to face the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film, and suction in the first region is greater 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 plurality of light-emitting devices 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 . The method of claim 1 further comprising, after separating the multilayer stack into the first portion and the second portion, sequentially or concurrently performing a process on the plurality of light-emitting devices which are in contact with the stage.

9 . The method of claim 1 further comprising, after separating the multilayer stack into the first portion and the second portion, adhering another protection sheet to the plurality of light-emitting devices which are in contact with the stage.

10 . The method of claim 9 further comprising detaching from the stage the plurality of light-emitting devices which are bound to the another protection sheet.

11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising sequentially or concurrently performing a process on the plurality of light-emitting devices which are bound to the another protection sheet.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the process includes attaching a dielectric and/or electrically-conductive film to each of the plurality of light-emitting devices.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the process includes cleaning or etching each of the plurality of light-emitting devices.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the process includes mounting an optical part and/or an electronic part to each of the plurality of light-emitting devices.

15 . (canceled)

16 . An apparatus for producing a flexible light-emitting device, comprising:
a stage for supporting 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 plurality of functional layer regions each including a TFT layer and a light-emitting device layer,
a synthetic resin film provided between the glass base and the plurality of functional layer regions and bound to the glass base, the synthetic resin film including a plurality of flexible substrate regions respectively supporting the plurality of functional layer regions and an intermediate region surrounding the plurality of flexible substrate regions, and
a protection sheet which covers the plurality of functional layer regions and which defines the second surface,
the intermediate region and respective ones of the plurality of flexible substrate regions of the synthetic resin film being divided from one another;
a lift-off light irradiation unit for irradiating with lift-off light an interface between the plurality of flexible substrate regions of the synthetic resin film and the glass base in the multilayer stack supported by the stage; and an actuator for increasing a distance from the stage to the glass base while the stage holds the second surface of the multilayer stack by suction, thereby separating the multilayer stack into a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the multilayer stack includes a plurality of light-emitting devices adhered by suction to the stage, and the plurality of light-emitting devices respectively include the plurality of functional layer regions and include the plurality of flexible substrate regions of the synthetic resin film, and the second portion of the multilayer stack includes the glass base and the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film,
wherein the lift-off light irradiation unit comprises an incoherent light source for emitting the lift-off light, the incoherent light source being a surface-emission light source that comprises a plurality of light emitting diode devices for emitting ultraviolet light and
the lift-off light irradiation unit modulates a driving current flowing through each of the plurality of light emitting diode devices, thereby temporally and/or spatially modulating the irradiation intensity of the lift-off light.

17 . (canceled)

18 . (canceled)

19 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein
the surface of the stage includes a first region which is to face the plurality of light-emitting devices and a second region which is to face the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film, and suction in the first region is greater than suction in the second region.

20 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein
the stage includes
a porous plate, and
a suction sheet placed on the porous plate, the suction sheet having

Assignees

• Sakai Display Products Corp

Inventors

• Kishimoto Katsuhiko
• Tanaka Kohichi

Classifications

• H10H20/80

  Constructional details · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• Y02E10/549

  Organic PV cells · 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

• G09F9/00

  Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements (in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00) · CPC title