The disclosure relates to a clamping device for clamping an evaporation mask placed on a substrate, a manufacturing apparatus for an EL device, a controller, and a manufacturing method for an EL device.
In the related art, there is known a clamping device for clamping an evaporation mask placed on a substrate in order to form a deposition layer for an electro luminescence (EL) device (Patent Literature 1). The clamping device includes a holding part for holding opposing two sides of the evaporation mask and a driving member for pulling each holding part to stretch (apply tension to) the evaporation mask. Then, with the tension applied to the evaporation mask, the evaporation mask is aligned with the substrate and fixed.
PTL1: JP 2015-28204 A (published on Feb. 12, 2015)
However, in a case where the holding part holding the evaporation mask is pulled by the driving member to stretch the evaporation mask, the evaporation mask slips from the holding part, causing positional deviation of the evaporation mask with respect to the substrate and bending of the evaporation mask. As a result, stretching conditions of the evaporation mask are deviated, and at the time of stretching the evaporation mask, the evaporation mask is deviated to an unintended position and clamped there.
A clamping device in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure includes: a first clamping member configured to clamp a first end of an evaporation mask placed on a substrate; and a second clamping member configured to clamp a second end of the evaporation mask, the first clamping member including: a support member configured to support a first surface of the evaporation mask; and a main rotating member rotatable around a main rotating shaft provided on a side of the first end of the evaporation mask to face the support member across the evaporation mask, the main rotating member including an auxiliary rotating shaft, and the first clamping member further including an auxiliary rotating member rotatable around the auxiliary rotating shaft to come into surface-contact with a second surface of the evaporation mask.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, deviation of a clamp position of an evaporation mask can be prevented.
Configuration of Clamping Device 1
The substrate 10 on which the EL device is formed may constitute a flexible display. The flexible display device is not particularly limited to a specific display device, as long as it is a display panel that has flexibility and is provided with bendable optical elements. The optical element is an optical element whose luminance and transmittance are controlled by an electric current, and examples of the electric current-controlled optical element include an organic Electro Luminescence (EL) display provided with an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), an EL display such as an inorganic EL display provided with an inorganic light emitting diode, or a QLED display provided with a Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode (QLED).
The first clamping member 2 has an auxiliary rotating member 8 that is rotatable around the auxiliary rotating shaft 7 to come into surface-contact with a surface 14 (second surface) of the evaporation mask 9. The auxiliary rotating member 8 has a contact portion 12 having a contact surface 17 that comes into surface-contact with the surface 14 of the evaporation mask 9.
A controller 15 having a control circuit 16 for controlling behaviors of the main rotating member 5 and the auxiliary rotating member 8, is provided in the clamping device 1.
At this time, by properly selecting a weight balance between the auxiliary rotating member 8 and the auxiliary rotating shaft 7 of the auxiliary rotating member 8, a structure around the auxiliary rotating shaft 7 of the auxiliary rotating member 8 may be ensured, by which, in accordance with rotation of the main rotating member 5, the auxiliary rotating member 8 can start on a contact point with the evaporation mask 9, approaching the evaporation mask. Thus, the auxiliary rotating member 8 first comes into point-contact with the evaporation mask 9 and then comes into surface-contact therewith, without providing the auxiliary rotating shaft 7 with a mechanically driving mechanism.
FIGS. SA to 5E illustrate a positional relationship between the auxiliary rotating shaft 7 of the auxiliary rotating member 8 provided on the first clamping member 2 and the contact surface 17. Here, described are possible surface-contact forms of the contact surface 17.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
After shifted to the surface-contacted state, the evaporation mask 9 receives a force in the direction perpendicular to the surface 14 thereof and is fixed by the main rotating member 5 and the auxiliary rotating member 8. By thus applying the force in the direction perpendicular to the surface 14 of the evaporation mask 9 instead of applying tension thereto, the evaporation mask 9 is fixed. Therefore, a problem may be overcome that the evaporation mask 9 slips from the holding part for holding the evaporation mask 9 in order to apply tension to the evaporation mask 9, causing positional deviation of the evaporation mask 9 with respect to the substrate or bending of the evaporation mask 9. As a result, positioning accuracy for the evaporation mask can be improved.
By further applying a rotational force by the main rotating member 5 in order to bring the auxiliary rotating member 8 into a close surface-contacted state, a force may be applied in the direction perpendicular to the contact surface 17.
Further, by attaching an electromagnet to the contact portion 12 and powering the electromagnet, in a state in which the contact portion 12 is in a close surface-contacted state to thus generate a magnetic force and then magnetically attract a magnetically attractable mask material, such as an invar material, of the evaporation mask 9, a force may be generated in the direction perpendicular to the surface 14 of the evaporation mask 9 and the contact surface 17.
With the above methods, a pressure is applied to the surface 14 of the evaporation mask 9 and the contact surface 17 of the contact portion 12. This makes it possible to apply a sufficient clamping pressure so that the evaporation mask 9 does not cause positional deviation at the time of stretching the mask.
The second clamping member 3 is preferably configured similarly to the first clamping member 2.
In the first clamping member 2A, a main rotating shaft 6A is configured to move in a direction of the arrow B along the surface 14 of the evaporation mask 9.
First, assuming that θm indicates a rotational angle, as illustrated in
Further assuming that L indicates a length from the main rotating shaft 6 of the main rotating member 5 to the auxiliary rotating shaft 7, rc indicates a distance between one end of the contact surface 17 being in contact with the surface 14 of the evaporation mask 9 and the auxiliary rotating shaft 7, and r1 indicates a distance between the contact surface 17 and the auxiliary rotating shaft 7.
Still further assuming that θc indicates an angle made by a straight line connecting one end of the contact surface 17, being in contact with the surface 14 of the evaporation mask 9, with the auxiliary rotating shaft 7, and a straight line perpendicular to the contact surface 17.
Then, a deviation amount da of the main rotating member 5 in the direction of the arrow B, which is caused by the main rotating member 5 rotating around the main rotating shaft 6 by the angle θm, is expressed by Equation 1 below.
[Equation 1]
da=L×(1−cos θm) (Math 1)
Note that the contact portion 12 is, as illustrated in
From the viewpoint of applying a force in the direction perpendicular to the surface 14 of the evaporation mask 9, a deviation amount (dc+da) is preferably reduced.
Ideally that (dc+da)=0 mm.
In practice, however, preferably that
(dc+da)<1 mm (Math 5).
More preferably,
(dc+da)<0.2 mm (Math 6).
Thus, the length L, the angle θm, the distance rc, and the distance r1 are determined to satisfy the condition of Math 5 or Math 6.
Then, when the main rotating member 5 rotates around the main rotating shaft 6 by the angle θm, the main rotating shaft 6 is moved in the direction of the arrow B according to the value of (dc+da). Thus, the evaporation mask 9 can be fixed by applying a force from a direction which is closer to the perpendicular direction to the surface 14 of the evaporation mask 9.
Further, a configuration may be employed that a deviation amount of (dc+da) is first anticipated, and then the evaporation mask 9 is placed being offset by the anticipated deviation amount of (dc+da) and clamped by the first clamping member 2.
The second clamping member 3 is preferably configured similarly to the first clamping member 2.
As described above, the configuration of the second embodiment realizes a reduction in the deviation amount of the clamp position along the direction of the arrow B. Therefore, a problem may be overcome that the evaporation mask 9 slips from the holding part for holding the evaporation mask 9 in order to apply tension to the evaporation mask 9, causing positional deviation of the evaporation mask 9 with respect to the substrate or bending of the evaporation mask 9. As a result, positioning accuracy for the evaporation mask 9 can be improved.
A first aspect of the disclosure provides a clamping device including: a first clamping member configured to clamp a first end of an evaporation mask placed on a substrate; and a second clamping member configured to clamp a second end of the evaporation mask, the first clamping member including: a support member configured to support a first surface of the evaporation mask; and a main rotating member rotatable around a main rotating shaft provided on a side of the first end of the evaporation mask to face the support member across the evaporation mask, the main rotating member including an auxiliary rotating shaft, and the first clamping member further including an auxiliary rotating member rotatable around the auxiliary rotating shaft to come into surface-contact with a second surface of the evaporation mask.
In a second aspect of the disclosure, the clamping device is configured such that the auxiliary rotating member includes a contact surface allowed to come into surface-contact with the second surface of the evaporation mask, the clamping device includes a structure by which, after one end of the contact surface of the auxiliary rotating member comes into contact with the second surface of the evaporation mask in accordance with rotation of the main rotating member, the main rotating member further rotates to allow the auxiliary rotating member to rotate around the auxiliary rotating shaft and then to allow the contact surface of the auxiliary rotating member to come into surface-contact with the second surface of the evaporation mask.
In a third aspect of the disclosure, the clamping device is configured such that the main rotating member rotates around the main rotating shaft in a direction approaching the evaporation mask so that the auxiliary rotating member approaches the evaporation mask and the one end of the contact surface of the auxiliary rotating member comes into contact with the second surface of the evaporation mask.
In a fourth aspect of the disclosure, the clamping device is configured such that the main rotating shaft is configured to move in a direction along a surface of the evaporation mask.
In a fifth aspect of the disclosure, the clamping device is configured such that an evaporation layer for an optical element is formed by deposition on the substrate via the evaporation mask, and the optical element includes an organic light emitting diode, an inorganic light emitting diode, or a quantum dot light-emitting diode.
In a sixth aspect of the disclosure, the clamping device is configured such that the auxiliary rotating member includes an electromagnet configured to, when powered in a state in which the auxiliary rotating member is in surface-contact with the second surface of the evaporation mask, generate a magnetic force causing the auxiliary rotating member to magnetically come into close contact with the evaporation mask.
A seventh aspect of the disclosure provides a manufacturing apparatus for an EL device, including: a first clamping member configured to clamp a first end of an evaporation mask placed on a substrate to form an evaporation layer for the EL device; and a second clamping member configured to clamp a second end of the evaporation mask, the first clamping member including: a support member configured to support a first surface of the evaporation mask; and a main rotating member rotatable around a main rotating shaft provided on a side of the first end of the evaporation mask to face the support member across the evaporation mask, the main rotating member including an auxiliary rotating shaft, the first clamping member further including an auxiliary rotating member rotatable around the auxiliary rotating shaft to come into surface-contact with the second surface of the evaporation mask, and the EL device including an organic light emitting diode, an inorganic light emitting diode, or a quantum dot light-emitting diode.
An eighth aspect of the disclosure provides a controller configured to control the manufacturing apparatus for an EL device according to the seventh aspect, including: a control circuit provided to allow the main rotating member to rotate around the main rotating shaft provided on the first end side of the evaporation mask to face the support member across the evaporation mask.
A ninth aspect of the disclosure provides a manufacturing method for an EL device, the method using a manufacturing apparatus for the EL device including: a first clamping member configured to clamp a first end of an evaporation mask placed on a substrate to form an evaporation layer for the EL device; and a second clamping member configured to clamp a second end of the evaporation mask, the first clamping member including a support member configured to support a first surface of the evaporation mask, the method including: rotating a main rotating member around a main rotating shaft provided on a side of the first end of the evaporation mask to face the support member across the evaporation mask; and rotating an auxiliary rotating member around an auxiliary rotating shaft of the main rotating member to come into surface-contact with the second surface of the evaporation mask, the EL device including an organic light emitting diode, an inorganic light emitting diode, or a quantum dot light-emitting diode.
The disclosure is not limited to each of the embodiments stated above, and various modifications may be implemented within a range not departing from the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical approaches stated in each of the different embodiments also fall within the scope of the technology of the disclosure. Moreover, novel technical features may be formed by combining the technical approaches stated in each of the embodiments.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2017/021132 | 6/7/2017 | WO | 00 |