1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of an image display apparatus and a bonding method of base materials, and more particularly to a bonding method of members constituting an envelope of the image display apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a method of, in a manufacturing process of an image display apparatus, interposing a bonding material between a pair of base materials, melting the bonding material by irradiating an electromagnetic wave such as a laser beam or the like to the bonding material, and thus bonding the pair of the base materials together. Here, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Translation of PCT Application) 2008-517446 discloses a method of airtightly sealing up a cover plate and a substrate, by taking an organic light emitting diode display for example. In this method, a bonding material (frit) is previously applied in an appropriate way to the cover plate like a frame, and the cover plate is baked to burn out an organic binder included in the bonding material. After then, a laser beam is irradiated to the bonding material as lightly pressing the cover plate on which the bonding material has been formed and the substrate to each other, and the bonding material is thus melted, whereby the cover plate and the substrate are airtightly sealed up.
Incidentally, there are cases where the width-direction section of the baked bonding material has a shape that the vicinity of the center of the bonding material is concave. When the base material on which the bonding material having the above shape has been formed and the base material on which a bonding material is not formed are pressed to each other, a protruding portion of the bonding material positioned at the outside in the width direction of the bonding material comes into contact with the base material on which the bonding material is not formed. Then, when the bonding material is heated by irradiating the laser beam in such a state, a temperature of the base material on which the bonding material is not formed becomes high at the position where the base material is in contact with the bonding material. On the other hand, a temperature of the base material on which the bonding material is not formed is relatively low at the position where the base material is opposite to the concave portion of the bonding material at its center in the width direction because the base material is not in contact with the bonding material at this position. As a result, in a temperature distribution of the base material on which the bonding material is not formed, the low temperature portion is interposed between the high temperature portions in the width direction. When cooling progresses in such a state, particularly the high temperature portion which is in contact with the bonding material is rapidly cooled down and thus thermal contraction occurs. Thus, a large tensile stress is applied to the low temperature portion positioned between the high temperature portions, whereby there is a possibility that crack occurs.
The present invention aims to provide a manufacturing method of an image display apparatus and a bonding method of base materials, in which a stress according to heating and cooling of the base material is reduced and crack does not occur easily in a bonding portion.
The present invention is characterized by a manufacturing method of an image display apparatus which comprises a first substrate having numerous electron-emitting devices, a second substrate positioned opposite to the first substrate and having a fluorescent film of displaying an image in response to irradiation of electrons emitted from the electron-emitting devices, and a frame member positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate to form a space between the first substrate and the second substrate, the method comprising: arranging a bonding material between a pair of base materials acting as the first substrate and the frame member or acting as the second substrate and the frame member, the bonding material extending along one of the base materials acting as the frame member; and bonding, as mutually pressing to each other the base materials of the pair of the base materials, the pair of the base materials by the bonding material, by irradiating an electromagnetic wave to the bonding material while moving an irradiation position along the bonding material to melt the bonding material, and then hardening the melted bonding material, wherein the arranging of the bonding material includes arranging the bonding material on one of faces of the pair of the base materials mutually opposite to each other so as to have a convex portion which continuously extends in a direction along which the bonding material extends and in which its central region in a width direction protrudes toward the other of the faces of the pair of the base materials.
Further, the present invention is characterized by a bonding method of base materials, comprising: arranging a bonding material between a pair of the base materials including a flat plate and a frame member, the bonding material extending along the frame member; and bonding, as mutually pressing to each other the base materials of the pair of the base materials, the pair of the base materials by the bonding material, by irradiating an electromagnetic wave to the bonding material while moving an irradiation position along the bonding material to melt the bonding material, and then hardening the melted bonding material, wherein the arranging of the bonding material includes arranging the bonding material on one of faces of the pair of the base materials mutually opposite to each other so as to have a convex portion which continuously extends in a direction along which the bonding material extends and in which its central region in a width direction protrudes toward the other of the faces of the pair of the base materials.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
An aspect of the present invention is directed to a manufacturing method of an image display apparatus which comprises a first substrate having numerous electron-emitting devices, a second substrate positioned opposite to the first substrate and having a fluorescent film of displaying an image in response to irradiation of electrons emitted from the electron-emitting devices, and a frame member positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate to form a space between the first substrate and the second substrate. Here, the present invention comprises a step of arranging a bonding material between a pair of base materials acting as the first substrate and the frame member or acting as the second substrate and the frame member, the bonding material extending along one of the base materials acting as the frame member; and a step of bonding, as mutually pressing to each other the base materials of the pair of the base materials, the pair of the base materials by the bonding material, by irradiating an electromagnetic wave to the bonding material while moving an irradiation position along the bonding material to melt the bonding material, and then hardening the melted bonding material. Further, the step of arranging the bonding material includes to arrange the bonding material on one of faces of the pair of the base materials mutually opposite to each other so as to have a convex portion which continuously extends in a direction along which the bonding material extends and in which its central region in a width direction protrudes toward the other of the faces of the pair of the base materials.
The bonding material is arranged so as to have the convex portion in which the central region in the width direction protrudes toward the other of the faces of the pair of the base materials mutually opposite to each other. Consequently, in a temperature distribution on the other of the faces of the pair of the base materials opposite to each other at the time when the bonding material is melted, the temperature at the position which is in contact with the bonding material is high, and the temperature gradually reduces from the relevant position toward the outside of the bonding material in the width direction. Since an excessive stress is not generated even if cooling progresses in such a state, crack does not occur easily in the bonded base material.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a bonding method of base materials, which comprises: a step of arranging a bonding material between a pair of the base materials including a flat plate and a frame member, the bonding material extending along the frame member; and a step of bonding, as mutually pressing to each other the base materials of the pair of the base materials, the pair of the base materials by the bonding material, by irradiating an electromagnetic wave to the bonding material while moving an irradiation position along the bonding material to melt the bonding material, and then hardening the melted bonding material. The step of arranging the bonding material includes to arrange the bonding material on one of faces of the pair of the base materials mutually opposite to each other so as to have a convex portion which continuously extends in a direction along which the bonding material extends and in which its central region in a width direction protrudes toward the other of the faces of the pair of the base materials.
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide the manufacturing method of the image display apparatus and the bonding method of the base materials, in which the stress according to heating and cooling of the base material is reduced and the crack does not occur easily in the bonding portion.
Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present invention is preferably applicable in an image display apparatus manufacturing method in which a vacuum container is used. In particular, the present invention is preferably applicable to an image display apparatus in which a fluorescent film and an electron accelerating electrode are formed on a face plate of a vacuum envelope and numerous electron-emitting devices are formed on a rear plate thereof. However, it should be noted that the present invention is widely applicable to a case of manufacturing an airtight container by properly bonding plural members, and is also applicable widely as a general bonding method of base materials.
Further, on the first substrate 12, numerous electron-emitting devices 27 which emit electrons according to image signals are formed, and also wirings (X-direction wirings 28, and Y-direction wirings 29) which cause the respective electron-emitting devices 27 to operate according to the image signals are formed. On the second substrate 13 which is positioned opposite to the first substrate 12, a fluorescent film 34, which emits light in response to irradiation of the electrons emitted by the electron-emitting devices 27 to display an image, is provided. Also, on the second substrate 13, a black stripe is provided. Here, the fluorescent film 34 and the black stripe 35 are alternately arranged. Further, a metal back 36, which is made by an Al thin film, is formed on the fluorescent film 34. The metal back 36, which has a function as an electrode for attracting the electrons, is supplied with potential from a high-voltage terminal Hv provided on the envelope 10. Further, a non-evaporable getter 37, which is made by a Ti thin film, is formed on the metal back 36.
Subsequently, the present embodiment will be described concretely with reference to
(Step S1: Step of Arranging Bonding Material to Frame Member)
Initially, the bonding material 3 which is made by a laminated body consisting of a first bonding material 1 and a second bonding material 2 is arranged on the face of one side of the frame member 14. More specifically, the first bonding material 1 is first formed in screen printing so as to have desired width and thickness along the peripheral length, and then the formed material is dried at 120° C. ((a) in
(Step S1′: Step of Arranging Bonding Material to Second Substrate)
In the same manner as that in the step S1, a bonding material 3′ which is made by a laminated body consisting of the first bonding material 1 and the second bonding material 2 is arranged. More specifically, on the face of the second substrate 13 opposite to the frame member 14, the first bonding material 1 is first formed in screen printing so as to have desired width and thickness along the peripheral length, and then the formed material is dried at 120° C. ((A) in
Here,
(Step S2: Step of Bonding First Substrate and Frame)
Subsequently, the bonding material 3 is put on the first substrate 12 so that the convex portion 32 comes into contact with the first substrate 12, and the frame member 14 is located at a predetermined position on the first substrate 12 ((e) in
Also, as illustrated in
(Step S3: Step of Bonding Frame Member to which First Substrate has been Bonded to Second Substrate)
Subsequently, a spacer 8 is arranged on the wirings 28 and 29 of the first substrate 12. Then, the second substrate 13 is aligned with the first substrate 12 and arranged on the face of the frame member 14 different from the face thereof bonded to the first substrate 12, so that the convex portion 32 of the bonding material 3′ comes into contact with the frame member 14 ((g) in
(Step S4: Step of Performing Baking and Sealing)
To increase a degree of vacuum of the internal space of the envelope 10, baking is performed at a predetermined temperature after the heating process. More specifically, the envelope 10 is set up in a vacuum chamber (not illustrated). Subsequently, the degree of vacuum in the chamber is decreased to 10−3 Pa or so, as the inside of the envelope 10 is vacuum-exhausted through an exhaust hole 7. After then, the envelope 10 is wholly heated, and the non-evaporable getter 37 is activated. Further, the exhaust hole 7 is sealed by a sealing material 6 and a sealing cover 5, and the image display apparatus 11 is thus formed. As a material of the sealing cover 5, it is desirable to use the material same as that of the first substrate 12. However, it is also possible to use metal or alloy such as Al, Ti, Ni or the like which is not melted in vacuum baking. Further, it is possible to have the same effect as described above even if the heating process ((h) in
To determine the bonding material and the bonding method which are applicable to the image display apparatus, it is necessary to consider the following matters:
(1) heat resistance in the in-vacuum baking (high vacuum forming) process;
(2) maintenance of high vacuum (vacuum leakage minimum, gas permeableness minimum);
(3) securement of adhesiveness to the glass member;
(4) securement of a low outgassing (high vacuum maintaining) characteristic; and
(5) less warp of the image display apparatus after the bonding.
The bonding method according to the present embodiment satisfies all of such conditions.
The above-described embodiment can be generalized as below. That is, a pair of arbitrary base materials to be mutually bonded to each other, such as the pair of the first substrate and the frame member or the pair of the second substrate and the frame member, is supposed. Here, the flat plate and the frame member are supposed as the pair of the base materials. The process of bonding the flat plate and the frame member to each other includes the following steps.
(1) the step of arranging, between the pair of the base materials including the flat plate and the frame member, the bonding material which extends along the frame member.
(2) the step of bonding, as mutually pressing to each other the base materials of the pair of the base materials, the pair of the base materials by the bonding material, by irradiating the electromagnetic wave such as a laser beam or the like to the bonding material while moving the irradiation position along the bonding material to melt the bonding material, and then hardening the melted bonding material.
The process of arranging the bonding material includes the following steps.
(1) the step of arranging the first bonding material on one of the faces (e.g., the frame member) of the pair of the base materials. In this step, the first bonding material is applied like the frame along the frame member, and the applied bonding material is formed so as to have the concave portion which continuously extends in the direction along which the bonding material extends and in which its central region in the width direction is concave to the other of the faces (e.g., the flat plate) of the pair of the base materials.
(2) the step of providing the next (second) bonding material on the concave portion so that the convex portion is formed along the concave portion of the first bonding material. For example, the glass frit is applied in the concave portion of the baked first bonding material so that the convex portion is formed, and then the glass frit formed in the concave portion is baked at least once at 350° C. or more.
Thus, it is possible to arrange the bonding material, on one of the faces of the pair of the base materials mutually opposite to each other, to have the convex portion which continuously extends in the direction along which the bonding material extends and in which its central region in the width direction protrudes toward the other of the faces of the pair of the base materials.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by taking concrete examples.
The image display apparatus 11 to which the bonding material and the bonding method of this example are applied has the same constitution as that of the apparatus schematically illustrated in
In the image display apparatus of this example, the plural (240 rows×720 columns) surface conduction electron-emitting devices 27 are formed on the first substrate 12. The surface conduction electron-emitting devices 27 are electrically connected to the X-direction wirings (also called upper wirings) 28 and the Y-direction wirings (also called lower wirings) 29, whereby the simple matrix wirings are provided. The fluorescent film 34 consisting of striped red, green and blue phosphors (not illustrated) and the black stripe 35 are alternately arranged on the second substrate 13. Further, on the fluorescent film 34, the metal back 36 made by an Al thin film is formed by a sputtering method at the thickness 0.1 μm, and a Ti film formed at the thickness 0.1 μm by an electron beam vacuum vapor deposition method is provided as the non-evaporable getter 37.
Hereinafter, the bonding method of the image display apparatus in this example will be described with reference to
(Step a) A paste (the first bonding material 1) obtained by compounding terpineol, Elvacite™, and Bi-based lead-free glass frit of BAS115 base (available from ASAHI GLASS CO., LTD.: the thermal expansion coefficient α=75×107/° C.)) acting as the basic material of the first bonding material 1 was prepared. The paste was formed in the screen printing so as to have the width 1 mm and the thickness 10 μm along the peripheral length of the frame member 14, and then dried at 120° C. ((b) in
(Step b) The paste (the second bonding material 2) same as that used in Step a was prepared. The prepared paste was formed, as well as the first bonding material 1, in the screen printing at the width 1 mm and the thickness 10 μm on the dried first bonding material 1 so as to cover the formed concave portion ((c) in
(Step c) To burn out the organic matters, the bonding material was heated and baked at 480° C., whereby the bonding material 3 was formed ((d) in
(Step A) A paste (the second bonding material 2) obtained by compounding terpineol, Elvacite™, and Bi-based lead-free glass frit of BAS115 base (available from ASAHI GLASS CO., LTD.: the thermal expansion coefficient α=75×10−7/° C.)) acting as the basic material of the second bonding material 2 was prepared. The paste was formed in the screen printing so as to have the width 1 mm and the thickness 10 μm along the peripheral length on the face of the second substrate 13 opposite to the frame member 14, and then dried at 120° C. ((B) in
(Step B) The paste same as that used in Step A was prepared. The prepared paste was formed, as well as the first bonding material 1, in the screen printing at the width 1 mm and the thickness 10 μm on the dried second bonding material 2 ((C) in
(Step C) To burn out the organic matters, the bonding material was heated and baked at 480° C., whereby the bonding material 3′ was formed ((D) in
(Step d) The frame member 14 was located at the predetermined position on the first substrate 12 so that the formed convex portion of the bonding material 3 was in contact with the first substrate 12 ((e) in
(Step e) A semiconductor laser beam having the wavelength 980 nm, the power 130W and the effective diameter 1 mm was irradiated, as scanning at the speed 300 mm/S, to the bonding material 3 while pressing the bonding material from the side of the frame member 14, whereby the bonding material 3 was locally heated. Thus, the bonding material was melted, and then hardened, whereby the first substrate 12 and the frame member 14 were bonded to each other ((f) in
(Step f) The spacer 8 was arranged on the wirings 28 and 29 of the first substrate 12.
(Step g) The second substrate 13 was arranged on the other face of the frame member 14 to which the first substrate 12 was not bonded, through alignment with the first substrate 12, so that the formed convex portion of the bonding material 3′ was in contact with the frame member 14 ((g) in
(Step h) A semiconductor laser beam having the wavelength 980 nm, the power 130W and the effective diameter 1 mm was irradiated, as scanning at the speed 300 mm/S, to the bonding material 3′ while pressing the bonding material from the side of the second substrate 13, whereby the bonding material 3′ was locally heated. Thus, the bonding material 3′ was melted, and then hardened, whereby the frame member 14 bonded to the second substrate 13 was bonded to the first substrate 12 ((h) in
(Step i) The envelope 10 was set up in the vacuum chamber (not illustrated). Subsequently, the degree of vacuum in the chamber was set to 10−3 Pa or so, as the inside of the envelope 10 was vacuum-exhausted through the exhaust hole 7. Further, the envelope 10 was wholly heated up to 350° C., and the non-evaporable getter 37 was activated. After then, the exhaust hole 7 was sealed by the sealing material 6 made by In and the sealing cover 5 made by a glass substrate, whereby the image display apparatus 11 was formed.
In the image display apparatus of this example shown in
This example is the same as the example 1 except that, as a material of the frame member, soda lime glass (AS soda lime glass: the thermal expansion coefficient 87×10−7/° C.) is used instead of PD200. Also, in this example, the convex portion in which the central region is continuously convex is formed in the paste. Thus, occurrence of crack in the bonding portion due to the thermal contraction is suppressed, thereby achieving the laser bonding in which safety improves and airtightness is excellent. In this example, the non-evaporable getter 37 was set on the second substrate 13. However, the non-evaporable getter 37 may be set on the wiring of the first substrate 12 (not illustrated).
While the present invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-211715, filed Sep. 14, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2009-211715 | Sep 2009 | JP | national |