JP2005149890A - Sealing apparatus and sealing method, display device and electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sealing apparatus by which an element substrate and a sealing substrate can be stuck together at high precision even when twisting or unevenness in thickness exists in the substrate or when twisting or unevenness in thickness exists in the adhesive when sticking together the element substrate provided with more than one light emitting element and the sealing substrate. <P>SOLUTION: The sealing apparatus S is provided with a pressing apparatus 40 with a plurality of pressing parts 41 for pressing the sealing substrate 20 to the element substrate 1, in a state that the element substrate 1 to which a plurality of light emitting elements 3 are provided and the sealing substrate 20 are faced to each other. Each of a plurality of positions corresponding to the light elements 3 on the sealing substrate 20 is pressed by the pressing parts 41. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a sealing device and a sealing method for sealing an element by bonding an element substrate and a sealing substrate, a display device, and an electronic apparatus.

An organic EL (electroluminescence) display device includes a light-emitting element (organic EL element) having a structure in which a light-emitting layer containing a light-emitting substance is sandwiched between an anode and a cathode electrode layer, and a positive electrode injected from the anode side. A phenomenon is used in which holes and electrons injected from the cathode side are recombined in a light-emitting layer having a light-emitting ability, and light is emitted when the excited state is lost. Since an organic EL element is deteriorated by oxygen or moisture, the element is sealed with a sealing can or a sealing film. The following patent document discloses an example of a technique for sealing an organic EL element.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-40347 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-230070

  By the way, from the viewpoint of improving manufacturing efficiency, etc., a large sealing substrate is formed so that a plurality of elements are arranged on a large substrate (for example, a glass substrate) to form an element substrate and each of these elements is sealed. In some cases, a large number of organic EL display devices are manufactured in a lump by bonding and then cutting the substrate according to each element. However, with the increase in size of the substrate, the influence of the undulation and thickness unevenness of the substrate increases, and the element substrate and the sealing substrate may not be bonded with high accuracy. In addition, there may be a case where the bonding cannot be performed with high accuracy due to uneven thickness of the adhesive disposed between the element substrate and the sealing substrate.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances. When an element substrate having a plurality of elements and a sealing substrate are bonded to each other, the substrate has waviness or uneven thickness, or the adhesive has uneven thickness. However, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sealing device and a sealing method capable of bonding an element substrate and a sealing substrate with high accuracy. It is another object of the present invention to provide a display device and an electronic device each having an element well sealed by the sealing device and the sealing method.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a sealing device of the present invention includes a sealing device that seals the element by bonding an element substrate provided with a plurality of elements and the sealing substrate. A pressing device including a plurality of pressing portions that press one of the element substrate and the sealing substrate against the other in a state where the sealing substrate faces the element substrate; Each of a plurality of predetermined positions of any one of the sealing substrates is pressed by the pressing portion.
According to the present invention, when a plurality of elements are provided on a large element substrate and bonded to a sealing substrate, each of a plurality of predetermined positions on either the element substrate or the sealing substrate is replaced with a plurality of pressing portions. Therefore, even if the substrate has waviness or uneven thickness of the adhesive, the influence of the waviness and uneven thickness is reduced, and the sealing substrate and the element substrate are improved. Can be pasted together. In particular, since a plurality of predetermined positions corresponding to a plurality of elements are pressed, each element can be reliably sealed.

  In the sealing device of the present invention, the pressing portion presses a plurality of positions corresponding to positions where the element is provided, of the element substrate and the sealing substrate. Thereby, the adhesion area | region of the surrounding element substrate and sealing substrate can be uniformly pressed on the basis of an element, and an element substrate and a sealing substrate can be bonded together favorably.

  In the sealing device of the present invention, each of the element substrate and the sealing substrate has an adhesive region, and the pressing portion presses a plurality of positions corresponding to the adhesive region in the element substrate and the sealing substrate. It is characterized by doing. Thereby, an adhesion area | region can be pressed directly and an element substrate and a sealing substrate can be bonded together favorably.

  In the sealing device of the present invention, the sealing substrate is disposed on the element substrate, and the pressing portion presses the sealing substrate downward. As a result, the sealing substrate is pressed against the relatively flat element substrate from above, and the pressing operation can be performed smoothly.

  In the sealing device of the present invention, the pressing portion includes a weight member. Thereby, an element substrate and a sealing substrate can be bonded together with a simple configuration.

  In the sealing device of the present invention, the pressing device includes an actuator that varies a pressing force of the pressing portion. As a result, the pressing force can be changed according to the bonding state of each bonding region corresponding to each element, and the thickness of the adhesive in each bonding region can be individually adjusted to obtain a good bonding state. Can do.

  In the sealing device of the present invention, the sealing device includes a measuring device that measures an adhesion state between the element substrate and the sealing substrate, and the pressing device sets a pressing condition based on a measurement result of the measuring device. And Thereby, the adhesion state in each of the adhesion regions corresponding to each element can be changed to a desired state, and the element can be sealed more satisfactorily.

  The sealing device of the present invention includes an alignment system that measures a positional relationship between the element substrate and the sealing substrate, and aligns the element substrate and the sealing substrate based on a measurement result of the alignment system. And pressing. Thereby, an element substrate and a sealing substrate can be bonded together by desired positional relationship.

  The sealing device of the present invention includes a light irradiation device that irradiates light to an adhesive that bonds the element substrate and the sealing substrate, and the pressing portion blocks light from the light irradiation device on the element. It is used as a mask. Thereby, the light irradiated with respect to an element can be shielded, and deterioration of an element can be prevented. Further, by using the pressing portion as a mask, it is not necessary to separately provide a dedicated light shielding mask, the apparatus configuration can be simplified, and the apparatus cost can be reduced.

The sealing method of the present invention is such that the element substrate and the sealing substrate are opposed to each other in the sealing method in which the element substrate provided with a plurality of elements is bonded to the sealing substrate to seal the element. A pressing step of pressing one of the element substrate and the sealing substrate against the other in the state, and the pressing step includes a plurality of either the element substrate or the sealing substrate according to the element Each of the predetermined positions is pressed.
According to the present invention, when a plurality of elements are provided on a large element substrate and bonded to a sealing substrate, each of a plurality of predetermined positions on either the element substrate or the sealing substrate is replaced with a plurality of pressing portions. Therefore, even if the substrate has waviness or uneven thickness of the adhesive, the influence of the waviness and uneven thickness is reduced, and the sealing substrate and the element substrate are improved. Can be pasted together. In particular, since a plurality of predetermined positions corresponding to a plurality of elements are pressed, each element can be reliably sealed.

  The display device of the present invention includes an element sealed with the sealing device described above. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus comprising the above-described display device. According to the present invention, since the element substrate and the sealing substrate are bonded together well, high sealing performance can be obtained, deterioration of the element is suppressed, and a high-quality display device and electronic device with a long lifetime can be obtained. Equipment can be obtained.

Hereinafter, the sealing device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of a sealing device of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, a sealing device S includes a support device 30 that supports an element substrate 1 provided with a plurality of light emitting elements 3, a holding device 50 that holds the sealing substrate 20, and the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20. And a pressing device 40 including a plurality of pressing portions 41 that press the sealing substrate 20 against the element substrate 1. The support device 30, the pressing device 40, and the holding device 50 are disposed inside the chamber device CH.

  Here, in the following description, the predetermined direction in the horizontal plane is the X-axis direction, the direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction in the horizontal plane is the Y-axis direction, and the direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction (vertical direction) is Z. Axial direction. Further, the rotation (inclination) directions around the X, Y, and Z axes are the θX, θY, and θZ directions, respectively.

  The support device 30 that supports the element substrate 1 is configured by a stage device that is movable in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. The support device 30 is also movable in the θX, θY, and θZ directions. Moreover, the support apparatus 30 has the holder part 31 which consists of transparent members, such as transparent glass. A plate-shaped light shielding member 32 is provided between the holder portion 31 and the element substrate 1. The light shielding member 32 is provided with a light shielding portion 33 at a predetermined position of a transparent member such as transparent glass. The light shielding portion 33 is provided at a position corresponding to the light emitting element 3 of the element substrate 1.

  The sealing substrate 20 includes a plurality of sealing members 2 provided so as to correspond to the plurality of light emitting elements 3 on the element substrate 1. Each of the sealing members 2 is formed in a substantially U shape facing downward in a sectional view, and an adhesive 21 is provided on the lower end surface C thereof. Then, the lower end surface C of the sealing member 2 and the adhesion region R of the element substrate 1 are bonded via the adhesive 21.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the sealing substrate 20 held by the holding device 50.
As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, a total of nine sealing members 2 are provided on the element substrate 20 in a 3 × 3 matrix. The light emitting elements 3 are provided on the element substrate 1 in a 3 × 3 matrix so as to correspond to the sealing member 2.

  The holding device 50 includes two holding members 51 that hold the sealing substrate 20 so as to sandwich the sealing substrate 20, and a drive mechanism 52 that movably supports each of the holding members 51 that hold the sealing substrate 20. The drive mechanism 52 has a configuration in which a link mechanism, a guide unit, and an actuator are combined, and controls the position (posture) of the sealing substrate 20 held by the holding member 51 by moving the holding member 51. Is possible. Specifically, by driving the drive mechanism 52, the sealing substrate 20 can move in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, and also in the θX, θY, and θZ directions. .

  In the present embodiment, the holding device 50 is configured to hold the sealing substrate 20 so as to sandwich the sealing substrate 20. However, for example, a holding unit that holds the upper surface of the sealing substrate 20 by vacuum suction is provided, and the holding unit is moved. Alternatively, it may be held by an electrostatic chuck method.

  Each of the plurality of predetermined positions of the sealing substrate 20 is provided with an alignment mark 53 for aligning the sealing substrate 20 with respect to the predetermined position. In the present embodiment, the alignment mark 53 has a cross shape and is provided at the four corners of the sealing substrate 20. In FIG. 2, a circle surrounding the alignment mark 53 indicates a detection region 61 of the alignment system 60 described later.

  Returning to FIG. 1, a light irradiation device 70 that emits light having a predetermined wavelength is provided below the holder portion 31 in the support device 30. In the present embodiment, the light irradiation device 70 emits ultraviolet light (UV light). The light emitted from the light irradiation device 70 passes through the region other than the holder portion 31 and the light shielding member 32 where the light shielding portion 33 is provided, and reaches the element substrate 1 side. In the present embodiment, the adhesive 21 is a photo-curable adhesive (photo-curable material) and is cured by being irradiated with light emitted from the light irradiation device 70.

  The plurality of pressing portions 41 constituting the pressing device 50 are each configured by a weight member. Each weight member (pressing portion) 41 is supported by a support portion 43 provided above via a connecting member 42 made of a spring member or the like. The weight member 41 is provided in a 3 × 3 matrix shape in plan view so as to correspond to the sealing member 2 and the light emitting element 3.

  In addition, an alignment system 60 that measures the positional relationship between the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 is provided above the chamber device CH. The alignment system 60 is configured to include an image sensor such as a CCD, and a plurality (four) of alignment systems 60 are provided at positions corresponding to the alignment marks 53 provided on the sealing substrate 2. An alignment mark 54 corresponding to the alignment system 60 and the alignment mark 53 is also provided at each of a plurality of predetermined positions (four corners) of the element substrate 1. The alignment system 60 measures the positional relationship between the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 2 by arranging the alignment marks 53 and 54 in the detection region 61 and measuring the positional relationship between the alignment marks 53 and 54. .

Next, a process of sealing the light emitting element 3 by bonding the element substrate 1 provided with the plurality of light emitting elements 3 and the sealing substrate 20 will be described.
First, the adhesive 21 is applied to the lower end surface C of each sealing member 2 of the sealing substrate 20 outside the sealing device S. Then, the sealing substrate 20 is transported into the chamber device CH of the sealing device S by a transport device (not shown). Further, the element substrate 1 provided with the light emitting elements 3 is supported in advance on the support device 30 inside the chamber device CH of the sealing device S.

  Here, the inside of the chamber device CH is adjusted to a predetermined temperature and pressure, and is filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen gas or argon gas in order to prevent deterioration of the light emitting element 3. Note that the temperature inside the chamber device CH is preferably set to be equal to or lower than the self-weight deformation temperature of the adhesive 21, for example. By doing so, the fluidity of the adhesive 21 can be lowered, and before the sealing substrate 20 and the element substrate 1 are bonded together, the adhesive 21 applied to the lower end surface C is caused by its own weight (gravity action). Inconvenience such as dripping can be prevented. In addition, you may perform the application | coating process of the adhesive agent 21 with respect to the sealing substrate 20 in inert gas atmosphere. In addition to the configuration in which the adhesive 21 is provided on the lower end surface C of the sealing substrate 20, the adhesive 21 may be applied in advance to the adhesive region R on the element substrate 1.

  The sealing substrate 20 transported into the chamber device CH of the sealing device S is held by the holding member 51 of the holding device 50. At this time, the sealing substrate 20 is disposed on the element substrate 1 and is held by the holding device 50 in a state of being separated from the element substrate 1 (that is, held in the state shown in FIG. 1).

  The holding device 50 moves the holding member 51 holding the sealing substrate 20 in the −Z direction using the drive mechanism 52, and brings the sealing substrate 20 closer to the element substrate 1 supported by the support device 30. Let Then, after the separation distance between the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 reaches a predetermined value, the alignment system 60 detects each of the alignment mark 54 of the element substrate 1 and the alignment mark 53 of the sealing substrate 20. Thus, the positional relationship between the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 is measured. Then, based on the measurement result of the alignment system 60, at least one of the holding device 50 that holds the sealing substrate 20 and the support device 30 that supports the element substrate 1 moves in the X-axis, Y-axis, and θZ-axis directions. Thus, alignment between the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 (more specifically, alignment between the adhesion region R of the element substrate 1 and the lower end surface C of the sealing substrate 20) is performed.

  After the alignment between the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 is completed, the lower end surface C of the sealing substrate 20 and the bonding region R of the element substrate 1 are interposed via the adhesive 21 while maintaining the positional relationship. Touched. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the holding of the sealing substrate 20 by the holding device 50 is released, and each of a plurality of positions corresponding to the position where each light emitting element 3 is provided (specifically) on the sealing substrate 20. Specifically, each of the substantially central portions of the upper surface of each sealing member 2) is pressed by the weight member 41. In FIG. 3, the holding device 50 is not shown. The weight member 41 presses the sealing substrate 20 disposed on the upper side of the element substrate 1 downward. Thereby, the pressing process of pressing the sealing substrate 20 against the element substrate 1 in a state where the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 face each other is performed. The weight of the weight member 41 is set to an optimum value in advance according to the strength of the sealing substrate 20 and the physical properties of the adhesive 21, and the lower end surface C of the sealing substrate 20 and the adhesion region R of the element substrate 1. , The lower end surface C and the adhesive region R are brought into contact with each other, and the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 are pressure-bonded by the weight member 41, so that the crushed adhesive 21 is expanded and has a desired thickness. Become.

  After the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 are pressed while being positioned, the light irradiation device 70 emits light while maintaining the pressing (crimping) by the weight member 41. In the present embodiment, the light irradiation device 70 emits, for example, ultraviolet light (UV light) having a wavelength of 360 nm. The light emitted from the light irradiation device 70 passes through a region other than the light shielding portion 33 (that is, a light transmission region) in the light shielding member 32 and the holder portion 31 that is a transparent member, and reaches the element substrate 1 side. The adhesive 21 between the adhesive region R on 1 and the lower end surface C of the sealing substrate 20 is irradiated. On the other hand, since the light shielding portion 33 is provided at a position corresponding to the light emitting element 3, no light is irradiated to the light emitting element 3. Accordingly, the influence of light on the light emitting element 3 can be prevented. As described above, since the adhesive 21 in the present embodiment is a photocurable material, it is cured by being irradiated with light. In this way, the entire adhesive 21 disposed between the lower end surface C and the adhesive region R is cured, and the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 are connected to each other, and the element substrate 1 and each sealing member 2 are formed. Each of the light emitting elements 3 arranged in the space to be sealed is sealed. A plurality of organic EL display devices can be obtained by cutting the sealing substrate 20 and the element substrate 1 in accordance with each sealing member 2.

  As described above, when the plurality of light emitting elements 3 are provided on the large element substrate 1 and bonded to the sealing substrate 20, each of the plurality of sealing members 2 of the sealing substrate 20 is replaced by the plurality of weight members 41. Since it pressed against the element substrate 1, even if the element substrate 1 or the sealing substrate 20 has undulations or the adhesive 21 between the lower end surface C and the adhesive region R has uneven thickness, The sealing substrate 20 and the element substrate 1 can be satisfactorily bonded together by reducing the influence of undulation and thickness unevenness. Since the weight member 41 presses a plurality of positions corresponding to the positions where the light emitting elements 3 are provided in the sealing substrate 20, the light emitting elements 3 and the adhesion region R of the element substrate 1 around the light emitting elements 3 are used as a reference. The lower end surface C of the sealing substrate 20 can be pressed uniformly, the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 can be bonded together, and each light emitting element 3 can be reliably sealed.

  Further, the sealing substrate 20 is disposed on the relatively flat element substrate 1 by disposing the sealing substrate 20 on the element substrate 1 and pressing the sealing substrate 20 downward by the weight member 41. Since the stop member 2) is pressed from above, the pressing operation can be performed smoothly.

  In the present embodiment, the sealing substrate 20 is disposed on the element substrate 1 and pressed toward the bottom, but the element substrate 1 is disposed on the sealing substrate 20. The pressing portions (weight members) 41 may be brought into contact with a plurality of positions of the element substrate 1 and pressed toward the element substrate 1 downward.

  The adhesive 21 may be applied to the lower end surface C of the sealing substrate 20, may be applied to the adhesion region R of the element substrate 1, or may be applied to both the lower end surface C and the adhesion region R. May be.

  In the present embodiment, the inside of the chamber device CH is set to be equal to or lower than the self-weight deformation temperature of the adhesive 21, but the inside of the chamber device CH can be set to be higher than the self-weight deformation temperature of the adhesive 21, for example. It is. By doing so, the fluidity of the adhesive 21 is increased, so that the adhesive 21 is easily spread between the lower end surface C and the adhesive region R when the sealing substrate 20 and the element substrate 1 are bonded together. Therefore, the bonding operation can be performed smoothly.

  In addition, when apply | coating the adhesive agent 21 to the lower end surface C (or adhesion | attachment area | region R), it can also apply | coat continuously to the rectangular-shaped (frame shape) lower end surface C, and should apply | coat discontinuously. You can also. After the discontinuous application, the sealing substrate 20 and the element substrate 1 are pressure-bonded, so that the adhesive 21 spreads and the discontinuous portions are connected. Can be suppressed from protruding between the lower end surface C and the bonding region R.

  As a coating device that applies the adhesive 21, a droplet discharge device (inkjet device) that can quantitatively discharge the adhesive 21 can be used. The droplet discharge device is a device that can discharge a fluid quantitatively and can discharge the fluid quantitatively intermittently. Therefore, the adhesive dropped from the droplet discharge device is a fluid.

  A fluid means a medium having a viscosity that can be discharged from a discharge nozzle of a droplet discharge device. It is sufficient if it has fluidity (viscosity) that can be discharged from a nozzle, etc., and the material (in this case, adhesive) is dissolved or dispersed in an organic solvent, or the material is heated to a melting point or higher to form a fluid. Is mentioned. Further, as described above, the fluid may be a fluid as a whole even if a solid substance such as a spacer is mixed therein. In addition to the solvent, dyes, pigments and other functional materials may be added.

  Examples of the droplet discharge device include a dispenser and an ink jet device. For example, by adopting an ink jet method as an adhesive application method, it is possible to attach the adhesive to an arbitrary position of the element substrate 1 or the sealing substrate 20 with an arbitrary application thickness with inexpensive equipment. The ink jet method may be a piezo jet method in which a fluid is ejected by changing the volume of a piezoelectric element, or a method in which a fluid is ejected by suddenly generating steam when heat is applied. .

  In addition, as a photocurable adhesive which comprises the adhesive agent 21, it reacts to a 200-400 nm ultraviolet region, and the ultraviolet-ray (UV) which hardens | cures in a short time (for example, 1-10 seconds) by irradiating with ultraviolet light. A curable adhesive is mentioned. Examples of the ultraviolet curable adhesive include radical adhesives using resins such as various acrylates such as ester acrylate, urethane acrylate, epoxy acrylate, melamine acrylate, and ether acrylate, and various methacrylates, epoxy compounds, vinyl ether compounds, and okitacene. Examples include cationic adhesives using cationic polymerization of compounds, thiol / ene addition type resin adhesives, etc. Among them, cationic adhesives that are not inhibited by oxygen and that undergo a polymerization reaction even after light irradiation are preferable. . As the cationic adhesive, a cationic polymerization type ultraviolet curable epoxy adhesive is preferable. A cationic polymerization type UV curable epoxy adhesive contains a Lewis acid salt type curing agent that releases a Lewis acid catalyst by photolysis by light irradiation such as ultraviolet light as a main photopolymerization initiator, and is generated by light irradiation. This is an adhesive of a type in which an oligomer having an epoxy group as a main component with a Lewis acid as a catalyst is polymerized and cured by a cationic polymerization type reaction mechanism.

  Examples of the epoxy compound that is the main component of the adhesive include epoxidized olefin compounds, aromatic epoxy compounds, aliphatic epoxy compounds, alicyclic epoxy compounds, and novolak epoxy compounds. Examples of the photopolymerization initiator include Lewis diacid salts of aromatic diazonium, Lewis acid salts of diallyl iodonium, Lewis acid salts of triallylsulfonium, and Lewis acid salts of triallyl selenium.

  In the present embodiment, an acrylic radical polymerization adhesive or an epoxy cationic polymerization adhesive is used, and an inorganic filler (clay mineral) having a particle size of 5 μm or less and 70 wt% or less in consideration of viscosity adjustment and moisture resistance. , Ultrafine particle material) is added.

  In addition, a spacer member 80 can be added to the adhesive 21 for thickness control. A spherical or acicular spacer (inorganic oxide type) having a particle diameter of 4 to 10 μm is added in the range of 0.5 to 5.0 wt%. In this case, the coating thickness of the adhesive 21 is set to 4 to 10 μm. Moreover, in order to improve the dispersibility of these inorganic materials and adhesive components, a surfactant represented by a silane coupling agent and the like may be added as appropriate.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in the schematic view of FIG. 4, the spacer member 80 for controlling the thickness of the adhesive layer is made of insulating fine particles such as glass microbeads. In particular, by using a spherical member as the spacer member 80, even if a situation occurs in which the spacer members 80 overlap each other, it is difficult to slip and overlap, so that the thickness control of the adhesive 21 can be performed with higher accuracy. Further, the adhesive member 21 is not crushed between the lower end surface C and the bonding region R by the spacer member 80.

  When pressing the sealing substrate 20 (or the element substrate 1) with the pressing portion (weight member) 41, a soft member such as a rubber plate may be interposed between the pressing portion 41 and the sealing substrate 20. Good. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the sealing substrate 20 from being damaged. In addition, the soft member such as a rubber plate is soft enough to be deformed according to the shape (unevenness, swell) of the sealing substrate 20 when the sealing substrate 20 is pressed, and when the sealing substrate 20 is pressed. The spacer member 80 is preferably provided with such a hardness that it can be crushed to the particle size of the spacer member 80 contained in the adhesive layer.

  Hereinafter, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the same or equivalent components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is simplified or omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. A characteristic part of the second embodiment is that a light irradiation device 70 that irradiates light to cure the adhesive 21 is provided on the upper side (weight member 41 side) of the sealing substrate 20. The support device 30 for supporting 1 is not provided with a light shielding member (32). In FIG. 5, the weight member 41 has a size corresponding to the light emitting element 30, and presses a plurality of positions corresponding to the light emitting element 3 in the sealing substrate 20, so that the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 Crimp the. And in the state which maintained the crimping | compression-bonding, light is irradiated from the upper side of the weight member 41 (above the sealing substrate 20). In FIG. 5, the spring member (42) connected to the weight member 41 is not shown. Here, as the sealing substrate 20, glass capable of transmitting UV light (preferably non-alkali glass) is used, and the light emitted from the light irradiation device 70 passes through the sealing substrate 20 to form the adhesive 21. Is irradiated. As a result, the adhesive 21 is cured. At this time, the weight member 41 is used as a mask that blocks light from the light irradiation device 70 with respect to the light emitting element 3. Thereby, deterioration of the light emitting element 3 resulting from light irradiation can be prevented. Further, by using the weight member (pressing portion) 41 as a mask, it is not necessary to separately provide a dedicated light shielding mask, the apparatus configuration can be simplified, and the apparatus cost can be reduced.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention. A characteristic part of the third embodiment is that the weight member (pressing portion) 41 presses a plurality of positions corresponding to the adhesion region R in the sealing substrate 20. That is, the weight member 41 presses a position corresponding to the lower end surface C of the sealing substrate 20 and the adhesion region R of the element substrate 1. Thereby, the lower end surface C and the adhesion | attachment area | region R corresponding to the position where the adhesive agent 21 is arrange | positioned can be pressed directly, and the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 can be bonded together favorably.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention. A characteristic part of the fourth embodiment is that the pressing device 40 has an actuator 45 that makes the pressing force by the pressing portion 41 variable. In FIG. 7, the actuator 45 has a piston portion, for example, and has one end connected to the support portion 43 and the other end connected to the pressing portion 41. The plurality of actuators 45 can individually adjust the pressing force against the sealing substrate 20 (element substrate 1).

  In addition, a measuring device 90 that measures an adhesion state between the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 is provided inside the chamber device CH. The measuring device 90 optically measures the thickness of the adhesive 21 when pressed (pressed) by the pressing device 40, or the position of the sealing substrate 20 with respect to the element substrate 1 (Z position, θX, θY position). ) Optically. Each of the actuators 45 individually sets and presses the pressing force (pressing condition) based on the measurement result of the measuring device 90. Thus, the thickness of the adhesive layer corresponding to each of the plurality of sealing members 2 can be set to a desired thickness (uniformly), and a good adhesion state can be obtained.

  Note that the pressing portion may press a plurality of predetermined positions on the lower surface of the element substrate 1 upward to pressure-bond the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20 disposed on the element substrate 1.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The characteristic part of the fifth embodiment is that the adhesive 21 is made of a thermosetting material, and the sealing device S includes a heating device 100 that heats the adhesive 21. In FIG. 8, the element substrate 1 is supported by a support device 30 having a heating device 100. After the sealing substrate 20 and the element substrate 1 are pressure-bonded, the adhesive 21 is heated and cured by the heating device 100. The adhesive 21 preferably has a curing temperature lower than the glass transition temperature of the material constituting the light emitting element 3. This is because there is a possibility that the light-emitting element 3 is altered when heat equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature is applied. In addition, the heating device 100 has an effect of annealing the light emitting element 3 as the adhesive 21 is cured.

  The adhesive 21 may be any adhesive that can bond the element substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 20, such as an EB (electron beam) curable material or a two-component mixed curable material that can be cured in a short time. It is also possible to use.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part of the organic EL display device formed through the sealing process. In FIG. 9, the organic EL display device A includes a substrate (element substrate) 1, a light emitting element 3 disposed on the substrate 1, and a sealing member 2 bonded to the substrate 1.

  Here, the organic EL display device A shown in FIG. 1 has a form in which light emitted from the light emitting element 3 is taken out from the substrate 1 side to the outside of the device. Examples of the material include transparent glass, quartz, sapphire, or transparent synthetic resin such as polyester, polyacrylate, polycarbonate, and polyetherketone. In particular, as a material for forming the substrate 1, inexpensive soda glass is preferably used.

  On the other hand, in the case where light emission is extracted from the side opposite to the substrate 1, the substrate 1 may be opaque. In that case, a ceramic sheet such as alumina or a metal sheet such as stainless steel is subjected to an insulation treatment such as surface oxidation. A thing, a thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic resin, etc. can be used.

  The light emitting element 3 includes an anode 5 formed on the substrate 1, a hole transport layer 6, an insulating layer 7 formed so as to expose a surface where the anode 5 is bonded to the hole transport layer 6, and an organic light emitting layer 8, an electron transport layer 9, and a cathode 10.

  Examples of the material of the anode 5 include aluminum (Al), gold (Au), silver (Ag), magnesium (Mg), nickel (Ni), zinc-vanadium (ZnV), indium (In), and tin (Sn). It is composed of a single substance, a compound or a mixture thereof, or a conductive adhesive containing a metal filler. Here, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is used. The anode 5 is preferably formed by sputtering, ion plating, or vacuum deposition, and is formed by using a WET process coating method such as a spin coater, gravure coater, knife coater, screen printing, flexographic printing, or the like. May be. The light transmittance of the anode 5 is preferably set to 80% or more.

  As the hole transport layer 6, for example, a carbazole polymer and TPD: triphenyl compound are co-evaporated to form a film thickness of 10 to 1000 nm (preferably 100 to 700 nm). Here, the material for forming the hole transport layer 6 is not particularly limited, and known materials can be used, and examples thereof include pyrazoline derivatives, arylamine derivatives, stilbene derivatives, and triphenyldiamine derivatives. Specifically, JP-A-63-70257, JP-A-63-175860, JP-A-2-135359, JP-A-2-135361, JP-A-2-209998, JP-A-3-37992, and JP-A-3-152184. Examples described in the publication are exemplified, but a triphenyldiamine derivative is preferable, and 4,4′-bis (N (3-methylphenyl) -N-phenylamino) biphenyl is particularly preferable.

  Note that a hole injection layer may be formed instead of the hole transport layer 6, and both the hole injection layer and the hole transport layer may be formed. In this case, as a material for forming the hole injection layer, for example, copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), polytetravinylthiophene polyphenylene vinylene, 1,1-bis- (4-N, N-ditolylaminophenyl) cyclohexane , Tris (8-hydroxyquinolinol) aluminum and the like, and copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) is particularly preferable.

  Alternatively, the hole transport layer 6 may be subjected to a drying process and a heat treatment after ejecting a composition ink containing a hole injection and transport layer material onto the anode 5 by, for example, a droplet discharge method (inkjet method). Is formed on the anode 5. That is, after discharging the composition ink containing the hole transport layer material or the hole injection layer material described above onto the electrode surface of the anode 5, a drying treatment and a heat treatment are performed, whereby a hole transport layer ( Hole injection layer) is formed. For example, an inkjet head (not shown) is filled with a composition ink containing a hole transport layer material or a hole injection layer material, and the ejection nozzle of the inkjet head is opposed to the electrode surface of the anode 5. While the ink is relatively moved, ink droplets whose liquid amount per droplet is controlled are ejected from the ejection nozzle onto the electrode surface. Next, a hole transport layer (hole injection layer) is formed by drying the ejected ink droplets to evaporate the polar solvent contained in the composition ink.

  In addition, as a composition ink, what melt | dissolved the mixture of polythiophene derivatives, such as polyethylene dioxythiophene, polystyrene sulfonic acid, etc. in polar solvents, such as isopropyl alcohol, can be used, for example. Here, the ejected ink droplet spreads on the electrode surface of the anode 5 that has been subjected to the affinity ink treatment. On the other hand, ink droplets are repelled and do not adhere to the upper surface of the insulating layer 7 subjected to ink repellent treatment. Therefore, even if the ink droplet is deviated from the predetermined ejection position and is ejected onto the upper surface of the insulating layer 7, the upper surface is not wetted by the ink droplet, and the repelled ink droplet is rolled onto the anode 5. Yes.

  In addition, after this hole transport layer 6 formation process, in order to prevent the oxidation of the hole transport layer 6 and the organic light emitting layer 8, it is preferable to carry out in inert gas atmospheres, such as nitrogen atmosphere and argon atmosphere.

  For example, the insulating layer 7 can be patterned using a photolithography technique and an etching technique after a silicon oxide film or a nitride film is formed on the entire surface of the substrate by plasma CVD using TEOS or oxygen gas as a raw material.

  Similarly to the hole transport layer 6, the organic light emitting layer 8 is subjected to a drying process or a heat treatment after ejecting a composition ink containing the material for the light emitting layer onto the hole transport layer 6 by, for example, an inkjet method or a mask vapor deposition method. By applying, it is formed on the hole transport layer 6. Examples of the light emitting material constituting the organic light emitting layer 8 include fluorene polymer derivatives, (poly) paraphenylene vinylene derivatives, polyphenylene derivatives, polyfluorene derivatives, polyvinyl carbazole, polythiophene derivatives, perylene dyes, coumarin dyes, and rhodamines. A low molecular organic EL material, a high molecular organic EL material or the like soluble in a dye or other benzene derivative can be used. Examples of materials suitable for the ink jet method include paraphenylene vinylene derivatives, polyphenylene derivatives, polyfluorene derivatives, polyvinyl carbazole, and polythiophene derivatives. Materials suitable for mask vapor deposition include perylene dyes and coumarins. Examples thereof include dyes and rhodamine dyes.

  As the electron transport layer 9, a metal complex compound formed from a metal and an organic ligand, preferably Alq3 (tris (8-quinolinolate) aluminum complex), Znq2 (bis (8-quinolinolate) zinc complex), Bebq2 (bis (8-quinolinolate) beryllium complex), Zn-BTZ (2- (o-hydroxyphenyl) benzothiazole zinc), perylene derivative, etc., so as to have a thickness of 10 to 1000 nm (preferably 100 to 700 nm) Vapor deposition and lamination.

  The cathode 10 is a metal having a low work function capable of efficiently injecting electrons into the electron transport layer 9, preferably Ca, Au, Mg, Sn, In, Ag, Li, Al or the like, or an alloy thereof, or Can be formed with compounds. In the present embodiment, a two-layer structure of a cathode mainly composed of Ca and a reflective layer mainly composed of Al is employed.

  Although not shown, the organic EL display device A according to the present embodiment is an active matrix type, and actually a plurality of data lines and a plurality of scanning lines are arranged in a grid pattern. The light emitting element 3 is connected to each pixel arranged in a partitioned matrix through a driving TFT such as a switching transistor or a driving transistor. When a drive signal is supplied via the data line or the scanning line, a current flows between the electrodes, the light emitting element 3 emits light, light is emitted to the outer surface side of the transparent substrate 1, and the pixel is lit. Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the active matrix type and can be applied to a passive drive type display element.

  The sealing member 2 for blocking air from entering the light emitting element 3 including the electrodes 5 and 10 from the outside is bonded to the substrate 1 based on the sealing device S and the sealing method according to the present invention. Then, the light emitting element 3 is sealed. Examples of the forming material of the sealing member 2 include transparent or translucent materials such as glass, quartz, sapphire, and synthetic resin. Examples of the glass include soda lime glass, lead alkali glass, borosilicate glass, aluminosilicate glass, and silica glass. Examples of the synthetic resin include transparent synthetic resins such as polyolefin, polyester, polyacrylate, polycarbonate, and polyether ketone.

  The sealing member 2 is formed in a U-shape facing downward in cross-section, and is an adhesive region R outside the portion where the light emitting element 3 is provided on the upper surface of the substrate 1 and a lower adhesive region on the sealing member 2 side. By being bonded to the end face C, a sealing space K is formed between the flat substrate 1 and the sealing member 2. The light emitting element 3 including the electrodes 5 and 10 is disposed in the sealed space K. Further, a desiccant 11 is provided on the sealing space K side of the sealing member 2. Due to the desiccant 11, deterioration of the light emitting element 3 disposed in the sealed space K due to moisture is suppressed.

  Since the light emitting element 3 is sealed with high sealing performance based on the sealing device S and the sealing method according to the present invention, deterioration is suppressed. Therefore, the organic EL display device A can exhibit high-quality display performance with a long lifetime.

Next, an example of an electronic apparatus provided with the organic EL display device A of the above embodiment will be described.
FIG. 10A is a perspective view showing an example of a mobile phone. In FIG. 10A, reference numeral 1000 denotes a mobile phone body, and reference numeral 1001 denotes a display unit using the organic EL device A described above.

FIG. 10B is a perspective view illustrating an example of a wristwatch type electronic device. In FIG. 10B, reference numeral 1100 denotes a watch body, and reference numeral 1101 denotes a display unit using the organic EL device A described above.
FIG. 10C is a perspective view showing an example of a portable information processing apparatus such as a word processor or a personal computer. In FIG. 10C, reference numeral 1200 denotes an information processing apparatus, reference numeral 1202 denotes an input unit such as a keyboard, reference numeral 1204 denotes an information processing apparatus body, and reference numeral 1206 denotes a display unit using the organic EL device A described above.
Since the electronic devices shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C include the organic EL display device A of the above embodiment, it is possible to realize an electronic device including a thin and long-life organic EL display unit. it can.

  Note that the electronic device is not limited to the above-described mobile phone and can be applied to various electronic devices. For example, notebook computers, liquid crystal projectors, multimedia-compatible personal computers (PCs) and engineering workstations (EWS), pagers, word processors, TVs, viewfinder type or monitor direct view type video tape recorders, electronic notebooks, electronic desks The present invention can be applied to electronic devices such as a computer, a car navigation device, a POS terminal, and a device having a touch panel.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the light emission of the light emitting element 3 is described using an example of a form in which the light emission of the light emitting element 3 is emitted to the outer surface side through the substrate 1. Even if it is the form radiate | emitted through the sealing member 2, it is applicable. In this case, as the sealing member 2, a transparent or translucent material capable of extracting light is used.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows 1st Embodiment of the sealing device of this invention. It is a top view of the sealing substrate hold | maintained at the holding | maintenance apparatus. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the sealing device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the spacer member contained in an adhesive agent. It is a schematic block diagram which shows 2nd Embodiment of the sealing device of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows 3rd Embodiment of the sealing device of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows 4th Embodiment of the sealing device of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows 5th Embodiment of the sealing device of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows one Embodiment of the display apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the electronic device provided with the organic electroluminescence display.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Element substrate, 2 ... Sealing member, 3 ... Light emitting element, 20 ... Sealing substrate, 21 ... Adhesive 40 ... Pressing device, 41 ... Weight member (pressing part), 45 ... Actuator,
60 ... Alignment system, 70 ... Light irradiation device, 90 ... Measuring device, S ... Sealing device,
A ... Organic EL display device, R ... Adhesion area

Claims (12)

In a sealing apparatus that seals the element by adhering an element substrate provided with a plurality of elements and a sealing substrate,
A pressing device comprising a plurality of pressing portions for pressing one of the element substrate and the sealing substrate against the other in a state where the element substrate and the sealing substrate are opposed to each other;
A sealing device, wherein each of a plurality of predetermined positions of either the element substrate or the sealing substrate corresponding to the element is pressed by the pressing portion.   The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing unit presses a plurality of positions corresponding to positions where the elements are provided, of the element substrate and the sealing substrate. Each of the element substrate and the sealing substrate has an adhesive region,
2. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion presses a plurality of positions corresponding to the adhesion region among the element substrate and the sealing substrate.   The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing substrate is disposed on the element substrate, and the pressing portion presses the sealing substrate downward.   The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion includes a weight member.   The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing device includes an actuator that varies a pressing force of the pressing portion.   The measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a measuring device that measures an adhesion state between the element substrate and the sealing substrate, wherein the pressing device sets a pressing condition based on a measurement result of the measuring device. The sealing device according to any one of claims.   An alignment system for measuring a positional relationship between the element substrate and the sealing substrate is provided, and the element substrate and the sealing substrate are aligned and pressed based on a measurement result of the alignment system. The sealing apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-7. A light irradiation device for irradiating light to an adhesive that bonds the element substrate and the sealing substrate;
The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion is used as a mask that blocks light from the light irradiation device with respect to the element. In a sealing method for sealing an element by bonding an element substrate provided with a plurality of elements and a sealing substrate,
A pressing step of pressing one of the element substrate and the sealing substrate against the other in a state where the element substrate and the sealing substrate are opposed to each other;
The said pressing process presses each of several predetermined positions of any one of the said element substrate or sealing substrate according to the said element, The sealing method characterized by the above-mentioned. A display device comprising an element sealed by the sealing device according to claim 1. An electronic apparatus comprising the display device according to claim 11.

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