Laminating apparatus and method of fabricating display device using the same

• US 10,518,515 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2017
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Choi, Sang Hee, Son, Yang Han, Kim, So Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Gross, Carson
• Application Number:
  US15/689,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20180056638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 15/061 Cushion plates
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/14 Semiconductor wafers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/20 Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/202 LCD, i.e. liquid crystal displays
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/206 Organic displays, e.g. OLED
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/208 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/003 to avoid air inclusion
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/0046 characterised by constructional aspects of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/10 characterised by the pressing technique, e.g. using action of vacuum or fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/1808 characterised by the laying up of the layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/1866 conforming the layers or laminate to a convex or concave profile
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1303 Apparatus specially adapted to the manufacture of LCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133331 Cover glasses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1262 with a particular formation, treatment or coating of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1028 by bending, drawing or stretch forming sheet to assume shape of configured lamina while in contact therewith

Abstract

A laminating apparatus and method of fabricating a display device are provided. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the laminating apparatus includes a first jig, which is configured to fix a window having curved surfaces, and a second jig, which includes a pressure pad facing the first jig. The pressure pad includes a top surface, which is convex toward the first jig, and depressed portions, which are inwardly depressed from side surfaces, respectively.

Claims

1. A laminating apparatus, comprising:

a first jig, which is configured to fix a window having curved surfaces;

a second jig, which includes a pressure pad facing the first jig,

wherein the pressure pad includes a top surface, which is convex toward the first jig, and depressed portions, which are inwardly depressed from side surfaces, respectively, wherein the window includes a flat surface and the curved surfaces, which are disposed at both sides of the flat surface;

a panel disposed on the second jig; and

stoppers configured to be disposed between ends of the panel and ends of the window, wherein the stoppers are configured to push the ends of the panel inwardly such that the ends of the panel are located on inner sides of the depressed portions, respectively.

2. The laminating apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the curved surfaces extend in a longitudinal direction, and

the depressed portions extend in the longitudinal direction to correspond with the curved surfaces.

3. The laminating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

panel supports configured to be disposed on both sides of the panel.

4. The laminating apparatus of claim 3, wherein the panel supports are configured to bend the panel by pushing the ends of the panel inwardly.

5. The laminating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a stage on which the pressure pad is disposed.

6. The laminating apparatus of claim 5, wherein the pressure pad and the stage are disposed in one body with each other.

7. The laminating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure pad further includes protruding portions, which are disposed on outer sides of the side surfaces, respectively.

8. The laminating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

first and second chambers containing the first and second jigs, respectively.

9. The laminating apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first and second chambers are configured to be coupled to each other and form a sealed space together.

10. A laminating apparatus, comprising:

a first jig, which is configured to fix a window having curved surfaces;

a second jig, which includes a pressure pad facing the first jig,

wherein the pressure pad includes a top surface, which is convex toward the first jig, and depressed portions, which are inwardly depressed from side surfaces, respectively, wherein the window includes a flat surface and the curved surfaces, which are disposed at both sides of the flat surface;

a panel disposed on the second jig; and

stoppers configured to be disposed between ends of the panel and ends of the window, wherein

the stoppers include body portions, respectively, and hand portions, respectively, which extend from the body portions, and

a coating layer is disposed on each of the hand portions.

11. A laminating apparatus, comprising:

a first jig, which is configured to fix a window having curved surfaces; and

a second jig, which includes a pressure pad facing the first jig,

wherein the pressure pad includes a top surface, which is convex toward the first jig, and depressed portions, which are inwardly depressed from side surfaces, respectively, wherein the window includes a flat surface and first, second, third, and fourth curved surfaces, which are disposed on the sides of the flat surface.

12. The laminating apparatus of claim 11, wherein

the depressed portions include depression lines, and

the depression lines form a closed polygonal shape in a plan view.

13. The laminating apparatus of claim 11, wherein the window further includes four connecting curved surfaces, which connect the first, second, third, and fourth curved surfaces.

14. The laminating apparatus of claim 13, wherein the depressed portions are disposed at corners, respectively, of the pressure pad to correspond with the four connecting curved surfaces.

15. The laminating apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

first, second, third, and fourth stoppers disposed adjacent to the four connecting curved surfaces.

16. The laminating apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

first, second, third, and fourth stoppers disposed to correspond with the first, second, third, and fourth curved surfaces, respectively.

17. A method of fabricating a display device, comprising:

preparing a first jig, which fixes a window, a second jig, which includes a pressure pad facing the first jig and having a top surface that is convex and depressed portions that are inwardly depressed from side surfaces, respectively, and a panel, which is disposed on the second jig;

gradually bonding the window and the panel by applying pressure to the panel with the pressure pad;

inserting stoppers between the window and the panel to separate ends of the window and ends of the panel from each other such that the ends of the panel are located on inner sides of the depressed portions, respectively; and

gradually bonding the window and the panel by applying pressure to the panel with the pressure pad with the ends of the window and the ends of the panel spaced apart from each other.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

bending the panel by pushing the ends of the panel inwardly with panel supports.

19. A laminating apparatus, comprising:

a first jig, which is configured to fix a window having curved surfaces;

a second jig, which includes a pressure pad facing the first jig; and

a panel disposed on the second jig,

wherein the pressure pad includes a top surface, which is convex toward the first jig, and depressed portions, which are inwardly depressed from side surfaces, respectively, and

wherein the depressed portions are configured to insert ends of the panel.