Methods for bonding substrates using liquid adhesive

• US 9,494,178 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Cyrus Y., Sung, Kuo-Hua, Chen, Po-Jui, Grespan, Silvio
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/183,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20140246148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/00 Electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/20 Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/416 use of irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 5/00 Adhesive processes in general; Adhesive processes not provided for elsewhere, e.g. relating to primers
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 11/006 by gluing gluing of plastics material B29C65/48
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/28 Adhesive materials or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

Structures in an electronic device such as substrates associated with a display may be bonded together using liquid adhesive. Fiber-based equipment may be used to apply ultraviolet light to peripheral edges of an adhesive layer during bonding. There-dimensional adhesive shapes may be produced using nozzles with adjustable openings, computer-controlled positioners, and other adhesive dispensing equipment. Ultraviolet light may be applied to liquid adhesive through a mask with an opacity gradient. Adjustable shutter structures may control adhesive exposure to ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light exposure may be used to create an adhesive dam that helps create a well defined adhesive border. Multiple layers of adhesive may be applied between a pair of substrates.

Claims

1. A method for bonding substrates, comprising:

applying liquid adhesive to at least one of the substrates;

applying ultraviolet light to an edge of the liquid adhesive using fiber-based equipment, wherein the fiber-based equipment includes a fiber bundle containing a strip of fibers, wherein applying the ultraviolet light comprises applying the ultraviolet light using the strip of fibers, wherein each fiber in the fiber bundle emits light, and wherein a light modulator is interposed within the path of each fiber; and

with a controller, sending control signals to the light modulator associated with each fiber to individually adjust a magnitude of light emitted by each fiber.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the substrates comprise display substrates for an electronic device display and wherein applying the adhesive comprises applying the adhesive to at least one of the display substrates.

3. The method defined in claim 2 wherein the display substrates include a polarizer layer and wherein applying the adhesive comprises applying the adhesive to the polarizer layer.

4. The method defined in claim 2 wherein the display substrates include a display cover glass layer and wherein applying the adhesive comprises applying the adhesive to the display cover glass layer.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein applying ultraviolet light comprises applying ultraviolet light to the fiber bundle using a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

6. The method defined in claim 5, wherein each light-emitting diode is aligned with a respective fiber in the fiber bundle.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the fiber bundle contains side-firing fibers and wherein applying the ultraviolet light comprises applying the ultraviolet light at a right angle relative to a longitudinal axis of at least one of the fibers.

8. The method defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the light modulators comprises a mechanical shutter.

9. The method defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the light modulators comprises a liquid crystal shutter.

10. The method defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the light modulators a microelectromechanical attenuator.

11. A method for bonding a display module to a display cover glass layer, comprising:

applying liquid adhesive between the display module and the display cover glass layer, wherein a housing structure is positioned adjacent to the display cover glass layer, and wherein there is a gap between the display module and the housing structure; and

applying ultraviolet light to an edge of the liquid adhesive using fiber-based equipment, wherein the fiber-based equipment includes a fiber bundle containing a strip of side-firing fibers, and wherein applying the ultraviolet light to the edge of the liquid adhesive comprises inserting the fiber bundle into the gap and applying the ultraviolet light at a right angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the side-firing fibers.

12. The method defined in claim 11 wherein each side-firing fiber in the fiber bundle emits light, the method further comprising individually controlling the light emitted by each side-firing fiber.

13. The method defined in claim 12 wherein individually controlling the light comprises using light modulators in fiber paths associated with the side-firing fibers to modulate how much of the light is emitted from each side-firing fiber.

14. The method defined in claim 12 wherein individually controlling the light comprises individually controlling each of a plurality of light-emitting diodes that are each aligned with a respective side-firing fiber.

15. The method defined in claim 11, wherein the display cover glass layer bridges the gap between the display module and the housing structure.

16. The method defined in claim 11, wherein the gap between the display module and the housing structure is less than 300 microns.

17. The method defined in claim 11, wherein each side-firing fiber includes a prism that directs light at a right angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the side-firing fiber.