METHOD OF MANUFACTURING WINDOW AND WINDOW FOR DISPLAY DEVICE
20230161345 · 2023-05-25
Inventors
- Cheolmin Park (Hwaseong-si, KR)
- Seungho Kim (Asan-si, KR)
- HOIKWAN LEE (Suwon-si, KR)
- BYUNGHOON KANG (Hwaseong-si, KR)
- Seung KIM (Seongnam-si, KR)
- Changmoo Lee (Suwon-si, KR)
Cpc classification
B24B29/02
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
C03C27/04
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
B65G1/1373
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D19/42
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
C03B33/07
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
G05D1/0088
PHYSICS
B65G43/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B62D51/001
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D2519/00781
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B24B1/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
G05D1/00
PHYSICS
B65D19/42
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65G1/137
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65G43/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
A method of manufacturing a window may include cutting a window having a uniform thickness of about 20 μm to about 100 μm and polishing a cut surface of the window with a polishing pad having an elastic modulus less than an elastic modulus of the window while applying slurry to the cut surface of the window.
Claims
1. A flexible display device, comprising: a bendable glass window having a thickness within a range of about 20 μm to about 100 μm in a first direction, an edge of the glass window having a curved cross-sectional shape, wherein an image is displayed through the glass window.
2. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the glass window includes: a flat portion having a quadrangular planar shape; and a chamfer portion disposed on at least a portion of an edge of the flat portion, the chamfer portion having an outer surface of a curved shape protruding from the flat portion, and having a thickness less than a thickness of the flat portion.
3. The flexible display device of claim 2, wherein the chamfer portion is disposed on an entirety of the edge of the flat portion to substantially surround the flat portion.
4. The flexible display device of claim 2, wherein the chamfer portion has a substantially single uniform radius of curvature.
5. The flexible display device of claim 4, wherein the substantially single uniform radius of curvature is in a range of from about 50% to about 100% of the thickness of the flat portion.
6. The flexible display device of claim 2, wherein a distance from an edge of the chamfer portion to the edge of the flat portion in a second direction crossing the first direction is in a range of about 10% to about 200% of the thickness of the flat portion.
7. The flexible display device of claim 2, wherein a bezel of the flexible display device overlaps the chamfer portion, and wherein a black matrix is formed in the bezel.
8. The flexible display device of claim 2, wherein a roughness of the outer surface of the chamfer portion is about 0.5 nm to about 10 nm.
9. The flexible display device of claim 2, wherein the chamfer portion includes a first curved portion adjacent to a first surface of the flat portion and a second curved portion adjacent to a second surface of the flat portion that is opposite to the first surface of the flat portion, and wherein a radius of curvature of each of the first curved portion and the second curved portion is in a range of from about 10% to about 50% of the thickness of the flat portion.
10. The flexible display device of claim 2, wherein the chamfer portion has multiple different radiuses of curvature along the outer surface of the chamfer portion.
11. The flexible display device of claim 10, wherein each of the multiple radiuses of curvature along the outer surface of the chamfer portion is in a range of from about 20% to about 200% of the thickness of the flat portion.
12. The flexible display device of claim 11, wherein the outer surface of the chamfer portion adjacent to a surface of the flat portion has an included angle of about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees with respect to a plane of the flat portion.
13. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the flexible display device is bendable, foldable, or rollable.
14. A method of manufacturing a glass window for a display device, the method comprising: stacking glass windows in a first direction, the glass window each having a thickness within a range of about 20 μm to about 100 μm in the first direction; and polishing edges of the glass windows in a mechanical manner.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of polished surfaces of the glass windows polished in the mechanical manner has a round cross-sectional shape.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the polishing of the edges of the glass windows includes polishing the glass windows from the edges of the glass windows in a second direction crossing the first direction to reduce their lengths within a range of from about 10% to about 200% of the thickness of each of the glass windows.
17. A method of manufacturing a glass window for a display device, the method comprising: stacking cut glass windows in a first direction, the glass window each having a size corresponding to a size of a display device; and polishing cut surfaces of the glass windows.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the cut surfaces of the glass windows has a round cross-sectional shape.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: forming a first adhesive layer and a second adhesive layer respectively on a first surface of a glass window that is one of the glass windows and a second surface of the glass window opposite to the first surface, wherein the polishing of the cut surfaces of the glass windows includes polishing the first surface and the second surface of the glass window together with a cut surface of the glass window.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising: cutting the glass windows before the stacking of the glass windows, wherein the stacking of the glass windows includes stacking adhesive layers alternately with the glass windows in the first direction.
21. The method of claim 20, further comprising: separating the glass windows and the adhesive layers from each other by immersing the glass windows and the adhesive layers in a hot water after the polishing of the cut surfaces of the glass windows.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] A more complete appreciation of the present disclosure and many of the attendant aspects thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0030]
[0031]
[0032]
[0033]
[0034]
[0035]
[0036]
[0037]
[0038]
[0039]
[0040]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0041] Hereinafter, methods of manufacturing windows and windows for display devices in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0042] Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a window according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
[0043]
[0044] Referring to
[0045]
[0046] Referring to
[0047] Each window 100 may include a flexible material. For example, each window 100 may include thin glass and/or plastic. The thin glass may be of a thickness that allows for flexibility without cracking or otherwise breaking.
[0048] Each window 100 may have a uniform thickness TH. The thickness TH of each window 100 may be defined as a length of the window 100 in the first direction DR1. The thickness TH of each window 100 may be about 20 μm to about 100 μm. When the thickness TH of the window 100 is less than about 20 μm, handling of the window 100 may be difficult, and the window 100 might not sufficiently protect the components of the display device. When the thickness TH of the window 100 is greater than about 100 μm, the flexible characteristic of the window 100 may decrease, and a flexural strength of the window 100 may decrease.
[0049] The adhesive layers 200 may serve to fix the stacked windows 100 to one another. Accordingly, the adhesive layers 200 may each include an adhesive material. For example, the adhesive layers 200 may each include a resin, an optically clear adhesive (OCA), a rosin, and/or a wax.
[0050] An elastic modulus of each adhesive layer 200 may be less than an elastic modulus of each window 100. Further, a hardness of each adhesive layer 200 may be less than a hardness of each window 100.
[0051] Referring to
[0052] Each of the cut windows 100 may have a size corresponding to a size of one display device. For example, the window 100 may be cut such that each of the cut windows 100 is included in one display device.
[0053] Referring to
[0054] The cut surfaces of the windows 100 and the adhesive layers 200 may be polished with a polishing pad 300 while applying slurry 400 to the cut surfaces of the windows 100 and the adhesive layers 200. The polishing pad 300 may rotate clockwise or counterclockwise along a rotation axis extending in the first direction DR1. The slurry 400 may contact the cut surfaces of the windows 100 due to the rotation of the polishing pad 300, and may directly polish the cut surfaces of the windows 100.
[0055] The polishing pad 300 may include a fabric, wool, and/or a polymer. The slurry 400 may include cerium(IV) oxide (CeO.sub.2), which may be called “ceria”.
[0056] An elastic modulus of the polishing pad 300 may be less than an elastic modulus of each window 100. Further, a hardness of the polishing pad 300 may be less than a hardness of each window 100.
[0057]
[0058] Referring to
[0059] The cut surfaces of the window 100 and the adhesive layers 210 and 220 before polishing may be parallel to each other. For example, the edges of the window 100 and the adhesive layers 210 and 220 before polishing might not protrude or recess in a second direction DR2 crossing the first direction DR1.
[0060] Defects formed during the cutting process of the window 100 may remain on the cut surface of the window 100 before polishing. These defects, if left to remain on the cut surface of the window 100, might reduce the bending strength of the window 100.
[0061] A corner having a right-angled shape in a cross-sectional view may be formed at each of opposite ends of the cut surface of the window 100 before polishing. For example, the cut window 100 may have a rectangular prism shape in which all corners are right angles. However, the corners of the window 100 that were cut will have right angles even if one or more of the other corners of the window 100 are not at right angles. For example, the corner may be formed at each of a first end of the cut surface of the window 100 before polishing where the cut surface contacts the first surface 101 and a second end of the cut surface of the window 100 before polishing where the cut surface contacts the second surface 102.
[0062] Edges of the window 100 and the adhesive layers 210 and 220 after polishing might not be parallel to each other. The edge of the window 100 after polishing may protrude in the second direction DR2 farther than the edges of the adhesive layers 210 and 220 after polishing.
[0063] As the cut surface of the window 100 is polished, the defects that remain on the cut surface of the window 100 may be removed. Accordingly, the flexural strength of the window 100 may increase by polishing, and the flexural strength of the window 100 after polishing may be relatively large.
[0064] Since the elastic modulus and the hardness of the adhesive layers 210 and 220 are less than the elastic modulus and the hardness of the window 100, respectively, the amount of polishing of the adhesive layers 210 and 220 by the polishing pad 300 and the slurry 400 may be greater than the amount of polishing of the window 100 by the polishing pad 300 and the slurry 400. Accordingly, in addition to the cut surface of the window 100, the first surface 101 of the window 100 in contact with the first adhesive layer 210 and the second surface 102 of the window 100 in contact with the second adhesive layer 220 may be polished. Accordingly, the window 100 after polishing may include a flat portion 100 that is not polished and a chamfer portion 120 that is polished. The flat portion 110 may overlap the polished adhesive layers 210 and 220, and may have a uniform thickness TH. The chamfer portion 120 may be disposed on an edge of the flat portion 110, and may protrude in the second direction DR2 farther than the polished adhesive layers 210 and 220. The chamfer portion 120 may correspond to a bezel of the display device including the window 100.
[0065] The window 100 may be polished so as to reduce the length thereof in the DR2 direction by about 10% to about 200% of the thickness TH of the window 100 in the DR1 direction. A distance in the second direction DR2 from the edge of the chamfer portion 120 to the edge of the flat portion 110 may be defined as a polishing distance PD, and the polishing distance PD may be about 10% to about 200% of the thickness TH of the window 100. When the polishing distance PD is less than about 10% of the thickness TH of the window 100, the polishing pad 300 might not sufficiently polish the cut surface of the window 100. When the polishing distance PD is greater than about 200% of the thickness TH of the window 100, a width of the chamfer portion 120 in the second direction DR2 may increase to a predetermined width or more, accordingly, the bezel of the display device including the window 100 may increase by more than a predetermined width.
[0066] The polishing distance PD may be controlled based on a polishing pressure and a polishing time. The type of slurry used may also affect polishing distance PD. The polishing distance PD may be proportional to the polishing pressure and the polishing time. For example, the polishing distance PD may decrease as the polishing pressure and the polishing time decrease, and the polishing distance PD may increase as the polishing pressure and the polishing time increase.
[0067] Referring to
[0068] Referring to
[0069] Referring to
[0070] Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a window according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
[0071]
[0072] Referring to
[0073]
[0074] Referring to
[0075] Referring to
[0076]
[0077] Referring to
[0078]
[0079] Referring to
[0080] An area of each of the first support member 510 and the second support member 520 may be less than an area of the window 100 causing the window 100 to overhang the first support member 510 and the second support member 520. Accordingly, in the process of polishing the cut surface of the window 100, the first surface of the window 100 which contacts the first support member 510 and the second surface of the window 100 which contacts the second support member 520 as well as the cut surface of the window 100 may be polished. Accordingly, an edge of the polished window 100 may have a curved outer surface.
[0081] In a method of manufacturing a window according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the process of stacking the window 100 and an adhesive layer, curing the window 100 and the adhesive layer, and separating the window 100 and the adhesive layer may be omitted because the cut surface of one window 100 is polished without the use of an adhesive layer.
[0082] In the prior art, a window may be polished in a chemical manner using an etchant. In this case, grains may be formed on a cut surface of the window by a chemical reaction between the etchant and the cut surface of the window, and accordingly, the roughness of the cut surface of the window may increase. When the roughness of the cut surface of the window increases, the impact strength of the cut surface of the window may decrease. In addition, when the window is polished in the chemical manner, an outer surface of an edge of the window may be angled, and accordingly, the impact strength of the cut surface of the window may decrease.
[0083] Further, in the prior art, chemical substances (e.g., hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, etc.) included in the etchant used in chemical polishing may cause environmental pollution. Moreover, an etchant rinse process may be additionally required to remove the chemical substances.
[0084] In the embodiments of the present invention, the window 100 may be polished in a mechanical manner using the polishing pad 300 and the slurry 400. In this case, grains might not be formed on the cut surface of the window 100, and accordingly, the roughness of the cut surface of the window 100 may decrease. Accordingly, the impact strength of the cut surface of the window 100 may increase. Further, when the window 100 is polished in the mechanical manner, the outer surface of the edge of the window 100 may be formed to be rounded, and accordingly, the impact strength of the cut surface of the window 100 may increase.
[0085] Further, in the embodiments of the present invention, the slurry 400 used in mechanical polishing might not cause environmental pollution because the slurry 400 may simply be an abrasive compound that does not contain a chemical substance. Moreover, since no chemical substances are used in the polishing process of the window 100, the etchant rinse process of the prior art may be omitted.
[0086] Hereinafter, a window for a display device according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
[0087]
[0088] Referring to
[0089] The flat portion 110 may have a uniform thickness TH. The thickness TH of the flat portion 110 may be about 20 μm to about 100 μm. When the thickness TH of the flat portion 110 is less than about 20 μm, handling of the window 100 may be difficult, and the window 100 might not sufficiently protect the components of the display device. When the thickness TH of the flat portion 110 is greater than about 100 μm, the flexible characteristic of the window 100 may decrease.
[0090] The chamfer portion 120 may be disposed on at least a portion of an edge of the flat portion 110. For example, the chamfer portion 120 may surround at least a portion of the flat portion 110. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in
[0091] The bezel of the display device may overlap at least the chamfer portion 120. In an embodiment, the bezel of the display device may overlap an entirety of the chamfer portion 120 and a part of the flat portion 110 adjacent to the chamfer portion 120, and a black matrix or other light-blocking pattern may be formed on the bezel.
[0092] The chamfer portion 120 may have a thickness less than the thickness TH of the flat portion 110. The thickness of the chamfer portion 120 may decrease along the second direction DR2 from the edge of the flat portion 110 toward the edge of the chamfer portion 120.
[0093] The chamfer portion 120 may have a curved outer surface protruding from the flat portion 110. The outer surface of the chamfer portion 120 may have a relatively small roughness. In an embodiment, the roughness of the outer surface of the chamfer portion 120 may be about 0.5 nm to about 10 nm. As described above, the window 100 may be polished in a mechanical manner using the polishing pad 300 and the slurry 400, and accordingly, the outer surface of the chamfer portion 120 may have a relatively small roughness (i.e., it may be relatively smooth). Accordingly, the window 100 may have a relatively high impact strength.
[0094] A distance from the edge of the chamfer portion 120 to the edge of the flat portion 110 may be about 10% to about 200% of the thickness TH of the flat portion 110. The distance from the edge of the chamfer portion 120 to the edge of the flat portion 110 in the second direction DR2 may be defined as a polishing distance PD. When the polishing distance PD is less than about 10% of the thickness TH of the flat portion 110, defects generated during the cutting process of the window 100 may remain on the outer surface of the chamfer portion 120. When the polishing distance PD is greater than about 200% of the thickness TH of the flat portion 110, the width of the chamfer portion 120 in the second direction DR2 may increase to a predetermined width or more, and accordingly, the bezel of the display device including the window 100 may increase by more than a predetermined width.
[0095] The chamfer portion 120 may include a first curved portion 121 adjacent to a first surface 111 of the flat portion 110 and a second curved portion 122 adjacent to a second surface 112 of the flat portion 110 opposite to the first surface 111. Each of a radius of curvature RC1 of the first curved portion 121 and a radius of curvature RC2 of the second curved portion 122 may be about 10% to about 50% of the thickness TH of the flat portion 110.
[0096]
[0097] Referring to
[0098] The polishing pressure and the polishing time in the process of manufacturing the window 100 discussed here may be greater than the polishing pressure and the polishing time in the process of manufacturing the window 100 discussed above. For example, the polishing distance PD of the window 100 discussed here may be greater than the polishing distance PD of the window 100 discussed above. For example, the polishing distance PD of the window 100 discussed above may be about 20% to about 30% of the thickness TH of the flat portion 110, and the polishing distance PD of the window 100 discussed here may be about 50% of the thickness TH of the flat portion 110.
[0099]
[0100] Referring to
[0101] The outer surface of the chamfer portion 120 adjacent to a surface of the flat portion 110 may have an included angle IA of about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees with respect to an imaginary surface extending from the surface of the flat portion 110. For example, the included angle IA between the outer surface of the chamfer portion 120 adjacent to the second surface 112 of the flat portion 110 and an imaginary surface extending from the second surface 112 of the flat portion 110 may be about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees.
[0102] The polishing pressure and the polishing time in the process of manufacturing the window 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be greater than the polishing pressure and the polishing time in the process of manufacturing the window 100 according to the approach described above, respectively. For example, the polishing distance PD of the window 100 discussed here may be greater than the polishing distance PD of the window 100 discussed above. For example, the polishing distance PD of the window 100 discussed here may be about 100% of the thickness TH of the flat portion 110.
[0103] The polishing pressure and polishing time in the process of manufacturing the window 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be greater than the polishing pressure and the polishing time in the process of manufacturing the window 100 discussed above, respectively. For example, the polishing distance PD of the window 100 discussed here may be greater than the polishing distance PD of the window 100 discussed above. For example, the polishing distance PD of the window 100 discussed here may be about 150% of the thickness TH of the flat portion 110.
[0104] In the prior art, the window may be polished in a chemical manner. In this case, the roughness of the cut surface of the window may increase, and the outer surface of the edge of the window may be angled. Accordingly, the impact strength of the cut surface of the window may be reduced.
[0105] In an embodiments of the present invention, the window 100 may be polished in a mechanical manner. In this case, the roughness of the cut surface of the window 100 may be reduced, and the outer surface of the edge of the window 100 may be rounded. Accordingly, the impact strength of the cut surface of the window 100 may increase.
[0106] The window according to an embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to a display device included in a computer monitor, a notebook computer, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a smart pad, a tablet computer, a personal media player (PMP), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an MP3 player, or the like.
[0107] Although the methods of manufacturing the windows and the windows for the display devices according to the embodiments have been described with reference to the drawings, the illustrated embodiments are examples, and may be modified and changed by a person having ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field without departing from the technical spirit of the present disclosure.