Disclosure of Invention
In view of the above, the present invention provides a micro device transfer apparatus and a micro device transfer method, which can improve the micro device transfer efficiency.
In order to solve the technical problems, the invention adopts a technical scheme that: a transfer device for micro-components is provided. The transfer device includes a carrier substrate and a transfer table. The bearing substrate is used for bearing the micro-elements stripped from the growth substrate, and a plurality of first air holes which are arranged in an array mode are formed in the bearing substrate. The transfer workbench is provided with a first gas controller and a first gas channel, after the bearing substrate is arranged in the transfer workbench, each first gas hole is communicated to the first gas controller through the first gas channel, the first gas controller is used for providing negative pressure to the first gas holes through the first gas channel so as to increase the adhesive force of the bearing substrate to the micro-component, or provide positive pressure to the first gas holes through the first gas channel so as to reduce the adhesive force of the bearing substrate to the micro-component.
In an embodiment of the invention, the transfer apparatus further includes a transfer head, the transfer head is provided with a plurality of second air holes arranged in an array, the second air holes are used for correspondingly adsorbing the micro components, the transfer head is further provided with a second gas controller and a second gas channel, each second air hole is respectively communicated to the second gas controller through the second gas channel, and the second gas controller is used for providing negative pressure to the second air hole through the second gas channel to pick up the micro component from the carrier substrate or providing positive pressure to the second air hole through the second gas channel to release the micro component onto the receiving substrate.
In an embodiment of the invention, when the transfer head picks up the micro-component from the carrier substrate, one of the two opposite surfaces of the micro-component is abutted against the first air hole, and the other surface is abutted against the second air hole, and at this time, the air pressure in the second air hole is smaller than the air pressure in the first air hole.
In an embodiment of the invention, when the transfer head picks up the micro device from the carrier substrate, the air pressure in the first air hole is positive pressure, and the air pressure in the second air hole is negative pressure.
In an embodiment of the invention, when the transfer head picks up the micro component from the carrier substrate, the air pressure in the first air hole and the air pressure in the second air hole are both negative pressure, and the vacuum degree of the environment in the first air hole is smaller than that in the second air hole.
In an embodiment of the invention, when the transfer head picks up the micro device from the carrier substrate, the air pressure in the first air hole is equal to the ambient air pressure, and the air pressure in the second air hole is a negative pressure.
In an embodiment of the present invention, one first air hole corresponds to one micro component, or at least two adjacent first air holes correspond to one micro component; one second air hole correspondingly adsorbs one micro element, or at least two adjacent second air holes correspondingly adsorb one micro element.
In an embodiment of the invention, the carrier substrate and the transfer head are elastic bodies, so that the carrier substrate around the first air holes and the transfer head around the second air holes can be elastically deformed when the first air holes and the second air holes adsorb the micro-component, thereby tightly adhering to the micro-component.
In an embodiment of the invention, a first bus channel is disposed on the carrier substrate, the first air holes are communicated with the first bus channel via the first air channel, and the first bus channel is further communicated with the first air controller; the transfer head is provided with a second confluence channel, the plurality of second air holes are communicated with the second confluence channel through the second air channel in a confluence way, and the second confluence channel is also communicated with the second air controller.
In order to solve the technical problem, the invention adopts another technical scheme that: a method for transferring a micro-component is provided. The transfer method comprises the following steps: providing a growth substrate, wherein a plurality of micro elements are formed on the growth substrate; providing a bearing substrate and a transfer workbench, wherein the bearing substrate is provided with a plurality of first air holes which are arranged in an array manner and a first air channel communicated with the first air holes, and the transfer workbench is provided with a first air controller; placing the bearing substrate on a transfer workbench, wherein each first air hole is communicated to a first air controller through a first air channel; butting the growth substrate and the bearing substrate, wherein the first air hole on the bearing substrate is butted with the micro-element; controlling a first gas controller to provide negative pressure to a first gas hole through a first gas channel so that the first gas hole corresponds to the adsorption of the micro-element; and stripping the growth substrate and the micro-component by using laser so as to leave the micro-component on the bearing substrate.
The invention has the beneficial effects that: the invention provides a transfer device and a transfer method of a micro-component, which are different from the prior art. A plurality of first air holes which are arranged in an array mode are formed in a bearing substrate of the transfer device. After the bearing substrate is arranged on the transfer workbench, each first air hole is communicated to a first air controller on the transfer workbench through a first air channel. The first gas controller is used for providing negative pressure to the first gas holes so as to increase the adhesion of the bearing substrate to the micro-component, thereby being beneficial to the micro-component to be retained on the bearing substrate in the stripping process of the micro-component and the growth substrate; and the first gas controller is also used for providing positive pressure to the first gas holes so as to reduce the adhesive force of the bearing substrate to the micro-component when the micro-component is picked up by the transfer head, so that the micro-component is picked up by the transfer head, the pick-up yield of the transfer head is improved, and the transfer efficiency of the micro-component is further improved. In addition, the mode avoids the temporary bonding glue used by the traditional temporary substrate and the transfer head, so that the problems of key release and difficulty in cleaning do not exist, the micro-element can be conveniently transferred, and the transfer efficiency of the micro-element is further improved.
Detailed Description
In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention. The embodiments described below and the features of the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.
In order to solve the technical problem of low transfer efficiency of the micro-component in the prior art, an embodiment of the present invention provides a micro-component transfer device. The transfer device includes a carrier substrate and a transfer table. The bearing substrate is used for bearing the micro-elements stripped from the growth substrate, and a plurality of first air holes which are arranged in an array mode are formed in the bearing substrate. The transfer workbench is provided with a first gas controller and a first gas channel, after the bearing substrate is arranged in the transfer workbench, each first gas hole is communicated to the first gas controller through the first gas channel, the first gas controller is used for providing negative pressure to the first gas holes through the first gas channel so as to increase the adhesive force of the bearing substrate to the micro-component, or provide positive pressure to the first gas holes through the first gas channel so as to reduce the adhesive force of the bearing substrate to the micro-component. As described in detail below.
Referring to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a transfer device for micro-components according to the present invention.
In one embodiment, the transfer device of the microcomponents 1 is applied to a transfer process of the microcomponents 1 from their growth substrate to a receiving substrate. The Micro element 1 described in this embodiment may include a photo-semiconductor element such as a Micro LED.
The transfer device comprises a carrier substrate 2. The carrier substrate 2 is intended to carry the microcomponents 1 stripped from the growth substrate. Specifically, a growth substrate on which the micro-component 1 is fabricated is butted with a carrier substrate 2, so that the micro-component 1 on the growth substrate is temporarily carried on the carrier substrate 2, then operations such as laser lift-off and the like are performed, so that the micro-component 1 and the growth substrate are separated, the micro-component 1 is retained on the carrier substrate 2, and a subsequent transfer head picks up the micro-component 1 on the carrier substrate 2 and transfers the micro-component 1 to a receiving substrate, thereby manufacturing the display panel. Wherein, the display panel can use Micro LED display technology.
The transfer device also comprises a transfer station 3, the transfer station 3 acting as a carrier for the carrier substrate 2 during the transfer of the microcomponents 1. The transfer table 3 is provided with a first gas controller 31, and the carrier substrate 2 is provided with a plurality of first gas holes 21 arranged in an array and first gas channels 22 communicated with the first gas holes 21. After the carrier substrate 2 is disposed on the transfer stage 3, each of the first gas holes 21 is respectively connected to the first gas controller 31 through a first gas channel 22, wherein the first gas channel 22 is formed on the carrier substrate 2. The first gas controller 31 is used for providing negative pressure to the first gas holes 21 through the first gas channel 22 to increase the adhesion of the carrier substrate 2 to the micro-component 1, thereby facilitating the retention of the micro-component 1 on the carrier substrate 2 during the peeling process of the micro-component 1 and the growth substrate. The first gas controller 31 is further configured to provide positive pressure to the first gas holes 21 through the first gas channel 22 to reduce the adhesion of the carrier substrate 2 to the micro component 1, so that the micro component 1 is picked up by the transfer head, the pick-up yield of the transfer head is improved, and the transfer efficiency of the micro component 1 is further improved.
Further, the carrier substrate 2 is provided with a first collecting channel 23, the plurality of first air holes 21 are converged and communicated to the first collecting channel 23 through the first air channel 22, the first collecting channel 23 is further communicated to the first air controller 31, that is, the plurality of first air holes 21 are converged and communicated to the first air controller 31 through the first air channel 22, after the first collecting channel 23 is converged, the first air controller 31 can control the air pressure of the plurality of first air holes 21, which is beneficial to reducing the number of the first air controllers 31 used on the carrier substrate 2 and reducing the equipment cost.
For example, fig. 1 shows the case where the first air holes 21 on the carrier substrate 2 are communicated to a first air controller 31 by the confluence of a first confluence channel 23, and the air pressure of all the first air holes 21 on the carrier substrate 2 is controlled by the first air controller 31.
It should be noted that the first gas controller 31 providing positive pressure to the first gas hole 21 means that the first gas controller 31 makes the gas pressure inside the first gas hole 21 greater than the ambient gas pressure, the first gas controller 31 may be a gas generator or the like for outputting gas, and the outputted gas is preferably an inert gas, such as nitrogen or the like, which is beneficial for maintaining the stability of the micro-component 1. The first gas controller 31 providing the first gas hole 21 with negative pressure means that the first gas controller 31 makes the gas pressure inside the first gas hole 21 smaller than the ambient gas pressure, and the first gas controller 31 may be a vacuum pumping device for pumping away the gas inside the first gas hole 21 to create a negative pressure environment in the first gas hole 21. It is understood that the first gas controller 31 of the embodiment of the present invention may have both gas generation and vacuum pumping functions.
The first air holes 21 arranged in an array on the carrier substrate 2 are disposed corresponding to the micro-components 1. Since the micro-components 1 are arranged in an array on the growth substrate, and the transfer head picks up the micro-components 1 in an array manner, the first air holes 21 on the carrier substrate 2 are arranged in an array, so that the micro-components 1 in the array can be better adsorbed by the first air holes 21.
It can be seen from the above that, in the transfer device for micro-components provided by the present invention, the carrier substrate is provided with a plurality of first air holes arranged in an array. After the bearing substrate is arranged on the transfer workbench, each first air hole is communicated to a first air controller on the transfer workbench through a first air channel. The first gas controller is used for providing negative pressure to the first gas holes so as to increase the adhesion of the bearing substrate to the micro-component, thereby being beneficial to the micro-component to be retained on the bearing substrate in the stripping process of the micro-component and the growth substrate; and the first gas controller is also used for providing positive pressure to the first gas holes so as to reduce the adhesive force of the bearing substrate to the micro-component when the micro-component is picked up by the transfer head, so that the micro-component is picked up by the transfer head, the pick-up yield of the transfer head is improved, and the transfer efficiency of the micro-component is further improved. In addition, the mode avoids the temporary bonding glue used by the traditional temporary substrate and the transfer head, so that the problems of key release and difficulty in cleaning do not exist, the micro-element can be conveniently transferred, and the transfer efficiency of the micro-element is further improved.
Referring to fig. 2, fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of a transfer device for micro-components according to the present invention.
In one embodiment, after the micro device 1 is separated from the growth substrate and remains on the carrier substrate 2 by a process such as laser lift-off, the micro device 1 on the carrier substrate 2 needs to be transferred to a receiving substrate to prepare a display panel. The transfer device therefore also comprises a transfer head 4, the transfer head 4 being intended to transfer the microcomponents 1 on the carrier substrate 2 onto a receiving substrate.
Furthermore, the transfer head 4 is provided with a plurality of second air holes 41 arranged in an array, and the second air holes 41 are used for correspondingly adsorbing the micro-components 1 and further picking up the micro-components 1 so as to transfer the picked-up micro-components 1 onto the receiving substrate.
The transfer head 4 is also provided with a second gas controller 42 and a second gas passage 43. Each of the second gas holes 41 is communicated to the second gas controller 42 through a second gas passage 43, respectively. The second gas controller 42 is used to provide negative pressure to the second gas holes 41 through the second gas channel 43 to pick up the micro-components 1 from the carrier substrate 2, or provide positive pressure to the second gas holes 41 through the second gas channel 43 to release the micro-components 1 onto the receiving substrate.
Specifically, when the transfer head 4 picks up the micro-component 1 from the carrier substrate 2, the second gas controller 42 supplies a negative pressure to the second gas vent 41 so that the second gas vent 41 adsorbs the picked-up micro-component 1, and after the transfer head 4 transfers the picked-up micro-component 1 to a receiving substrate, the second gas controller 42 supplies a positive pressure to the second gas vent 41 or the second gas controller 42 is not operated so that the micro-component 1 is released onto the receiving substrate.
Further, the transfer head 4 is provided with a second confluence channel 44, the plurality of second air holes 41 are communicated with the second confluence channel 44 through a second air channel 43, and the second confluence channel 44 is further communicated with a second air controller 42, that is, the plurality of second air holes 41 are communicated with the second air controller 42 through the second air channel 43 after being converged by the second confluence channel 44, so that the second air controller 42 can control the air pressure of the plurality of second air holes 41, which is beneficial to reducing the number of the second air controllers 42 used on the transfer head 4 and reducing the equipment cost.
For example, fig. 2 shows the case where the second air holes 41 of the transfer head 4 are communicated to a second gas controller 42 by a second communication channel 44, and the second gas controller 42 controls the air pressure of all the second air holes 41 of the transfer head 4.
The second gas controller 42 providing positive pressure to the second gas hole 41 means that the second gas controller 42 makes the gas pressure inside the second gas hole 41 larger than the ambient gas pressure, the second gas controller 42 may be a gas generator or the like for outputting gas, and the outputted gas is preferably an inert gas such as nitrogen or the like, which is advantageous for maintaining the stability of the micro-component 1, similarly to the first gas controller 31. The second gas controller 42 providing the second gas hole 41 with negative pressure means that the second gas controller 42 makes the gas pressure inside the second gas hole 41 less than the ambient gas pressure, and the second gas controller 42 may be a vacuum pumping device for pumping away the gas inside the second gas hole 41 to create a negative pressure environment in the second gas hole 41. It is understood that the second gas controller 42 of the present embodiment may be provided with both gas generation and vacuum pumping functions.
In connection with the above, when the transfer head 4 picks up the microcomponent 1 from the carrier substrate 2, one of the two opposite surfaces of the microcomponent 1 abuts against the first air vent 21 and the other abuts against the second air vent 41. In order to reduce the adhesion of the carrier substrate 2 to the micro component 1 when the transfer head 4 picks up the micro component 1, the air pressure in the second air hole 41 is smaller than the air pressure in the first air hole 21, so that the acting force applied to the micro component 1 by the pressure difference between the first air hole 21 and the second air hole 41 faces the direction away from the carrier substrate 2, thereby driving the micro component 1 to be separated from the carrier substrate 2, facilitating the transfer head 4 to pick up the micro component 1, improving the pick-up yield of the transfer head 4, and further improving the transfer efficiency of the micro component 1.
In one embodiment, when the transfer head 4 picks up the micro-component 1 from the carrier substrate 2, the air pressure in the first air hole 21 is positive and the air pressure in the second air hole 41 is negative, so that the pressure difference between the first air hole 21 and the second air hole 41 is corresponding to the force applied to the micro-component 1 and faces away from the carrier substrate 2. Specifically, the first gas controller 31 outputs gas to the first gas hole 21, and the second gas controller 42 draws gas from the second gas hole 41, as shown in fig. 2.
In an alternative embodiment, when the transfer head 4 picks up the micro-component 1 from the carrier substrate 2, the air pressure in the first air hole 21 is equal to the ambient air pressure, and the air pressure in the second air hole 41 is a negative pressure, so that the pressure difference between the first air hole 21 and the second air hole 41 corresponds to the force applied to the micro-component 1 and faces away from the carrier substrate 2. Specifically, the first gas controller 31 is not operated so that the gas pressure in the first gas hole 21 is equal to the ambient gas pressure, and the second gas controller 42 draws gas from the second gas hole 41, as shown in fig. 3.
In another alternative embodiment, when the transfer head 4 picks up the micro-component 1 from the carrier substrate 2, the air pressure in the first air hole 21 and the air pressure in the second air hole 41 are both negative pressure, and the vacuum degree of the environment in the first air hole 21 is smaller than that in the second air hole 41, so that the force applied to the micro-component 1 by the pressure difference between the first air hole 21 and the second air hole 41 faces away from the carrier substrate 2. Specifically, the first gas controller 31 draws gas from the first gas hole 21, and the second gas controller 42 also draws gas from the second gas hole 41, as shown in fig. 4.
Please continue with fig. 2. The embodiment of the present invention may be that one first air hole 21 correspondingly absorbs one micro-component 1, or at least two adjacent first air holes 21 correspondingly absorb one micro-component 1. Fig. 2 shows a first air hole 21 for absorbing a micro-component 1. In addition, the embodiment of the present invention may be that one second air hole 41 correspondingly adsorbs one micro-component 1, or at least two adjacent second air holes 41 correspondingly adsorb one micro-component 1. Fig. 2 shows a second air hole 41 for absorbing a micro-component 1.
The carrier substrate 2 and the transfer head 4 are preferably made of an elastomer, for example, a material such as PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) is used for the carrier substrate 2 and the transfer head 4, so that the carrier substrate 2 around the first air holes 21 and the transfer head 4 around the second air holes 41 can be elastically deformed when the micro-components 1 are adsorbed by the first air holes 21 and the second air holes 41, and the micro-components 1 can be tightly adhered. Through the mode, in the laser stripping process of the micro-component 1, the bearing substrate 2 can adsorb the bearing micro-component 1 more reliably, the retention rate of the micro-component 1 on the bearing substrate 2 is favorably improved, the micro-component 1 can be picked up more reliably by the transfer head 4 when the micro-component 1 is picked up, and the picking yield of the transfer head 4 is favorably improved.
In summary, the carrier substrate of the transfer device for micro-components provided by the present invention is provided with a plurality of first air holes arranged in an array. After the bearing substrate is arranged on the transfer workbench, each first air hole is communicated to a first air controller on the transfer workbench through a first air channel. The first gas controller is used for providing negative pressure to the first gas holes so as to increase the adhesion of the bearing substrate to the micro-component, thereby being beneficial to the micro-component to be retained on the bearing substrate in the stripping process of the micro-component and the growth substrate; and the first gas controller is also used for providing positive pressure to the first gas holes so as to reduce the adhesive force of the bearing substrate to the micro-component when the micro-component is picked up by the transfer head, so that the micro-component is picked up by the transfer head, the pick-up yield of the transfer head is improved, and the transfer efficiency of the micro-component is further improved. In addition, the mode avoids the temporary bonding glue used by the traditional temporary substrate and the transfer head, so that the problems of key release and difficulty in cleaning do not exist, the micro-element can be conveniently transferred, and the transfer efficiency of the micro-element is further improved.
Referring to fig. 5, fig. 5 is a schematic flow chart illustrating a transfer method of a micro device according to an embodiment of the invention. The method for transferring a micro-component described in this embodiment is based on the micro-component transferring apparatus described in the above embodiment. It should be noted that the method for transferring the micro-component described in this embodiment is not limited to the following steps.
S101: providing a growth substrate;
in this embodiment, a plurality of micro devices are formed on the growth substrate. For Micro-components in the form of Micro LEDs, the growth substrate is typically a sapphire substrate.
S102: providing a bearing substrate and a transfer workbench;
in this embodiment, the carrier substrate is used to carry the micro-components peeled off the growth substrate, and the transfer table serves as a carrier of the carrier substrate during the transfer of the micro-components. The bearing substrate is provided with a plurality of first air holes which are arranged in an array mode and a first air channel communicated with the first air holes, and the transfer workbench is provided with a first air controller.
S103: placing the bearing substrate on a transfer workbench;
in this embodiment, after the carrier substrate is placed on the transfer stage, each of the first air holes on the carrier substrate is respectively communicated to the first air controller through a first air channel.
S104: butting the growth substrate and the bearing substrate;
in this embodiment, the growth substrate and the carrier substrate are butted, so that the first air holes on the carrier substrate are butted with the micro-components, so that the subsequent first air holes adsorb the corresponding micro-components, and the micro-components are retained on the carrier substrate.
S105: controlling a first gas controller to provide negative pressure to a first gas hole through a first gas channel so that the first gas hole corresponds to the adsorption of the micro-element;
in this embodiment, the first gas controller is controlled to provide negative pressure to the first gas holes through the first gas channel, so that the first gas holes correspondingly adsorb the micro-component, and provide adhesion to the micro-component through the first gas holes, which is beneficial for the micro-component to be retained on the carrier substrate.
S106: stripping the growth substrate and the micro-component by using laser to ensure that the micro-component is retained on the bearing substrate;
in this embodiment, the growth substrate and the micro-component are separated by laser lift-off. The bearing substrate provides adhesion force for the micro-component through the first air hole, so that the micro-component is left on the bearing substrate.
S107: picking up the micro-components from the carrier substrate by using the transfer head, and transferring the picked-up micro-components to the receiving substrate;
in this embodiment, after laser lift-off, the micro component is left on the carrier substrate, and then the micro component is picked up from the carrier substrate by the transfer head, and the picked-up micro component is transferred to the receiving substrate, thereby completing the preparation of the display panel.
The transfer head can be used for transferring the micro-component on the carrier substrate to the receiving substrate as described in the above embodiments, and the transfer head can also be matched with the carrier substrate, so that the micro-component can be picked up by the transfer head, the pick-up yield of the transfer head is improved, and the transfer efficiency of the micro-component is further improved.
In addition, in the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "connected," "stacked," and the like are to be construed broadly, e.g., as meaning permanently connected, detachably connected, or integrally formed; either directly or indirectly through intervening media, either internally or in any other relationship. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.
Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and not to limit the same; while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some or all of the technical features may be equivalently replaced; and the modifications or the substitutions do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.