Novel Green Temporary Bonding and Separation Method for Manufacturing Thin Displays

Abstract

Owing to the rapidly growing popularity of portable products, there is an increasing demand for lightweight devices with thin displays. Glass substrates contribute substantially to the thickness and weight of display panels, and therefore, it is important to minimize their thickness. However, thin glass substrates are too fragile to be supported on their own and used directly. Thicker glass substrates are therefore used to fabricate display panels, and the substrate thickness is then reduced through etching and surface grinding. This approach is time-consuming, involves the use of highly hazardous chemicals, and produces acidic liquid waste. Thus, countries in which thin panels are produced have experienced severe environmental pollution problems related to their manufacture. In addition to the pollution produced, existing panel-thinning methods cannot satisfy the demand for increasingly thinner panels, and as a result, there is an urgent need for new panel-thinning technologies. This article proposes a novel green temporary bonding and separation method that allows thin glass substrates to be carried to directly produce thin panels. This method makes possible the rapid manufacture of thinner glass display panels for foldable and flexible displays. This method does not use any chemicals and does not produce any polluting waste and thereby contributes to environmental protection.