Methods for adhesive bonding of electronic devices
View Patent ↗In accordance with certain embodiments, electronic components such as light-emitting elements are bonded to connection points on a substrate via pressure applied via a membrane and curing of a pressure-activated adhesive.
1. A method of fabricating an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a plurality of electronic components each bonded to a connection point on a substrate, the method comprising:
positioning each of the plurality of electronic components over a different connection point on the substrate;
providing a pressure-activated adhesive between each electronic component and its connection point;
providing a membrane over the plurality of electronic components and the substrate;
without adhering the membrane to the electronic components or to the substrate, applying a pressure, via the membrane, substantially simultaneously between each electronic component and its connection point;
curing the pressure-activated adhesive, thereby bonding each electronic component to its connection point; and
after applying the pressure via the membrane, removing an entirety of the membrane from the electronic device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the pressure via the membrane comprises application of a fluid pressure to the membrane.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising reducing a pressure in a region between the membrane and the substrate.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the fluid pressure is at least partially applied to a surface of the membrane opposite the plurality of electronic components by a gas.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises a flexible membrane.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein curing the pressure-activated adhesive comprises applying heat thereto.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein (i) at least one connection point comprises two conductive traces defining a gap therebetween, and (ii) at least one electronic component comprises two spaced-apart contacts to each be bonded to one of the conductive traces.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure-activated adhesive comprises an anisotropic conductive adhesive.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure-activated adhesive comprises an isotropic conductive adhesive.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the electronic components have different sizes and/or heights.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic components are positioned over the substrate such that a first pair of electronic components are separated by a first spacing and a second pair of electronic components are separated by a second spacing different from the first spacing.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electronic components comprises a light-emitting diode.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electronic components is unpackaged.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electronic components is packaged.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a flexible web extending between a supply roll and a take-up roll.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein, when pressure is applied via the membrane, the membrane substantially conforms to the shapes of the underlying electronic components.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising disposing a force multiplier between at least one electronic component and the membrane.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein, when pressure is applied via the membrane, the membrane conforms only partially to the shapes of the underlying electronic components.
19. A method of fabricating an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a plurality of electronic components each bonded to a connection point on a substrate, the method comprising:
positioning each of the plurality of electronic components over a different connection point on the substrate;
providing a pressure-activated adhesive between each electronic component and its connection point;
providing a membrane over the plurality of electronic components and the substrate;
disposing a protective layer between at least one electronic component and the membrane;
applying a pressure, via the membrane, substantially simultaneously between each electronic component and its connection point; and
curing the pressure-activated adhesive, thereby bonding each electronic component to its connection point,
wherein, after curing the pressure-activated adhesive, the protective layer is disposed over the at least one electronic component and is adhered to at least a portion of the substrate.
20. A method of fabricating an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a plurality of electronic components each bonded to a connection point on a substrate, the method comprising:
positioning each of the plurality of electronic components over a different connection point on the substrate;
providing a pressure-activated adhesive between each electronic component and its connection point;
providing a membrane over the plurality of electronic components and the substrate;
disposing a shaped protective layer between at least one electronic component and the membrane;
applying a pressure, via the membrane, substantially simultaneously between each electronic component and its connection point; and
curing the pressure-activated adhesive, thereby bonding each electronic component to its connection point,
wherein, after curing the pressure-activated adhesive, the shaped protective layer covers the at least one electronic component and is bonded to at least a portion of the substrate, and wherein the shaped protective layer comprises a curved portion that is disposed over the at least one electronic component.
21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising, after the pressure is applied via the membrane, removing an entirety of the membrane from the electronic device.
22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising, after the pressure is applied via the membrane, removing an entirety of the membrane from the electronic device.