BONDING APPARATUS AND BONDING METHOD
A bonding apparatus includes: an anisotropic conductive film (“ACF”) attachment unit which attaches a first ACF and a second ACF onto a display panel assembly; a compression unit which compresses a first chip-on-film (“COF”) on the first ACF and compresses a second COF on the second ACF; and a buffer unit which rotates the display panel assembly, on which the first ACF and the second COF are compressed, on a plane.
1 . A bonding apparatus comprising:
an anisotropic conductive film attachment unit which attaches a first anisotropic conductive film and a second anisotropic conductive film onto a display panel assembly;
a compression unit which compresses a first chip-on-film on the first anisotropic conductive film and compresses a second chip-on-film on the second anisotropic conductive film; and
a buffer unit which rotates the display panel assembly, on which the first anisotropic conductive film and the first chip-on-film are compressed.
2 . The bonding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the anisotropic conductive film attachment unit, the compression unit and the buffer unit includes a conveyor which transfers the display panel assembly in a first direction toward the compression unit from the anisotropic conductive film attachment unit and in a second direction toward the anisotropic conductive film attachment unit from the compression unit.
3 . The bonding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the buffer unit is disposed prior to the anisotropic conductive film attachment unit, and rotates the display panel assembly transferred from the anisotropic conductive film attachment unit by about 180 degrees and then transfers the rotated display panel assembly to the anisotropic conductive film attachment unit.
4 . The bonding apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the anisotropic conductive film attachment unit transfers the display panel assembly, to which the first anisotropic conductive film is attached, to the compression unit, and attaches the second anisotropic conductive film onto the display panel assembly rotated in the buffer unit.
5 . The bonding apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the compression unit transfers the display panel assembly, on which the first chip-on-film is compressed, to the anisotropic conductive film attachment unit, and transfers the display panel assembly, on which the second chip-on-film is compressed, to an outside.
6 . The bonding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the buffer unit is disposed after the compression unit, and rotates the display panel assembly transferred from the compression unit by about 180 degrees and then transfers the rotated display panel assembly to the compression unit.
7 . The bonding apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the anisotropic conductive film attachment unit transfers the display panel assembly, to which the first anisotropic conductive film is attached, to the compression unit, and attaches the second anisotropic conductive film to the display panel assembly transferred from the compression unit.
8 . The bonding apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the compression unit transfers the display panel assembly, on which the first chip-on-film and the second chip-on- film are compressed, to the buffer unit, and conveys the display panel assembly rotated in the buffer unit to the anisotropic conductive film attachment unit.
9 . The bonding apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first anisotropic conductive film transfer unit disposed at a side of the anisotropic conductive film attachment unit, wherein the first anisotropic conductive film transfer unit provides the first anisotropic conductive film; and
a second anisotropic conductive film transfer unit disposed at an opposing side of the anisotropic conductive film attachment unit, wherein the second anisotropic conductive film transfer unit provides the second anisotropic conductive film.
10 . The bonding apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
a first chip-on-film transfer unit disposed at a side of the compression unit, wherein the first chip-on-film transfer unit provides the first chip-on-film; and
a second chip-on-film transfer unit disposed at an opposing side of the compression unit, wherein the second chip-on-film transfer unit provides the second chip-on-film.
11 . The bonding apparatus of claim 10 , wherein a connection pad on the display panel assembly is aligned adjacent to the first anisotropic conductive film transfer unit, and is aligned adjacent to the second anisotropic conductive film transfer unit when the display panel assembly is rotated by the buffer unit.
12 . The bonding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the first chip-on-film is electrically connected to a first connection pad on the display panel assembly, and
the second chip-on-film is electrically connected to a second connection pad on the display panel assembly.
13 . The bonding apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first connection pad and the second connection pad are connected to a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel, respectively.
14 . The bonding apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first chip-on-film and the second chip-on-film are not aligned with each other in an extending direction of a gate line.
15 . The bonding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compression unit includes:
a preliminary compression unit which preliminarily compresses the first chip-on-film on the first anisotropic conductive film, and preliminary compresses the second chip-on-film on the second anisotropic conductive film; and
a primary compression unit which primarily compresses the preliminarily compressed first chip-on-film and the preliminarily compressed second chip-on-film.
16 . A bonding method comprising:
a first tape automated bonding process including attaching a first anisotropic conductive film and a first chip-on-film onto a display panel assembly while the display panel assembly is transferred in a first direction;
a retransferring process including conveying the display panel assembly in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and rotating the display panel assembly on a plane; and
a second tape automated bonding process including attaching a second anisotropic conductive film and a second chip-on-film onto the display panel assembly while the rotated display panel assembly is retransferred in the first direction.
17 . The bonding method of claim 16 , wherein the first tape automated bonding process, the retransferring process, and the second tape automated bonding process are performed by a bonding apparatus including a conveyor which conveys the display panel assembly in the first direction and the second direction.
18 . The bonding method of claim 16 , wherein the retransferring process includes:
retransferring, in the second direction, the display panel assembly transferred in the first direction; and
rotating the retransferred display panel assembly by about 180 degrees.
19 . The bonding method of claim 16 , wherein the retransferring process includes:
rotating the display panel assembly transferred in the first direction; and
retransferring the display panel assembly in the second direction.
20 . A bonding method comprising:
a first tape automated bonding process including attaching a first anisotropic conductive film onto a display panel assembly in an anisotropic conductive film attachment unit, and compressing a first chip-on-film on the first anisotropic conductive film in a compression unit, while the display panel assembly is transferred in a first direction;
a retransferring process including retransferring the display panel assembly in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and rotating the display panel assembly on a plane; and
a second tape automated bonding process including attaching a second anisotropic conductive film onto the display panel assembly in the anisotropic conductive film attachment unit, and compressing a second chip-on-film on the second anisotropic conductive film in the compression unit, while the rotated display panel assembly is transferred in the first direction.