Development of a method for attaching thin films to curved surfaces using a bipolar electrostatic chuck with a collective beam structure

Abstract

A bipolar electrostatic chuck (ESC) having a collective beam structure is getting attention as an effective device for handling thin, soft dielectric objects such as polymer film or paper. It has been shown that the ESC devices can grasp and attach thin film objects on a plane. However, the feasibility of pasting films on curved surfaces was not verified. Accurate film attachment requires a designated attachment trajectory so that the thin film does not slide on the curved surface. The trajectory determination depends on how the stiffness of the beam and thin film, the frictional force between the beam and thin film, and electrostatic force affect the attachment process. This study aims at developing a method for calculating the attachment trajectory by modelling the beam of the electrostatic device and thin film as a continuum model consisting of springs and masses. The model's validity was verified by comparing the results with experimental data, and the feasibility of attaching a thin film to a curved surface using an ESC having a collective beam structure was clarified.