KR20100079089A - Method of fabricating liquid crystal display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display panel is provided to compensate the step difference for the pixel unit and a mounting unit by forming a dummy column spacer at pad units. CONSTITUTION: An alignment layer is formed on the surfaces of first and a second mother substrate(120,130), and rubbing is performed for the first and second mother substrates on which the alignment layer is formed. A sealing material is applied to the first and second mother substrates for which rubbing is completed, and a seal pattern(140a) is formed. A gap column spacer(150) is formed at an image display unit of the first or second substrate for which rubbing is completed. A dummy column spacer(155) is formed at the pad unit of the first or second mother substrate.

Description

Manufacturing method of liquid crystal display panel {METHOD OF FABRICATING LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY PANEL}

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, and more particularly, when manufacturing a plurality of liquid crystal display panels on a large area mother substrate to prevent gap staining due to the step of the pad portion when bonding. It relates to a manufacturing method.

Recently, with increasing interest in information display and increasing demand for using a portable information carrier, a lightweight flat panel display (FPD), which replaces a conventional display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT), is used. The research and commercialization of Korea is focused on. In particular, the liquid crystal display (LCD) of the flat panel display device is an image representing the image using the optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal, is excellent in resolution, color display and image quality, and is actively applied to notebooks or desktop monitors have.

Hereinafter, the liquid crystal display device will be described in detail.

A general liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel including a driving circuit unit, a backlight unit disposed under the liquid crystal display panel to emit light to the liquid crystal display panel, the backlight unit and the liquid crystal display. It consists of a mold frame (case) and the like (case) for supporting the panel.

In particular, referring to FIG. 1, the liquid crystal display panel 10 includes an image display unit 13 in which liquid crystal cells are arranged in a matrix, and a gate pad unit connected to the gate lines 16 of the image display unit 13. 14 and a data pad portion 15 connected to the data lines 17.

In this case, the gate pad unit 14 and the data pad unit 15 are formed in an edge region of the thin film transistor array substrate 1 that does not overlap the color filter substrate 2, and the gate pad unit 14 is a gate. The scan signal supplied from the driver (not shown) is supplied to the gate lines 16 of the image display unit 13, and the data pad unit 15 supplies the image information supplied from the data driver (not shown) to the image display unit 13. Is supplied to the data lines 17.

Although not shown in the drawings, the color filter substrate 2 includes a color filter composed of sub-color filters of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) colors, which implement colors. A black matrix separating the sub color filters and blocking light passing through the liquid crystal layer, and a transparent common electrode applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer. In addition, the array substrate 1 is arranged on the substrate 1 vertically and horizontally, and includes a plurality of gate lines 16 and data lines 17 defining a plurality of pixel regions, and the gate lines 16 and data lines ( And a thin film transistor (TFT), which is a switching element formed at an intersection region of the substrate 17, and a pixel electrode formed on the pixel region.

The array substrate 1 and the color filter substrate 2 configured as described above are joined to face each other by the seal pattern 40 formed on the outer side of the image display unit 13 to form a liquid crystal display panel 10. (1) and the color filter substrate 2 are bonded through a bonding key (not shown) formed on the array substrate 1 or the color filter substrate 2.

In general, a liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of liquid crystal displays by forming thin film transistor array substrates on a large area mother substrate, color filter substrates on a separate mother substrate, and then bonding the two mother substrates to improve yield. Panels are simultaneously formed, and a process of cutting the liquid crystal display panels into a plurality of unit liquid crystal display panels is required.

In this case, a gap column spacer for maintaining a cell gap is formed in the image display part of the liquid crystal display panel, and a seal pattern is formed in a dummy part between an outer part of the image display part and a unit liquid crystal display panel. The pad part is not designed to compensate for the step difference, and thus the gap collapses in the pad part direction due to the step difference when the first mother substrate and the second mother substrate are bonded together.

As such, when the seal pattern is cured in a state in which the gap collapses after bonding, gap staining may occur due to a difference in the cell gap inside the image display unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel that compensates for a step difference in a pad part to prevent gap irregularity.

Other objects and features of the present invention will be described in the configuration and claims of the invention described below.

In order to achieve the above object, the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention comprises the steps of providing a first, a second mother substrate divided into a plurality of panel areas including an image display unit for displaying an image; Performing an array process on the first mother substrate for the array substrate, and performing a color filter process on the second mother substrate for the color filter substrate; Forming an alignment layer on surfaces of the first and second mother substrates; Performing rubbing on the first and second mother substrates on which the alignment layer is formed; Forming a seal pattern by applying a sealing material to the rubbed first or second mother substrate; Forming a gap column spacer on an image display portion of the rubbing first or second mother substrate, and forming a dummy column spacer on a pad portion of the first mother substrate or the second mother substrate; Bonding the first and second mother substrates; And removing the pad part of the dummy column spacer and the second mother substrate to separate the bonded first and second mother substrates into a plurality of unit liquid crystal display panels.

In the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention, by forming a dummy column spacer in the pad part to compensate for the step between the pixel part and the seal part, it is possible to prevent the gap of the image display part due to the step of the pad part when bonding. As a result, it provides an effect of improving the quality of the liquid crystal display panel.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically illustrating a state in which a plurality of liquid crystal display panels are manufactured on a mother substrate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a line II-II ′ of the liquid crystal display panel illustrated in FIG. 2. It is a figure which shows schematically the cut cross section.

As shown in the drawing, a plurality of liquid crystal display panels 110 are disposed on the mother substrates 120 and 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the mother substrates 120 and 130 are thin film transistor array substrates. The first mother substrate 120 on which the 101 is formed and the second mother substrate 130 on which the color filter substrates 102 are formed are formed.

At this time, in order to improve the yield, the thin film transistor array substrates 101 are formed on the first mother substrate 120 having a large area, and the color filter substrates 102 are formed on the second mother substrate 130. By bonding the two mother substrates 120 and 130, the plurality of liquid crystal display panels 110 may be simultaneously formed.

The liquid crystal display panel 110 includes an image display unit 113 displaying liquid crystal cells arranged in a matrix form and a gate pad unit connected to gate lines (not shown) of the image display unit 113. ) And a data pad part (not shown) connected to the data lines (not shown).

In this case, the gate pad part and the data pad part are formed in an edge region of the thin film transistor array substrate 101 which does not overlap the color filter substrate 102, and the gate pad part receives a scan signal supplied from a gate driver (not shown). The data pad unit supplies the gate lines of the image display unit 113, and the data pad unit supplies the image information supplied from the data driver unit (not shown) to the data lines of the image display unit 113.

In addition, although not shown in detail, the color filter substrate 102 includes red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color sub-color filters that implement color. A black matrix distinguishes between the color filter and the sub-color filter and blocks light passing through the liquid crystal layer, and a transparent common electrode applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer. In addition, the array substrate 101 is a thin film transistor which is arranged on the transparent substrate 101 horizontally and horizontally and is a switching element formed in a plurality of gate lines and data lines defining a plurality of pixel regions, and intersecting regions of the gate lines and data lines. (Thin Film Transistor; TFT) and a pixel electrode formed on the pixel region.

For reference, for convenience of description, array components including thin film transistors of the array substrate 101 are denoted by reference numeral 111, and the components including the color filter and the black matrix of the color filter substrate 102 are shown. These are indicated by reference numeral 112.

The array substrate 101 and the color filter substrate 102 configured as described above are joined to face each other by the main seal pattern 140a formed on the outer side of the image display unit 113 to form a unit liquid crystal display panel 110. The array substrate 101 and the color filter substrate 102 are bonded to each other through a bonding key (not shown) formed on the array substrate 101 or the color filter substrate 102.

In this case, as described above, the unit liquid crystal display panels 110 are formed such that one side of the thin film transistor array substrates 101 protrudes from the color filter substrates 102. This is because the gate pad part and the data pad part are formed at the edges of the thin film transistor array substrates 101 which do not overlap the color filter substrates 102.

Accordingly, the color filter substrates 102 formed on the second mother substrate 130 may have a first dummy region corresponding to an area where the thin film transistor array substrates 101 formed on the first mother substrate 120 protrude. Are spaced apart by 131.

In addition, each of the unit liquid crystal display panels 110 may be properly disposed so as to make the best use of the first and second mother substrates 120 and 130, and the unit liquid crystal display panels 110 may vary depending on a model. It is formed to be spaced apart by the second dummy region 132.

After the first mother substrate 120 on which the thin film transistor array substrates 101 are formed and the second mother substrate 130 on which the color filter substrates 102 are formed are bonded together, the liquid crystal display panels 110 are individually cut. In this case, the first dummy region 131 formed in the region where the color filter substrates 102 of the second mother substrate 130 are spaced apart from the second dummy region 132 separating the unit liquid crystal display panel 110 is removed. .

In this case, a dummy seal pattern 140b is formed in the dummy part, which is a spaced area between the unit liquid crystal display panels 110, to compensate for the step difference with the seal part in which the main seal pattern 140a is formed. A gap column spacer 150 is formed in the image display part 110 to maintain a constant cell gap to compensate for the step with the seal part together with the color filter pigment formed in the seal part.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, by forming the dummy column spacer 155 corresponding to the gap column spacer 150 of the image display unit with the color filter pigment in the pad portion formed at the edges of the thin film transistor array substrates 101. The step difference between the seal portion in which the main seal pattern 140a is formed and the dummy portion in which the dummy seal pattern 140b is formed is compensated for.

As such, by forming the color filter pigment and the dummy column spacer 155 in the pad part to compensate for the step difference between the seal part and the dummy part, it is possible to prevent the gap of the image display part due to the step part of the pad part when bonding. For reference, the color filter pigment represents a component forming the color filter of the color filter substrate 102, and the present invention is applied even when the color filter pigment is not formed.

In this case, the dummy column spacer 155 formed to compensate for the step difference of the pad part is removed during the cutting process of cutting the plurality of unit liquid crystal display panels 110 after the liquid crystal display panel 110 is bonded.

The cutting process may include a scribe process of forming a first scribe brine 160a and a second scribe brine 160b on the first and second mother substrates 120 and 130 using a cutting wheel. Individual units of the first and second mother substrates 120 and 130 by applying pressure to the first and second scribe brains 160a and 160b formed on the first and second mother substrates 120 and 130. The liquid crystal display panel 110 may be divided into a break process.

For reference, the shapes of the first scribe brain 160a, the second scribe brain 160b, the main yarn pattern 140a, and the dummy yarn pattern 140b shown in FIG. 2 are just examples. The first scribe brain 160a and the second scribe brain 160b, the main yarn pattern 140a, and the dummy yarn pattern 140b are not limited thereto.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention will be described in detail including a bonding process and a cutting process of the liquid crystal display panel.

4 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating another method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention.

4 illustrates a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel when a liquid crystal layer is formed by a liquid crystal injection method, and FIG. 5 illustrates a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel when a liquid crystal layer is formed by a liquid crystal drop method.

The manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device may be largely divided into a driving element array process of forming a driving element on a lower array substrate, a color filter process of forming a color filter on an upper color filter substrate, and a cell process.

First, a plurality of gate lines and data lines arranged on an array substrate to define a pixel region are formed by an array process, and thin film transistors, which are driving elements connected to the gate lines and data lines, are formed in each of the pixel regions (S101). ). In addition, the pixel electrode is connected to the thin film transistor through the array process to drive the liquid crystal layer as a signal is applied through the thin film transistor.

In addition, the color filter substrate has a black filter which distinguishes between a color filter composed of red, green, and blue sub-color filters that implement color by a color filter process and the sub-color filters, and blocks light transmitted through the liquid crystal layer. A transparent common electrode for applying a voltage to the matrix and the liquid crystal layer is formed (S103). In this case, when a liquid crystal display device having an in-plane switching (IPS) method is manufactured, the common electrode is formed on an array substrate on which the pixel electrode is formed through the array process.

Subsequently, after the alignment film is applied to the color filter substrate and the array substrate, the alignment control force or the surface fixing force (ie, the pretilt angle and orientation direction) to the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer formed between the color filter substrate and the array substrate. The alignment layer is oriented to provide (). In this case, a rubbing or photoalignment method may be applied as the alignment treatment method.

In addition, the color filter substrate and the array substrate which have completed the rubbing process are inspected for defects of the alignment layer through the alignment layer inspector (S105).

As shown in FIG. 4, a spacer for maintaining a constant cell gap is formed on the array substrate after the alignment layer inspection, and a seal ring material is coated on the outer portion of the color filter substrate to form a seal pattern. Pressure is applied to the filter substrate to bond them (S106, S107, S108).

In this case, the spacer includes a gap column spacer formed in an image display part of an array substrate and a dummy column spacer formed in a pad part of the array substrate, and the seal pattern is a main seal pattern formed in a seal part that is an outer portion of the image display part. And a dummy seal pattern formed on the dummy part between the liquid crystal display panels.

That is, when the gap column spacer is formed in the image display portion of the array substrate, the dummy column spacer is formed to be substantially the same as the gap column spacer in the pad portion of the array substrate. In this case, a dummy layer made of a color filter pigment substantially the same as the color filter formed on the real part of the color filter substrate may be formed in the pad part of the color filter substrate.

In this way, the dummy column spacer is formed on the pad part to compensate for the step difference between the seal part and the dummy part, thereby preventing gaps in the image display part due to the step part of the pad part during bonding.

On the other hand, the array substrate and the color filter substrate is composed of a large area mother substrate. In other words, since a plurality of panel regions are formed in a large area mother substrate, and thin film transistors and color filters, which are driving elements, are formed in each of the panel regions, the mother substrate is cut and processed to manufacture a single liquid crystal display panel. Must be (S109).

In this case, the plurality of panel regions may have at least two different sizes.

6A through 6D are cross-sectional views sequentially illustrating a process of fabricating a unit liquid crystal display panel by cutting a bonded mother substrate.

In order to separate the mother substrate into individual liquid crystal display panels, first, as shown in FIG. 6A, a plurality of panel regions are disposed and slit the first and second mother substrates 120 and 130 bonded together through a transfer unit. Transfer to scribing section.

In addition, the first and second mother substrates 120 and 130 transferred to the scribing unit may move the panel region on the upper and lower surfaces of the first and second mother substrates 120 and 130 in a first direction through a scribing unit. First scribers are formed to partition, and second scribers are partitioned to form the panel region in a second direction.

Thereafter, pressure is simultaneously applied to one or a plurality of portions of the first and second scribers, so that the second dummy region 132 and the dummy seal pattern 140b between the liquid crystal display panels are shown in FIG. 6B. ), The bonded first and second mother substrates 120 and 130 are separated separately.

In this case, the first and second mother substrates 120 and 130 are separated from each other by hitting the first and second mother substrates 120 and 130 with a break bar. Crack propagation may be used along the scribes, and the first and second mother substrates 120 and 130 may be formed by applying pressure while simultaneously forming the first and second scribes through a scribe unit. You can also separate them separately.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6C, the scribe unit is disposed between the seal portion and the pad portion of the color filter substrate 102 in the first and second mother substrates 120 and 130 separated into individual liquid crystal display panels. Form third scribes.

As shown in FIG. 6D, the first dummy region 131 is formed in an area where the color filter substrate 102 of the second mother substrate 130 is spaced by applying pressure to the third scribe brains. The dummy column spacer 155 is removed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4, the liquid crystal is injected into the liquid crystal display panel processed as described above through the liquid crystal inlet, and the liquid crystal inlet is sealed to form a liquid crystal layer. It is produced (S110, S111).

At this time, the injection of the liquid crystal uses a vacuum injection method using a pressure difference, the vacuum injection method is a container filled with the liquid crystal in a chamber in which a constant vacuum is set in the liquid crystal inlet of the unit liquid crystal display panel separated from the mother substrate of a large area The liquid crystal is filled into the liquid crystal display panel by injecting the liquid crystal into the liquid crystal display panel by the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the liquid crystal display panel by dipping the liquid into a liquid. The liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal display panel is formed. Therefore, when the liquid crystal layer is formed in the liquid crystal display panel through a vacuum injection method, a part of the seal pattern must be opened to have a function of the liquid crystal injection hole.

However, the vacuum injection method as described above has the following problems.

First, it takes a very long time to fill the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal display panel. In general, since the bonded liquid crystal display panel has a gap of several μm in an area of several hundred cm ² , the amount of liquid crystal injection per unit time is very small even when the vacuum injection method using the pressure difference is applied. For example, when a liquid crystal display panel of about 15 inches is manufactured, it takes about 8 hours to fill a liquid crystal, and thus, a large amount of time is required to manufacture the liquid crystal display panel, thereby decreasing productivity. In addition, as the size of the liquid crystal display panel increases in size, the time required for filling the liquid crystal becomes longer, resulting in poor filling of the liquid crystal, and as a result, the size of the liquid crystal display panel cannot be coped with.

Second, the consumption of liquid crystals is high. In general, the amount of liquid crystal actually injected into the liquid crystal display panel is very small compared to the amount of liquid crystal filled in the container, and when the liquid crystal is exposed to the atmosphere or a specific gas, it reacts with the gas and deteriorates. Therefore, even if the liquid crystals filled in the container are filled in a plurality of liquid crystal display panels, a large amount of liquid crystals remaining after filling should be discarded. As such, the expensive liquid crystals are discarded, resulting in an increase in the cost of the liquid crystal display panels. It is a factor that weakens the price competitiveness of the product.

The dropping method may be applied to overcome the problems of the vacuum injection method as described above.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the case of using the dropping method, after completing the alignment layer inspection (S105), a predetermined seal pattern is formed on the color filter substrate with a sealing material and a liquid crystal layer is formed on the array substrate. (S106 ', S107).

In this case, a spacer for maintaining a constant cell gap is formed on the array substrate, wherein the spacer includes a gap column spacer formed in an image display portion of the array substrate and a dummy column spacer formed on a pad portion of the array substrate. The yarn pattern includes a main yarn pattern formed in a seal portion that is an outer portion of the image display unit and a dummy yarn pattern formed in a dummy portion between the liquid crystal display panels.

That is, when the gap column spacer is formed in the image display portion of the array substrate as described above, the dummy column spacer substantially the same as the gap column spacer is formed in the pad portion of the array substrate. In this case, a dummy layer made of a color filter pigment substantially the same as the color filter formed on the real part of the color filter substrate may be formed in the pad part of the color filter substrate.

The dropping method uses a dispenser to drop and dispense liquid crystals in an image display area of a first mother substrate having a large area in which a plurality of array substrates are arranged or a second mother substrate in which a plurality of color filter substrates are disposed. The liquid crystal layer is formed by uniformly distributing the liquid crystals to the entire image display area by the pressure for bonding the first and second mother substrates together.

Therefore, when the liquid crystal layer is formed on the liquid crystal display panel by dropping, the main seal pattern should be formed in a closed pattern surrounding the pixel area region to prevent the liquid crystal from leaking out of the image display area.

The dropping method can drop the liquid crystal in a short time compared to the vacuum injection method, and even when the liquid crystal display panel is enlarged, the liquid crystal layer can be formed very quickly.

In addition, since only the required amount of liquid crystal is dropped on the substrate, the price competitiveness of the liquid crystal display panel due to the disposal of expensive liquid crystal, such as a vacuum injection method, is prevented, thereby enhancing the price competitiveness of the product.

Thereafter, as described above, the liquid crystal is dropped and the color filter substrate on which the seal pattern is formed is aligned with the array substrate, and a pressure is applied to bond the color filter substrate and the array substrate by the seal pattern and at the same time, The liquid crystal dropped by the application is spread evenly over the entire panel (S108 '). In this process, a plurality of liquid crystal display panels having a liquid crystal layer are formed on the first and second mother substrates bonded to each other by a large area, and the glass substrate is processed by the method of cutting the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention. The liquid crystal display panel is manufactured by cutting and separating the liquid crystal display panel into a plurality of liquid crystal display panels and inspecting each liquid crystal display panel (S109 ', S110').

Many details are set forth in the foregoing description but should be construed as illustrative of preferred embodiments rather than to limit the scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention should not be defined by the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

1 is an exemplary view showing a schematic plan configuration of a unit liquid crystal display panel in which a thin film transistor array substrate and a color filter substrate are opposed to each other.

2 is a plan view schematically illustrating a state in which a plurality of liquid crystal display panels are manufactured on a mother substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II 'of the liquid crystal display panel shown in FIG. 2;

4 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention.

5 is a flowchart sequentially showing another manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention;

6A through 6D are cross-sectional views sequentially illustrating a process of fabricating a unit liquid crystal display panel by cutting a bonded mother substrate.

** Description of symbols for the main parts of the drawing **

101,102: mother substrate 120: array substrate

130: color filter substrate 140a, 140b: seal pattern

150: gap column spacer 155: dummy column spacer

Claims (8)

Providing a first and a second mother substrate divided into a plurality of panel areas including an image display unit on which an image is displayed; Performing an array process on the first mother substrate for the array substrate, and performing a color filter process on the second mother substrate for the color filter substrate; Forming an alignment layer on surfaces of the first and second mother substrates; Performing rubbing on the first and second mother substrates on which the alignment layer is formed; Forming a seal pattern by applying a sealing material to the rubbed first or second mother substrate; Forming a gap column spacer on an image display portion of the rubbing first or second mother substrate, and forming a dummy column spacer on a pad portion of the first mother substrate or the second mother substrate; Bonding the first and second mother substrates; And And removing the pad part of the dummy column spacer and the second mother substrate to separate the bonded first and second mother substrates into a plurality of unit liquid crystal display panels. The panel region of claim 1, wherein an upper panel region of the bonded mother substrate is an array substrate on which a thin film transistor is formed through the array process, and a lower panel region is a color filter substrate on which a color filter is formed through the color filter process. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, characterized in that. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of panel regions are formed of at least two different sizes. The liquid crystal display panel of claim 1, wherein after the liquid crystal is dropped into the image display portion of the rubbing first or second mother substrate, the first mother substrate and the second mother substrate are bonded together. Manufacturing method. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second mother substrates are cut into a plurality of liquid crystal display panels, and then liquid crystal is injected into the liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel of claim 1, wherein the seal pattern comprises a main seal pattern formed outside the image display unit of the panel area and a dummy seal pattern formed in the dummy area spaced apart from the panel areas. Manufacturing method. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a dummy layer of color filter pigments in a pad portion of the second mother substrate when performing the color filter process on the second mother substrate. . 2. The liquid crystal display panel of claim 1, wherein a step of forming a dummy column spacer in a pad portion of the first mother substrate or the second mother substrate compensates for the difference between the seal portion having the seal pattern and the pad portion relative to the dummy portion. Manufacturing method.

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