JP2002311442A - Method for assembling liquid crystal substrate, its assembling device and liquid crystal supplying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To produce a liquid crystal panel without irregularity of display. SOLUTION: One of two substrates 1a, 1b as sticking objects is held on a lower surface of a pressurizing plate 27, the other substrate is held on a table 9, a supply route of a liquid crystal agent to be supplied on the other substrate is made into inactive gas atmosphere and the liquid crystal agent is supplied there. And an interval of the respective faced substrates 1a, 1b is narrowed down and stuck together by an adhesive provided on either one of the respective substrates 1a, 1b.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for holding substrates to be bonded together with a liquid crystal agent therebetween,
The present invention relates to a method of assembling a liquid crystal substrate that is bonded to a substrate while reducing the distance between the substrates, an assembling apparatus thereof, and a liquid crystal supply apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, two glass substrates provided with a transparent electrode and a thin film transistor array are provided with a sealant provided in a square shape on the peripheral portion of the substrate or an appropriate outer peripheral portion of the substrate. A process of bonding the substrates with an adhesive applied to the positions at an extremely close interval of about several μm and sealing the liquid crystal in a space formed by each substrate and an adhesive (hereinafter, also referred to as a “sealant”). is there.

[0003] Conventionally, as a method of bonding the substrates when sealing the liquid crystal, the liquid crystal is dropped on one of the substrates in which a sealing agent is drawn in a closed pattern (braille) so as not to provide an injection port. Keep it. Then, the other substrate is placed above the one substrate in a vacuum chamber, and the distance between the other substrate and the one substrate is reduced in a vacuum state and pressure is applied to bond the upper and lower substrates together. 62-890
There is a method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 25-255.

[0004]

However, according to the method disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-89025, the entrainment of air when the liquid crystal agent is dropped causes the substrate on which moisture and impurities in the air are bonded to each other. Between the liquid crystal agent and the liquid crystal agent, it remains as a drop mark on the substrate,
There was an inconvenience. In addition, there has been a disadvantage that the surface of the dropped liquid crystal agent is oxidized by the moisture and impurities and remains as a drop mark. Then, there is an inconvenience that a defect of color unevenness occurs in the assembled liquid crystal panel due to the dripping mark.

The present invention solves the disadvantages of the prior art and suppresses the occurrence of drop marks when dropping liquid crystal, thereby assembling a liquid crystal substrate capable of producing a liquid crystal panel with no display unevenness, and an apparatus and an apparatus therefor. It is an object to provide a supply device.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object,
According to the first aspect of the present invention, one of the two substrates to be bonded is held on the lower surface of the pressing plate, the other substrate is held on the table, and the liquid crystal agent is placed on the other substrate. Is supplied, the liquid crystal agent is supplied onto the other substrate in the method of assembling a liquid crystal substrate in which the distance between the opposing substrates is reduced and the substrates are attached to one of the substrates with an adhesive. At this time, the liquid crystal agent is supplied after the supply path of the supplied liquid crystal agent is in an inert gas atmosphere.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, one of the two substrates to be bonded is held on the lower surface of the pressing plate, the other substrate is held on the table, and the other substrate is held on the other substrate. After the liquid crystal agent is supplied to the liquid crystal substrate, the opposing substrates are narrowed to each other, and the substrates are bonded with an adhesive provided on one of the substrates. Is supplied after the supply path of the supplied liquid crystal agent is set in a vacuum atmosphere.

According to the third aspect of the invention, one of the two substrates to be bonded is held on the lower surface of the pressing plate, the other substrate is held on the table, and the other substrate is held on the other substrate. After the liquid crystal agent is supplied to the liquid crystal substrate, the opposing substrates are narrowed to each other, and the substrates are bonded with an adhesive provided on one of the substrates. When the liquid crystal is supplied, the liquid crystal agent is sprayed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the above-described method of assembling a liquid crystal substrate according to the third aspect, the spraying of the liquid crystal agent is performed after the inert gas is blown onto the other substrate from the two-fluid nozzle. The inert gas and the liquid crystal agent are pressure-fed from the two-fluid nozzle.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the method for assembling a liquid crystal substrate according to any one of the third or fourth aspects, the inert gas is supplied from the two-fluid nozzle after the liquid crystal agent is supplied. To diffuse the liquid crystal agent on the other substrate in the spreading direction of the main surface on the other substrate.

In the invention according to claim 6, a pressure plate for holding one of the two substrates to be bonded, a holding plate for holding the other of the substrates, and a pressing plate for holding the other substrate are provided. In an apparatus for assembling a liquid crystal substrate including a table that can be arranged to face one substrate and a liquid crystal supply mechanism that supplies a liquid crystal agent to the other substrate, the liquid crystal supply mechanism supplies the liquid crystal agent to the other substrate A liquid crystal supply unit; and an inert gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas that makes an area around the liquid crystal agent supplied to the other substrate disposed near the liquid crystal supply unit an inert gas atmosphere. I have.

According to the present invention, in manufacturing a liquid crystal substrate, in a liquid crystal supply device for supplying a liquid crystal agent onto the substrate, a syringe containing the liquid crystal agent to be supplied and a liquid crystal agent in the syringe are supplied onto the substrate. A liquid crystal supply unit for supplying the liquid crystal, a cover covering the liquid crystal supply unit, and an inert gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas to the inside of the cover.

According to the present invention, in manufacturing a liquid crystal substrate, in a liquid crystal supply apparatus for supplying a liquid crystal agent onto the substrate, a syringe containing the liquid crystal agent to be supplied, a manifold communicating with the syringe, A two-fluid nozzle communicating with the inside of the manifold and an inert gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas into the manifold are provided.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of an apparatus for assembling a liquid crystal substrate according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an apparatus for assembling a liquid crystal substrate according to this embodiment. This liquid crystal substrate assembling device can be roughly classified into
A liquid crystal dropping unit S1 as a liquid crystal supply device, a pressing plate 27 for holding the upper substrate 1b, a substrate bonding unit S2 for pressing the upper substrate 1b against the lower substrate 1a, and a table 9 for placing and holding the lower substrate 1a And an XYθ stage T1 having Here, the liquid crystal dropping part S1 and the substrate bonding part S2
Is supported by a frame 3 composed of a plurality of support columns erected on the gantry 2 and a horizontal member that bridges between the support columns, and is disposed adjacent to the frame 3. The XYθ stage T1 is a liquid crystal dropping unit S1 And it is movably arranged between the substrate bonding part S2 and the gantry 2. Hereinafter, each of these components will be described in detail.

The liquid crystal dropping section S1 holds a dispenser 17 for dropping a desired amount of liquid crystal agent on a lower substrate 1a (main surface of the lower substrate 1a) mounted and held on a table 9 described later. Together with the vertical direction (Z shown in FIG. 1).
(Axial direction) and a motor 16 for urging the Z-axis stage 15 to move up and down. The liquid crystal dropping portion S1 configured as described above is supported while holding the Z-axis stage 15 by a bracket 14 protruding from a frame 3 described later that supports the substrate bonding portion S2.

Here, the dispenser 17 will be described with reference to FIG. The dispenser 17 is provided with a cover 17k that covers the periphery of the drip portion, and a pipe (hose) 17h for introducing an inert gas (for example, nitrogen or argon gas) into the cover 17k. Here, a pressure source (for example, a pump) and an air filter (not shown) are connected to the dispenser 17, and an inert gas sent from the pressure source is passed through the air filter to contain impurities such as dust. No inert gas is sent. The flow rate of the sent inert gas is adjusted by the flow rate adjuster 17m, and the inert gas is supplied to the inside of the cover 17k through the pipe 17h through the electromagnetic valve 17n operated by a signal from the control unit 17i.

On the other hand, a liquid crystal agent is contained in the syringe 17e. Here, in order to apply a dropping pressure to the liquid crystal agent, the sent inert gas is supplied to the pressure regulator 17.
The pressure is adjusted at b and sent to the syringe 17e at a predetermined pressure. The liquid crystal agent is dropped by a plunger type (for example, Acura Jetter S series manufactured by Nordson)
Done in Specifically, the syringe 17 only operates while the solenoid valve 17d operated by a signal from the control unit 17i operates.
When the needle (not shown) in e is opened, an inert gas is sent into the syringe 17e, and a fixed amount of the liquid crystal agent is dropped.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, a dispenser for discharging a sealant is disposed near the dispenser 17 for dropping the liquid crystal agent. The dispenser for discharging the sealing agent is fixed to the frame 3 via a bracket (not shown), like the dispenser 17 for dropping the liquid crystal agent.

The substrate bonding portion S2 includes an upper chamber unit 21 which forms a decompression chamber together with a lower chamber unit 10 which will be described later, and which has an open lower portion.
And a pressure plate 27 provided with a suction and suction mechanism and an electrostatic suction mechanism therein via a shaft 29, each of which is capable of independently moving up and down.

More specifically, the upper chamber unit 21 has through holes (not shown) through which a plurality of shafts 29 are inserted. On the upper part of the upper chamber unit 21, a housing 30 which covers a gap between the through hole and the shaft 29 and has a built-in linear bush and a vacuum seal which cover the shaft 29, And a cylinder 22 for fixing a member which is fixed to the frame and reciprocates vertically in the main body thereof to an upper portion of the upper chamber unit 21. With this configuration, the upper chamber unit 21 is moved up and down by the cylinder 22 using the shaft 29 as a guide.

The vacuum seal of the housing 30 described above
The upper chamber unit 21 and the lower chamber unit 10 are united to form a decompression chamber.
Even if 0 is deformed, it is built in so as not to cause a vacuum leak from the gap between the through hole and the shaft 29. Therefore, even if a load is applied to the shaft 29 due to the deformation of the decompression chamber, the force can be absorbed. Further, deformation of the pressure plate 27 fixed to one end of the shaft 29 can be prevented,
At the time of bonding the substrates 1a and 1b as described later,
The upper substrate 1b held by the pressure plate 27 and the lower substrate 1a held by the table 9 can be bonded while maintaining the parallelism.

At the lower end (peripheral edge of the opening) of the upper chamber unit 21, there is provided a flange 21a for hermetically sealing the inside of the decompression chamber when the decompression chamber is formed together with the lower chamber unit 10. .

Further, on one side of the upper chamber unit 21, there is provided a piping hose 24 communicating with the pressure reducing chamber for reducing the pressure in the pressure reducing chamber, and a vacuum valve disposed in the middle of the piping hose 24. 23 and a vacuum pump (not shown) connected to the piping hose 24.

Further, on the other side of the upper chamber unit 21, a gas purge valve 25 communicating with the reduced pressure chamber is provided to return the reduced pressure inside the reduced pressure chamber to the atmospheric pressure.
And a gas tube 26 having one end connected to the gas purge valve 25 and a pressurizing pump connected to the other end of the gas tube 26 for sending out nitrogen or clean dry air.

Here, a plurality of windows are provided above the upper chamber unit 21 for observing alignment marks of the substrates 1a and 1b through mark recognition holes (not shown) formed in the pressure plate 27. In this case, an image recognition camera (not shown) disposed above the window of the upper chamber unit 21 is used to observe the alignment mark, and the image recognition camera shifts the alignment mark of each of the substrates 1a and 1b. Is measured.

Subsequently, the pressure plate 27 is fixed to one end of the shaft 29 as described above. Here, the other end of the shaft 29 is fixed to the housing 31, and the linear guides 3 arranged on both sides of the housing 31 are provided.
The pressing plate 27 can be moved up and down by the guide 4 and the guide portion 3a provided on the frame 3 that engages with the linear guide 34. More specifically, the housing 32 includes a housing 32 disposed on an upper portion of the housing 31, a load meter 33 disposed on an upper surface of the housing 32, and a female screw portion threaded in a vertical direction. A nut housing 37 disposed at the top of the total 33; a ball screw 36 rotatably screwed with a female thread portion of the nut housing 37; and an output shaft for rotating the ball screw 36 about its axis. And the motor 40 is provided, and the pressure plate 27 is moved up and down by driving the motor 40. In this case, the motor 40 is fixed to a bracket 38 on a frame 35 disposed above the frame 3.

With this configuration, the pressure plate 27 holding the upper substrate 1b is lowered by driving the motor 40, and the upper substrate 1b is brought into close contact with the lower substrate 1a on the table 9 to perform the bonding required. Pressure can be applied. Here, the load meter 33 functions as a pressure sensor, and controls the motor 40 based on the sequentially fed-back signal, so that a desired pressure can be applied to each of the substrates 1a and 1b. .

As described above, the pressure plate 27 that moves up and down is provided with the suction suction mechanism and the electrostatic suction mechanism as described above. The suction / suction mechanism includes a plurality of suction holes (not shown) formed from the lower surface of the pressure plate 27, a suction / suction joint 41 communicating with the suction holes, and provided in the upper chamber unit 21. The suction tube 42 is connected to the suction joint 41 and a vacuum pump (not shown) connected to the suction tube 42. The suction suction mechanism configured as described above drives the vacuum pump to hold the upper substrate 1b in close contact with the lower surface of the pressure plate 27 by vacuum suction (or suction suction) under the atmosphere.

Next, the electrostatic attraction mechanism will be described.
In the present embodiment, the electrostatic attraction mechanism comprises a substantially rectangular flat plate electrode, and is fitted into two substantially rectangular recesses formed on both ends of the lower surface of the pressing plate 27. Further, the surface (the lower surface side of the pressing plate 27) of the plate electrode is covered with a dielectric, and the main surface of the dielectric is provided so as to be flush with the lower surface of the pressing plate 27. The plate electrodes provided on the pressing plate 27 in this manner are connected to positive and negative DC power supplies via appropriate switches. Therefore, when a positive or negative voltage is applied to each plate electrode, a negative or positive charge is induced on the main surface of the dielectric. The upper substrate 1b is electrostatically attracted to the pressing plate 27 by Coulomb force generated between the upper substrate 1b and the transparent electrode film formed on the upper substrate 1b by the electric charge. Here, the voltage applied to each plate electrode may be the same, or may be different from each other.

When the surrounding area is the atmosphere, it is better to perform the suction and suction by the suction hole described above. The reason is that, when performing electrostatic adsorption, if there is an air layer between the upper substrate 1b and the pressure plate 27, a discharge phenomenon due to static electricity occurs and the upper substrate 1b
b and the pressure plate 27 will be damaged. For this reason, for example, when the upper substrate 1b is first held in close contact with the pressurizing plate 27, the surroundings are under the atmosphere. It is desirable to perform the electrostatic adsorption after the pressure has been reduced to that level.

As will be described later, when the pressure in the decompression chamber is reduced while the upper substrate 1b is being suctioned and adsorbed by the pressure plate 27, the adsorbing force is reduced and the upper substrate 1b may fall. is there. For this reason, the upper chamber unit 21 is provided with a receiving claw 60 for receiving the upper substrate 1b at a position slightly below the pressing plate 27. As shown in FIG. 2, the receiving claws 60 are arranged corresponding to two diagonally opposite corners of the upper substrate 1 b, and a shaft 59 extending downward from the upper chamber unit 21. Is held down by

More specifically, although not shown, a shaft 59 is inserted into a through hole formed in the upper chamber unit 21, and the shaft 59 is configured to rotate around its axis and move up and down. I have. In this case, the shaft 59 is prevented from causing a vacuum leak in the decompression chamber.
Is covered with a vacuum seal. The rotation is shaft 5
The up-and-down movement is performed by a not-shown elevating actuator similarly connected to the end of the shaft 59 by a rotary actuator (not shown) connected to the end of the shaft 9. By rotating or vertically moving the shaft 59 in this manner, the substrates 1a and 1b are attached to each other, and the liquid crystal agent dropped on the lower substrate 1a is expanded in the direction in which the main surfaces of the substrates 1a and 1b spread. In this case, the receiving claw 60 can be retracted so as not to be in the way.

Next, the XYθ stage T1 will be described. The XYθ stage T1 includes an X stage 4a disposed on the gantry 2, a Y stage 4b disposed on the X stage 4a, a θ stage 4c disposed on the Y stage 4b, a table 9 disposed on the θ stage 4c and holding and holding the lower substrate 1a, and a lower chamber unit fixed on the Y stage 4b via the plate 13 and having an open upper side forming a decompression chamber together with the upper chamber unit 21 And 10.

In the X stage 4a of this embodiment, the drive stage 5 drives the Y stage 4b, the .theta. Stage 4c, the table 9, and the lower chamber unit 10 in the left-right direction (X-axis direction in FIG. 1), that is, the liquid crystal dropping portion S1. And substrate bonding part S2
It is configured to be able to reciprocate below. The Y stage 4b is driven by the drive motor 6 to drive the θ stage 4c,
The table 9 and the lower chamber unit 10 are configured to be movable in the front-rear direction (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1). Further, the .theta. Stage 4c is moved relative to the Y stage 4b by a drive motor 8 via a rotary bearing 7 as shown in FIG.
It is configured to rotate in a direction. Here, θ stage 4
c is the rotation bearing 1 for the lower chamber unit 10.
1 and a vacuum seal 12 so as to be rotatable, so that even when the θ stage 4c rotates, the lower chamber unit 10 is suspended and does not rotate.

Here, since the lower substrate 1a is placed on the table 9 in the direction of gravity, in order to position the lower substrate 1a, as shown in FIG. And a plurality of pressing rollers 8 respectively provided corresponding to the remaining two peripheral portions of the lower substrate 1a.
2 is provided. The pressing roller 82 is configured to be able to move on the table 9 in the direction of an arrow shown in FIG. 2, for example, and by pressing the lower substrate 1 a against the positioning member 81 with each pressing roller 82.
The lower substrate 1a is positioned in the horizontal direction (the surface direction of the table 9) and is held on the table 9.

However, at the time of fine positioning immediately before bonding the substrates 1a and 1b, the lower substrate 1a is brought into contact with the sealant or liquid crystal agent on the lower substrate 1a due to the influence of the upper substrate 1b.
There is a possibility that it will shift or lift. Alternatively, when the pressure inside the decompression chamber is reduced, the lower substrate 1a and the table
There is a possibility that the air that has entered between them escapes, and this causes the lower substrate 1a to dance and shift. For this reason, the table 9 is also provided with a suction suction mechanism and an electrostatic suction mechanism configured in the same manner as the above-described pressure plate 27, whereby the lower substrate 1a is closely held on the table 9. .

Here, the table 9 includes the lower substrate 1a.
A plurality of pins (not shown) that can protrude from the mounting surface and are movable in the vertical direction are provided. By providing the pins in this manner, each pin can be raised to push up the bonded substrate, thereby facilitating removal from the table 9. In addition, for example, when each pin is raised, the pin is brought into contact with the table 9 so as to be in a ground state, and the substrate after the bonding can be neutralized.

Subsequently, the lower chamber unit 10 has an O-ring 44 provided at the upper end (peripheral edge of the opening) and a ball bearing 8 provided outside the O-ring 44.
7 is provided. Since the O-ring 44 is provided in this manner, when the upper chamber unit 21 is lowered and the flange 21a is brought into contact with the O-ring 44 as described later, the chamber units 10 and 21 are integrated, and the pressure is reduced. It can function as a chamber. Further, the ball bearing 87 is configured to be able to be set at an arbitrary position in the vertical direction in order to adjust the amount of collapse of the O-ring 44 when the pressure in the pressure reducing chamber is reduced. By appropriately adjusting the position of the ball bearing 87 in this manner, a large force applied by decompression can be received by the lower chamber unit 10 via the ball bearing 87. Since the O-ring 44 can be elastically deformed by disposing such a ball bearing 87, the XYθ stage T1 can be easily finely moved within the elastic range of the O-ring 44 during bonding, which will be described later. Can be positioned.

Next, the operation of the liquid crystal substrate assembling apparatus of this embodiment will be described.

First, a jig holding the upper substrate 1b is placed on the table 9 by using a hand of a transfer machine (not shown).
By driving the drive motor 5 to move the X stage 4a,
stage θ1 is moved below the substrate bonding portion S2. Then, the motor 40 is driven to lower the pressure plate 27, and the upper substrate 1 b on the table 9 is suction-adsorbed to the pressure plate 27.
Thereafter, the motor 40 is driven to raise the pressure plate 27, and the pressure plate 27 is kept on standby while holding the upper substrate 1b.

When the holding of the upper substrate 1b on the pressure plate 27 is completed, the drive motor 5 is driven to move the XYθ stage T1 below the liquid crystal dropping portion S1. Then, the vacant jig is removed from the table 9 and the lower substrate 1a is placed on the table 9 using the hand of the transfer machine, and the lower substrate 1a is connected to the positioning member 81 shown in FIG. It is positioned and held by the pressing roller 82.

When the lower substrate 1a is held on the table 9, the drive motors 5 and 6 are driven, and the X stage 4a and the Y stage
Move the stage 4b to move the XYθ stage T1 to the X axis, Y
The sealant is discharged onto the lower substrate 1a from the sealant discharge dispenser while moving in the axial direction. At this time, a sealant is applied on the lower substrate 1a in a closed pattern (for example, a square shape). After applying the sealant in this manner, the dispenser 17 is placed in a frame made of the sealant.
The required amount of the liquid crystal agent is dropped. In this case, the X stage 4a and the Y stage 4b are moved to move the XYθ stage T1.
Is moved in the X-axis and Y-axis directions,
An inert gas is supplied into the cover 17k, and a desired amount of the liquid crystal agent is dropped on a plurality of arbitrary locations on the lower substrate 1a.

Here, although the description is omitted, spacers are previously scattered or attached to the upper substrate 1b or the lower substrate 1a. In this case, the spacer means each substrate 1
When the substrates 1a and 1b are bonded together, the gap between the substrates 1a and 1b is prevented from being smaller than a predetermined amount.
The spacers may be mixed in a liquid crystal agent, and the spacers may be sprayed together with the liquid crystal application.

After the required amount of the liquid crystal agent has been dropped as described above, the drive motor 5 is driven to move the XYθ stage T1 to a predetermined position below the substrate bonding section S2. And
When the XYθ stage T1 is stopped, the cylinder 22 is operated to lower the upper chamber unit 21, and the flange portion 21a is brought into contact with the O-ring 44. This allows
A decompression chamber including the lower chamber unit 10 and the upper chamber unit 21 is formed.

After the decompression chamber is formed, the pressure in the decompression chamber is reduced by opening the vacuum valve 23. At this time, as described above, since the upper substrate 1b is in a state of being suction-adsorbed to the pressure plate 27, as the pressure in the decompression chamber advances and the pressure is reduced, the suction-adsorption force acting on the upper substrate 1b gradually increases. Becomes too small to hold the substrate 1b,
The upper substrate 1b falls under its own weight. For this reason, the receiving claw 60 shown in FIG. 2 is moved by the above-described rotary actuator or the lifting / lowering actuator, and the upper substrate 1b is received by the receiving claw 60 and held at a position slightly below the pressing plate 27.

When the pressure in the decompression chamber is sufficiently reduced,
A voltage is applied to the electrostatic attraction mechanism provided on the pressing plate 27, and the upper substrate 1 b on the receiving claw 60 is held on the pressing plate 27 by Coulomb force. At this time, the inside of the decompression chamber has been considerably depressurized, and no air remains between the pressurizing plate 27 and the upper substrate 1b, so that no discharge due to static electricity occurs. Also, there is no dancing of the upper substrate 1b which occurs when air escapes.

When the upper substrate 1b is electrostatically attracted, the shaft 59 is lowered by the lifting actuator and rotated by the rotating actuator so that the receiving claw 60 does not hinder the bonding of the substrates 1a and 1b. Evacuate. Then, the motor 40 is driven to lower the pressure plate 27 to bring the upper substrate 1b closer to the lower substrate 1a. Thereafter, the alignment marks provided on each of the substrates 1a and 1b are read by using an image recognition camera, and the positional deviation is measured by image processing. Based on the measured values, the X stage 4a, the Y stage 4b, and the θ stage 4c are measured. The operation control is performed to finely move the table 9, and the lower substrate 1a and the upper substrate 1b are aligned with high accuracy.
Here, since the lower chamber unit 10 is provided with the ball bearing 87 as described above, the ball bearing 87 is attached to each of the chamber units 10,
21 can be maintained, and the vacuum state (decompressed state) can be maintained without excessively deforming the O-ring 44.

When the positioning is completed, the pressing plate 27
Is further lowered to bring the lower surface of the upper substrate 1b into contact with the sealant on the lower substrate 1a. At this time, the driving force of the motor 40 is controlled while measuring the pressing force applied to the sealant by the load meter 33, and the substrates 1a and 1b are bonded at desired intervals. In this case, since the upper substrate 1b is in close contact with the pressing plate 27 by the electrostatic attraction force, the central portion does not hang down. Therefore, the spacers in the liquid crystal agent are adversely affected, or the substrate 1
A misalignment between a and 1b does not occur.

Here, when the area of the substrates to be bonded becomes large, the sealing agent cannot be sufficiently crushed only by the above-mentioned bonding by the pressing force. Therefore, when bonding (preliminary pressurization) by the pressurizing force is completed, the electrostatic attraction of the pressurizing plate 27 is released, and the cylinder 22 is operated to raise the upper chamber unit 21. Then, the vacuum valve 23 is closed, the gas purge valve 25 is opened, and nitrogen gas or clean dry air is supplied into the vacuum chamber to return to the atmospheric pressure. By returning the pressure in the vacuum chamber to the atmospheric pressure, pressure is applied to the liquid crystal substrate surface, and the liquid crystal substrate is securely bonded to a desired thickness (main pressure).

Here, when the pressure in the vacuum chamber is changed from the vacuum state to the atmospheric pressure, the space between the liquid crystal agents between the substrates 1a and 1b is in a vacuum state.
A large pressure is applied to a and 1b almost uniformly from the outside. For example, when atmospheric pressure is applied when the space between the substrates 1a and 1b is in a vacuum state, a force of 121.6 kN can be applied. The main pressing is performed by using the pressure applied to each of the substrates 1a and 1b.

When the bonding is completed, the gas purge valve 25 is closed, the XYθ stage T1 is returned below the liquid crystal dropping portion S1, and the bonded substrate is taken out of the table 9 with the hand of the transfer machine, and the next substrate is bonded. Prepare for. The removed substrate after bonding is sent to a downstream UV light irradiation device, a heating device, or the like, where the sealing agent is cured.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the sealing agent is applied, and the liquid crystal agent is dropped in an inert gas atmosphere or a vacuum atmosphere. Dust hardly adheres to the substrate before bonding. As a result, defective products due to drop marks and the like as in the above-described conventional example are unlikely to occur on the bonded substrate, and the yield during production can be improved. The XYθ stage T1 is moved while holding the lower substrate 1a, and the lower substrate 1a is pressed against the upper substrate 1b to spread the liquid crystal agent over the entire substrate surface. It is possible to reduce the supply amount and to reduce the variation in the supply amount. That is, since the expansion of the liquid crystal agent is performed between the substrates to be bonded, it is possible to proceed from the liquid crystal agent supply step to the bonding step in a short time, and the productivity is improved.

Further, the variation in the supply amount of the liquid crystal agent can be reduced. That is, since an accurate amount of the liquid crystal agent can be supplied by supplying the inert gas from the dispenser 17, wasteful consumption of the liquid crystal agent can be achieved. And there is no possibility that the liquid crystal agent overflows outside the pattern of the sealant and contaminates the substrate. In this case, the step of cleaning the contaminated substrate becomes unnecessary, so that the productivity can be further improved.

Further, XYθ for placing and holding the lower substrate 1a
Since the stage T1 can be used for transporting the upper substrate 1b to the upper chamber unit 21, another mechanism for transporting the upper substrate 1b does not need to be provided, and the size of the assembling apparatus can be reduced.

It should be noted that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the mode of the above embodiment, but may be implemented as follows. (1) The liquid crystal agent dropped on the lower substrate 1b may have a shape other than the dot shape as in the present embodiment, for example, a linear shape. (2) The relative movement direction of the substrates for expanding the liquid crystal agent is not limited to a circular or spiral type as long as the liquid crystal agent does not leak outside beyond the pattern of the sealant. Good. (3) The upper substrate 1b is not directly mounted on the XYθ stage T1, but is directly conveyed to the pressing plate 27 from the hand of the transfer machine used for mounting on the XYθ stage T1 in this embodiment, and is suction-adsorbed. May be. (4) In the present embodiment, a system in which the periphery of the dispenser 17 is surrounded by the cover 17k and the inert gas is locally supplied is exemplified. However, the entire assembling apparatus is disposed in a chamber in an inert gas atmosphere. Alternatively, the liquid crystal agent dropping atmosphere may be set to an inert gas or a vacuum (reduced pressure) state by disposing in a decompression chamber. (5) In the present embodiment, the case where the sealant is applied to the lower substrate 1a is described as an example, but the sealant may be applied to the upper substrate 1b. However, in this case, since a step of inverting the upper substrate 1b after applying the sealant to the upper substrate 1b is required, it is desirable to appropriately select which substrate is to be applied with the sealant.

Next, a second embodiment of the liquid crystal substrate assembling apparatus according to the present invention will be described. Here, among the reference numerals shown below, the same reference numerals as those of the above-described first embodiment indicate the same components as those of the first embodiment.

The difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that in the first embodiment, the liquid crystal agent is dropped in an inert gas or a vacuum atmosphere. In other words, the liquid crystal agent is sprayed in order to further reduce the trace of dropping on the liquid crystal dropping surface of the lower substrate 1a. As a result, the drop marks do not affect the display on the liquid crystal panel. Further, in the first embodiment, the liquid crystal agent is spread at the time of bonding the substrates.
The present embodiment is also different in that the liquid crystal agent is spread before bonding.

The configuration of the assembling apparatus according to this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the following points. The difference is that another dispenser 47 shown in FIG. 4 is provided in place of the dispenser 17 of the first embodiment, and a liquid-liquid agent and an inert gas are supplied to a two-fluid nozzle 47a described later (for example, The point is that the fluid is sprayed from the fluid nozzle BIMV4502). For example, in the present embodiment, spraying of particles having a size of about 10 μm is performed.

Like the dispenser 17 of the first embodiment, the dispenser 47 includes a syringe 47e containing a liquid crystal agent and a first pressure adjusting device for increasing the pressure of the inert gas fed thereto as described later. It has a vessel 47b, a pipe 47h ₁ for guiding the inert gas delivered from the first pressure regulator 47b into the syringe 47e, and a first solenoid valve 47d which is operated by a signal from the control unit 47i.

The dispenser 47 has a connecting member 47f provided at the distal end of the syringe 47e and communicating with the inside of the syringe 47e, and a manifold 4 communicating with the inside of the syringe 47e via the connecting member 47f.
7g, a second pressure regulator 47m for adjusting the flow rate of the inert gas sent as described later, and the inert gas sent from the second pressure regulator 47m operated by a signal from the control unit 47i. a pipe 47h ₁ supplied into the manifold 47g through the second solenoid valve 47n, the two-fluid nozzle 47a for discharging a liquid crystal material and an inert gas supplied to the manifold 47g are provided. In this case, the operation of the first solenoid valve 47d and the second solenoid valve 47n can be individually controlled by the control unit 47i.

Here, similarly to the dispenser 17 of the first embodiment, a pressure source (for example, a pump) (not shown) and an air filter are connected to the dispenser 47, and an inert gas sent from the pressure source is supplied to the dispenser 47. By passing through an air filter, an inert gas containing no impurities such as dust is sent. The fed inert gas is pressurized and adjusted to a predetermined pressure (0.1 MPa in this embodiment) by the second pressure regulator 47m, and supplied to the manifold 47g by operating the second solenoid valve 47n. Is done. In addition, the sent inert gas is supplied to the first pressure regulator 4.
7b to a predetermined pressure (0.3MP in this embodiment)
The pressure is adjusted to a), and the predetermined pressure is always applied to the inside of the syringe 47e by the inert gas whose pressure has been adjusted.

The discharge of the liquid crystal agent is performed by a plunger method.
Specifically, the needle (not shown) in the syringe 47e is opened only while the first solenoid valve 47d is operating, and the liquid crystal agent is pressure-fed to the manifold 47g by the pressure of the inert gas applied in the syringe 17e. Then, the liquid crystal agent 47j atomized by the two-fluid nozzle 47a is sprayed in a fixed amount.

Next, the operation of the assembling apparatus of this embodiment will be described.

Here, the steps up to the supply of the liquid crystal agent to the lower substrate 1a and the bonding step after the supply are the same as those in the first embodiment. Only the explanation will be given.

When supplying the liquid crystal agent to the lower substrate 1a, first, the second solenoid valve 47n is operated, and an inert gas pressurized and adjusted to 0.1 MPa by the second pressure regulator 47m is supplied to the manifold 47g. . Then, only the inert gas is sprayed from the two-fluid nozzle 47a, and the periphery of the lower substrate 1a placed on the table 9 is set in an inert gas atmosphere in advance.
Thereafter, the first solenoid valve 47d is operated to operate the manifold 4
The liquid crystal agent 47j is supplied to 7 g. In this case, the liquid crystal agent 47j is sprayed without involving moisture or impurities in the atmosphere, and a predetermined amount is supplied onto the lower substrate 1a.

Next, the supply of the liquid crystal agent is stopped by closing the first solenoid valve 47d. Here, the second solenoid valve 47n is kept in the operating state so that the inert gas is continuously sprayed. As a result, the liquid crystal agent sprayed on the lower substrate 1a is diffused by the inert gas, so that there is no drip mark on the lower substrate 1a. After the liquid crystal agent has been sufficiently spread inside the pattern of the sealant in this manner,
The substrates are bonded in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the periphery of the lower substrate 1a is set to an inert gas atmosphere after applying the sealant, and the liquid crystal agent is applied to the lower substrate 1a in the inert gas atmosphere. Since it can be supplied by spraying and immediately proceed to the bonding step, dust hardly adheres to the substrate before bonding. As a result, defective products due to drop marks and the like as in the above-described conventional example are unlikely to occur on the bonded substrate, and the yield during production can be improved. Further, by spraying the liquid crystal agent, the liquid crystal agent is preliminarily spread over the entire surface of the substrate before the bonding step.
The number of supply points of the liquid crystal agent to a can be reduced, and the variation in the supply amount can be reduced. Thus, the process can proceed from the liquid crystal agent supply process to the bonding process in a short time, and the productivity is improved.

Further, since the variation in the supply amount of the liquid crystal agent can be reduced, that is, since the correct amount of the liquid crystal agent can be supplied from the dispenser 47, unnecessary consumption of the liquid crystal agent can be eliminated, and There is no possibility that the liquid crystal agent overflows outside the pattern of the sealant and contaminates the substrate. In this case, the step of cleaning the contaminated substrate becomes unnecessary, so that the productivity can be further improved.

Further, XYθ for placing and holding the lower substrate 1a
Since the stage T1 can be used for transporting the upper substrate 1b to the upper chamber unit 21, another mechanism for transporting the upper substrate 1b does not need to be provided, and the size of the assembling apparatus can be reduced.

The present invention is not necessarily limited to the above embodiment, but may be implemented as follows.

(1) Two-fluid nozzle 47 for spraying a liquid crystal agent
a may be appropriately changed according to the spray particle size, the spray range, the viscosity of the liquid crystal agent, and the like. (2) The plunger-type dispenser 47 for supplying a liquid crystal agent in a fixed amount may be any dispenser capable of supplying a fixed amount of liquid crystal regardless of the method. (3) The pressures adjusted by the first and second pressure regulators 17b and 17m may be appropriately adjusted according to the spray particle size of the liquid crystal agent, the spray range, the viscosity of the liquid crystal agent, and the like. (4) While the liquid crystal agent is being sprayed, the lower substrate 1a is fixed on the table 9 and the XYθ stage T1 is fixed. In this state, the spray range may be changed by moving the table 9 in the XY directions. .

In each of the embodiments described above, the liquid crystal supply portion and the bonding portion are integrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. May be.

[0074]

According to the present invention, when the liquid crystal agent is supplied to the substrate, the incorporation of moisture and impurities in the air is eliminated, and the liquid crystal agent is not oxidized. Thus, it is possible to obtain a liquid crystal substrate assembling method, an assembling apparatus, and a liquid crystal supply apparatus, which are excellent in the related art, whereby a liquid crystal panel without display unevenness can be produced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a first embodiment of a substrate bonding apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a receiving claw of an upper substrate and a positioning mechanism of a lower substrate according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view illustrating a configuration of a liquid crystal agent supply dispenser according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a dispenser used in a second embodiment of the substrate bonding apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a, 1b substrate 9 table 17 dispenser (liquid crystal supply mechanism, liquid crystal supply device) 17e syringe 17k cover 17m flow controller (inert gas supply unit) 17n solenoid valve (inert gas supply unit) 27 pressurizing plate 47 dispenser (liquid crystal supply) 47a Two-fluid nozzle 47e Syringe 47g Manifold 47m Second pressure regulator (inert gas supply) 47n Second solenoid valve (inert gas supply)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Shigeru Ishida 5-2-2 Koyodai, Ryugasaki-shi, Ibaraki Pref. Hitachi Techno Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Satoshi Yawata 5-2-2 Koyodai, Ryugasaki-shi, Ibaraki Hitachi (72) Inventor Takao Murayama 5-2-2 Koyodai, Ryugasaki-shi, Ibaraki Pref. Hitachi Tech-Engineering Co., Ltd. 5-72 Koyodai, Ryugasaki-shi, Ibaraki 5-2 Hitachi, Japan Techno Engineering Co., Ltd. Ryugasaki Factory F-term (reference) 2H088 FA01 FA09 FA16 FA20 FA30 MA04 MA18 MA20 2H089 NA22 NA33 NA38 NA39 NA49 NA60 QA08 QA12 QA15

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A liquid crystal material is supplied onto one of two substrates to be bonded, which is held on the lower surface of a pressure plate and the other substrate is held on a table. Thereafter, a method of assembling a liquid crystal substrate in which the opposing substrates are narrowed to each other and bonded with an adhesive provided on one of the substrates, and a liquid crystal agent is supplied on the other substrate. The method for assembling a liquid crystal substrate, wherein the liquid crystal agent is supplied after the supply path of the supplied liquid crystal agent is made into an inert gas atmosphere. 2. A liquid crystal material is supplied onto one of the two substrates to be bonded while holding one substrate on the lower surface of the pressing plate and holding the other substrate on a table. Thereafter, a method of assembling a liquid crystal substrate in which the opposing substrates are narrowed to each other and bonded with an adhesive provided on one of the substrates, and a liquid crystal agent is supplied on the other substrate. A method of assembling a liquid crystal substrate, wherein the liquid crystal agent is supplied after the supply path of the supplied liquid crystal agent is set in a vacuum atmosphere. 3. One of the two substrates to be bonded is held on the lower surface of the pressing plate, the other substrate is held on a table, and a liquid crystal agent is supplied on the other substrate. Thereafter, a method of assembling a liquid crystal substrate in which the opposing substrates are narrowed to each other and bonded with an adhesive provided on one of the substrates, and a liquid crystal agent is supplied on the other substrate. A method of assembling a liquid crystal substrate, which comprises spraying the liquid crystal agent. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the spraying of the liquid crystal agent is performed by blowing an inert gas onto the other substrate from a two-fluid nozzle.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the inert gas and the liquid crystal agent are pressure-fed from the fluid nozzle. 5. The method according to claim 5, wherein after supplying the liquid crystal agent, an inert gas is sprayed from the two-fluid nozzle to diffuse the liquid crystal agent on the other substrate in a direction in which the main surface on the other substrate spreads. The method for assembling a liquid crystal substrate according to any one of claims 3 and 4. 6. A pressing plate for holding one of the two substrates to be bonded, a holding plate for holding the other of the substrates, and attaching the other substrate to the one of the substrates. What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for assembling a liquid crystal substrate, comprising: a table that can be arranged to face and a liquid crystal supply mechanism that supplies a liquid crystal agent onto the other substrate, wherein the liquid crystal supply mechanism supplies a liquid crystal agent onto the other substrate. A liquid crystal supply unit, and an inert gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas that causes an atmosphere around the liquid crystal agent supplied to the other substrate disposed near the liquid crystal supply unit to be an inert gas atmosphere. An assembling apparatus for a liquid crystal substrate, comprising: 7. A liquid crystal supply device for supplying a liquid crystal agent onto a substrate when a liquid crystal substrate is manufactured, comprising: a syringe having a liquid crystal agent to be supplied; and a liquid crystal agent in the syringe being supplied onto the substrate. A liquid crystal supply device comprising: a liquid crystal supply unit; a cover that covers the liquid crystal supply unit; and an inert gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas to the inside of the cover. 8. A liquid crystal supply device for supplying a liquid crystal agent onto a substrate when manufacturing a liquid crystal substrate, comprising: a syringe having a built-in liquid crystal agent to be supplied; a manifold communicating with the syringe; A liquid crystal supply device comprising: a two-fluid nozzle communicating with the manifold; and an inert gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas into the manifold.