JP2003021711A - Color filter manufacturing device, color filter manufacturing method, and color filter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a color filter manufacturing device and a color filter manufacturing method which are more excellent than conventional ones and to provide a color filter using the same. SOLUTION: In the color filter manufacturing device wherein ink is imparted to a part to be colored on a transparent substrate by an ink jet method to form a coloring part, the formation of the coloring part can be performed with high precision by previously measuring the position to which the ink ejected from an ink jet head adheres on the transparent substrate and moving the transparent substrate based on the measuring result. The productivity is further enhanced by disposing the ink jet head and its nozzle by a specific disposing method.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color filter manufacturing apparatus for a color liquid crystal display used in a color television, a personal computer and the like, and more particularly to a color filter manufacturing technology utilizing an inkjet recording technology.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional color filter is manufactured by a dyeing method: a water-soluble polymer material layer, which is a material for dyeing, is formed on a glass substrate, and a desired pattern is formed by a photolithography process. To obtain a colored pattern. This process is repeated three times for red (R), green (G) and blue (B) to form a color filter. Pigment dispersion method (replacing dyeing method): A photosensitive resin layer in which a pigment is dispersed is formed on a glass substrate, and this is patterned to obtain a monochromatic pattern. By repeating this R, G, and B three times, a color filter is formed. Electrodeposition method: A transparent electrode is patterned on a glass substrate and immersed in an electrodeposition coating solution containing a pigment, a resin, an electrolytic solution and the like to electrodeposit a single color. This process is repeated R, G, and B three times to form a color filter, and finally firing is performed. Printing method: A pigment is dispersed in a thermosetting resin and printing is repeated three times to obtain R,
After coating G and B separately, the resin is thermally cured. Etc.

[0003]

What is common to these methods is that the same steps have to be repeated three times in order to color R, G, B, and three colors, and (1) the cost is high. (2) Yield decreases because of the large number of steps. There are issues such as.

In order to overcome these problems, a method of manufacturing a color filter using an ink jet is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 59-59.
-75205, JP-A-63-235901, JP-A-1-
217302 etc. have been filed.

However, there is room for further improvement in these manufacturing methods using the ink jet.

An object of the present invention is to provide a color filter manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method which are superior to those of the prior art, and a color filter using the same.

[0007]

The present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a color filter manufacturing apparatus for forming a colored portion by applying ink to the portion to be colored on a transparent substrate by an inkjet method, An inkjet head having a nozzle, a transparent substrate moving device that mounts the transparent substrate and moves a relative position with respect to the inkjet head, and a first detection device that detects a distance between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head. A first controller for controlling the transparent substrate moving device so as to keep the distance between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head constant from the detection result of the distance between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head; Ejection from the reference mark or the position of the black matrix on the transparent substrate and the inkjet head A second detection device for detecting the adhered position of the deposited ink on the transparent substrate, the position detection result of the reference mark or the black matrix on the transparent substrate, and the ink adhered position detection result. A color filter manufacturing apparatus comprising at least a second control device that controls a moving device to perform relative alignment between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head.

Preferably, the ink jet head is fixed to a non-movable portion located above the transparent substrate moving device so as to eject ink in a downward direction, and further, red, green, and blue. This is to have an inkjet head group including at least one inkjet head that ejects each color ink.

The ink jet head group includes
Inkjet heads for ejecting the red, green, and blue inks are attached by shifting the positions of the nozzles according to the pitch of the portions to be colored on the transparent substrate,
And / or in the inkjet head group,
It is preferable that an arrangement pitch of nozzles of the inkjet head that ejects the red, green, and blue inks is the same as a pitch of the portion to be colored on the transparent substrate.

The present invention also provides a color filter manufacturing method using the above-described color filter manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, wherein at least two different colors of ink are ejected from the ink jet head, and a plurality of colored portions are formed. Also provided is a method for manufacturing a color filter, characterized in that the same is simultaneously formed on the transparent substrate.

Furthermore, the present invention also includes a color filter manufactured by using the above-described color filter manufacturing apparatus or color filter manufacturing method of the present invention.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention is a color filter manufacturing apparatus for forming a colored portion by applying ink to a portion to be colored on a transparent substrate by an inkjet method, and an inkjet head having a plurality of nozzles and a transparent portion. A transparent substrate moving device that mounts the substrate and moves the relative position with respect to the inkjet head, a first detection device that detects the distance between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head, and a distance between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head are detected. From the detection result, a first control device that controls the transparent substrate moving device so as to keep the distance between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head constant, the position of the reference mark on the transparent substrate or the black matrix on the transparent substrate, and the ejection from the inkjet head. A second detection device for detecting the adhered position of the deposited ink on the transparent substrate,
A second control device that controls the transparent substrate moving device based on the position detection result of the reference mark or the black matrix on the transparent substrate and the detection result of the ink adhering position to perform the relative alignment between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head. It is characterized by having at least.

The ink-jet head may have a form having one ink-jet head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting inks of different colors, or one ink-jet head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink of one color. A mode in which at least two or more heads are provided may be used. It is better to provide as many inkjet heads as possible in order to improve productivity, but if the number is too large, it becomes difficult to maintain positional accuracy. for that reason,
A preferable mode is to use an inkjet head group provided with about 1 to 5 inkjet heads for respectively ejecting inks of three colors of R, G, and B. A known precision stage can be used for the transparent substrate moving device. For example, a preferred mode is a mode in which an XY stage described later and a θ, Z-tilt stage are combined. Further, the first control device and the second control device are described separately for the purpose of clearly showing the device that performs the above-mentioned control, but it is also possible to use a mode in which one control device having these control functions is provided. I do not care. A well-known measuring device can be used for the first detecting device and the second detecting device.

The above ink jet head, the transparent substrate moving device, the first and second detecting devices, and the first and second detecting devices.
By including the control device, the following effects can be obtained. First, it is possible to form colored portions of a plurality of colors at the same time, and the number of steps can be reduced as compared with the conventional method.
Furthermore, the distance between the inkjet head and the transparent substrate, the in-plane direction of the transparent substrate, and the relative position in a total of 6 degrees of freedom in the tilt direction are always appropriately adjusted to enable high-precision drawing. For example, the Z-tilt direction is measured in real time,
By correcting, it is possible to adjust at the ejection timing even if the ink adhesion position has directionality (scanning direction).
High-precision drawing is possible. Further, even with respect to the deviation of the ejection direction perpendicular to the scanning direction, by adjusting the gap between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head to a constant value, the ink adhesion position is always reproduced, and high-precision drawing is possible. It is also possible to perform alignment measurement / correction in the XY plane, which also makes it possible to prevent deviation of the ink adhesion position.

It is preferable that the ink jet head is fixed to a non-movable portion located above the transparent substrate moving device so as to eject ink downward.
This eliminates the need to arrange anything that moves above the stage on which the transparent substrate is placed, reduces the amount of dust and other particles that drop onto the transparent substrate, and is more convenient than moving the inkjet head or detection device. Since the mass is smaller when the transparent substrate is moved, the drawing can be performed at high speed and the productivity can be improved. In addition, since high-speed drawing is possible, it is also effective when manufacturing a large-sized color filter that requires a large number of colored portions to be formed.

Specific embodiments of the color filter manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be shown below, but the present invention is not limited to these.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a color filter manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a stage portion of the color filter manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of the arrangement of inkjet heads used in the color filter manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

In these figures, 1 is a surface plate for mounting the apparatus, 2 is a vibration isolation table for blocking external vibration, 3 is an XY stage for moving a large stroke, and 4 is mounted on an XY stage. Θ, Z-θ, Z for tilt alignment
-It is a tilt stage. Reference numeral 5 denotes a transparent substrate mounted on the θ, Z-tilt stage, and a glass substrate is usually used. Reference numeral 6 denotes an inkjet head. In FIG. 3, three inkjet heads of each color (R, G, B) (6R1 to 6R3, 6G1 to 6G) are provided.
3, 6B1 to 6B3) is provided. In this embodiment,
In the inkjet head group, an example is shown in which inkjet heads for ejecting inks of R, G, and B colors are attached by shifting the positions of the nozzles according to the pitch of the portion to be colored on the transparent substrate. Reference numeral 7 denotes an alignment detection (X, Y, θ detection) and ink adhesion position detection optical system (microscope) corresponding to the second detection device, and 8a to 8c are focus detection optical systems corresponding to the first detection device. . In particular, in FIG. 3, 9 indicates a nozzle included in the inkjet head, and 10 indicates a portion to be colored on the transparent substrate.
The first and second control devices are not shown.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 4 shows an ink jet head according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
The same reference numerals as in FIG.

Another example in which inkjet heads for ejecting inks of red, green and blue colors are attached to the inkjet head group by shifting the positions of the nozzles in accordance with the pitch of the portion to be colored on the transparent substrate. Is shown.

In this embodiment, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment, the R, G, and B patterns of the colored portion of the color filter are other than the striped pattern as shown in FIG. Even when the pattern is formed in a houndstooth pattern as shown in FIG. 6 (b), it is possible to perform drawing without adjusting the position of the inkjet head or stepping the stage, thereby improving productivity. It is possible to deal with different patterns without dropping.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 5 shows an ink jet head according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
Ink jet heads that eject G and B color inks are represented by 6R, 6G, and 6B.

In the ink jet head group, red,
An example in which the nozzles are arranged so that the pitch of the nozzles of the inkjet head that ejects green and blue inks is the same as the pitch of the portions to be colored on the transparent substrate (R and G in FIG. 5) is shown. , B shows the case of having one inkjet head for each color).

In addition to the effects of the first and second embodiments, this embodiment does not require a positioning mechanism between a plurality of ink jet heads of each color, and can simplify the structure of the ink jet head group. . The simple structure of the inkjet head group allows the stroke of the entire stage to be shortened, and the device can be made smaller and lighter. And so on.

(Manufacturing Method) An example of a color filter manufacturing method using the color filter manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be described.

At the time of assembling the apparatus or when replacing the ink jet head, a dummy substrate (not shown) is placed on the θ, Z-tilt stage 4, and the second detection device 7 places X, Y, θ of the dummy substrate. Direction alignment is performed, and the inkjet head 6 forms a colored portion for evaluation on the dummy substrate.
Further, the XY stage 3 is moved, and the ink adhesion position is measured by the second detection device 7. This makes it possible to accurately measure the coordinates of the second detection device 7 and the coordinates of the attachment position of the ink ejected from the inkjet head 6 (this value changes even when the actually used transparent substrate is placed. Therefore, new measurements should be made when system parameters change, such as when the device is assembled or when the inkjet head is replaced.) To measure the ink adhesion position, the ink adhesion position may be measured by another device, and the glass substrate may be placed in the color filter manufacturing apparatus of the present invention so that the measured value is reproduced. In this way, by measuring in advance on which position on the transparent substrate the ink ejected from the inkjet head is attached, it is possible to perform drawing with high accuracy and high speed.

After the evaluation of the ink adhesion position by the dummy substrate, the transparent substrate 5 is placed on the θ, Z-tilt stage 4, and the space between the transparent substrate 5 and the ink jet head 6 is set by the first detection devices 8a to 8c. Is detected and the height of the substrate surface of the transparent substrate 5 is controlled by controlling the θ, Z-tilt stage 4 by the first controller so as to keep the distance between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head constant from the detection result. Adjust.

Thereafter, X, Y, θ are detected by the second detection device 7.
The relative position coordinates of the transparent substrate 5 and the inkjet head 6 in three directions are detected. In this detection, a plurality of marks may be detected by a plurality of detection devices, or a plurality of marks may be detected by moving the stage by a single detection device. Further, it may be performed by a reference mark drawn on the transparent substrate or by a black matrix formed on the transparent substrate. The thus obtained position detection result of the reference mark or the black matrix on the transparent substrate and the detection result of the ink adhering position (the adhering position of the ink ejected from the inkjet head 6 on the transparent substrate 5 and the second detecting means 7). Based on the relative position coordinate), the second controller controls the θ component by adjusting the θ and Z-tilt stage 4, and the X direction displacement controls the X position of the XY stage 3. By doing so, the deviation in the Y direction (print scanning direction) is corrected by controlling the Y position of the XY stage 3, and the relative position is adjusted so that the ink adhesion position becomes appropriate. Note that the correction of the deviation in the Y direction can also be performed by controlling the ejection timing from the inkjet head.

After the alignment adjustment, as shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, the colored portions of a plurality of colors are simultaneously formed on the transparent substrate 5 by the inkjet head group in which the inkjet heads are arranged.

At this time, it is preferable to draw in both directions in both scanning directions in order to improve productivity.

In the color filter manufacturing method of the present invention, the same steps as those of the known ink jet type color filter manufacturing method can be used for the steps other than the above coloring step.

(Color Filter) The color filter of the present invention is a color filter manufactured by using the manufacturing apparatus and the manufacturing method of the present invention, and can be suitably used for well-known color liquid crystal displays and the like. .

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of colors can be drawn at the same time, the number of steps can be reduced as compared with the conventional method, and the ink jet head and the transparent substrate can be relatively oriented in the directions of 6 degrees of freedom. The position is always adjusted appropriately and high-precision drawing is possible. Furthermore, by fixing the inkjet head with high precision, there is no need to arrange an object that moves above the transparent substrate moving device, dust is less likely to drop onto the transparent substrate, and moreover, Since the mass of moving the transparent substrate is smaller than that of moving the inkjet head, the detection device, and the like, it is possible to perform drawing at high speed and improve productivity. Further, not only the productivity can be improved for the stripe pattern, but also the pattern other than the stripe can be dealt with without lowering the productivity.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a color filter manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a stage portion of the color filter manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of an arrangement of inkjet heads used in the color filter manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of an arrangement of inkjet heads used in the color filter manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of the structure of an inkjet head used in the color filter manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a colored pattern of a colored portion formed on a transparent substrate.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 surface plate 2 vibration isolation table 3 XY stage 4 θ, Z-tilt stage 5 transparent substrate 6 inkjet head 7 Second detection device 8a to 8c First detection device 9 nozzles 10 Colored part

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A color filter manufacturing apparatus for forming a colored portion by applying ink to a colored portion on a transparent substrate by an inkjet method, wherein an inkjet head having a plurality of nozzles and the transparent substrate are placed. A transparent substrate moving device that moves a relative position with respect to the inkjet head; a first detection device that detects a distance between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head; and a distance between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head. A first control device that controls the transparent substrate moving device so as to keep the distance between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head constant based on the detection result; and a position of a reference mark on the transparent substrate or a black matrix on the transparent substrate. Detecting the position of the ink ejected from the inkjet head on the transparent substrate A second detection device and a position detection result of the reference mark or the black matrix on the transparent substrate,
A color filter manufacturing method comprising at least a second control device that controls the transparent substrate moving device based on a detection result of an ink adhesion position to perform relative alignment between the transparent substrate and the inkjet head. apparatus. 2. The color according to claim 1, wherein the inkjet head is fixed to a non-movable portion located above the transparent substrate moving device so as to eject ink downward. Filter manufacturing equipment. 3. The color filter manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an inkjet head group having at least one inkjet head for ejecting inks of red, green, and blue colors. 4. An inkjet head for ejecting ink of each color of red, green, and blue is attached to the inkjet head group by displacing nozzle positions according to a pitch of a portion to be colored on the transparent substrate. The color filter manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: 5. In the inkjet head group, the pitch of the nozzle array of the inkjet head that ejects the red, green, and blue inks is the same as the pitch of the colored portions on the transparent substrate. The color filter manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the color filter manufacturing apparatus is a color filter manufacturing apparatus. 6. A color filter manufacturing method using the color filter manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least two different colors of ink are ejected from the inkjet head. A method of manufacturing a color filter, wherein colored portions of a plurality of colors are simultaneously formed on the transparent substrate. 7. A color filter manufactured using the color filter manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1. Description: 8. A color filter manufactured by using the method for manufacturing a color filter according to claim 6.