JP2003057681A - Method for sticking adhesive tape to substrate of liquid crystal panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably perform conductive connection between two electrode terminals by preventing dust, etc., from being inserted into between the electrode terminals that are about to be subjected to conductive connection. SOLUTION: A projecting part 21c of a transparent substrate 21a of a liquid crystal panel 3 is arranged over a tape 12 including an ACF 14a. A panel supporting table 4 is lowered as the arrow B to bring a prescribed tape adhering surface 29 on the substrate projecting part 21c into plane contact with the ACF 14a. Afterwards, a pair of upper and lower press-contacting heads 17a and 17b is subjected to advancing movement from a retreat position of a solid line up to a projecting position of a chain line as the arrow E and is further subjected to closing movement from an opening position of a chain line as the arrow F to heat and to apply pressure to the substrate projecting part 21c and the tape 12 from both front and rear sides, and the ACF 14a is stuck to the substrate projecting part 21c. Since the tape adhering surface 29 is always turned downward during operation, dust, etc., can be prevented from adhering onto the tape adhering surface 29.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a sticking method and a sticking device for sticking an adhesive tape such as ACF onto a substrate of a liquid crystal panel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a liquid crystal panel, a pair of substrates having a plurality of transparent electrodes are bonded to each other with a sealing material and a spacer interposed therebetween, and liquid crystal is sealed in a cell gap formed between the substrates. Formed by. An overhanging portion that projects to the outside is formed on one or both of the substrates sandwiching the liquid crystal, and electrode terminals that are connected to the plurality of transparent electrodes are formed on the overhanging portion. The liquid crystal driving IC is directly connected to these electrode terminals or TCP (Tape Carrier Packa).
ge) and the like and indirectly conductively connected through a connecting member.

In a liquid crystal panel, a structure in which a liquid crystal driving IC is directly bonded onto a substrate is generally a COG (Chip).
On Glass) method. In this COG, an adhesive tape such as ACF is adhered to the IC mounting position on the substrate, and the liquid crystal driving IC is further adhered onto the adhesive tape. In other words, the liquid crystal driving IC using the adhesive tape
Is glued onto the substrate. Further, when the liquid crystal driving IC is connected to the substrate via the TCP, the TCP is also adhered onto the substrate using the adhesive tape.

When the liquid crystal driving IC or the like is connected to the substrate using the adhesive tape as described above, first of all,
Adhesive tape must be applied in place on the substrate. Conventionally, when sticking an adhesive tape on a substrate of a liquid crystal panel, the liquid crystal panel is placed on an appropriate supporting base so that the tape sticking surface of the substrate of the liquid crystal panel faces upward, The adhesive tape is brought into contact with the substrate, and the adhesive tape is pressed against the substrate with a predetermined pressure to bond the two.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional sticking method, dust floating in the space adheres to the tape sticking surface on the substrate or the adhesive tape stuck on the substrate. As a result, dust or the like may be caught between the two electrode terminals that are to be conductively connected, and the adhesiveness and conductivity between those electrode terminals may be reduced.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems in the pasting method, and prevents dust or the like from being caught between two electrode terminals to be electrically conductively connected to each other. It is an object of the present invention to always enable stable and conductive connection between electrode terminals.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a method of applying an adhesive tape to a substrate of a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention is a layered structure formed by adhering an adhesive tape and a base tape. Among the tapes, only the adhesive tape is cut into a predetermined length, and the cut adhesive tape is adhered to the substrate.

Further, in the method for attaching an adhesive tape to a substrate of a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention, the layered tape is composed of two layers, one adhesive tape and one base tape. It is characterized by

Further, in the method of applying an adhesive tape to a substrate of a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention, the cut adhesive tape is adhered to the substrate while being adhered to the base tape, Only the uncut base tape is peeled off from the adhesive tape and wound on a reel.

Further, in the method for applying an adhesive tape to a substrate of a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention, the adhesive tape is an anisotropic conductive film formed by dispersing conductive particles in a resin film. It is characterized by being.

The method of applying the adhesive tape according to the present invention is the method of applying the adhesive tape to at least one of a pair of substrates facing each other with the liquid crystal interposed therebetween.
The substrate is arranged such that the tape-adhering surface faces downward, the adhesive tape is brought into contact with the tape-adhering surface from below, and the substrate and the adhesive tape are pressed to adhere them. Characterize.

According to this sticking method, since the tape sticking surface of the liquid crystal panel is held downward during the sticking operation, the adhesive tape stuck to the tape sticking surface and to the tape sticking surface. It is possible to prevent dust etc. from adhering to the surface of the
As a result, when bumps, such as liquid crystal driving ICs, that is, electrode terminals are connected to the substrate of the liquid crystal panel via the adhesive tape, the adhesiveness and conductivity of the connection portion can be maintained well.

The adhesive tape sticking device according to the present invention is a sticking device for sticking an adhesive tape to at least one of a pair of substrates facing each other with a liquid crystal interposed therebetween.
It has a panel supporting means for supporting the liquid crystal panel, and a pair of pressure bonding heads facing each other with an adhesive tape interposed therebetween. The panel support means supports the liquid crystal panel so that the tape adhering surface of the liquid crystal panel is located above the adhesive tape. Further, at least the pressure-bonding head of the pair of pressure-bonding heads, which is positioned below the adhesive tape, moves back and forth between a position in contact with the adhesive tape and a position away from the adhesive tape.

According to this pasting device, the tape pasting surface of the liquid crystal panel can be held downward during the pasting work, and moreover, the adhesive tape can be pasted onto the tape pasting surface placed downward. . Since the tape adhering surface of the substrate is held downward, it is possible to prevent dust and the like from adhering to the surface.

In the above-described pasting method and pasting apparatus, the adhesive tape is used for conductively connecting the substrate of the liquid crystal panel and other electronic components such as liquid crystal driving IC and TCP. This adhesive tape may be, for example, an ACF (Anisotropic co) containing conductive particles inside.
nductive film: an anisotropic conductive film), a tape-like adhesive material containing no conductive particles inside, or the like can be used.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an adhesive tape sticking device for a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention.
This sticking apparatus includes an unprocessed panel stock stage S ₀ on which an unprocessed liquid crystal panel is placed, a sticking work position S ₁ for sticking an adhesive tape on the tape sticking surface of the liquid crystal panel, and a sticking operation. And a processed panel stock stage S ₂ for holding a processed liquid crystal panel.

A disk-shaped index table 1 is disposed on one side of the sticking work position S1, and four panel supporting devices are arranged on the outer edge portion of the index table 1 at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction. Two are provided. The index table 1 is driven by an intermittent rotation drive device (not shown) to move intermittently as indicated by an arrow A. By this intermittent rotation movement, each panel support device 2
Four positions set around the index table 1, that is, a sticking work position S ₁ and a panel collection position S
_3. Intermittent rotational movement is performed between the respective positions of ₃ , the standby position S ₄ , and the panel filling position S ₅ .

Each panel support device 2 has a base fixed to the index table 1 and a panel support 4 on which the liquid crystal panel 3 which is the work target and which is supported by the base is mounted. Each panel support base 4 is supported by a base so as to be vertically movable, and is pushed upward by an elastic member such as a spring in a natural state. An air cylinder 6 is fixedly installed at the sticking work position S ₁ . When the panel supporting device 2 is individually carried to the sticking work position S ₁ by the rotation of the index table 1 and the air cylinder 6 is further operated, as shown in FIG. It moves downward as shown by arrow B against. When the operating force of the air cylinder 6 is released, the panel support base 4 returns to the initial upper position as shown by arrow C by the elastic force of the spring or the like.

Returning to FIG. 1, the tape supply reel 7 is provided on one side of the sticking work position S1 and the tape take-up reel 8 is provided on the other side. In addition, a plurality of tension rollers 9 are arranged between these reels.
Individual moving rollers 11 are provided. An endless layered tape 12 is wound around the tape supply reel 7,
The layered tape 12 unwound from there is taken up by the tape take-up reel 8 via each tension roller 9 and moving roller 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the moving roller 11 is driven by a driving device (not shown) so as to extend between the winding side position P ₀ and the sending side position P ₁ with the sticking work position S ₁ as a boundary, as indicated by an arrow D. Move straight back and forth.

The layered tape 12 is, as shown in FIG. 6, an endless and long base tape 13, and an endless and long ACF (Anisotropic) adhered to the surface of the base tape 13.
conductive film: anisotropic conductive film) 14, that is, an adhesive tape. As is well known, the ACF 14 is a tape material in which conductive particles are dispersed in a thermoplastic resin film or a thermosetting resin film.

Returning to FIG. 1, a tape cutter 16 is arranged on the tape transport path on the delivery side of the sticking work position S _{1 in} the transport direction of the layered tape 12. The tape cutter 16 repeats the vertical movement, that is, the cutting operation at appropriate time intervals that correlate with the transport speed of the layered tape 12. By this cutting operation, so-called half-cut processing is performed in which only the half of the layered tape 12, that is, the ACF 14, is cut, and the other half, the base tape 13, is not cut. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, a sheet-shaped ACF 14a having a predetermined length L is formed at a position downstream of the tape cutter 16, and the ACF 14a is placed on the base tape 13 and conveyed.

Returning to FIG. 1, a pair of upper and lower crimping heads 17 are provided on the opposite side of the panel supporting device 2 with the sticking work position S ₁ interposed therebetween.
a and 17b are provided. These pressure bonding heads have a built-in heater therein and are heated to a predetermined temperature. Further, the pressure bonding heads 17a and 17b are driven by a parallel movement mechanism (not shown),
In FIG. 2, a reciprocating parallel movement is made as indicated by an arrow EE ′ between a position where the sticking work position S ₁ is extended and a retracted position where the retracted position is retracted from the position. Also, those crimping heads 17a
And 17b, by being driven by a parallel moving mechanism (not shown), in the state which protrudes stuck working position S _1, the arrows between the positions opening shown in FIG. 2 (chain line state) and a closed position shown in FIG. 3 It moves back and forth like FF '.
A buffer member 18 formed of an elastic member such as silicon rubber is provided on the tip end surface of the lower pressure-bonding head 17b, that is, the surface that contacts the tape. A buffer member 18 is also provided on the tip surface of the upper pressure bonding head 17a.

The operation of the tape sticking apparatus having the above-mentioned structure will be described below.

In this embodiment, the ACF is to be attached to the COG (Chi
The liquid crystal panel 3 of the p On Glass method is used. As shown in FIG. 9, the liquid crystal panel 3 includes a first transparent substrate 2 made of glass.
1a and a second transparent substrate 21b made of glass, which are made of glass, are bonded to each other by a sealant 22 with a spacer 23 interposed therebetween, and a liquid crystal 24 is sealed in a cell gap G formed between these substrates. It

A first transparent electrode 25a is formed on the inner surface of the first transparent substrate 21a, and a second transparent substrate 25b is formed on the inner surface of the second transparent substrate 21b. Then, the electrode terminals 26 connected to these transparent electrodes are formed on the projecting portion 21c of the first transparent substrate 21a. In addition, a connection terminal 27 for conductively connecting an external circuit is formed at the end of the projecting portion 21c. Polarizing plates 31a and 31b are attached to the outer surfaces of the transparent substrates 21a and 21b, respectively.

When mounting the liquid crystal driving IC 28 on the liquid crystal panel 3, first, as shown in FIG. 8, a predetermined tape adhering surface 29 on the projecting portion 21c of the substrate 21a.
A sheet-shaped ACF 14a is attached to the
The liquid crystal driving IC 28 is placed on 14a, and the liquid crystal driving IC 28 is heated to a predetermined temperature and simultaneously pressed against the substrate overhanging portion 21c. By this thermocompression bonding process, the resin portion of the ACF 14a causes the liquid crystal driving IC 2
8 and the substrate overhang 21c are fixed to each other, and at the same time, the liquid crystal driving IC is formed by the conductive particles dispersed in the resin.
The 28 input / output bumps are connected to the external connection terminals 2 respectively.
7 and the electrode terminal 26 on the substrate are conductively connected.

The tape sticking apparatus of this embodiment executes the work of sticking the ACF 14a to the liquid crystal panel 3 prior to mounting the liquid crystal driving IC 28 on the liquid crystal panel 3. The sticking work of will be described.

In FIG. 1, a plurality of liquid crystal panels 3 are tape-bonded to the unprocessed panel stock stage S _0.
(See FIG. 8) face down and stacked. Then, the top one of the plurality of unprocessed liquid crystal panels 3 is picked up by a panel transfer device (not shown) and is carried to the index table 1. Then, the panel support device 2 placed at the panel filling position S ₅ with the tape attachment surface 29 facing downward.
The liquid crystal panel 3 is placed on the panel support base 4. At this time, in order to firmly hold the liquid crystal panel 3 placed on the panel support base 4, a mechanical panel holding mechanism or a panel holding mechanism using air suction may be attached to the panel support base 4. desirable.

The liquid crystal panel 3 placed on the panel support 4 is rotatably conveyed from the panel filling position S ₅ to the sticking work position S ₁ by the intermittent rotation of the index table 1 and stops there. On the other hand, the layered tape 12 delivered from the tape supply reel 7 is half-cut by the tape cutter 16 and then conveyed to the attaching work position S ₁ . At this time, the liquid crystal panel 3 and the layered tape 12
The positional relationship with is as shown in FIG.
The substrate overhanging portion 21c protruding outward from the layered tape 1
It is located above 2. More specifically, the tape attachment surface 29 of the overhanging portion 21c of the substrate 21b is located above the sheet-shaped ACF 14a on the layered tape 12.

After that, the air cylinder 6 arranged at the sticking work position S ₁ is actuated to move the panel support base 4 downward as shown by the arrow B, whereby the tape sticking surface of the substrate overhanging portion 21c. 29 moves downward and comes into surface contact with the ACF 14a. After that, the pair of crimping heads 17a and 17b are moved from the retracted position (solid line) in the direction of arrow E to the sticking work position S ₁ while maintaining the open state. After that, the upper and lower crimping heads 17a and 17b are respectively closed and moved in the direction of the arrow F, and as shown in FIG. 3, they are pressed from the front and back with the layered tape 12 and the substrate overhanging portion 21c superposed.

By this pressing process, the A of the layered tape 12 is
The CF 14a is pressed against the substrate overhang 21c with a predetermined pressure while being heated to a predetermined temperature, and as a result, the ACF 1
4a is attached to the substrate overhanging portion 21c. After that, the pressure bonding heads 17a and 17b open and move in the direction of the arrow F ′, and FIG.
Open to the open position indicated by the chain line, move further in the direction of arrow E ', and retract to the retracted position (solid line).

Thereafter, the operation of the air cylinder 6 is released.
Panel support 4 rises as shown by arrow C
Return to the position, and at the same time, move roller pair 1 in FIG.
1 is the position P on the sending side as indicated by arrow D₁ Move towards
It Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the layered tape 12 becomes a chain line.
Descent from initial upper position shown by to lower position shown by solid line
As a result, the sheet-shaped A attached to the liquid crystal panel 3
The CF 14a is separated from the base tape 13 of the layered sheet 12.
To do. In this way, the tape of the substrate 21a of the liquid crystal panel 3 is attached.
The ACF 14a is attached to the attachment surface 29. Moving roller pair 1
1 is the position P on the sending side ₁ Immediately after reaching the direction of movement
To the winding side position P by moving in the direction of the arrow D '.₀ 
Return to.

After that, in FIG. 1, the index table 1 is intermittently rotated, and the panel supporting device 2 for supporting the processed liquid crystal panel 3 which has completed the ACF attaching work is moved from the attaching work position S ₁ to the panel collecting position S _{1. Rotated} to ₃ . And, by the function of the panel transfer device (not shown),
The processed liquid crystal panel 3 is removed from the panel support 4, and further carried to the processed panel stock stage S ₂ and placed there. After that, the panel supporting device 2 is conveyed again to the panel filling position S ₅ via the standby position S ₄ according to the rotation of the index table 1, and receives the unprocessed liquid crystal panel 3.

After that, by repeating the above-mentioned processing, the liquid crystal panels 3 stacked on the unprocessed panel stock stage S ₀ are sequentially carried to the sticking work position S ₁ and AC.
F is attached, and they are sequentially stacked on the processed panel stock stage S ₂ . The processed liquid crystal panel 3 to which the ACF is attached is then carried to another processing stage (not shown) and, as shown in FIG.
The liquid crystal driving IC 28 is placed on top of 4a, and the liquid crystal driving IC 28 is attached to the ACF1 by thermocompression bonding.
It is conductively bonded to the tape attachment surface 29 of the substrate overhanging portion 21C via 4a.

As described above, the ACF of this embodiment
According to the pasting device, the tape pasting surface 29 of the liquid crystal panel 3
(Refer to FIG. 8) is always held downward during the sticking work, so that dust or the like adheres to the tape sticking surface 29 and the surface of the ACF 14a stuck to the tape sticking surface 29. As a result, the liquid crystal driving IC 2 is mounted on the substrate 21a of the liquid crystal panel 3 via the ACF 14a.
When the bumps of No. 8, that is, the electrode terminals are connected, the adhesiveness and conductivity of the connecting portions can be maintained well.

The present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and can be variously modified within the technical scope described in the claims.

For example, the adhesive tape is ACF14.
Any tape-shaped adhesive other than the above, for example, a normal adhesive tape containing no conductive particles can be used. Further, the liquid crystal panel to be attached is not limited to the COG type liquid crystal panel shown in FIG.
TCP (Tape Carrier Pac) on the electrode terminals formed on 1c.
A liquid crystal panel of a type in which a liquid crystal driving IC is connected via a kage) is also possible. In this case, an adhesive tape, such as ACF, for conductively connecting the electrode terminal provided on the substrate overhanging portion 21c and the TCP electrode terminal is attached to the substrate overhanging portion 21c by using the attaching method and the attaching apparatus of the present invention.
Stick it on the designated tape sticking surface.

[0038]

According to the method for applying an adhesive tape and the apparatus for applying an adhesive tape according to the third aspect of the present invention, the tape adhering surface of the liquid crystal panel is always held downward during the adhering work. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dust and the like from adhering to the tape-adhering surface and the adhesive tape adhered to the tape-adhering surface, for example, the surface of the ACF. When an electrode terminal of another electronic component such as a liquid crystal driving IC or TCP is connected to the transparent substrate of the liquid crystal panel, the adhesiveness and conductivity of the connecting portion can be maintained well.

According to the adhesive tape sticking apparatus of the present invention, the sticking work of the adhesive tape can be performed automatically and quickly.

Further, according to the adhesive tape sticking apparatus of the present invention, the entire surface of the adhesive tape can be pressed against the tape sticking surface on the substrate with a uniform force, so that the adhesive tape can be stably and firmly fixed. Can be attached to the substrate.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an adhesive tape sticking device for a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the sticking apparatus of FIG. 1, particularly a structure of a position where a work for sticking an adhesive tape to a transparent substrate of a liquid crystal panel is performed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure at the same position as in FIG. 2 and showing a state of the structure at different operation timings.

4 is a front view showing another main part of the sticking device of FIG. 1, particularly an example of a tape transporting device for transporting an adhesive tape.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the same tape transporting device as in FIG. 4, showing a state at a different operation timing of the device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view partially showing an example of an adhesive tape.

7 is a perspective view showing still another main part of the sticking apparatus of FIG. 1, particularly a processing stage for half-cutting a tape member including an adhesive tape.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a liquid crystal panel.

9 is a sectional view showing a sectional structure of the liquid crystal panel of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Index Table 2 Panel Support Device (Panel Support Means) 3 Liquid Crystal Panel 4 Panel Support 7 Tape Supply Reel (Tape Conveying Means) 8 Tape Winding Reel (Tape Conveying Means) 9 Tension Roller (Tape Conveying Means) 11 Moving Rollers ( Tape conveying means) 12 Layered tape 13 Base tape 14 ACF (Endless) 14a ACF (Sheet) 16 Tape cutter 17a, 17b Crimping head 18 Buffer members 21a, 21b Transparent substrate 21c Transparent substrate overhang 22 Sealing material 23 Spacer 24 liquid crystal 25a, 25b transparent electrode 26 electrode terminal 27 external connection terminal 28 liquid crystal driving IC 29 tape sticking surface S ₀ unprocessed panel stock stage S ₁ sticking work position S ₂ processed panel stock stage S ₃ panel collection position S ₄ Standby position S ₅ Panel filling position

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Tsutomu Sasaki             Seiko, 3-3-3 Yamato, Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture             -In Epson Corporation (72) Inventor Sadaaki Yui             Seiko, 3-3-3 Yamato, Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture             -In Epson Corporation F-term (reference) 2H092 GA48 GA51 GA55 GA60 HA25                       NA11                 5F044 NN13 NN19

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A sticking method for sticking an adhesive tape to a substrate of a liquid crystal panel, wherein only one of the adhesive tapes of a layered tape formed by adhering an adhesive tape and a base tape is predetermined. A method of attaching an adhesive tape to a substrate of a liquid crystal panel, which comprises cutting the adhesive tape to a length and cutting the adhesive tape to the substrate. 2. The adhesive tape for a substrate of a liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein the layered tape comprises two layers of an adhesive tape of one layer and a base tape of one layer. How to attach. 3. The claim 1 or 2, wherein the cut adhesive tape is adhered to the substrate while being stuck to the base tape, and thereafter only the uncut base tape is A method of attaching an adhesive tape to a substrate of a liquid crystal panel, which is peeled off from the adhesive tape and wound on a reel. 4. The liquid crystal panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the adhesive tape is an anisotropic conductive film formed by dispersing conductive particles in a resin film. How to attach the adhesive tape to the substrate.