JP2003215191A - Method of testing active matrix substrate and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an array tester capable of enhancing the test accuracy. <P>SOLUTION: A stage 33 with an array substrate 22 installed on an installation surface 32 thereof is moved by a stage motivity system 34. Needle probes 42 of a relaying printed circuit board 39 are electrically connected to drive terminals 25 of display domain parts 23 of the array substrate 22. Driving characteristics of a device under test (DUT) of the domain parts 23 of the array substrate 22 are electrically tested with an array tester body 47. An insulating substrate for noise cutting is disposed between a needle frame 38 positioned higher than the stage 33 and the circuit board 39. This makes it possible to reduce electrical noise components coming from the array substrate 22 toward the DUT and coming from the motivity system 34 to the circuit board 39. The test accuracy is enhanced when the driving characteristics of the DUT in the domain part 23 of the array substrate 22 are electrically tested by the tester body 47. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an active matrix substrate inspection method and apparatus for electrically inspecting an active matrix substrate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, a structure shown in FIG. 2 is known as an inspection device for an active matrix substrate of this type.

An array tester 1 which is a semiconductor tester as an inspection device shown in FIG. 2 is a liquid crystal display device (Liquid Cr).
The characteristics of the array substrate 2 which is an active matrix substrate used for a ystal display (LCD) or the like, that is, the driving characteristics of the display area portion 3 formed by a plurality of pixel electrodes (not shown) included in the array substrate 2 are inspected.

The array substrate 2 is provided with a rectangular flat glass substrate as an insulating substrate having a light-transmitting property, and a scanning line and a signal line (not shown) are provided on one main surface of the glass substrate. Are regularly arranged in a grid pattern, and thin film transistors (thin film transistors) as switching elements (not shown) are provided near the intersections of the scanning lines and the signal lines.
nsistor (TFT) and pixel electrodes are arranged in a matrix. That is, this array substrate is one in which opposed substrates (not shown) are arranged so as to face each other, and liquid crystal is not interposed therebetween. A drive terminal 4 for driving a thin film transistor or the like of the array substrate is provided on one side surface portion of the array substrate in a led-out state.

Therefore, in the array tester 1, the counter substrate is disposed so as to face each other, and the drive state of the display area portion 3 of the array substrate 2 is electrically changed before the liquid crystal is interposed between the counter substrate and the counter substrate. To inspect. As a result, the array substrate 2 is opposed to the array substrate 2 and the liquid crystal panel configured by inserting the liquid crystal between the array substrate 2 and the opposing substrate is free from pixel defects, disconnection or short circuit. Since it can be prevented, the reliability can be improved.

The array tester 1 is provided with a rectangular prober section 6 for shutting off the internal atmosphere from the outside, and inside the prober section 6, a rectangular flat plate shape on which the array substrate 2 is installed on the upper surface. The stage 7 is installed horizontally. The stage 7 is movable in a horizontal direction by a stage power system 8 provided below the stage 7.

Inside the prober section 6, a relay board 9 in the form of a rectangular flat plate located above the stage 7 is attached to the inner side surface of the prober section 6 with its surface direction oriented horizontally. The relay board 9 is formed on a rectangular flat plate-shaped needle frame 11 made of a conductive material such as metal, and is formed into a rectangular flat plate having substantially the same shape as the needle frame 11, and a relay printed wiring board (Print). Circuit Board:
PCB) 12 is installed and configured.

Then, one side surface of the relay printed wiring board 12 facing the stage 7 is electrically connected to the drive terminal 4 of the array substrate 2 installed on the stage 7 by the movement of the stage 7. A plurality of needle probes 13 for inspection are connected to a flexible wiring board (Flexi
ble Print Circuit (FPC) 14. Each of these needle probes 13 is configured to be electrically connected simultaneously to a plurality of drive terminals 4 of the array substrate 2 installed on the stage 7.

Further, a prismatic relay box 15 is installed above the relay printed wiring board 12 of the relay board 9, and each needle probe is provided on one side surface of the relay box 15 facing the stage 7. A plurality of drivers 16 each electrically connected to a flexible wiring board 14 connected to 13 are provided. Further, outside the prober section 6, the drive characteristics of the display area section 3 of the array substrate 2 which is connected to the relay box 15 via the lead wire 17 and the needle probe 13 is connected to the drive terminal 4 are described. Array tester main body 18 as an inspection unit for electrically inspecting via
Is installed.

Then, the array tester 1 moves the stage 7 to electrically connect the drive terminals 4 of the array substrate 2 installed on the stage 7 to the needle probes 13 of the relay board 9, and the array tester main body 18 By relay box
The drive characteristic of the display area portion 3 of the array substrate 2 is electrically inspected via 15.

[0011]

However, in the array tester 1 described above, the needle probe 13 is led out on one side portion via the flexible wiring board 14 on the needle frame 11 formed of a conductive material such as metal. The relay printed circuit board 12 is installed to constitute the relay board 9,
Since the relay board 9 is located above the stage 7, noise is given from the stage power system 8 located below the stage 7 to the relay printed wiring board 12 of the relay board 9.

Therefore, the needle frame of the relay board 9
It is not easy to improve the inspection accuracy when electrically connecting the needle probe 13 of 11 to the drive terminal 4 of the array substrate 2 and electrically inspecting the drive characteristics of the display area portion 3 of the array substrate 2 by the array tester main body 18. It has the problem of not being.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an active matrix substrate inspection method and apparatus capable of improving inspection accuracy.

[0014]

According to the present invention, an active matrix substrate having drive terminals is installed, and a probe for inspection connected to a relay substrate is connected to the drive terminals of the active matrix substrate. The active matrix substrate is electrically inspected while blocking noise between the active matrix substrate and the active matrix substrate.

Then, an active matrix substrate having drive terminals is installed, and a probe for inspecting the relay substrate is connected to the drive terminals of this active matrix substrate. In this state, the active matrix substrate is electrically inspected. At this time, the active matrix substrate in which the drive terminal is connected to the probe of the relay substrate is electrically inspected while blocking the noise between the relay substrate and the active matrix substrate. Therefore, the inspection accuracy when electrically inspecting the active matrix substrate is improved.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The configuration of an embodiment of an array substrate inspection apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 is an array tester which is a tester for an active matrix substrate as an inspection device.
The array tester 21 is a liquid crystal display device (Liquid Crystal).
It is a semiconductor tester that electrically inspects the characteristics of a semiconductor wafer of an array substrate 22, which is an active matrix substrate used for a display (LCD) or the like. That is, the array tester 21 electrically inspects the drive characteristics of the plurality of display area portions 23 formed of the plurality of pixel electrodes (not shown) provided on the array substrate 22.

Here, the array substrate 22 is provided with a rectangular flat glass substrate 24 as an insulating substrate having a light-transmitting property, and a scanning line (not shown) and a glass substrate 24 are provided on one main surface of the glass substrate 24. The signal lines are regularly arranged in a grid pattern, and a thin film transistor (Thin
Film Transistor (TFT) and pixel electrodes are arranged in a matrix. That is, this array substrate 22
Is the one before the counter substrates (not shown) are arranged to face each other and the liquid crystal is inserted.

The display area 23 of the array substrate 22
Are provided on one main surface of the glass substrate 24 of the array substrate 22, for example, four display regions 23 are arranged in a matrix shape along the width direction and the longitudinal direction of the glass substrate 24. It is installed in.

Further, a plurality of drive terminals 25 as connection terminals for driving the thin film transistors and the like of the array substrate 22 are provided on one side surface portion of the array substrate 22 in a drawn state. These drive terminals 25 are array substrates
The display area portions 23 are provided on both sides of each of the display area portions 23 provided on the glass substrate 24 along the one side portion of each of the display area portions 23.

Therefore, in the array tester 21, the counter substrates are arranged so as to face each other, and the drive state of each display area portion 23 of the array substrate 22 is electrically changed before the liquid crystal is interposed between the counter substrates. To inspect. This makes this array substrate
Since it is possible to prevent a pixel from missing, disconnection or short circuit of a liquid crystal panel (not shown) which is formed by disposing a counter substrate opposite to 22 and inserting liquid crystal between the array substrate 22 and the counter substrate. The reliability of the liquid crystal panel connected by the array substrate 22 can be improved.

The array tester 21 is provided with a prober section 31 which is a rectangular parallelepiped having a hollow rectangular cross section for blocking the internal atmosphere from the outside. Inside the prober unit 31, a stage 33 having a flat installation surface 32 on which the array substrate 22 is installed is horizontally installed. The stage 33 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape larger than the array substrate 22, and can be moved in the horizontal directions orthogonal to each other by a stage power system 34 provided under the stage 33.

The stage power system 34 has a pair of rails in which a base portion 35, which accommodates a motor (not shown) as driving means, is installed parallel to each other on the bottom surface of the inside of the prober portion 31. By moving on part 36,
The installation surface of the stage 33 is moved horizontally.

A relay board 37 as a performance board, which is a rectangular flat plate, is attached inside the prober section 31 with its surface direction oriented horizontally.
The relay board 37 is located above the stage 33, and one side is connected to the inner side surface of the prober section 31 facing one end of the rail section 36 in the longitudinal direction. Also,
This relay board 37 includes a rectangular flat plate-shaped needle frame 38 formed of a conductive material such as metal.
On the needle frame 38, a relay printed wiring board (PCB) 39 as a relay substrate formed in a rectangular flat plate shape having substantially the same shape as the needle frame 38 is installed.

Further, the needle frame 38 of this relay board 37
And the relay printed wiring board 39 are formed between the needle frame 38 and the relay printed wiring board 39 by a rectangular flat plate having the same shape as that of the insulating nylon synthetic resin or the like for noise cutting. The insulating substrate 41, which is an insulator as a noise blocker, is arranged with the surface directions facing each other.

This insulating substrate 41 is a relay printed wiring board.
The array substrate 22 installed on the installation surface 32 of the stage 33 is disposed on the stage 33 side of the stage 39 to electrically insulate between the needle frame 38 of the relay board 37 and the relay printed wiring board 39.
The noise between the relay printed wiring board 39 and the relay printed wiring board 39 is blocked or removed. In addition, the insulating substrate 41 is arranged in the direction of a device under test (DUT) of the array substrate 22,
Also, the electrical noise component applied to the relay printed wiring board 39 via the needle frame 38 of the relay board 37 from the stage power system 34 located below the stage 33 is blocked and reduced.

In the intermediate area of one side surface of the relay printed wiring board 39 facing the stage 33, one of the array substrates 22 installed on the installation surface 32 of the stage 33 is moved by the movement of the stage 33. A plurality of, for example, two needle probes 42, each of which is electrically connected to a pair of drive terminals 25 located on one side of the display area portion 23, are formed into a sheet-like flexible print circuit (FP).
C) Connected in a state of being led out via 43. These needle probes 42 are moved by the movement of the stage 33,
Each display area portion 23 of the array substrate 22 installed on the installation surface 32 of
It is configured to be electrically connected to each of the pair of drive terminals 25 located on one side at the same time.

On the upper side of the relay printed wiring board 39 of the relay board 37, the drive characteristic information of the display area 23 of the array substrate 22 input from each needle probe 42 is relayed and input to the array tester main body 47. A relay box 44 as a columnar relay section is installed. Then, on one side surface portion of the relay box 44 facing the stage 33, a plurality of, for example, two, electrically connected to the base ends of the flexible wiring boards 43 whose tip ends are connected to the base ends of the needle probes 42, respectively. A driver 45 is provided.

Further, outside the prober unit 31, an array tester main body 47 is installed as a rectangular parallelepiped inspection unit which is electrically connected to a relay box 44 in the prober unit 31 via a lead wire 46. . This array tester body 47
Are installed in the outer region of the prober unit 31 near the relay box 44. Further, the array tester main body 47 uses the relay box to display the drive characteristics of the display area 23 of the array substrate 22 in which the drive terminals 25 are connected to the needle probes 42 of the prober section 31.
Electrically inspect via 44.

That is, the array tester main body 47 includes the needle probe 42 in the prober section 31 and the flexible wiring board 4.
3, through the relay printed wiring board 39 and the relay box 44, the signal input from the array tester body 47 is input to the device under test of the array substrate 22 installed on the installation surface 32 of the stage 33, and Array substrate 22
The test output from the device under test is input.

Next, the inspection method of the above embodiment will be described.

First, with the drive terminals 25 of the array substrate 22 facing the needle probe 42 side of the relay board 37, the array substrate 22 is installed on the installation surface 32 of the stage 33.

Next, the stage power system 34 is driven to appropriately move the stage 33 horizontally, and one of the display area portions of the array substrate 22 installed on the installation surface 32 of this stage 33.
The needle probe 42 of the relay board 37 is electrically connected to each of the drive terminals 25 located on one side of the relay board 23.

In this state, the test signal from the array tester main body 47 is transmitted to the relay box 44 and the relay printed wiring board 3
9. Through the flexible wiring board 43 and the needle probe 42 in order, input to the device under test in the display area 23 of the array substrate 22 to which the needle probe 42 is connected.

The output of the test signal from the device to be inspected in the display area 23 of the array substrate 22 to which the needle probe 42 is connected is the needle probe 42, the flexible wiring board 43, the relay printed wiring board 39 and the relay. Box 44
Are sequentially input to the array tester main body 47, and the array tester main body 47 electrically inspects the drive characteristics of the device under test in the display area portion 23 of the array substrate 22.

Thereafter, the stage power system 34 is further driven to move the stage 33 horizontally as appropriate, and the stage 33 is moved.
The needle probe 42 of the relay board 37 is electrically connected to each of the drive terminals 25 located on one side of the other display area portion 23 of the array substrate 22 installed on the display area portion 23 to be inspected. The drive characteristics of the target device are electrically inspected by the array tester main body 47.

As described above, according to the above-described one embodiment, the stage 33 is moved by the stage power system 34, and any display area portion of the array substrate 22 installed on the installation surface 32 of the stage 33 is moved. The needle probe 42 of the relay board 37 is electrically connected to each of the drive terminals 25 of 23, and in this state, the needle probe 42 drives the device to be inspected in the display area portion 23 connected to the drive terminal 25. The characteristics are electrically inspected by the array tester main body 47.

At this time, the needle frame 38 formed of the conductive material of the relay board 37 located above the stage 33 on which the array substrate 22 is installed and the relay printed wiring board 39.
By disposing the insulating substrate 41 for noise cutting between and, the electric noise component from the DUT direction of the array substrate 22 and the stage power system 34 can be blocked.

For this reason, the electrical given to the relay printed wiring board 39 through the needle frame 38 of the relay board 37 from the stage power system 34 located below the stage 33 and the DUT direction of the array substrate 22. The noise component can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to improve the inspection accuracy when the array tester body electrically inspects the drive characteristics of the device under test in the display area portion of the array substrate installed on the stage installation surface in the prober unit 31.

In the above embodiment, the glass substrate
A display area portion of an array substrate 22 in which scanning lines and signal lines are regularly arranged on a grid in a grid pattern, and thin film transistors and pixel electrodes are arranged in a matrix in the vicinity of intersections of the scanning lines and signal lines. Array tester for electrically inspecting drive characteristics of device under test in 23
Although 21 has been described, other array substrates or active matrix substrates for which it is necessary to electrically inspect the drive characteristics of the device to be inspected can be used correspondingly.

Further, although the stage 33 in the prober unit 31 is moved in the horizontal direction orthogonal to each other by the stage power system 34, the relay board 37 is moved horizontally with respect to the relay box 44. By moving the needle probe 42 of the relay board 37 relative to the array substrate 22,
Each of the needle probes 42 of this relay board 37
Since it can be electrically connected to each of the drive terminals 25 of the display area portion 23 of any one of the array substrates 22 installed on the installation surface 32 of 33, the same operational effect as that of the above-described one embodiment can be obtained.

Further, the relay board 37 in the prober unit 31 is located above the stage 33.
If the relay board 37 is attached at a position different from, for example, a position displaced to the left or right or downward, the insulating board 41 of this relay board 37 blocks electrical noise between the array board 22 and the relay printed wiring board 39. it can.

[0043]

According to the present invention, the active matrix substrate having the drive terminal connected to the probe of the relay substrate is electrically inspected while blocking the noise between the relay substrate and the active matrix substrate. The inspection accuracy when electrically inspecting the matrix substrate can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory perspective view showing an embodiment of an active matrix substrate inspection apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory perspective view showing an embodiment of a conventional active matrix substrate inspection apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

21 Array tester as inspection device for active matrix substrate 22 Array substrate as active matrix substrate 23 Display area section 25 Drive terminal 33 Stage 38 Needle frame as frame 39 Relay printed wiring board as relay board 41 Insulator as noise blocker Insulation board 42 Needle probe as probe 47 Array tester body as inspection unit

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F term (reference) 2G014 AA02 AA03 AB21 AB59 AC10                 2H088 FA11 FA13 FA30 HA02 HA06                       HA08 MA20                 2H092 JA24 MA35 MA55 MA56 MA57                       NA30 PA01 PA06                 5G435 AA17 AA19 BB12 CC09 KK05                       KK09 KK10

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An active matrix substrate having a drive terminal is installed, and a probe for inspection connected to a relay substrate is connected to the drive terminal of the active matrix substrate, and between the relay substrate and the active matrix substrate. A method for inspecting an active matrix substrate, characterized in that the active matrix substrate is electrically inspected while blocking the noise. 2. The method for inspecting an active matrix substrate according to claim 1, wherein a display area portion formed of a plurality of pixel electrodes provided on the active matrix substrate is electrically inspected. 3. The method for inspecting an active matrix substrate according to claim 2, further comprising electrically inspecting a drive characteristic of a device to be inspected in a display area portion of the active matrix substrate. 4. The method for inspecting an active matrix substrate according to claim 1, wherein noise between the relay substrate and the active matrix substrate is insulated and cut off. 5. A stage on which an active matrix substrate having a drive terminal is installed, a frame installed at a position different from the stage, and a drive terminal of the active matrix substrate installed on the stage is connected to the active matrix substrate. A relay substrate having an inspection probe that is movable relative to the matrix substrate, a noise blocker disposed on the stage side of the relay substrate, and an active matrix substrate connected to the probe of the relay substrate. And an inspecting unit for electrically inspecting the active matrix substrate. 6. The active matrix substrate has a display area portion composed of a plurality of pixel electrodes, and the inspection portion electrically connects the display area portion of the active matrix substrate having a drive terminal connected to the probe of the relay substrate. The inspection apparatus for an active matrix substrate according to claim 5, wherein the inspection is performed selectively. 7. The active matrix substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the inspection unit electrically inspects a drive characteristic of the device to be inspected in the display area portion of the active matrix substrate. 8. The active matrix substrate inspection device according to claim 5, wherein the noise blocker is an insulator for insulating and blocking noise between the relay substrate and the active matrix substrate.