JP2004091291A - Glass plate, glass substrate for electrooptical panel, electrooptical panel, method for producing glass plate, method for producing glass substrate for electrooptical panel, method for producing electrooptical panel, and electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a glass plate in which flaws and cracks formed on a glass substrate before FED to a production process or caused on the glass substrate in the process of the production process are removed, and the crack strength of the substrate is improved, to provide a method for producing the glass plate, to provide a glass substrate for an electrooptical panel, to provide a method for producing the glass substrate for the electrooptical panel, to provide the electrooptical panel, to provide a method for producing the electrooptical panel, and to provide electronic equipment. <P>SOLUTION: A glass substrate is subjected to etching treatment (stage S1), and chemical strengthening treatment (stage S2). Flaws and cracks formed on the substrate are removed by the etching treatment. Further, its mechanical strength is improved by performing the chemical strengthening treatment in a state where the flaws and cracks are removed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a glass plate, a glass substrate for an electro-optical panel, and a glass substrate and an electro-optical panel for which the crack strength is improved by removing scratches and cracks present on the glass plate and the glass substrate constituting the electro-optical panel. Electronic devices. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a glass plate, a method for manufacturing a glass substrate for an electro-optical panel, and a method for manufacturing an electro-optical panel.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A liquid crystal panel as an example of an electro-optical panel is configured by sealing liquid crystal as an electro-optical material between two light-transmitting substrates. A glass substrate is often used as the transmissive substrate, and the liquid crystal panel itself has a structure in which two glass substrates are stacked and bonded (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2001-281435 (page 6, FIG. 1)
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In such a liquid crystal panel, the scratches and cracks on the glass substrate itself before the manufacturing process is input, and the scratches and cracks generated on the glass substrate during the liquid crystal panel manufacturing process are caused by factors such as stress applied to the liquid crystal panel. This may cause the liquid crystal panel to break due to a drop impact after being made into a product such as a mobile phone.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and removes scratches and cracks formed on the glass substrate itself before the manufacturing process is input, and scratches and cracks generated on the substrate during the liquid crystal panel manufacturing process. Provided are a glass plate having improved substrate cracking strength, a method for manufacturing a glass plate, a glass substrate for an electro-optical panel, a method for manufacturing a glass substrate for an electro-optical panel, an electro-optical panel, a method for manufacturing an electro-optical panel, and electronic equipment. The task is to
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve such a problem, the present invention employs the following configuration. The glass plate of the present invention is characterized in that the surface is subjected to a chemical strengthening treatment after being subjected to an etching treatment.
[0006]
According to such a configuration of the present invention, the scratches and cracks formed on the glass plate are removed by performing the etching process, and then the sodium on the surface of the glass plate is subjected to the chemical strengthening process. Since the atoms are replaced by atoms having an ionic radius larger than that of sodium and the mechanical strength is improved, it is possible to obtain a glass plate which is very hard to break.
[0007]
The glass substrate for an electro-optical panel according to the present invention is characterized in that the surface is subjected to an etching treatment and then to a chemical strengthening treatment.
[0008]
According to such a configuration of the present invention, the scratches and cracks formed on the glass substrate are removed by performing the etching process, and then the sodium strengthening of the glass plate surface is performed by performing the chemical strengthening process. The atoms are replaced by atoms having an ionic radius larger than that of sodium, and the mechanical strength is improved. Therefore, the electro-optical panel provided with such a glass substrate is less likely to be broken or damaged by an impact or the like.
[0009]
An electro-optical panel according to the present invention includes a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface, and a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface faces the first surface of the first substrate. An electro-optical panel comprising: a second substrate disposed on a substrate, wherein the second surface of the first substrate and the second surface of the second substrate are subjected to a chemical strengthening process after being subjected to an etching process. It is characterized by having been given.
[0010]
According to such a configuration of the present invention, the scratches and cracks formed on the electro-optical panel are removed by performing the etching process, and then the surface of the electro-optical panel is subjected to the chemical strengthening process. Is replaced by an atom having an ionic radius larger than that of sodium, thereby improving the mechanical strength. Therefore, the electro-optical panel is less likely to be cracked or damaged by impact or the like.
[0011]
The method for producing a glass sheet of the present invention is characterized by comprising a step of etching a glass sheet and a step of chemically strengthening the glass sheet after the etching processing.
[0012]
According to such a configuration of the present invention, the scratches and cracks formed on the glass plate are removed by performing the etching process, and then the sodium on the surface of the glass plate is subjected to the chemical strengthening process. Since the atoms are replaced by atoms having an ionic radius larger than that of sodium and the mechanical strength is improved, it is possible to obtain a glass plate which is very hard to break.
[0013]
The method of manufacturing a glass substrate for an electro-optical panel according to the present invention includes a step of etching the glass substrate for the electro-optical panel, and a step of chemically strengthening the glass substrate after the etching. I do.
[0014]
According to such a configuration of the present invention, the scratches and cracks formed on the glass substrate are removed by performing the etching process, and then the sodium strengthening of the glass plate surface is performed by performing the chemical strengthening process. The atoms are replaced by atoms having an ionic radius larger than that of sodium, and the mechanical strength is improved. Therefore, the electro-optical panel provided with such a glass substrate is less likely to be broken or damaged by an impact or the like.
[0015]
In the method of manufacturing an electro-optical panel according to the present invention, the first substrate having the first surface and the second surface and the second substrate having the first surface and the second surface are arranged such that the first surfaces are opposed to each other. And a step of bonding the first substrate and the second substrate bonded by the sealing material, a step of etching the first substrate and the second substrate bonded by the sealing material, and a step of bonding the first substrate bonded by the sealing material after the etching processing. Subjecting the substrate and the second substrate to a chemical strengthening process.
[0016]
According to such a configuration of the present invention, the scratches and cracks formed on the electro-optical panel are removed by performing the etching process, and then the surface of the electro-optical panel is subjected to the chemical strengthening process. Is replaced by an atom having an ionic radius larger than that of sodium, thereby improving the mechanical strength. Therefore, the electro-optical panel is less likely to be cracked or damaged by impact or the like.
[0017]
Further, the second substrate has an overhanging portion extending from the first substrate, and after the bonding step, a step of forming a protective film on the first surface of the overhanging portion is provided.
[0018]
According to such a configuration, when an electrode, a wiring, and the like are arranged in the overhang portion, these can be protected from the chemical solution during the etching process and the chemical strengthening process by the protective film.
[0019]
In another method of manufacturing an electro-optical panel according to the present invention, the first motherboard and the second motherboard are attached to each other with an open-curve sealing material and a closed-curve sealing material surrounding the open-curve sealing material. A step of etching the first mother substrate and the second mother substrate bonded by the sealing material; and a step of etching the first mother substrate and the second mother bonded by the sealing material after the etching process. And a step of chemically strengthening the substrate.
[0020]
According to such a configuration of the present invention, since the closed space is formed by the closed-curve sealing material, the first substrate, and the second substrate, the chemical used for each processing does not enter the closed space. In addition, elements and wirings formed on the substrate are not affected.
[0021]
Also, a plurality of the open curved seal materials are provided, and after the chemical strengthening process, the first mother substrate and the second mother substrate are cut to have one open curved seal material. Forming a plurality of panels.
[0022]
Thus, a plurality of electro-optical panels can be formed from a pair of mother substrates, and the etching process and the chemical strengthening process can be performed collectively in a state of the pair of mother substrates.
[0023]
The electronic device of the present invention includes any one of the above-described glass substrate for an electro-optical panel, the above-described electro-optical panel, and the electro-optical panel manufactured by the above-described method for manufacturing an electro-optical panel. It is characterized by having.
[0024]
According to such a configuration of the present invention, since the electronic apparatus is provided with the glass substrate or the electro-optical panel having high mechanical strength, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of breakage or breakage of the substrate due to impact.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a liquid crystal panel will be described as an example of an electro-optical panel, and embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0025]
In the present embodiment, scratches, cracks, micro-cracks, etc. on a glass substrate as a glass plate at a stage before inputting a manufacturing process of a liquid crystal panel, which is an example of an electro-optical panel, In addition, the present invention is characterized in that flaws, cracks, microcracks, and the like generated in the glass substrate are removed by etching and chemical strengthening to improve the crack strength of the glass substrate. The etching process and the chemical strengthening process are performed by (1) the state of the glass substrate before the liquid crystal panel manufacturing process is input, (2) the state of the large panel substrate during the liquid crystal panel manufacturing process, and (2) the state of the large panel panel. Next, after cutting into a so-called strip panel, (4) further cutting is performed to separate each liquid crystal panel, and (5) a liquid crystal driving IC (hereinafter referred to as “driver”) for each liquid crystal panel. After the implementation of the “IC”), it can be performed at each stage. In the present embodiment, a glass substrate put into a liquid crystal panel manufacturing process as a glass plate, that is, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal panel will be described as an example, but after a glass plate is subjected to etching and chemical strengthening as a glass plate. Alternatively, the glass base plate may be cut into a desired size and used as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal panel. However, since there is a high possibility that cracks and scratches are generated when cutting the glass base plate, it is effective to perform the etching treatment and the chemical strengthening treatment of the present invention on the glass substrate at the time of entering the liquid crystal panel manufacturing process. . Hereinafter, the processing in each stage will be described in detail.
[0026]
(1) State of glass substrate
First, a process performed in a state of a glass substrate will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a manufacturing process diagram of a glass substrate. First, an etching process (S1) is performed on the entire surface of the glass substrate using a chemical solution described later to remove scratches and cracks that have occurred up to the production of the glass substrate. Thereafter, a chemical strengthening process (S2) is performed on the entire surface of the glass substrate using a chemical solution described later. As a result, the sodium atoms on the surface of the glass substrate are replaced with potassium ions, for example, having a larger ionic radius than sodium contained in the chemical solution, and a chemically strengthened layer is formed on the surface of the glass substrate, thereby improving the mechanical strength. Thereafter, a rinsing process (S3) is performed on the entire surface of the glass substrate with pure water. The etching process, the chemical strengthening process, and the rinsing process are performed continuously. Thereby, in a state where the scratches and cracks formed on the glass substrate are removed, the chemical strengthening layer is formed, and the mechanical strength is improved.
[0027]
(2) Large panel substrate
Hereinafter, the etching process (hereinafter, referred to as “etching process A”) and the chemical strengthening process (hereinafter, referred to as “chemical strengthening process A”) performed in the state of the large panel substrate will be described with reference to FIGS. It will be described using FIG. 2A is a schematic perspective view of the large panel, FIG. 2B is a schematic sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG. 2A, and FIG. 3 is a single liquid crystal from the large panel substrate. It is a schematic process figure until it is cut | disconnected by a panel.
[0028]
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, in the large panel substrate 10, the first motherboard 11 and the second motherboard 12 are attached by an open curved seal material 13 and a closed curved seal material 30. It has a broken structure. The first mother substrate 11 has a first surface 11b and a second surface 11a facing each other, and the second mother substrate 12 has a first surface 12b and a second surface 12a facing each other. Are arranged such that the first surfaces 11b and 12b face each other. The open-curve sealing material 13 has an opening 14 serving as a liquid crystal injection port, and the closed-curve sealing material 30 is disposed so as to surround the plurality of open-curve sealing materials 13. A closed space is formed by the material 30, the first motherboard 11, and the second motherboard 12.
[0029]
As shown in FIG. 3 (A), such a large panel 10 substrate is cut along cutting lines 15 and 16, and further, only the first mother substrate 11 is cut along cutting line 18, so that the liquid crystal is cut. By encapsulating between the substrates, individual liquid crystal panels 1 shown in FIG. 3C are obtained. In the example of FIG. 3A, first, the large panel substrate 10 is cut along a cutting line 16 where the opening 14 of the sealing material 13 having an open curve is located, and further along the cutting line 18. Only one mother substrate 11 is cut out to obtain a strip-shaped substrate (referred to as “primary cutting”). In the case of a strip-shaped substrate, the openings 14 of the plurality of liquid crystal panels are aligned along the long sides thereof. After the injection into the space formed between the two substrates, the opening 14 is sealed with the sealing material 19 to obtain the strip-shaped panel 20 shown in FIG. Thereafter, the strip-shaped panel is further cut along the cutting line 15 (referred to as “secondary cutting”) to obtain the individual liquid crystal panel 1 shown in FIG.
[0030]
In the present invention, prior to such a dividing step, an etching process is performed on the entire surface of the large panel substrate 10 using a chemical solution to be described later to remove scratches and cracks generated until the production of the glass substrate. . Thereafter, a chemical strengthening process is performed on the entire surface of the large panel substrate 10 using a chemical solution described later. As a result, sodium atoms on the surface of the glass substrate are replaced with potassium ions, for example, having a larger ionic radius than sodium, and a chemical strengthening layer is formed on the surface of the glass substrate, thereby improving mechanical strength. Thereafter, the entire surface of the glass substrate is rinsed with pure water. In the present embodiment, since the closed space is formed by the closed curved sealing material 30, the first motherboard 11, and the second motherboard 12, the chemical used for each processing does not enter the closed space. . As will be described later, a region outside the region surrounded by the sealing material 30 having a closed curve and sandwiched by the first mother substrate 11 and the second mother substrate 12 is a single liquid crystal panel. Since it is cut and removed, there is no problem even if a chemical solution during processing enters this area.
[0031]
Further, in the present embodiment, multi-cavity is taken as an example, but a seal member having a closed curve shape can be provided even when a single liquid crystal panel is manufactured. That is, after a pair of substrates are bonded together with one open-curve sealing material and a closed-curve sealing material formed so as to surround the pair of substrates, an etching process and a chemical strengthening process are performed. Alternatively, the liquid crystal panel can be formed by cutting the panel substrate so that the closed-curve sealing material is removed. Also in this case, the presence of the closed-curve sealing material prevents the chemical solution from entering the region surrounded by the closed-curve sealing material.
[0032]
(3) After primary cutting
Next, an etching process (hereinafter, referred to as “etching process B”) and a chemical strengthening process (hereinafter, referred to as “chemical strengthening process B”) are performed when the large panel substrate is primarily cut to obtain a strip-shaped panel. ").). FIGS. 4A and 4B show examples of the strip-shaped panel after the primary cutting. FIG. 4A is a plan view of the strip-shaped panel 20, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the strip-shaped panel 20.
[0033]
As shown in FIGS. 3B and 4A, the strip-shaped panel 20 is obtained by cutting the large panel substrate 10 shown in FIG. In this state, a so-called overhang portion 21 is formed in which liquid crystal is injected into the inside to seal the opening portion 14 and further cut off only the first mother substrate 11. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the strip-shaped panel 20 has a first strip substrate 22 as a first substrate from which the first mother substrate 11 has been cut, and a second strip substrate 22 having been cut. A structure in which an open-curve sealing material 13 and a closed-curve sealing material 30 are cut and partially left and adhered to each other with a second strip substrate 23 as a second substrate is formed. ing. The first strip substrate 22 has a first surface 22b and a second surface 22a facing each other, and the second strip substrate 23 has a first surface 23b and a second surface 23a facing each other. Reference numeral 23 is arranged such that the first surfaces 22b and 23b face each other. Note that a driver IC for driving the liquid crystal panel 1 is mounted on the overhanging portion 21 after forming the individual liquid crystal panels by secondary cutting. Further, on the first surface 23b of the overhang portion 21, terminals for obtaining electrical connection with an external circuit board, a driver IC, and the like are formed.
[0034]
In the strip-shaped panel 20, scratches and cracks are likely to occur in the step of cutting from the large panel substrate 10. Such scratches and cracks often occur along the cut surface. Therefore, the entire strip-shaped panel 20 is subjected to the same etching treatment and chemical strengthening treatment as those of the above-described state of the glass substrate and the state of the large-sized panel substrate.
[0035]
At this time, as described above, electrical wiring such as terminals is formed on the overhang portion 21.
As shown in FIG. 4, only the overhanging portion 21 is protected by masking it with a protective film 27 so that it is not damaged by etching. The method of the protective film 27 and the mask will be described later. Then, scratches and cracks are removed by etching treatment on all surfaces other than the masked overhang portion 21, and thereafter, mechanical strength is improved by chemical strengthening treatment. Thereby, mainly the scratches and cracks generated in the temporary cutting step are removed, and the chemical strengthening process is performed in a state where these scratches and cracks are removed, so that the mechanical strength is improved and the upper side constituting the liquid crystal panel 1 is formed. The crack strength of the substrate 2 and the lower substrate 3 can be greatly improved. In the state of the strip-shaped panel 20, since liquid crystal has already been injected into the cells of each liquid crystal panel 1 and the openings 14 have been sealed with the sealing material 19, they are used for etching and chemical strengthening. There is no danger of the chemical solution entering the cell.
[0036]
(4) After the liquid crystal panel is divided
Next, an etching process (hereinafter, referred to as “etching process C”) and a chemical strengthening process (hereinafter, referred to as “chemical strengthening process C”) performed after the large panel substrate is cut and individual liquid crystal panels are taken out. explain. FIG. 5A schematically shows the structure of each liquid crystal panel after division. As shown in FIG. 5A, the liquid crystal panel 1 is obtained by cutting the large glass substrate 12 shown in FIG. 3A, and the liquid crystal panel 1 is an upper substrate as a first glass substrate. 2 and a lower substrate 3 as a second substrate. The upper substrate 2 has a first surface 2b and a second surface 2c facing each other, the lower substrate 3 has a first surface 3b and a second surface 3c facing each other, and the upper substrate 2 and the lower substrate 3 Are arranged such that the first surface 2b and the second surface 3b face each other.
[0037]
As shown in FIG. 5A, the lower substrate 3 has a larger area than the upper substrate 2,
It has a so-called overhang 4 that overhangs the upper substrate 2. The overhanging portion 4 cuts the large panel substrate 10 along the dividing lines 15 and 16 shown in FIG. 3A and then cuts and removes only the portion of the large panel substrate 11 along the cutting line 18. It is formed by doing. As described above, the driver IC for driving the liquid crystal panel 1 in a later step is mounted on the first surface 3b of the overhang portion 4. Further, the overhanging portion 4 is formed with terminals for obtaining electrical connection with an external circuit board, a driver, and the like.
[0038]
In the liquid crystal panel 1, scratches and cracks are likely to occur in the step of separating from the large panel substrate 10. In particular, since the side surfaces 2a and 3a of the upper substrate 2 and the lower substrate 3 are cut surfaces, many scratches and cracks (indicated by reference numeral 5) are formed (note that in FIG. And the cracks 5 are greatly illustrated for convenience of explanation). Therefore, the same etching process and chemical strengthening process as in the above-described state of the glass substrate and the state of the large panel substrate are performed on the entire individual liquid crystal panel 1.
[0039]
At this time, as described above, since electrical wiring such as terminals is formed on the overhang portion 4, only the overhang portion 4 is formed as shown in FIG. It is protected by masking with a protective film 7. The protective film 7 will be described later. Then, scratches and cracks are removed from all surfaces except the masked overhanging portion 4 by etching, and then the physical strength is improved by chemical strengthening. Thereby, the cracks and cracks mainly generated in the dividing step are removed, and the physical strength is further improved, so that the crack strength of the upper substrate 2 and the lower substrate 3 constituting the liquid crystal panel 1 can be greatly improved. it can.
[0040]
(5) After mounting the driver IC
Next, an etching process performed after mounting the driver IC (hereinafter referred to as “etching
Process D ". ) And chemical strengthening treatment (hereinafter referred to as “chemical strengthening treatment D”). The etching process D and the chemical strengthening process D performed after mounting the driver IC are basically the same as the etching process C and the chemical strengthening process C for the individual liquid crystal panel described above. However, since the driver IC has been mounted, it is necessary to mask the portion of the driver IC so that the driver IC is not damaged by the etching process and the chemical strengthening process. Further, as described above, since electrical wires such as terminals are formed on the overhang portion 4, it is necessary to protect them by masking them. Therefore, after the mounting of the driver IC, it is preferable to protect the entire overhanging portion 4 by masking it with the protective film 7 as shown in FIG. When the region where the driver IC and the electric wiring are formed on the overhanging portion 4 is concentrated to some extent, as shown in FIG. The masks 7a and 7b may be formed only in the formed area, and the other areas of the glass substrate may not be masked. Even if it is on the overhanging portion 4, if a scratch or a crack occurs, the glass substrate may be broken. Therefore, it is desirable to remove the glass substrate by etching and to perform a chemical strengthening treatment to increase the physical strength. However, since the region where the driver IC and the electric wiring are formed cannot be etched and chemically strengthened, such a region is protected by masking, and the other region is similarly etched even on the overhang portion 4. It is effective if it can be treated and chemically strengthened.
[0041]
(6) Modified example
Next, the etching process performed in the state of the strip-shaped panel and the individual liquid crystal panel and
The modification of a chemical strengthening process is shown. In the etching process and the chemical strengthening process in the state of the strip-shaped panel shown in FIG. 4, and the etching process and the chemical strengthening process in the state of the individual liquid crystal panel 1 shown in FIG. After being done. Instead, the strip panel 20 or the individual liquid crystal panel 1 is etched before the step of cutting the large panel substrate 11 along the cutting line 18, that is, before the overhang regions 21 and 4 are exposed. A process (hereinafter, referred to as “etching process E”) and a chemical strengthening process (hereinafter, referred to as “chemical strengthening process E”) can also be performed. This example is shown in FIG. 6 and FIG.
[0042]
FIGS. 6A and 6B show a state in which the entire side surface of the strip-shaped panel 20 is sealed with the sealing material 37. FIGS. 7A and 7B show a state where the entire side surface of the individual liquid crystal panel 1 is sealed with a sealing material 37. In any case, since the large panel substrate 11 is not removed in the area corresponding to the overhang portions 21 and 4, it is not necessary to mask the overhang portions 21 and 4. By this etching, scratches and cracks formed on the upper and lower side surfaces of the liquid crystal panel 1 can be removed, and the mechanical strength can be improved by the chemical strengthening treatment.
[0043]
[Etching treatment method]
Next, details of the etching process will be described. The etching process is performed by immersing the substrate in an etching solution. As the etchant, a hydrofluoric acid-based chemical can be suitably used. For example, an etching solution such as a hydrofluoric acid solution, a fluorinated nitric acid solution, hydrofluoric acid, ammonium fluoride, or hydrofluoric acid can be suitably used. Further, an aqueous solution containing them can also be used. For example, a mixed aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid, a mixed aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid and ammonium fluoride, a mixed aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid, ammonium fluoride and nitric acid, and an aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid and ammonium hydrogen difluoride An aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid, ammonium hydrogen difluoride, and nitric acid can be used. Although the etching rate is low, a strongly alkaline chemical such as caustic soda (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH) can also be used.
[0044]
As the etching method, wet etching performed by immersing the processing substrate in the above-described etching solution is preferable, but a dry etching method using an etching gas can also be used. When wet etching is used, the chemical strengthening method described later is a wet process, so that a continuous process of etching and chemical strengthening can be performed, and the glass substrate from which scratches and cracks have been removed by the etching process is immediately chemically strengthened. By performing the treatment, a glass substrate having high mechanical strength is obtained. Further, in the rinsing process performed after these processes, three processing steps can be continuously performed for the wet process.
[0045]
[Chemical strengthening treatment method]
Next, details of the chemical strengthening process will be described. The chemical strengthening treatment is performed by using a solution or a melt of a salt having a cation having a larger ionic radius than the sodium ion contained in the glass substrate as a chemical solution, and immersing the glass substrate in the chemical solution. As a result, the sodium atoms on the surface of the glass substrate are replaced with atoms having an ionic radius larger than that of sodium, and a chemically strengthened layer having the atoms replaced with sodium atoms is formed on the surface of the glass substrate, thereby improving the mechanical strength. As the chemical used here, for example, a molten potassium nitrate having potassium ions as cations having a large ionic radius can be used. Specifically, for example, 50% KNO ₃ And 50% KNO ₂ Can be used. The thickness of the chemical strengthening layer can be adjusted by adjusting the time of immersion in the chemical solution.
[0046]
Further, as a raw material of a glass substrate constituting an electro-optical panel such as a glass plate and a liquid crystal panel in the present invention, soda glass containing an alkali metal such as sodium or the like can be used.
[0047]
As described above, in the present invention, the glass substrate from which scratches, cracks, and the like have been removed by the etching treatment is further improved in mechanical strength by the chemical strengthening treatment, so that it is possible to obtain a glass substrate and a liquid crystal panel which are extremely hard to break. it can.
[0048]
As a method of masking when performing the etching process and the chemical strengthening process, a method using a chemical resistant material having resistance to an etchant or a chemical solution used for the chemical strengthening process as a protective film, a positive resist or a negative resist as a protective film. Is applied, and these can be basically applied to any of the above-described etching treatments A to E and chemical strengthening treatments A to E. The protective film is removed after the etching, the chemical strengthening, and the rinsing are completed.
[0049]
As the chemical-resistant material, there are, for example, a method of applying a wax or oil-based coating, attaching a chemical-resistant tape, and covering a portion to be masked with a putty or clay-like material.
[0050]
As a method of applying the resist, there is a method of applying a resist by immersing (dipping) or spraying a portion to be masked in the resist, and then exposing and developing to form a desired mask pattern. Further, a resist may be applied to the masked portion using a brush or a brush. In this case, the equipment used for resist coating can be inexpensive. There is also a method of applying a resist to a desired mask pattern by discharging a droplet material from a nozzle (so-called injection). In the method of applying the resist by the inkjet method, the resist can be applied in a fine pattern. Therefore, in particular, in the etching process C performed after the mounting of the driver IC, the position of the driver IC on the overhang portion 4 and the electrical wiring portion are specified. This is very effective when performing masking only on the part.
[0051]
On the other hand, the method of removing the mask thus formed basically differs for each mask forming method. When a photoresist is used, the resist may be removed by dissolving the resist using a predetermined chemical solution. In the case of wax or oil-based coating, the coating can be removed by dissolving the coating with a chemical solution. When a chemical resistant tape, putty, or the like is used, they may simply be peeled off.
[0052]
[Manufacturing method of liquid crystal panel]
Next, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel to which the etching process and the chemical strengthening process of the present invention are applied will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a schematic manufacturing process diagram of a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a liquid crystal panel manufacturing method according to the present invention.
[0053]
First, after performing predetermined processing such as formation of a transparent electrode and formation of an alignment film on the first mother substrate 11 and the second mother substrate 12 shown in FIG. A plurality of (here, 16) open-curve seal materials 13 and a closed-curve seal material 30 are applied on the substrate so as to surround the plurality of open-curve seal materials 13. Thereafter, the two mother substrates are bonded together via the sealing materials 13 and 30 (step S2). Thus, a large panel substrate 10 illustrated in FIG. 3A is obtained. In this state, after the etching process A (step S3) and the chemical strengthening process A (step S4) are performed, a rinsing process is performed using pure water.
[0054]
In the present embodiment, since the closed space is formed by the closed curved sealing material 30, the first motherboard 11, and the second motherboard 12, the closed space is formed by the etching process A and the chemical strengthening process A, respectively. The chemical used does not enter. As will be described later, a region outside the region surrounded by the sealing material 30 having a closed curve and sandwiched by the first mother substrate 11 and the second mother substrate 12 is a single liquid crystal panel. Since it is cut and removed, there is no problem even if a chemical solution during processing enters this area. Thereby, the scratches and cracks formed on the entire surface of the large-sized panel substrate 10 are removed, and the mechanical strength is further improved.
[0055]
Next, primary cutting is performed along the cutting line 15 shown in FIG. 3A (step S5), and only the glass substrate 11 side is removed along the cutting line 18. Thereafter, liquid crystal is injected between the substrates from the liquid crystal panel openings 14 exposed on the cut surface, and the openings 14 are sealed (step S6). As a result, the strip-shaped panel 20 having the protruding portion 21 in which the liquid crystal is sealed as shown in FIG. 3B is obtained. Then, after forming the protective film 27 on the projecting portion 21 of the strip-shaped panel 20, an etching process B (step S7) and a chemical strengthening process B (step S8) are performed, and then the protective film 27 is removed.
[0056]
Next, the strip-shaped panel 20 is secondarily cut along the cutting line 15 shown in FIG. 3A to obtain the individual liquid crystal panel 1 as shown in FIG. 3C (step S9).
[0057]
Next, the protective film 7 is formed on the overhanging portion 4 of the individual liquid crystal panel 1, and in this state, the etching process C (step S10) and the chemical strengthening process C (step S11) are performed. Remove. Thereby, the scratches and cracks generated on the side surfaces 2a, 3a and the surfaces (the second surfaces 2c and 3c) of the upper substrate 2 and the lower substrate 3 shown in FIG. 5A due to the cutting of the large panel substrate 10 are removed. Further, since the chemical strengthening treatment is performed, the crack strength of the substrate can be improved.
[0058]
After that, the driver IC is mounted on the predetermined portion 1 on the overhang portion 4 (step S12), and a protective film such as a resist is formed only on the position of the electrical wiring such as the driver IC and the terminal on the overhang portion 4, and in that state, An etching process D (step S13) and a chemical strengthening process D (step S14) are performed. In the case of the etching process D and the chemical strengthening process D, it is necessary to mask only the driver IC and the wiring position on the overhang portion 4, so that the protective film needs to be formed in a fine pattern. For this reason, among the above-described mask forming methods, a method of applying a resist by injection is particularly effective. After the treatment, the protective film is removed.
[0059]
In the liquid crystal panel 1 manufactured as described above, the flaws and cracks existing on the side surfaces and the surfaces, which are the cross sections, are removed, and furthermore, since the chemical strengthening treatment is performed, the crack strength is improved. Therefore, the liquid crystal panel 1 is less likely to be cracked or damaged by a manufacturing process of an electronic device such as a mobile phone or a portable terminal into which the liquid crystal panel 1 is incorporated, or by an impact during use by a user.
[0060]
Although the example of the manufacturing process shown in FIG. 8 includes all of the etching processes A to D and the chemical strengthening processes A to D for convenience of explanation, it is actually necessary to perform all the etching processes and the chemical strengthening processes. Is not necessarily required, and only one of the processes may be performed. In this case, which stage of the etching process and the chemical strengthening process should be performed is determined in consideration of the characteristics of the liquid crystal panel itself, the characteristics of the device on which the liquid crystal panel is mounted, and the transfer conditions during the liquid crystal panel manufacturing process. It is determined. For example, according to the shape of the housing of the device accommodating the liquid crystal panel, the mounting position with respect to the housing, and the like, the etching treatments A to D are performed so as to effectively remove the scratches and cracks in the portion of the device that is easily impacted. And chemical strengthening treatments A to D can be selected.
[0061]
[Electronics]
Next, an embodiment in which a liquid crystal device including the above liquid crystal display panel is used as a display device of an electronic device will be described. FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the present embodiment. The electronic device shown here has a liquid crystal display panel 200 similar to the liquid crystal panel 1 described above, and control means 1200 for controlling the same. Here, the liquid crystal display panel 200 is conceptually divided into a panel structure 200A and a driving circuit 200B including a semiconductor IC or the like. The control means 1200 includes a display information output source 1210, a display processing circuit 1220, a power supply circuit 1230, and a timing generator 1240.
[0062]
The display information output source 1210 includes a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage unit such as a magnetic recording disk or an optical recording disk, and a tuning circuit for synchronizing and outputting a digital image signal. The display information processing circuit 1220 is configured to supply display information to the display method processing circuit 1220 in the form of an image signal in a predetermined format based on various clock signals generated by the timing generator 1240.
[0063]
The display information processing circuit 1220 includes various known circuits such as a serial-parallel conversion circuit, an amplification / inversion circuit, a rotation circuit, a gamma correction circuit, and a clamp circuit. Is supplied to the drive circuit 200B together with the clock signal CLK. The driving circuit 200B includes a scanning line driving circuit, a data line driving circuit, and an inspection circuit. The power supply circuit 1230 supplies a predetermined voltage to each of the above-described components.
[0064]
Specific examples of electronic equipment to which the electro-optical panel according to the present invention can be applied include portable personal computers (so-called notebook computers), mobile phones, liquid crystal televisions, viewfinder / monitor direct-view video tape recorders. , A car navigation device, a pager, an electronic organizer, a calculator, a word processor, a workstation, a videophone, a POS terminal, a digital still camera, and the like.
[0065]
Further, in the embodiment described above, the liquid crystal panel has been exemplified as the electro-optical panel, but any device may be used as long as the glass substrate is a part of the configuration, and an electroluminescence device, an organic electroluminescence device, a plasma display device, The processing of the present invention can be applied to an electro-optical panel used for various electro-optical devices such as an electrophoretic display device and a field emission display (field emission display device) and a glass substrate used for the same.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a manufacturing flowchart of a glass substrate to which an etching process and a chemical strengthening process of the present invention are applied.
FIG. 2A is a schematic perspective view of a large panel substrate to which the etching process and the chemical strengthening process of the present invention are applied, and FIG. 2B is a line AA ′ of FIG. 2A. It is sectional drawing cut | disconnected by.
FIG. 3 is a schematic manufacturing process diagram of a liquid crystal panel to which the etching process and the chemical strengthening process of the present invention are applied.
FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of a strip-shaped panel to which the etching process and the chemical strengthening process of the present invention are applied.
FIG. 5 is a view schematically showing the structure of a liquid crystal panel to which the etching process and the chemical strengthening process of the present invention are applied.
FIG. 6 shows a modification of the etching process and the chemical strengthening process performed in the state of the strip panel.
FIG. 7 shows a modification of the etching process and the chemical strengthening process performed in the state of the liquid crystal panel.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel to which the etching process and the chemical strengthening process of the present invention are applied.
FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating configuration blocks in an embodiment of an electronic apparatus according to the invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 ... Liquid crystal panel
2 Upper substrate
2b, 3b, 11b, 12b, 22b, 23b ... first surface
2c, 3c, 11a, 12a, 22a, 23a... Second surface
3 Lower substrate
4, 21 ... overhang
7, 7a, 7b, 27 ... protective film
10 Large panel board
11 1st mother board
12 Second mother board
13 ... Open curved sealing material
22 1st strip substrate
23 ... second strip substrate
30 ... Closed curved sealing material

Claims (10)

A glass plate having a surface subjected to a chemical strengthening treatment after being subjected to an etching treatment. A glass substrate for an electro-optical panel, wherein a surface is subjected to a chemical strengthening process after being subjected to an etching process. A first substrate having a first surface and a second surface;
An electro-optical panel, comprising: a second substrate having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being disposed so as to face the first surface of the first substrate;
The electro-optical panel according to claim 1, wherein the second surface of the first substrate and the second surface of the second substrate are subjected to a chemical strengthening process after being subjected to an etching process. A step of etching the glass plate;
A step of chemically strengthening the glass plate after the etching process. A step of etching a glass substrate for an electro-optical panel,
And a step of chemically strengthening the glass substrate after the etching process. A step of arranging a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface and a second substrate having a first surface and a second surface such that the first surfaces are opposed to each other, and laminating with a sealant; ,
Etching the first substrate and the second substrate bonded by the sealing material;
Performing a chemical strengthening process on the first substrate and the second substrate bonded together with the sealant after the etching process. The second substrate has an overhang portion that overhangs the first substrate,
The method of manufacturing an electro-optical panel according to claim 6, further comprising a step of forming a protective film on the first surface of the overhang after the bonding step. Bonding the first motherboard and the second motherboard with an open-curve sealing material and a closed-curve sealing material surrounding the open-curve sealing material;
Etching the first mother substrate and the second mother substrate bonded by the sealing material;
Performing a chemical strengthening process on the first mother substrate and the second mother substrate bonded together with the sealant after the etching process. A plurality of the open-curve sealing materials are provided,
After the chemical strengthening process, cutting the first mother substrate and the second mother substrate to form a plurality of electro-optical panels having one open-curve sealing material. A method for manufacturing an electro-optical panel according to claim 8. The glass substrate for an electro-optical panel according to claim 2, an electro-optical panel according to claim 3, or an electro-optical panel manufactured by the method for manufacturing an electro-optical panel according to any one of claims 6 to 9. An electronic device, comprising:

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