JP2004341110A - Film forming method, method for manufacturing liquid crystal system, the liquid crystal system, and electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal system which is unlikely to generate malfuctions that the discharge marks of a liquid crystal is left, by uniformly dispersing the liquid crystal on a substrate using a simple method. <P>SOLUTION: The method for manufacturing the liquid crystal system has a pair of the substrates arranged opposite via a sealing material and sealing the liquid crystal in a space surrounded by the pair of the substrates; and the sealing material includes a sealing material forming process S2 for forming the sealing material in the form of a frame on either substrate of the pair of the substrates; a liquid crystal drop process S3 for dropping the liquid crystal, by using a drop discharge device in the frame of the sealing material; and a substrate vibration process S4 for substantially uniformly dispersing the liquid crystal in the frame of the sealing material, by making the substrate vibrate for dropping the liquid crystal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device, a liquid crystal device, and an electronic device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a method as described in Patent Document 1 has been known as a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 05-281562 A
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In Patent Document 1, a step of forming a sealing material on at least one of the pair of substrates, a step of dropping liquid crystal on at least one of the substrates by using an inkjet, and bonding the pair of substrates together A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel including a step and a step of curing the sealing material thereafter is disclosed. It is described that liquid crystal mixed with a spacer material can be dripped very finely and densely onto a substrate by such a method.
[0005]
However, simply dropping liquid crystal using an ink jet cannot uniformly disperse a high-viscosity liquid crystal material in a substrate surface (in a sealing material), resulting in a non-uniform film thickness in the liquid crystal layer. As a cause, there is a possibility that the performance of the liquid crystal device is deteriorated. Similarly, if the liquid crystal is simply dropped using the ink jet, a discharge mark of the liquid crystal is left on the substrate, and when the liquid crystal device is used as a display device, this is projected as a shadow. Failures may also occur.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and it is possible to uniformly disperse a liquid crystal on a substrate by an extremely simple method, and it is unlikely that a defect such as a discharge mark of the liquid crystal remains. It is an object to provide a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device, a liquid crystal device obtained by the method, and an electronic apparatus including the liquid crystal device. Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a method suitable for forming a uniform film on a substrate.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problem, in a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device according to the present invention, a pair of substrates are arranged to face each other with a sealant interposed therebetween, and liquid crystal is sealed in a region surrounded by the pair of substrates and the sealant. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device, comprising: forming a sealing material in a frame shape on at least one of the pair of substrates; and a droplet discharging device in the sealing material frame. And a substrate vibration step of vibrating the substrate on which the liquid crystal has been dropped and diffusing the liquid crystal substantially uniformly within the frame of the sealing material.
[0008]
According to such a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device, the liquid crystal is dropped onto the substrate using a droplet discharge device. Therefore, compared to a method of discharging the liquid crystal onto the substrate by a dispenser method, for example, a sealing material frame is used. The liquid crystal is easily dispersed in the liquid crystal, and the substrate on which the liquid crystal is dropped is further vibrated so that the liquid crystal is diffused substantially uniformly in the sealing material frame. It will be.
As a result, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal device to be manufactured is less likely to be uneven, and when the liquid crystal device is used as a display device, for example, display such as reduction in contrast due to non-uniform retardation values of the liquid crystal. It is possible to prevent or suppress the characteristic deterioration.
In addition, a streak-like discharge mark that may occur when the droplet discharge device is used can be eliminated by the vibration. Further, even when the amount of liquid crystal dropped from the droplet discharge device, the landing position, or the spread diameter of the landed droplet becomes non-uniform, for example, these problems can be eliminated by vibration. It is possible to realize not only an improvement in display characteristics but also an improvement in manufacturing yield. That is, it is possible to efficiently diffuse the liquid crystal uniformly on the substrate regardless of the performance of the droplet discharge device.
According to the present invention, the reason that the liquid crystal is diffused and uniform in the sealing material frame of the substrate is that the droplets landed on the substrate are connected to the droplets landed at the adjacent position by vibration, and this is the sealing material. This is due to the overall spread within the frame.
[0009]
The liquid crystal dropping step in the present invention is performed using a droplet discharge device. In this case, the liquid crystal is not limited to dropping only liquid crystal as a droplet, but, for example, a liquid mixture of liquid crystal and a predetermined solvent is dropped. It can also be dropped. Further, a spacer for defining a substrate gap (cell gap) may be discharged together with the liquid crystal or the liquid crystal and the solvent. In this case, since the effect of dispersing the spacers uniformly in the sealing material frame also occurs, it is possible to make the substrate spacing (cell gap) of the obtained liquid crystal device more uniform.
[0010]
In the substrate vibration step of the present invention, it is preferable to change the magnitude or direction of the vibration according to various conditions. For example, the magnitude or direction of the vibration may be appropriately set in consideration of the discharge pitch of the liquid crystal, the viscosity of the liquid crystal, the wettability between the liquid crystal and the substrate, the amount of the liquid crystal dropped, and the like.
[0011]
In addition, the substrate vibration step in the present invention can be performed simultaneously with or after the liquid crystal is dropped. The above effect can be achieved regardless of the timing of the vibration. However, if the substrate is vibrated at the same time as the liquid crystal is dropped, the position of the liquid crystal dropped will be shifted. Although it is preferable to perform the vibration, it is preferable to perform the liquid crystal dropping and the substrate vibration in the same step from the viewpoint of improving the manufacturing efficiency.
[0012]
In the liquid crystal dropping step, the scanning direction and the line feed direction of the droplet discharge head of the droplet discharge device intersect approximately 90 degrees, and while performing the liquid crystal drop so that the scanning pitch and the line feed pitch are substantially equal, In the substrate vibration step, vibration can be performed substantially along the scanning direction and the line feed direction of the droplet discharge head.
When the droplet discharge head is scanned in this manner, if vibration is not performed after discharging the liquid crystal, a stripe-shaped discharge mark may be generated in the scanning direction and the line feed direction. By vibrating substantially along the scanning direction and the line feed direction of the droplet discharge head, such streak-like discharge marks can be efficiently eliminated. Further, by dropping the liquid crystal so that the scanning pitch of the droplet discharge head and the line feed pitch are substantially equal, the landing position of the liquid crystal becomes regular, and therefore, the vibration for joining the landed liquid crystals is set to be small. And the diffusivity of the liquid crystal can be further improved.
[0013]
On the other hand, in the liquid crystal dropping step, the liquid crystal is dropped while the scanning direction of the droplet discharge head of the droplet discharge device intersects with the line feed direction at approximately 90 degrees. Vibration can be performed substantially along the scanning direction and the line feed direction, and can be performed such that the amplitude of each vibration is different between the scan direction and the line feed direction.
In this case, for example, even when the liquid crystal is dropped so that the scanning pitch and the line feed pitch are different in the droplet discharge head, the amplitude of the vibration of the substrate may be different between the vibration in the scanning direction and the vibration in the line feed direction. Is set, the liquid crystal can be efficiently diffused. Specifically, the vibration amplitude can be increased in the direction of the larger pitch, and reduced in the direction of the smaller pitch.
[0014]
Next, the liquid crystal device of the present invention is characterized by being obtained by the above-mentioned manufacturing method. According to such a liquid crystal device, it is possible to make the thickness of the liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates uniform, to eliminate the discharge trace of the liquid crystal, and to improve the reliability. Become. When the liquid crystal device is used as a display device, the visibility can be further improved, and an electronic device provided with such a liquid crystal device provides a display with high visibility.
[0015]
Further, the film forming method of the present invention is a film forming method for forming a film on a substrate, wherein a step of dropping a droplet containing a film material on the substrate using a droplet discharging device, Vibrating the substrate on which the droplet has been dropped and diffusing the droplet substantially uniformly within the substrate surface. According to such a method, a uniform film can be suitably formed on a substrate, and a more reliable liquid crystal device can be provided by applying this film forming method to the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device of the present invention. It is possible to do. Note that the film here includes a layer having fluidity such as a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between substrates as in a liquid crystal device or the like.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Liquid crystal device]
The liquid crystal device of the present embodiment described below is an active matrix type transmissive liquid crystal device using a thin film transistor (TFT) as a switching element. FIG. 1 is an equivalent circuit diagram of switching elements, signal lines, and the like in a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix of the transmission type liquid crystal device of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part showing a structure of a plurality of adjacent pixel groups on a TFT array substrate on which data lines, scanning lines, pixel electrodes, and the like are formed. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is an overall plan view showing a planar structure of the entire transmission type liquid crystal device of the present embodiment. Note that FIG. 3 illustrates a case where the upper side in the drawing is the light incident side and the lower side in the drawing is the viewing side (observer side). Further, in each drawing, the scale of each layer or each member is made different in order to make each layer or each member a recognizable size in the drawing.
[0017]
In the liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form include a pixel electrode 9 and a TFT which is a switching element for controlling energization of the pixel electrode 9. And a data line 6a to which an image signal is supplied is electrically connected to a source of the TFT element 30. The image signals S1, S2,..., Sn to be written to the data lines 6a are supplied line-sequentially in this order or supplied to a plurality of adjacent data lines 6a for each group.
[0018]
Further, the scanning line 3a is electrically connected to the gate of the TFT element 30, and the scanning signals G1, G2,..., Gm are applied to the plurality of scanning lines 3a in a pulsed line-sequential manner at a predetermined timing. You. The pixel electrode 9 is electrically connected to the drain of the TFT element 30. When the TFT element 30 serving as a switching element is turned on for a certain period, image signals S1, S2,. , Sn at a predetermined timing.
[0019]
The image signals S1, S2,..., Sn of a predetermined level written in the liquid crystal through the pixel electrodes 9 are held for a certain period between the common electrodes described later. The liquid crystal modulates light by changing the orientation and order of the molecular assembly according to the applied voltage level, thereby enabling gray scale display. Here, in order to prevent the held image signal from leaking, a storage capacitor 70 is added in parallel with the liquid crystal capacitor formed between the pixel electrode 9 and the common electrode.
[0020]
Next, a planar structure of a main part of the liquid crystal device of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, a rectangular pixel electrode 9 (indicated by a dotted line 9A) made of a transparent conductive material such as indium tin oxide (hereinafter abbreviated as ITO) is formed on a TFT array substrate. Are provided in the form of a matrix, and data lines 6a, scanning lines 3a, and capacitor lines 3b are provided along the vertical and horizontal boundaries of the pixel electrode 9, respectively. In the present embodiment, each pixel electrode 9 and a region where the data line 6a, the scanning line 3a, the capacitor line 3b, and the like provided so as to surround the pixel electrode 9 are formed as pixels, and are arranged in a matrix. The structure is such that display can be performed for each pixel.
[0021]
The data line 6a is electrically connected to a source region, which will be described later, through a contact hole 5 in the semiconductor layer 1a made of, for example, a polysilicon film constituting the TFT element 30, and the pixel electrode 9 is connected to the semiconductor layer 1a. Of these, it is electrically connected to a drain region described later via a contact hole 8. In addition, the scanning line 3a is arranged so as to face a channel region (a hatched region rising to the left in the figure) of the semiconductor layer 1a, and the scanning line 3a faces the channel region as a gate electrode. Function.
[0022]
The capacitance line 3b extends from a main line portion extending substantially linearly along the scanning line 3a (that is, a first region formed along the scanning line 3a in a plan view) and a portion intersecting the data line 6a. And a projection (ie, a second region extending along the data line 6a when viewed in a plan view) protruding forward (upward in the figure) along the data line 6a. In FIG. 2, a plurality of first light-shielding films 11a are provided in a region indicated by oblique lines rising to the right.
[0023]
Next, a cross-sectional structure of the liquid crystal device of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG. 2 as described above, and is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a region where the TFT element 30 is formed. In the liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment, a liquid crystal layer 50 is sandwiched between a TFT array substrate 10 and an opposing substrate 20 disposed opposite to the TFT array substrate.
[0024]
The liquid crystal layer 50 is made of a smectic liquid crystal which is a ferroelectric liquid crystal, and has a fast response of driving the liquid crystal to a voltage change. The TFT array substrate 10 mainly includes a substrate main body 10A made of a light-transmitting material such as quartz and a TFT element 30, a pixel electrode 9, and an alignment film 40 formed on the surface of the liquid crystal layer 50 side. The substrate 20 mainly includes a substrate main body 20A made of a light-transmitting material such as glass or quartz, and a common electrode 21 and an alignment film 60 formed on the liquid crystal layer 50 side surface. The substrates 10 and 20 are kept at a predetermined substrate interval via the spacer 15.
[0025]
In the TFT array substrate 10, a pixel electrode 9 is provided on the surface of the substrate body 10A on the liquid crystal layer 50 side, and a pixel switching TFT element 30 for controlling switching of each pixel electrode 9 is provided at a position adjacent to each pixel electrode 9. Have been. The pixel switching TFT element 30 has an LDD (Lightly Doped Drain) structure, and includes a scanning line 3a, a channel region 1a 'of the semiconductor layer 1a in which a channel is formed by an electric field from the scanning line 3a, and a scanning line 3a. A gate insulating film 2 for insulating the semiconductor layer 1a from the semiconductor layer 1a, a data line 6a, a low-concentration source region 1b and a low-concentration drain region 1c of the semiconductor layer 1a, and a high-concentration source region 1d and a high-concentration drain region 1e of the semiconductor layer 1a. ing.
[0026]
A second interlayer insulation in which a contact hole 5 leading to a high-concentration source region 1d and a contact hole 8 leading to a high-concentration drain region 1e are formed on the substrate main body 10A including the scanning lines 3a and the gate insulating film 2. A film 4 is formed. That is, the data line 6a is electrically connected to the high-concentration source region 1d through the contact hole 5 penetrating the second interlayer insulating film 4.
[0027]
Further, on the data line 6a and the second interlayer insulating film 4, a third interlayer insulating film 7 having a contact hole 8 opened to the high-concentration drain region 1e is formed. That is, the high-concentration drain region 1e is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 9 via the contact hole 8 penetrating the second interlayer insulating film 4 and the third interlayer insulating film 7.
[0028]
On the surface of the substrate body 10A of the TFT array substrate 10 on the side of the liquid crystal layer 50, a region where each pixel switching TFT element 30 is formed is transmitted through the TFT array substrate 10 and the lower surface of the TFT array substrate 10 shown in FIG. The return light reflected at the interface between the array substrate 10 and air and returning to the liquid crystal layer 50 side is prevented from entering at least the channel region 1a 'and the low-concentration source / drain regions 1b and 1c of the semiconductor layer 1a. Light-shielding film 11a is provided.
[0029]
Further, between the first light shielding film 11a and the pixel switching TFT element 30, a first interlayer insulating for electrically insulating the semiconductor layer 1a constituting the pixel switching TFT element 30 from the first light shielding film 11a. A film 12 is formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in addition to providing the first light-shielding film 11 a on the TFT array substrate 10, the first light-shielding film 11 a is electrically connected to the previous or subsequent capacitance line 3 b via the contact hole 13. It is configured to be connected to.
[0030]
Further, on the outermost surface of the TFT array substrate 10 on the side of the liquid crystal layer 50, that is, on the pixel electrode 9 and the third interlayer insulating film 7, an alignment film 40 for controlling the alignment of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 50 when no voltage is applied. Is formed. Therefore, in a region including such a TFT element 30, a plurality of irregularities or steps are formed on the outermost surface of the TFT array substrate 10 on the liquid crystal layer 50 side, that is, on the sandwiching surface of the liquid crystal layer 50. .
[0031]
On the other hand, the opposing substrate 20 has an area on the liquid crystal layer 50 side surface of the substrate main body 20A which faces the data line 6a, the scanning line 3a, and the formation area of the pixel switching TFT element 30, that is, the opening area of each pixel portion. A second light-shielding film 23 for preventing the incident light from entering the channel region 1a ', the low-concentration source region 1b, and the low-concentration drain region 1c of the semiconductor layer 1a of the pixel switching TFT element 30 is provided in the other regions. Is provided. Further, on the liquid crystal layer 50 side of the substrate main body 20A on which the second light-shielding film 23 is formed, a common electrode 21 made of ITO or the like is formed over substantially the entire surface thereof. An alignment film 60 for controlling the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 50 is formed.
[0032]
Next, FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view schematically showing the overall configuration of the liquid crystal device 100 according to the present embodiment. The space between the TFT array substrate 10 and the opposing substrate 20 is sealed with a closed annular sealing material 93. The liquid crystal layer 50 is formed so as to stop. That is, in the liquid crystal device 100 of the present embodiment, the sealing material 93 does not have an injection port for injecting liquid crystal, and has a closed frame shape in an in-plane region of the substrates 10 and 20. It is formed in a closed frame shape having no opening toward the outer edges of the substrates 10 and 20 without being exposed to the outer edges of the substrates 10 and 20.
[0033]
Here, in the liquid crystal device 100 of the present embodiment, since a method described below is employed as a method of disposing the liquid crystal in the frame of the sealing material 93, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 50 is set within the plane of the substrate. Are extremely uniform. In addition, for example, an injection mark may be formed when an injection port is provided in the sealing material and the liquid crystal is injected into the frame of the sealing material 93 by an injection method, or an ejection mark may be generated when the liquid crystal is disposed on the substrate by a dispenser method. Traces of the liquid crystal in the form of stripes or rings are not left on the substrate by employing the following method. Therefore, a liquid crystal device having a high display characteristic is formed without visually observing the injection mark or the discharge mark.
[0034]
[Manufacturing method of liquid crystal device]
Next, an example of a method of manufacturing the liquid crystal device 100 shown in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a process flow of one manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device 100 of the present embodiment. That is, in this manufacturing method, after forming a frame-shaped sealing material on one of the substrates on which the alignment film is formed, liquid crystal is dropped into the sealing material frame, and after vibrating the dropped substrate, the other is shaken. The method is characterized by including a step of bonding substrates. Hereinafter, each flow will be described in detail.
[0035]
First, as shown in step S1 of FIG. 5, a light-shielding film 11a, a first interlayer insulating film 12, a semiconductor layer 1a, a channel region 1a ', a low-concentration source region 1b, and a light-shielding film 11a are formed on a lower substrate body 10A made of glass or the like. Low-concentration drain region 1c, high-concentration source region 1d, high-concentration drain region 1e, storage capacitor electrode 1f, scanning line 3a, capacitor line 3b, second interlayer insulating film 4, data line 6a, third interlayer insulating film 7, contact A hole 8, a pixel electrode 9, and an alignment film 40 are formed, and a lower substrate (TFT array substrate) 10 is formed. Further, the light-shielding film 23, the counter electrode 21, and the alignment film 60 are also formed on the upper substrate body 20A, and the upper substrate (counter substrate) 20 is formed.
[0036]
Next, in step S2 of FIG. 5, a frame-shaped sealing material 93 is formed on the upper substrate 20 or the lower substrate 10 (the lower substrate 10 in the present embodiment). Note that an ultraviolet curable resin or the like can be used as the sealing material 93, which is formed in a frame shape by a printing method or the like. In this case, as shown in FIG. Form into shape.
[0037]
Next, in step S3 of FIG. 5, a predetermined amount of liquid crystal corresponding to the cell thickness of the liquid crystal device 100 is dropped on the lower substrate 10 on which the sealing material 93 is formed. In the present embodiment, liquid crystal is dropped using, for example, a droplet discharge device 300 as shown in FIG. 10, and a droplet including a spacer is used as a droplet.
[0038]
FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a droplet discharge device 300 (hereinafter, also referred to as an inkjet device 300). The ink jet apparatus 300 includes a base 31, a substrate moving unit 32, a head moving unit 33, an ink jet head (head) 34, an ink (liquid) supply unit 35, and the like. The base 31 is provided with the substrate moving means 32 and the head moving means 33 thereon.
[0039]
The substrate moving means 32 is provided on the base 31 and has a guide rail 36 arranged along the Y-axis direction. The substrate moving means 32 is configured to move the slider 37 along the guide rail 36 by, for example, a linear motor. The slider 37 is provided with a motor (not shown) for the θ-axis. This motor is, for example, a direct drive motor, and its rotor (not shown) is fixed to the table 39. Under such a configuration, when power is supplied to the motor, the rotor and the table 39 rotate in the θ direction, and the table 39 is indexed (rotated).
[0040]
The table 39 positions and holds the substrate S (corresponding to the lower substrate 10). That is, the table 39 has a known suction holding means (not shown), and the substrate S is suction-held on the table 39 by operating the suction holding means. The substrate S is accurately positioned and held at a predetermined position on the table 39 by positioning pins (not shown) of the table 39. The table 39 is provided with a discard area 41 for the ink jet head 34 to discard or test-strike ink (liquid composition). The discard area 41 is formed extending in the X-axis direction, and is provided on the rear end side of the table 39.
[0041]
The head moving means 33 includes a pair of stands 33a, 33a erected on the rear side of the base 31, and a traveling path 33b provided on the stands 33a, 33a. They are arranged along the axial direction, that is, the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis direction of the substrate moving means 32. The traveling path 33b is formed with a holding plate 33c passed between the gantry 33a, 33a and a pair of guide rails 33d, 33d provided on the holding plate 33c. A slider 42 for holding the inkjet head 34 in the length direction of 33d is movably held. The slider 42 travels on the guide rails 33d, 33d by operation of a linear motor (not shown) or the like, thereby moving the inkjet head 34 in the X-axis direction.
[0042]
Motors 43, 44, 45, 46 as swing positioning means are connected to the inkjet head 34. When the motor 43 is operated, the ink jet head 34 moves up and down along the Z axis, and positioning on the Z axis is possible. The Z axis is a direction (vertical direction) orthogonal to the X axis and the Y axis. When the motor 44 is operated, the ink jet head 34 swings along the direction β in FIG. 10 and can be positioned. When the motor 45 is operated, the ink jet head 34 swings in the γ direction and the positioning is performed. When the motor 46 is operated, the ink jet head 34 swings in the α direction and can be positioned.
[0043]
As described above, the inkjet head 34 can be positioned by linearly moving in the Z-axis direction on the slider 42, and can swing and position along α, β, and γ. Therefore, the position or posture of the ink ejection surface of the inkjet head 34 with respect to the substrate S on the table 39 side can be accurately controlled.
[0044]
Here, as shown in FIG. 11A, the inkjet head 34 includes a nozzle plate 112 made of, for example, stainless steel and a vibration plate 113, and both are joined via a partition member (reservoir plate) 114. A plurality of spaces 115 and a liquid pool 116 are formed between the nozzle plate 112 and the vibration plate 113 by a partition member 114. Each space 115 and the inside of the liquid pool 116 are filled with ink (liquid crystal composition), and each space 115 and the liquid pool 116 communicate with each other via a supply port 117. Further, a plurality of nozzle holes 118 for ejecting ink (liquid crystal composition) from the space 115 are formed in the nozzle plate 112 in a state of being arranged in a line. On the other hand, a hole 119 for supplying ink (liquid crystal composition) to the liquid reservoir 116 is formed in the diaphragm 113.
[0045]
Further, a piezoelectric element (piezo element) 120 is joined to the surface of the diaphragm 113 opposite to the surface facing the space 115 as shown in FIG. 11B. The piezoelectric element 120 is located between the pair of electrodes 121, and is configured to bend so as to protrude outward when energized. The diaphragm 113 to which the piezoelectric element 120 is bonded under such a configuration is configured to bend outward simultaneously with the piezoelectric element 120, thereby reducing the volume of the space 115. It is increasing. Therefore, the ink (liquid crystal composition) corresponding to the increased volume flows into the space 115 from the liquid reservoir 116 via the supply port 117. When the current supply to the piezoelectric element 120 is released from such a state, both the piezoelectric element 120 and the diaphragm 113 return to their original shapes. Therefore, since the space 115 also returns to the original volume, the pressure of the ink (liquid crystal composition) inside the space 115 increases, and the ink (liquid crystal composition) droplet 122 is ejected from the nozzle hole 118 toward the substrate. You. The ink jet system of the ink jet head 34 may be a system other than the piezo jet type using the piezoelectric element 120 described above.
[0046]
Returning to FIG. 10, the ink supply unit 35 supplies an ink (liquid crystal composition) to the inkjet head 34 and an ink supply source 47 for sending the ink (liquid crystal composition) from the ink supply source 47 to the inkjet head 34. And an ink supply tube 48. That is, the ink (liquid crystal composition) is temporarily stored in an ink supply source 47 composed of a container made of stainless steel or the like, and the ink (liquid crystal composition) is supplied from there to the head by an ink supply tube 48.
[0047]
Note that, in the present embodiment, a liquid material in which a liquid crystal and a spacer are mixed is used as a liquid crystal composition to be discharged using such an inkjet device 300. However, a liquid crystal composition including only a liquid crystal may be used. In this case, the spacers are separately provided after performing the discharge process of only the liquid crystal. Further, as the liquid crystal composition, a liquid material including a liquid crystal and a dispersion medium for dispersing the liquid crystal can be used.
[0048]
In addition, when the liquid crystal composition is dropped using such an ink jet device 300, the head 34 scans in the Y direction (positive Y direction) while scanning the liquid at a predetermined pitch as shown in FIG. Drops (liquid crystal composition) are ejected. When reaching the end point in the scanning direction (determined by the frame shape of the sealing material 93), the head 34 performs a line feed at an interval equal to the pitch at the time of scanning, and the head 34 scans again in the Y direction (negative Y direction). Then, droplets (liquid crystal composition) are discharged at a predetermined pitch. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the droplets 122 having the same pitches x and y in the X direction (line feed direction) and the Y direction (scanning direction) land on the substrate (the lower substrate 10 in the present embodiment). The Rukoto.
[0049]
Returning to FIG. 5, after dropping the liquid crystal, in step S4, a step of vibrating the lower substrate 10 to which the liquid crystal has been dropped is performed. Here, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, constant vibration is performed in the X direction and the Y direction along the scanning direction and the line feed direction of the head 34 of the droplet discharge device. By performing such vibrations on the substrate, the droplets 122 shown in FIG. 8 are spread and the adjacent droplets 122 are connected, so that the dropped liquid crystal is diffused into the sealing material 93 frame on the substrate 10. As a result, the liquid crystal layer 50 (see FIG. 4) having less unevenness (uneven thickness of the liquid crystal) can be formed in the frame of the sealing material 93. In addition, in the state shown in FIG. 8, the ejection trace of the droplet is formed, but the ejection trace is also eliminated by applying the vibration. In this vibration step, the spacer 15 dropped together with the liquid crystal is also uniformly dispersed in the frame of the sealing material 93.
[0050]
After performing the substrate vibration process, in step S5, the lower substrate 10 on which the liquid crystal is dropped and the other upper substrate 20 are bonded to each other, and further, a phase difference plate (not shown) is provided on the outer surfaces of the lower substrate 10 and the upper substrate 20. A liquid crystal device having the cell structure shown in FIG. 3 is manufactured by laminating an optical film such as a polarizing plate.
[0051]
On the other hand, as a different example of the manufacturing method, the liquid crystal device of the above embodiment can be obtained by the steps shown in FIG. That is, in the method shown in FIG. 5, the vibration is applied after the liquid crystal composition is dropped on the substrate, but in the method shown in FIG. 6, the liquid crystal composition is dropped while the substrate is vibrated. According to such a method, the same effect as described above can be obtained, and a liquid crystal device having the cell structure shown in FIG. 3 can be manufactured.
[0052]
In each of the above manufacturing methods, it is preferable to employ the following method. First, in the step of vibrating the lower substrate 10, it is preferable to change the magnitude or direction of the vibration according to various conditions. Specifically, the magnitude or direction of the vibration is determined in consideration of the discharge pitch of the dropped liquid crystal composition, the viscosity of the liquid crystal composition, the wettability between the liquid crystal composition and the lower substrate 10, the amount of the liquid crystal composition dropped, and the like. It is good to set appropriately.
[0053]
In the step of dropping the liquid crystal composition, the scanning direction (Y direction) and the line feed direction (X direction) of the head 34 are set to be substantially 90 degrees, and the scan pitch y and the line feed pitch x are substantially equal. It is preferable to set so that In this case, the droplet diffusion effect due to the vibration becomes more remarkable. On the other hand, in the step of vibrating the lower substrate 10, the magnitude (amplitude) of the vibration may be different between the scanning direction (Y direction) and the line feed direction (X direction). In this case, for example, even when the scanning pitch y and the line feed pitch x are different from each other in the droplet discharge head and the liquid crystal composition is dropped, the amplitude of the vibration of the lower substrate 10 is changed in the scan direction (Y direction) and the line feed direction (X If the setting is made to be different in (direction), the liquid crystal composition can be efficiently diffused.
[0054]
[Electronics]
Next, a specific example of an electronic apparatus including the liquid crystal device described in the above embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an example of a mobile phone. In FIG. 12, reference numeral 500 indicates a mobile phone main body, and reference numeral 501 indicates a liquid crystal display unit including the liquid crystal device of the above embodiment. As described above, each of the electronic devices illustrated in FIG. 12 includes any one of the liquid crystal devices according to the above-described embodiments, and thus has an excellent display quality.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an equivalent circuit diagram illustrating a liquid crystal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a structure of a pixel group in the liquid crystal device of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a main part of the liquid crystal device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an overall schematic plan view of the liquid crystal device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a process explanatory view showing one example of a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a process explanatory view showing a modification of the method for manufacturing the liquid crystal device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific mode of dropping a liquid crystal composition on a substrate.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific embodiment of a liquid crystal composition dropped.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a specific embodiment of the liquid crystal composition after performing a vibration step.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a droplet discharge device used in a liquid crystal dropping step.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view and a sectional view of a main part of FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an electronic apparatus according to the invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 lower substrate, 15 spacer, 20 upper substrate, 50 liquid crystal layer, 93 sealing material

Claims (8)

A film forming method for forming a film on a substrate,
Dropping a droplet containing a film material on the substrate using a droplet discharge device,
Vibrating the substrate on which the droplets are dropped, and diffusing the droplets substantially uniformly within the substrate surface;
A film forming method comprising: A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device, wherein a pair of substrates are disposed to face each other with a sealant therebetween, and a liquid crystal is sealed in a region surrounded by the pair of substrates and the sealant,
A sealing material forming step of forming the sealing material in a frame shape on at least one substrate of the pair of substrates,
A liquid crystal dropping step of dropping liquid crystal into the sealing material frame using a droplet discharge device, and a substrate vibration for vibrating the substrate on which the liquid crystal has been dropped and dispersing the liquid crystal substantially uniformly in the sealing material frame. Process and
A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device, comprising: 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the substrate vibration step is performed simultaneously with the dropping of the liquid crystal or after dropping the liquid crystal. In the liquid crystal dropping step, the scanning direction and the line feed direction of the droplet discharge head of the droplet discharge device intersect approximately 90 degrees, and, while performing liquid crystal drop so that the scanning pitch and the line feed pitch are substantially equal,
4. The method according to claim 2, wherein, in the substrate vibration step, vibration is performed substantially along a scanning direction and a line feed direction of the droplet discharge head. 5. In the liquid crystal dropping step, while performing a liquid crystal drop by making the scanning direction and the line feed direction of the droplet discharge head of the droplet discharge device intersect approximately 90 degrees,
In the substrate vibration step, vibration is performed substantially along the scanning direction and the line feed direction of the droplet discharge head, and the vibration is performed so that the amplitude of each vibration is different between the scan direction and the line feed direction. Item 4. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device according to item 2 or 3. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device according to claim 2, wherein, in the liquid crystal dropping step, a spacer is dropped together with the liquid crystal. A liquid crystal device obtained by the manufacturing method according to claim 2. An electronic apparatus comprising the liquid crystal device according to claim 7.

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