JP2005084323A - Method for manufacturing electrooptical device and electronic appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To meet the demand for downsizing, heightening precision and enlarging the screen of an electrooptical device by narrowing clearance between a sealant forming region and a picture display region. <P>SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing the electrooptical device includes: a sealant forming step to form the sealant on a TFT array substrate (10) so as to form a rectangular shape in plain view and further to arrange a gap (523G) on corner parts thereof; and a press-fixing step to stick a counter substrate to the TFT array substrate so as face each other and to press-fix the TFT array substrate and the counter substrate to each other. The press-fixing step is carried out in such a way that the sealants (52A and 52B), holding the gap in between, are moved so as to fill the gap. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention includes, for example, an active matrix driving liquid crystal device, an electrophoretic device such as electronic paper, an EL (Electro-Luminescence) display device, a device including an electron-emitting device (Field Emission Display and Surface-Conduction Electron-Emitter Display), etc. It belongs to the technical field of the manufacturing method of the electro-optical device. The present invention also belongs to a technical field of an electronic apparatus including an electro-optical device manufactured by such a manufacturing method.

  Conventionally, for example, pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix on an element substrate, thin film transistors (hereinafter referred to as “TFT” as appropriate) connected to the electrodes, and the TFTs, There is known an electro-optical device capable of so-called active matrix driving by including data lines, scanning lines, and the like provided in parallel in the row and column directions.

  In addition to the above, the electro-optical device includes a counter substrate disposed to face the element substrate, a counter electrode facing the pixel electrode, and the like on the counter substrate. An image display is performed by including a layer made of liquid crystal as an example of an electro-optical material sandwiched between the counter electrodes. That is, the alignment state of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer is appropriately changed by a predetermined potential difference set between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode, thereby changing the transmittance of light transmitted through the liquid crystal layer. As a result, an image is displayed.

  By the way, in the electro-optical device, the element substrate and the counter substrate are bonded via a sealing material made of, for example, a photocurable resin or a thermosetting resin. This sealing material also has a function as a so-called embankment for confining the liquid crystal layer between the element substrate and the counter substrate. As such an electro-optical device, for example, those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known.

JP 2002-277844 A JP 2000-137234 A

  However, the conventional electro-optical device has the following problems. That is, in recent years, there has been a demand for further miniaturization and higher definition of the electro-optical device, while there has been a demand for an increase in the screen size. Regarding the seal material forming area and the image display area in the electro-optical device, a so-called narrow frame (narrow frame is an attempt or tendency to narrow the gap between the seal material forming area and the image display area. Must be planned). This is because the image display area is defined as an area in which the TFT, the data line, the scanning line, and the pixel electrode are formed, and a sealant is not formed around the image display area. However, in order to satisfy the above requirement, the image display area is large, but it is necessary to reduce the size of both the sealing material forming area and the image display area as a whole. Here, the application amount of the sealing material is basically determined as necessary for sufficiently bonding the element substrate and the counter substrate, and the size of the image display area is basically determined by the electric display. Since it is determined by the inch size or the like of the image to be realized by the optical device, so as to effectively satisfy the above requirement, a so-called wasted region between the seal material forming region and the image display region is provided. Narrowing is desired.

  However, it is generally not easy to achieve such a narrow frame. In particular, when a seal dispenser method is employed as a method for drawing a sealing material on a substrate, it is very difficult to achieve a narrow frame. This is because the seal material formed near the corner of the image display area has a corner that follows the corner because of the mechanism accuracy of the seal dispenser device used in the seal dispenser system. Because it is difficult to form as. In this case, conventionally, the sealing material is generally formed as having a substantially quarter-circular shape having a certain radius in the vicinity of the corner of the image display region. It is necessary to provide a relatively large gap between the seal material and the image display area at the two side portions sandwiching the area (otherwise, the seal material covers the corners of the image display area). .) That is, conventionally, the limit of narrowing the frame has been set according to the size of the certain radius.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and by reducing the space between the seal material forming area and the image display area, the electro-optic that can satisfy the demands for miniaturization, high definition, and large screen It is an object to provide a method for manufacturing a device. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic apparatus including the electro-optical device manufactured by the manufacturing method.

[1]
In order to solve the above-described problem, the electro-optical device manufacturing method of the present invention attaches the electro-optical material between the first substrate and the second substrate while the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded together by the sealing material. An electro-optical device manufacturing method comprising: forming a sealing material on the first substrate so that the sealing material is formed to have a rectangular shape in plan view and to have a gap at a corner thereof And a crimping step of bonding the second substrate so as to face the first substrate and crimping the first substrate and the second substrate.

  According to the method for manufacturing an electro-optical device of the present invention, first, a sealing material is formed on the first substrate so as to have a rectangular shape by a sealing material forming step. Here, the “rectangular shape” means a shape that is formed when four line segments are connected to each other so that each of the line segments and two adjacent line segments intersect at right angles. Of course, it includes a shape that deviates somewhat. For example, a shape that does not include a right-angle portion in all or a part of the rectangular corner portion (that is, a shape that can be more generally called a “four-sided shape”), or one or more of four line segments The line segment may be shaped such that it is “bent” in the middle (thus, the “line segment” can no longer be called a “line segment” strictly). In short, any shape may be basically used as long as the shape surrounds each of the image display regions that can generally be formed on the first substrate.

  In forming the sealing material, either a so-called dispenser method or a printing method may be employed. For example, the former (dispenser system) includes a configuration in which a substrate that is movable in a plane is opposed to a sealing material discharge port into which sealing materials are sequentially loaded from the outside. In this method, the sealing material is applied in a predetermined shape by discharging the sealing material from the sealing material discharge port while moving the predetermined amount. The latter (printing method) is a method in which a plate having a predetermined shape to be formed is formed in advance, and a sealing material is formed on the substrate using this plate. In particular, the latter method can reduce the cost for forming the sealing material relatively inexpensively, and can be said to be a method suitable for mass production of the electro-optical device.

  And especially in this invention, a sealing material is formed so that a clearance gap may be formed in the said rectangular corner | angular part. That is, according to the example of the four line segments, adjacent ends of these four line segments are not directly connected, but a “gap” is formed. It is done. According to this, through the subsequent crimping process of the first substrate and the second substrate, the sealing material is moved so that the sealing material sandwiching the gap approaches each other, in other words, the gap is filled. Eventually, it becomes possible to connect the sealing materials sandwiching the gap to each other. At this time, if the shape and size of the gap are appropriate, a shape having a “corner” can be preferably formed in the portion where the gap is formed. In other words, the planar shape of the final sealing material can be made rectangular with four corners.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, when the image display area is rectangular, it is possible to form corners in the sealing material so as to match the corners of the image display area. In other words, according to the present invention, the sealing material is not formed with a constant radius at the corner of the image display region as described in the background section, and if desired, the sealing material formation region. Therefore, the sealing material can be formed so that the outer shape of the image display area and the outer shape of the image display area are almost completely similar to each other.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, the space between the sealing material forming area and the image display area can be further narrowed, and thus the demand for downsizing, high definition, and large screen of the electro-optical device is improved. It can be realized.

[2]
In one aspect of the method for manufacturing the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, the pressure-bonding step is performed so that the sealing material existing across the gap moves to fill the gap.

  According to this aspect, since the crimping process is performed to fill the gap, it is possible to receive the above-described effects more reliably.

[3]
In another aspect of the method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, the method further includes a cutting step of cutting the first substrate into a predetermined shape after the press-bonding step, and the sealing material forming step is performed in the cutting step. Forming the sealing material inside a cutting line in the first substrate that is planned as a cutting position, and the process further includes a predetermined cutting line from the inside of the cutting line toward the outside thereof. Forming a first sealing material and a second sealing material so as to extend beyond a distance and to provide the gap between them.

  According to this aspect, the shape having a corner that matches the corner of the image display region described above can be formed more faithfully as it is originally desired.

  Moreover, according to this aspect, since the sealing material is formed beyond the cutting line, the following effects can be obtained. In other words, in order to realize the miniaturization of the electro-optical device, it is desirable to make the outer shape smaller, but in that case, the outer edge of the image display area and the outer shape (usually by the cutting line). The area between the two is supposed to be as small as possible. That is, in general, it may be considered that such a region tends to be relatively narrow.

  Here, if the seal material is formed by the dispenser method, the seal material is usually drawn on the first substrate with a single stroke. However, the gap is formed within the narrow region as described above. It is relatively difficult to form the sealing material by the one-stroke drawing while ensuring the handling accuracy of the sealing material discharge port or the like used in the dispenser system due to a certain limit.

  However, if the formation of the sealing material exceeding the cutting line is allowed, such difficulty is almost completely eliminated, and if the sealing material discharge port is freely arranged, the protruding portion of the sealing material may be formed. It becomes easy to secure the gap.

  In addition, when drawing the sealing material by one stroke as described above, the “first sealing material” and the “second sealing material” referred to in this aspect may be formed continuously. In this case, the first and second sealing materials are preferably formed so as to be connected with a smooth curve.

[4]
In this aspect, the gaps may be configured to be equidistant over the predetermined distance.

  According to such a configuration, the shape having a corner that matches the corner portion of the image display region described above is more suitable, or the shape having the corner is increased to the above, as originally desired. As a thing, it can be formed more faithfully.

[5]
In another aspect of the method for manufacturing an electro-optical device including the cutting step of the present invention, pixel electrodes are formed on the first substrate or the second substrate so as to be arranged in a matrix, thereby displaying a plurality of images. The method further includes a step of defining a region, and the sealing material forming step includes a step of forming the sealing material so as to surround each of the image display regions.

  According to this aspect, since a plurality of electro-optical devices can be manufactured at once, productivity can be improved. Moreover, the better narrowing of the frame as described above can of course be enjoyed in all of the plurality of electro-optical devices. Therefore, according to this aspect, a large number of electro-optical devices in which downsizing and the like are realized can be manufactured at once.

  In this aspect, if the sealing material is formed so as to completely surround the image display region, a liquid crystal dropping method is used as a method for introducing liquid crystal as an example of an electro-optical material sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate. Can be adopted.

[6]
In this aspect, at least one of the image display areas may include a step of forming the sealing material in a single connection.

  According to such a configuration, particularly when the sealing material is formed by the dispenser method, the image display region can be surrounded by the sealing material having a certain width, and the sealing material forming step Can be shortened.

  In the present embodiment, “to form the sealing material in one connection for at least each of the image display areas” specifically means that if one of the image display areas is focused, one sealing material is used. It is formed by connection, but the other is not so, or the seal material is formed by one connection for each of the image display areas, but is connected between the image display areas. Or, for example, when attention is paid to four image display areas, for example, the sealing material is formed in a continuous manner, but this is not the case between groups of the four image display areas, or Further, it includes cases where all the image display areas are formed with a continuous seal material.

[7]
In another aspect of the method of manufacturing the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, at least one of the shape and the size of the gap is at least the viscosity of the sealing material and the size of the diameter of the gap material mixed in the sealing material. It is determined according to one side.

  According to this aspect, the gap to be formed depends on the viscosity of the sealing material or the diameter of the gap material mixed in the sealing material, which is largely related to moving the sealing material so as to fill the gap. Since the shape or size is determined, it is possible to more suitably realize elimination of the gap by the movement of the sealing material. For the same reason, it is also possible to more suitably execute the formation of the sealing material having corners that match the corners of the image display area (that is, setting the sealing material forming area).

[8]
In another aspect of the method for manufacturing the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, the sealing material forming step is performed by a seal dispenser method.

  According to this aspect, since the sealing material is formed by the seal dispenser method, for example, the sealing material can be formed more accurately and precisely than the printing method described above. Further, unlike the printing method, since the sealing material is applied to the substrate in a non-contact manner, there is little possibility of damaging the substrate in the sealing material forming step.

[9]
In this aspect, the image display area has a rectangular shape in plan view, and the seal material forming step by the seal dispenser method is a first step of drawing the seal material along the first side of the image display area. And after the first step, in the vicinity of a corner that is an end of the first side of the image display region, the first side has a direction having an angle of 45 ° to 90 ° with the first side. A second step of drawing the seal material by a predetermined first length by taking one path, and a circle having a constant center in a portion beyond the predetermined first length after the second step. A third step of drawing the sealing material while swirling in a trace, and after the third step, a second side of the image display region adjacent to the first side and 45 [°] or more 90 [ °] Take the second path with the following angle direction and aiming near the corner A fourth step of drawing the sealing material and a fifth step of drawing the sealing material along the second side from the vicinity of the corner after the fourth step may be provided. .

  According to such a configuration, the gap can be formed better. That is, in this case, the gap can be formed as a portion surrounded by the sealing material formed in the second step, the third step, and the fourth step.

  In this case, for example, between the second step and the third step or between the third step and the fourth step, a sealing material drawing step that can be further characterized in some sense may be sandwiched, The following configuration may be adopted.

[10]
That is, in such a configuration, the circle in the third step is a semicircle, the third step is started when the predetermined first length ends, and the third step in the fourth step The second path may have a direction opposite to the first path, and the fourth step may be performed by a second length that is the same as the first length. This is because according to such a configuration, the gaps having the same intervals as described above can be suitably formed.

[11]
In order to solve the above problems, an electronic apparatus according to the present invention includes an electro-optical device (including various aspects thereof) manufactured by the above-described manufacturing method according to the present invention.

  According to the electronic apparatus of the present invention, since it includes the electro-optical device of the present invention described above, a projection display device, a liquid crystal television, a mobile phone, an electronic notebook, a word processor, and a viewfinder that can achieve further miniaturization. Various electronic devices such as a video tape recorder, a workstation, a videophone, a POS terminal, and a touch panel can be realized.

  Such an operation and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the embodiments described below.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following embodiments, the electro-optical device of the invention is applied to a liquid crystal device. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the electro-optical device when the TFT array substrate is viewed from the counter substrate side together with each component formed thereon, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line H-H ′ of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit of various elements, wirings, and the like in a plurality of pixels formed in a matrix that forms an image display area of the electro-optical device. Further, FIG. 4 is a plan view of a corner portion of the sealing material forming region, and FIG. 4A is an enlarged plan view corresponding to an in-circle portion denoted by reference numeral C1 in FIG. b) is a comparative example.

[Overall configuration of electro-optical device]
First, the overall configuration of the electro-optical device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Here, a TFT active matrix driving type liquid crystal device with a built-in driving circuit, which is an example of an electro-optical device, is taken as an example.

  1 and 2, in the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment, a TFT array substrate 10 and a counter substrate 20 are disposed to face each other. A liquid crystal layer 50 is sealed between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. An image display region 10a defined by the pixel electrodes 9a being arranged in a matrix is located in a substantially middle region where the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 face each other (large in the figure). The continuous round dots indicate that the pixel electrodes 9a are arranged over the entire surface.) The area where the liquid crystal layer 50 exists substantially coincides with the image display area 10a, and image display is performed by transmitting light through the image display area 10a or the liquid crystal layer 50.

  Around the image display area 10a, there is a sealing material forming area (a portion with hatching by dots in the figure. The same applies to the drawings referred to below), and a sealing material 52 is provided in the sealing material forming area. It has been. The seal material 52 includes an overhang portion 523Z so as to correspond to the four corner portions of the image display region 10a or the TFT array substrate 10. The protruding portion 523Z and other characteristic configurations in the present embodiment will be described in detail later with the terms of (seal material configuration and operation / effect) and (electro-optical device manufacturing method).

  A light-shielding frame light-shielding film (not shown) that defines the frame region of the image display region 10a is provided on the counter substrate 20 side in parallel with the inside of the seal material forming region where the seal material 52 is disposed. However, a part or all of such a frame light shielding film may be provided as a built-in light shielding film on the TFT array substrate 10 side. In the peripheral region farther than the frame light shielding film, the data line driving circuit 101 and the external circuit connection terminal 102 are provided on one side of the TFT array substrate 10 in the region located outside the sealing material forming region where the sealing material 52 is disposed. It is provided along. In this peripheral region, the scanning line driving circuit 104 is provided along two sides of the TFT array substrate 10. Further, in order to connect the two scanning line driving circuits 104 provided on both sides of the image display area 10a in this way, the TFT array substrate 10 is covered with the frame light shielding film 53 along the remaining side. A plurality of wirings 105 are provided. In addition, vertical conduction members 106 that function as vertical conduction terminals between the two substrates are disposed at the four corners of the counter substrate 20. On the other hand, the TFT array substrate 10 is provided with vertical conduction terminals in a region facing these corners. Thus, electrical conduction can be established between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20.

  In FIG. 2, an alignment film is formed on a TFT array substrate 10 on a pixel electrode 9a formed on a pixel switching TFT, a scanning line, a data line or the like. On the other hand, on the counter substrate 20, in addition to the counter electrode 21, a lattice-shaped or striped light-shielding film 23 and an alignment film are formed on the uppermost layer portion. Further, the liquid crystal layer 50 is made of, for example, a liquid crystal in which one or several types of nematic liquid crystals are mixed, and takes a predetermined alignment state between the pair of alignment films.

  In addition to the data line driving circuit 101, the scanning line driving circuit 104, and the like, the image signal on the image signal line is sampled and supplied to the data line on the TFT array substrate 10 shown in FIGS. Sampling circuit, precharge circuit for supplying a precharge signal of a predetermined voltage level to a plurality of data lines in advance of the image signal, for inspecting the quality, defects, etc. of the electro-optical device during production or at the time of shipment An inspection circuit or the like may be formed.

(Circuit configuration of the image display area)
In the image display area 10a shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of pixels formed in a matrix as shown in FIG. 3 are configured. Each of these pixels is formed with a pixel electrode 9a and a TFT 30 for controlling the switching of the pixel electrode 9a, and a data line 6a to which an image signal is supplied is electrically connected to the source of the TFT 30. Yes. The image signals S1, S2,..., Sn written to the data lines 6a may be sequentially supplied in this order, or may be supplied for each group to a plurality of adjacent data lines 6a.

  Further, the gate electrode 3a is electrically connected to the gate of the TFT 30, and the scanning signals G1, G2,..., Gm are sequentially applied in this order to the scanning line 11a and the gate electrode 3a in a predetermined timing. It is configured as follows. The pixel electrode 9a is electrically connected to the drain of the TFT 30, and the image signal S1, S2,..., Sn supplied from the data line 6a is obtained by closing the switch of the TFT 30 as a switching element for a certain period. Write at a predetermined timing.

  Image signals S1, S2,..., Sn written in a liquid crystal as an example of an electro-optical material via the pixel electrode 9a are held for a certain period with the counter electrode 21 formed on the counter substrate 20. The The liquid crystal modulates light and enables gradation display by changing the orientation and order of the molecular assembly depending on the applied voltage level. In the normally white mode, the transmittance for incident light is reduced according to the voltage applied in units of each pixel, and in the normally black mode, the light is incident according to the voltage applied in units of each pixel. The light transmittance is increased, and light having a contrast corresponding to the image signal is emitted from the electro-optical device as a whole.

  In order to prevent the image signal held here from leaking, a holding capacitor 70 is added in parallel with the liquid crystal capacitor formed between the pixel electrode 9 a and the counter electrode 21. The storage capacitor 70 is provided side by side with the scanning line 11a, and includes a capacitor line 300 including a fixed potential side capacitor electrode and fixed at a constant potential.

[Configuration, action and effect of sealing material]
Below, the sealing material 52 which has the characteristic structure in this embodiment is demonstrated in detail. First, the sealing material 52 is made of, for example, an ultraviolet curable resin, a thermosetting resin, or the like in order to bond the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, and is applied to the TFT array substrate 10 in the manufacturing process, and then irradiated with ultraviolet rays and heated. It is hardened by the above. Further, a gap material (not shown) such as glass fiber or glass bead for spraying the gap between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 (inter-substrate gap) to a predetermined value is scattered in the sealing material 52. Yes.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the sealing material 52 surrounds the image display region 10a having a rectangular shape in plan view and is substantially similar to the image display region 10a. It is formed in a rectangular shape having a relationship. In particular, the corner of the rectangular sealing material 52 is a right-angled portion 523A as well shown in FIG. Therefore, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4A, there is almost no gap between the seal material forming area where the seal material 52 is formed and the image display area 10a (reference numeral in FIG. 4A). Dp).

  Such a possibility is strongly related to the fact that the seal material 52 includes the protruding portion 523Z so as to correspond to the four corners of the image display region 10a. Since it relates to a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device, it will be described in detail later in [Method for manufacturing an electro-optical device].

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the corners of the region where the seal material 52 is formed are formed substantially at right angles as described above, the seal material forming region and the image display region 10a are separated from each other. There is almost no gap between them, so that it is possible to better realize so-called narrowing of the frame.

  In this regard, in the conventional electro-optical device, as shown in FIG. 4B, the corner portion 52′C of the sealing material 52 ′ in the vicinity of the corner portion of the image display region 10a has a plate forming accuracy used in the printing method. Or an XY table used in a seal dispenser system (see the following description or FIG. 6) has a substantially quadrant shape having a constant radius R. Accordingly, the gap Dc between the seal material forming area and the image display area 10a must be larger than the gap Dp according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 4B, the gap Da between the image display region 10a and the sealing material 52 ′ is made as narrow as possible in the corner portion 52′C of the sealing material forming region. The presence of the radius R increases the gap Dp. Incidentally, if the gap Dc is to be realized in FIG. 4B, the sealing material 52 'or the sealing material forming area is large at the corner of the image display area 10a as is apparent from the drawing. It will be covered.

  However, in the present embodiment, as described above, such a situation does not occur, and the gap Dp between the seal material forming region and the image display region 10a can be suppressed to a very small size, so-called narrow frame. Can be better achieved. Incidentally, according to the study by the inventors of the present application, the value of the gap Dp in this embodiment can be reduced by about 95 [%] compared to the previous gap Dc (that is, the size of the previous gap Dc is smaller). For example, if 1 [mm], the gap Dp can be reduced to about 50 [μm]). As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to better achieve narrowing of the frame, and thus it is possible to better realize the demand for downsizing, high definition, and enlargement of the screen of the electro-optical device.

[Method of manufacturing electro-optical device]
Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing the above electro-optical device will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the electro-optical device manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining in detail the state of the seal drawing in the sealing material forming step, and FIG. FIG. 3 is an overall plan view of one electro-optical device in the middle of the manufacturing process. 8 is an enlarged plan view corresponding to an in-circle portion denoted by reference numeral C2 in FIG. 7, where (a) shows a state immediately after drawing a sealing material, and (b) shows the state of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. The state after the start of crimping is shown.

  First, various components such as the TFT 30, the data line 6a, the scanning line 11a, and the pixel electrode 9a shown in FIG. 3 are constructed on the TFT array substrate 10 (step S10 in FIG. 5). This step is performed using various known semiconductor manufacturing techniques such as a film forming step by sputtering, CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition), or a patterning step by lithography and etching. Here, among the various components described above, the pixel electrodes 9a (and the TFTs 30) are formed so as to be arranged in a matrix and define one image display area 10a (see FIG. 1 or FIG. 7). In the present embodiment, the pixel electrodes 9a (and TFTs 30) are formed on the common TFT array substrate 10 so that a plurality of image display regions 10a are defined (see FIG. 6). The plurality of image display areas 10a are included in individual electro-optical devices by cutting along scribe lines 501X and 501Y in FIG. 6 described later.

  In the present embodiment, in addition to the above-described elements, the storage capacitor 70 (see FIG. 3) including the capacitor line 300 for improving the potential holding characteristic of the pixel electrode 9a on the TFT array substrate 10 and the orientation. The film, or the scanning line driving circuit 104, the data line driving circuit 101, the external circuit connection terminal 102 (see FIG. 1), and other configurations may be constructed using various known semiconductor manufacturing techniques as described above. Needless to say.

  Next, after spraying spacers (not shown) on the TFT array substrate 10, the sealing material 52 is drawn by a dispenser method (step S12 in FIG. 5). That is, first, as shown in FIG. 6, a TFT array substrate 10 in which pixel electrodes 9a and the like are constructed and a plurality of image display regions 10a are defined is placed on an XY table 602 that can operate in the X and Y directions in the figure. Placed on. Subsequently, after the sealing material discharge port 601 disposed so as to face the XY table 602 is disposed at a predetermined position of the TFT array substrate 10, the XY table 602 on which the TFT array substrate 10 is mounted is disposed in a predetermined direction and Move a predetermined amount. At this time, a sealing material having a corresponding viscosity is sequentially supplied to the sealing material discharge port 601 and the sealing material is discharged toward the TFT array substrate 10 from the discharge port tip 601a. As a result, the sealing material is drawn on the TFT array substrate 10 while drawing a predetermined trajectory. Note that a gap material is mixed in the seal material supplied to the seal material discharge port 601.

  Here, the predetermined trajectory is specifically as follows in the present embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, first, the sealing material discharge port 601 is placed on a surplus area 10s outside the scribe lines 501X and 501Y and a predetermined area near the lower left corner of one image display area 10a. Position to position. Next, when the seal material discharge port 601 is positioned at the predetermined position, discharge of the seal material is started from the discharge port front end portion 601a. As a result, the start point 521 made of the sealing material appears on the TFT array substrate 10. At the same time, the XY table 602 is first moved for a while in the + Y direction in FIG. 6 or FIG. 7 and then moved in the combined direction of the −X direction and the −Y direction. As a result, in the relative relationship with the TFT array substrate 10, the sealing material discharge port 601 first moves in the downward direction in FIG. 6 and then turns and moves in the diagonally upward direction to the right. Incidentally, the start point 521 may start the discharge of the sealing material, and the width of the star point 521 is generally larger than the width of the drawing line of the subsequent sealing material.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, basically, the seal material discharge port 601 may be moved so as to surround the image display region 10a, and the seal material should be drawn. Lastly, the seal material discharge port 521 is guided near the start point 521 to reveal the end point 524, where the discharge of the seal material from the discharge port front end portion 601a of the seal material discharge port 601 is stopped. Thereby, the planar shape of the sealing material 52 finally formed is substantially rectangular. Further, in the present embodiment, a single or one-stroke seal material 52 is formed for each image display region 10a. Thereafter, the sealing material 52 may be formed by following the same procedure for each image display region 10a. Incidentally, in FIG. 6, the seal material is being formed in the upper right image display region 10 a in the drawing, and the XY table 602 advances in the −Y direction in the drawing. It is shown as if it is moving toward the upper left in the middle.

  Thus, by adopting a dispenser system that can preferably form a sealing material by a single stroke, it is possible to achieve more accurate and precise sealing material formation than printing methods, and printing. Unlike the method, since the sealing material is applied to the TFT array substrate 10 in a non-contact manner, the possibility of damaging the TFT array substrate 10 in the sealing material forming step is small. In addition, if a single stroke writing is performed by adopting a dispenser method, it is possible to make the width constant in almost any part of the sealing material forming region, and it is possible to manufacture an electro-optical device having no variation.

  By the way, in the sealing material forming process by one stroke writing as described above, in this embodiment, a gap 523G is formed in a portion corresponding to the corner of the image display area 10a, that is, in the corner of the rectangle. Thus, the sealing material 52 is formed. More specifically, for example, in the upper right corner portion of FIG. 7, that is, FIG. 8A, first, the sealing material discharge port 601 that has advanced in the right direction in the drawing along the upper side of the image display region 10 a in the drawing, In the vicinity of the corner of the image display area 10a, the course (hereinafter referred to as "first course") is changed in the upper right direction in the figure. Subsequently, the sealing material discharge port 601 maintains this first path up to a portion that exceeds the scribe line 501X by a predetermined distance Deq. Next, the seal material discharge port 601 moves while drawing a substantially semicircle at a portion exceeding the predetermined distance Deq, so that the path (hereinafter referred to as “the first path” in the opposite direction to the first path maintained until now). 2), the second path is maintained up to the predetermined distance Deq and a predetermined point inside the scribe line 501Y. At this time, as long as both the sealing materials 52A and 52B extend between the sealing material 52A drawn while traveling the first path and the sealing material 52B formed while traveling the second path, etc. A gap 523G is formed so that the distance Geq is maintained. Finally, after reaching the predetermined point inside the scribe line 501Y, the sealing material discharge port 601 moves downward in the drawing along the right side of the image display region 10a in the drawing.

  By following the drawing procedure as described above, a gap 523G is formed in the vicinity of the corner of the image display area 10a together with the protruding portion 523 as shown in FIGS. A gap 523G ′ is also formed in the lower left corner of each image display area 10a in the same manner as the procedure for forming the protruding portion 523 and the gap 523G. Such a possibility can be clearly read from the arrangement of the start point 521 and the end point 524 shown in the figure.

  As described above, when the sealing material forming process is completed, the TFT array substrate 10 is placed in a predetermined atmosphere in which a predetermined cleanliness, a degree of vacuum, and the like are maintained, and then on the image display region 10a. Liquid crystal dropping is performed (step S14 in FIG. 5). That is, for convenience, as shown in FIG. 6, the liquid crystal droplet 50D is dropped on the image display region 10a surrounded by the sealing material 52 using the liquid crystal dropping cylinder 701. This liquid crystal dropping is performed on all of the plurality of image display areas 10a. In order to realize this, the TFT array substrate is placed on the XY table having the same configuration as the XY table 602 as shown in FIG. 10 is placed, and liquid crystal dropping may be performed while appropriately positioning the liquid crystal dropping cylinder 701 and each image display region 10a. In addition, after the sealing material forming process and before the liquid crystal dropping process, a pre-baking process for the sealing material 52 may be sandwiched.

  Subsequently, the counter substrate 20 (not shown) is opposed to the TFT array substrate 10 as described above, and then the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are pressure-bonded (step S16 in FIG. 5). For the counter substrate 20, various components such as the counter electrode 21 and the frame light shielding film are constructed on the counter substrate 20 at an appropriate stage prior to the crimping process (step S 20 in FIG. 5). .

  In this press-bonding step, first, the liquid crystal droplets 50D spread to the periphery so as to spread over the entire surface of each image display region 10a. Here, the sealing material 52 functions as a levee for the liquid crystal droplets 50D spreading in this way.

  In the present embodiment, in particular, the crimping step causes the following changes in the protruding portion 523 and the gap 523G. That is, as the liquid crystal droplets 50D spread to the image display region 10a due to the pressure bonding of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, the sealing materials 52A and 52B existing across the gap 523G It will spread or move to fill. Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, these sealing materials 52A and 52B eventually become connected to each other. Thereafter, finally, the gap 523G completely disappears, and at the same time, a right-angled portion 523A is formed at a portion corresponding to the corner of the image display region 10a of the sealing material 52. In this case, in particular, in the present embodiment, the protruding portion 523 extends by the predetermined distance Deq, and the gap 523G maintains the equidistant distance Geq over the predetermined distance Deq. 523A will be more suitably shaped. This is because the shape and size of the gap 523G in this case is preferable for forming the right-angled portion 523A, but this point will be described later with reference to the deformation modes shown in FIGS. And

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the right-angled portion 523A is suitably formed on the sealing material 52, so that the sealing material 52 to be formed along the upper and lower sides and the left and right sides of the image display region 10a in FIG. From the beginning (that is, already at the stage of the sealing material forming step in step S12 in FIG. 5), it can be formed so as to be located very close to the upper and lower sides and the left and right sides.

  In this regard, conventionally, the seal material cannot be formed very close to the upper and lower sides and the left and right sides of the image display region 10a in the drawing. As already described with reference to FIG. 4B, this is mainly due to the mechanism accuracy of the XY table 602 shown in FIG. 6 or the occurrence of errors due to the operation in the X and Y directions. This is because it is necessary to secure a constant radius R in the portion corresponding to the corner of the image display region 10a in order to form the image continuously. Accordingly, a gap Dc (or a gap larger than the gap Dp shown in FIG. 4A) should not be provided between the image display area 10a and the seal material forming area. It was not.

  As described above, after the crimping process is completed, the sealing material 52 is finally cured (light irradiation treatment if the sealing material 52 is a photocurable resin, heat treatment or the like if the sealing material 52 is a thermosetting resin) (step S17 in FIG. 5). Then, the TFT array substrate 10 is cut along the scribe lines 501X and 501Y (step S18 in FIG. 5; see FIGS. 6 and 7, etc.). By this cutting process, a “protruding portion 523Z” in which only the inside of the scribe lines 501X and 501Y remains in the protruding portion 523 is formed (see FIG. 4A).

  In the above-described electro-optical device manufacturing method, the seal material is formed with a single stroke for each image display region 10a. However, the present invention is not limited to such a form. . If the positions of the start point 521 and the end point 524 shown in FIG. 6 and the like are devised, for example, it is possible to form the sealing material with a single stroke on the plurality of image display areas 10a. Specifically, if the start point and the end point are taken in the surplus area 10s where the corners of the four image display areas 10a face each other, the seal material is formed at once for the four image display areas 10a. Can do. In addition to this, it goes without saying that various drawing methods can be considered. In any case, all of them are within the scope of the present invention.

  Further, in the above, the sealing material is formed on the TFT array substrate 10, but after forming the sealing material on the counter substrate 20 side, the step of pressure bonding the counter substrate 20 and the TFT array substrate 10 is performed. You may implement. In this case, in FIG. 5, it is only necessary to assume a flowchart as if Step S10 and Step S20 were exchanged (“TFT array substrate” in Step S12 is read as “opposing substrate”).

[Deformation]
In the following, a modification different from the electro-optical device or the manufacturing method thereof will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12 are diagrams having the same concept as in FIG. 8A, and are plan views showing different forms from those in FIG.

  First, in FIG. 9, the seal material is formed so as to draw a substantially circular shape in a portion beyond the scribe lines 501X and 501Y, and as a result, a substantially circular gap G1 is formed. On the other hand, in FIG. 10, the seal material is formed so as to draw a substantially triangular shape in a portion beyond the scribe lines 501X and 501Y, and as a result, a substantially triangular gap G2 is formed. Further, in FIG. 11, the seal material is formed so as to draw a substantially square in a portion beyond the scribe lines 501X and 501Y, and as a result, a substantially square gap G3 is formed.

  In these drawings, the seal material is formed in the portion beyond the scribe lines 501X and 501Y. However, as in the gap 523G in FIG. There are no equally spaced parts. Therefore, it can be said that it is difficult to move the sealing material so as to completely fill the gaps G1 to G3 in the step of pressure bonding the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 as compared with FIG. Therefore, in these cases, special care may be required in the crimping process and the like, and it is relatively difficult to form a very beautiful right-angled portion 523A as shown in FIG. It can be said.

  However, whether or not the gaps G1 to G3 or the gap 523G in FIG. 8A is filled is related to the viscosity and the sealant 52 in addition to the shape and size of the gaps. It also greatly depends on the diameter of the gap material to be mixed. Therefore, if such a condition is adequately satisfied, the sealing material can be moved so as to completely fill the gaps G1 to G3 even if they have shapes and sizes. 8A, if the seal material has a viscosity of 20000 to 50000 [cP (centipoise)] and the gap material has a diameter of 4.0 to 5.0 [μm], the gap 523G The distance Deq is most preferably set to about 3 [mm].

  However, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, according to the method of forming the sealing material beyond the scribe lines 501 </ b> X and 501 </ b> Y, the following operational effects can be obtained in common with them. That is, in order to reduce the size of the electro-optical device, it is desired to make the outer shape smaller, but in that case, the outer edge of the image display region 10a and the outer shape (the scribe line 501X in the drawing). And the area between 501Y and 501Y) should be as narrow as possible. That is, in general, it may be considered that such a region tends to be relatively narrow. However, in this case, it is extremely difficult to form the shape of the protruding portion as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 by manipulating the sealing material discharge port 601 (that is, moving the XY table 602) in such a narrow region. become. However, if the sealing material is allowed to be formed so as to extend beyond the scribe lines 501X and 501Y to reach the surplus region 10s (see FIGS. 6 and 7), this difficulty is almost completely eliminated, and the sealing material discharge is eliminated. The outlet 601 can be freely routed to form the protruding portion. In FIG. 9 to FIG. 11, as the “predetermined distance” in the present invention, specifically, for example, a distance Dos as shown in each of these drawings may be considered.

  As described above, by forming the sealing material beyond the scribe lines 501X and 501Y by a predetermined distance, the electro-optical device can be more miniaturized. However, in the present invention, the sealing material does not necessarily have to be formed beyond the scribe lines 501X and 501Y. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a configuration in which a gap G4 is simply formed in a portion corresponding to the corner of the image display region 10a is also within the scope of the present invention. Even in such a case, it is obvious that substantially the same effect as described above can be obtained. However, in FIG. 12, it is necessary to take a procedure of once stopping the discharge of the sealing material and then starting the discharge again. Then, at the time of the re-discharge, the relative discharge as shown in FIG. There is a high possibility of revealing a wide starting point. Therefore, it is preferable to implement the embodiment as shown in FIG. 12 after overcoming such problems.

(Electronics)
Next, an overall configuration, particularly an optical configuration, of an embodiment of a projection color display device as an example of an electronic apparatus using the electro-optical device described in detail as a light valve will be described. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the projection type color display device.

  In FIG. 13, a liquid crystal projector 1100, which is an example of a projection type color display device according to the present embodiment, prepares three liquid crystal modules including a liquid crystal device having a drive circuit mounted on a TFT array substrate, each of which is a light valve for RGB. It is configured as a projector used as 100R, 100G, and 100B. In the liquid crystal projector 1100, when projection light is emitted from a lamp unit 1102 of a white light source such as a metal halide lamp, the light components R, G, and R corresponding to the three primary colors of RGB are obtained by three mirrors 1106 and two dichroic mirrors 1108. The light is divided into B and led to the light valves 100R, 100G and 100B corresponding to the respective colors. In particular, the B light is guided through a relay lens system 1121 including an incident lens 1122, a relay lens 1123, and an exit lens 1124 in order to prevent light loss due to a long optical path. The light components corresponding to the three primary colors modulated by the light valves 100R, 100G, and 100B are synthesized again by the dichroic prism 1112 and then projected as a color image on the screen 1120 via the projection lens 1114.

  In such a projection type color display device, since the above-described electro-optical device is used for the light valves 100R, 100G, and 100B, the miniaturization thereof can be realized.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit or idea of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and an electro-optical device with such a change. The manufacturing method and the electronic device are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the electro-optical device when the TFT array substrate is viewed from the side of the counter substrate together with each component formed thereon. It is H-H 'sectional drawing of FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit of various elements and wirings in a plurality of pixels formed in a matrix that forms an image display region of an electro-optical device. It is a top view of the corner | angular part of a sealing material formation area | region, (a) is an enlarged plan view corresponding to the in-circle part which attached | subjected the code | symbol C1 of FIG. 1 concerning this embodiment, (b) is the comparison It is an example. 5 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the mode of the seal drawing in a sealing material formation process. It is a whole top view about one electro-optical device in the middle of a manufacturing process. FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view corresponding to an in-circle portion denoted by reference numeral C2 in FIG. 7, where (a) shows a state immediately after drawing a sealing material, and (b) shows after the start of crimping of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. Each state is shown. It is a figure of the same meaning as Fig.8 (a), Comprising: It is a top view which shows what becomes a form (a protrusion part is circular) different from the figure. It is a figure of the same meaning as Fig.8 (a), Comprising: It is a top view which shows what becomes a form (a protrusion part is a triangle) different from the figure. It is a figure of the same meaning as Fig.8 (a), Comprising: It is a top view which shows what becomes a form different from the figure (a protrusion part is a rectangle). It is a figure of the same meaning as Fig.8 (a), Comprising: It is a top view which shows what becomes a form different from the figure (a protrusion part does not exist). 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a color liquid crystal projector as an example of a projection type color display device which is an embodiment of an electronic apparatus of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... TFT array substrate, 10a ... Image display area, 11a ... Scan line, 6a ... Data line, 30 ... TFT, 9a ... Pixel electrode, 20 ... Opposite substrate 52 ... Sealing material, 523, 523Z ... Extruding part 501X, 501Y ... Scribe line

Claims (11)

A method of manufacturing an electro-optical device, in which a first substrate and a second substrate are bonded by a sealing material, and an electro-optical material is sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate,
On the first substrate, a sealing material forming step of forming the sealing material so as to be rectangular in plan view and to provide a gap at a corner thereof;
A method of manufacturing an electro-optical device, comprising: a step of bonding the second substrate so as to face the first substrate, and pressing the first substrate and the second substrate.   2. The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-bonding step is performed so that the sealing material existing across the gap moves to fill the gap. After the crimping step, further comprising a cutting step of cutting the first substrate into a predetermined shape,
The sealing material forming step includes a step of forming the sealing material inside a cutting line in the first substrate planned as a cutting position in the cutting step;
The process further includes
The first seal material and the second seal are so formed that each of them extends from the inner side of the cutting line toward the outer side of the cutting line over a predetermined distance, and the gap is provided therebetween. The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, further comprising a step of forming a material.   The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 3, wherein the gaps are equidistant over the predetermined distance. Forming a plurality of image display areas on the first substrate or the second substrate so that pixel electrodes are arranged in a matrix;
The sealing material forming step includes
5. The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 3, further comprising a step of forming the sealing material so as to surround each of the image display areas. The sealing material forming step includes
6. The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 5, further comprising a step of forming the sealing material in a continuous manner for at least one of the plurality of image display regions.   2. The shape and size of the gap are determined according to at least one of a viscosity of the sealing material and a diameter of a gap material mixed in the sealing material. The method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   The method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material forming step is performed by a seal dispenser method. The image display area is rectangular in plan view,
The sealing material forming step by the seal dispenser method is
A first step of drawing the sealing material along the first side of the image display area;
After the first step, in the vicinity of a corner that is an end of the first side of the image display region, a first path having a direction with an angle of 45 ° to 90 ° with respect to the first side. A second step of drawing the sealing material by a predetermined first length,
After the second step, in a portion exceeding the predetermined first length, a third step of drawing the sealing material while turning so as to trace on a circle having a certain center;
After the third step, a second path having a direction of an angle of 45 ° to 90 ° with the second side of the image display region adjacent to the first side and aiming near the corner. A fourth step of drawing the sealing material,
The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 8, further comprising: a fifth step of drawing the sealing material along the second side from the vicinity of the corner portion after the fourth step. . The circle in the third step is a semicircle, the third step is started when the predetermined first length ends, and
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the second path in the fourth step has a direction opposite to the first path, and the fourth step is performed by a second length that is the same as the first length. A method of manufacturing the electro-optical device according to claim.   An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device manufactured by the method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1.

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