JP2005135677A - Display device and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display device wherein a failure in cutting a substrate is suppressed, and to provide its manufacturing method. <P>SOLUTION: In this organic EL display device, an element substrate 10 and a counter substrate 20 are disposed face to face. The organic EL display device is equipped with a water catching material storage part 21 provided in the display region of the counter substrate 20, a first projecting part 25 provided so as to surround the water catching material storage part 21, a second projecting part 27 provided in the outside of the first projecting part 25, and a seal material 23 provided at the apex of the first projecting part 25 to stick the element substrate 10 to the counter substrate 20. The outside surface of the second projecting part is disposed on the end face of the element substrate 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device and a method for manufacturing the display device, and more particularly, to a display device provided by cutting and separating a pair of opposed substrates and a method for manufacturing the same.

    In recent years, organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays have attracted attention as FPD (Flat Panel Display). The organic EL display includes a display panel in which a plurality of organic EL elements serving as pixels are arranged. A display panel usually includes an element substrate on which an organic EL element is formed and a sealing counter substrate facing the element substrate. By providing a water-absorbing material on the sealing counter substrate and bonding the element substrate and the sealing counter substrate and sealing the region where the organic EL element is provided, deterioration due to moisture in the atmosphere is prevented. .

  In the organic EL display device, a part of the counter substrate for sealing is etched to provide a concave portion, thereby forming a water catching material storage portion. This water catching material storage part is provided in the display area in which the organic EL element is provided. And after storing a water catching material in a water catching material storage part, a sealing material is apply | coated to the convex part around a recessed part, and it is bonded with the element substrate. Thereby, a water catching material can be provided in the space where the organic EL element is sealed with the two substrates and the sealing material. This water-absorbing material functions as a desiccant, adsorbs moisture present in the sealed space, and prevents deterioration of the organic EL element.

  Usually, in order to improve productivity in an organic EL display device, a plurality of organic EL elements are formed on one mother glass. And each is cut | disconnected in the state which bonded the opposing board | substrate for sealing, and the some organic EL display panel is manufactured. Therefore, a sealing material is applied to the mother glass so as to surround the organic EL element with respect to each organic EL display panel. This sealing material uses an adhesive such as an ultraviolet curable resin. The element substrate and the sealing substrate are aligned so as to face each other, both substrates are pressurized, and the sealing material is irradiated with UV light. Thereby, both board | substrates are adhere | attached and an organic electroluminescent display element is sealed. An organic EL display panel is manufactured by cutting the element substrate and the counter substrate at the outer portions of the sealing material.

  However, the conventional organic EL display device has the following problems. In a conventional organic EL display device, a sealing material is applied to the outside of the water trapping agent storage unit. Therefore, the sealing material is applied to the convex portion surrounding the organic EL element. A display panel is manufactured by cutting the periphery of the sealing material of the substrate. In order to cut the substrate, a ruled line is provided in accordance with the cutting line of the substrate between the organic EL element and the organic EL element, the pair of substrates are turned over, and pressed from the back side by an elastic member, Cutting by applying stress.

  When sealing the organic EL element, both substrates are pressed in a state where the sealing material is applied to the convex portions around the water catching material storage portion, so that the sealing material may be crushed and spread, and may reach the cutting line. is there. Therefore, when the sealing material is cured and adhered by irradiating with UV light, it may not be cut accurately along the cutting line and a cutting failure may occur. In particular, when a sealing material is applied using a dispenser, an overlapping portion is formed at the start point and the end point. When two substrates were bonded together, the volume of the sealing material increased at the overlapped portion, so that the width of the sealing material was widened and the possibility of protruding to the cutting line was high.

  Moreover, the manufacturing method which provides a recessed part further in the outer periphery of the convex part for providing a sealing material is disclosed (patent document 1). This method will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration around the sealing material when the organic EL display panel is cut. A counter substrate 20 is provided to face the element substrate 10 on which the organic EL element is formed. The counter substrate 20 is provided with a recess corresponding to the display area in which the organic EL element is provided, and a water catching material storage portion 21 is formed. A convex portion 28 to which the sealing material 23 is applied is provided on the outer periphery of the water catching material storage portion 21. Further, a concave portion is provided on the outer periphery of the convex portion 28 to form a reservoir portion 29 for storing the sealing material. With such a configuration, since the sealing material crushed when both substrates are pressurized flows into the reservoir 29, it is possible to prevent the sealing material from reaching the cutting line.

  However, this configuration has the following problems. In this configuration, the recess that becomes the reservoir 29 is arranged on the cutting line. Therefore, for example, when a ruled line 31 is provided on the element substrate 10 to cut the element substrate 10, the element substrate 10 is moved by the pressing member 32 via the reservoir portion 29 as shown in FIG. Will be pressed. Since the counter substrate 20 is thin in this portion, the counter substrate 20 may be cracked when stress is applied from the counter substrate side. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, when stress is applied obliquely by pressing the convex portion of the counter substrate 20, the pressed portion is not appropriate, so that the ruled line 31 is not stressed and is accurately cut along the cutting line. There is also a problem that cannot be done. When such a cutting defect occurs, the yield deteriorates and the productivity is lowered.

JP 2002-343557 A

As described above, the conventional method of manufacturing an organic EL display panel has a problem in that a cutting failure occurs, resulting in a decrease in productivity.
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a display device in which occurrence of defective cutting is reduced and a manufacturing method thereof.

  The display device according to the present invention is a display device in which a first substrate (for example, the counter substrate 20 in the present embodiment) and a second substrate (for example, the element substrate 10 in the present embodiment) are arranged to face each other. A first recess provided in the display area of the first substrate (for example, the water catching material storage portion 21 in this embodiment) and a first protrusion provided so as to surround the first recess. A portion (for example, the first convex portion 25 in the present embodiment), a second convex portion provided on the outside of the first convex portion (for example, the second convex portion 27 in the present embodiment), A second recess provided between the first protrusion and the protrusion of the base 2 (for example, the sealing material regulating portion 26 in the present embodiment), and the top of the first protrusion. , A sealing material for bonding the first substrate and the second substrate (for example, the sealing material in this embodiment) 3) and provided with a one in which the outer side surface of the second protrusion is in the end surface of the first substrate. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of a cutting defect can be prevented and it becomes possible to improve productivity.

  Further, in the display device according to the present invention, in the display device described above, it is preferable that the sealing material is disposed on a side surface of the concave portion on the sealing material side in the second concave portion, and the first convex portion. It is preferable that the sealing material is filled up to the bottom surface of the second concave portion provided between the first convex portion and the second convex portion. Thereby, the adhesiveness of both substrates can be improved.

  In the above-described display device, it is desirable that the second recess is formed on the entire outer periphery of the first protrusion. Thereby, moisture permeation into the first recess can be reduced.

  A display device manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a display including a first substrate (for example, the counter substrate 20 in the present embodiment) and a second substrate (for example, the element substrate 10 in the present embodiment) arranged to face each other. A method for manufacturing an apparatus, the step of providing a first recess (for example, a water catching material storage portion 21 in the present embodiment) in the display area of the first substrate (for example, a glass substrate processing step in the present embodiment). S202), a step (for example, glass substrate processing step S202 in the present embodiment) of providing a second recess (for example, the sealing material regulating portion 26 in the present embodiment) outside the first recess, and the first A seal material (for example, the sealing material 23 in this embodiment) is provided on a first protrusion (for example, the first protrusion 25 in the present embodiment) provided between the second recess and the second recess. (For example, sealing material application step S204 in this embodiment) and the step of bonding the first substrate and the second substrate through the sealing material (for example, sealing the organic EL element in this embodiment). Stopping step S109) and a step of cutting the first substrate or the second substrate at a position corresponding to the second convex portion provided outside the second concave portion (for example, cutting in this embodiment) Step S110). Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of a cutting defect can be reduced and productivity can be improved.

  A typical example of the manufacturing method of the display device described above is that in the cutting step, a ruled line corresponding to the cut line is provided, and the substrate is cut by pressing the back side of the position corresponding to the ruled line. It is what.

In the above-described manufacturing method of the display device, it is preferable that the first recess and the second recess are provided substantially simultaneously. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of a cutting defect can be reduced with a simple manufacturing process.

  In the above-described method for manufacturing a display device, it is desirable that the second recess is provided on the entire circumference of the first protrusion.

  The above-described manufacturing method of the display device may further include a step of cutting the other substrate cut at the cutting step at a position corresponding to the second convex portion. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the cutting defect in the cutting process of both board | substrates can be reduced.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the display apparatus with which generation | occurrence | production of the cutting defect was reduced, and its manufacturing method can be provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments to which the present invention can be applied will be described. The following description is to describe the embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. For clarity of explanation, the following description is omitted and simplified as appropriate. Further, those skilled in the art will be able to easily change, add, and convert each element of the following embodiments within the scope of the present invention. In addition, what attached | subjected the same code | symbol in each figure has shown the same element, and abbreviate | omits description suitably.

  A method for manufacturing an organic EL display device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing process of an organic EL display device. The organic EL display device includes an organic EL display panel in which a plurality of organic EL elements serving as pixels are arranged. An organic EL display panel usually includes an element substrate on which an organic EL element is formed and a counter substrate disposed opposite to the element substrate for sealing the organic EL element.

  A method for manufacturing an element substrate including an organic EL element will be described. For example, a glass substrate having a thickness of 0.7 mm to 1.1 mm is used as the element substrate (step S101). As the glass substrate, alkali-free glass (for example, AN100 manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.) or alkali glass (ASA manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.) can be used. An ITO film serving as an anode electrode material is deposited on the glass substrate (step S102). ITO can be formed on the entire surface of the glass substrate with good uniformity by sputtering or vapor deposition. Here, the film is formed with a film thickness of 150 nm by a DC sputtering method. An ITO pattern is formed by photolithography and etching (step S103). This ITO pattern becomes the anode. A phenol novolac resin is used as the resist, and exposure development is performed. Etching may be either wet etching or dry etching. Here, ITO was patterned using a mixed aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid. Monoethanolamine was used as the resist stripping material.

  An auxiliary wiring material is deposited on the ITO pattern (step S104). The auxiliary wiring material is made of a low-resistance metal material such as Al or an Al alloy, and can be formed by sputtering or vapor deposition. Further, in order to improve adhesion to the base or prevent corrosion, a barrier layer such as TiN or Cr may be formed on the lower layer or upper layer of the Al film to form the auxiliary wiring in a laminated structure. This barrier layer can also be formed by vapor deposition or sputtering. Here, a Cr / Al / Cr laminated film or a MoNb / Al / MoNb laminated film having a total thickness of 450 nm is formed as an auxiliary wiring material by DC sputtering. The auxiliary wiring material is patterned by photolithography and etching to form an auxiliary wiring pattern (step S105). For the etching, an etching solution made of a mixed aqueous solution of phosphoric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid or the like can be used. It is also possible to form the anode material and the auxiliary wiring material in order, and then pattern the auxiliary wiring material and the anode material in order. A signal is supplied to the anode or the cathode by the auxiliary wiring pattern.

  Next, an opening insulating film is formed (step S106). As the insulating film, photosensitive polyimide is spin-coated, patterned after a photolithography process, and then cured to form an opening insulating film having a pixel opening in a pixel. At the same time, a contact hole between the cathode and the auxiliary wiring is formed. For example, the pixel opening is formed with a size of about 300 μm × 300 μm, and the contact hole between the cathode and the auxiliary wiring is formed with a size of about 200 μm × 200 μm.

  Next, a cathode barrier is formed (step S107). For the cathode partition, for example, novolac resin is used. A novolak resin is spin-coated, patterned by a photolithography process, and then photoreacted to form cathode barrier ribs. It is desirable to use a negative type photosensitive resin so that the cathode partition has an inversely tapered structure. When a negative photosensitive resin is used, when light is irradiated from above, the photoreaction becomes insufficient at deeper locations. As a result, when viewed from above, the cross-sectional area of the cured portion has a structure that is narrower on the lower side than on the upper side. This means that it has an inverted taper structure. With such a structure, the cathodes can be separated from each other because the portions that are shaded when viewed from the vapor deposition source during vapor deposition of the cathodes do not reach the vapor deposition. Further, oxygen plasma or ultraviolet light may be irradiated in order to modify the surface of the ITO layer in the opening.

  Next, an organic EL element is formed on the pixel opening (step S108). For example, an organic EL layer and a cathode are deposited using a deposition apparatus. The organic EL layer often includes an interface layer, a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, an electron injection layer, and the like as constituent elements. However, it may have a different layer structure. The thickness of the organic EL layer is usually about 100 to 300 nm. Copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) is 10 nm thick as the interface layer, and N, N′-di (naphthalen-1-yl) -N, N′-diphenyl-benzidine (α-NPD) is 60 nm thick as the hole transport layer, Alq is deposited to a thickness of 50 nm as a light emitting layer, and LiF is deposited to a thickness of 0.5 nm as an electron injection layer. In the above structure, a triphenylamine-based material such as triphenyldiamine (TPD) can be used for the hole transport layer instead of α-NPD. Al is often used for the cathode, but alkali metals such as Li, Ag, Ca, Mg, Y, In and alloys containing them can also be used. The thickness of the cathode is usually about 50 to 300 nm, and here it is Al having a thickness of 200 nm. In addition, the cathode can be formed by physical vapor deposition (PVD) such as sputtering or ion plating. Thereby, an organic EL element is formed.

  Through these steps, an element substrate on which a plurality of organic EL elements are formed is manufactured. Usually, a plurality of organic EL display panels having a plurality of organic EL elements are formed on one substrate. Then, by cutting and separating each organic EL display panel, a plurality of organic EL display panels can be obtained from one mother glass. This process will be described later. The manufacturing process of the organic EL element substrate described above is an example of a manufacturing process of an element substrate used in a typical organic EL display device, and is not limited to the manufacturing process described above.

  Next, a manufacturing process of the counter substrate for sealing the organic EL element will be described. Since the organic EL element deteriorates due to moisture in the air or the like, the organic EL element is sealed using a counter substrate. A glass substrate having a thickness of 0.7 mm to 1.1 mm is used as the counter substrate (step S201), and the same substrate as the element substrate can be used. Then, the counter substrate is processed to provide a first recess for arranging a water catching material for capturing moisture, thereby forming a water catching material storage portion (step S202). The water catching material storage part is formed, for example, by digging a part of the counter substrate by etching.

  In the step of forming the water catching material storage portion by etching, a second recess is provided in order to simultaneously form a sealing material regulating portion for regulating the flow of the sealing material. The second recess is formed as a groove having a constant width. A 2nd recessed part is the outer side of a water catching material accommodating part, Comprising: It forms inside the cutting line of a board | substrate. In the etching process, first, a resist is applied to the entire surface of the counter substrate, and pattern exposure is performed using a mask corresponding to the first and second recesses. The resist may be either a positive resist or a negative resist. Further, when the resist is developed to expose a portion that becomes a concave portion and then the glass substrate is etched, a water capturing material storage portion and a sealing material regulating portion having a predetermined pattern can be formed. For example, hydrofluoric acid can be used as the etchant. In the present embodiment, the water catching material storage part and the sealing material regulating part are formed in the same process, so that the manufacturing process can be simplified and the productivity can be improved.

  A water catching material is disposed in the water catching material storage unit (step S203). Calcium oxide powder or the like is used as the water catching material. And a sealing material is apply | coated to the surface in which the water catching material accommodating part of the opposing board | substrate was provided using a dispenser (step S204). The sealing material is provided on a convex portion between the first concave portion for storing the water catching material and the second concave portion for restricting the flow of the sealing material. As the seal, a photosensitive epoxy resin is desirable. For example, a photocationic polymerization type epoxy resin can be used, and functions as an adhesive for bonding the element substrate and the counter substrate together.

  Next, the element substrate and the counter substrate are bonded together to seal the organic EL element (step S109). Subsequent steps will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the cutting line between the element substrate and the counter substrate, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the substrate before sealing. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the substrate after sealing. 10 is an element substrate, 11 is an organic EL display region, 12 is an auxiliary wiring, 20 is a counter substrate, 21 is a water catching material storage unit, 22 is a water catching material, 23 is a sealing material, and 24 is a sealing material for preventing scattering. .

  The element substrate 10 is provided with an organic EL display region 11 including a plurality of organic EL elements formed in steps S101 to S108 and an auxiliary wiring 12 for supplying a signal to each element. As shown in FIG. 2, six organic EL display regions 11 are provided on an element substrate 10 which is a mother glass, and is disposed so as to be opposed to a counter substrate 20 for sealing. The organic EL display panel 30 is formed by cutting and separating the two substrates. Even before the cutting and separation, the center side of each organic EL display panel after the cutting and separation is set to the inside, and the end side is set to the outside. On the counter substrate 20 slightly smaller than the element substrate 10, a water catching material storage portion 21 is formed for each organic EL display region 11 and a water catching material 22 is arranged. In FIG. 2, the water catching material is omitted for illustration.

  A groove (not shown) is formed on the outside of the water catching material storage portion 21 by etching, and a sealing material regulating portion (not shown) for regulating the position of the sealing material 23 is provided. These configurations will be described later. The counter substrate 20 is provided with a sealing material 23 so as to surround the entire circumference of each organic EL display region 11. In this embodiment, in order to prevent scattering of the cut pieces when cutting, a scattering preventing sealing material 24 is provided between the sealing seals 23 surrounding the respective display areas.

  As shown in FIG. 3, an organic EL element 11 is provided in the display area of the element substrate 10. An auxiliary wiring 12 extends from the organic EL element 11 to the outside of the sealing material 23. By supplying a current to the organic EL element 11 through the auxiliary wiring 12, the organic EL element 11 emits light and a desired image can be displayed. A water catching material storage portion 21 formed by an etching process is provided at a position of the counter substrate 20 facing the organic EL element 11. The water catching material storage unit 21 is provided with a water catching material 22 for preventing deterioration of the organic EL element 11 due to moisture in the air. The water catching material 22 captures moisture in the space where the organic EL element 11 is sealed, and prevents deterioration of the organic EL element. In the sealing step, nitrogen gas may be filled.

  The counter substrate 20 is provided with a sealing material 23 on the entire outer periphery of the water catching material storage portion 21. The sealing material 23 is an adhesive such as an ultraviolet curable resin, and is applied by a dispenser. The counter substrate 20 and the element substrate 10 can be bonded together by irradiating and curing the sealing material 23 with UV light. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are aligned so as to face each other, both substrates are pressurized, and the sealing material is irradiated with UV light.

  The substrate bonded by the above-described process is cut and divided into each organic EL display panel. FIG. 2 shows an example of the cutting line of the element substrate 10 and the cutting line of the counter substrate 20. The cutting line 50 of the element substrate 10 is provided outside the organic EL display region 11 with respect to the cutting line 40 of the counter substrate 20. That is, the cutting line 40 of the counter substrate 20 is provided closer to the sealing material 23 than the cutting line 50 of the element substrate 10. The cutting line 50 of the element substrate 10 is further provided outside the end of the auxiliary wiring 12. In the element substrate 10, the auxiliary wiring 12 extends from the display area to the vicinity of the cutting line 50 of the element substrate across the sealing material. The element substrate 10 is cut by the cutting line 50 of the element substrate 10, and the counter substrate 20 is cut by the cutting line 40 of the counter substrate 20.

  The relationship between the sealing material 23 and the cutting line will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration in the vicinity of the sealing material when the organic EL display panel is cut. Reference numeral 25 denotes a first convex portion, 26 denotes a sealing material restricting portion which is a second concave portion, 27 denotes a second convex portion, 31 denotes a ruler, and 32 denotes an elastic member.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the counter substrate 20 and the element substrate 10 are aligned and arranged to face each other. The display area of the counter substrate 20 is provided with a water catching material storage portion 21 as a first recess, and a first protrusion 25 is formed on the outside thereof. The first convex portion 25 is formed so as to surround the entire circumference of the water catching material storage portion 21. A sealing material 23 is applied to the top of the first convex portion 25 by a dispenser. On the outside of the first convex portion 25, a sealing material regulating portion 26 is provided as a second concave portion. The sealing material restricting portion 26 is formed by providing a groove on the entire circumference of the first convex portion 25. Accordingly, the first convex portion 25 is formed between the water catching material storage portion 21 and the seal material regulating portion 26. Further, a second convex portion 27 is provided outside the sealing material regulating portion 26.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, a ruled line 31 is provided on the surface of the element substrate 10 opposite to the surface on which the counter substrate 20 is provided. The ruled line 31 is provided at a position corresponding to the cutting line. Since the non-display area becomes a cutting line between the elements, the ruled line 31 is provided at a position corresponding to the second convex part 27 disposed outside the sealing material regulating part 26. Here, the position corresponding to the second convex portion 27 means a portion where the second convex portion 27 is provided and a region formed by moving the portion in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. That is, the vertical line of the element substrate 10 at the position of the ruled line 31 is arranged at a portion where the second convex portion 27 is provided. The ruled line 31 is provided, for example, on the entire outer periphery of the sealing material regulating unit 26 by a wheel cutter. The element substrate 10 is cut at the position of the ruled line 31. In FIG. 5, the ruled line 31 is provided before the two substrates are bonded together. However, the ruled line 31 may be provided after the two substrates are bonded together.

  The element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are aligned so as to face each other, both substrates are pressurized, and the sealing material 23 is irradiated with UV light. Thereby, it becomes the structure by which both the board | substrates were adhere | attached. By providing a water catching material in the water catching material storage unit 21, a water catching material is arranged in a space surrounded by both the substrates and the sealing material, and an organic EL due to moisture remaining or entering the sealed space. Prevents device degradation.

  By pressurizing both substrates, the sealing material 23 having viscosity is crushed as shown in FIG. 5B, and protrudes from the top surface of the first convex portion 25. A minute gap corresponding to the thickness of the sealing material 23 crushed by the first convex portion 25 is generated between the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. In this embodiment, since the groove is formed on the outer side of the first convex portion 25 and the sealing material restricting portion 26 is provided, the sealing material 23 that protrudes outside the first convex portion 25 is formed on the sealing material restricting portion 26. Adhere to the side or bottom. Therefore, the protruding sealing material 23 is embedded in the sealing material regulating portion 26, and the sealing material 23 can be prevented from spreading to the cutting line. Thereby, cutting failure can be prevented and productivity can be improved.

  The position corresponding to the ruled line 31 is pressed by the elastic member 32 from the counter substrate side. That is, the elastic member 32 is disposed on the normal line of the substrate at the position of the ruled line 31, and a force is applied in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. The counter substrate 20 is pressed by the elastic member 32 from the surface opposite to the surface facing the element substrate 10. Since the 2nd convex part 27 is provided in the location corresponding to a cutting line, the elastic member 32 presses the position corresponding to the 2nd convex part 27, as shown in FIG.5 (c). As a result, the counter substrate 20 is curved by a gap between the substrates (the thickness of the sealing material 23), and the counter substrate 20 and the element substrate 10 at a location corresponding to the elastic member 32 come into contact with each other. The element substrate 10 is pressed at the contact point. Since the pressing member 32 presses the part corresponding to the ruled line 31, a tensile stress is applied to the part of the ruled line 31.

  Thereby, since the position corresponding to the cutting line can be pressed, stress can be applied to an appropriate position. Therefore, cutting can be performed smoothly and occurrence of defective cutting can be prevented. Furthermore, since the thick part of the counter substrate 20 can be pressed, the counter substrate can be prevented from cracking.

  By cutting the element substrate 10 at the location of the ruled line 31, the cut end surface (side surface) of the element substrate 10 becomes a position corresponding to the second convex portion 27. That is, the end surface of the element substrate 10 is disposed on the second convex portion, and the position of the end surface of the element substrate 10 is the position of the top surface of the second convex portion 27. Next, the counter substrate 20 is cut along the counter substrate cutting line 40 shown in FIG. Similarly to the element substrate 10, the counter substrate 20 is cut in a state where the element substrate 10 is not separated. That is, a ruled line corresponding to the cutting line is provided on the counter substrate 20 using a wheel cutter, and is pressed by the elastic member from the element substrate side.

  Even when the counter substrate 20 is cut, it is desirable to provide a ruled line at the position of the second convex portion 27. Thereby, the position corresponding to the cutting line can be pressed and stress can be applied to an appropriate position. That is, the element substrate 10 is curved and comes into contact with the ruled portion of the counter substrate 20, and tensile stress is applied to the position of the ruled plate. Thereby, the end surface (side surface) of the counter substrate 20 is cut so as to be in a position corresponding to the second convex portion 27. That is, the outer side surface of the second convex portion 27 becomes the end surface of the counter substrate 20.

  Through the above-described steps, the substrate can be cut smoothly, and occurrence of cutting defects can be prevented. Furthermore, since the location where the clearance gap between board | substrates is narrow is pressed, the crack of a board | substrate can be prevented. And when cutting is completed at all cutting lines of both substrates, the cut piece is cut off from the organic EL display panel. In this way, each of the six display panels can be taken out from the mother glass.

  In the above description, the cut pieces are not separated until the two substrates are cut. Of course, after the counter substrate 10 is cut, the cut pieces of the counter substrate 20 are cut off and then the element substrate 10 is cut. Also good. Further, the counter substrate 20 may be cut after the element substrate 10 is cut by changing the cutting order of the counter substrate 20 and the element substrate 10.

  Further, it is desirable to fill the sealing material 23 to the bottom surface of the sealing material regulating unit 26 by adjusting the width of the sealing material regulating unit 26 and the application amount of the sealing material. Thereby, the adhesion area of the sealing material is improved, the anchor effect is exerted, and the adhesion of the sealing material 23 can be improved. Furthermore, since it is surmised that the progress of the interface is more dominant than the diffusion path of the moisture from the outside in the bulk of the sealing material, the moisture penetration can be reduced by increasing the interface path.

  By manufacturing the sealing material regulation part 26 and the water catching material storage part 21 in the same etching process, they can be manufactured in a simple process. Of course, you may form the sealing material control part 26 and the water catching material storage part 21 in a different process. In this case, the depth of the sealing material regulating portion 26 can be set to a depth different from that of the water catching material storage portion 21. Therefore, it becomes possible to make the depth of the sealing material regulating portion 26 suitable for cutting.

  Next, a drive circuit and the like are mounted (step S111). On the element substrate 10, auxiliary wiring 12 is extended outside from a region surrounded by the sealing seal 23. A terminal portion is formed at the outer end portion of the auxiliary wiring 12, and an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) is attached to the terminal portion to connect a TCP (Tape Carrier Package) provided with a drive circuit. Specifically, ACF is temporarily crimped to the terminal portion. ACF uses Hitachi Chemical Anisolm 7106U. The temporary pressure bonding temperature is 80 ° C. and the pressure bonding pressure is 1.0 MPa. Next, the TCP with the built-in drive circuit is finally bonded to the terminal portion. The main pressure bonding temperature is 170 degrees and the pressure bonding pressure is 2.0 MPa. Thereby, a drive circuit is mounted. The organic EL display panel 30 is attached to the housing, and the organic EL display device is completed (step S112).

  In the configuration described above, the sealing material restricting portion 26 is provided on the entire circumference of the first convex portion 25, but the sealing material restricting portion 26 may not be formed on the entire outer periphery of the first convex portion 25. For example, you may provide the sealing material control part 26 only in the periphery of the location which overlaps with the starting point at the time of apply | coating the sealing material 23 with a dispenser, and an end point. Or you may provide the sealing material control part 26 only in the location close | similar to a cutting line. Of course, the seal material restricting portion 26 is not limited to a certain width and depth, and the depth and width of the seal material restricting portion 26 may be changed depending on the distance between the location where the seal material is applied and the cutting line. Furthermore, the cutting line shown in FIG. 2 is a typical example, and the cutting line may not be provided at the position shown in FIG.

In the above description, the organic EL display device has been described. However, the present invention can be used for a display device using a display element other than the organic EL element. Furthermore, the present invention can be used for a light source device using an organic EL element. For example, in the above-described manufacturing method, an organic EL light emitting region made of a planar organic EL element is formed on the element substrate 10 in place of the organic EL display region 11. An organic EL light emitting region is surrounded by a sealing material 23 for sealing, and a planar light source device is manufactured by the same process. Thereby, a planar light source device having a uniform and high brightness can be obtained. As described above, the present invention can be used for an organic EL light emitting device that uses the light emission of an organic EL element. The organic EL light emitting device includes devices utilizing light emission of organic EL elements such as an organic EL display device and an organic EL light source device.
Example 1.

  The configuration of the organic EL display device according to this example will be described with reference to FIG. The configuration described in this embodiment is a typical example, and is not limited to this. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration around the sealing material of the organic EL display panel. In this example, a glass substrate having a thickness of 0.7 mm was used as the element substrate 10. A glass substrate having a thickness of 1.1 mm was used as the counter substrate 20.

  An organic EL element was formed on the element substrate 10 in the same process as described above. The counter substrate 20 was formed with a water catching material storage portion 21 and a sealing material regulating portion 26 in the same process as described above. The water catching material storage portion 21 and the sealing material regulating portion 26 were etched with hydrofluoric acid so as to have a depth of 0.5 mm from the surface of the counter substrate 20. The width of the water catching material storage portion 21 was 2.7 mm, and the width of the sealing material regulating portion 26 was 0.3 mm. Etching was performed with the portion not etched with hydrofluoric acid masked with a resist.

  In a state where both the substrates were aligned, pressure was applied and ultraviolet rays were applied to cure the sealing material. Thereby, both the substrates could be bonded. The gap between the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, that is, the thickness of the sealing material in the second convex portion was about 20 μm. A ruler is pressed with a wheel cutter in a non-display area between the elements, and the elastic member is pressed from the back side. As a result, stress was applied to the ruled line and the sheet could be cut very finely. With such a configuration, it was possible to prevent cutting defects. Further, since the sealing material 23 is embedded up to the bottom surface of the sealing material regulating portion 26, the sealing can be performed with good adhesion. Thereby, airtightness was able to be improved.

It is a flowchart which shows the manufacturing process of the organic electroluminescence display concerning this invention. It is a top view which shows the structure before the cutting | disconnection of the organic electroluminescent display apparatus concerning the Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure before sealing of the organic electroluminescent display apparatus concerning the Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure after sealing of the organic electroluminescent display apparatus concerning the Example of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the structure of the sealing material periphery at the time of the cutting | disconnection of the organic electroluminescent display apparatus concerning the Example of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the structure of the seal material periphery at the time of the cutting | disconnection of the organic electroluminescent display apparatus concerning Example 1 of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the structure of the sealing material periphery at the time of the cutting | disconnection of the conventional organic EL display apparatus. It is an expanded sectional view which shows another structure of the sealing material periphery at the time of the cutting | disconnection of the conventional organic electroluminescent display apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

10 element substrate 11 organic EL display region 12 auxiliary wiring 20 counter substrate,
21 Water catching material storage part 22 Water catching material 23 Sealing material 24 Spattering prevention sealing material 25 First convex part 26 Sealing material regulating part 27 Second convex part 30 Organic EL display panel 31 Ruled line 32 Elastic member 40 Cutting line 50 Element substrate cutting line

Claims (9)

A display device in which a first substrate and a second substrate are arranged to face each other,
A first recess provided in a display area of the first substrate;
A first protrusion provided to surround the first recess;
A second protrusion provided outside the first protrusion;
A second recess provided between the first protrusion and the second protrusion;
A sealant provided on the top of the first convex portion, and for bonding the first substrate and the second substrate;
A display device in which an outer side surface of the second convex portion is an end surface of the first substrate.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material is disposed on a side surface of the convex portion on the sealing material side in the second concave portion.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material is filled up to a bottom surface of a second concave portion provided between the first convex portion and the second convex portion.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the second recess is formed on the entire outer periphery of the first protrusion. A manufacturing method of a display device comprising a first substrate and a second substrate arranged to face each other,
Providing a first recess in a display area of the first substrate;
Providing a second recess outside the first recess;
Providing a sealing material on a first convex portion provided between the first concave portion and the second concave portion;
Bonding the first substrate and the second substrate through the sealing material;
Cutting the first substrate or the second substrate at a position corresponding to a second convex portion provided outside the second concave portion.   6. The method of manufacturing a display device according to claim 5, wherein in the cutting step, a ruled line corresponding to the cut line is provided, and the substrate is cut by pressing the back side of the position corresponding to the ruled line.   The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 5, wherein the first recess and the second recess are provided substantially simultaneously.   The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 5, wherein the second concave portion is provided on the entire circumference of the first convex portion. The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 5, further comprising a step of cutting the other substrate of the substrates cut in the cutting step at a position corresponding to the second convex portion.

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