JP2005215610A - Method for manufacturing liquid crystal display - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal dripping and bonding type liquid crystal display, in which the layer thickness of liquid crystal layer is adjusted by atmospheric pressure, and in such a case a seal brought into contact with the liquid crystal is prevented from shifting in position or breaking. <P>SOLUTION: A method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display includes a step (P18) of forming a panel part seal on at least one of a pair of substrates; a step (P18) of forming an outer peripheral seal for surrounding the panel part seal on at least one of the pair of substrates; a step (P5) of dripping liquid crystal on the region of at least the substrate, among pair of substrates, surrounded by the panel part seal; and a substrate-bonding step (P21) of bonding the couple of substrates, together under vacuum environment. The panel part seal is formed of photosetting resin or a material, containing photosetting resin and the liquid crystal layer thickness, is adjusted after the substrate bonding step and before the panel part seal sets to prescribed hardness, by applying layer thickness adjusting pressure to the pair of substrates from the outside. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device of a liquid crystal dropping and bonding method.

  In general, a liquid crystal display device is formed by bonding a pair of substrates with a sealing material and enclosing liquid crystal in a gap formed between the substrates, a so-called cell gap. At this time, in the conventional method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, an opening for injecting liquid crystal is formed in a part of the sealing material, and a pair of substrates are bonded to each other with the sealing material to form a panel structure. The liquid crystal was injected into a region surrounded by the sealing material through the opening provided in a part of the material, that is, a cell gap.

  In contrast to such a conventional method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device called a liquid crystal dropping and bonding method has recently been proposed. In this manufacturing method, an annular sealing material without an opening for injecting liquid crystal is formed on one of a pair of substrates, and a necessary amount of liquid crystal is placed in a region surrounded by the sealing material or in a corresponding region of the other substrate. The liquid crystal panel is formed by dripping and then bonding the substrates together. That is, according to this manufacturing method, when the bonding of the pair of substrates is completed, the liquid crystal is sealed in the cell gap (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, in such a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device of a liquid crystal dropping and bonding method, a method of making a cell gap uniform by pressing a pair of substrates with atmospheric pressure has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 2).

JP 63-179323 A (pages 2 and 3, FIG. 1) JP 2001-174829 A (page 9, FIG. 2)

  In the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device of the liquid crystal dropping and bonding method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-174829, an auxiliary seal is provided around the main seal which is a constituent element of the liquid crystal panel, and between the main seal and the auxiliary seal. The atmospheric pressure is applied to the pair of substrates from the outside by the action of the vacuum space formed on the substrate. In this manufacturing method, the auxiliary seal located outside is formed of an ultraviolet curable resin, that is, a photocurable resin, and the main seal located inside is formed of a thermosetting resin.

  In general, a thermosetting resin is cured by heating, but initially has a characteristic of becoming soft once. Therefore, when the main seal is formed using this thermosetting resin and the gap is made uniform by pressing the substrate under atmospheric pressure, the main seal is heated to cure the main seal. The main seal may be softened and displaced in the lateral direction, or in some cases, the main seal may be damaged by the pressure of the liquid crystal.

  In view of this, it is considered that the “gap equalization” as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-174829 is performed within a range in which a very large force is not applied to the present seal. It is considered that the function of adjusting the thickness of the liquid crystal layer, that is, the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer does not function. In addition, it is considered that such a large dimensional adjustment that can adjust the thickness of the liquid crystal layer cannot be realized when the main seal, which is a seal in contact with the liquid crystal, is formed of a thermosetting resin.

  An object of the present invention is to make it possible to adjust the thickness of a liquid crystal layer using an external force such as atmospheric pressure in a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device of a liquid crystal dropping and bonding method. In this case, it is another object of the present invention to prevent a positional deviation or breakage from occurring in the seal in contact with the liquid crystal.

  The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a step of forming a panel part seal on at least one of a pair of substrates, and an outer peripheral seal for enclosing the panel part seal on at least one of the pair of substrates. A liquid crystal display device comprising: a step of dropping liquid crystal in a region surrounded by the panel seal of at least one of the pair of substrates; and a substrate bonding step of bonding the pair of substrates in a vacuum environment. In the manufacturing method, the panel part seal is formed of a photocurable resin or a material containing a photocurable resin, and further, after the substrate bonding step, until the panel part seal is cured to a predetermined hardness. And a layer thickness adjusting step of adjusting a liquid crystal layer thickness by applying a layer thickness adjusting pressure to the pair of substrates from outside.

  In this configuration, the panel portion seal is a seal that contacts the liquid crystal. In general, a plurality of panel part seals are formed on a single large area substrate, a so-called mother substrate. And said outer periphery seal | sticker is formed so that these panel part seal | stickers may be surrounded. Note that “the outer peripheral seal surrounds the plurality of panel portion seals” means a state in which a pair of substrates are bonded together. Therefore, when forming the panel portion seal and the outer periphery seal, both may be formed on the same substrate, or both may be formed on separate substrates.

  In the above configuration, the substrate on which the liquid crystal is dropped may be any one of the pair of substrates, or both of the pair of substrates. The above-mentioned “vacuum” includes not only a complete vacuum but also a reduced pressure state close to a vacuum.

In addition, in the above configuration, “drops the liquid crystal in the region surrounded by the panel part seal”
(1) In the case where liquid crystal is dropped on a substrate on which a seal is formed, the liquid crystal is dropped on a region surrounded by the seal,
(2) When the liquid crystal is dropped onto a substrate on which no seal is formed, the liquid crystal is dropped onto a region that is surrounded by the seal when the substrates are bonded to form a liquid crystal panel. This is the same in the following description.

  According to the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention having the above-described configuration, a pair of substrates are bonded together in a vacuum environment, so that the space between the outer peripheral seal and the panel portion seal is sealed as a vacuum region. When a vacuum region is thus formed between the pair of substrates, when the pair of substrates is moved from the vacuum environment to atmospheric pressure or other pressure environment, the atmospheric pressure or the like is applied to the pair of substrates from the outside. External force acts.

  If the external force is applied to the substrate before the panel portion seal is cured, the panel portion seal is compressed by the external force, thereby adjusting the cell gap, that is, the liquid crystal layer thickness to a desired dimension. The dimensional change related to the adjustment of the thickness of the liquid crystal layer is considered to be larger than the dimensional change related to “uniform gap” as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-174829.

  In the present invention, since the panel portion seal that contacts the liquid crystal is formed not by the thermosetting resin but by the photocurable resin, the panel portion seal does not become soft when the panel portion seal is cured. Therefore, when the pair of substrates is pressurized by an external force such as atmospheric pressure, the panel unit seal is not displaced or damaged by the liquid crystal pressure. As a result, it is possible to set the size of the panel part seal to be large, and therefore it is possible to reliably adjust the liquid crystal layer thickness.

  Thus, according to the present invention, the panel part seal is sufficiently pressed by the pair of substrates when adjusting the thickness of the liquid crystal layer, so that the substrates can be bonded together with sufficient strength. . In addition, depending on the type of liquid crystal display device, there is a liquid crystal display device in which a large number of conductive particles are dispersed in a panel portion seal and electrical conduction is achieved between a pair of substrates by the conductive particles. In this type of liquid crystal display device, if the panel seal is sufficiently pressed by a pair of substrates as in the present invention, conduction by conductive particles can be reliably achieved.

  Next, in the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, it is desirable that the layer thickness adjusting pressure is an atmospheric pressure when the pair of substrates after the substrate bonding step is left in an atmospheric environment. This is economical because a special pressure chamber is not required to generate pressure. Also, workability is high.

  Next, in the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, the outer peripheral seal is formed of a photo-curing resin or a material containing a photo-curing resin, and the panel unit seal is further removed before the layer thickness adjusting step. It is desirable that the outer peripheral seal be cured by light irradiation in a state hidden by a mask. In this way, when adjusting the thickness of the liquid crystal layer, since the outer peripheral seal has already been cured, it is possible to prevent the pair of substrates from being misaligned.

  Next, in the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, in the layer thickness adjustment step, it is desirable that the pair of substrates be placed in an environment where the temperature can be adjusted. Here, the environment in which the temperature can be adjusted is, for example, putting it in a thermostatic bath or placing it on a hot plate.

  According to this structure, by adjusting the temperature concerning a panel part sealing material to temperature lower than the hardening of the said panel sealing material is accelerated | stimulated, until a suitable cell gap is obtained, a panel part seal is made into an unhardened state. Can keep.

  Next, in the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, it is desirable that the pair of substrates be placed on a flat surface and left. In the present invention, the substrate is pressed by an external force such as atmospheric pressure. At this time, if the substrate is placed on a flat surface, the pressing force spreads evenly over the entire surface of the substrate, so that the liquid crystal layer thickness can be adjusted uniformly.

  Next, in the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, the outer peripheral seal is formed of a material having a different curing method with respect to the panel part seal, and the layer thickness adjusting step includes only the outer peripheral seal. After curing, it is desirable to adjust the thickness of the liquid crystal layer by applying pressure from the outside to the pair of substrates.

  Next, in the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, the panel part seal is formed of a plurality of materials having different curing methods, and the layer thickness adjusting step is performed by one curing method. It is preferable to adjust the thickness of the liquid crystal layer by applying pressure from the outside to the pair of substrates after part of the substrate is cured.

  Next, another manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a step of forming a panel part seal on at least one of the pair of substrates, and surrounding the panel part seal on at least one of the pair of substrates. A step of forming an outer peripheral seal, a step of dropping liquid crystal in a region surrounded by the panel seal of at least one of the pair of substrates, and a substrate bonding step of bonding the pair of substrates in a vacuum environment. In the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, the panel portion seal is formed to include both a thermosetting resin and a photocurable resin, and further, the layer thickness adjustment is performed on the pair of substrates from the outside after the substrate bonding step. A layer thickness adjusting step of adjusting the liquid crystal layer thickness by applying pressure, and a photocuring step of curing the panel portion seal by light irradiation after the step of adjusting the liquid crystal layer thickness; After the photocurable process, characterized by a step of curing the panel seal by heating.

  That is, in this method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, after adjusting the thickness of the liquid crystal layer by leaving it under atmospheric pressure or the like, a part of the panel portion seal is cured by light irradiation. According to this manufacturing method, after the panel part seal is partially cured by photocuring, the panel part seal is completely cured by thermal curing, so that the panel part seal is not softened during thermal curing. Therefore, the panel seal is not displaced or damaged when the liquid crystal layer thickness is adjusted by atmospheric pressure or the like.

  Next, another method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a step of forming a panel part seal on at least one of the pair of substrates, and surrounding the panel part seal on at least one of the pair of substrates. Manufacturing a liquid crystal display device comprising: a step of forming a peripheral seal for forming a substrate; a step of dropping a liquid crystal on at least one of the pair of substrates; and a substrate bonding step of bonding the pair of substrates in a vacuum environment. In the method, the panel portion seal is formed to include both a thermosetting resin and a photocurable resin, and further, a photocuring step of curing the panel portion seal by light irradiation after the substrate bonding step; After the photocuring step, a layer thickness adjusting step for adjusting the liquid crystal layer thickness by applying a layer thickness adjusting pressure to the pair of substrates from the outside, and heating after the layer thickness adjusting step Characterized by a step of curing the serial panel seal.

  That is, in this method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, after a part of the panel seal is cured by light irradiation, the liquid crystal layer thickness is adjusted by being left under atmospheric pressure or the like. According to this manufacturing method, after the panel part seal is partially cured by photocuring, the panel part seal is completely cured by thermal curing, so that the panel part seal is not softened during thermal curing. Therefore, the panel seal is not displaced or damaged when the liquid crystal layer thickness is adjusted by atmospheric pressure or the like.

  Next, in the method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention configured to adjust the liquid crystal layer thickness by atmospheric pressure or the like after light irradiation, the outer peripheral seal may be formed of a photocurable resin. desirable. By doing so, the outer peripheral seal is hardened prior to the liquid crystal layer thickness adjusting step, so that it is possible to prevent the displacement between the pair of substrates in the liquid crystal layer thickness adjusting step.

  Next, in the method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention having the above-described configuration in which the liquid crystal layer thickness is adjusted by atmospheric pressure or the like after light irradiation, the panel portion is formed by light irradiation after the substrate bonding step. The photocuring step for curing the seal is preferably performed by irradiating only a part of the substrate with light. According to this configuration, a part of the panel portion seal is cured prior to the liquid crystal layer thickness adjusting step, so that it is possible to prevent the displacement between the pair of substrates in the liquid crystal layer thickness adjusting step. Moreover, since only a part of the substrate is irradiated with light, it is possible to avoid unnecessary light from being applied to the components of the liquid crystal display device such as a liquid crystal and an alignment film.

(First Embodiment of Manufacturing Method of Liquid Crystal Display Device)
Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention will be described by taking as an example a case of manufacturing a transflective liquid crystal display device using a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) element as a switching element. Of course, the present invention can be applied when manufacturing a liquid crystal display device having any other structure.

  Prior to describing the method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, first, a liquid crystal display device manufactured by the method of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional structure of an example of the liquid crystal display device. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow A in FIG. FIG. 7 shows a planar configuration of the element substrate when the element substrate shown on the upper side in FIG. 6 is viewed from the arrow B direction. FIG. 8A shows a portion indicated by an arrow C in FIG. FIG. 8B shows a cross-sectional structure of the TFT element of FIG. FIG. 9 shows an electrical equivalent circuit of the liquid crystal display device of FIG.

  Note that in each of the above drawings, the mutual dimensional ratio of a plurality of elements constituting the liquid crystal display device is different from the actual dimensional ratio in order to easily show the structure of those elements. Cost.

  In FIG. 5, the liquid crystal display device 1 is formed by mounting a liquid crystal driving IC 3, polarizing plates 4 a and 4 b, and an illumination device 6 on a liquid crystal panel 2. The illuminating device 6 includes an LED (Light Emitting Diode) 7 as a light source and a light guide 8 that guides light generated from the LED 7 to the liquid crystal panel 2. The liquid crystal panel 2 includes a pair of substrates, that is, an element substrate 11a and a color filter substrate 11b, which are bonded together by a sealing material 9 that is rectangular when viewed from the direction of the arrow D. A square is a square or a rectangle.

  Liquid crystal is sealed in a gap between the element substrate 11a and the color filter substrate 11b and surrounded by the sealing material 9, that is, a so-called cell gap, and the liquid crystal layer 13 is formed. The spacer denoted by reference numeral 15 is formed in a substantially spherical shape, and functions so that the cell gap maintains a uniform dimension. When light is generated from the illumination device 6, the light is modulated for each pixel region by the liquid crystal layer 13, and an image can be displayed on the element substrate 11a side. That is, the observer observes the display from the direction of arrow D.

  The element substrate 11a includes a light-transmitting base material 12a formed of glass, plastic, or the like. The base material 12a is formed in a square shape when viewed from the arrow D direction. A base layer 14 is formed on the surface of the substrate 12a on the liquid crystal side, a TFT element 16 as a switching element and a dot electrode 17 are formed thereon, and an alignment film 18a is formed thereon. The alignment film 18a is subjected to an alignment process for aligning liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 13, for example, a rubbing process. The polarizing plate 4a is attached to the outer surface of the substrate 12a by sticking or the like.

  The color filter substrate 11b has a translucent base material 12b formed of glass, plastic or the like. This base material 12b is formed in a square shape when viewed from the direction of the arrow D, similarly to the base material 12a on the element substrate 11a side. A reflective film 19 is formed on the liquid crystal side surface of the substrate 12b, a light shielding film 21 is formed thereon, a coloring element 22 is formed in a region surrounded by the light shielding film 21, and an overcoat is formed thereon. A layer 23 is formed, an electrode 24 is formed thereon, and an alignment film 18b is formed thereon. The alignment film 18b is subjected to an alignment process for aligning liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 13, for example, a rubbing process. The polarizing plate 4b is attached to the outer surface of the substrate 12b by sticking or the like.

  The coloring element 22 selectively transmits three primary colors of light, for example, R (red), G (green), B (blue), C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow). These color elements 22 constitute color filters. When R, G, and B are used as these coloring elements 22, each color coloring element 22 has a predetermined arrangement when viewed from the direction of arrow D in FIG. 5, for example, a stripe arrangement as shown in FIG. They are arranged in a mosaic arrangement as shown in (b) or a delta arrangement as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 5, the plurality of dot electrodes 17 formed on the base material 12a constituting the element substrate 11a are arranged in a matrix in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction when viewed from the arrow D direction. Each dot electrode 17 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape as shown in FIG. On the other hand, in FIG. 5, the electrode 24 on the side of the color filter substrate 11 b facing the element substrate 11 a is formed as a planar electrode facing all of the plurality of dot electrodes 17. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a region where each dot electrode 17 and the planar common electrode 24 face each other constitutes a display dot region D which is the minimum unit of display. One pixel is formed by the three display dot regions D corresponding to the three coloring elements 22 of R, G, and B. In addition, when performing monochrome display of black and white without using the coloring element 22, one pixel is formed by one display dot region D.

  In FIG. 6, an opening 26 is provided in the reflective film 19 corresponding to each display dot region D. These openings 26 allow the light generated from the illumination device 6 in FIG. 5 to pass as shown by the arrow L1 in FIG. By this transmitted light L1, transmissive display is performed. On the other hand, external light such as sunlight and room light is transmitted through the element substrate 11a and then reflected by the spray film 19 as indicated by an arrow L0. A reflective display is performed by the reflected light L0. That is, in the display dot region D, the region where the reflection film 19 exists is the reflection region R, and the region where the opening 26 exists is the transmission region T.

  In FIG. 7, a plurality of linear gate electrode lines 31 are formed in parallel to each other on the base layer 14 formed on substantially the entire surface of the base material 12a of the element substrate 11a. The energization pattern 32 is formed so as to be connected to each of the gate electrode lines 31. The energization pattern 32 supplies a current to each gate electrode line 31.

The gate electrode line 31 and the dot electrode 17 are connected by the TFT element 16. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the TFT element 16 includes the following layers on the base layer 14, that is, a gate electrode 33, an anodic oxide film 34 as a gate insulating film, and another gate insulation. A nitride film 36 as a film, an a-Si (amorphous silicon) film 37 as a channel part intrinsic semiconductor film, N ⁺ a-Si (doped amorphous silicon) films 38 and 38 as contact part semiconductor films, and The channel portion protection nitride film 39 is formed by sequentially stacking the layers.

In FIG. 7, a plurality of linear source electrode lines 41 are formed in parallel with each other on the surface of the base material 12 a in a positional relationship orthogonal to the gate electrode lines 31. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, these source electrode lines 41 are stacked on one side of the N ⁺ a-Si film 38 (the left side in FIG. 8B). Further, the dot electrode 17 is laminated on the other side of the N ⁺ a-Si film 38 (that is, the right side in FIG. 8B).

The TFT element 16 having the above configuration is formed as follows, for example. That is, in FIG. 7, first, the base layer 14 is formed by forming Ta ₂ O ₅ with a uniform thickness on the base material 12a by sputtering or the like. Next, Ta (tantalum) is patterned on the base layer 14 by a well-known patterning technique, for example, a photoetching process including a photolithography process and an etching process to form a plurality of linear gate electrode lines 31 and their gates. A gate electrode 33 for the TFT element that protrudes from the electrode line 31 and a conduction pattern 32 that connects the gate electrode lines 31 are formed.

  Thereafter, the base material 12a is immersed in a chemical conversion solution, that is, an anodizing solution, and an anodizing process is performed by applying a predetermined voltage to the energization pattern 32, whereby the gate electrode 33 and other patterns are formed. An anodic oxide film 34 is formed.

Next, in FIG. 8B, a gate insulating film 36 is formed on each anodic oxide film 34 by patterning Si ₃ N ₄ by, eg, CVD. Next, a-Si is deposited to a uniform thickness, N ⁺ a-Si is deposited thereon to a uniform thickness, and N ⁺ a-Si is patterned by photo-etching or the like to contact portions. A semiconductor film 38 is formed. Further, the channel part intrinsic semiconductor film 37 is formed by patterning a-Si.

Thereafter, Si ₃ N ₄ is patterned using a well-known patterning technique to form a channel portion protection film 39. Further, a plurality of dot electrodes 17 are formed in a matrix by patterning ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) so as to partially overlap the N ⁺ a-Si film 38 and in a predetermined dot shape. Further, the source electrode line 41 is formed by patterning Al (aluminum) so that a part thereof overlaps with the N ⁺ a-Si film 38 and is arranged in parallel with each other.

  Returning to FIG. 5, the element substrate 11a has an overhanging portion 46 projecting outside the color filter substrate 11b. On the surface of the protruding portion 46, a wiring 47a connected to the gate electrode line 31 on the element substrate 11a in FIG. 7, a wiring 47b connected to the source electrode line 41, and a wiring 47c connected to the common electrode 24 on the color filter substrate 11b. Are formed in an appropriate pattern by a well-known patterning technique, for example, photoetching. Further, an external connection terminal 48 for establishing an electrical connection with an external circuit is formed on the edge of the overhanging portion 46 by the same patterning technique.

  Conductive particles 49 are mixed in a random dispersed state in the sealing material 9 that bonds the element substrate 11a and the color filter substrate 11b together. In FIG. 5, the oval and spherical conductive particles are drawn, but this is a convenient way of drawing for easy understanding of the drawing. Actually, the spherical or cylindrical conductive particles 49 are used as the sealing material. A plurality are included within the width of 9. The electrical connection between the wiring 47c provided on the overhanging portion 46 of the element substrate 11a and the common electrode 24 provided on the color filter substrate 11b is the conductive particles 49 included in the sealing material 9. Is done by.

  Between the external connection terminal 48 and the wirings 47a, 47b, 47c, liquid crystal driving is performed based on COG (Chip On Glass) technology using a conductive bonding material such as ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film). IC3 is mounted. Of course, any other mounting technology such as TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) technology can also be used.

  The liquid crystal driving IC 3 includes the scanning line driving circuit 51 and the data line driving circuit 52 shown in FIG. 9 for driving the TFT element 16 of FIG. The scanning line driving circuit 51 is connected to the gate electrode line 31 in FIG. 7 and transmits a scanning signal to these lines. On the other hand, the data line driving circuit 52 is connected to the source electrode lines 41 in FIG. 7 and transmits data signals to these lines. The scanning signal is sent to the gate of the TFT element 16, and the data signal is sent to the source of the TFT element 16. When the TFT element 16 is turned on, the corresponding dot electrode 17 is energized and writing to the liquid crystal in the corresponding display dot region D is performed. When the TFT element 16 is subsequently turned off, the written state is maintained. By this series of writing operation and holding operation, the alignment of the liquid crystal is controlled between light transmission and light blocking.

  The liquid crystal display device having the above configuration selects and executes a reflective display using external light such as sunlight or room light and a transmissive display using the illumination device 6 of FIG. 5 as desired. To do. When the reflective display is selected, in FIG. 6, the external light L0 passes through the element substrate 11a and the liquid crystal layer 13, enters the color filter substrate 11b, is reflected by the reflective film 19, and is supplied to the liquid crystal layer 13 again. Is done. On the other hand, when the transmissive display is selected, the LED 7 in FIG. 5 is turned on, and the light from the LED 7 is supplied to the liquid crystal panel 2 by the light guide 8. In FIG. 6, the supplied light L <b> 1 passes through the opening 26 provided for each display dot region D in the reflective film 19 and is supplied to the liquid crystal layer 13.

  As described above, when light is supplied to the liquid crystal layer 13 in each of the reflective display and the transmissive display, the liquid crystal layer 13 has an applied voltage for each display dot region D by the dot electrode 17 and the common electrode 24. And the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules inside is controlled. The light supplied to the liquid crystal layer 13 is modulated by the above-described alignment control, and the modulated light selectively passes through the polarizing plate 4a on the element substrate 11a side in FIG. Images such as numbers, figures, etc. are displayed.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device having the above-described configuration will be described. Of course, the method of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a process diagram showing an embodiment of a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display device. In this process diagram, processes from process P1 to process P5 are processes for forming the element substrate 11a of FIG. Further, the process from the process P11 to the process P19 is a process of forming the color filter substrate 11b of FIG. The process from the process P21 to the process P28 is a process for bonding the element substrate 11a and the color filter substrate 11b to complete the liquid crystal display device.

  In the present embodiment, one element substrate element is formed on one element substrate mother base to form an element substrate mother substrate, while one color filter substrate mother base is formed. A set of color filter substrate elements is formed thereon to form a color filter substrate mother substrate, and these mother substrates are bonded together to form one liquid crystal display device. Separately from this method, a plurality of sets of element substrate elements are formed on one element substrate mother substrate to form an element substrate mother substrate, and on the other hand, one color filter substrate mother substrate is formed. There is also a method in which a plurality of sets of color filter substrate elements are formed to form a color filter substrate mother substrate, and the mother substrates are bonded together to form a plurality of liquid crystal display devices simultaneously.

  In the following description, the base material having a large area before the element substrate base material 12a of FIG. 5 is obtained by cutting will be referred to as an element substrate mother base material 12a '. A base material having a large area before the color filter substrate base material 12b is obtained by cutting is referred to as a color filter substrate mother base material 12b '.

  In the process P1 of FIG. 1, the TFT element 16 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B is formed on the element substrate mother base 12a '. Next, in step P2, the dot electrode 17 shown in FIGS. 8 and 5 is formed. When forming the TFT element 16 and the dot electrode 17, it is desirable to simultaneously form the wirings 47a, 47b, 47c and the external connection terminal 48 of FIG.

  Next, in step P3, the alignment film 18a shown in FIG. 5 is formed. Further, in step P4, the alignment film 18a is rubbed. Next, in Step P5, an amount of liquid crystal necessary for forming the liquid crystal layer 13 of FIG. 5 is dropped onto a region on the mother substrate 12a 'where a liquid crystal panel is to be formed using a dispenser or the like. Thus, the elements for the element substrate 11a of FIG. 5 are formed on the mother base material 12a ', and the element substrate mother substrate 11a' is formed.

  While manufacturing the above element substrate mother substrate 11a ′, in step P11, the reflective film 19 of FIG. 5 is formed on the color filter substrate mother substrate 12b ′, and at the same time, the light transmission opening 26 is formed. To do. Next, in the process P12, the light shielding film 21 of FIG. 5 is formed, and in the process P13, the coloring element 22 of FIG. 5 is formed. Thereby, a color filter is formed.

  Next, in step P14, the overcoat layer 23 in FIG. 5 is formed to smooth the surface, and in step P15, the common electrode 24 in FIG. 5 is formed of ITO. Next, in step P16, the alignment film 18b of FIG. 5 is formed, and in step P17, the alignment film 18b is rubbed.

  Next, in step P18, as shown in FIG. 2A, the panel portion seal 9 and the outer peripheral seal 29 are formed on the color filter substrate mother base 12b '. The panel seal 9 is a closed seal and is not provided with an opening for liquid crystal injection. The outer peripheral seal 29 is for forming a vacuum region described later with the panel portion seal 9. The vacuum region is for generating pressure on the substrates by the interaction with the atmospheric pressure after the element substrate mother substrate 11a ′ and the color filter substrate mother substrate 12b ′ are bonded together as described later. belongs to. Therefore, the distance between the panel part seal 9 and the outer peripheral seal 29 is appropriately determined so as to obtain the required pressure.

  The panel part seal 9 is the sealing material 9 itself of FIG. The panel seal 9 is formed of a photocurable resin itself or a material containing the photocurable resin. As the photocurable resin, a resin curable by visible light or ultraviolet light can be used. Moreover, as a photocurable resin, acrylic resin can be used, for example. In addition, as the outer periphery seal | sticker 29, either a photocurable resin or a thermosetting resin can be used. As the thermosetting resin, for example, an epoxy resin can be used.

  Next, in step P19 of FIG. 1, the spacers 15 of FIG. 5 are randomly distributed on the mother base material 12b '. Further, these spacers 15 are fixed on the mother substrate 12b ', that is, on the alignment film 18b. This fixing is performed, for example, by heating the spacer 15. As described above, the elements for the color filter substrate 11b of FIG. 5 are formed on the mother base 12b ', and the color filter substrate mother substrate 11b' is formed.

  After the element substrate mother substrate 11a ′ and the color filter substrate mother substrate 11b ′ of FIG. 5 are formed as described above, in step P21 of FIG. 1, these mother substrates are placed in a vacuum environment, for example, in a vacuum chamber. In FIG. In the conventional manufacturing method in which the bonding operation is performed in the atmosphere, the element substrate mother substrate 11a ′ and the color filter substrate mother substrate 11b ′ are individually sucked and held by a vacuum chuck. Those substrates were bonded together.

  However, in this embodiment in which the bonding of the mother substrate is performed in a vacuum environment, the holding using the vacuum chuck cannot be performed because the environment is a vacuum. Therefore, in this embodiment, the bonding operation is performed after the mother substrate is held using the electrostatic chuck. Here, the electrostatic chuck is a chuck method in which a mother substrate is attracted and held using a Coulomb force generated when a voltage is applied to the chuck member. By using this electrostatic chuck, it is possible to perform the bonding operation while supporting the mother substrate even in a vacuum environment.

  When the bonding of the element substrate mother substrate 11a ′ and the color filter substrate mother substrate 11b ′ is completed in the process P21, as shown in FIG. 2B, the element substrate mother substrate 11a ′ and the color filter substrate mother are completed. A panel structure having a structure in which the substrate 11 b ′ is bonded by the panel seal 9 and the outer peripheral seal 29 is formed. Since the liquid crystal has been dropped on the element substrate mother substrate 11a 'in the process P5 of FIG. 1, the liquid crystal layer 13 is formed when the both mother substrates are bonded together. A vacuum region V is formed between the outer peripheral seal 29 and the panel part seal 9.

  Next, in step P22, the panel structure of FIG. 2B is released from the vacuum environment, and in step P23, the panel structure is left under atmospheric pressure for a predetermined time. When the panel structure is left under atmospheric pressure, as schematically shown by an arrow E in FIG. 2B, the pressure difference between the pressure in the vacuum region V and the pressure in the atmospheric pressure is both mother boards. Join 11a 'and 11b'.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3A, a pressure F1 having a magnitude of (atmospheric pressure-vacuum degree) is applied to the vacuum region V. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the liquid crystal layer 13 is subjected to a pressure F2 having a magnitude of (atmospheric pressure−liquid crystal internal pressure−compressive deformation force of the spacer in the cell). Further, the panel portion seal 9 is subjected to a pressure F3 having a magnitude of (atmospheric pressure−seal internal pressure−compressive deformation force of the conductive particles in the seal). The largest force among these pressures is the force F1 applied to the vacuum region V. These forces continue to be applied until the vacuum region V is released.

  When these pressures are continuously applied, the panel portion seal 9, the outer peripheral seal 29, and the liquid crystal layer 13 are pressurized. At this time, the panel part seal 9 and the outer peripheral seal 2 are soft because they have not undergone the curing process. Therefore, sufficient pressure is applied to the liquid crystal layer 13, the panel part seal 9, and the outer peripheral seal 29.

  By the way, when the temperature of the liquid crystal display device 1 of FIG. 5 changes to the low temperature side, a difference occurs between the shrinkage amount of the spacer 15 and the shrinkage amount of the liquid crystal, and thus bubbles may be generated in the liquid crystal layer 13. is there. This phenomenon is called a cold bubble. As described above, in this embodiment, if a sufficient pressure can be applied to the liquid crystal layer 13, the spacer 15 in the liquid crystal layer 13 is sufficiently pressurized, and further, the difference between the liquid crystal internal pressure and the atmospheric pressure. Can be reduced to zero, so that the generation of the low-temperature bubbles can be suppressed. Further, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer can be set to an appropriate dimension.

  Furthermore, if sufficient pressure can be applied to the panel portion seal 9 and the outer periphery seal 29, these seals can be crushed by a necessary amount, so that the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer can be set to an appropriate dimension. Further, if a sufficient pressure is applied to the panel part seal 9, the conductive particles 49 in the panel part seal 9 can be appropriately crushed. Therefore, electrical conduction between both the boards 11a 'and 11b' is achieved. It can be secured.

  The optimum time for leaving in the process P23 is considered to vary depending on the viscosity of the sealing material, the size of the liquid crystal panel, the volume of the vacuum region, and other various conditions, and it is difficult to limit to a specific time. However, according to experiments by the present inventors, if the structure of the liquid crystal display device is general, the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer is adjusted to a desired dimension by leaving it under atmospheric pressure for 30 minutes or more. Further, it has been found that the generation of low temperature bubbles can be reliably suppressed.

  When the panel structure formed by bonding the pair of mother substrates in step P23 is left under atmospheric pressure, the pair of mother substrates 11a ′ and 11b ′ bonded to each other are planar as shown in FIG. That is, it is desirable to leave it on the flat surface 56. The mother boards 11a ′ and 11b ′ constituting the panel structure are pressed by receiving atmospheric pressure. At this time, if the mother boards 11a ′ and 11b ′ are placed on the flat surface 56, the pressing force is increased. The entire surface of the substrate can be evenly distributed. As a result, the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer can be adjusted uniformly over the entire surface of the liquid crystal layer.

  Next, in step P24 of FIG. 1, a seal curing process is performed. Specifically, when the outer peripheral seal 29 is a photocurable resin, light is applied to both the panel portion seal 9 and the outer peripheral seal 29 formed of the photocurable resin itself or a material containing the photocurable resin. By doing so, both seals 9 and 29 are hardened. Thereby, the force of the liquid crystal layer 13 and the seals 9 and 29 trying to spread outward by the action of atmospheric pressure can be suppressed, and the structure as a panel is determined. In the case where the outer peripheral seal 29 is a thermosetting resin, the outer peripheral seal 29 is cured by heating, while the panel portion seal 9 is cured by light irradiation.

  By the way, in the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal dropping and bonding type liquid crystal display device disclosed in FIG. 1 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-174829, the seal, which is a seal corresponding to the panel portion seal of the present embodiment, is a thermosetting resin. Was formed by. In general, thermosetting resins have the property of being once softened and then cured when heated and cured. Therefore, as in the present embodiment, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device in which the vacuum region V is formed inside the panel structure body so as to pressurize the panel structure body using the atmospheric pressure to adjust the liquid crystal layer thickness. When the panel seal 9 is formed of a thermosetting resin, when the panel seal 9 is heated for curing, the panel seal 9 is softened at the beginning of the heating. As a result, the liquid crystal layer 13 It is conceivable that the panel seal 9 is displaced due to the pressure, or the liquid crystal leaks due to tearing. On the other hand, if the panel part seal | sticker 9 located inside the vacuum area | region V is formed with a photocurable resin like this embodiment, and it is made to harden | cure by light, the panel part seal | sticker 9 will be hardened | cured. Since it does not soften at the beginning, it is possible to reliably prevent the panel portion seal 9 from being displaced or damaged.

  When the hardening of the panel portion seal 9 and the outer peripheral seal 29 in FIG. 2B is completed as described above, a break process is performed in step P25 in FIG. 1, and the panel structure in FIG. Break at break. Thereby, the vacuum state of the vacuum region V is released. Moreover, the liquid crystal panel 2 of FIG. 5 is completed by this break. Thereafter, in step P26, the liquid crystal driving IC 3 in FIG. 5 is mounted on the surface of the overhanging portion 46 of the element substrate 11a. In step P27, the polarizing plates 4a and 4b in FIG. By mounting 6, the liquid crystal display device 1 is completed. When attaching the polarizing plates 4a and 4b, other optical elements such as a retardation plate may be attached as necessary.

(Modification)
In the above description, the adjustment process of the liquid crystal layer thickness is performed by pressing the mother substrate with the atmospheric pressure in the process P23. However, the pressing of the mother board is not necessarily limited to the atmospheric pressure. The applied pressure may be greater than atmospheric pressure or less than atmospheric pressure.

  In the embodiment described above, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer is adjusted by pressing the pair of mother substrates using atmospheric pressure in Step P23 of FIG. At this time, it is desirable that the pair of mother boards be placed in an environment where the temperature can be adjusted. In this way, the temperature applied to the seal can be set to a temperature lower than the temperature at which the curing of the seal is promoted, whereby the seal can be kept in an uncured state until an appropriate cell gap, that is, a liquid crystal layer thickness is obtained. . The environment in which the temperature can be adjusted can be achieved, for example, by placing it in a thermostatic bath or placing it on a hot plate.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, in process P18 of FIG. 1, the panel part seal | sticker 9 of FIG. 2 (a) and (b) is formed with a photocurable resin or a material containing it, and the outer periphery seal | sticker 29 is a photocurable resin. Or it formed with the thermosetting resin. In this case, the panel seal 9 and the outer periphery seal 29 may be made of the same material or different materials. On the other hand, after the panel part seal 9 and the outer peripheral seal 29 are formed of materials having different curing methods, and one of the panel part seal 9 or the outer peripheral seal 29 is cured by one curing method, a pair of mothers in the process P23 A process of adjusting the thickness of the liquid crystal layer by applying atmospheric pressure to the substrate can also be performed. In this way, it is possible to prevent positional displacement between the pair of substrates when adjusting the liquid crystal layer thickness.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, in process P18 of FIG. 1, the panel part seal | sticker 9 of FIG. 2 (a) and (b) is formed with a photocurable resin or a material containing it, and the outer periphery seal | sticker 29 is a photocurable resin. Or it formed with the thermosetting resin. In this case, the panel part seal 9 is entirely formed of one kind of material. On the other hand, after the panel part seal 9 is formed of a plurality of materials having different curing methods and a part of the panel part seal 9 is cured by one curing method, atmospheric pressure is applied to the pair of mother substrates in Step P23. A process of adjusting the liquid crystal layer thickness can also be performed. In this way, it is possible to prevent positional displacement between the pair of substrates when adjusting the liquid crystal layer thickness.

  In the above description, as shown in FIG. 2A, only one liquid crystal display device is formed on the mother base 12b '. However, a plurality of components of the liquid crystal display device can be formed on the mother substrate 12a 'on the element substrate side and the mother substrate 12b' on the color filter substrate side. In this case, the outer peripheral seal 29 is formed so as to surround the components of the liquid crystal display devices for the plurality of sets. Thereby, when the element substrate mother substrate 11a 'and the color filter substrate mother substrate 11b' are bonded together in the process P21 of FIG. 1, the vacuum regions V are formed around the plurality of liquid crystal display device portions.

(Second Embodiment of Manufacturing Method of Liquid Crystal Display Device)
FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention. This embodiment differs from the previous embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in the following points.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, in step P <b> 18, the outer peripheral seal 29 in FIGS. 2A and 2B is formed using either one of a photocurable resin and a thermosetting resin. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the outer peripheral seal 29 is formed of the photo-curing resin itself or a material containing the photo-curing resin, and the panel seal 9 is hidden by a mask in step P23, and only the outer peripheral seal 29 is light-transmitted. Cured by irradiation.

  Next, in step P24, the pair of mother substrates are left in the atmosphere, and the liquid crystal layer thickness is adjusted by atmospheric pressure. At this time, since the panel portion seal 9 is not cured, the adjustment of the liquid crystal layer thickness by the atmospheric pressure can be reliably performed. Further, at this time, since the outer peripheral seal 29 has already been cured, it is possible to prevent the positional deviation between the pair of mother substrates. Next, in the process P25, the panel part seal 9 is irradiated with light and cured to determine the dimension of the liquid crystal layer thickness.

(3rd Embodiment of the manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display device)
FIG. 12 shows still another embodiment of the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is as follows.

(1) In the embodiment of FIG. 1, in step P <b> 18, the panel portion seal 9 of FIG. 2A is formed of a photocurable resin, and the outer peripheral seal 29 is formed of a photocurable resin or a thermosetting resin. On the other hand, in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 12, in step P18, the panel portion seal 9 of FIG. 2A is configured to include both the photocurable resin and the thermosetting resin. Also,
(2) In the embodiment of FIG. 1, after the substrate is left in step P23 to adjust the thickness of the liquid crystal layer, the seal curing process is performed in step P24 to cure both the panel portion seal 9 and the outer peripheral seal 29. On the other hand, in this embodiment, after adjusting the thickness of the liquid crystal layer by standing in step P23 of FIG. 12, the panel portion seal 9 is cured by light irradiation in step P24, and further, the panel portion seal is heated by heating in step P25. 9 was cured. In addition, the outer periphery seal | sticker 29 hardens | cures in either process P24 or process P25 according to the property of resin which comprises it.

  According to the manufacturing method of the present embodiment, since the panel portion seal 9 is cured by light irradiation in the process P24 performed after the step P23 is left, temporary softening of the panel seal 9 can be avoided. Therefore, when the panel part seal 9 is cured, the panel part seal 9 is not displaced or damaged.

(4th Embodiment of the manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display device)
FIG. 13 shows still another embodiment of a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is as follows.

(1) In the embodiment of FIG. 1, in step P <b> 18, the panel portion seal 9 of FIG. 2A is formed of a photocurable resin, and the outer peripheral seal 29 is formed of a photocurable resin or a thermosetting resin. On the other hand, in this embodiment shown in FIG. 13, in step P <b> 18, the panel portion seal 9 in FIG. 2A is configured to include both the photocurable resin and the thermosetting resin. Also,
(2) In the embodiment of FIG. 1, after adjusting the thickness of the liquid crystal layer by leaving the substrate in step P23, the seal curing process was performed in step P24 to cure both the panel portion seal 9 and the outer peripheral seal 29. On the other hand, in this embodiment, a photocuring process is performed before leaving as in step P23 of FIG. 13, and a thermosetting process is performed after leaving as in step P25.

  According to the manufacturing method of the present embodiment, after the panel portion seal 9 is partially cured by light irradiation in the process P23, the panel is left in the process P24. For this reason, when the thickness of the liquid crystal layer is adjusted by the atmospheric pressure when left unattended, it is possible to prevent a positional deviation from occurring between the element substrate mother substrate and the color filter substrate mother substrate. Further, since part of the panel part seal 9 is cured in advance in the process P23, when the remaining part of the panel part seal 9 is cured by heating in the process P25 after leaving the substrate in the process P24, at the beginning of the heating. The panel part seal 9 is not temporarily softened. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the panel part seal 9 from being displaced or damaged at the beginning of the curing in the process P25.

  Considering the case where the entire panel part seal 9 is formed of a photocurable resin, the entire panel part seal 9 must be cured by light irradiation. However, it is difficult to irradiate all of the panel seal 9 and the outer peripheral seal 29 inside the panel structure of FIGS. 2A and 2B evenly, and therefore the seals are completely cured by light. Difficult to do. On the other hand, if a part of the panel part seal 9 is formed of a thermosetting resin and the panel part seal 9 is completely cured by heating, the entire panel part seal 9 is completely cured. be able to.

  In the present embodiment, the outer peripheral seal 29 in FIG. 2A is preferably formed of a photo-curing resin. In the step of curing the panel seal 9 by light irradiation in the process P23 of FIG. 13, it is desirable to irradiate only a part of the pair of mother substrates. When light is applied to the entire surface of a pair of mother substrates, elements that are not desirable to be exposed to light, such as liquid crystals and TFT elements, may be adversely affected. On the other hand, if only a part of the pair of mother substrates is irradiated with light, adverse effects on the liquid crystal and the like can be prevented.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied when manufacturing an active matrix type liquid crystal display device using TFT elements as switching elements, but the present invention is a simple matrix that does not use switching elements, that is, a passive matrix type liquid crystal. The present invention can also be applied when manufacturing a display device. The present invention can also be applied to manufacturing an active matrix liquid crystal display device using a two-terminal switching element such as a TFD (Thin Film Diode) element as a switching element.

  The manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention is suitably used when the liquid crystal display device is manufactured by a liquid crystal dropping and bonding method.

It is process drawing which shows one Embodiment of the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the main processes of FIG. 1, Comprising: (a) has shown the top view, (b) has shown sectional drawing. It is a figure which shows how to apply the pressurization force in the leaving process which is the main processes of FIG. It is a figure which shows the leaving process which is the main processes of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the liquid crystal display device manufactured by the manufacturing method which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which expands and shows the part shown by the arrow A in FIG. It is a figure at the time of seeing the element substrate in FIG. 6 from the arrow B direction. 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating a TFT element indicated by an arrow C in FIG. 7, where FIG. 7A is a plan view and FIG. 7B is a side cross-sectional view. It is a figure which shows the electrical equivalent circuit of the liquid crystal display device of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of an arrangement | sequence of the coloring element in the color filter used with the liquid crystal display device of FIG. It is process drawing which shows other embodiment of the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device which concerns on this invention. It is process drawing which shows other embodiment of the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device which concerns on this invention. It is process drawing which shows other embodiment of the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1. 1. Liquid crystal display device 2. Liquid crystal panel IC for driving liquid crystal, 4a, 4b. Polarizer,
6). 8. lighting device; Sealing material (panel part seal), 11a. Element substrate,
11a '. Mother substrate for element substrate, 11b. Color filter substrate,
11b '. Mother substrate for color filter substrate, 12a, 12b. Base material,
12a '. Mother substrate for element substrate, 12b ′. Mother substrate for color filter substrate,
13. Liquid crystal layer, 14. 15. Underlayer, Spacers, 16. TFT element,
17. Dot electrodes, 18a, 18b. 18. alignment film, Reflective film, 21. Light shielding film,
22. Coloring elements, 23. Overcoat layer, 24. Electrodes, 26. Opening,
29. Peripheral seal, 31. Gate electrode line, 32. Energization pattern,
33. Gate electrode, 34. Anodized film (gate insulating film),
36. Nitride film (gate insulating film), 37. a-Si film (channel intrinsic semiconductor film),
38. N ⁺ a-Si film (contact part semiconductor film),
39. 41. A nitride film for protecting a channel part (channel part protective film); Source electrode wire,
46. Overhang, 47a, 47b, 47c. Wiring, 48. External connection terminal,
49. Conductive particles, 56. A flat surface, D. Display dot area, L0. reflected light,
L1. Transmitted light, V. Vacuum region; Reflection region, T.I. Transparent area

Claims (13)

Forming a panel seal on at least one of the pair of substrates;
Forming an outer peripheral seal for enclosing the panel portion seal on at least one of the pair of substrates;
Dropping liquid crystal in a region surrounded by the panel seal of at least one of the pair of substrates;
A substrate bonding step of bonding the pair of substrates in a vacuum environment;
In a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device having
The panel part seal is formed of a photocurable resin or a material containing a photocurable resin, and
Layer thickness adjustment for adjusting the liquid crystal layer thickness by applying a layer thickness adjusting pressure to the pair of substrates from the outside after the substrate bonding step and before the panel part seal is cured to a predetermined hardness A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device comprising a step.   2. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate bonding step forms a vacuum region between the panel portion seal and the outer peripheral seal by bonding the pair of substrates. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device.   3. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein the layer thickness adjusting step applies a pressure difference between the layer thickness adjusting pressure and the vacuum region pressure to the pair of substrates. Device manufacturing method.   4. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the layer thickness adjustment pressure is obtained when the pair of substrates after the substrate bonding step is left in an air environment. 5. A manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display device characterized by being at atmospheric pressure. In the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The outer periphery seal is formed of a photo-curing resin or a material containing a photo-curing resin, and further, before the layer thickness adjustment step, the outer periphery seal is cured by light irradiation in a state where the panel part seal is hidden with a mask. A manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display device characterized by comprising:   6. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein in the layer thickness adjustment step, the pair of substrates are placed in an environment in which a temperature can be adjusted. Device manufacturing method.   5. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein the panel structure is left on a flat surface. In the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device of Claim 1,
The outer periphery seal is formed of a material having a different curing method with respect to the panel portion seal,
In the layer thickness adjusting step, after only the outer peripheral seal is cured, the liquid crystal layer thickness is adjusted by applying pressure from the outside to the pair of substrates. In the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device of Claim 1,
The panel part seal is formed of a plurality of materials having different curing methods,
In the layer thickness adjusting step, after a part of the panel portion seal is cured by one curing method, the liquid crystal layer thickness is adjusted by applying pressure from the outside to the pair of substrates. Manufacturing method. Forming a panel seal on at least one of the pair of substrates;
Forming an outer peripheral seal for enclosing the panel portion seal on at least one of the pair of substrates;
Dropping liquid crystal in a region surrounded by the panel seal of at least one of the pair of substrates;
A substrate bonding step of bonding the pair of substrates in a vacuum environment;
In a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device having
The panel part seal is formed to include both a thermosetting resin and a photocurable resin, and
A layer thickness adjusting step of adjusting a liquid crystal layer thickness by applying a layer thickness adjusting pressure from the outside to the pair of substrates after the substrate bonding step;
A photocuring step of curing the panel portion seal by light irradiation after the step of adjusting the liquid crystal layer thickness;
And a step of curing the panel seal by heating after the photocuring step. Forming a panel seal on at least one of the pair of substrates;
Forming an outer peripheral seal for enclosing the panel portion seal on at least one of the pair of substrates;
Dropping liquid crystal on at least one of the pair of substrates;
A substrate bonding step of bonding the pair of substrates in a vacuum environment;
In a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device having
The panel part seal is formed to include both a thermosetting resin and a photocurable resin, and
A photocuring step of curing the panel part seal by light irradiation after the substrate bonding step;
A layer thickness adjusting step of adjusting a liquid crystal layer thickness by applying a layer thickness adjusting pressure from the outside to the pair of substrates after the photocuring step;
And a step of curing the panel portion seal by heating after the layer thickness adjusting step.   12. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the outer peripheral seal is formed of a photocurable resin. 12. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the light curing step of curing the panel portion seal by light irradiation after the substrate bonding step is performed by irradiating only a part of the substrate with light. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device.

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