JP2006119286A - Substrate sticking apparatus and sticking method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method capable of determining a cell gap easily with high accuracy, while preventing a substrate from bending, in a laminating process for display panel manufacturing. <P>SOLUTION: The laminating method of a display panel substrate in which a first substrate held at a first surface plate 40 side and a second substrate held at a second surface plate 48 side, are aligned by inserting sealant 14 in a cavity between the first and the second substrates 10 and 12 opposing each other, comprises a process steps of; aspirating and holding the first substrate to the first surface plate side by making the gap vacuum between an outside face opposite to the face on which a display cell region space 32 is formed in the first substrate, and the first surface plate; laminating the first and the second substrates together by pressing the outside face of the first substrate by a plurality of pressing pins 71 which are projected from the first surface plate contacted with the outside face by air pressure; and hardening the sealant. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for bonding display panel substrates and an apparatus for implementing the method.

  A liquid crystal display panel and an organic EL display panel are generally manufactured by bonding two substrates. Hereinafter, a conventional substrate bonding step will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the first substrate 110 is held by a first surface plate 142 including an X-axis drive mechanism 132. Similarly, the second substrate 112 provided with a sealing material is held by a second surface plate 144 provided with a Y-axis drive mechanism 134. While observing the alignment marks attached to the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 112, the θ-axis is adjusted by the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the θ-table 162 positioned further below the second surface plate 144. In other words, the second substrate 112 is rotated in the horizontal plane by the rotation drive mechanism 136 to align with the first substrate. Thereafter, the first surface plate 142 or the second surface plate 144 can be operated in the direction of the arrow A, and the substrate is pressed as a result by the up-and-down lifting means 138 and the pressure cylinder 160 of the surface plate. Bonding is in progress. At this time, if the distance between the two substrates (hereinafter also referred to as a cell gap) is not constant between the peripheral edge of the cell and the central part of the cell, for example, display unevenness occurs on the completed display panel. Therefore, in order to maintain the display quality of the manufactured display panel at a high quality and constant, it is necessary to appropriately maintain the cell gap in the manufacturing process. This technology is called cell gap control (CELL GAP CONTROL). The above-described substrate pressing mechanism using the X-axis driving mechanism 132, the Y-axis driving mechanism 134, the rotation driving mechanism 136, the up / down lifting / lowering means 138, and the pressure cylinder 160 is well known and has various mechanisms. For this reason, those skilled in the art can easily configure these mechanisms, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  For example, in a bonding process in manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel using a glass substrate or the like, a spacer fiber made of glass fiber or the like is mixed into the sealing material itself, and at the same time, resin, silica, etc. It is carried out by spraying cell gap holding means such as spacer particles. In some cases, cell gap holding means is provided in the display cell region by a structure such as a resist. However, a negative effect such as a decrease in contrast due to the spacer occurs. Therefore, in order to improve display quality, what is called a spacerless liquid crystal display that performs precise cell gap control without arranging spacer particles inside the cell is desired.

  In addition, in organic EL panels and the like that have recently been increasing in demand, since it is impossible to arrange spacer particles on the entire surface inside the display cell, precise cell gap control has not been realized.

  Furthermore, in the bonding and sealing process of the display panel, for example, an elastic body such as a rubber sponge is used as a cushioning material, and the substrate surface is pressed to seal the two substrates with the sealing material interposed therebetween. Is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  However, it is extremely difficult to accurately form a predetermined cell gap over the entire display cell region of the display panel by holding and opposing the two substrates without bending in the bonding and sealing process.

  When the sealing material is cured by ultraviolet irradiation while the substrate surface is pressed by the rubber sponge, there is a concern about the deterioration of the plastic property of the rubber sponge due to the ultraviolet rays, and the pressing process of the substrate is performed at a predetermined pressure and a predetermined accuracy. There is a risk that it cannot be done. In addition, repeated use of the rubber sponge may deteriorate the plasticity and lose the reproducibility of the pressing force.

  Therefore, with the conventional manufacturing method, it is difficult to accurately control the pressing force on the substrate surface and ensure the reproducibility of the pressing force.

That is, in the conventional manufacturing method, since it is difficult to make the cell gap in the display cell region of the display panel constant, for example, there is a possibility of causing a problem such as deterioration of display quality.
JP-A-6-75233

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and its object is to easily and accurately set the cell gap while preventing the substrate from being bent during the substrate bonding process. At the same time, the entire periphery of the display area formed in the space between the two substrates can be sealed in a single sealing process using a sealing material. An object is to provide a method for combining and an apparatus for implementing the method.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. That is, according to the present invention, the display cell region space and the peripheral region space surrounding the display cell region space are formed in a space sandwiched between the first and second substrates facing each other. A display panel substrate that aligns the first substrate held on the first surface plate side and the second substrate held on the second surface plate side by interposing a sealing material on any substrate The present invention relates to the method of bonding, and mainly includes the following steps.

  First, as the step (1), the first substrate is placed in the first substrate by evacuating the gap between the outer surface of the first substrate opposite to the surface forming the display cell region space and the first surface plate. Hold by suction on the platen side.

  Next, as a step (2), the outer surface of the first substrate is pressed by a plurality of pressing pins protruding by air pressure from the first surface plate contacting the outer surface of the first substrate.

  Further, as the step (3), the first and second substrates are bonded together.

  Thereafter, the sealing material is cured.

  According to the bonding method of the present invention, the substrate surface of the first substrate is further pressed at a plurality of points by the pressing pin that is operated by air pressure.

  At this time, the plurality of pressing pins are preferably operated by air pressure generated by a single intake / exhaust means.

  Further, according to the bonding method of the present invention, it is preferable that the second substrate and the second surface plate also have the outer surface opposite to the surface forming the display cell region space, and the second surface. It is preferable that the gap with the surface plate is evacuated and the second substrate is sucked and held on the second surface plate side.

  Furthermore, the step (2) is preferably a step performed by a plurality of pressing pins arranged directly on the sealing material through the first substrate.

  Particularly when performing the step (2) of the bonding method of the present invention, preferably, the first substrate and the second substrate are brought close to each other, and the display cell region space is not sealed by the sealing material. The display cell region space that is the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate is preferably evacuated.

  In carrying out the bonding method of the present invention, it is preferable to perform the bonding step in an airtight processing chamber in which the inside can be evacuated. It is preferable that at least step (2) described above is a step of changing the processing chamber between normal pressure and vacuum.

  In the step (2) of the bonding method of the present invention, the pressure of the gap between the first and second substrates is preferably kept low enough not to rupture the sealing material as compared to the atmospheric pressure outside the first and second substrates, The first and second substrates are preferably pressed after being combined.

  Further, in the bonding method of the present invention, when the bonding process is performed in a processing chamber evacuated, it is preferable that the first and second substrates be provided with an air suction force for evacuating the entire processing chamber. It is good to make it smaller than the suction force of the air for making it contact | adhere to the 1st and 2nd surface plate.

  Preferably, the sealing material is cured by ultraviolet irradiation. Alternatively, the sealing material may be cured by heating or cooling.

  In the method for bonding display panel substrates of the present invention, the step of pulling out the spacer portion from the peripheral region may be performed at any stage before or after the seal material is cured.

  Further, according to the display panel substrate bonding apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable to mainly include the following components.

  That is, a display panel substrate bonding apparatus for bonding a first substrate and a second substrate with a sealant interposed therebetween includes a first surface plate and a second surface plate that respectively hold the first and second substrates. It has a board. The first surface plate is connected to the storage chamber, a plurality of pressing pins that protrude by air pressure from the first surface that contacts the outer surface of the first substrate, presses the outer surface, a storage chamber that stores the pressing pins, and the storage chamber A first air intake / exhaust means for generating the air pressure in the storage chamber, a spacer portion for supporting the first substrate, an arm portion for supporting the spacer portion, and a horizontal direction and a vertical direction for expanding and contracting the arm portion. And a substrate holding means including a direction extending / contracting mechanism.

  The laminating apparatus preferably includes a seal material curing means. The seal material curing means functions to cure the seal material between the two substrates.

  It is preferable that the plurality of pressing pins have a device configuration in which the pressing pins are arranged immediately above the sealing material provided on the substrates to be bonded.

  The plurality of pressing pins are preferably pressing pins that are operated by air pressure generated by a single intake / exhaust means.

  The pressing pin is preferably disk-shaped, and has a base provided with a depression on the entire circumference of the disk, an airtight holding member provided so as to surround the depression, and a rod-like provided on the base. It is good to have a pin part.

  This pin portion is preferably formed of stainless steel.

  In another preferred embodiment of the bonding apparatus of the present invention, the gap between the first and second substrates, that is, the display cell region space and the peripheral region space, before being sealed with the sealing material, is evacuated. It is preferable to further include means for the above.

  According to the configuration example of the bonding apparatus of the present invention, as a means for evacuating the display cell region space and the peripheral region space, the bonding processing chamber and the processing chamber are placed between normal pressure and vacuum. It is preferable to include a pressure adjusting means for changing.

  Further, if both or either one of the first surface plate and the second surface plate is a quartz surface plate, it is suitable for curing the sealing material using the sealing material curing means as an ultraviolet irradiation device.

  According to the manufacturing apparatus and the manufacturing method of the present invention, the substrate surface can be pressed flexibly by a plurality of points using a plurality of pressing pins that are operated by air pressure. Accordingly, since the distribution of the pressing force with respect to the substrate surface can be dispersed and the uneven pressing force can be prevented, it is possible to suppress the bending that occurs particularly in the central portion of the first substrate during bonding. Accordingly, it is possible to make the cell gap in the display cell region located in the center of the substrate uniform and the cell gap in the periphery. As a result, the cell gap can be set easily and with high accuracy, so that the display quality of the manufactured display panel can be further improved.

  If the pressing pin is formed of a metal material such as stainless steel, there is no concern that the pressing pin itself deteriorates and adversely affects cell gap control even when the sealing material is cured by ultraviolet irradiation. That is, the reproducibility of the pressing force can be improved.

  If the plurality of pressing pins are operated in synchronism with the air pressure generated by a single intake / exhaust means, the pressing force of each pressing pin can be set to the same pressure. Therefore, the bending of the first substrate in the bonding step can be further suppressed.

  Further, the gap between the outer surface of the second substrate opposite to the surface forming the display cell region space and the second platen is evacuated, and the second substrate is sucked to the second platen side. If held, the second substrate can be held more stably, which contributes to further process stability and, consequently, improvement in cell gap uniformity.

  In addition, if the device configuration is such that a plurality of pressing pins are arranged immediately above the position of the sealing material provided on the substrates to be bonded, the substrate surface corresponding to the display cell region is not pressed, so in the bonding process Local deflection of the substrate due to the pressing force can be prevented. Further, in this bonding step, since the pressing pin does not contact the substrate surface corresponding to the display cell region, there is no possibility that the substrate surface corresponding to the display cell region is damaged and the display quality is deteriorated.

  Furthermore, in the state where the first substrate and the second substrate are brought close to each other and the display cell region space is not sealed by the sealing material, specifically, the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, If at least the display cell region space is evacuated, the space to be evacuated can be made smaller, so that the time required for the bonding process can be shortened, and the throughput of the display panel is greatly improved. .

  Further, if the bonding process is an airtight process chamber in which the inside can be evacuated, and at least the process (2) is a process in which the process chamber is changed between normal pressure and vacuum, the manufacturing process is particularly effective. In the manufacturing process of an organic EL display panel whose material is weak against moisture and oxygen, it is possible to perform precise cell gap control while eliminating factors that greatly affect the display panel quality.

  Further, in the step (2), the pressure of the gap between the first substrate and the second substrate is pressed after being bonded in a state where the pressure is maintained low enough to prevent the sealing material from rupturing compared to the pressure outside the first substrate. Then, the yield can be improved while improving the display quality of the manufactured display panel.

  Furthermore, when the bonding step is performed in a vacuum processing chamber, the first and second substrates are brought into close contact with the first and second surface plates with an air suction force for vacuuming the entire processing chamber. By making it smaller than the air suction force for this purpose, it is possible to prevent the first and second substrates from dropping and the occurrence of displacement of these substrates from the surface plate. Therefore, these two substrates can be held more stably, which contributes to highly accurate cell gap control.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, only the shapes, sizes, and arrangement relationships of the respective constituent components are schematically shown to such an extent that the present invention can be understood, and the present invention is not particularly limited thereby. In addition, it should be understood that the same constituent components are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings used for the following description, and redundant description thereof may be omitted.

  In carrying out the present invention, the X-axis drive mechanism, the Y-axis drive mechanism, the rotation drive mechanism, and the up / down lifting / lowering means already described with reference to FIG. 5 are appropriately used. Since it is well known in the art and is not the gist of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  In the following description of the embodiments, an example in which the present invention is applied to both a liquid crystal display panel and an organic EL display panel will be described. In the case of an organic EL display panel, an organic EL layer is formed in advance on one substrate to be bonded. In the case of a liquid crystal display panel, a “liquid drop injection” process in which a liquid crystal medium is mainly injected into a cell region before the display panel is bonded will be described as an example.

  As is well known, a large number of display cells (display panels) are arranged in a matrix on a single substrate. However, in the embodiment described below, in order to avoid complication of illustration, the example in which one display cell is formed between two substrates is taken up as a representative and illustrated. Further, in the figure, other components such as electrodes and other transistors necessary for image display are not essential for the description of the present invention, and therefore are not shown.

<First Embodiment>
With reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a display panel substrate bonding apparatus and a bonding method using the apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a schematic plan view showing an aspect in which a main part of a display panel substrate bonding apparatus (hereinafter abbreviated as a bonding apparatus) is seen from above. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing a cut surface taken along the dashed line I-I ′ of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the laminating apparatus according to this embodiment mainly includes a first surface plate 40, a second surface plate 48 opposed to the first surface plate 40, and a sealing material curing means 60. Including.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the first surface plate 40 has a substrate contact surface 40a that is in contact with the outer surface on the opposite side to the surface on which the display cells of the substrate to be held are formed. A top plate 01 is provided in contact with the surface of the surface facing the substrate contact surface 40a. The first surface plate 40 is provided with a substrate pressing mechanism 70 that protrudes from the substrate contact surface 40a by air pressure and presses the outer surface of the substrate.

  The substrate pressing mechanism 70 includes a plurality of pressing pins 71 and a storage chamber 70a that is a cylindrical space for storing the pressing pins 71 (details of these configurations will be described later).

  The substrate pressing mechanism 70 is connected to the opening 01a of the top plate 01 that communicates with the storage chamber 70a. The substrate pressing mechanism 70 can vary the air pressure (pressure) in the storage chamber 70a by supplying or discharging gas (air) to the storage chamber 70a, that is, the space formed on the upper end side of the pressing pin 71. A substrate pressing intake / exhaust means 78 is provided.

  The first surface plate 40 is provided with a first substrate holding intake / exhaust port 44a and a first substrate holding intake / exhaust means 46a connected thereto. The first substrate holding intake / exhaust port 44a is also configured such that the first substrate holding intake / exhaust means 46a is connected to an opening 01b penetrating the top plate 01. The size of the intake / exhaust ports, the number of installations, and the like can be arbitrarily changed according to the desired specifications of the panel.

  The top plate 01 is provided with a support arm (hereinafter also referred to as a substrate holding mechanism) 42 for supporting the substrate.

  The 2nd surface plate 48 has the 2nd board | substrate contact surface 48a which contacts the outer surface of the 2nd board | substrate hold | maintained. In this configuration example, a base plate 02 is provided on the opposite surface of the platen surface facing the second substrate contact surface 48a.

  The second platen 48 is provided with a second substrate holding intake / exhaust port 44b so as to penetrate the base plate 02 as well. A second substrate holding intake / exhaust means 46b is connected to the second substrate holding intake / exhaust port 44b.

  The second substrate holding intake / exhaust means 46b can be constituted by a vacuum pump having a conventionally known configuration and piping connected to the vacuum pump.

  The first intake / exhaust means 78 and the first and second substrate holding intake / exhaust means 46a and 46b include a vacuum pump having a conventionally known configuration and, for example, a pressure adjusting valve connected to the vacuum pump. It can be configured by a pipe or the like.

  The support arm (substrate holding mechanism) 42 includes a spacer portion 42b having an appropriate thickness, an arm portion 42a that supports the spacer portion 42b, and the arm portion 42a in the horizontal direction (the direction of arrow A in the figure) and the vertical direction (see FIG. A horizontal and vertical expansion / contraction mechanism 42c that expands and contracts in the direction of arrow B) to operate the spacer portion 42b in the horizontal and vertical directions.

  For example, when the cell gap is determined by arranging some cell gap holding means, that is, for example, a spacer material such as spacer particles, in the display cell region 32, the thickness of the spacer part 42b is determined after the spacer part 42b is pulled out. Since the first step can be performed, the thickness is preferably larger (thick) than the cell gap h1 and smaller than the height of the sealing material 14 (thin) within a range in which the first substrate 10 can be stably held. ) Thickness may be used.

  For example, in the case of a spacerless liquid crystal display panel and an organic EL display panel, since there is no spacer material in the display cell region, the thickness of the spacer portion 42b is preferably set to be substantially equal to the cell gap h1. It is good. That is, it is preferable to set the spacer portion 42b so as to have a thickness and a shape that set the cell gap h1 after the sealing material is cured. The length of the spacer portion 42b is preferably set to such a length that it can be inserted into and extracted from the peripheral region 30 and can hold the first substrate 10 stably.

  The material of the spacer portion 42b can be selected as appropriate as long as the object of the present invention is not impaired. Preferably, the material is, for example, pure nickel. For the manufacture of the spacer portion 42b, for example, a manufacturing method by electroforming is preferably applied.

  The operation mechanism of the spacer portion 42b, that is, the horizontal and vertical expansion / contraction mechanisms 42c of the support arm 42 and the respective intake / exhaust means are indicated by blocks in the drawing. The operating mechanism 42c holds the first substrate 10 by the support arm 42, and supports the first substrate 10 while supporting the first substrate 10 in the direction in which the spacer portion 42b is inserted or pulled out (direction of arrow A). As long as the spacer portion 42b is configured to operate in the direction attracted to 40 and the direction away from it (in the direction of arrow B), a mechanism having any suitable configuration according to the design may be used. The horizontal and vertical expansion / contraction mechanism 42c of the support arm 42 only needs to be configured to be finely adjustable so that it can be advanced or retracted in a predetermined direction by a predetermined specified distance. A suitable configuration may be used. That is, the horizontal direction and vertical direction expansion / contraction mechanism 42c may be appropriately selected from any suitable conventionally known configuration within a range not impairing the object of the present invention. Preferably, for example, a micro motor, a servo motor, a hydraulic cylinder, etc. It is good to comprise by any means.

  In this configuration example, the substrate holding mechanism 42 is configured such that the horizontal and vertical expansion / contraction mechanisms 42 c are connected to the top plate 01. However, as long as the substrate can be held, other configurations such as the first surface plate 40 may be provided.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the configuration example and operation of the pressing pin 71 provided in the substrate pressing mechanism 70 and the storage chamber 70a for storing the pressing pin 71, that is, the substrate holding operation and the substrate pressing operation. I will explain.

  FIG. 2A illustrates a bonding apparatus at the same position as in FIG. 1B in order to explain the operation in which the substrate holding mechanism 42 holds the first substrate 10 in close contact with the first surface plate 40. It is a schematic diagram which shows the cut end. FIG. 2B is a partially enlarged view showing an enlarged partial area surrounded by the symbol H in FIG.

  FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram showing a cut surface obtained by cutting the laminating apparatus at the same position as FIG. 1B in the same manner as FIG. 2A in order to explain the operation of pressing the first substrate 10. It is a typical figure. FIG. 3B is a partially enlarged view showing an enlarged partial area surrounded by the symbol H in FIG.

  The first and second substrates 10 and 12 are provided with boundaries for forming a display cell region 32 that becomes a display region when the display panel is completed and a peripheral region 30 that surrounds the outside of the display cell region 32. deep. Here, the substrate surfaces of the first and second substrates 10 and 12 facing each other are referred to as inner surfaces, and the substrate surfaces opposite to the inner surfaces are referred to as outer surfaces in the same manner as described above.

  The first substrate 10 is held by the spacer portion 42 b so that the outer surface thereof is in close contact with the substrate contact surface 40 a of the first surface plate 40. At this time, the first substrate 10 operates the support arm 42 in a region to be a display cell on the lower surface side of the first substrate 10, that is, in the peripheral region 30 located outside the display cell region 32, In the example, four spacer portions 42b are inserted from four directions, east, west, south, and north. And the 1st board | substrate 10 is mounted so that the upper surface of the spacer part 42b may be contact | connected.

  The peripheral region 30 here is a margin region around the display cell that is not used for actual display. The display cell area 32 is an area where an image is displayed when the device is completed.

  As the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 12 of the present invention, for example, a glass substrate, a flexible plastic substrate, an epoxy resin substrate, or the like can be applied.

  Next, the first platen is provided by a first substrate holding intake / exhaust port 44a provided on the first platen 40 and a vacuum pump which is the first substrate holding intake / exhaust means 46a connected thereto. The air in the gap between the substrate contact surface 40a 40 and the outer surface of the first substrate 10 (corresponding to the height indicated by symbol h2 in FIG. 1B) is evacuated. At this time, the support arm 42 is operated in the vertical direction by the horizontal and vertical expansion / contraction mechanisms 42c. Then, the first substrate 10 is held by the outer surface of the first substrate being attracted to the substrate contact surface 40 a of the first surface plate 40.

  In this way, the first substrate 10 can be stably held by being in close contact with the first surface plate 40. That is, the first substrate 10 is adsorbed to the first surface plate 40 and is stably held without any bending particularly in the central portion of the substrate.

  Here, the configuration of the storage chamber 70a and the pressing pin 71 will be described with reference to FIG.

  In this configuration example, a first opening 70b that communicates with the opening 01a of the top plate 01 is formed in the upper end (hereinafter also referred to as a ceiling) of the storage chamber 70a, which is the cylindrical space described above.

  A second opening 70c is formed at the lower end (hereinafter also referred to as the bottom) of the storage chamber 70a. The first and second openings 70b and 70c have a smaller diameter (width) than a circle that defines the ceiling and bottom of the cylindrical storage chamber 70a.

  A pressing pin 71 is stored in the storage chamber 70a including the first and second openings 70b and 70c.

  The pressing pin 71 has a thin cylindrical shape, that is, a disk shape, and includes a base 72 provided with a recess 72a on the entire side surface of the disk. The base 72 can be formed of any suitable material such as a metal (alloy) such as stainless steel, plastic or resin. Preferably, stainless steel (for example, JIS standard SUS304) is used. Further, the diameter d2 of the base 72 may be set to a diameter that allows the pressing pin 71 to move in the vertical direction along the wall surface defining the storage chamber 70a. That is, the diameter d1 of the storage chamber 70a is preferably slightly larger than the diameter d2 of the base 72.

  An airtight holding member 76 is stored in the recess 72a so as to be wound. The hermetic holding member 76 is preferably composed of an elastic member such as rubber packing, for example. The airtight holding member 76 is always sized (thickness) so that the entire circumference is in contact with the wall surface of the storage chamber 70a and can be slid vertically on the wall surface while keeping the contacted state. And diameter) are combined with the base 72. Therefore, the space defined by the pressing pin 71, that is, the upper surface of the base 72 and the wall surface of the storage chamber 70 a is made an airtight space by the airtight holding member 76. Hereinafter, this space is also simply referred to as an airtight space 73.

  A pin portion 74 is provided on the lower surface side of the base portion 72. The pin portion 74 is configured by a rod-like member that extends in a direction perpendicular to the lower surface of the base portion 72. The tip of the pin portion 74 comes into contact with and presses the first substrate 10. The diameter of the pin portion 74 can be set to any suitable diameter in consideration of the substrate of the display panel, the material of the sealing material, the strength of the pin portion itself, the pressing force, and the like. A cylindrical member having a diameter of about 3 mm may be used.

  The pin portion 74 can be formed integrally with the base portion 72 described above. Further, the material of the pin portion 74 may be formed as a material different from that of the base portion 72, that is, as a separate body, and may be configured as the pressing pin 71 by combining them.

  In addition, the tip of the pin portion 74 is preferably formed as a smooth curved surface in order to prevent damage to the first substrate 10 that comes into contact. For example, a hemispherical shape is preferable.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the substrate pressing mechanism 70 including the pressing pin 71 having such a configuration is positioned immediately above the sealing material 14 provided on the first substrate 10 or the second substrate 12. A plurality of them are provided. The plurality of substrate pressing mechanisms 70 are preferably provided at equal intervals. The distance between adjacent substrate pressing mechanisms 70, that is, the pitch of the pin portions 74, considers conditions such as the degree of pressing force required for the bonding process and the degree of dispersion of pressing force when the pin portions 74 press against the substrate surface. However, the thickness is preferably in the range of 5 mm to 40 mm.

  The plurality of substrate pressing mechanisms 70 are connected to a single system substrate pressing intake / exhaust means 78, that is, a single vacuum pump, and operate by synchronizing the plurality of pressing pins 71 at the same timing. It is good to make it the structure made to do.

  In this way, the pressure for pressing the plurality of pressing pins can be made uniform, so that the cell gap can be set with high accuracy while preventing the substrate from being bent. In addition, since the apparatus can have a simpler configuration, it contributes to downsizing and cost reduction of the apparatus.

  In the drawing, an example in which a plurality of substrate pressing mechanisms are connected by a plurality of pipes extending from the substrate pressing intake / exhaust means 78 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. An airtight chamber (not shown) to which the other end of the pipe connected to the intake / exhaust means 78 is connected is provided, and the pressing force is controlled by connecting each substrate pressing mechanism 70 and the airtight chamber to each other. It is good.

  As described above, the first substrate 10 is adsorbed and held on the substrate contact surface 40 a of the first surface plate 40. At this time, the airtight space 73 of the storage chamber 70a is also evacuated by the substrate pressing intake / exhaust means 78 and piping connected thereto. By this evacuation, the entire pressing pin 71 is stored in the storage chamber 70a. That is, the pressing pin 71 is stored in the storage chamber 70a so that the tip end portion of the pin portion 74 is not exposed from the substrate contact surface 40a.

  In other words, in this configuration example, the total length (vertical height in the drawing) h6 of the pressing pin 71 is the height h3 of the storage chamber 70a and the height h8 from the bottom 70d of the storage chamber 70a to the substrate contact surface 40a. Is equal to the sum of Accordingly, at this time, the tip of the pin portion 74 is at the same level as the substrate contact surface 40a.

  In the state shown in FIG. 2B, that is, in the holding state of the first substrate 10, the entire pressing pin 71 is set so that the tip portion of the pin portion 74 does not protrude from the substrate contact surface 40a. At this time, the tip end portion of the pin portion 74 is preferably set so as to be positioned in the second opening 70c. In this way, the behavior of the pressing pin 71 in the storage chamber 70a can be stabilized.

  The thickness (height) h4 of the base 72 is smaller than the height h3 of the storage chamber 70a. Accordingly, of the height h3, the height h5 excluding the height occupied by the thickness h4 of the base portion 72 is a stroke h5 that is a movement distance of the pressing pin 71, that is, the lower surface of the base portion 72, in the storage chamber 70a.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, in this configuration example, the stroke h5 of the pressing pin 71 is the protruding length that the pin portion 74 protrudes from the substrate contact surface 40a, that is, the moving distance of the tip portion of the pin portion 74. It is equal to the pressing stroke h2 and the maximum height of the airtight space 73.

  Accordingly, the pressing stroke h2 shown in FIGS. 1B and 3B can be arbitrarily set by setting the height h3 of the storage chamber 70a, the height h4 of the base portion 72, and the length h7 of the pin portion 74. It can be adjusted as a suitable predetermined stroke.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, in the substrate holding state, the airtight space 73 (see FIG. 3B) disappears, and the pressing pin 71, that is, the upper surface 71a of the base 72 contacts the ceiling of the storage chamber 70a. Fixed. In this way, the first substrate 10 is held on the first surface plate 40.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, the second substrate 12 is placed on the second surface plate 48 so as to face the first substrate 10 while being separated from the first substrate. .

  Similarly to the first substrate 10, the second substrate 12 is connected to the second substrate holding intake / exhaust port 44b and has the same configuration as the first substrate holding intake / exhaust means 46a. It is preferable that the second substrate holding suction / exhaust means 46b is sucked and held by the second surface plate 48.

  In order to separate the peripheral region 30 and the display cell region 32 from each other so as to form the peripheral region 30 and the display cell region 32 in the edge region inner region space between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 12. A flexible sealing material 14 before curing is provided in advance. The sealing material 14 is disposed so that the display cell region 32 is formed by a continuous wall without interruption.

  In this example, the sealing material 14 is applied to the second substrate 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in the case of an organic EL display panel that does not require a liquid crystal medium injection step, the first substrate is used. 10 may be provided.

  For this sealing material 14, it is preferable to use an ultraviolet curable or thermosetting sealing material preferably used conventionally, for example, containing glass fiber fibers or the like as a spacer material. In this case, the cell gap is determined by the thickness (height) of the spacer material. However, as the sealing material 14, any suitable spacer material and a sealing material containing the spacer material can be appropriately selected as long as the object of the present invention is not impaired.

  Therefore, it is preferable to arrange the sealing material 14 with a thickness slightly larger than the predetermined cell gap h1 before the bonding step. That is, it is preferable to provide the substrate so as to have a thickness equal to a predetermined cell gap at the end of the pressing of the substrate and the curing step of the sealing material 14 described later. However, this is not the case when it is known in advance that the sealing material has properties such as expansion during the curing process.

  Then, using the X-axis operation mechanism, the Y-axis operation mechanism, the rotation operation mechanism, the CCD camera, and the like (not shown) described as the prior art, the two substrates are precisely aligned. The opposing surfaces of the first and second substrates 10 and 12 are adjusted to be substantially parallel to each other.

  Next, particularly in the case of a liquid crystal display panel, a spacer material (not shown) such as spacer particles is spread on the display cell region 32 defined by the sealing material 14 if necessary. In this case, the cell gap is determined by the thickness (height) of the spacer material.

  Further, in the case of a liquid crystal display panel, before the first and second substrates 10 and 12 are bonded together, the liquid crystal medium is surrounded by the sealing material 14 of the second substrate 12 with a liquid crystal injection device (not shown). Injected into the inner surface of the substrate to be the display cell region 32.

  Thereafter, by operating either one or both of the first surface plate 40 and the second surface plate 48 using the above-described operation mechanisms, the inner surfaces of the first and second substrates 10 and 12 are connected to each other. The first and second substrates 10 and 12 are overlapped with each other through the sealing material 14. At this time, the lower surface of the spacer portion 42 b is brought into contact with the inner surface of the second substrate 12.

  Next, the vacuum suction by the first substrate holding intake / exhaust means 46a (see FIG. 1A) is released, and the pressure is returned to normal pressure. In this way, the adhesion of the first substrate 10 to the substrate contact surface 40a is released. At this time, the arm portion 42a of the substrate support arm 42 is slightly extended by the horizontal and vertical expansion / contraction mechanisms 42c, and at the same time, the vacuum suction by the substrate pressing intake / exhaust means 78 is released.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B), a gas such as air or an inert gas is sent into the storage chamber 70a by the substrate pressing intake / exhaust means 78, and the pressing pin 71 is pressed down to make the airtight. A space 73 is formed. At this time, the tip of the pin portion 74 protrudes from the substrate contact surface 40a by the pressing stroke h2, contacts the first substrate 10, and presses it. By this pressing step, these two substrates 10 and 12 are airtightly overlapped with the sealing material 14 without a gap. Moreover, the cell gap h1 prescribed | regulated by the thickness of the spacer part 42b, the spacer material contained in the sealing material 14, or the scattered spacer material is obtained.

  The degree of the pressing force, that is, the pressure in the airtight space 73 is set thicker in consideration of the diameter of the storage chamber 70a and the arrangement interval thereof, that is, the pin pitch of the pressing pins 71, the physical properties of the applied sealing material 14, and the like. What is necessary is just to make it the pressure sufficient to push in the sealing material 14 currently set and to set cell gap h1.

  Thereafter, the sealing material 14 is cured by ultraviolet irradiation, heating or cooling by the sealing material curing means 60. At this time, it is preferable to cure the sealing material 14 with the pressure in the hermetic chamber 73 maintained. Preferably, the sealing material 14 is cured with the spacer portion 42b inserted.

  The curing process of the sealing material 14 is performed in accordance with a conventional method. In the case of an ultraviolet curable sealing material, ultraviolet irradiation is performed, and in the case of a heat or cooling curable sealing material, heating or cooling is performed, and two or more kinds of seals are used. When the materials need to be combined, the necessary means and processes may be combined.

  Through the above steps, the bonding of the display panel is completed.

  In the above description, the example in which the outer surface of the first substrate 10 corresponding to the position directly above the sealing material 14 is pressed by the plurality of pin portions 74 has been described. An area directly above the material 14, an outer surface of the first substrate 10 corresponding to the display cell area 32 defined by the sealing material 14, and an outside of the substrate 10 corresponding to the peripheral area 30 that is an area outside the display cell area 32. It is good also as a structure which presses the outer surface of the 1st board | substrate 10 corresponded to the area | region which combined either of the side surfaces or these with the some pin part 74. FIG.

  In this configuration example, the spacer portion 42b is a massive rectangular parallelepiped block, and the thickness is substantially equal to the cell gap h1 and constant. In this configuration example, since a rectangular substrate is used, the spacer portion 42b is inserted between the substrates having a wider interval than the thickness of the spacer portion 42b, and the lower side of the first substrate 10 is 4 in the east, west, north, and south directions. Supporting from one direction.

  However, the support of the first substrate 10 may be performed by inserting a spacer portion only from two opposing directions, provided that the quality of the display panel is not impaired. Alternatively, for example, the first substrate 10 may be held by inserting spacer portions 42b into a plurality of corners of the substrate, for example, at four or two peripheral regions 30 facing each other.

  The bonding apparatus and the bonding method according to the present invention are expected to become the mainstream in the liquid crystal display cell manufacturing process in the future, and the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display panel including the so-called “dropping liquid crystal injection” process and the organic EL display panel It is particularly suitable when applied to a manufacturing process. It is also suitable for use in a conventional substrate bonding process in which a liquid crystal medium is injected after bonding the first and second substrates.

  According to the configuration of the bonding apparatus of the first embodiment, a plurality of units driven in synchronism with a single vacuum intake / exhaust system, that is, each pressing pin is driven at the same timing and at the same stroke. Since the substrate surface is pressed flexibly using the pressing pin and with a uniform pressure for each pin, it is possible to effectively prevent the substrate from being bent in the bonding process involving the pressing of the substrate surface. Therefore, the cell gap can be controlled more accurately.

<Second Embodiment>
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an overall configuration example of a bonding apparatus suitable for use in the bonding method of the present invention.

  In the bonding method of this embodiment, the first and second surface plates are stored in a processing chamber 50 that can be made airtight and evacuated, so that the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 12 can be connected to each other. The process includes a step of bonding a display panel substrate in which a gap is formed, that is, the space of the peripheral region 30 and the space of the display cell region 32 are evacuated and the bonding step is performed.

  That is, the bonding apparatus according to this embodiment is a hermetic seal for bonding the gap between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 12, that is, the peripheral region 30 and the display cell region 32 under vacuum conditions. The structure which defines the processing chamber 50 is included. The processing chamber 50 is hermetically configured by a container-like or box-like structure (hereinafter simply referred to as a box-like body 52). The box-like body 52 includes pressure adjusting means for arbitrarily changing the processing chamber 50 from normal pressure to vacuum or from vacuum to normal pressure.

  In this configuration example, the pressure adjusting means is a vacuum exhaust system similar to the above-described substrate holding and substrate pressing intake / exhaust means. In this configuration example, the processing chamber 50 is an airtight space defined by turning down the box-shaped body 52 whose one surface of the rectangular parallelepiped is open. At the open end of the box-shaped body 52, a box-shaped airtight holding member 58 is provided on the end of the open end. For this airtight holding member 58, a conventionally known configuration such as an O-ring or packing formed of an elastic material can be applied. In this configuration example, the airtight holding member 58, that is, the open end of the box-shaped body 52 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the base plate 02 without a gap to define the airtight processing chamber 50.

  The box-like body 52 and the base plate 02 are detachable in order to deliver the substrate and the structure after the bonding process is completed, or an openable and closable window for delivery to the box-like body 52. It is good to have a part.

  As the material of the box-like body, any conventionally known suitable material corresponding to a required degree of vacuum may be selected.

  The box-shaped body 52 has a processing chamber intake / exhaust port 56 and a processing chamber intake / exhaust unit 56 connected to the intake / exhaust port 54 via a pipe (not shown) including, for example, a pressure regulating valve. Including. The inside of the processing chamber 50 is configured to be freely adjustable from normal pressure to vacuum or from vacuum to normal pressure by the processing chamber intake / exhaust means 56.

  In the vicinity of the vacuum pump constituting the above-described substrate holding, substrate pressing and processing chamber suction / exhaust means, for example, a filter, for example, a filter for removing dust, removing moisture, organic solvents, etc. is installed. Is preferred.

  Further, in the processing chamber 50, various substrate driving mechanisms similar to those already described, in particular, a support arm (substrate holding mechanism) 42 for holding the first substrate 10 and not shown, but described in the section of the prior art. The up-and-down lift means, the X-axis drive mechanism, the Y-axis drive mechanism, the rotation drive mechanism, and the like can be driven.

  Next, although a bonding process will be described, a detailed description of the same configuration and process as in the first embodiment may be omitted.

  The first surface plate 40 holds the first substrate 10 in the processing chamber 50 as described above.

  It is assumed that the sealing material 14 is provided in advance on either the first substrate 10 or the second substrate 12 so as to form the peripheral region 30 and the display cell region 32.

  Thereafter, the processing chamber 50 is evacuated to make a vacuum. This evacuation process is performed by using the processing chamber intake / exhaust means 56 connected through a pipe having a processing chamber intake / exhaust port 54 and a pressure control valve (not shown).

  Preferably, in order to prevent the first substrate 10 from dropping, the suction force (vacuum degree) of the processing chamber 50 is higher than the suction force (vacuum degree) for supporting the first substrate 10 by the first surface plate 40. It is good to set so that becomes weak. That is, the degree of vacuum of the gap (h2) between the substrate suction surface 40a of the first surface plate 40 and the first substrate 10 is set higher than the degree of vacuum of the processing chamber 50, and the first substrate 10 is brought into contact with the substrate. It is preferable to be in close contact with the surface 40a.

  And the 1st board | substrate 10 and the 2nd board | substrate 12 are closely_contact | adhered through the sealing material 14, and are piled up.

  Thereafter, the vacuum that has brought the first substrate 10 into close contact with the first surface plate 40 side is released. Then, similarly to the first embodiment, the pressing pin 71 is operated to press the substrate, and the two substrates are bonded together while setting the cell gap h1.

  Next, after the sealing material 14 is cured, the spacer portion 42b is pulled out. If the seal material 14 does not change in size due to seal hardening, or if the change is within a range that does not hinder the change even if the change occurs, it does not substantially change, or in the display cell region 32 In the case where spacer particles are arranged to determine the cell gap, the sealing material 14 is cured after the spacer portion 42b is pulled out.

  Here, in this specification, the term “normal pressure” represents the atmospheric pressure surrounding the device of the present invention, and the term “vacuum” is a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure by sucking and exhausting air. State. The degree of vacuum is compared by the suction force when air is exhausted. The degree of this vacuum can be appropriately set according to the purpose and configuration as described above.

  According to the apparatus and the bonding method of the second embodiment, these factors that greatly affect the panel quality are produced particularly in the manufacturing process of the organic EL panel in which the material used for the manufacture is weak against moisture and oxygen. While eliminating, accurate cell gap control can be performed with a simple process.

  In the bonding apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that all of the portions in contact with the substrate are formed of an insulating material in order to prevent the substrate from being damaged by charging.

  Furthermore, it is preferable to equip the bonding apparatus of this invention with an electrostatic removing means such as an ion shower. Alternatively, the substrate can be effectively prevented from being charged by suitably applying a solvent such as alcohol to the processing chamber wall.

  Further, according to the bonding apparatus of the present invention, the first surface plate 40 and / or the second surface plate 48 is a surface plate made of quartz, and further includes an ultraviolet irradiation device as a curing means. It is preferable.

  Furthermore, according to the bonding apparatus of this invention, the 1st surface plate 40 and the 2nd surface plate 48 may be the heating or cooling surface plate comprised with a metal.

  The display panel substrate bonding method and the apparatus for carrying out the same according to the present invention are suitable for application to the manufacture of a display panel for bonding two substrates such as a liquid crystal display panel and an organic EL display panel.

It is explanatory drawing of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the holding | maintenance operation | movement of a board | substrate by the bonding apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the bonding operation | movement by the bonding apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the structural example of the bonding apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the principal part for demonstrating the conventional board | substrate bonding process and the bonding apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

01: Top plate 01a: First opening 02: Base plate 10, 110: First substrate 12, 112: Second substrate 14, 114: Sealing material 30: Peripheral region 32: Display cell region 40, 142: First 1 surface plate 40a: first substrate contact surface 42: support arm (substrate holding mechanism)
42a: Arm portion 42b: Spacer portion 42c: Horizontal and vertical expansion / contraction mechanism 44a: First substrate holding intake / exhaust port 44b: Second substrate holding intake / exhaust port 46a: First substrate holding intake / exhaust means 46b: Second substrate holding intake / exhaust means 48, 144: Second surface plate 48a: Second substrate contact surface 50: Processing chamber 52: Box-shaped body 54: Processing chamber intake / exhaust port 56: For processing chamber Air intake / exhaust means 58: Box-shaped airtight holding member 60: Sealing material hardening means 70: Substrate pressing mechanism 70a: Storage chamber 70b: First opening 70c: Second opening 70d: Bottom surface 71: Pressing pin 71a: Upper surface 72: Base 73: Airtight space 74: Pin portion 76: Airtight holding member 78: Substrate pressing intake / exhaust means 132: X-axis drive mechanism, 134: Y-axis drive mechanism 136: Rotation drive mechanism, 138: Vertical lift mechanism 160: Addition Cylinder 162: θ table

Claims (18)

A sealing material is formed on one of the first and second substrates so as to form a display cell region space and a peripheral region space surrounding the display cell region space in a space sandwiched between the first and second substrates facing each other. In the method of laminating the display panel substrate for interposing the first substrate held on the first platen side and the second substrate held on the second platen side,
(1) A vacuum is formed between the first substrate and the outer surface opposite to the surface forming the display cell region space, and the first surface plate to place the first substrate in the first substrate. Sucking and holding on the surface plate side,
(2) Affixing the first and second substrates by pressing the outer surface of the first substrate with a plurality of pressing pins protruding by air pressure from the first surface plate contacting the outer surface. Combining the steps,
(3) A method for bonding a display panel substrate, comprising a step of curing the sealing material. In the bonding method of the display panel board | substrate of Claim 1,
The step (2) is a method for bonding display panel substrates, wherein the plurality of pressing pins are performed in synchronism with air pressure generated by a single intake / exhaust means. In the bonding method of the display panel board | substrate of Claim 1 or 2,
In the step (2), the second substrate is formed by evacuating a gap between the outer surface of the second substrate opposite to the surface forming the display cell region space and the second surface plate. The method for bonding display panel substrates, further comprising a step of sucking and holding the second platen side. In the bonding method of the display panel board | substrate as described in any one of Claims 1-3,
The step (2) is a method for bonding display panel substrates, wherein the plurality of pressing pins arranged immediately above the sealing material presses the first substrate. In the bonding method of the display panel board | substrate as described in any one of Claims 1-4,
In the step (2), the display cell region space is evacuated in a state where the first substrate and the second substrate are brought close to each other and the display cell region space is not sealed by the sealant. A display panel substrate bonding method characterized by the above. In the bonding method of the display panel board | substrate as described in any one of Claims 1-4,
The steps (1) to (3) are further performed in a processing chamber in which the inside can be evacuated, and the method further includes a step of changing the pressure in the processing chamber between normal pressure and vacuum. A method for bonding display panel substrates. In the bonding method of the display panel board | substrate of Claim 5 or 6,
In the step (2), the air pressure in the gap between the first and second substrates is kept low enough not to rupture the sealing material as compared with the air pressure outside the first and second substrates. A method for bonding display panel substrates, further comprising applying a pressing force after aligning. In the bonding method of the display panel board | substrate as described in any one of Claims 5-7,
Air suction force for evacuating the display cell region space or the entire processing chamber, and air suction force for bringing the first and second substrates into close contact with the first and second surface plates, respectively. A method for laminating a display panel substrate, wherein the display panel substrate is made smaller.   The method for laminating a display panel substrate according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material is cured by ultraviolet irradiation. Bonding of a display panel substrate comprising a first surface plate and a second surface plate for holding the first and second substrates, respectively, for bonding the first and second substrates with a sealant interposed In the device
The first surface plate includes a plurality of pressing pins that protrude by air pressure from a substrate contact surface that contacts the outer surface of the first substrate and presses the outer surface, a storage chamber that stores the pressing pins, and the storage A substrate pressing mechanism including a substrate pressing intake / exhaust means connected to a chamber and generating the air pressure in the storage chamber; a spacer portion supporting the first substrate; an arm portion supporting the spacer portion; A display panel substrate bonding apparatus, comprising: a substrate holding means including a horizontal direction and a vertical direction expansion mechanism for expanding and contracting the portion.   The pressing pin has a disk shape, and a base portion provided with a depression on the entire side surface of the disk, an airtight holding member provided around the whole circumference of the depression, and a rod shape provided on the base portion. The display panel substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: a pin portion.   12. The display panel substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the pin portion is made of stainless steel.   The display panel substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of pressing pins are pressing pins that are operated by air pressure generated by a single intake / exhaust unit.   The display panel substrate according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the plurality of pressing pins are arranged at a predetermined interval immediately above a sealing material provided on a substrate to be bonded. Bonding device.   A plurality of intake / exhaust ports provided on the substrate suction surface of the first surface plate for adsorbing and holding the outer surface of the first substrate, and substrate intake / exhaust ports connected to the intake / exhaust ports The display panel substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising means.   A plurality of intake / exhaust ports provided on the substrate suction surface of the second surface plate for adsorbing and holding the outer surface of the second substrate, and a second substrate holding suction connected to the intake / exhaust port. The display panel substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising exhaust means. A process chamber for laminating the first and second substrates;
The apparatus for bonding a display panel substrate according to any one of claims 10 to 16, further comprising pressure adjusting means for changing the processing chamber between normal pressure and vacuum.   18. The first platen and / or the second platen is a quartz platen, and an ultraviolet irradiation device is included as means for curing the sealing material. The display panel board | substrate bonding apparatus as described in any one of these.

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