JP2006276400A - Empty cell substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an empty cell substrate which makes it easy to detect an empty cell where a circuit element has broken or deteriorated in characteristic due to static electricity since discharging can be carried out at an electrostatically discharged part nearby a part where static electricity is applied. <P>SOLUTION: An empty cell group 5 is composed of a plurality of empty cells 5a on a 1st insulating substrate 1 is provided peripherally with a plurality of electrostatic protection patterns 7, wherein each of the patterns 7 comprises an electrostatic conduction portion 8 of constant width (w) and an electrostatic discharge portion 9 where the electrostatic conduction portion 8 is decreased in width at an angle toward an adjacent electrostatic protection pattern. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an empty cell substrate for protecting circuit elements inside a plurality of empty cells obtained by bonding a pair of mother glasses to each other from static electricity. The present invention also relates to an empty cell substrate capable of easily inspecting whether or not a circuit element is destroyed by static electricity.

  In a conventional circuit board, the static electricity is protected around the internal circuit where the electronic parts are arranged on the board and around the edge of the board in order to protect the electronic parts of the external circuit from external static electricity. An electrostatic discharge pattern is formed, and an electrostatic discharge portion that narrows to a point contact with an angle from both sides in the width direction is formed at a plurality of locations in the pattern (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-134453 (page 4, line 7 to line 15, FIG. 1)

  In the conventional circuit board, a series of electrostatic protection patterns are formed so as to surround the periphery of the internal circuit.

For this reason, when static electricity is applied to the static electricity protection pattern from the outside, the electric charge moves inside the static electricity protection pattern, and the discharge is not necessarily generated in the static electricity discharge portion located near the portion where the static electricity is applied. It may occur in any electrostatic discharge part of the static electricity protection pattern. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to specify a portion to which static electricity is applied from the outside.

  In addition, when static electricity having a low potential is applied to the electrostatic protection pattern from the outside, electric charges are diffused inside the electrostatic protection pattern without being discharged at the electrostatic discharge portion of the electrostatic protection pattern. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to specify a portion to which static electricity is applied from the outside.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. The first object is to reduce the concentration of electric charges on the circuit elements inside the empty cell and to protect the circuit elements inside the empty cell from static electricity. An empty cell substrate that can be obtained is obtained.

  The second purpose is that the electrostatic discharge portion located near the portion to which static electricity is applied can be discharged. Therefore, by inspecting an empty cell located near the discharged electrostatic discharge portion, a circuit caused by static electricity can be obtained. An empty cell substrate capable of easily detecting an empty cell in which element destruction or characteristic deterioration has occurred is obtained.

  In the empty cell substrate according to the present invention, a plurality of electrostatic protection patterns are provided around the empty cell group consisting of a plurality of empty cells on the first insulating substrate, and the electrostatic protection patterns are adjacent to each other. As the pattern approaches, the width of the electrostatic protection pattern decreases and the tips face each other.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of static electricity protection patterns are provided around an empty cell group including a plurality of empty cells on a first insulating substrate, and the static electricity protection patterns become static as they approach the adjacent static electricity protection patterns. When the width of the protective pattern is reduced and the tips are opposed to each other, when static electricity is applied to the substrate from the outside, it is possible to first concentrate the electric charge on the electrostatic protection pattern. For this reason, the concentration of charges on the circuit elements inside the empty cell can be reduced, and the circuit elements inside the empty cell can be protected from static electricity.

In addition, since the plurality of electrostatic protection patterns are electrically independent from each other, there is no movement of charge between adjacent electrostatic protection patterns, and the electrostatic discharge portion located near the portion to which static electricity is applied can be discharged. it can. For this reason, by inspecting an empty cell located in the vicinity of the discharged electrostatic discharge portion, it is possible to easily detect an empty cell in which circuit elements are destroyed or characteristics are deteriorated due to static electricity.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an empty cell substrate for carrying out the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram when discharge marks are generated on the empty cell substrate shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an empty diagram shown in FIG. It is process drawing which shows the manufacturing method for forming a liquid crystal panel from a cell substrate. 1, 2, and 3, a first insulating substrate 1 and a second insulating substrate 2 that are a pair of insulating substrates are divided into a plurality of sections 3 and electrodes are formed. In the first embodiment, mother glass, which is a transparent glass material, is used as the insulating substrate.

For example, a display array is formed for each section 3 on the first insulating substrate 1 which is one mother glass, and includes a pixel electrode and a switching element for driving the pixel electrode. On the second insulating substrate 2 which is the other mother glass, a counter electrode, a color filter corresponding to the display array, and the like are formed.

Also, a plurality of empty cells 5a are formed by joining the first insulating substrate 1 and the second insulating substrate 2 with the sealing material 4 corresponding to each section 3 (hereinafter referred to as an empty cell substrate). Each of the sealing materials 4 has an opening 6 formed therein.

  Around the empty cell group 5 composed of a plurality of empty cells 5a formed on the first insulating substrate 1, a plurality of electrostatic protection patterns 7 made of a conductive material are provided around. The electrostatic protection pattern 7 is preferably formed in the same manufacturing process by using a wiring material used in the manufacturing process of the circuit element inside the empty cell 5a, because the manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

For example, in the case of a circuit element in which a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as TFT) is formed on the first insulating substrate 1, the electrostatic protection pattern 7 is formed in the same process using the same material as the gate wiring, the source wiring, or the pixel electrode. It is possible to form.

In particular, by forming the electrostatic protection pattern 7 in the same process using the same material as the gate wiring, which is an early stage of the TFT manufacturing process, the circuit element due to static electricity is used throughout the manufacturing process of the wiring or electrode to be formed later. Can be prevented, so it is preferable.

The electrostatic protection pattern 7 includes an electrostatic conduction portion 8 having a constant width w, and an electrostatic discharge portion 9 in which the width of the electrostatic conduction portion 8 is decreased with an angle as it approaches an adjacent electrostatic protection pattern.

With such a configuration of the empty cell substrate, when static electricity is applied to the first insulating substrate 1 from the outside, the charge due to the static electricity can be first concentrated on the electrostatic protection pattern 7. The circuit element inside the empty cell 5a surrounded by 7 can be protected from static electricity.

Further, since the plurality of electrostatic protection patterns 7 are electrically independent from each other, there is no movement of charges between the adjacent electrostatic protection patterns 7. Thereby, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, when static electricity is applied to the region 10 of the electrostatic conduction portion 8, the first electrostatic discharge portion 9 a and the first electrostatic discharge portion 9 a located near the region 10. The electric field strength between the second electrostatic discharge portion 9b and the second electrostatic discharge portion 9b is increased, and a discharge occurs between the first electrostatic discharge portion 9a and the second electrostatic discharge portion 9b. When the electric field intensity at a predetermined level is exceeded, dielectric breakdown occurs, and a discharge mark 11 is left in which the tips of the first electrostatic discharge portion 9a and the second electrostatic discharge portion 9b are missing.

Here, an empty cell located near the static electricity protection pattern 7 to which static electricity is applied is more likely to be applied with static electricity than a distant empty cell. For this reason, when the circuit element cannot be protected from static electricity by the static electricity protection pattern 7, the static electricity may be applied to the empty cell 5a located in the vicinity of the static electricity protection pattern 7 to which static electricity has been applied. There is.

For this reason, since it can be made to discharge by the electrostatic discharge part 9 located in the vicinity of the part to which static electricity was applied by setting it as the structure of the empty cell substrate in this Embodiment 1, it is located in the vicinity of the discharge trace 11. By inspecting the empty cells 5a, it is possible to easily detect the empty cells 5a in which the circuit elements are destroyed or the characteristics are deteriorated due to static electricity without inspecting all the empty cells 5a on the empty cell substrate.

Further, from the size of the discharge mark 11, the degree of circuit element destruction and characteristic deterioration due to static electricity can be easily estimated, and defective cells can be selected and removed.

In the first embodiment, an empty cell group 5 consisting of a total of six empty cells 5a of three vertical and three horizontal is formed on the first insulating substrate 1. The number and arrangement of 5a are not limited, and the number and arrangement of empty cells 5a on the first insulating substrate 1 can be determined depending on the size of the mother glass and the desired liquid crystal display panel.

In the first embodiment, the tip of the electrostatic discharge portion 9 is an isosceles triangle having an acute angle θ. However, the shape is not limited to this, and as it approaches an adjacent electrostatic protection pattern, If the width of the electrostatic protection pattern 7 is reduced and the tips are opposed to each other, static electricity can be discharged between the tips of adjacent electrostatic protection patterns. For example, the tip of the electrostatic discharge portion 9 may be obtuse or right-angled, or may have a stepped shape in which the width of the electrostatic protection pattern 7 is gradually reduced.

Moreover, the electrostatic protection pattern 7 is arranged by arranging the electrostatic protection pattern 7 so that the distance d between the tips of the adjacent electrostatic protection patterns is smaller than the shortest distance h between the electrostatic protection pattern 7 and the empty cell 5a. This is preferable because the discharge that can occur between the wiring and the electrode of the empty cell 5a can be suppressed and static electricity can be discharged between the tips of the adjacent electrostatic protection patterns.

  In addition, it is preferable that the number of the electrostatic discharge portions 9 facing each other is larger because more portions of the static electricity applied to the electrostatic protection pattern 7 are discharged. For example, in the case where the tips of adjacent electrostatic protection patterns are provided corresponding to the gaps between the empty cells located on the outermost periphery of the empty cell group 5, empty cells that may be defective products are It is possible to identify two empty cells in the vicinity of the electrostatic protection pattern 7 in which a discharge mark is generated, and it is possible to easily detect an empty cell in which circuit elements are destroyed or characteristics are deteriorated due to static electricity.

Next, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3A, a pair of upper and lower first insulating substrates 1 and 2 are prepared. For example, both the substrates are made of glass of about several tens of centimeters square, and a desired electrode or the like is formed in advance for each of the divided sections 3. Corresponding to this section 3, a plurality of frame-shaped sealing materials 4 are formed on the surface of the second insulating substrate 2 by a dispenser method using an ultraviolet curable resin or a thermosetting resin. At this time, an opening 6 is left in a part of each sealing material 4.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the upper second insulating substrate 2 is bonded to the lower first insulating substrate 1 through the sealing material 4. For example, when a thermosetting resin is used as the sealing material 4, both substrates are bonded together by heating and pressing. When an ultraviolet curable resin is used, both substrates are bonded to each other by irradiating ultraviolet rays under pressure. When both substrates are joined, an empty cell 5 a is formed for each sealing material 4, and the inside of the empty cell 5 a surrounded by the sealing material 4 communicates with the outside through the opening 6.

  An empty cell substrate is completed through the above steps. In the plurality of empty cells 5a formed on the empty cell substrate, circuit elements are destroyed and characteristics are deteriorated due to static electricity generated during the manufacturing process. There is a possibility that the empty cell 5a is included.

  Therefore, by observing the presence or absence of the discharge trace 11 in the electrostatic discharge portion 9 which is the tip of the static electricity protection pattern 7 provided around the empty cell 5a, there is a possibility that static electricity located near the discharge trace 11 may be applied. The cell 5a can be specified.

The specified empty cell 5a is inspected, and if the destruction or characteristic deterioration of the circuit element is confirmed, the empty cell is marked as a defective product. With this mark, it is possible to sort out empty cells that are defective from a plurality of empty cells in the empty cell dividing step described later.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3C, both substrates are cut one by one along the boundary of each empty cell 5a to form a separation groove 12. A mechanical pressure is applied along the separation groove 12 to break the remaining thickness of both substrates and separate into individual empty cells 5a (FIG. 3D). By removing the empty cells marked as defective in the previous step from the plurality of separated empty cells 5a, good empty cells can be easily extracted from the empty cell substrate.

Finally, after injecting liquid crystal through the opening 6 into the non-defective empty cell 5a separated by the above-described dividing step, the opening 6 is sealed to complete the liquid crystal panel.

Even if the product is shipped to the customer in the state of the empty cell substrate including the empty cell 5a in which the non-defective product is distinguished from the non-defective product without performing the dividing step, the customer marks the product as defective. By removing the empty cells, good empty cells can be easily extracted from the empty cell substrate.

As described above, according to the empty cell substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of electrostatic protection patterns 7 are provided around the empty cell group 5 so that the empty cell substrate 5 is surrounded by the electrostatic protection patterns 7. The circuit elements inside the cell 5a can be protected from static electricity.

Further, by separately providing a plurality of static electricity protection patterns 7 around the empty cell group 5 so as not to conduct, the portions to which static electricity is applied can be specified, and circuit elements are destroyed or characteristics deteriorate due to static electricity. It is possible to easily sort out and remove the empty cell 5a in which the occurrence of the above occurs.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
4 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an empty cell substrate according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. 4, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 denote the same or corresponding parts, and the description thereof is omitted.

The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in that the angle of the tip of the electrostatic discharge portion 9 in the first embodiment differs depending on the position where the electrostatic protection pattern 7 is arranged, which will be described later. Except for the function and effect of the angle of the tip of the electrostatic discharge portion 9, the same function and effect as those of the first embodiment are achieved.

According to the empty cell substrate of the second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the angle of the tip of the electrostatic discharge portion 9 facing the adjacent electrostatic protection pattern 7 in the empty cell substrate is the first The electrostatic protection pattern 7 is formed so as to have different angles (0 ° <θ ₁ <θ ₂ <180 °), which are a set of the angle θ ₁ or a set of the second angle θ ₂ .

As a result, when a small static electricity is applied to the region 10, a discharge is generated at the first angle θ ₁ group, and when a large static electricity is applied to the region 10, the first angle θ ₁ pair and the second angle As a result of the discharge occurring at the angle θ ₂ , it is possible to estimate the strength of the applied static electricity and to easily identify the extent and range of circuit elements that are destroyed by the static electricity.

In addition, it is also possible to strictly measure the static electricity intensity by adjusting the first angle θ ₁ , the second angle θ ₂ , or the angle difference between the first angle θ ₁ and the second angle θ _2. It becomes.

Further, among the plurality of electrostatic protection patterns 7 in the empty cell substrate, the electrostatic protection pattern 7 having different angles is formed by forming at least one electrostatic protection pattern 7 having different angles at the tips of the electrostatic discharge portions 9 at both ends. It is possible to estimate the strength of static electricity applied to the.

Moreover, the electrostatic strength applied to the electrostatic protection pattern 7 can be estimated by setting all the electrostatic protection patterns 7 in the empty cell substrate to the electrostatic protection patterns 7 having the tips of the electrostatic discharge portions 9 at both ends having different angles. This is preferable because it is possible for all the electrostatic protection patterns 7.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
5 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an empty cell substrate according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. 5, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 4 denote the same or corresponding parts, and the description thereof is omitted.

The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in that the distance between the tips of the adjacent electrostatic protection patterns 7 in the first embodiment differs depending on the position where the electrostatic protection patterns 7 are arranged. The same effects as those of the first embodiment are obtained except for the effects due to the distance between the tips of the electrostatic protection pattern 7 described later.

According to the empty cell substrate of Embodiment 3 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, the interval between the tips of adjacent electrostatic protection patterns 7 in the empty cell substrate is the first interval d ₁ or the second interval. The electrostatic protection pattern 7 is formed so as to have different intervals (0 <d ₁ <d ₂ <h), which is the interval d ₂ .

As a result, when a small static electricity is applied to the region 10, a discharge occurs at the first interval d ₁ , and when a large static electricity is applied to the region 10, the first interval d ₁ and the second interval d _2. As a result of the discharge, the strength of the applied static electricity can be estimated, and the level and range of circuit elements destroyed by the static electricity can be easily identified.

Note that the intensity of static electricity can be strictly measured by adjusting the first interval d ₁ , the second interval d ₂ , or the difference between the first interval d ₁ and the second interval d _2. It becomes.

Moreover, by forming at least one electrostatic protection pattern 7 having a different interval on both sides among the plurality of electrostatic protection patterns 7 in the empty cell substrate, the strength of the static electricity applied to the electrostatic protection pattern 7 having a different interval is increased. Estimation is possible.

Further, by setting all the electrostatic protection patterns 7 in the empty cell substrate to the electrostatic protection patterns 7 having different intervals on both sides, the estimation of the strength of static electricity applied to the electrostatic protection patterns 7 is applied to all the electrostatic protection patterns 7. However, it is preferable because it becomes possible.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an empty cell substrate according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. 6, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 5 denote the same or corresponding parts, and the description thereof is omitted.

In the fourth embodiment, the angle of the tip of the electrostatic discharge portion 9 and the interval between the tips of the adjacent electrostatic protection patterns 7 in the first embodiment are made different depending on the position where the electrostatic protection pattern 7 is arranged. Only the differences from the first embodiment are the same as those of the first, second, or third embodiment except for the effects of the angle of the tip of the electrostatic discharge portion 9 and the distance between the tips of the electrostatic protection pattern 7 described later. Play.

  According to the empty cell substrate of Embodiment 4 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, the angles of the tips of the electrostatic discharge portions 9 facing each other in the adjacent electrostatic protection pattern 7 have different angles in the empty cell substrate. In addition, a plurality of types of electrostatic protection patterns so that the intervals between the tips of the adjacent electrostatic protection patterns 7 are different (however, they are smaller than the shortest distance h between the electrostatic protection pattern 7 and the empty cell 5a). 7 is formed.

Thereby, the electrostatic protection pattern 7 is formed by the first angle θ ₁ and the second angle θ ₂ or the first interval d ₁ and the second interval d ₂ shown in the second and third embodiments. Compared with the case where it does, discharge can be generated in the electrostatic discharge portion 9 of the electrostatic discharge pattern 7 according to the static electricity at a finer stage. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the strength of the applied static electricity, and it is possible to further increase the accuracy of specifying the degree and range of circuit elements that are destroyed by static electricity.

It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the empty cell substrate for implementing this invention. It is explanatory drawing when a discharge trace arises in the empty cell board | substrate shown in FIG. It is process drawing which shows the manufacturing method for forming a liquid crystal panel from the empty cell substrate shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the empty cell board | substrate concerning Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the empty cell board | substrate concerning Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the empty cell board | substrate concerning Embodiment 4 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st insulating substrate 2 2nd insulating substrate 3 Compartment 4 Seal material 5 Empty cell group
5a Empty cell 7 Electrostatic protection pattern 8 Electrostatic conducting portion 9 Electrostatic discharge portion 9a First electrostatic discharge portion 9b Second electrostatic discharge portion 10 region

Claims (8)

A first insulating substrate divided into a plurality of sections to form a display array;
A second insulating substrate on which a color filter corresponding to the display array of the first insulating substrate is formed;
An empty cell substrate having a plurality of empty cells obtained by joining the first insulating substrate and the second insulating substrate with a sealing material corresponding to each section,
On the first insulating substrate, a plurality of electrostatic protection patterns are provided around an empty cell group consisting of the plurality of empty cells,
2. The empty cell substrate according to claim 1, wherein the electrostatic protection pattern has a width that decreases as it approaches an adjacent electrostatic protection pattern, and ends of the electrostatic protection pattern face each other. The empty cell substrate according to claim 1, wherein an interval between the tips of the adjacent electrostatic protection patterns is smaller than a shortest interval between the electrostatic protection pattern and the empty cell. The electrostatic protection pattern includes an electrostatic conduction portion having a certain width, and an electrostatic discharge portion in which the width of the electrostatic conduction portion is decreased with an angle as it approaches an adjacent electrostatic protection pattern. The empty cell substrate according to claim 1. The empty cell substrate according to claim 3, wherein an angle of a tip of the electrostatic discharge portion at both ends of at least one of the plurality of electrostatic protection patterns is different. The electrostatic protection pattern is formed so that the angles of the tips of the electrostatic discharge portions facing each other of the adjacent electrostatic protection patterns are different from each other, which is a first angle set or a second angle set. The empty cell substrate according to any one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that The distance between the tips of the adjacent electrostatic protection patterns at both ends of at least one of the plurality of electrostatic protection patterns is different. An empty cell substrate according to claim 1. The said electrostatic protection pattern is formed so that the space | interval of the front-end | tips of the said adjacent electrostatic protection pattern may have a different space | interval which becomes a 1st space | interval or a 2nd space | interval. The empty cell substrate according to any one of 3, 4, 5, and 6. A plurality of types of the electrostatic protection patterns so that the tips of the electrostatic discharge portions facing each other of the adjacent electrostatic protection patterns have different angles, and the tips of the adjacent electrostatic protection patterns have different intervals. The empty cell substrate according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7.

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