JP2006293148A - Spacer applicator and spacer application method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide technology capable of arranging spacers at desired positions. <P>SOLUTION: By the spacer applicator 11, laser beams 28<SB>1</SB>to 29<SB>n</SB>are emitted from a surface reforming apparatus 21a to the surface of a processing object 5 and the regions of the hydrophobic surface of the processing object 5 irradiated with the laser beams 28<SB>1</SB>to 28n are reformed to hydrophilicity and hydrophilic surfaces 41 are partially formed in the positions where the spacers are arranged. Delivery liquids 29<SB>1</SB>to 29<SB>n</SB>are ejected from a printer 22a and are landed to regions including the hydrophilic surfaces 41. When the dispersion liquid 12 in the landed delivery liquids 42 evaporates, the spacers in the delivery liquid 42 gather around the hydrophilic surfaces 41 and come close to each other and therefore, the spacers can be gathered to the portions irradiated with the laser beams 29<SB>1</SB>to 29<SB>n</SB>. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a spacer coating device for arranging a spacer on a liquid crystal display device or the like.

  Conventionally, spacers have been inserted between the substrates holding the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal panel in order to keep the distance between the substrates constant.

  For large color TV panels, the current ODF (liquid crystal dropping) method is adopted, and if spacers are formed by spraying conventional ball spacers, the ball spacers are washed away when the liquid crystal is dropped. It has become mainstream.

  The disadvantage of the photo spacer is that after the photo spacer material is spin-coated on the entire surface of the substrate, the column spacer is left only at a predetermined position of each pixel by the photolithography process, and the organic material is dissolved and removed by solvent treatment. Is arranged at a desired position. It is a problem in terms of cost that a material is wasted and an expensive process called photolithography is introduced. In addition, with the increase in size of the substrate, it has become difficult to obtain a uniform film thickness within the substrate of the photo spacer material after spin coating.

  Inkjet printers allow precise control of the discharge amount and discharge position, so instead of ink, the spacers discharge the discharge liquid dispersed in the dispersion liquid, and when dried, the spacers are placed on the processing object such as the substrate. Can be arranged. Since the spacer is fixed to the surface of the object to be processed by drying and heat treatment, and less wasted material, it is more advantageous than the photo spacer method.

  However, since the discharge liquid that has landed on the surface of the processing object spreads on the surface of the processing object, the spacer spreads over a wide range together with the dispersion liquid even when it has landed exactly at the desired position.

  As the dispersion evaporates and the area decreases, the spacers gather and a plurality of spacers concentrate in one place. The spacers are formed to have a uniform diameter, whereby the substrates are fixed with a certain gap between them.

  However, it is impossible to specify the place where the dispersion liquid remains until the end, and therefore it is impossible to control at which position in the range where the spacer has landed the discharge liquid.

Prior art related to the present invention includes the following documents.
JP 2003-188497 A JP 2005-5746 A JP 2005-4094 A

  The present invention was created to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of arranging a spacer at a desired position.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a printing stand on which a processing object is disposed, a surface modification device that irradiates the surface of the processing object with laser light, and a discharge liquid in which spacers are dispersed. A spacer coating device having a printing device for landing on a surface.
Further, the present invention is a spacer coating apparatus having a control device that irradiates a predetermined position on the surface of a processing object with the laser light and lands the discharged liquid on a region including the region irradiated with the laser light.
Moreover, this invention is a spacer coating device comprised so that the said surface modification apparatus and the said printing apparatus could move with respect to the said printing stand.
Moreover, this invention is a spacer coating device comprised so that the said process target object could move with respect to the said printing stand.
Further, according to the present invention, in the printing apparatus, the discharge holes for discharging the discharge liquid are arranged in rows, and in the surface modification device, the emission portions for emitting the laser light are arranged in rows. The spacer coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an angle formed by an arrangement direction of the ejection holes with respect to the printing table and an angle formed by an arrangement direction of the ejection unit with respect to the printing table are variably configured. It is a spacer coating device.

  The present invention is configured as described above, and after the hydrophobic surface is modified to be hydrophilic by laser irradiation, the discharge liquid is discharged over a wider area than the hydrophilic surface including the hydrophilic surface and dried. Spacers gather around the hydrophilic surface.

The surface modification device and the printing device are connected to a control device, configured to be able to irradiate laser light to a desired position, and configured to be able to land the discharge liquid on the desired position. . Accordingly, it is possible to land the discharge liquid on the position irradiated with the laser light and to spread the discharge liquid over a range including the region irradiated with the laser light.
Both the printing apparatus and the surface modification apparatus are arranged in one spacer arrangement apparatus, and the discharge liquid is discharged before the hydrophilic surface returns to hydrophobic.

  As materials that are modified to be hydrophilic when irradiated with laser light, polyimide resins such as PIQ (polyimide-isoindoloquinazolinedione) and PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), acrylate resins, and the like can be used.

In particular, when the spacer is disposed on the liquid crystal alignment film or the protective film, the materials that are modified to be hydrophilic by the laser light include polyimide resins and acrylate resins, and the “San Ever” series (Nissan) Chemical Co., Ltd.), "LQ" series (manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.), "LX" series (manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.), "Himaru" series (Hitachi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) ), “Optomer” series (manufactured by JSR Corporation), “Rixon aligner” series (manufactured by Chisso Corporation), and “Rixon coat” series (manufactured by Chisso Corporation).
A thin film made of a photocatalytic material such as titanium oxide (TiO ₂ ) or zinc oxide (ZnO) or a thin film containing a photocatalytic material is also modified to be hydrophilic by laser light irradiation.

  Since the spacers can be gathered at the irradiation position of the laser beam, the spacers are not scattered.

Reference numeral 11 in FIGS. 1A and 1B denotes a spacer coating apparatus of the first example of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a side view of the spacer coating apparatus 1 viewed from the lateral direction, and FIG. 1B is a plan view of the spacer coating apparatus 1 viewed from above.
The spacer coating device 11 has a printing stand 27, but the printing stand 27 is omitted in FIG.

The processing object 5 is arranged on the printing stand 27. The printing stand 27 is provided with a transport device (not shown), and the processing object 5 can be moved on the printing stand 27 by the transport device.
On the printing stand 27, a surface modification device 21a and a print head 22a are arranged.

  Hereinafter, the procedure of spacer application when the processing object 5 is a color filter will be described. However, the processing object 5 of the present invention is not limited to a color filter.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view for explaining the surface of the processing object 5 before being processed by the spacer coating apparatus 11. In the case of a color filter, red, green, and blue window portions 55R, 55G, and 55B corresponding to each color of R, G, and B are regularly arranged on the surface, and the window portions 55R, 55G, and 55B of the respective colors are arranged. , BM (black matrix) lines 56.

Here, the BM line 56 extends in the vertical and horizontal directions and is formed in a lattice shape, and the crossing position A _{x, y} between the horizontal direction X and the vertical direction Y is set to an arrangement position A _{x, y} suitable for fixing the spacer. It has become.

In FIG. 9 and FIGS. 10 to 12 described later _, the subscript _{x of} the arrangement position _{Ax, y} is in the range of 1-4, and y is in the range of 1,2. 10 to 12 show eight arrangement positions A _1,1 to A _4,2 .

Assuming that a plurality is represented by the subscript n, the surface modification device 21a has a plurality of emitting portions 23 ₁ to 23 _n from which laser beams are respectively emitted.
The printing device 22a has a plurality of discharge holes 24 _{1 to} 24 _n through which discharge liquid in which spacers are dispersed is discharged.
The injection units 23 ₁ to 23 _n and the discharge holes 24 _{1 to} 24 _n are arranged on the bottom surfaces of the surface modification device 21a and the printing device 22a so as to face the surface of the printing table 27.

  A moving frame 32 is provided on the printing stand 27. The surface modification device 21a and the printing device 22a are configured such that both ends thereof are attached to the moving frames 31 and 32, respectively, and can be moved along the moving frames 31 and 32 on the printing stand 27.

  Here, the surface modification device 21a and the printing device 22a are kept stationary, and the surface of the processing object 5 first passes below the surface modification device 21a, and then passes below the print head 22a. Move to pass.

  The width between the moving frames 31 and 32 can be adjusted. When the width of the moving frames 31 and 32 is changed, the angle of the surface modification device 21a and the printing device 22a with respect to the printing table 27 is changed. ing.

The injection units 23 ₁ to 23 _n and the discharge holes 24 _{1 to} 24 _n are arranged in a line at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the surface modification device 21a and the printing device 22a, respectively. When the postures of the apparatus 21a and the printing apparatus 22a are changed, the angle formed by the arrangement direction of the ejection units 23 ₁ to 23 _n with respect to the printing table 27 and the arrangement direction of the discharge holes 23 _{1 to} 24 _n with respect to the printing table 27 are thereby changed. The angle formed by changes.

The reference line printing stage 27, when set in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction 34 of the processing object 5, the reference numeral φ 6, with respect to the reference line 35 of the processing object 5, mutually parallel injection unit 23 ₁ An inclination angle formed by the arrangement direction of 23 _{n and} the arrangement direction of the discharge holes 23 _{1 to} 24 _n is shown.

Position A _x, since the interval of _y vary from product, generally spacing position A _x, injection unit 23 and the distance _{y 1} ~ 23 _n are not equal, also position A _x, and spacing of _y The intervals between the discharge holes 24 _{1 to} 24 _n are not equal.

In the first example and the spacer coating apparatuses 11 to 13 in each example to be described later, by adjusting the inclination angle φ, the arrangement position A _{x, y} of the processing object 5 is a position directly below the injection units 23 ₁ to 23 _n . And a position directly below the discharge holes 24 _{1 to} 24 _n .

Then, position A _{x, when y} passes beneath the position of the exit portion 23 ₁ ~ 23 _n, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), position A _x, injection unit 23 ₁ on the _y ~ 23 _n When the laser beams 28 _{1 to} 28 _n are emitted from the laser beam, the laser beam is irradiated to the arrangement positions A _{x and y} . Hydrophobic surfaces such as the surface of the organic thin film and the photocatalyst film that improves the hydrophilicity of the light irradiation part are exposed on the arrangement position _{Ax, y} surface. Of the hydrophobic surface, laser light was irradiated. The range is modified to be hydrophilic.

The wavelength of the laser light is 100 nm to 600 nm, and preferably 100 nm to 450 nm. Energy density is 0.05 J / cm ² or more 0.5 J / cm ² or less. If the energy density is too high, damage to the substrate due to ablation or the like will increase.

  FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the hydrophilic surface 41 modified by the laser beam and the windows 55R, 55G, and 55B, and shows a state before the landing of the discharge liquid. FIG. 3A is a transverse cross-sectional view of the hydrophilic surface 41 in this state.

Next, when the arrangement position A _{x, y} whose partial region is modified to the hydrophilic surface 41 passes the position directly below the discharge holes 24 _{1 to} 24 _n , the discharge hole targeting the hydrophilic surface 41 When the discharge liquid is discharged from 24 _{1 to} 24 _n , the landed discharge liquid spreads in a range including the hydrophilic surface 41.

  FIG. 2 (b) is a plan view for explaining the positional relationship between the processing object 5 and the surface modification device 21a and the printing device 22a during the processing of the processing object 5. FIG. The state in the middle of the process of the surface of the process target object 5 is shown. In an intermediate state, the processing object 5 includes a portion where the discharge liquid 42 that has landed in a range including the hydrophilic surface 41 is exposed, a portion where the laser light is irradiated and the hydrophilic surface 41 is exposed, and an untreated portion. And are exposed.

Reference numerals 29 _{1 to} 29 _{n in} FIG. 3B indicate discharge liquids that are discharged from the discharge holes 24 _{1 to} 24 _n and are in flight before landing.
The landed discharge liquid 42 includes a hydrophilic surface 41 and spreads over a wider range than the hydrophilic surface 41.

When the processing object 5 is moved and processed, a hydrophilic surface 41 is formed at each of the arrangement positions A _{x, y as} shown in FIG. 11 and includes the hydrophilic surface 41 and is wider than the hydrophilic surface 41. The discharge liquid 42 is disposed on the surface.

  Next, the dispersion in the discharge liquid 42 is evaporated by heat treatment or the like. The dispersion liquid is a hydrophilic liquid such as water, alcohols or cellosolves, or a hydrophilic liquid obtained by mixing them, and the size of the discharge liquid 42 gradually increases with the hydrophilic surface 41 as the center due to evaporation of the dispersion liquid. Finally, the discharge liquid 42 remains only on the hydrophilic surface 41.

  As the size of the discharge liquid 42 decreases, the spacers in the discharge liquid 42 gather around the hydrophilic surface 41 and come into contact with each other. Reference numeral 7 in FIG. 3C and FIG. 12 indicates spacers in which the dispersion liquid is dried and in contact with each other. Spacers are organic polymer particles such as polystyrene, inorganic particles such as silica particles and alumina particles, or composite material particles of organic and inorganic materials, and the surface is improved in dispersibility in the solvent, the substrate surface Surface treatment is applied to improve the adhesion to the surface.

In this spacer coating device 11 and spacer coating devices 12 and 13 described later, the laser beams 28 _{1 to} 28 _n can be emitted from the emission portions 23 ₁ to 23 _n while discharging liquid is discharged from the discharge holes 24 _{1 to} 24 _n. All of the arrangement positions A _{x, y} of the processing object 5 pass through the positions directly under the injection portions 23 ₁ to 23 _n and the discharge holes 24 _{1 to} 24 _n , and the laser beams 28 _{1 to} 28 _n are irradiated to discharge liquid. When the is landed, the spacer arrangement process ends.

  3 indicates the contact angle of the landed discharge liquid 42 with respect to the surface of the object 5 to be processed.

  The relationship between the volume of the discharged liquid, the diameter after landing, and the contact angle is shown in Table 1 below, and the relationship between the volume of the discharged liquid (droplet) and the diameter (droplet diameter) is shown in the graph of FIG.

  As can be seen from the graph of FIG. 13, when the volume is the same, the diameter after landing is larger than the diameter in the air before landing (solid line), and spreads by landing. After landing, the larger the contact angle θ, the larger the diameter.

In the discharge liquid used in the present invention, spherical particle spacers are dispersed, and the diameter thereof is about 4 μm.
In the case where the spacer concentration is such that about 2 to 3 spacers of 4 μm are contained in the discharge liquid having a volume of 5 pl, the discharge liquid having a volume of 5 pl discharged by the head for 5 pl is the contact angle θ on the processing object 5 and 90 When it spreads at 0 °, the diameter of the discharge liquid 42 becomes 28 μm.
When the diameter of the laser beam is 12 μm, spacers having a diameter of 4 μm are gathered in the region to form a partition wall having a height of 4 μm.

  The apparatus 11 includes one surface modifying device 21a and one printing device 22a, the surface modifying device 21a is located on the upstream side in the moving direction of the processing object 5, and the printing device 22a is located on the downstream side. It was. Therefore, the moving direction of the processing object 5 with respect to the surface modification device 21a and the printing device 22a is only one direction.

  On the other hand, if either one of the surface modification device 21a and the printing device 22a is provided, the object 5 is moved in both directions with respect to the surface modification device 21a and the printing device 22a, and spacers are arranged. can do.

4 (a) and 4 (b) show a spacer coating device 12 in which one surface modification device 21a, 21b is arranged on both sides of one printing device 22a, and the processing object 5 is the printing device 22a. Of the two surface modification devices 21a and 21b, the operation on the downstream side of the two surface modification devices 21a and 21b is stopped, and the laser from the one located on the upstream side is stopped. When the lights 28 _{1 to} 28 _n are emitted, the surface-modified hydrophilic surface 41 passes through a position directly below the printing apparatus 22a, so that the discharge liquid can be landed on the hydrophilic surface 41.

  FIG. 4A shows a case where the processing object 5 moves relative to the surface modification devices 21a and 21b and the printing device 22a from the right side to the left side of the paper surface. In contrast, this is a case of relative movement from the left side to the right side.

Next, FIG. 5 shows a spacer coating device 13 in which one printing device 22a, 22b is arranged on each side of one surface modification device 21a, and the upstream of the two printing devices 22a, 22b. The operation on the side is stopped and the surface modification device 21a located at the center is irradiated with the laser beams 28 _{1 to} 28 _n to modify the surface, and the hydrophilic surface 41 of the printing device 22a or 22b on the downstream side is modified. When passing through the position directly below, the discharge liquids 29 _{1 to} 29 _n can be discharged and landed from the printing apparatus.
FIG. 5 shows a case where the processing object 5 relatively moves from the right side to the left side of the drawing.

  In the above spacer coating devices 11 to 13, the surface modification devices 21a and 21b and the printing devices 22a and 22b are stopped and the processing target 5 is moved. However, the processing target 5 is stopped and the surface modification device 21a is moved. 21b and the printing devices 22a and 22b may be moved. Further, the surface modification devices 21a and 21b and the printing devices 22a and 22b may be moved while moving the processing object 5.

In short, in the present invention, it is only necessary that the object to be processed moves relative to the surface modification device and the printing device.
The above is the case where the processing object 5 moves in one direction or reciprocates, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, when the processing object 5 is so large that the spacers cannot be disposed at all the arrangement positions A _{X, Y} of the processing object 5 only by moving in one direction, the surface of the processing object 5 is divided into a plurality of portions. It can be divided and a spacer can be arranged for each part.
7 (a), (b), FIG. 8 (a), and (b) are examples of the arrangement procedure. In this example, the processing object 5 is divided into the upper right, upper left, lower left, and lower right in order. Spacers are arranged.

  In the spacer coating apparatuses 11 to 13 described above, a heating device can be provided inside the printing stand 27 so that the dispersion in the discharge liquid 42 is quickly dried.

(a): Partial sectional view of the side of the spacer coating apparatus of the present invention (b): Plan view (a): Partial sectional view for explaining the spacer arrangement method (b): Plan view (c): Surface of the object to be treated during spacer arrangement (a): Cross-sectional view for explaining the object to be treated immediately after the laser beam irradiation (b): Explanatory view of the state where the discharged liquid lands (c): Explanatory view of spacer aggregation (a), (b): Example of spacer coating device with two surface modification devices Example of spacer coating device with two printing devices Illustration of tilt angle (a), (b): Diagrams for explaining a spacer coating method for a large object to be processed (a), (b): FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining a spacer coating method for a large object to be processed following the process of FIG. Schematic plan view for explaining the application position of the processing object Plan view for explaining hydrophilic surface by laser light irradiation Plan view for explaining a state where the discharged liquid has landed Plan view for explaining a state in which the spacers are gathered Graph showing the relationship between volume and diameter of discharged liquid

Explanation of symbols

5 ... Processing objects 11, 12, 13 ... Spacer coating devices 21a, 21b ... Surface modification devices 22a, 22b ... Printing devices 23 ₁ to 23 _n ... Injection units 23 _{1 to} 24 _n ... Discharge holes 27 …… Print stand 41 …… Hydrophilic surface

Claims (6)

A printing stand on which a processing object is placed;
A surface modification device for irradiating the surface of the object to be treated with laser light;
A spacer coating apparatus, comprising: a printing apparatus for landing a discharge liquid in which spacers are dispersed on the surface of the object to be processed.   The spacer coating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a control device that irradiates the laser beam to a predetermined position on the surface of the processing object and lands the discharge liquid on a region including the region irradiated with the laser beam.   The spacer coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface modification apparatus and the printing apparatus are configured to be movable with respect to the printing table.   The spacer coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing object is configured to be movable with respect to the printing table. In the printing apparatus, discharge holes for discharging discharge liquid are arranged in a row,
5. The spacer coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface modification device is provided with an emission unit that emits the laser light.
The angle formed by the direction in which the ejection holes are arranged with respect to the printing table and the angle formed by the direction in which the ejection unit is arranged with respect to the printing table are variably configured. Spacer coating device. A spacer coating method for discharging a discharge liquid in which spacers are dispersed on the surface of an object to be processed and drying and arranging the spacers,
Irradiate the surface of the object to be treated with laser light to modify the hydrophobic surface to be hydrophilic,
A spacer coating method in which the discharge liquid is landed on a region including a hydrophilic surface.

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