JP2006317900A - Method for manufacturing liquid crystal display apparatus and manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display apparatus and a manufacturing apparatus that can effectively control formation and an amount of a liquid crystal to be injected and can shorten time and decrease cost for manufacturing processes. <P>SOLUTION: The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display apparatus includes steps of: forming a first substrate and a second substrate; preparing a liquid crystal in a solid state; disposing the liquid crystal in a solid state on one of the first substrate and the second substrate and applying a sealant to join the both substrates on one of the first substrate and the second substrate; and liquefying the liquid crystal in a solid state and joining the first substrate and the second substrate. Thereby, formation and an amount of the liquid crystal to be injected can be effectively adjusted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus for a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly to a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus for a liquid crystal display device using solid liquid crystal.

  Recently, a liquid crystal display device attracting attention as a display device includes a liquid crystal panel including a thin film transistor substrate on which a thin film transistor is formed and a color filter substrate on which a color filter layer is formed. A liquid crystal layer is formed between the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate.

  The liquid crystal layer is positioned in a space formed by both the substrate and a sealant that adheres both substrates along the frame region of both substrates. The sealant is usually located in an outer black matrix region formed on the color filter substrate so as to surround the display region. Spacers are dispersed between the two substrates on which the liquid crystal layer is formed so that the two substrates maintain a certain gap. As a method of injecting liquid crystal between the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate, a method of injecting liquid crystal after joining both substrates with a sealant, and a method of injecting liquid crystal on one substrate and then bonding both substrates together. There is a way.

  1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining a conventional method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the manufacturing method, and FIG. 2 is a control flowchart.

  As shown in the figure, a color filter substrate 10 as an upper substrate and a thin film transistor substrate 20 as a lower substrate are formed, and a liquid crystal loading device 30 is installed above the thin film transistor substrate 20.

  Column spacers 11 are formed on the color filter substrate 10 at regular intervals. The soft part of the thin film transistor substrate 20 is coated with a sealant 22 for joining the substrates 10 and 20, and liquid crystal liquid 32 is loaded onto the thin film transistor substrate 20 by the liquid crystal loading device 30.

  A conventional manufacturing method will be described. First, a thin film transistor substrate 20 on which a plurality of gate lines and data lines, and thin film transistors and pixel electrodes connected thereto are formed by a driving element array process, an RGB color filter layer, The color filter substrate 10 on which the common electrode is formed is formed (S1, S2).

  Next, the sealant 22 is applied to the soft part of the thin film transistor substrate 20 to load the liquid crystal 30 in a bell shape (S3). After forming the column spacer 11 for maintaining the cell gap constant on the color filter substrate 10 (S4), the substrates 10 and 20 are joined (S5), and the substrate is processed and inspected (S6). In general, the column spacer is formed at the stage of forming the color filter substrate.

  The most important thing in such a process is to precisely control the formation of the liquid crystal to be loaded and the amount of loaded liquid evenly spreading the spacers. However, when liquid crystal is used, much time and effort is required to move, mount and adjust the liquid crystal, and the loaded liquid crystal is dried at the periphery until the two substrates are joined. This causes a problem that the bonded substrates can be stained.

  In addition, when the spacers are dispersed, a separate process is added, causing a problem that the spacers do not spread uniformly on the substrate, and in the case of column spacers patterned on the substrate, the time and cost due to the addition of the etching process are generated. There is a problem to do.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus of a liquid crystal display device capable of effectively adjusting the formation and amount of injected liquid crystal.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus of a liquid crystal display device that can reduce the time and cost of the manufacturing process.

  According to the present invention, the object is to form the first substrate and the second substrate; to form a solid liquid crystal; to the solid substrate on any one of the first substrate and the second substrate. Forming a liquid crystal and applying a sealant for bonding the two substrates to one of the first substrate and the second substrate; liquefying the solid liquid crystal and the first substrate And the step of bonding the second substrate.

  A thin film transistor array is formed on the substrate on which the solid liquid crystal is formed, and a color filter layer is formed on the substrate to which the sealant is applied. That is, it is possible to place the solid liquid crystal and the sealant on another substrate.

  The step of liquefying the solid liquid crystal is performed before the step of bonding the two substrates. Such an order is not limited to the above, and the solid liquid crystal can be liquefied by heat and pressure in the bonding stage.

  The step of bonding the two substrates includes a step of curing the sealant. Since the sealant includes an ultraviolet curable resin, it is preferable to include a step of applying ultraviolet rays to the sealant in the process of hardening the sealant after bonding.

  It is preferable that the solid liquid crystal has a certain size so that a plurality of the solid liquid crystals are formed and the amount of the solid liquid crystal can be easily adjusted. Further, the solid liquid crystals are spaced apart from each other on the substrate so as to be uniformly distributed on the substrate.

  The solid liquid crystal includes a spacer for maintaining a predetermined distance between the first substrate and the second substrate. Thus, the cost and labor of the manufacturing process can be saved by discharging the spacer together with the liquid crystal without separately applying the spacer.

  In the step of forming the solid liquid crystal, the liquid crystal is cooled at a predetermined temperature, and the solid liquid crystal is formed in various forms in consideration of physical and chemical properties of the liquid crystal. .

  The cooling temperature is desirably -30 ° C or lower. This is because the temperature at which the liquid crystal solidifies is generally about −30 ° C.

  In the step of liquefying the solid liquid crystal, heat can be applied to the solid liquid crystal, and a separate heating unit can be provided. This is because, in consideration of the size of the liquid crystal and the area of the substrate, there is a problem that the liquefaction of the liquid crystal is delayed at room temperature, so that the solid liquid crystal is easily liquefied within a short time.

  On the other hand, according to the present invention, there is provided a liquid crystal container having a plurality of solid liquid crystals loaded thereon and having openings for discharging the solid liquid crystals; This can also be achieved by including a stopper that opens and closes the opening so as to be discharged from the liquid crystal container.

  It is desirable to further include a temperature maintaining unit for maintaining the solid liquid crystal at a predetermined temperature, thereby preventing the liquid crystal from being liquefied at room temperature.

  The temperature maintaining unit is preferably installed with a cooling device for cooling the liquid crystal to maintain the liquid crystal below zero in a solid state, and a cooling system used for an air conditioner or the like is used.

  Further, by using a semiconductor element such as a heat transfer element, the temperature in the housing portion in which the liquid crystal is housed can be maintained below zero, or cold air can be injected.

  According to the present invention, the liquid crystal can be easily handled in the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal panel. In addition, a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device can be provided in which the formation and amount of liquid crystal to be injected can be adjusted effectively, and the time and cost of the manufacturing process can be reduced.

  The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 3 is a control flowchart for explaining a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  First, a first substrate and a second substrate constituting a liquid crystal panel are formed (S10). A thin film transistor and a pixel electrode, a color filter layer, and a common electrode are formed on the first substrate and the second substrate, respectively. On both substrates, a back film for the back of the liquid crystal layer is applied. After the back membrane is applied, the back membrane is rubbed to provide liquid crystal molecules with a back regulating force or a pretilt angle.

  Thereafter, the liquid crystal loaded in a liquid form is generally converted into a solid state (S20). There are many methods for solidifying the liquid crystal, but a typical method is a method for cooling the liquid crystal at a low temperature.

  In the case of a general liquid crystal, the freezing temperature is about −30 ° C., so that the liquid crystal can be cooled at a temperature of −30 ° C. or lower to obtain a solid liquid crystal. The method for converting the liquid crystal into a solid is not limited to the above-described method, and there are various methods using the physical and chemical properties of the liquid crystal.

  Liquid crystals that have been cooled to become solid can also be converted into liquid form.

  After the liquid crystal is received in a predetermined container and frozen, it can be cut into a desired size, or it can be cooled to a size arranged on the substrate from the beginning. In addition, it is desirable that the liquid crystal has a certain size so that the amount of the liquid crystal can be accurately adjusted.

  According to another embodiment of the invention, the cooled liquid crystal includes spacers. A spacer is added to the liquid crystal and mixed so as to be uniformly distributed, and then the spacer is cooled together with the liquid crystal. The spacer for maintaining a predetermined distance between the first substrate and the second substrate may include a transparent plastic material having a diameter of about 4 to 5 μm and silica coated with the plastic.

  When a certain number of spacers are solidified simultaneously with the liquid crystal, the spacers are uniformly distributed in the solid liquid crystal, so that the spacers are uniformly distributed between the substrates while the liquid crystal is liquefied. Furthermore, there is an effect that a certain number of spacers can be simultaneously applied to a desired position during liquid crystal application. Further, when spacers are dispersed, the spacers can be fixed, the degree of dispersion measurement, and various processes for correcting the spacers can be omitted, and the manufacturing process can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  Next, a solid liquid crystal is formed on one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and a sealant for bonding the two substrates is applied (S30). The solid liquid crystal or the sealant may be applied to any one of both substrates. Therefore, the liquid crystal and the sealant can be formed on the same substrate or different substrates. When liquid crystal is used, it is common to apply a sealant in advance to the substrate on which the liquid crystal is loaded in order to prevent the loaded liquid crystal from flowing out of the substrate. However, in the present invention for forming a solid liquid crystal on the substrate, there is no such restriction on the application of the sealant, and the liquidity of the liquid crystal can be eliminated by using such a solid liquid crystal. Easy to handle liquid crystal.

  The formation of the solid liquid crystal on the substrate will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic view for explaining a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a liquid crystal display device manufacturing apparatus for forming solid liquid crystal on a substrate. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of liquid crystal display device manufacturing apparatuses 200 for discharging the liquid crystal 300 is formed on any one of the first substrate and the second substrate 100.

  The substrate 100 on which the solid liquid crystal is discharged includes a thin film transistor substrate in which the same thin film transistor array as the thin film transistor and the pixel electrode is formed, and a color filter substrate in which the color filter layer and the common electrode are formed. Or one. A sealant 110 is applied to the soft part of the substrate 100, and the sealant 110 can be applied to another substrate (not shown) from which the liquid crystal 300 is not discharged.

  The sealant 110 includes an acrylic resin and an epoxy resin, and is cured by ultraviolet rays and / or heat. In addition, the sealant 110 further includes an amine-based curing agent, a filler such as alumina powder, and the like. A spacer (not shown) including a hard spacer such as glass fiber and a soft spacer such as an acrylic resin may be formed in the sealant 110.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the liquid crystal display manufacturing apparatus 200 includes an opening 211 through which a solid liquid crystal 300 is discharged, a liquid crystal container 210 on which a plurality of liquid crystals 300 are stacked, and a liquid crystal container. The stopper 220 is used to open and close the opening so that the liquid crystal 300 is formed on the substrate 100 from 210. The liquid crystal display manufacturing apparatus 200 further includes a temperature maintaining unit 230 for maintaining the solid liquid crystal at a predetermined temperature.

  The liquid crystal container 210 has a column shape for loading the liquid crystal 300, and the cross section may be a circle or a polygon depending on the shape of the liquid crystal 300. The liquid crystal container 210 is formed in a shape in which a part of the horizontal surface of the column is inclined so that an appropriate amount of the solid liquid crystal 300 is discharged through the opening 211.

  In addition, a guide for sequentially pushing out the liquid crystal 300 to the outside is formed on the inner wall surface of the liquid crystal container 210.

  The stopper 220 opens and closes the opening 211 of the liquid crystal storage unit 210 at regular intervals under the control of an external control unit (not shown). The amount by which the liquid crystal 300 is discharged is determined by the opening / closing cycle of the stopper 220. The component for opening and closing the opening 211 is not limited to the stopper 220, and a lever or the like is also applicable.

  The temperature maintaining unit 230 maintains the temperature until the solid liquid crystal 300 having a temperature of about −30 ° C. or lower is formed on the substrate 100. The temperature maintaining unit 230 is desirably a cooling device that can maintain the cooling state of the liquid crystal 300, and may be an air conditioner that emits cold air or a refrigeration system that utilizes a change in the state of the refrigerant. Further, it may be a heat transfer element that is attached to the liquid crystal storage unit 210 and discharges heat of the air in which the liquid crystal 300 is stored.

  As described above, the solid liquid crystal 300 is formed in a form having a certain size, and is uniformly formed on the entire surface of the substrate 100 at regular intervals. A large number of manufacturing apparatuses 200 are used to quickly form the liquid crystal 300 on the substrate, and a moving means is formed so that the manufacturing apparatus 200 (not shown) can move on the substrate 100. By such moving means, the manufacturing apparatus 200 forms the liquid crystal 300 at a predetermined position on the substrate while moving along a certain direction.

  The manufacturing apparatus 200 according to the present invention is also used in a display unit of a portable terminal such as a mobile phone or PDA having a size of about 2 inches. In such a case, a small amount of liquid crystal 300 is loaded only once. Therefore, one liquid crystal display manufacturing apparatus 200 is used.

  Next, the solid liquid crystal 300 is liquefied (S40), and the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded (S50). After being formed on the substrate 100, the liquid crystal 300 solidified at a low temperature is gradually and automatically liquefied due to a temperature difference (about 55 ° C.) from room temperature (about 25 ° C.). The liquid crystal 300 is completely liquefied until both substrates are joined.

  The time during which the liquid crystal 300 is liquefied varies depending on the size of the liquid crystal 300 and the area of the substrate. However, after the liquid crystal 300 is formed on the substrate, it takes about 100 to 150 seconds to complete the vacuum bonding process. Is desirable. Therefore, it is possible to apply heat to the liquid crystal 300 in order to completely liquefy the liquid crystal 300. For this purpose, a heating portion can be formed.

  Generally, it is performed before the step of liquefying the solid liquid crystal 300 (S40) and the step of bonding both substrates (S50). However, the solid liquid crystal 300 is applied by the pressure applied while bonding the substrates. Can also be liquefied.

  After the spacers, the sealant 110 and the liquid crystal 300 are formed on the substrates, the substrates are bonded and temperature and pressure are applied to cure the sealant 110 (S60). As described above, the sealant 110 includes an ultraviolet curable resin that is cured by ultraviolet rays, and heats or applies ultraviolet rays to both the substrates to perform pressure bonding. In this process, the spacers between the two substrates and the liquid crystal 300 are spread uniformly over the entire substrate.

  Finally, the substrate is processed, cut, separated into a plurality of liquid crystal panels, and each liquid crystal panel is cleaned and inspected (S70).

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate 400 on which a plurality of thin film transistors are formed, a second substrate 500 disposed opposite to the first substrate 400, and a sealant 600 that mutually bonds the first substrate 400 and the second substrate 500. The liquid crystal layer 700 formed between the substrates 400 and 500 and the spacer 610 for maintaining the distance between the substrates 400 and 500 between the liquid crystal layers 700 are included.

  First, in the first substrate 400, gate wirings 421 and 422 are formed on a first substrate material 410 containing an insulating material such as glass, quartz, ceramic, or plastic. The gate lines 421 and 422 may be a metal single layer or multiple layers. The gate wirings 421 and 422 overlap with the gate line (not shown) extending in the horizontal direction and the gate electrode 421 and the pixel electrode 430 of the thin film transistor 420 connected to the gate line to form a common electrode. Includes line 422.

On the first substrate material 410, a gate insulating film 423 made of silicon nitride (SiNx) or the like covers the gate wiring. A semiconductor layer 424 made of a semiconductor such as amorphous silicon is formed on the gate insulating film 423 of the gate electrode 421. Over the semiconductor layer 424, a resistive contact layer 425 made of a material such as n ⁺ hydrogenated amorphous silicon doped with silicite or n-type impurities at a high concentration is formed. The resistive contact layer 425 is divided into two parts around the gate electrode 421.

  Data wirings 426, 427, and 428 are formed on the resistance contact side 425 and the gate insulating film 423. The data lines 426, 427, and 428 may also be a single layer or multiple layers formed of a metal layer. The data lines 426, 427, and 428 are formed in the vertical direction, intersect the gate lines, and are branches of the data lines 426 and the data lines 426 that form pixels, and extend to the top of the resistance contact layer 425. The electrode 427 is separated from the source electrode 427 and includes a drain electrode 428 formed on the resistance contact layer 425 opposite to the source electrode 427 with the gate electrode 421 as the center.

  On top of the data wiring 426, 427, 428 and the semiconductor layer 424 that is not covered, silicon nitride, a-Si: C: O film or a-Si: O: F film and acrylic deposited by PECVD method. A protective film 429 made of a system organic insulating film or the like is formed.

  A contact hole representing the drain electrode 428 is formed in the protective film 429.

  A pixel electrode 430 that receives an image signal from the thin film transistor and generates an electric field together with the common electrode 550 of the second substrate 500 is formed on the protective film 428. The pixel electrode 430 is physically and electrically connected to the drain electrode 428 through a contact hole to transmit an image signal.

  Next, the second substrate 500 includes a second substrate material 510 containing an insulating material such as glass, quartz, ceramic, or plastic, like the first substrate 400, a color filter having three primary colors of red, green, and blue, A black matrix 520 formed between the periphery of the two-substrate material and the color filter 530, an overcoat layer 540 formed on the color filter 530, and a common electrode 550 formed on the overcoat layer 540 are included.

  The black matrix 520 may be formed of a photosensitive organic material to which black pigments such as chromium, chromium oxide, and chromium nitride are added, and is photosensitive to which black pigments are added to block light. Formed with organic material. Here, carbon black, titanium oxide, or the like can be used as the black pigment.

  The color filter 530 is formed by repeating red, green, and blue, respectively, and serves to add color to the light that has passed through the liquid crystal layer 700. Such a color filter 530 is a colored photosensitive organic material and is formed using a known pigment dispersion method.

  The overcoat layer 540 serves to protect the color filter 530, and an acrylic epoxy material is used as the material.

  The common electrode 550 is formed of a transparent conductive material such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) or IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide). The common electrode 550 directly applies a signal voltage to the liquid crystal layer 700 together with the pixel electrode 500 of the first substrate 400.

  A sealant 600 for bonding the first substrate 400 and the second substrate 500 is formed below the black matrix 520 formed on the outer periphery of the substrate. The sealant 600 includes an acrylic resin and an epoxy resin, and is cured by ultraviolet rays and / or heat. The sealant 600 may further include an amine-based curing agent, a filler such as alumina powder, and the like.

  The liquid crystal layer 700 is uniformly spread between the substrates 400 and 500 in the process in which the solid liquid crystal is liquefied and the both substrates 400 and 500 are squeezed. When a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer 700, the liquid crystal molecules Since the dielectric anisotropy is negative, its major axis is perpendicular to the electric field.

  The spacer 610 serves to keep the cell gap d1 between the substrates 400 and 500 constant, and is cooled together in the process of solidifying the liquid crystal. The cooled spacers 610 are applied to the substrate as the liquid crystal is discharged, and are arranged at regular intervals. Since the spacer 610 is discharged together with the liquid crystal, it is not necessary to separately apply the spacer 610, and the spacer 610 can be uniformly distributed between the liquid crystals in the process of mixing with the liquid crystal. .

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, those skilled in the art having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can modify the present embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention. Recognize. The scope of the invention is determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It is the schematic for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the conventional liquid crystal display device. It is a control flowchart for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the conventional liquid crystal display device. 4 is a control flowchart for explaining a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device by one Example of this invention. It is a manufacturing apparatus figure of the liquid crystal display device by one Example of this invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

100, 400, 500 Substrate 110, 600 Sealant 200 Liquid crystal display device manufacturing apparatus 210 Liquid crystal container 211 Opening 220 Stopper 230 Temperature maintaining device 300 Solid liquid crystal 410 First substrate material 420 Thin film transistor 421, 422 Gate wiring 423 Gate Insulating film 424 Semiconductor layer 425 Resistive contact layer 426, 427, 428 Data wiring 429 Protective film 430 Pixel electrode 520 Black matrix 530 Color filter 540 Overcoat layer 550 Common electrode 610 Spacer 700 Liquid crystal layer

Claims (16)

In the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device,
Forming a first substrate and a second substrate;
Forming a solid liquid crystal;
The solid liquid crystal is formed on any one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and the both substrates are bonded to any one of the first substrate and the second substrate. Applying a sealant for:
A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, comprising: liquefying the solid liquid crystal and bonding the first substrate and the second substrate.   2. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a thin film transistor array is formed on the substrate on which the solid liquid crystal is formed.   The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a color filter layer is formed on a substrate to which the sealant is applied.   The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the step of liquefying the solid liquid crystal is formed before the step of bonding the two substrates.   The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the step of bonding the substrates includes a step of curing the sealant. The sealant includes an ultraviolet curable resin,
The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the step of bonding the two substrates includes a step of applying ultraviolet rays to the sealant.   The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the solid liquid crystals are formed.   8. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 7, wherein the solid liquid crystal has a certain size.   9. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 8, wherein the solid liquid crystals are formed to be spaced apart at a constant interval.   The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the solid liquid crystal includes a spacer for maintaining a predetermined distance between the first substrate and the second substrate.   2. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal is cooled to a predetermined temperature in the step of forming the solid liquid crystal.   The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein a temperature during the cooling is −30 ° C. or lower.   2. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein heat is applied to the solid liquid crystal in the step of liquefying the solid liquid crystal. A liquid crystal container having a plurality of solid liquid crystals and an opening for discharging the solid liquid crystals;
An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, comprising: a stopper that opens and closes the opening so that the predetermined solid liquid crystal is discharged from the liquid crystal container.   The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 14, further comprising a temperature maintaining unit for maintaining the solid liquid crystal at a predetermined temperature.   The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the temperature maintaining unit includes a cooling device that cools the liquid crystal.

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