JP2007025516A - Method for manufacturing optoelecronic device, optoelecronic device, seal mask, and sealing material printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing an optoelectronic device, the optoelectronic device, a seal mask and a sealing material printing device by which a display area is sufficiently secured and a substrate is prevented from upsizing. <P>SOLUTION: When the sealing material is formed on a mother substrate S, gaps 121a, 121b are linearly provided at corner parts 123a, 123b of a seal pattern 120, when the mother substrate on the side of a color filter and an active matrix type mother substrate are joined together and stuck together by pressure, crushed sealing materials 120a, 120b spread so as to seal the gaps 121a, 121b and the respective sides of the sealing materials 120a, 120b do not unevenly spread. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device, an electro-optical device, a seal mask, and a seal material printing apparatus.

In general, a liquid crystal panel has two large substrates called mother substrates facing each other, a rectangular annular seal material is formed on one mother substrate, and the two mother substrates are bonded and cut so as to sandwich the liquid crystal. Formed by. As a method of forming the sealing material in a rectangular ring shape on the mother substrate, for example, a screen printing method of printing the sealing material on the mother substrate using a seal mask provided with a rectangular ring opening corresponding to the shape of the sealing material. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1), and a method of applying a sealing material in a rectangular ring shape on a mother substrate using a dispenser (for example, refer to Patent Document 2).
JP 2004-177941 A JP 2004-109448 A

However, if the sealing material is simply formed in a rectangular ring shape, when the two mother substrates are bonded and bonded together, the spread of the sealing material becomes uneven in the side portion near the corner of the sealing material, The width of the sealing material (seal width) becomes non-uniform.
In particular, when the sealing material is printed by the screen printing method, the seal mask, the mother substrate, and the sealing material are in close contact immediately after the sealing material is printed, and the space inside the sealing material is sealed. For this reason, when the seal material is printed and the seal mask is removed from the mother substrate, the seal material may be subjected to resistance that is pulled by the seal mask, and the seal material may be deformed. When the seal material is deformed, there is a problem that the seal width becomes non-uniform when two mother substrates are bonded and bonded together.
When the seal width becomes non-uniform in this way, the region inside the seal material is narrowed accordingly. In an electro-optical device, normally, such a region is used as a display region. Therefore, when the area is narrowed, a usable display area is narrowed. Or if it is going to secure the display area of a predetermined area, it will be forced to enlarge a board | substrate.
In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an electro-optical device, an electro-optical device, and a seal capable of ensuring a sufficient display area and avoiding an increase in the size of the substrate. An object of the present invention is to provide a mask and seal material printing apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to a main aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device in which a sealing material is sandwiched between a pair of substrates, A step of forming a rectangular annular sealing material on one of the substrates, and a step of bonding the pair of substrates so as to face each other. In the step of forming the sealing material, four corners of the sealing material are formed. In the step of linearly providing a gap in a part of the corners and bonding the pair of substrates facing each other, the pair of substrates is pressure-bonded until the gap is closed.

  In the present invention, the electro-optical device is a generic term including an electro-optical effect that changes the light transmittance by changing the refractive index of a substance due to an electric field, and a device that converts electric energy into optical energy. ing. Specifically, a liquid crystal display device using liquid crystal as an electro-optical material, an organic EL device using organic EL (Electro-Luminescence), an inorganic EL device using inorganic EL, a plasma display device using plasma gas as an electro-optical material, etc. There is. Furthermore, there are an electrophoretic display device (EPD), a field emission display device (FED: Field Emission Display device), and the like.

  According to the present invention, since the gap is provided at some corners of the sealing material, when the pair of substrates are bonded and pressure-bonded, the crushed sealing material spreads to close the gap, and the seal Each side of the material does not spread unevenly. As a result, it is possible to prevent the inner area of the sealing material from becoming narrower, to sufficiently secure the display area of the electro-optical device, and to increase the size of the substrate even when a certain display area is secured. Can be avoided.

In the step of forming the sealing material, the gap is preferably provided in a straight line.
According to the present invention, since the gap is provided in a straight line, the sealing materials face each other in a plane so as to sandwich the gap. By bonding the opposing planes when the substrates are bonded together, it is possible to reliably avoid the formation of a gap.

In the step of forming the sealing material, it is preferable that the gap is formed to have a width of 200 μm or less.
Considering the width, amount, viscosity, etc. of a normal sealing material set when manufacturing an electro-optical device, if the gap width is too large, the side of the sealing material will be There is a possibility that they are not attached to each other. If the width of the gap is set to 200 μm or less as in the present invention, the sealing material is securely bonded to each other when the pair of substrates are bonded together, so that the region inside the sealing material is surely sealed. Can do. The width of the gap is more preferably in the range of 5 μm to 50 μm.

In the step of forming the sealing material, the gap is preferably formed with a constant width.
When the width of the gap is formed to be constant, the end faces of the adjacent sides face each other in parallel at the corners of the sealing material. When a pair of substrates are bonded together and bonded in this state, the sides of the sealing material spread by the bonding are bonded together without gaps, and the end faces facing each other are bonded together without waste, so the sealing material near the corners Can be made uniform.

In the step of forming the sealing material, it is preferable that the gap is formed so that the width gradually decreases from the inside to the outside of the corner of the sealing material.
According to such a structure, since the space | interval of end surfaces becomes narrow outside the corner | angular part of a sealing material, when bonding a pair of board | substrate and crimping | bonding, the outer side of a corner | angular part becomes easy to unite | combine. Thereby, the area | region inside a sealing material can be sealed reliably.

Further, in the step of forming the sealing material, the gap may be formed such that the extending direction of the gap is inclined by about 45 ° with respect to the extending direction of the adjacent sealing material at the partial corners. preferable.
According to such a configuration, the end surfaces of the sides of the sealing material face each other in an inclined state of 45 ° with respect to the extending direction of the sides. Therefore, the end surfaces are bonded together by bonding a pair of substrates. When bonded, a right angle is likely to be formed inside the corner.

Further, in the step of forming the sealing material, the end portion of the sealing material is formed to be inclined at about 45 ° with respect to the outer surface of the rectangular annular region of the sealing material at the some corners. It is preferable.
According to the present invention, since the sealing material is formed in a state where the corner is removed, when the pair of substrates constituting the electro-optical device are bonded and bonded together, the corner portion of the sealing material does not spread outward. That's it. As a result, it is possible to prevent the frame area of the electro-optical device from being widened and to avoid an increase in size.

Moreover, it is preferable that the viscosity of the sealing material is in a range of 2 × 10 ⁵ cps to 2 × 10 ⁶ cps.
When the viscosity of the sealing material is too high, the sealing material may not be sufficiently spread when the pair of substrates are bonded and bonded together, and the gap may not be blocked. In addition, when the viscosity of the sealing material is too low, the sealing material may be excessively spread when the pair of substrates are bonded and pressure-bonded. Furthermore, the malfunction which tears a seal | sticker by the liquid-crystal diffusion force at the time of liquid crystal enclosure arises. By setting the viscosity of the sealing material in the range of 2 × 10 ⁵ cps to 2 × 10 ⁶ cps as in the present invention, the sealing material spreads moderately when the pair of substrates are bonded and bonded together. The viscosity of the sealing material is more preferably in the range of 2 × 10 ⁵ cps to 1 × 10 ⁶ cps.

In the step of forming the sealing material, the sealing material is preferably formed by a screen printing method.
When forming the sealing material by the screen printing method, by providing a gap at some corners of the sealing material, the region surrounded by the sealing material, the seal mask, and the substrate is not sealed after the sealing material is formed. Since the gap serves as a passage for air, it is not necessary to receive resistance from the sealing material when the seal mask is removed from the substrate. For this reason, the sealing material is not deformed, and when the pair of substrates are bonded and pressure-bonded, the expansion of the sealing material becomes uniform and the seal width becomes uniform.

Further, it is preferable that a step of dropping an electro-optic material inside the rectangular annular sealing material is provided after the step of forming the sealing material.
According to the present invention, after the sealing material is formed as described above, the electro-optic material is dropped inside the sealing material, so that when the substrates are bonded, the electro-optic material leaks outside the sealing material. Can be avoided.

An electro-optical device according to another aspect of the present invention is manufactured by the above-described method for manufacturing an electro-optical device.
According to the present invention, a sufficient display area can be ensured when manufacturing an electro-optical device, and an increase in the size of the substrate can be avoided, so that the display area is wide and the cost performance per substrate is high. Therefore, an electro-optical device with high can be obtained.

  A seal mask according to another aspect of the present invention is a seal mask for printing a rectangular annular seal pattern on a substrate constituting a liquid crystal panel, and the mask pattern corresponds to four sides of the seal pattern. And a connection portion is provided at a part of the four corners of the mask pattern corresponding to the four corners of the seal pattern.

  In the present invention, since the connecting portion is provided at the corner of the mask pattern, when the seal pattern is formed using the seal mask, a gap is formed at the corner of the seal pattern so as to correspond to the connecting portion. The By forming the gap, after the seal pattern is printed using the present seal mask, the region surrounded by the sealant, the substrate, and the seal mask is not sealed.

  Therefore, when removing the seal mask from the substrate, the seal mask is not subjected to resistance that is pulled by the seal material, and the seal pattern is not deformed. For this reason, when a pair of board | substrates are bonded together and it crimps | bonds, it can avoid that a seal width becomes non-uniform | heterogenous.

Moreover, it is preferable that the width | variety of the said connection part is 200 micrometers or less.
If the width of the connecting portion is 200 μm or less, the width of the gap between the sealing materials formed on the substrate can be 200 μm or less. In this case, when the pair of substrates are bonded to each other, the sealing material is bonded without a gap, so that the region inside the sealing material can be reliably sealed. The width of the gap is preferably in the range of 5 μm to 50 μm, and the width of the connecting portion is preferably in the range of 5 μm to 50 μm.

Moreover, it is preferable that the said connection part is formed with the fixed width | variety.
By forming the connecting portion with a constant width, the gap between the sealing materials formed on the substrate is formed with a constant width. Moreover, in the corner | angular part of the sealing material corresponding to the said connection part, the end surfaces of an adjacent edge | side oppose in parallel. Thus, when the pair of substrates are bonded and bonded together, the sides of the sealing material spread by the bonding are bonded together without any gaps, and the end faces facing each other are bonded together without waste. The inner region can be reliably blocked.

Moreover, it is preferable that the said connection part is formed so that a width | variety may become narrow gradually from the inner side of the said some corner | angular part to the outer side.
By forming the connection portion so that the width gradually decreases from the inside to the outside of the corner portion, the width of the gap between the sealing materials formed on the substrate also gradually decreases from the inside to the outside of the sealing material. Can be formed. As a result, the gap between the end faces is reduced outside the corner of the sealing material, and the outer side of the corner is easily attached when a pair of substrates are bonded and bonded together. Can be occluded.

In addition, it is preferable that the connecting portion is formed so that the extending direction of the connecting portion and the extending direction of the adjacent opening at the partial corner portion form an angle of about 45 °.
According to such a configuration, the end surfaces of the respective sides of the sealing material formed on the substrate are opposed to each other so as to sandwich the gap while being inclined by 45 ° with respect to the extending direction of the respective sides. When the substrates are bonded and pressure-bonded, the end faces can be easily bonded together.

At a part of the corner of the mask pattern, a region corresponding to the part of the corner of the seal pattern of the opening is formed to be inclined by about 45 ° with respect to the extending direction of the opening. It is preferable.
According to the present invention, when the pair of substrates are bonded to each other at the corner portion where the connection portion is formed, the seal material can be prevented from spreading outward. Thereby, the non-display area of the liquid crystal panel can be narrowed, and an increase in the size of the liquid crystal panel can be avoided.

The sealing material printing apparatus which concerns on another viewpoint of this invention is a sealing material printing apparatus which prints a sealing pattern on the board | substrate which comprises a liquid crystal panel, Comprising: Said sealing mask is comprised, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
If the sealing material is printed on the substrate by the sealing material printing apparatus of the present invention, a sufficient display area can be secured and an increase in the size of the substrate can be avoided.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the scale is appropriately changed to make each member a recognizable size.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment.
As shown in the figure, the liquid crystal device 1 is mainly composed of a liquid crystal panel 40 and a backlight 41. The liquid crystal panel 40 is provided so as to sandwich the liquid crystal 6 between the active matrix substrate 2 and the color filter substrate 3, and has a configuration in which the liquid crystal panel 40 is bonded via a seal material 4. In this embodiment, an active matrix type liquid crystal device using a non-linear element such as a thin film diode (TFD) or a thin film transistor (TFT) will be described as an example, but a passive matrix type or other type of liquid crystal device may be used. The present invention can also be applied.

  The active matrix substrate 2 is a rectangular substrate formed of a transparent material such as glass or quartz. The display area D is an area where an image, a moving image, or the like is displayed. The display area D is provided with a pixel electrode and a switching element (not shown). The color filter substrate 3 is a rectangular substrate formed of a transparent material such as glass or plastic. A light shielding layer (not shown) is provided on the color filter substrate 3, and a color filter having a red layer, a green layer, and a blue layer is provided corresponding to a region (pixel) surrounded by the light shielding layer. . An overcoat layer (not shown) is formed on the color filter substrate 3 so as to cover the color filter, and an alignment film (not shown) is formed on the overcoat layer.

  The sealing material 4 is formed of a material such as an epoxy resin, for example, and is provided in a rectangular ring shape so as to surround the display region D of the liquid crystal panel 40. Of the four sides (side 7, side 8, side 9 and side 10) of the sealing material 4, side 7, side 8 and side 9 are provided to be continuous at the corner 4c and the corner 4d. The part 4a and the corner part 4b have end faces. The side 10 has end faces at the corners 4a and 4b. In the corner portion 4a, the side 7 and the side 10 are joined, and in the corner portion 4b, the side 9 and the side 10 are joined. Note that side 7 and side 9 are parallel, and side 8 and side 10 are parallel.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of the sealing material printing apparatus 101 according to the present embodiment.
The sealing material printing apparatus 101 includes a stage 102, a seal mask 103, and a printing unit 104 as main components. The sealing material printing apparatus 101 is an apparatus that prints a sealing material on a panel substrate constituting a liquid crystal panel by a screen printing method. In the present embodiment, a case where a sealing material is formed in a process of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel by a technique called multi-cavity collecting a plurality of panel substrates from one mother substrate will be described as an example.

The stage 102 is a base on which the mother substrate S is placed and held.
The seal mask 103 forms a seal pattern to be formed on the mother substrate S. The seal mask 103 is installed in the seal material printing apparatus 101 and is detachably attached to the mother substrate S by a lifting operation. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, an opening 111 is formed in the seal mask 103 as a mask pattern 110. The opening 111 includes an opening 111a having three sides connected in a “U” shape and an opening 111b that is an independent side. The mask pattern 110 has four corners 112, 116, 117, and 118.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing the shape of the corner 112 of the mask pattern 110.
As shown in the figure, the opening 111a has a width of L2 (L2 is 0.2 mm, for example) with respect to the extending direction 114a. The opening 111b has a width of L3 (L3 is 0.2 mm, for example) with respect to the extending direction 114b.

A connection portion A is provided at the corner portion 112. The connecting portion A forms an angle α (α is, for example, 45 °) with respect to the extending direction 114a of the opening 111a, and at the same time, β (β is, for example, 45 ° with respect to the extending direction 114b of the opening 111b. ) And is linearly provided with a constant width L1 (L1 is, for example, about 5 μm to 50 μm). The end 111e of the opening 111a is formed so as to form an angle α with respect to the extending direction 114a so as to form one side of the connecting portion A at the corner 112. Similarly, the end 111f of the opening 111b is formed so as to form an angle β with respect to the extending direction 114b so as to form the other side of the connecting portion A at the corner 112. The end side 111e and the end side 111f are opposed to each other with the connecting portion A interposed therebetween, and the opposite end side 111e and the end side 111f are parallel to each other.
In addition, although the corner part 112 was demonstrated here, the connection part is provided also about the corner part 118 (refer FIG. 2), and it has the structure similar to the corner part 112. FIG. Further, no connection portion is provided for the corner portion 116 and the corner portion 117.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the printing unit 104 includes a scraper 105, a squeegee 106, and a holding member 108 that holds the scraper 105 and the squeegee 106. The scraper 105 is a member for pouring (coating) the sealing material supplied onto the seal mask 103 into the opening 111 of the mask pattern 110. The squeegee 106 is a member that transfers (prints) the sealing material coated on the opening 111 of the mask pattern 110 to the mother substrate S. Each of the scraper 105 and the squeegee 106 is provided with an elevating mechanism so as to be detachable from the seal mask 103. The holding member 108 is also provided with a lifting mechanism (not shown) separately from the lifting mechanism of the scraper 105 and the squeegee 106.

The scraper 105 and the squeegee 106 are held by a holding member 108, and the holding member 108 is provided with a drive mechanism (not shown). The holding member 108 can be moved left and right in the drawing by the drive mechanism, and the scraper 105 and the squeegee 106 are moved from the left end portion to the right end in the drawing of the seal mask 103 by moving the holding member 108 left and right in the drawing. Scanning is performed from the right end to the left end in the drawing.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal device 1 using the above-described sealing material printing apparatus 101 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal device 1 is as follows. Two mother substrates having a large area, that is, a color filter side mother substrate and an active matrix side mother substrate are separately formed, and one of the substrates ( In the present embodiment, a method of separating the liquid crystal panels into individual liquid crystal panels (multi-cavity) will be described as an example by pasting them together on a color filter side mother substrate) via a sealing material and cutting the bonded state. To do. The method for forming the sealing material will be described using the screen printing method using the above-described sealing material printing apparatus 101 as an example.

  First, a process of forming the color filter side mother substrate will be described. An electrode and a color filter for each liquid crystal panel are formed in each display region D (see FIG. 9 and the like) of the mother substrate S made of a light-transmitting material such as glass or plastic, and a planarizing film is formed. On the surface of the planarization film, spacers and partition walls (not shown) for gap control are formed. The spacer is formed for each display region D. Further, an alignment film is formed so as to cover the color filter formed on the mother substrate S, and a rubbing process is performed on the alignment film.

Next, a sealing material is formed so as to surround the display area D of the mother substrate S. Hereinafter, the said sealing material formation process is demonstrated.
First, the mother substrate S is held on the stage 102 in the sealing material printing apparatus 101, and the seal mask 103 is mounted on the mother substrate S. In this state, as shown in FIG. 5, the seal material 80 is supplied onto the seal mask 103 (in the drawing, the right end of the seal mask 103). The viscosity of the sealing material 80 supplied on the seal mask 103 is preferably 2 × 10 ⁶ cps or less, and more preferably in the range of 2 × 10 ⁵ cps to 1 × 10 ⁶ cps. In this embodiment, since the liquid crystal device 1 is manufactured by a method in which the liquid crystal is dropped onto the mother substrate S and bonded together, the sealing material having a high viscosity is used as described above.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the seal material 80 on the seal mask 103 is coated with the scraper 105, and the seal material 80 is supplied to the opening 111 of the seal mask 103. When the scraper 105 scans from the right end portion to the left end portion of the seal mask 103, the seal material 80 is filled in the opening 111 on the seal mask 103.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the sealing material 80 filled in the opening 111 of the seal mask 103 is printed on the mother substrate S. When the squeegee 106 scans from the left end portion to the right end portion of the seal mask 103, the seal material 80 on the seal mask 103 is pushed out from the opening 111 onto the mother substrate S, and the seal material 80 is formed on the mother substrate S as a mask pattern. 110 is printed in a shape corresponding to 110. Next, the seal mask 103 is removed from the mother substrate S as shown in FIG. At this time, the seal pattern 120 is formed on the mother substrate S as shown in FIG. The color filter side mother substrate is formed by the above steps. Thereafter, the liquid crystal is dropped on the region inside the seal pattern 120 of the color filter side mother substrate formed in this way.

Here, the configuration of the seal pattern 120 formed on the mother substrate S will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating one seal pattern 120 among the seal patterns 120 illustrated in FIG. 9.
The seal pattern 120 includes a seal material 120a and a seal material 120b. A gap 121a is formed at the corner 123a of the seal pattern 120, and a gap 121b is formed at the corner 123b. The gaps 121a and 121b are gap portions where the seal material is not printed, and are portions corresponding to the connection portion A of the seal mask 103 described above. Here, the gap 121a in the corner 123a and the gap 121b in the corner 123b have the same configuration. Therefore, only the configuration of the corner portion 123a will be described below, but the corner portion 123b, which is not described, is the same as the configuration of the corner portion 123a.

  The gap 121a forms an angle γ (γ is 45 °, for example, 45 °) with respect to the extending direction 124a of the side of the sealing material 120a, and at the same time, δ (δ is 45, for example, with respect to the extending direction 124b of the sealing material 120b. )) And is linearly provided with a constant width L4 (L4 is, for example, about 5 μm to 50 μm). In the corner portion 123a, the end surface 121e of the sealing material 120a and the end surface 121f of the sealing material 120b are opposed to each other with the gap 121a interposed therebetween, and the opposed end surface 121e and the end surface 121f are parallel to each other.

Next, a process of forming the active matrix side mother substrate will be described.
Scan lines and data lines are formed on each display area of another mother substrate made of a light-transmitting material such as glass or plastic (the display area corresponds to the display area D of the mother substrate S) by a known method. Then, an electrode or the like is formed, and a planarization film is formed in the display region where the scanning line, the data line, and the like are formed. After the planarization film is formed, an alignment film made of polyimide or the like is formed in each display region, and a rubbing process is performed on the alignment film. Through the above steps, the active matrix mother substrate is formed.

  Next, the color filter side mother substrate and the active matrix side mother substrate are bonded together and pressure bonded. Specifically, the alignment is performed so that the display area of the active matrix side mother substrate and the display area D of the color filter side mother substrate coincide with each other. The seal pattern 120 is crushed and expanded by pressure bonding, and constitutes the seal material 4 shown in FIG. In addition, the liquid crystal dropped in the region surrounded by the seal pattern 120 spreads to form the liquid crystal 6.

  Thereafter, scribe lines are formed on the two bonded substrates, and the liquid crystal panel is cut along the scribe lines to form a plurality of liquid crystal panels. Each liquid crystal panel is cleaned, a drive driver or the like is mounted, and a backlight 41, a polarizing plate, or the like is attached as necessary, and the liquid crystal device 1 is completed.

  In this embodiment, when forming the sealing material on the mother substrate S, the gaps 121a and 121b are linearly provided at the corners 123a and 123b of the seal pattern 120. When the matrix type mother substrate is bonded and pressure-bonded, the crushed sealing materials 120a and 120b spread so as to close the gaps 121a and 121b, and each side of the sealing materials 120a and 120b does not spread unevenly.

  Here, when the seal material is formed by the screen printing method, if the seal pattern is printed without a gap, the seal mask 53, the mother substrate S, and the seal pattern 54 are in close contact with each other as shown in FIG. Since the sealed region is sealed (the broken line portion in FIG. 11), the seal pattern 54 may be deformed by receiving a force pulled from the seal pattern 54 when the seal mask 53 is removed from the mother substrate S.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the connection part A is provided in each corner | angular part 112 of the mask pattern 110, when forming the seal pattern 120 using the said seal mask 103, it is the sealing material 120a, 120b. A gap is provided in the corners 123a and 123b. Thereby, after the sealing materials 120a and 120b are formed on the mother substrate S, the region surrounded by the sealing materials 120a and 120b, the seal mask 103, and the mother substrate S is not sealed, so as shown in FIG. When removing the seal mask 103 from S, it is not necessary to receive resistance from the sealing materials 120a and 120b. Therefore, the seal materials 120a and 120b are not deformed, and when the color filter side mother substrate and the active matrix mother substrate are bonded and bonded together, the seal materials 120a and 120b are spread uniformly and the seal width is uniform. become. As a result, it is possible to avoid the narrowing of the inner region 31 of the sealing materials 120a and 120b, it is possible to sufficiently secure the display region D of the liquid crystal device 1, and to secure a certain display region D. In addition, an increase in the size of the mother substrate S can be avoided.

  In consideration of parameters such as the width of the seal pattern, the amount of the seal material, and the viscosity set when forming the seal pattern on the mother substrate S, if the width of the gaps 121a and 121b is excessively large, the color When the filter-side mother substrate and the active matrix-side mother substrate are bonded together, there is a possibility that the sealing materials do not adhere to each other.

  On the other hand, when the width of the gaps 121a and 121b is too small, the gaps 121a and 121b are closed when the seal pattern 120 is printed and the seal mask 103 is removed from the mother substrate S, and the seals There is a possibility that a region surrounded by the materials 120a and 120b, the seal mask 103, and the mother substrate S is sealed.

  Therefore, if the gap width is set in the range of 200 μm or less, more preferably in the range of 5 μm to 50 μm as in the present invention, when the color filter side mother substrate and the active matrix side mother substrate are bonded to each other, While being able to make it adhere reliably, it can avoid that the space | gap 121a, 121b is block | closed.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Similar to the first embodiment, in the following drawings, the scale is appropriately changed to make each member a recognizable size. In the present embodiment, the shape of the opening portion of the seal mask and the configuration of the corner portion of the seal pattern formed on the mother substrate are different from those of the first embodiment, and thus this point will be mainly described.

FIG. 13 is a view showing one mask pattern 210 among the mask patterns 210 formed on the seal mask 203.
As shown in the figure, an opening 211 is formed as a mask pattern 210 in the seal mask 203. The opening 211 includes an opening 211a having three sides connected in a “U” shape and an opening 211b that is an independent side. The mask pattern 210 has four corners 212, 216, 217, and 218. The opening 211a of the mask pattern 210 has a width of L6 (L6 is 0.2 mm, for example) with respect to the extending direction 214a. The opening 211b has a width of L7 (L7 is 0.2 mm, for example) with respect to the extending direction 214b.

A connecting portion A is provided at the corner portion 212. The connecting portion A forms an angle α ₂ (α ₂ is, for example, 60 °) with respect to the extending direction 214a of the opening 211a, and at the same time β ₂ (β _{2 with} respect to the extending direction 214b of the opening 211b. Is provided so as to form an angle of, for example, 30 °, and is linearly provided with a constant width L5 (L5 is, for example, about 5 μm to 50 μm). End side 211e of the opening 211a so as to form one side of the connection A at the corner portion 212 is formed at an angle of alpha ₂ to the extending direction 214a. Similarly, the end side 211f of the opening 211b so as to form the other side of the connection A at the corner portion 212 is formed at an angle of beta ₂ with respect to the extending direction 214b. The end side 211e and the end side 211f are opposed to each other with the connection portion A interposed therebetween, and at the same time, the opposed end side 211e and the end side 211f are parallel to each other.
Although the corner portion 212 has been described here, the corner portion 218 is also provided with the connection portion A and has the same configuration as the corner portion 212. Further, no connection portion is provided for the corner portion 216 and the corner portion 217.

  FIG. 14 is a view showing one seal pattern 320 among the seal patterns 320 formed on the mother substrate using the mask pattern 210 described above, and corresponds to FIG. 10 in the first embodiment. In the figure, the gap 321a in the corner 323a and the gap 321b in the corner 323b have the same configuration. Therefore, only the configuration of the corner portion 323a will be described below, but the corner portion 323b, which will not be described, is similar in configuration to the corner portion 323a.

As shown in the figure, a gap 321a is formed at the corner 323a of the seal pattern 320. The gap 321a forms an angle γ ₂ (γ ₂ is, for example, 60 °) with respect to the extending direction 324a of the side of the sealing material 320a, and at the same time, δ ₂ (δ with respect to the extending direction 324b of the sealing material 320b. ₂ is provided so as to form an angle of 30 °, for example, and is linearly provided with a constant width L8 (L8 is, for example, about 5 μm to 50 μm). In the corner portion 323a, the end surface 321e of the sealing material 320a and the end surface 321f of the sealing material 320b face each other with the gap 321a interposed therebetween, and at the same time, the facing end surface 321e and the end surface 321f are parallel to each other. Note that the viscosity of the sealing material, as in the first embodiment, is preferably 2 × ¹⁰ 6 cps or less, still preferably be in the range of ^{2 × 10 5 cps~1 × 10 6} cps.

  Even if the gaps 321a and 321b are formed so as to have an inclination of 60 ° with respect to the extending direction 324a of the sealing material 320a in the corner portions 323a and 323b of the sealing pattern 320 as in the present embodiment, When the color filter side mother substrate and the active matrix type mother substrate are bonded and bonded together, the crushed sealing materials 320a and 320b spread so as to close the gaps 321a and 321b, and the sides of the sealing materials 320a and 320b are not uniform. Does not spread. Thereby, the area | region inside the seal | sticker pattern 320 can be utilized as a display area to the maximum, and the enlargement of a board | substrate can be avoided.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Similar to the first embodiment, in the following drawings, the scale is appropriately changed to make each member a recognizable size. In the present embodiment, the shape of the opening portion of the seal mask and the configuration of the corner portion of the seal pattern formed on the mother substrate are different from those of the first embodiment, and thus this point will be mainly described.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing one mask pattern 410 among the mask patterns 410 formed on the seal mask 403.
As shown in the figure, an opening 411 is formed in the seal mask 403 as a mask pattern 410. The opening 411 includes an opening 411a having three sides connected in a “U” shape and an opening 411b which is an independent side. The mask pattern 410 has four corners 412, 416, 417, and 418. The opening 411a of the mask pattern 410 has a width of L9 (L9 is 0.2 mm, for example) with respect to the extending direction 414a. The opening 411b has a width of L10 (L10 is 0.2 mm, for example) with respect to the extending direction 414b.

A connection portion A is provided at the corner portion 412. The connecting portion A forms an angle α ₃ (α ₃ is, for example, 30 °) with respect to the extending direction 414a of the opening 411a, and at the same time β ₃ (β _{3 with} respect to the extending direction 414b of the opening 411b. Is formed so as to have an angle of 30 °, for example, and is formed in a wedge shape so that the width gradually decreases from the inside to the outside of the opening 411. The width L11 of the widest portion of the wedge shape is preferably 200 μm or less. Further, it is more preferable that the width L11 of the widest portion and the width L12 of the narrowest portion of the wedge shape are in the range of 5 to 50 μm. End side 411e of the opening 411a so as to form one side of the connection A at the corner portion 412 is formed at an angle of alpha ₃ with respect to the extending direction 414a. Similarly, the end side 411f of the opening 411b so as to form the other side of the connection A at the corner portion 412 is formed at an angle of beta ₃ with respect to the extending direction 414b.
Although the corner portion 412 has been described here, the corner portion 418 is also provided with a connection portion A and has the same configuration as the corner portion 412. Further, no connection portion is provided for the corner portion 416 and the corner portion 417.

  FIG. 16 is an enlarged view showing one seal pattern 520 among the seal patterns 520 formed on the mother substrate, and corresponds to FIG. 10 in the first embodiment. In the figure, the gap 521a in the corner 523a and the gap 521b in the corner 523b have the same configuration. Therefore, only the configuration of the corner portion 523a will be described below, but the corner portion 523b, which is not described, is the same configuration as the configuration of the corner portion 523a.

As shown in the figure, a gap 521a is formed in the corner portion 523a of the seal pattern 520. The gap 521a forms an angle of γ ₃ (γ ₃ is, for example, 30 °) with respect to the extending direction 524a of the sealing material 520a, and at the same time, δ ₃ (δ ₃ is equal to the extending direction 524b of the sealing material 520b. For example, it is formed so as to have an angle of 30 °, and is formed in a wedge shape so that the width gradually decreases from the inside to the outside of the seal pattern 520. It is preferable that the width L13 of the widest portion of the wedge shape is 200 μm or less. In addition, it is more preferable that the width (interval between the end surface 521e and the end surface 521f) L13 of the gap 521a and the width L14 of the narrowest portion are in the range of 5 μm to 50 μm. Note that the viscosity of the sealing material, as in the first embodiment, is preferably 2 × ¹⁰ 6 cps or less, still preferably be in the range of ^{2 × 10 5 cps~1 × 10 6} cps.

  According to the present embodiment, the gap between the sealing materials 520a and 520b formed on the mother substrate is formed by forming the connection portion A so that the width gradually decreases from the inside to the outside of the corner portion 412 of the mask pattern 410. 521a and 521b can also be formed so that the width gradually decreases from the inside to the outside of the corner portions 523a and 523b.

  By forming the gaps 521a and 521b so that the width gradually decreases from the inside to the outside of the corner portions 523a and 523b, the gap between the end surfaces 521e and 521f is outside the corner portions 523a and 523b of the sealing materials 520a and 520b. Therefore, when the color filter side mother substrate and the active matrix side mother substrate are bonded and bonded together, the outer sides of the corner portions 523a and 523b are easily attached. For this reason, the area | region inside the seal pattern 520 can be obstruct | occluded reliably.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Similar to the first embodiment, in the following drawings, the scale is appropriately changed to make each member a recognizable size. In the present embodiment, the shape of the opening portion of the seal mask and the configuration of the corner portion of the seal pattern formed on the mother substrate are different from those of the first embodiment, and thus this point will be mainly described.

  As shown in FIG. 17, an opening 611 is formed in the seal mask 603 as a mask pattern 610. The opening 611 includes an opening 611a having three sides connected in a “U” shape and an opening 611b that is an independent side. The mask pattern 610 has four corners 612, 616, 617, and 618. The opening 611a of the mask pattern 610 has a width of L15 (L15 is 0.2 mm, for example) with respect to the extending direction 614a. The opening 611b has a width of L16 (L16 is 0.2 mm, for example) with respect to the extending direction 614b.

A connection portion A is provided at the corner portion 612. The connection portion A forms an angle α ₄ (α ₄ is 45 °, for example, 45 °) with respect to the extending direction 614a of the opening 611a, and at the same time β ₄ (β _{4 with} respect to the extending direction 614b of the opening 611b. Is provided so as to form an angle of 45 °, for example, and is linearly provided with a constant width L17 (L17 is, for example, about 5 μm to 50 μm). End side 611e of 611a opening to form one side of the connection A at the corner portion 612 is formed at an angle of alpha ₄ with respect to the extending direction 614a. Similarly, the end side 611f of the opening 611b so as to form the other side of the connection A at the corner portion 612 is formed at an angle of beta ₄ with respect to the extending direction 614b. The end side 611e and the end side 611f are opposed to each other with the connection portion A interposed therebetween, and the opposite end side 611e and the end side 611f are parallel to each other.

In addition, the corner portion 612 is shaped so that the corner of the opening 611a is taken, and the outer end side 611g forms an angle of, for example, 45 ° with the outer side 611c of the opening 611a. Is formed. Similarly, the opening 611b is also shaped like a corner, and the outer end side 611h is formed at an angle of, for example, 45 ° with the outer side 611d of the opening 611b. .
Although the corner portion 612 has been described here, the corner portion 618 is also provided with the connection portion A and has the same configuration as the corner portion 612. Further, no connection portion is provided for the corner portion 616 and the corner portion 617. About the corner | angular part by which this connection part is not provided, it is preferable to make it the shape from which the corner | angular shape was taken like the shape of the side by which the connection part is provided.

  FIG. 18 is an enlarged view showing one seal pattern 720 of the seal patterns 720 formed on the mother substrate S, and corresponds to FIG. 10 in the first embodiment. In the figure, the gap 721a in the corner 723a and the gap 721b in the corner 723b have the same configuration. Therefore, only the configuration of the corner portion 723a will be described below, but the same description as that of the corner portion 723a can be made for the corner portion 723b that is not described.

  As shown in the figure, the outside of the corner portion 723a of the seal pattern 720 has a shape with a corner. That is, at the corner portion 723a, a gap 721a is formed between the end surface 721e and the end surface 721fa, and the outer end surface 721h is simultaneously formed so that the outer end surface 721g and the outer surface 720c of the sealing material 720a form an angle of 45 °. The sealing pattern 720 is formed so that the outer surface 720d of the sealing material 720b forms an angle of 45 °.

  Here, for example, as shown in FIG. 19, when the sealing material 760 is formed so that the outer corner of the corner portion 761 is not removed (the broken line portion in the figure), the color filter side mother substrate and the active matrix side mother substrate When sticking together, the corner portion 761 of the sealing material 760 may spread outward. When the corner portion 761 of the sealing material 760 spreads outward, the non-display area (frame area) outside the liquid crystal panel is widened, and the liquid crystal panel becomes large when an attempt is made to secure a display area with a predetermined area.

  On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 20, the shape is such that a corner is removed outside the corner portion 723a (the broken line portion in the figure), so that the color filter side mother substrate And the active matrix side mother substrate are bonded together, the sealing materials 720a and 720b do not have to spread outward. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the frame area of the liquid crystal panel from becoming wide, and it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the liquid crystal panel.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, the sealing material is formed by the screen printing method using the sealing material printing apparatus 101, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a drawing method using a dispenser, a flexographic printing method, etc. Even when the sealing material is formed by the above method, the present invention can be applied.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 21, the connection portion A of the seal mask 103 may be arranged at the diagonal of the mask pattern 110. In this case, as shown in FIG. 22, the gaps 121a and 121b of the seal pattern 120 formed on the mother substrate are also diagonally aligned with the seal pattern 120 so as to correspond to the shape of the seal mask 103 shown in FIG. Will be placed.

  Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 23, in addition to the connection portion A of the seal mask 103, a connection portion B may be provided so as to cross one side of the opening 111. In this case, as shown in FIG. 24, gaps 121a and 121b are formed at the corners 123a and 123b of the seal pattern 120 formed on the mother substrate, and it corresponds to the shape of the seal mask 103 shown in FIG. In addition, a gap 121c is provided across the seal material 120a of the seal pattern 120.

1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a liquid crystal device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the structure of the sealing material printing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows the structure of the seal mask mounted in a sealing material printing apparatus. The figure which expands and shows a part of seal mask. The figure which shows a mode that a sealing material is formed in a mother board | substrate (the 1). The figure which shows a mode that a sealing material is formed in a mother board | substrate (the 2). FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which a sealing material is formed on a mother substrate (No. 3). FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a sealing material is formed on a mother substrate (No. 4). The figure which shows the mode of the mother board | substrate after sealing material formation. The figure which shows the structure of the sealing material formed in the mother board | substrate. The figure which shows a mode that a seal mask is removed from a mother board | substrate (the 1). The figure which shows a mode that a seal mask is removed from a mother board | substrate (the 2). The figure which shows the structure of the seal mask mounted in the seal | sticker printing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the mode of the mother board | substrate after sealing material formation. The figure which shows the structure of the seal mask mounted in the seal | sticker printing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the mode of the mother board | substrate after sealing material formation. The figure which shows the structure of the seal mask mounted in the seal | sticker printing apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the mode of the mother board | substrate after sealing material formation. The figure which showed the mode of the sealing material at the time of bonding a mother board | substrate (the 1). The figure which showed the mode of the sealing material at the time of bonding a mother board | substrate (the 2). The figure which shows another structure of the seal mask mounted in the sealing material printing apparatus which concerns on this invention (the 1). The figure which shows the mode of the mother board | substrate after sealing material formation. The figure which shows another structure of the seal mask mounted in the sealing material printing apparatus which concerns on this invention (the 2). The figure which shows the mode of the mother board | substrate after sealing material formation.

Explanation of symbols

  A: Connection unit 1 ... Liquid crystal device 101 ... Sealing material printing device 110, 210, 410, 610 ... Mask pattern 120, 320, 520, 720 ... Seal pattern

Claims (19)

A method of manufacturing an electro-optical device in which a sealing material is sandwiched between a pair of substrates,
Forming a rectangular annular sealing material on one of the pair of substrates;
And bonding the pair of substrates facing each other,
In the step of forming the sealing material, a gap is provided at some of the four corners of the sealing material,
In the step of bonding the pair of substrates to face each other, the pair of substrates is pressure-bonded until the gap is closed.   The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein in the step of forming the sealing material, the gap is provided linearly.   3. The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein in the step of forming the sealing material, the gap is formed to have a width of 200 μm or less.   4. The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein in the step of forming the sealing material, the gap is formed with a constant width. 5.   4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the step of forming the sealing material, the gap is formed so that the width gradually decreases from the inside to the outside of the corner of the sealing material. A method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to one item.   In the step of forming the sealing material, the gap is formed such that the extending direction of the gap is inclined by about 45 ° with respect to the extending direction of the adjacent sealing material at the partial corners. The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1.   In the step of forming the sealing material, an end portion of the sealing material is formed so as to be inclined at about 45 ° with respect to an outer surface of the rectangular annular region of the sealing material at the some corners. The method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the electro-optical device is a manufacturing method. 8. The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein a viscosity of the sealing material is in a range of 2 × 10 ⁵ cps to 2 × 10 ⁶ cps. .   The method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein in the step of forming the sealing material, the sealing material is formed by a screen printing method.   10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of dropping an electro-optic material inside the rectangular annular sealing material after the step of forming the sealing material. 11. Manufacturing method of electro-optical device.   An electro-optical device manufactured by the method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1. A seal mask for printing a rectangular annular seal pattern on a substrate constituting a liquid crystal panel,
The mask pattern is
Having openings corresponding to the four sides of the seal pattern;
A seal mask, wherein a connection portion is provided at a part of the four corners of the mask pattern corresponding to the four corners of the seal pattern.   The seal mask according to claim 12, wherein the connection portion is provided in a straight line shape.   The seal mask according to claim 12 or 13, wherein a width of the connecting portion is 200 µm or less.   The seal mask according to claim 12, wherein the connection portion is formed with a constant width.   The seal according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the connection portion is formed so that a width gradually decreases from an inner side to an outer side of the some corners. mask.   The connecting portion is formed such that an extending direction of the connecting portion and an extending direction of an opening adjacent to each other at a part of the corners form an angle of about 45 °. The seal mask according to any one of Items 12 to 16.   In a part of the corner of the mask pattern, a region of the opening corresponding to the part of the corner of the seal pattern is formed so as to be inclined by about 45 ° with respect to the extending direction of the opening. The seal mask according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein the seal mask is provided. A sealing material printing apparatus for printing a sealing pattern on a substrate constituting a liquid crystal panel,
A sealing material printing apparatus comprising the seal mask according to any one of claims 12 to 18.

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