JP2007187960A - Film pasting device and method for manufacturing liquid crystal device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a film pasting device which can prevent mixing of air bubbles into a pasting interface of a film-like member such as a polarizing plate, and to provide a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device using the same. <P>SOLUTION: The film pasting device pastes a film including an adhesive on one surface to a substrate, and is equipped with: a film holding part for holding the other surface of the film; a support part for supporting the film holding part; a mounting stand on which the substrate is mounted and which is opposed to the film holding part; and a moving means for moving the mounting stand wherein the film holding part has a projected curved surface along the moving direction of the mounting stand, and is supported by the support part so as to be able to swivel in the direction following up the moving direction of the mounting stand and also to be able to incline in the direction crossing the moving direction of the mounting stand. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a film sticking device and a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device. In particular, the present invention relates to a film sticking apparatus capable of sticking a film without generating defects such as bubbles despite the undulation of the glass substrate surface, and a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device using such a film sticking apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a liquid crystal device is configured by arranging a pair of substrates each provided with an electrode so as to face each other and enclosing a liquid crystal material between the pair of substrates. An image can be displayed by applying a voltage between the opposing electrodes to align the liquid crystal material and allowing light to pass through the liquid crystal material.
Here, a method of attaching a polarizing plate to the outer surface of a substrate is known in order to pass or block only light having a specific deflection angle out of light entering and exiting the liquid crystal material. This polarizing plate is made of a film-like resin mainly composed of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) and the like, and it is easy for air bubbles to be caught at the interface between the substrate and the polarizing plate due to variations in pressing force during the pasting operation. Met. If such bubbles are generated, it may cause a display failure. Therefore, when applying a polarizing plate, it is necessary to press and apply the bubbles so as not to entrain the bubbles with uniform pressure. The

Therefore, there has been proposed a polarizing plate pasting apparatus that can be pasted without causing internal strain or uneven pressing on the polarizing plate. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the polarizing plate 401 has a curved surface with a convex surface to support the polarizing plate 401, and the glue surface 414 is on the outside along the curved surface. The temporarily fixed polarizing plate 401 is brought into contact with the edge of the polarizing plate 401 so that the edge of the polarizing plate 401 coincides with the edge of the liquid crystal cell 403. This is a liquid crystal display element film sticking device provided with a polarizing plate support 402 to be stuck along (see Patent Document 1).
JP-A-7-294902 (Claims, FIG. 1)

  However, the polarizing plate support 402 in the sticking device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to rotate only in the direction in which the substrate moves forward, and there is still a possibility that air bubbles may be caught between the polarizing plate and the substrate. It was. In other words, entrainment of bubbles occurs even when the polarizing plate and the substrate surface are slightly tilted by about 5/100, and is easily caused by the mounting table on which the liquid crystal cell is placed and the undulation of the substrate. It will be. Nevertheless, since the sticking device described in Patent Document 1 can only deal with the inclination in the moving direction of the substrate, for example, the polarizing plate and the substrate cross in the moving direction of the substrate. If it is tilted, the pressing force may vary. Therefore, there has been a problem that bubbles are still easily involved at the interface between the substrate and the polarizing plate.

Therefore, the inventor has made diligent efforts and found that such a problem can be solved by supporting a film holding portion for holding a film such as a polarizing plate so as to freely swing in all directions of 360 degrees. It has been completed.
That is, according to the present invention, by providing a support mechanism for a specific film holding unit, even when the substrate is inclined in all directions due to distortion of the substrate surface, the film is applied to the substrate with a uniform pressing force. An object of the present invention is to provide a film sticking apparatus that can be attached and can prevent entrainment of bubbles at the interface between the substrate and the film, and a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device using the same.

According to the present invention, a film sticking apparatus for sticking a film having an adhesive material on one surface to a substrate, a film holding part for holding the other side of the film, a support part for supporting the film holding part, A mounting table on which the substrate is placed and facing the film holding unit; and a moving means for moving the mounting table, wherein the film holding unit has a convex curved surface shape along the direction in which the mounting table moves, and Provides a film sticking device characterized in that it can be swung in a direction following the moving direction of the mounting table and can be tilted in a direction crossing the moving direction of the mounting table. Can be solved.
That is, the film holding part is supported not only in the moving direction of the substrate but also in the direction crossing the moving direction, so that even when the substrate surface is inclined due to undulation or the like, The holding surface of the film can be made to follow the inclined state of the surface of the substrate. Therefore, since the film can be pressed against the substrate with a uniform pressure as a whole, it is possible to prevent bubbles from being caught in the interface between the substrate and the film.

Moreover, in constituting the film sticking apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the film holding part and the support part are connected by a floating joint or a ball joint.
By comprising in this way, the support structure which a film holding part can incline not only to the moving direction of a board | substrate but to the direction which cross | intersects the moving direction of a board | substrate can be comprised easily.

Moreover, when comprising the film sticking apparatus of this invention, it is preferable to provide the inclination angle prescription | regulation member for keeping the inclination angle at the time of a head swing or inclining not becoming more than a predetermined angle.
By comprising in this way, work efficiency can be improved at the time of the operation | work for hold | maintaining a film with respect to a film holding part, the movement of a film holding part, etc.

Further, in configuring the film sticking apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the film holding portion is made of an antistatic material.
By comprising in this way, charging of a film can be prevented, the fall of sticking work efficiency can be prevented, or the damage by the static electricity of a liquid crystal device can be prevented.

Further, in configuring the film sticking device of the present invention, it is preferable that the film holding portion is made of an elastic material.
By comprising in this way, the pressing force of the film with respect to a board | substrate can be made more uniform.

Moreover, when comprising the film sticking apparatus of this invention, it is preferable that a film holding part consists of a translucent material and the said film holding part is equipped with the light source for confirming the presence or absence of the foreign material to a film.
By comprising in this way, it can be test | inspected easily whether the foreign material is mixed in the film in the step before sticking a film.

Moreover, in configuring the film sticking apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the light source is the same light source as that used in the liquid crystal device in which the substrate is incorporated.
By comprising in this way, it can be test | inspected easily whether the foreign material is mixed in the film in the state actually used for an image display.

Further, in configuring the film sticking device of the present invention, the film can be placed on the holding surface by directing the holding surface of the film holding unit upward at the initial position, and the holding surface is moved downward at the rotational movement position. It is preferable to provide a rotating arm for enabling alignment of the end of the film and the end of the substrate.
By comprising in this way, while being able to hold | maintain a film efficiently with respect to a film holding part, the pressing operation of the film with respect to a board | substrate can be performed efficiently.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device including a step of attaching a film having an adhesive material on one surface to a substrate, the step of holding the other surface of the film in a film holding portion; A step of placing the substrate on the mounting table, a step of aligning the end of the substrate placed on the mounting table, and the end of the film held on the film holding unit, and a step of moving the mounting table. The film holding portion has a convex curved surface shape along the direction in which the mounting table moves, and can be swung in a direction following the moving direction of the mounting table by the support portion that supports the film holding portion. In addition, there is provided a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device, characterized in that the liquid crystal device is supported so as to be tiltable in a direction crossing a moving direction of the mounting table.
In other words, when the substrate surface is inclined in all directions due to waviness of the substrate surface, etc., by applying a film using a film holding portion that can be inclined not only in the moving direction of the substrate but also in a direction crossing the moving direction. Even so, since the holding portion of the film can follow the inclination, the film can be attached to the substrate with a uniform pressing force. Therefore, bubbles are not caught in the interface between the film and the substrate, and a liquid crystal device with less display defects due to such bubbles can be efficiently manufactured.

Moreover, when implementing the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device of this invention, it is preferable that a film is a polarizing plate.
By carrying out in this way, a liquid crystal device with less misalignment of the polarizing plate and mixing of bubbles on the pasting interface can be efficiently manufactured.

  Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments relating to a film sticking device of the present invention and a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device using the film sticking device will be described in detail. However, this embodiment shows one aspect of the present invention and does not limit the present invention, and can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the present invention.

[First Embodiment]
1st Embodiment is a film sticking apparatus which sticks the film which has an adhesive material on one surface to a board | substrate, Comprising: The film holding part which hold | maintains the other surface of a film, The support part which supports a film holding part, A mounting table on which the substrate is placed and facing the film holding unit; and a moving means for moving the mounting table, wherein the film holding unit has a convex curved shape along the direction in which the mounting table moves, and the support unit Thus, the film sticking apparatus is characterized in that it can be swung in a direction following the moving direction of the mounting table and can be tilted in a direction crossing the moving direction of the mounting table.
Hereinafter, the film sticking apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 by taking as an example a case where a deflecting plate as a film is stuck to a liquid crystal panel. In addition, what attached | subjected the same code | symbol in each figure has shown the same member, and description is abbreviate | omitted suitably.

1. Basic Configuration A basic configuration of the film sticking apparatus of the present embodiment will be described. The film sticking apparatus of this embodiment is a film sticking apparatus used when sticking a polarizing plate with respect to the board | substrate which comprises a liquid crystal panel. As shown in FIG. 1, the sticking apparatus includes a mounting table 2 on which a liquid crystal panel 10 including a substrate 13 is mounted, a film holding unit 3 that holds a polarizing plate 11, and a support unit that supports the film holding unit 3. 4 and moving means 5 for moving the mounting table 2.

2. Film Holding Part and Supporting Part The film holding part 3 shown in FIG. 1 is a part for holding the polarizing plate 11 on the surface, and the support part 4 is a part for supporting the film holding part 3.
In the film sticking apparatus 1 of the present invention, the film holding unit 3 has a convex curved surface shape along the direction in which the mounting table 2 moves, and the support unit 4 follows the moving direction of the mounting table 2 (X direction). , And is supported so as to be tiltable in a direction (Y direction) intersecting the moving direction of the mounting table 2. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, the film holding unit 3 rotates and moves, for example, around the connection point with the support unit 4 as the liquid crystal panel 10 moves. It is supported so as to be tiltable in a direction (Y direction) intersecting the direction (X direction). As a result, with respect to the direction following the moving direction of the liquid crystal panel 10 (X direction), the tangent surface (tangent line) sequentially moves with the movement of the liquid crystal panel 10, so that the substrate 13 of the liquid crystal panel 10 is moved. The polarizing plate 11 can be pressed uniformly. Further, in the direction (Y direction) intersecting the moving direction (X direction) of the liquid crystal panel 10, since the film holding unit 3 can be inclined, the substrate 13 is inclined due to distortion or the like. Even if it exists, the said inclination can be tracked and the polarizing plate 11 can be uniformly pressed with respect to the board | substrate 13. FIG.
Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent bubbles from being caught in the interface between the substrate and the polarizing plate due to the distortion of the polarizing plate and the variation in the pressing force.

As such a support mechanism, for example, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, support mechanisms 16 and 17 in which the film holding unit 3 and the support unit 4 are connected by a ball joint or a free joint are used. Can do. By adopting a support mechanism using such a joint structure, the support mechanism can swing in a predetermined direction and can tilt in a direction intersecting the swing direction and in other directions. Can do. Therefore, the film holding part can be accurately followed in accordance with the inclined state of the substrate surface, the pressure applied to the substrate can be made more uniform, and the polarizing plate can be attached. Especially, since it can be set as the swing mechanism excellent also in mechanical strength by setting it as the support mechanism using a ball joint, it is a suitable aspect.
Moreover, as shown in FIG.3 (c), it can also be set as the support mechanism 18 using the two rotation support parts 18a and 18b which each rotate in the direction which cross | intersects 90 degree | times. By using such a support mechanism, a support mechanism that can swing or tilt in a predetermined direction can be easily configured.

Moreover, it is preferable that the support mechanism of a film holding part is provided with the inclination angle prescription | regulation member for preventing the inclination angle at the time of swinging or inclining in a predetermined direction from becoming more than a predetermined angle. The reason for this is to prevent a decrease in work efficiency due to the film holding portion swinging or tilting more than necessary. Therefore, the polarizing plate can be easily held with respect to the film holding unit, and the alignment between the end of the polarizing plate held by the film holding unit and the end of the substrate can be facilitated.
For example, in the case of the support mechanism 18 using the ball joint shown in FIG. 3A, the size of the edge circle portion 16A of the hole into which the ball 4A of the support portion 4 is inserted is defined as the inclination angle defining member. it can. In the case of the support mechanism 17 using the free joint shown in FIG. 3B, for example, a protrusion 17A as an inclination angle defining member is provided on the support part 4 or the like, and the swinging or inclination angle of the film holding part 3 is set. Can be prescribed. Furthermore, in the case of the support mechanism 18 using the rotation support portions 18a and 18b shown in FIG. 3C, the position can be defined using the end portion 18A that defines the rotation range as the inclination angle defining member. Alternatively, any support mechanism may be configured such that the tilt angle can be freely set by providing an electronic control mechanism.

  Moreover, although a film holding | maintenance part can swing or incline in a predetermined direction, it is preferable that it is comprised so that the angle which swings or inclines can be hold | maintained at a desired angle. This is because the work efficiency and alignment accuracy when holding the polarizing plate on the film holding part are improved, or when the held polarizing plate is brought into contact with the liquid crystal panel, the end portions are efficiently connected to each other. This is because they can be brought into contact with each other.

4A and 4B, the film holding unit 3 includes, for example, a suction device 14 as a means for holding the polarizing plate on the holding surface 12, and is formed on the holding surface 12. In addition, the polarizing plate can be adsorbed through the plurality of suction holes 3a so that the polarizing plate 11 is held so as not to be displaced from the set position. More specifically, the suction device 14 is connected to the suction hole 3 a provided on the holding surface of the film holding unit, and holds the polarizing plate 11 placed on the holding surface 12 of the film holding unit 3. can do.
Further, as shown in FIG. 4C, it is preferable that the film holding unit 3 includes a plurality of suction devices 14 and the polarizing plates 11 are held by the plurality of suction devices 14. The reason for this is that not only the size of the polarizing plate makes it easy to align the holding surface, but also the removal from the film holding portion can be performed accurately and easily. It is because it can do. More specifically, a plurality of suction holes 3 b are provided on the holding surface 12 of the film holding unit 3, and suction devices 14 a and 14 b are connected to correspond to different areas, and placed on the holding surface 12 of the film holding unit 3. The polarizing plate 11 can be held. Then, the polarizing plate 11 can be easily detached from the holding surface 12 by stopping any of the suction devices as the mounting table 2 moves. At this time, by adjusting the density of the suction holes according to the suction device to be connected, for example, the suction force at the start of application and the end of application is made different to adjust the detachability from the film holding unit. be able to.
4B and 4C are a plan view of the film holding unit 3 viewed from the holding surface 12 side, and a cross-sectional view of the AA cross section and the BB cross section viewed in the arrow direction.

  On the other hand, although not shown, the polarizing plate can be configured to be adhesively held by disposing an adhesive material having a relatively low adhesive force on the holding surface of the film holding portion. However, since the adhesive material may adhere to the substrate depending on the temperature of the film holding unit and the substrate, the humidity of the surrounding environment, or the like, the configuration including the above-described vacuum suction device is preferable.

Moreover, it is preferable that the film holding part is comprised using the antistatic material. This is because, even when the polarizing plate or the like is charged with static electricity, the static electricity is quickly removed to prevent the polarizing plate from being distorted or the liquid crystal panel from being damaged by the static electricity.
As such an antistatic material, a metal material such as aluminum, stainless steel, or iron, or a material obtained by mixing a conductive material in a resin can be used. In particular, it is preferable to use iron because it is excellent in strength, can discharge static electricity quickly, and is relatively excellent in workability.

Moreover, it is preferable that the film holding | maintenance part is comprised using the elastic material. The reason for this is that when the film is pressed against the substrate, the approximate tilt of the substrate can be followed by a support mechanism that swings or tilts in a predetermined direction, while the elastic member has more detailed irregularities. It is because it can be made to follow by elastic force. Therefore, the film can be pressed against the substrate with a more uniform pressing force. Further, if the holding surface is a hard material, scratches or the like may adhere to the polarizing plate.
Therefore, in consideration of the above-described antistatic properties, it is preferable to use a conductive rubber for the holding surface of the film holding portion and a metal material such as iron for the other portions.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, it is preferable that the film holding part 3 consists of a translucent material, and the film holding part 3 is equipped with the light source 19 for confirming the presence or absence of the foreign material to a polarizing plate. This is because the presence or absence of foreign matter can be easily confirmed by irradiating light from the back side of the polarizing plate before being attached to the liquid crystal panel.

More specifically, in the past, even when foreign matter has been mixed in the polarizing plate, it is difficult to find out, and when the polarizing plate is held on the film holding portion, the surface exposed to the surface It has an adhesive material on the side and a protective sheet on the other surface side (side in contact with the film holding part) and is a foreign material mixed in the protective sheet or a foreign material mixed in the polarizing plate. It was difficult to judge. Therefore, conventionally, after the polarizing plate is attached to the liquid crystal panel and incorporated in the liquid crystal device together with the display light source, the contamination of the polarizing plate cannot be found unless the display light source is turned on. However, since the work of peeling the polarizing plate again is necessary, the repairability is poor and inefficient.
Therefore, in this embodiment, if the light source 19 is turned on at the stage where the polarizing plate is held by the film holding unit 3 by providing the film holding unit 3 used in the film sticking apparatus 1 with the predetermined light source 19, the liquid crystal It is possible to confirm the presence or absence of foreign matter in the stage before being attached to the panel. Therefore, in the unlikely event that foreign matter is found to be mixed in, it is possible to efficiently proceed without replacing the liquid crystal panel by interrupting the polarizing plate attaching operation and replacing the polarizing plate.

Moreover, it is preferable that the light source with which a film holding part is equipped is the same kind of light source as the light source used for a liquid crystal device. This is because by using such a light source, it is possible to easily find a foreign object that was originally discovered in the display state. In other words, when the type of light source is different, even if it is a foreign object that can be found after being attached to the liquid crystal device, it may not be found at the stage of holding it in the film holding part due to the difference in color tone. is there.
Therefore, it is possible to provide a certainty to the detection of a foreign substance that affects the display and replace it quickly.

  The film holding part and the support part are preferably configured to be pressed against the liquid crystal panel by an air cylinder or the like. This is because it is possible to realize a uniform pressing force rather than manually determining the pressing force.

3. Placement Table and Moving Means The placement table 2 shown in FIG. 1 is a part for mounting the liquid crystal panel 10 on which the film is to be attached and fixing the liquid crystal panel 10 so as not to move on the placement table 2. It is. The mounting table 2 is configured to face the film holding unit 3 at the rotational position of the film holding unit 3. Moreover, the film sticking apparatus 1 of this embodiment is provided with the moving means 5 of the mounting table 2 as a means to move the liquid crystal panel 10.
For example, it can be configured to include a suction device that sucks and fixes the liquid crystal panel from the back side through a plurality of suction holes provided on the mounting surface of the mounting table. It can also be set as the structure which has arrange | positioned the adhesive material with low adhesive force. However, in order to prevent the adhesive material from adhering to the liquid crystal panel in the same manner as the holding surface of the film holding unit described above, it is preferable to have a configuration including a suction device.

Moreover, the moving means 5 of the mounting table 2 can be comprised from the slide guide 6 which enabled the mounting table 2 to move horizontally, as shown in FIG. The horizontal movement of the mounting table 2 is performed by, for example, a driving device 7 using a motor as a driving source. A plurality of positioning reference pins 8 for positioning the liquid crystal panel 10 are provided on the top surface of the mounting table 2.
In the present embodiment, the film sticking device configured to move the mounting table is described. However, the film holding unit may be configured to move conversely. What is necessary is just to be comprised so that a mounting base may move relatively.

4). Rotating arm Further, as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7B, the film sticking device of the present embodiment is arranged on the holding surface 12 by directing the holding surface 12 of the film holding unit 3 upward at the initial position. The polarizing plate 11 can be placed, and the end of the polarizing plate 11 and the end of the substrate 13 in the liquid crystal panel 10 can be aligned by turning the holding surface 12 downward in the rotational movement position. A rotating arm 9 is further provided. That is, when holding the polarizing plate on the holding surface, work efficiency decreases if the holding surface faces downward, so that the holding surface is turned upward and the polarizing plate is attached to the liquid crystal panel. Since it is more efficient that the holding surface of the polarizing plate in the film holding portion is positioned below, the film holding portion can be rotated.

  Here, it is preferable that the film holding unit is held at a rotational movement position of the rotary arm so that the holding surface of the polarizing plate faces downward and forms a predetermined angle with respect to the substrate surface of the liquid crystal panel. This is because, when the polarizing plate is attached, the end of the attaching surface of the liquid crystal panel facing upward and the end of the polarizing plate can be easily aligned.

As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7B, an elastic member 52 is attached to a part of the rotating arm 9, and a predetermined tension is applied by the elastic member 52 at the initial position of the rotating arm 9. In the added state, it is preferable that the predetermined tension is lowered by the elastic member 52 at the rotational movement position of the rotary arm 9. For example, as shown to Fig.7 (a), while attaching the grip 51 to the one end side of the rotation arm 9, the spring 52 as an elastic member can be attached to the other end side.
The reason for this is that with this configuration, fatigue can be reduced even when the sticking device is operated manually or repeatedly. More specifically, this makes it possible to operate the rotation of the rotary arm 9 and the expansion and contraction of the spring 52 in conjunction with each other. That is, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the rotary arm 9 is rotated in a predetermined direction (M), the spring 52 attached to the rotary arm 9 contracts and the spring 52 rotates the rotary arm 9. The force which supplements this arises and the rotation arm 9 can be rotated easily.
Further, even when the rotating arm 9 is rotated to a predetermined position and returned to the initial state shown in FIG. 7A, the rotating arm 9 can be easily moved using the contraction force of the spring 52. Can be rotated and returned to.

5). Operation Next, an example of the operation of the film sticking apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 7 will be described.
This operation is performed by aligning the held polarizing plate 11 on the liquid crystal panel 10 by holding the polarizing plate on the film holding unit 3 (step 1) and rotating the rotary arm 9 in a predetermined direction. It comprises a step of contacting (step 2) and a step of attaching the polarizing plate 11 to the liquid crystal panel 10 by moving the liquid crystal panel 10 while pressing the film holding unit 3 (step 3).

  In step 1, as shown in FIG. 7A, the polarizing plate 11 is placed on the holding surface 12 of the film holding unit 3 with the rotating arm 51 maintained so that the holding surface 12 of the film holding unit 3 faces up. Place. Then, the polarizing plate 11 is held by the film holding unit 3 by operating the suction device 14 connected to the film holding unit 3.

  Next, in step 2, as shown in FIG. 7B, the rotating arm 9 is rotated to bring the end of the polarizing plate 11 into contact with the end of the liquid crystal panel 10. At this time, the end of the polarizing plate 11 and the end of the liquid crystal panel 10 are easily aligned by inclining the holding surface 12 of the film holding unit 3 to a predetermined degree with respect to the attaching surface of the liquid crystal panel 10. Can be made.

Next, in step 3, as shown in FIG. 8A, a mounting table on which the liquid crystal panel 10 is mounted in a state where the film holding unit 3 is pressed by the cylinder 53 and the polarizing plate 11 is pressed against the liquid crystal panel 10. The liquid crystal panel 10 is moved by moving 2. Thereby, a polarizing plate can be stuck to a liquid crystal panel.
At this time, if it is the film sticking device of the present embodiment, the film holding unit has a convex curved surface shape along the direction in which the mounting table moves, and can swing in the direction following the moving direction. As a result, the film holding portion rotates and moves with the movement of the mounting table. In addition, since the film holding portion can be tilted with respect to the direction intersecting the moving direction of the mounting table, it is possible to follow the tilting of the mounting table and the liquid crystal panel surface due to undulations. Therefore, the polarizing plate can be pressed against the liquid crystal panel with a uniform pressure. Therefore, it is possible to prevent bubbles from being caught in the interface between the polarizing plate and the glass substrate of the liquid crystal panel.

  Next, in step 4, as shown in FIG. 8B, the rotating arm 9 is rotated in the reverse direction by operating the grip 51 and the like to return to the initial state. In addition, since the expansion / contraction force of the spring 52 is generated in the moving direction of the rotating arm 9 when the rotating arm 9 is returned, this operation can be easily performed.

As described above, according to the film sticking apparatus of the present invention, since the film holding unit having the predetermined support mechanism is provided, it is possible to prevent bubbles from being caught in the interface between the substrate and the polarizing plate. . Therefore, it is possible to efficiently manufacture a liquid crystal device in which display defects due to the bubbles are reduced.
In addition, the film sticking apparatus of the present invention can easily check whether or not foreign matter is mixed in the film before the sticking to the substrate by providing the film holding unit with a predetermined light source. It is possible to realize a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device that is excellent in performance and improves work efficiency.

[Second Embodiment]
2nd Embodiment of this invention is a manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device using the film sticking apparatus of 1st Embodiment.
The method for producing a liquid crystal device of the present embodiment is a method for producing a liquid crystal device including a step of attaching a polarizing plate having an adhesive material on one surface to a substrate,
A step of holding the other surface of the polarizing plate in the film holding unit;
A process of placing the liquid crystal panel on the mounting table;
Aligning the end of the liquid crystal panel placed on the stage and the end of the polarizing plate held in the film holding part;
A step of moving the mounting table,
The film holding unit has a convex curved surface shape along the direction in which the mounting table moves, and can be swung in a direction following the moving direction of the mounting table by the support unit that supports the film holding unit. It is supported so that it can incline in the direction which intersects the moving direction.
Hereinafter, as an example of a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device having an active matrix structure including TFT elements will be described. However, it goes without saying that the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device according to the present invention is not limited to the manufacture of a liquid crystal device having a TFT element, but a liquid crystal device having a TFD element, a liquid crystal device having a passive matrix structure, and the like. It can be applied when manufacturing various liquid crystal devices.

1. Formation of liquid crystal panel (1) Formation of element substrate and counter substrate First, a liquid crystal panel including an element substrate and a color filter substrate as a counter substrate is manufactured.
An element substrate constituting such a liquid crystal panel forms TFT elements, scanning lines and data lines of a predetermined pattern, external connection terminals, and the like by laminating various members on a glass substrate or the like as a substrate of the element substrate. . Next, after laminating a transparent conductive film such as ITO by sputtering or the like, pixel electrodes are formed in a matrix in the display region by photolithography and etching. Further, an alignment film made of polyimide is formed on the substrate surface on which the pixel electrode is formed. In this way, an element substrate on which various resin films and conductive films are formed is manufactured.

  Next, a colored layer and a light-shielding film are formed by laminating various members on a glass substrate or the like as a base constituting a color filter substrate as a counter substrate. Next, after laminating a transparent conductive film such as ITO by sputtering or the like, a counter electrode is formed over the entire display region by photolithography and etching. Further, an alignment film made of polyimide is formed on the substrate surface on which the counter electrode is formed. In this way, a color filter substrate on which various resin films and conductive films are formed is manufactured.

(2) Scattering of spacers Next, a spacer for defining the size of the space between the substrates when the substrates are bonded is sprayed on either the element substrate or the color filter substrate.
Spacers can be sprayed by using a dry spray method that uses static electricity or dispersing by airflow, or by dispersing the spacers in a low-boiling organic solvent such as chlorofluorocarbon or alcohol using ultrasonic waves. There is a wet spraying method in which the organic solvent is blown off after spraying, and any method may be used.
However, the conditions for spraying are required to be uniform over the entire substrate, to control the number per predetermined unit area, and not to be a lump. In the case of the wet spraying method, there are restrictions on the electrostatic charge and the types of organic solvents such as chlorofluorocarbon and alcohol that can be used. Therefore, it is more preferable to disperse the spacers by a dry spray method.

(3) Bonding and injection of liquid crystal material Next, the color filter substrate and the element substrate are bonded to each other through a sealing material to form a cell structure, and a liquid crystal material is injected into the cell structure, and then a sealing material. By sealing with the like, a liquid crystal panel as shown in FIG. 9 can be formed.
Note that the arrangement method of the liquid crystal material is not limited to the injection method after bonding the substrates as described above, and after applying a frame-shaped sealing material to one or both of the element substrate and the color filter substrate, the sealing is performed. A so-called sealing-less method may be employed in which a liquid crystal material is dropped in correspondence with a region partitioned by a material, and then a substrate is bonded.

2. Next, as shown in FIG. 7A, the liquid crystal panel 10 is placed on the mounting table 2 of the film sticking apparatus 1 and sucked and fixed by a suction device (not shown). At this time, for example, the element substrate is placed on the upper side.
On the other hand, the polarizing plate 11 is placed on the film holding unit 3 with the holding surface 12 facing upward, and is sucked and fixed by the suction device 14. At this time, the adhesive surface of the polarizing plate with the liquid crystal panel has an adhesive material, and the surface opposite to the surface having the adhesive material is held by the film holding portion. If the film holder is provided with a predetermined light source, the surroundings are darkened at this time and the light source is turned on to check whether foreign matters such as dust are mixed in the polarizing plate. When contamination of foreign matter is confirmed, the use of the polarizing plate is stopped and replaced with a new polarizing plate.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the rotating arm 9 is rotated to bring the end of the polarizing plate 11 and the end of the liquid crystal panel 10 into contact with each other while aligning them. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8A, the film holding unit 3 is pressed, and the mounting table 2 is moved horizontally while pressing the polarizing plate 11 against the liquid crystal panel 10, whereby the polarizing plate 11 is moved to the element substrate. Affix to the outside.
At this time, the film holding unit of the film sticking apparatus used in the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device of the present embodiment has a convex curved surface shape along the direction in which the mounting table moves, and the support unit that supports the film holding unit, The head can be swung in a direction following the moving direction of the mounting table, and can be tilted in a direction crossing the moving direction of the mounting table. Therefore, the film holder rotates and moves with the movement of the mounting table, and can also follow the inclination of the substrate surface in the direction intersecting the moving direction of the mounting table. It can be applied while pressing. Therefore, it is possible to attach the polarizing plate without involving bubbles in the interface between the element substrate and the polarizing plate.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, the rotary arm 9 is returned to the initial position. After that, the liquid crystal panel is placed upside down, that is, the color filter substrate is placed on the upper side, and the same operation as described above is repeated to attach the polarizing plate to the outer surface side of the color filter substrate. .

3. Assembling process, etc. Finally, an electronic component such as a driver is mounted on the liquid crystal panel, and the liquid crystal device can be manufactured by incorporating it in a casing together with a light source and the like.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, when sticking the film represented by the polarizing plate with respect to a board | substrate, the film sticking apparatus which can prevent mixing of the bubble to an interface, and the manufacturing method of a liquid crystal device using the same are provided. it can.
Therefore, liquid crystal devices and the like, electro-optical devices and electronic devices to which optical films are attached, such as mobile phones and personal computers, liquid crystal televisions, viewfinder type / monitor direct view type video tape recorders, car Navigation devices, pagers, electrophoresis devices, electronic notebooks, calculators, word processors, workstations, video phones, POS terminals, electronic devices with touch panels, devices with electron-emitting devices (FED: Field Emission Display and SCEED: Surface- It can be widely applied to Conduction Electron-Emitter Display).

1 is an overall schematic diagram of a sticking device according to the present invention. It is a figure provided in order to demonstrate the swing and inclination operation | movement of the film holding part in this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the support mechanism of the film holding part in this invention. It is a figure which shows the film holding part provided with the suction device. It is a figure which shows the film holding part provided with the light source. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a moving means. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the film sticking apparatus provided with the rotation arm. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the film sticking apparatus provided with the rotation arm. It is a schematic perspective view of a liquid crystal panel. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conventional sticking apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

1: sticking device, 2: mounting table, 3: film holding part, 3a: suction hole, 4: support part, 5: moving means, 6: slide guide, 7: driving device, 8: reference pin, 9: rotating arm 10: liquid crystal panel, 11: film-like member (polarizing plate), 12: holding surface, 13: substrate, 14: suction device, 15: contact surface, 16, 17, 18: support mechanism, 19: light source, 30: First substrate 51: Grip 52: Elastic member (spring) 60: Second substrate

Claims (10)

A film sticking device for sticking a film having an adhesive material on one surface to a substrate,
A film holding section for holding the other surface of the film;
A support part for supporting the film holding part;
A mounting table on which the substrate is mounted and facing the holding unit;
A moving means for moving the mounting table,
The film holding portion has a convex curved surface shape along a direction in which the mounting table moves, and the support portion can swing in a direction following the moving direction of the mounting table, and the movement of the mounting table A film sticking device, wherein the film sticking device is supported so as to be tiltable in a direction crossing the direction.   2. The film sticking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the film holding part and the support part are connected by a floating joint or a ball joint.   The film sticking apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an inclination angle defining member for preventing an inclination angle when the head swings or inclines from becoming a predetermined angle or more.   The film sticking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the film holding portion is made of an antistatic material.   The film sticking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the film holding portion is made of an elastic material.   The film sticking unit according to claim 1, wherein the film holding unit is made of a translucent material, and the film holding unit includes a light source for confirming whether or not foreign matter is mixed into the film. apparatus.   7. The film sticking apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the light source is the same light source as that used in a liquid crystal device in which the substrate is incorporated.   The film can be placed on the holding surface by directing the holding surface of the film holding unit upward at the initial position, and the end of the film by directing the holding surface downward at the rotational movement position. The sticking device according to claim 1, further comprising a rotating arm that enables alignment with an end of the substrate. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device comprising a step of attaching a film having an adhesive material on one surface to a substrate,
A step of holding the other side of the film in the film holding unit;
A step of mounting the substrate on a mounting table;
The step of aligning the end of the substrate placed on the mounting table and the end of the film held by the film holding unit;
A step of moving the mounting table,
The film holding portion has a convex curved surface shape along the direction in which the mounting table moves, and can swing in a direction following the moving direction of the mounting table by a support portion that supports the film holding portion. And a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device, wherein the liquid crystal device is supported so as to be tiltable in a direction crossing the moving direction of the mounting table.   The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device according to claim 9, wherein the film is a polarizing plate.

Images