JP2008216835A - Manufacturing method of thin substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method of a thin substrate by which a substrate, such as a liquid crystal panel is easily made thin, without making breakage and bending of a glass substrate generated. <P>SOLUTION: The manufacturing method of the thin substrate has a glass substrate patterning step P4 for selectively thinly forming a panel region to be a flat region of a light-transmitting substrate, a substrate element forming step P8 for forming a substrate element on at least one surface in the thinly formed panel region and outer edge region removing steps P22 and P25 for removing an outer edge region that is a part, except the panel region of the light transmissive substrate after the substrate element forming step P8. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a thin substrate manufacturing method for manufacturing a thin substrate having a pattern such as a conductive film using a light-transmitting substrate.

Currently, in various electronic devices such as a mobile phone and a portable information terminal, for example, a liquid crystal device or an EL (EL display) is used as a display unit for visually displaying various information related to the electronic device.
Electro-optical devices such as electro luminessence devices are widely used. These electro-optical devices may be provided with an input device such as a touch panel. In these electro-optical devices and input devices, a panel formed by forming various elements such as a transparent conductive film and a metal film on a translucent substrate, for example, a glass substrate is generally used.

The electro-optical device and the input device are required to be thin. For this thinning, it is effective to form the glass substrate thin. By forming the glass substrate thin in this manner, the entire thickness of the electro-optical device and the input device configured using the glass substrate can be reduced.

Examples of operations for manufacturing a panel used for an electro-optical device include an operation for forming a conductive pattern on the surface of a glass substrate, an operation for bonding glass substrates together, and the like. There is work to do. If these operations are performed on a thin glass substrate, the glass substrate may be damaged or bend and bend due to its own weight. In particular, when using a so-called multi-cavity method in which a large number of glass substrates are used to form a plurality of panels at once, there is a high possibility that the glass substrate will be damaged or bent, making the operation difficult. Become. For this reason, in order to manufacture a panel using a thin glass substrate, it is necessary to take measures such as reinforcing the glass so that it is not damaged or bent during the operation.

As a method of manufacturing a panel using a glass substrate, conventionally, after bonding a pair of glass substrates having an area corresponding to a plurality of liquid crystal panels constituting a liquid crystal device using a sealing material, at least one of the glass substrates A method is known in which the surface is removed by etching to thin the glass (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this method, the glass of the portion corresponding to the inside of the sealing material in each liquid crystal panel is removed, and a thick glass portion is left in the peripheral portion including the sealing material.

JP-A-5-249423 (page 4, FIG. 1)

The manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device disclosed in Patent Document 1 reduces the deviation of the path of reflected light generated due to the light being refracted in the glass by thinning the glass substrate that contributes to the display. The purpose is to obtain a clear display. Further, by leaving a thick glass portion at the peripheral portion of each manufactured liquid crystal device, there is an effect that the strength of the glass substrate can be secured even if the glass substrate is formed thin. However, since a thick glass portion remains in the peripheral portion of the glass substrate, it is difficult to form a thin electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device using the glass substrate. Moreover, in the manufacturing method of patent document 1,
Since the thin part of the glass substrate is formed in a state in which the pair of glass substrates are bonded together, when a panel substrate is formed using one glass substrate, for example, when a touch panel or the like is formed, manufacturing of Patent Document 1 It is difficult to apply the method.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a method for manufacturing a thin substrate that easily forms a thin substrate such as a liquid crystal panel without causing breakage or bending of glass. For the purpose.

A method for manufacturing a thin substrate according to the present invention includes a panel region forming step of selectively thinning a panel region, which is a planar region of a translucent substrate, and at least one surface of the thinly formed panel region. A substrate element forming step of forming one substrate element; and an outer edge region removing step of removing an outer edge region which is a region other than the panel region of the translucent substrate after the substrate element forming step. It is characterized by. In this specification, a substrate element refers to various elements formed on a light-transmitting substrate, such as a conductive film and an insulating film stacked on the light-transmitting substrate.

In the above thin substrate manufacturing method, in the state where the panel region forming step is completed, only the panel region of the light-transmitting substrate is selectively formed thin, and the thickness is outside the panel region, that is, at the outer edge of the panel region. A thick outer edge region is left behind. If the substrate element forming process is performed in this state, the strength against bending of the substrate can be secured by the thick outer edge region, so that the transparent substrate is damaged when the substrate element is formed in the thin panel region. Or the light-transmitting substrate can be prevented from being bent and bent. Further, the thick outer edge region is removed in the outer edge region removing step after the substrate element forming step. As a result, a thin substrate in which substrate elements are formed on a thin translucent substrate can be manufactured without causing damage or bending.

Next, in the method for manufacturing a thin substrate according to the present invention, the panel region forming step includes a step of forming a resist in the outer edge region of the translucent substrate, and removing the panel region by a predetermined thickness by an etching process. It is desirable to have a step and a step of removing the resist. An embodiment of the present invention is a method of reducing the thickness of the panel region by selectively removing a part of the light-transmitting substrate by a so-called photoetching process, which is a combination of a photolithography process and an etching process. The photo-etching process is a technique generally used when forming a substrate element on a light-transmitting substrate, so that it can be easily processed by an existing manufacturing apparatus. In addition, the thickness of the light-transmitting substrate can be easily adjusted by selecting the etching conditions such as the type of etching solution and the processing time.

Next, the method for manufacturing a thin substrate according to the present invention further includes a reinforcing layer forming step of forming a reinforcing layer on both surfaces of the translucent substrate between the panel region forming step and the substrate element forming step. Is desirable. This reinforced layer has a strength against the load on the translucent substrate (load resistance) such as the strength of the translucent substrate, for example, the surface pressing strength, and the strength against cracks and scratches (impact resistance).
It is a layer that can improve. By forming this reinforced layer on the translucent substrate, the translucent substrate is prevented from being damaged or bent even if the panel region of the translucent substrate is thinly formed in the panel region forming process. it can. Therefore, the thickness of the translucent substrate after removing the outer edge region can be further reduced.

The reinforcing layer forming step is performed after the panel region forming step and before the substrate element forming step. If the reinforcing layer forming step is performed before the panel region forming step, the reinforcing layer on the substrate surface may also be removed by a process of removing a part of the light transmitting substrate such as an etching process. is there. On the other hand, in the aspect of the present invention, by forming the reinforcing layer after the panel region forming step, the translucent substrate can be surely strengthened without removing the reinforcing layer. Further, by performing the substrate element forming step after the reinforcing layer forming step, it is possible to more reliably prevent the translucent substrate from being damaged or bent in the substrate element forming step.

Next, in the method for manufacturing a thin substrate in which the reinforcing layers are formed on both surfaces of the substrate, the translucent substrate is formed using alkali glass, and the reinforcing layer is formed by a chemical strengthening process in the reinforcing layer forming step. It is desirable. Alkali glass is glass generally used for liquid crystal panels, touch panels, and the like as a glass substrate. In order to form a strengthening layer on this alkali glass, chemical strengthening treatment, so-called ion exchange treatment is performed. The ion exchange treatment is a treatment for replacing alkali ions (for example, sodium ions) having a small ion radius on the surface of the alkali glass substrate with alkali ions (for example, potassium ions) having a large ion radius.

This ion exchange treatment can be performed, for example, by treating a glass substrate containing sodium ions with a molten salt containing potassium ions. By performing such ion exchange treatment, a reinforcing layer having a predetermined thickness (depth) is formed on the surface of the glass substrate. This reinforcing layer is a so-called compressive stress layer. Thus, if a translucent board | substrate is formed using alkali glass, a reinforcement layer can be easily formed by a chemical strengthening process. The composition of the reinforcing layer formed in this way is slightly different from the composition before the ion exchange treatment, but the composition of the substrate in the portion deeper than the reinforcement layer is substantially the same as the composition before the ion exchange treatment.

Next, in the method for manufacturing a thin substrate according to the present invention, in the panel region forming step, a plurality of the panel regions can be formed side by side in a plane of the light transmitting substrate. The aspect of the present invention can be suitably applied to a manufacturing method using a so-called multi-cavity method in which a plurality of panels are formed from a single substrate having a large area. In the case of using such a large-area substrate, conventionally, it has been difficult to use a thin light-transmitting substrate because warpage or bending of the light-transmitting substrate due to its own weight tends to increase. In the aspect of the present invention, only the panel region is formed thin in the panel region forming step, and the thickness of the outer edge region other than the panel region is increased. Thereby, in the manufacturing process of a board | substrate, the intensity | strength with respect to the bending of a translucent board | substrate is securable by the thick outer edge area | region. Further, since the outer edge region is removed in the outer edge region removing step, the completed panel is formed thin.

Next, in the method for manufacturing a thin substrate according to the present invention, in the outer edge region removing step, it is desirable to remove a portion other than the panel region from the translucent substrate by cutting. In this way, the outer edge region can be easily removed. In the outer edge region removing step, it is desirable to cut a portion other than the panel region using a laser. Generally, when a glass substrate is cut, scribing (that is, scoring) is performed by a glass scriber, and then breaks (that is, chipping) into individual panels.

However, in the thin substrate manufacturing method of the present invention, since the light-transmitting substrate is cut across the thin portion (panel region) and the thick portion (outer edge region), for example, the scriber scribes at the step between the thick portion and the thin portion. It is conceivable that a portion that cannot be processed occurs. In the case of cutting a translucent substrate on which a reinforcing layer is formed, the substrate surface may not be scribed cleanly if a scriber is used. For example, cracks may occur on the substrate surface along the scribed lines, and the substrate cut surface after the break may be uneven or damaged. In the aspect of the present invention, since the laser is used for cutting, the substrate can be cut regardless of the difference in thickness of the light-transmitting substrate. Further, even when the translucent substrate on which the reinforcing layer is formed is cut, the cut surface is not damaged.

Next, in the method for manufacturing a thin substrate according to the present invention, the substrate element forming step includes a step of forming at least one first conductive pattern on one surface of the translucent substrate, and a step of forming the translucent substrate. Forming at least one second conductive pattern on the other surface. As a method for forming a conductive pattern on both surfaces of a light-transmitting substrate in this manner, there is, for example, a capacitive input device, a so-called touch panel. As the first conductive pattern,
For example, there are a light-transmitting electrode and a terminal formed on one surface of the light-transmitting substrate. On the other hand, as the second conductive pattern, for example, translucent electrodes, terminals formed on the other surface of the translucent substrate,
There are wiring etc.

An electrostatic capacity type touch panel has a capacitance formed between an electrode as a first conductive pattern provided on one surface of a substrate and an electrode as a second conductive pattern provided on the other surface of the substrate. The position is detected based on the change of. In this capacitive touch panel, an input means (for example, a finger or a pen) touches a conductive film provided on one surface of the substrate, or the input means approaches the conductive film, thereby bringing one surface of the substrate into contact. The lines of electric force between the conductive film provided on the substrate and the conductive film provided on the other surface of the substrate are absorbed by the input means, and the capacitance is reduced. An input position can be detected by detecting a change in current due to the decrease in capacitance using, for example, a position detection unit.

Also in the aspect of the present invention, in the state where the panel region forming step is completed, only the panel region is selectively formed thin, and the outer edge region with a thick thickness is left outside the panel region, that is, the outer edge of the panel region. Therefore, the strength against bending of the translucent substrate can be secured, and as a result,
It is possible to prevent the light-transmitting substrate from being damaged or the light-transmitting substrate from being bent and bent during the substrate element forming step. Further, since the thick outer edge region is removed in the outer edge region removing step after the substrate element forming step, the thin substrate on which the substrate element is formed can be manufactured without causing damage or bending. Therefore, the touch panel, which is a thin substrate according to the present invention, can also be formed thin without causing damage or bending.

Next, in the method for manufacturing a thin substrate according to the present invention, the substrate element forming step includes a step of forming at least one first conductive pattern on one surface of the translucent substrate, and the first conductive pattern. The method may include a step of forming an insulating film to cover and a step of forming a plurality of second conductive patterns on the insulating film. Thus, a capacitive touch panel can be formed by forming the first conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern on one surface of the substrate with the insulating film interposed therebetween. The principle of this touch panel is the same as that in which conductive patterns are formed on both surfaces of the substrate described above. Also in the aspect of the present invention, since the substrate can be formed thin without causing damage or bending, the touch panel that is a thin substrate can be formed thin.

Next, in the method for manufacturing a thin substrate according to the present invention, the thin substrate can be formed as a first substrate of a liquid crystal panel composed of two substrates facing each other. In this case, the substrate element forming step may include a step of forming a plurality of first conductive patterns on one surface of the translucent substrate and a step of forming an alignment film on the first conductive pattern. desirable. This first substrate is one of the transmissive simple matrix liquid crystal panels. Also in the aspect of the present invention, by forming the substrate element after forming the panel region thin, and then removing the outer edge region, the first substrate can be formed thin without causing damage or bending.

The thin substrate can be formed as a second substrate of a liquid crystal panel composed of two substrates facing each other. In this case, the substrate element forming step includes a step of forming a plurality of colored films adjacent to one surface of the translucent substrate, and a step of forming a light shielding film between the adjacent colored films. Forming a resin film covering the colored film and the light shielding film, forming a plurality of second conductive patterns on the resin film so as to overlap the colored film in plane, and on the resin film, Forming a spacer at a position overlapping the light-shielding film in a plane, and the second
It is desirable to include a step of forming an alignment film covering the conductive pattern and the spacer.
This second substrate is a so-called second substrate which is a substrate facing the first substrate. Also in the aspect of the present invention, the substrate element is formed after the panel region is formed thin, and then the outer substrate is removed, whereby the second substrate can be formed thin without causing damage or bending.

Further, after the substrate element forming step of the first substrate and the substrate element forming step of the second substrate, the surfaces on which the substrate elements are formed are opposed to each other with the first substrate and the second substrate. It is desirable to further include a step of bonding and a step of forming a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate bonded to each other. In this way, the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded together,
A liquid crystal panel is formed by injecting liquid crystal between the first substrate and the second substrate to form a liquid crystal layer.

As described above, by applying the method for manufacturing a thin substrate of the present invention, the first substrate and the second substrate of the liquid crystal panel can be formed thin without causing damage or bending. Therefore, the liquid crystal panel according to the embodiment of the present invention formed by bonding the first substrate and the second substrate can be thinly formed without causing damage or bending.

(First Embodiment of Manufacturing Method of Thin Substrate)
Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the board concerning the present invention is explained based on one embodiment. In this embodiment, a case where the present invention is applied to a transmission type simple matrix type liquid crystal device using STN (Super Twisted Nematic) liquid crystal is illustrated. In addition, embodiment described below is an example of this invention, Comprising: This invention is not limited. In the following description, reference will be made to the drawings as necessary. In this drawing, in order to clearly show important constituent elements among the structure composed of a plurality of constituent elements, the relative dimensions different from actual ones are shown. Is shown.

First, a liquid crystal device manufactured using the substrate manufacturing method of the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 5 shows an STN transmissive liquid crystal device 1 capable of color display by a simple matrix method. In the structure shown in this figure, in order to show a plurality of components included in the structure in an easily understandable manner, these components are drawn with a size ratio different from the actual size ratio.

In FIG. 5, the liquid crystal device 1 of the present embodiment includes a liquid crystal panel 2, a driving IC 3 that is a semiconductor element mounted on the liquid crystal panel 2, and an illumination device 4. In this liquid crystal device, the side on which the arrow A is drawn is the observation side.

The illuminating device 4 includes an LED (Light Emitting Diode) 6 serving as a light source, and a light guide 7 that converts dot-like light emitted from the LED 6 into a planar shape. A plurality of, for example, about four LEDs 6 are provided in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing (row direction X) in FIG. The light emitted from each LED 6 is
After being guided from the light incident surface 7 a of the light guide 7 to the inside of the light guide 7 and propagating through the inside of the light guide 7, the light is emitted from the light exit surface 7 b to the liquid crystal panel 2 as planar light. To do.

The liquid crystal panel 2 is formed by bonding a first substrate 11 and a second substrate 12 together with a square or rectangular frame-shaped sealing material 8 when viewed from the direction of arrow A (substrate normal direction). The first substrate 11 is a substrate provided on the lighting device 4 side. On the other hand, the second substrate 12 is a substrate provided on the observation side on which an arrow A is drawn. A gap, a so-called cell gap G, is formed between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12, and a liquid crystal, in this embodiment S, is formed in the cell gap G.
A liquid crystal layer 9 is formed by sealing TN (Super Twisted Nematic) liquid crystal.

The first substrate 11 has a first translucent substrate 11a. The first translucent substrate 11 a has one side extending to the outside of the second substrate 12 to form an extended portion 13. In the present embodiment, the first translucent substrate 11a is formed of chemically tempered glass (so-called alkali tempered glass). For example, as shown in FIG. 6, this chemically strengthened glass includes a glass substrate 22, a reinforcing layer 23 formed on both surfaces of the glass substrate 22, and an Si formed on the reinforcing layer 23.
And an O ₂ layer 24. The reinforcing layer 23 is a compressive stress layer formed on the glass surface. By covering the both surfaces of the glass substrate 22 with this compressive stress layer, the strength (impact resistance) against scratches and the like of the glass substrate 22 and the strength against load (load resistance) are improved. Further, the SiO ₂ layer 24 has a component contained in the glass base material 22 or the reinforcing layer 23 so that the first light-transmitting substrate 11 is used.
It is provided in order to prevent outflow to various elements formed on the surface. The reinforcing layer 23 and the SiO ₂ layer 24 are formed on both surfaces of the first translucent substrate 11a.

The glass substrate 22 is an alkali glass containing a large amount of Na (sodium) and having a thickness of about 0.4 mm. The reinforcing layer 23 is formed on the surface of the glass substrate 22 by replacing Na in the surface portion of the glass substrate 22 with K (potassium) and baking. The layer thickness of the reinforcing layer 23 can be about 20 μm, for example. The SiO ₂ layer 24 provided on the reinforcing layer 23 is made of, for example, SiO ₂ and is formed into a film having a thickness of about 100 mm by a sputtering process.
In FIG. 5, illustration of the reinforcing layer 23 and the SiO ₂ layer 24 in FIG. 6 is omitted.

In FIG. 5, a polarizing layer 17a is attached to the outer surface of the first translucent substrate 11a by sticking or the like. On the other hand, on the inner surface of the first translucent substrate 11a, the horizontal direction of the paper (column direction Y
) Are formed as a first conductive pattern extending linearly, and an alignment film 16a is further formed thereon. The strip electrode 15 a and the alignment film 16 a are elements constituting the first substrate 11. In the following description, these elements may be referred to as substrate elements 30a. The alignment film 16a is subjected to an alignment process, for example, a rubbing process.
The initial alignment of the liquid crystal molecules in the vicinity of the first substrate 11 is determined. In the present embodiment, the outer surface of the first translucent substrate 11a is the first main surface S1, and the inner surface (that is, the surface on which the substrate element 30a is formed) is the second main surface S2.

The plurality of electrodes 15a extending in a strip shape in the left-right direction on the paper is, for example, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide:
Indium tin oxide) or the like. Further, the alignment film 16a formed thereon is formed of polyimide or the like, for example.

Next, the second substrate 12 facing the first substrate 11 includes a second light-transmitting substrate 12a that is rectangular or square when viewed from the normal direction of the substrate. In the present embodiment, the second translucent substrate 12a is formed of chemically tempered glass (so-called alkali tempered glass). As this chemically strengthened glass, glass having the same structure as the first light-transmissive substrate 11a (that is, the structure shown in FIG. 6) is used. A polarizing layer 17b is attached to the outer surface of the second light transmissive substrate 12a by sticking or the like.

In FIG. 5, a plurality of colored films 18 and a light shielding film 19 surrounding them are formed on the inner surface of the second translucent substrate 12a, an overcoat layer 20 is formed thereon, and a vertical direction on the paper surface is formed thereon. A plurality of strip electrodes 15b and a plurality of columnar spacers 21 as second conductive patterns extending linearly in the direction are formed, and an alignment film 16b is further formed thereon. The colored film 18, the light shielding film 19, the overcoat layer 20, the strip electrode 15 b, the spacer 21, and the alignment film 16 b are elements constituting the second substrate 12. In the following description, these elements may be referred to as substrate elements 30b. In the present embodiment, the outer surface of the second translucent substrate 12a is the first main surface S1, and the inner surface (that is, the surface on which the substrate element 30b is formed) is the second main surface S2. .

For example, each of the colored films 18 is formed in a rectangular dot shape when viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 5, and one colored film 18 is formed of R (red), G (green), and B (blue). It is formed of a material that transmits light of any one of three colors. These colored films 18 of each color are arranged in a stripe arrangement as viewed in a plan view. These colored films 18 have a delta arrangement instead of the stripe arrangement,
They can be arranged in a mosaic arrangement or any other appropriate arrangement. The colored film 18 can also be formed of three primary colors of C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow).
The second substrate 12 on which the colored film 18 is thus formed functions as a color filter substrate.

The light shielding film 19 is formed so as to fill a space between the plurality of colored films 18 with a light shielding material such as Cr (chromium). The light shielding film 19 is formed of R, G constituting the colored film 18.
, B can be formed by overlapping, that is, stacking.
The overcoat layer 20 is formed of a photosensitive resin such as an acrylic resin or a polyimide resin. The plurality of spacers 21 are formed on the overcoat layer 20 and between the strip electrodes 15 b, that is, at positions that overlap the light shielding film 19 in a plane. These spacers 21 are formed using, for example, a photosensitive resin.

The plurality of electrodes 15b extending in a strip shape in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 5 is formed of a metal oxide such as ITO. Further, the alignment film 16b formed thereon is formed of polyimide or the like, for example. The alignment film 16b is subjected to an alignment process, for example, a rubbing process, whereby the initial alignment of liquid crystal molecules in the vicinity of the second substrate 12 is determined.

Next, FIG. 7 is a plan view of the liquid crystal panel 2 of FIG. 5 as seen from the normal direction of the substrate. FIG.
In the figure, wiring and electrodes are mainly shown, and illustration of other elements is omitted. In FIG.
In order to make the structure of the wiring and the electrode easier to understand, the second light transmitting substrate 12a of the second substrate 12 is indicated by a chain line.

As shown in FIG. 7, the plurality of strip electrodes 15a provided on the first substrate 11 in FIG. 5 extend in the vertical direction (column direction Y) as a whole and are provided in stripes. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the plurality of strip electrodes 15b provided on the second substrate 12 facing the first substrate 11 in FIG. 5 extend in the horizontal direction (row direction X) as a whole and are formed in stripes. ing. These band-like electrodes 15b extend in a direction perpendicular to the band-like electrode 15a when the second substrate 12 and the first substrate 11 are bonded together by the sealing material 8 as shown in FIG. The strip electrode 15a and the strip electrode 15b on the second substrate 12 side overlap in a plane at a position where they intersect each other. Thus, the region where the strip electrode 15a and the strip electrode 15b overlap constitutes the sub-pixel P which is the minimum unit of display. A plurality of sub-pixels P are arranged in a matrix in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction to form a display area V, and images such as letters, numbers, figures, etc. are displayed in the display area V.

When color display is performed using the colored film 18 composed of the three colors R, G, and B as in the present embodiment, 3 corresponding to the three colored films 18 corresponding to the three colors R, G, and B are used. One sub-pixel P forms one pixel. On the other hand, when performing monochromatic display in black and white or any two colors, one pixel is formed by one sub-pixel P.

In FIG. 7, a plurality of wirings 26 and a plurality of external connection terminals 27 are formed on the overhanging portion 13 of the first substrate 11. Some of the plurality of wirings 26 are directly connected to the strip electrode 15a on the first substrate 11 side. The remaining portions of the plurality of wirings 26 are band-like on the second substrate 12 side at a position indicated by an arrow B through a conductive material included in the sealing material 8 joining the pair of substrates 11 and 12. Conductive connection is made to the electrode 15b.

Further, a driving IC 3 is provided on the overhanging portion 13 of the first substrate 11, for example, an ACF (Anisotropi).
c Conductive Film: Implemented by COG (Chip On Glass) method using anisotropic conductive film. The input bumps of the driving IC 3 are conductively connected to the external connection terminals 27 via the conductive particles in the ACF, and the output bumps of the driving IC 3 are conductively connected to the wiring 26 via the conductive particles in the ACF. ing.

With the above-described configuration relating to the overhang portion 13, an external connection terminal 27 is connected from an external circuit (not shown).
A signal is supplied to the driving IC 3 via the. Then, a driving signal, that is, a scanning signal and a data signal are supplied from the driving IC 3 to the electrode 15a on the first substrate 11 side and the electrode 15b on the second substrate 12 side. Whether the scanning signal is supplied to the electrode 15a or the electrode 15b and the data signal is supplied to the electrode 15a or the electrode 15b is appropriately set as necessary.

Since the liquid crystal device 1 according to the present embodiment is configured as described above, in FIG. 5, the planar light L ₀ emitted from the light emission surface 7 b of the light guide 7 of the illumination device 4 is the first substrate. 11 is supplied to the liquid crystal layer 9. The voltage of the liquid crystal layer 9 is controlled for each sub-pixel P, whereby the orientation of liquid crystal molecules is controlled for each sub-pixel P. Light is modulated by this orientation control, and this modulated light is applied to the polarizing layer 17b through the second light-transmissive substrate 12a, whereby an image such as letters, numbers, figures, etc. is displayed on the surface of the polarizing layer 17b. The In the present embodiment, since the colored film 18 is provided on the second substrate 12, the display is performed in color. Further, the polarizing layer 17b
In addition, if a retardation film is provided, the polarization characteristics of the light modulated by the STN liquid crystal layer 9 are compensated, re-modulated, etc., so that achromatic color and viewing angle characteristics are improved.

As described above, the liquid crystal panel 2 is a panel formed by bonding a substrate having a conductive pattern on one side with a sealing material. Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal panel 2 will be described. In this embodiment, a plurality of substrates are simultaneously manufactured using a light-transmitting substrate having a large area (a so-called mother light-transmitting substrate), instead of manufacturing panels one by one.
It is assumed that the substrate is manufactured based on a so-called multi-cavity method. In such a multi-cavity manufacturing method, the panel 2 shown in FIG. 7 is not formed one by one, but a plurality of liquid crystal panels 2 are formed simultaneously as shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the mother substrate 2 ′ in which a plurality of elements of the liquid crystal panel 2 of FIG. 7 are formed. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a mother first substrate 11 ′ of the mother substrate 2 ′ shown in FIG. FIG. 10 shows a mother second substrate 1 in the mother substrate 2 ′ shown in FIG.
It is a top view which shows 2 '. 9 and 10, the front side of the paper is the first main surface S1, and the back side of the paper is the second main surface S2. As shown in FIG. 5, the liquid crystal panel 2 manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present embodiment has a configuration in which the second main surface S2 of the first substrate 11 and the second main surface S2 of the second substrate 12 face each other. Yes. Therefore, the panel structure 2 ′ shown in FIG. 8 has a configuration in which the mother board 11 ′ shown in FIG. 9 is turned upside down and arranged on the back side of the mother board 12 ′ shown in FIG. In addition, in each figure of FIGS. 8-10, the electrode is mainly shown as a board | substrate element formed on a translucent board | substrate, and illustration of other elements is abbreviate | omitted.

In the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal panel, first, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of substrates of the first substrate 11 are formed on a mother translucent substrate 11a ′ having an area large enough to form a plurality of liquid crystal panels. Elements (that is, the strip electrode 15a and the alignment film 16a in FIG. 5) 30a are simultaneously formed to form the mother first substrate 11 ′. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of substrate elements (that is, FIG. 5) of the second substrate 12 are formed on a mother translucent substrate 12a ′ having an area large enough to form a plurality of liquid crystal panels 2. The colored film 18 and the strip electrode 15b) 30b are simultaneously formed to form the mother second substrate 12 ′. And as shown in FIG. 8, board | substrate 11 'and board | substrate 12' are bonded together by the sealing material 8, and large-sized panel structure 2 'of the magnitude | size which contains the liquid crystal panel 2 in multiple rows vertically and horizontally is produced. Then, individual liquid crystal panels 2 are manufactured by cutting and dividing the large-area panel structure 2 ′ using a laser in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

Hereinafter, a specific manufacturing method of the liquid crystal panel 2 will be described. FIG. 1 shows a manufacturing method of this embodiment for manufacturing the liquid crystal panel 2 of FIG. 2 to 4 are structural transition diagrams showing the structure of the substrate formed in each step of FIG. 1 in the order of steps. 2, 3 and 4
(I) and FIG.4 (j) have shown the cross section according to the Z1-Z1 line | wire of FIG. 9 or FIG. 4 (k) and 4 (l) are cross sections according to the Z2-Z2 line of FIG. 8, that is, cross sections along the direction crossing the plurality of strip electrodes 15a, and the extension of the strip electrodes 15b. Direction (Row direction X
) Is shown along the cross section.

In FIG. 1, Step P1 to Step P9 are steps for forming the mother first substrate 11 ′ of FIG. Of these, the process P1 to the process P7 form the mother first translucent substrate 11a ′.
It is. On the other hand, Step P11 to Step P19 are steps for forming the mother second substrate 12 ′ of FIG. Of these, Steps P11 to P17 are Steps Q2 for forming the mother second light transmitting substrate 12a ′.

First, the manufacturing process of the mother first substrate 11 ′ shown in FIG. 9 will be described. In the present embodiment, the mother translucent substrate 11a ′ is formed using alkali glass having an area of, for example, 370 mm × 470 mm and a thickness of 0.4 mm. This alkali glass is a glass containing Na (sodium) ions. In the process P1 of FIG. 1, the mother translucent substrate 11a ′ of FIG. 2A is cleaned with a predetermined cleaning liquid. Next, in the process P2 of FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 2B, the protective film 31 is pasted on the second main surface S2 of the mother translucent substrate 11a ′ by, for example, laminating. The protective film 31 is formed on the substrate 11a in a later process.
It is provided to protect the second main surface S2 of '.

Next, in the process P3 of FIG. 1, the first main surface S of the mother translucent substrate 11a ′ of FIG.
A resist pattern is formed on 1. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2C, a positive photosensitive resin is applied on the first main surface S1 of the mother translucent substrate 11a ′ to a uniform thickness by, for example, spin coating. Thus, a resist film 32 'is formed. Next, pre-baking is performed to remove the solvent in the resist film 32 ′. Thereafter, in FIG. 2D, the resist film 32
'Is patterned by photoetching process.

Specifically, the mother substrate 11a ′ is set at a predetermined position of an exposure apparatus, for example, a batch exposure apparatus or a stepper, and the exposure mask 33 is set at a predetermined position facing the mother substrate 11a ′. The exposure mask 33 is a two-gradation exposure mask having two regions, a complete light transmission region A0 formed by the glass substrate 34 and a complete light shielding region A1 formed by the light shielding pattern 35. The exposure mask 33 is positioned so as to face the mother substrate 11a ′ so that the complete light transmission region A0 faces the portion where the resist film 32 ′ is removed and the complete light shielding region A1 faces the portion where the resist film 32 ′ remains. Installed. In this state, when the resist film 32 ′ is irradiated with a predetermined amount of exposure light L1 through the exposure mask 33, an exposure image indicated by a chain line is formed and the exposed portion B1 is solubilized.

Next, development processing is performed. Specifically, the mother substrate 11a ′ of FIG. 2D is immersed in a developer for a predetermined time. Then, the resist film 32 ′ of the portion B1 solubilized in FIG. 2 (d) is removed, and the resist film 32 ′ is patterned into the shape shown in FIG. 3 (e) to form a resist pattern 32. The resist pattern 32 is post-baked, for example, about 12
This is performed at a temperature of 0 ° C., and the resistance of the resist pattern 32 to the etching solution used for the subsequent etching process is adjusted.

Next, in the glass substrate patterning step P4 as the panel region forming step in FIG.
By performing an etching process on the mother substrate 11a ′ using the resist pattern 32 as a mask, a region other than the mask of the substrate 11a ′ is removed by a predetermined thickness and formed thin as shown in FIG. This thinly formed region is a panel region where a substrate element will be formed later. In this embodiment, the thickness of a panel area | region can be 0.2 mm, for example in the glass substrate of thickness 0.4mm.

After the above etching process, in step P5 of FIG. 1, the resist pattern 32 used as a mask is removed by, for example, an organic solvent, thereby removing the resist pattern 32 on the substrate 11a ′ as shown in FIG. A thin panel region Tp and a thick outer edge portion To are formed. When the substrate 11a ′ in this state is viewed in plan from the first main surface S1 side, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of panel regions Tp are formed in a window shape, and a plurality of outer edge regions (regions indicated by diagonal lines) To are formed. Is formed in a window frame shape surrounding the panel region Tp.

Next, in the reinforcement processing step P6 of FIG.
The reinforcing layer 23 (see FIG. 6) is formed on the main surface S1 and the second main surface S2. Specifically, ion exchange is performed by immersing the substrate 11a ′ made of alkali glass containing Na ions in a molten salt (for example, KNO ₃ ) containing K (potassium) ions. Thereby, the substrate 1
Na ions having a small ionic radius on the surface of 1a ′ are replaced with K ions having a large ionic radius. Thereby, the compressive stress layer which is the transparent reinforcement | strengthening layer 23 (refer FIG. 6) is formed in both surfaces of board | substrate 11a '. In the present embodiment, the reinforcing layer 23 is formed to a thickness of about 20 μm.

Next, in step P7 of FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 3 (h), the SiO ₂ layer 24 is formed on the first main surface S1 and the second main surface S2 of the substrate 11a ′ subjected to the chemical strengthening process. For example, a film having a thickness of about 100 mm is formed by sputtering. This SiO ₂ layer 24 is composed of the SiO ₂ layer 2 shown in FIG.
4 is the same film. 1A to 1C for forming the mother first light-transmitting substrate 11a ′.
1 ends.

Next, in the substrate element forming step P8, as shown in FIG.
A substrate element 30 constituting the first substrate 11 in each panel region Tp on the second main surface S2 of 1a ′.
a is formed. Specifically, first, a plurality of strip electrodes 15a shown in FIG. 5 are formed on the SiO ₂ layer 24 of the substrate 11a ′ by, for example, a photoetching process using ITO as a material. Next, the alignment film 16a is formed on the plurality of strip electrodes 15a by printing, for example, polyimide. Next, in a process P9 of FIG. 1, an alignment process, for example, a rubbing process is performed on the alignment film 16a of FIG. Thus, the mother first substrate 11 ′ shown in FIG. 9 is formed.

Next, the manufacturing process of the mother second substrate 12 ′ shown in FIG. 10 will be described. In step P11 to step P17 of FIG. 1, the mother second light transmitting substrate 12a ′ of FIG. 10 is formed. This mother second light transmitting substrate 12a ′ is the mother first substrate 11 of FIG. This is the same substrate as the mother first translucent substrate 11a ′ used in “. Accordingly, the mother second light transmitting substrate forming step Q2 in FIG. 1 is the same as the mother first light transmitting substrate forming step Q1.

That is, in the process P11, the mother translucent substrate 12a ′ of FIG. 2A is cleaned with a predetermined cleaning liquid, and in the process P12, the second of the mother translucent substrate 12a ′ of FIG.
A protective film 31 is pasted on the main surface S2, and in step P13, a photo-etching process is performed on the first main surface S1 of the mother translucent substrate 12a ′ in FIG. 2B as shown in FIG. 2D. Thus, a resist pattern 32 is formed. Thereafter, in the glass substrate patterning step P14 as the panel region forming step in FIG. 1, the resist pattern 32 is applied to the mother substrate 12a ′.
As a mask, the substrate 12a is etched as shown in FIG.
A region other than the mask of 'is removed to a predetermined thickness to form a thin region, and then the resist pattern 32 is removed in step P15, whereby a thin panel region is formed on the substrate 12a' as shown in FIG. Tp and thick outer edge portion To are formed. The substrate 12a ′ in this state
When viewed in plan from the first surface S1 side, as shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of panel regions Tp are formed in a window shape, and an outer edge region (region indicated by hatching) To surrounds the plurality of panel regions Tp. It is formed in a frame shape.

Next, in the reinforcing treatment step P16 of FIG. 1 as the reinforcing layer forming step, the reinforcing layer 23 (see FIG. 6) is formed on the first main surface S1 and the second main surface S2 of the substrate 12a ′, and then in the step P17. As shown in FIG. 3H, the SiO ₂ layer 24 is formed on the first main surface S1 and the second main surface S2 of the substrate 12a ′ subjected to the chemical strengthening process. Thus, the mother second translucent substrate 12
Step Q2 in FIG. 1 for forming a ′ is completed.

Next, in the substrate element forming step P18, as shown in FIG. 4 (j), the substrate constituting the second substrate 12 in each panel region Tp on the second main surface S2 of the mother light transmissive substrate 12a ′. Element 3
0b is formed. Specifically, first, on the SiO ₂ layer 24 of the substrate 12a ′, the light shielding film 19 of FIG. 5 is formed in a predetermined pattern by photoetching using, for example, Cr or the like, and further the colored film 18 is formed. . The colored film 18 is formed in a predetermined arrangement by photolithography using a coloring material obtained by dispersing pigments and dyes of R, G, and B colors in a photosensitive resin, for example. The light shielding film 19 can also be formed by stacking R, G, and B.

Thereafter, the overcoat layer 20 is formed by photolithography using a photosensitive resin such as an acrylic resin or a polyimide resin as a material. Then, the strip electrode 15b is formed on the overcoat layer 20 by, for example, a photoetching process using ITO as a material. Further, a spacer 21 is formed on the overcoat layer 20 at a position overlapping the light shielding film 19 in a planar manner, for example, using a photosensitive resin material as a material. Further, the alignment film 16b is formed, for example, by printing polyimide. Next, in a process P19 in FIG. 1, an alignment process, for example, a rubbing process is performed on the alignment film 16b in FIG. Thus, the mother second substrate 12 ′ shown in FIG. 10 is formed. Here, the plate thickness, the etching amount, and the thickness of the reinforcing treatment layer of the mother translucent substrate 11a ′ and the mother translucent substrate 12a ′ may be set differently.

Next, in step 21 of FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 4 (k), the mother first substrate 11 ′ and the mother second substrate 12 ′ are bonded together. As a result, the first substrate 11 ′ and the second substrate 12 ′ are bonded to each other with the sealing material 8 interposed therebetween, and the sealing material 8 is further cured by heat curing or ultraviolet curing to bond both the substrates to form the panel structure 2 ′. Is formed. The sealing material 8 is formed in each panel region Tp corresponding to each liquid crystal panel 2.

Next, in step P22 of FIG. 1 as the outer edge region removing step, the large-area panel structure 2 ′ shown in FIG. 8 is subjected to primary cutting, that is, primary break. The primary breaking step P22, the panel structure 2 'is cut along a chain line X ₀ in FIG. 8, the outer edge region T extending in the row direction X
o is removed from the panel region Tp. In addition, by the primary break process P22, a plurality of medium-area panel structures including a plurality of liquid crystal panels 2 arranged in a line, that is, so-called strip-shaped panel structures 2 '' are formed. An opening (not shown) formed in the sealing material 8 by the primary break process P22 is exposed to the outside.

In the present embodiment, in the primary break process P22, the panel structure 2 ′ is cut using a laser. Thereby, it can cut | disconnect over the panel area | region Tp and outer edge area | region To from which thickness differs mutually. In the process P22, the reinforcing layer 23 of the substrate 11a ′ or the substrate 12a ′ is cut. However, by cutting using a laser, the cut surface is not roughened and the substrate is not damaged.

Next, in step P23 of FIG. 1, liquid crystal is injected into individual panel regions inside the strip-shaped panel structure 2 ″ through the opening (not shown) of the sealing material 8, and the injection is completed. Thereafter, in step P24 of FIG. 1, the opening is sealed with resin. Thereafter, in the step P25 in FIG. 1 as the outer edge area removing step, a second cut along a chain line X ₁ extending in the column direction Y in FIG. 8, i.e., a secondary break. The dashed line _{X 1} is the same as the chain line _{X 1} shown in FIG. 4 (k). Similarly to the primary break process P22, the secondary break process P25 cuts the panel structure 2 ′ using a laser. By the secondary break process P25, the outer edge region To is cut from the panel region Tp as shown in FIG. That is, the outer edge region To extending in the column direction Y of the strip-shaped panel structure 2 ″ shown in FIG. 8 is removed from the panel region Tp.
As a result, the individual liquid crystal panels 2 shown in FIGS. 7 and 4L are cut out from the strip-shaped panel structure 2 ″. Thus, the liquid crystal panel 2 is completed.

By the way, in order to form a thin liquid crystal panel, it is effective to form a thin glass substrate. However, when a liquid crystal panel is produced using a thin glass substrate, for example, an operation of forming a substrate element on the glass substrate. In the operation of bonding the glass substrates together, and in the operation of transporting the substrates between those operations (in the following description, the above three operations are collectively referred to as “panel forming operation”), the glass substrate is damaged. There is a risk of bending due to its own weight. In particular, as in the present embodiment, when a plurality of panels are formed using a large glass substrate, there is a high possibility that the glass substrate is damaged or bent.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, the mother translucent substrates 11a ′ and 12 in FIG. 8 which are glass substrates.
By processing a ′, it was decided to ensure sufficient strength to withstand panel forming work. Specifically, in steps P4 and P14 of FIG. 1, as shown in FIG.
, 15b, etc., the panel region Tp, which is the region for forming the substrate elements 30a, 30b (see FIG. 5), is selectively formed thin, and the thickness of the other outer edge region To is increased. In this way, the outer edge region T having a large thickness in the panel forming operations after the processes P8 and P18.
Since the strength of the mother translucent substrates 11a ′ and 12a ′ against bending can be ensured by o, when the substrate elements 30a and 30b are formed in the thin panel region Tp, the substrate 1
It is possible to prevent 1a ′ and 12a ′ from being bent and damaged.

Further, in the present embodiment, in step P21 of FIG. 1, the mother first substrate 11 ′ and the mother second substrate 12 ′ are bonded together by the sealing material 8 as shown in FIG. By performing the next break (step P22 in FIG. 1) and the secondary break (step P25 in FIG. 1), the outer edge region To was cut and removed from the panel region Tp. The liquid crystal panel 2 formed in this way is configured using the substrates 11a and 12a which are thin portions formed in the glass substrate patterning steps P4 and P14. Therefore, the thickness of the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12 can be reduced, and as a result, the thickness of the entire liquid crystal panel can be reduced.

Moreover, in this embodiment, in the 1st translucent board | substrate formation process Q1 of FIG. 1, it decided to perform the reinforcement | strengthening process P6 between the glass substrate patterning process P4 and the board | substrate element formation process P8. Moreover, in the 2nd translucent board | substrate formation process Q2, it decided to perform the reinforcement | strengthening process P16 between the glass substrate patterning process P14 and the board | substrate element formation process P18. By forming the reinforcing layer on the translucent substrate in the process P6 or P16, the impact resistance and load resistance of the translucent substrates 11a and 12a can be improved. As a result, even if the panel region of the substrate 11a ′ is made thinner than the conventional manufacturing method in which the reinforcing layer is not formed, the substrate element forming process P
8, it is possible to prevent the substrate 11a ′ from being damaged or bent. Therefore, the thickness of the substrate 11a after removing the outer edge portion can be made thinner. For example, the conventional substrate not subjected to the strengthening process has a thickness of about 0.4 mm, but the substrate 11 of the present embodiment subjected to the strengthening process.
a can be formed to a thickness of about 0.2 mm. In addition, by performing the strengthening process on the substrate, it is possible to form a liquid crystal panel having high load resistance (that is, having high surface pressing strength) even if the liquid crystal panel is formed using a thin substrate.

In the present embodiment, the strengthening process P6 is performed after the glass substrate patterning process P4 and before the substrate element forming process P8. In this case, the reinforcing layer is not removed by the etching process in the glass substrate patterning step P4, and the substrate 11a.
The strengthening process of “and the substrate 12a” can be reliably performed.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a method of manufacturing a transmissive and simple matrix type liquid crystal device has been exemplified. However, instead of this, a reflective type that uses light reflected from external light for display or the like is used. The present invention can also be applied to manufacturing a transflective liquid crystal device capable of selectively performing either transmissive display or reflective display. In the present embodiment, the substrate 11a
Although the case of thinning and strengthening both of the substrates 'and 12a' has been described, the same effect can be obtained even when only one of them is strengthened thinly.

(Second Embodiment of Manufacturing Method of Thin Substrate)
FIG. 11 shows a second embodiment of a substrate manufacturing method according to the present invention. In the second embodiment, a method of manufacturing a capacitive touch panel having conductive patterns on both surfaces of a substrate as a thin substrate will be exemplified.

First, the capacitive touch panel manufactured by the manufacturing method of this embodiment will be described.
FIG. 13A shows a planar structure of the touch panel 41 manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present embodiment. FIG. 13 (b) shows the structure of a side surface as viewed FIG. 13 (a) from an arrow _{Z M} direction.

As shown in FIG. 13B, the touch panel 41 has a translucent substrate 42 and a plurality of conductive patterns formed on both surfaces of the substrate 42. The 1st main surface of the translucent board | substrate 42 (FIG.13 (b
) Upper side surface) A plurality of first electrodes 43 as first conductive patterns and individual first electrodes are formed on S1.
A terminal portion 45 a formed at the end of the electrode 43 is provided. In the following description, these elements may be referred to as substrate elements 40a. On the other hand, the second main surface of the translucent substrate 42 (FIG. 13).
(B) Lower side) On S2, a plurality of second electrodes 44 as a second conductive pattern, a plurality of terminal portions 45b, and a wiring 49 for connecting the second electrode 44 and the terminal portion 45b are provided. It has been. In the following description, these elements may be referred to as substrate elements 40b. In the touch panel 41, the first main surface S1 side of the substrate 42 is the position input side.

The translucent substrate 42 is formed in a rectangular or square shape in a plan view shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the translucent substrate 42 is made of alkali glass.
The first electrode 43 and the second electrode 44 are formed using a light-transmitting conductive material, which is ITO in this embodiment.

Each of the first electrodes 43 is formed in a strip shape extending in the horizontal direction Y (that is, the horizontal direction in the drawing). A plurality of the strip-shaped first electrodes 43 are provided at intervals in the vertical direction X (that is, the vertical direction in the figure). A terminal portion 45 a is provided at the end of each first electrode 43.

In FIG. 13B, the wiring board 46a is connected to the left end portion of the touch panel 41 on the position input side. In FIG. 13A, the wiring board 46a is indicated by a chain line. One end of the wiring board 46a is electrically connected to each terminal portion 45a. The other end of the wiring board 46a is connected to an external control circuit, such as a position detection circuit (not shown),
A signal is input or output between the control circuit and the first electrode 43 connected to the terminal portion 45a.

As shown in FIG. 13A, each of the second electrodes 44 extends in the vertical direction X and is formed in a strip shape. A plurality of the strip-shaped second electrodes 44 are provided at intervals in the lateral direction Y. A plurality of wirings 49 are provided. These wirings 49 are formed by a portion extending along the horizontal direction Y in the vicinity of the side edges 42 b and 42 c extending in the horizontal direction Y of the translucent substrate 42 and a portion extending in the vertical direction X. Yes. The individual wirings 49 are provided with a space therebetween.

In FIG. 13B, the conductive member 50 is provided on the left end portion 49 a of the wiring 49, and the terminal portion 45 b is formed by the end portion 49 a and the conductive member 50.
Hereinafter, the tip portion 49a is referred to as a first layer of the terminal portion 45b, and the conductive member 50 is referred to as a second layer of the terminal portion 45b. A plurality of terminal portions 45b are provided on the translucent substrate 42 as shown in FIG. These terminal portions 45 b are arranged at intervals along the vertical direction X in the vicinity of the end side 42 a extending in the vertical direction X of the translucent substrate 42. The individual terminal portions 45b are formed in a square or rectangular dot shape when seen in a plan view. The terminal portion 45b may be formed in a circular shape.

In FIG. 13B, the wiring 49 is made of metal including the first layer 49a of the terminal portion 45b. In this embodiment, Cr (chromium) having a single layer structure is used as the metal. Similar to the second electrode 44, the second layer 50 of the terminal portion 45b is a light-transmitting conductive material ITO.
It is formed using. The wiring 49 can also be formed of a laminated film made of Cr and ITO covering it. In this case, the second layer 50 of the terminal portion 45b is the upper layer itself of the laminated film forming the first layer 49a.

On the surface opposite to the position input side of the touch panel 41 and on the left end of the figure, there is a wiring board 4.
6b is connected. One end of the wiring board 46b is electrically connected to each terminal portion 45b. The other end of the wiring board 46b is connected to an external control circuit, such as a position detection circuit (not shown), and a signal is input between the control circuit and the second electrode 44 connected to the terminal portion 45b. Output is done.

A resin film 47 is provided on the first main surface S <b> 1 of the translucent substrate 42 so as to cover the plurality of first electrodes 43. A resin film 47 is also provided on the second main surface S <b> 2 of the translucent substrate 42 so as to cover the plurality of second electrodes 44. These resin films 47 can be formed using a light-transmitting photosensitive resin such as an acrylic resin. The resin film 47 is provided as a protective film that prevents the first electrode 43 and the second electrode 44 from being corroded by moisture or the like. Further, in the present embodiment, the resin film 47 of FIG. 13B is provided on the first main surface S1 and the second main surface S2 of the translucent substrate 42, but instead of the first main surface S1. It can also be provided on either the surface S1 or the second main surface S2.

In the case of the surface of the touch panel 41, when the resin film 47 is provided, the surface of the resin film 47 is the surface of the touch panel 41. When the resin film 47 is not provided, the surface of the substrate 42 and the electrodes 43 and 44 is the surface of the touch panel 41. Further, when an appropriate optical film is provided on the resin film 47 as necessary, the surface of the optical film is the surface of the touch panel 41.

The touch panel 41 in the present embodiment is a first provided on one surface of the translucent substrate 42.
Based on a change in capacitance formed between the electrode 43 and the second electrode 44 provided on the other surface, a position touched by input means such as a finger or a pen (hereinafter referred to as an input position) To detect,
This is a so-called capacitive touch panel. The principle of detecting the input position on the touch panel 41 will be described with reference to FIG. 14 which is a cross-sectional view according to the Z _N -Z _N line of FIG. A pulse signal is applied to the first electrode 43. First in the portion indicated by the arrow _{Z R}
When nothing is touching the electrode 43, electric lines of force are formed between the first electrode 43 and the second electrode 44 to form the capacitance C1. In this state, the arrow Z _S as shown in the portion indicated by, the input means 48 or approaches contact with the first electrode 43 and the first electrode 43 second electrode 4 in FIG. 14
The electric field lines between 4 are absorbed by the input means 48 and the capacitance C1 is reduced to C2 (C2 <C1). In this way, the input position can be detected by detecting the current change caused by the decrease in the capacitance C1 to C2.

Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing the touch panel 41 as a thin substrate will be described with reference to FIGS. 11, 2, 3, 12, and 15. Also in this embodiment, the touch panel 4 shown in FIG.
Instead of forming one by one, as shown in FIG. 15, the substrate is manufactured based on a so-called multi-chip method in which a plurality of touch panels 41 are formed simultaneously. Also,
FIG. 12 shows a cross section according to the Z _L -Z _L line of FIG.

In this embodiment, the translucent substrate forming process Q3 (process P31 to process P37) in FIG. 11 is the first translucent substrate forming process Q1 (process P1 to process P7) in FIG. 1 in the first embodiment.
Is the same. That is, in step P31 of FIG. 11, the mother translucent substrate 42 ′ of FIG. 2A is washed with a predetermined cleaning liquid, and in step P32 of FIG. 11, the mother translucent substrate 42 ′ of FIG. A protective film 31 is pasted on the second main surface S2 by lamination, for example.

Next, in step P33 of FIG. 11, a positive photosensitive resin is applied on the first main surface S1 of the mother translucent substrate 42 ′ in FIG. 2C to form a resist film 32 ′. Then, pre-baking is performed to remove the solvent in the resist film 32 ′, and in FIG. 2D, the resist film 32 ′ is patterned by a photoetching process to form the resist pattern 32 in FIG.

Next, in the glass substrate patterning step P34 as the panel region forming step in FIG. 11, the mother substrate 42 ′ is etched using the resist pattern 32 as a mask, so that the substrate as shown in FIG. The region other than the mask 42 ', that is, the panel region is thinned by removing a predetermined thickness. In this embodiment, the thickness of a panel area | region can be 0.2 mm, for example in the glass substrate of thickness 0.4mm.

After the above etching process, in step P35 of FIG.
For example, by peeling and removing with an organic solvent or the like, as shown in FIG. 3G, a thin touch panel region Tp (hereinafter referred to as a panel region Tp) and a thick outer edge region To are formed on the substrate 42 ′. It is formed. When the substrate 42 ′ in this state is viewed in a plan view, as shown in FIG. 15, a plurality of panel regions Tp are formed in a window shape, and an outer edge region (region indicated by hatching) To surrounds the plurality of panel regions Tp. It is formed in a frame shape.

Next, in the reinforcing treatment step P36 of FIG. 11 as the reinforcing layer forming step, the reinforcing layer 23 (see FIG. 6) is formed on the first main surface S1 and the second main surface S2 of the substrate 42 ′, and the step of FIG. In P37, as shown in FIG. 3H, the SiO ₂ layer 24 is formed on the first main surface S1 and the second main surface S2 of the substrate 42 ′ subjected to the chemical strengthening process. Thus, the process Q3 of FIG. 11 for forming the mother translucent substrate 42 ′ is completed.

Next, the second conductive pattern forming step Q4 of FIG. 11 for the mother translucent substrate 42 ′ shown in FIG. 15 will be described. In the second conductive pattern forming step Q4, as shown in FIG. 12A, the substrate element 40b is formed on the second main surface S2 of the mother substrate 42 ′ and in the panel region Tp. First, in process P38 of FIG. 11, the wiring 49 and the first layer 49a of FIG. 15 are formed. Specifically, a material layer is formed on the second main surface S2 of the mother substrate 42 ′ of FIG. 12A by sputtering using, for example, Cr. This material layer is shown in FIG.
) Of the first layer 49a of the terminal portion 45b and the material layer of the wiring 49. Thereafter, the material layer is patterned by a photo-etching process, whereby the wiring 49 and the terminal portion 45 in FIG.
The first layer 49a of b (see FIG. 12A) is formed.

Next, in the process P39 of FIG. 11, the second electrode 44 and the second layer 50 of the terminal portion 45b shown in FIG. 15 are formed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12A, the second of the mother board 42 '
A (amorphous) which is the material of the second electrode 44 on the main surface S2 and in the panel region Tp
-An ITO film is deposited by sputtering. Thereafter, the a-ITO film is patterned by a photoetching process to form the plurality of second electrodes 44 and the second layer 50 of the terminal portion 45b in FIG.

Thereafter, the second electrode 44 and the second layer 50 are baked at a predetermined temperature (for example, 220 ° C.). By this firing step, the second electrode 44 and the second layer 50 formed of a-ITO are polycrystallized (that is, crystallized or polycrystallized). Thereby, the translucency of the 2nd electrode 44 and the 2nd layer 50 can be improved, and resistance value can be made low. Thus, the second conductive pattern forming step Q4 for forming the second conductive pattern on the second main surface S2 is completed.

Note that, after the second conductive pattern formation step Q4, the second electrode 44, the wiring 49, and the terminal portion 45 are provided.
A protective film covering b can also be provided. This protective film is for preventing the second conductive pattern from being damaged in the step of forming the first conductive pattern on the first main surface S1 described below.

Next, the first conductive pattern forming step Q5 of FIG. 11 performed on the mother translucent substrate 42 ′ shown in FIG. 15 will be described. In this first conductive pattern formation step Q5, FIG.
), The substrate element 40a is formed on the first main surface S1 of the mother substrate 42 ′ and in the panel region Tp. First, in process P40 of FIG. 11, the first electrode 43 and the terminal portion 45a of FIG. 15 are formed as the first conductive pattern. Specifically, in FIG.
An a (amorphous) -ITO film, which is a material of the first electrode 43, is formed on the first surface S1 of the substrate 42 ′ by sputtering. Thereafter, the a-ITO film is patterned by a photoetching process to form the plurality of first electrodes 43 and terminal portions 45a shown in FIG.

Then, the 1st electrode 43 and the terminal part 45a are baked at predetermined temperature (for example, 220 degreeC).
By this firing step, the first electrode 43 and the terminal portion 45a formed of a-ITO are poly-
That is, crystallization or polycrystallization). Thereby, the translucency of the 1st electrode 43 and the terminal part 45a can be improved, and resistance value can be made low. Thus, the first main surface S1 is
The first conductive pattern forming step Q5 for forming the conductive pattern is completed.

Thereafter, when a protective film is formed on the second main surface S2, the protective film is removed using a predetermined organic solvent. Thus, the panel structure 41 ′ of FIG. 15 in which conductive patterns are formed on both surfaces of the mother substrate 42 ′ is completed.

Next, in FIG. 11, a dividing step P41 as an outer edge region removing step is executed. Specifically, the panel structure 41 ′ is cut and divided using a laser along the chain line X0 in FIGS. At this time, a step is formed between the outer edge region To and the panel region Tp in accordance with the difference in thickness thereof, but the step portion can also be reliably cut by using a laser. Thus, the outer edge region To shown in FIG. 12C is cut from the panel region Tp. That is, the panel structure 41 ′ of FIG. 15 is divided into individual substrates 41 shown in FIG. 13A, and the individual substrates 41 are formed. Thereafter, the wiring board 46a of FIG.
, 46b are connected to complete the touch panel 41.

Also in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, by processing the mother translucent substrate 42 ′, which is a glass substrate, it was decided to ensure sufficient strength to withstand panel forming operations. Specifically, in FIG. 15, in regions where the substrate elements 40a and 40b are formed, such as the first electrode 43 formed on the first main surface S1 and the second electrode 44 formed on the second main surface S2. A certain panel region Tp is selectively formed thin, and the thickness of the other outer edge region To is increased. By doing so, in the panel forming operation after the process P38 in FIG. 11, the strength of the mother translucent substrate 42 ′ can be ensured by the thick outer edge region To, so that the thin panel region Tp. When the substrate elements 40a and 40b are formed, the substrate 42 'can be prevented from being damaged or bent.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, in step P41 of FIG. 11, the panel structure 41 ′ of FIG. 15 is removed by cutting the outer edge portion To from the panel region Tp by the cutting process using a laser in FIG. did. The touch panel 41 formed in this way is configured using a substrate 42 which is a thin portion formed in the glass substrate patterning step P34 of FIG. Accordingly, the entire touch panel 41 can be formed thin.

Further, in the present embodiment, in the translucent substrate forming step Q3 in FIG. 11, the strengthening process P36 is performed between the glass substrate patterning step P34 and the first conductive pattern forming step Q4. By forming the reinforcing layer on the translucent substrate 42 ′ in the process P36, the impact resistance and load resistance of the translucent substrate 42 ′ can be improved. As a result, even if the thickness of the panel region Tp of the substrate 42 ′ is further reduced as compared with the conventional manufacturing method in which the reinforcing layer is not formed, the substrate 42 ′ is damaged or bent in the first conductive pattern forming step Q4. Can be prevented. Therefore, the thickness of the substrate 42 after the outer edge portion is removed can be made thinner. For example, a conventional substrate not subjected to the strengthening process has a thickness of about 0.4 mm, but the substrate 42 of the present embodiment subjected to the strengthening process can be formed to a thickness of about 0.2 mm. Moreover, even if a touch panel is formed using a thinly formed substrate, a sufficient surface pressing strength that can withstand use can be ensured by applying a strengthening process to the substrate.

In the present embodiment, the strengthening process P36 is performed after the glass substrate patterning process P34 and before the first conductive pattern forming process Q4. In this way, the reinforcing process of the substrate 42 ′ can be reliably performed without removing the reinforcing layer by the etching process in the glass substrate patterning step P34.

(Third embodiment of manufacturing method of thin substrate)
FIG. 16 shows a third embodiment of the method for manufacturing a substrate according to the present invention. Also in the third embodiment, a capacitive touch panel is manufactured as a thin substrate. The second above
In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the capacitive touch panel 41 is formed by forming conductive patterns on both surfaces of the translucent substrate 42. In contrast, in this embodiment,
As shown in FIG. 18, the conductive pattern is formed only on one side of the translucent substrate 52.

First, the capacitive touch panel manufactured by the manufacturing method of this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 18, the touch panel 51 includes a translucent substrate 52 and a first of the translucent substrate 52.
A plurality of substrate elements 60 provided on a main surface (upper side surface in FIG. 18) S1. First major surface S
1 is provided with a plurality of second electrodes 44 as a second conductive pattern, a plurality of terminal portions 45b, and a wiring 49 for electrically connecting the second electrodes 44 and the terminal portions 45b. . Except for the terminal portion 45b, a resin film 56 is provided on the second electrode 44 and the wiring 49 to cover them. On the resin film 56, a plurality of first electrodes 43 as first conductive patterns are disposed. In the touch panel 51, the first main surface S1 side of the substrate 52 is the position input side.

The translucent substrate 52 is made of alkali glass, and is formed in a rectangular or square shape in plan view, similar to the translucent substrate 42 shown in FIG. In FIG. 18, the first
The electrode 43, the terminal portion 45a, the second electrode 44, and the terminal portion 45b are formed using a light-transmitting conductive material, in this embodiment, ITO. The terminal portions 45a formed at the end portions of the individual first electrodes 43 serve as terminals that are electrically insulated from the terminal portions 45b, and the first main surface S of the translucent substrate 52.
1 and in plan view, the terminal 45b is arranged side by side at a specified interval in the X direction. In FIG. 13A of the second embodiment, the other configurations are the same except that the terminal portion 45a and the terminal portion 45b are shifted in the X direction so as not to overlap in plan view. The planar configuration of the wiring 49 in FIG. 18 is the same as the wiring 49 in FIG.

The principle of position detection in the touch panel 51 is the same as that of the touch panel 41 in FIG. 14, but in the touch panel 51 in FIG. 18, the first electrode 43 and the second electrode 44 are made of the resin film 56.
Therefore, the capacitances C1 and C2 formed between the first electrode 43 and the second electrode 44 are formed in the resin film 56.

In FIG. 18, wiring boards 46 a and 46 b are connected to the position input side of the touch panel 51 and to the left end portion in the drawing. One end of the wiring board 46a is electrically connected to each terminal portion 45a. The other end of the wiring board 46a is an external control circuit such as a position detection circuit (
A signal is input or output between the control circuit and the first electrode 43 connected to the terminal portion 45a. On the other hand, one end of the wiring board 46b is electrically connected to each terminal portion 45b. The other end of the wiring board 46b is connected to an external control circuit, such as a position detection circuit (not shown), and a signal is input between the control circuit and the second electrode 44 connected to the terminal portion 45b. Output is done.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the touch panel 51 as a thin substrate will be described with reference to FIGS.
Will be described. Also in this embodiment, instead of forming the panels 51 shown in FIG. 18 one by one, the substrate is manufactured based on a so-called multi-cavity method in which a plurality of panels 51 are formed simultaneously. The planar structure of the touch panel 51 is the same as that of the touch panel 41 in FIG. 13A, and the planar structure of the panel structure 51 ′ including a plurality of panel 51 elements will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 shows a cross section according to the Z _L -Z _L line of FIG.

In this embodiment, the translucent substrate forming process Q6 (process P51 to process P57) of FIG. 16 is the first translucent substrate forming process Q1 (process P1 to process P7) of FIG. 1 in the previous first embodiment.
Is the same. That is, in step P51 of FIG. 16, the mother translucent substrate 52 ′ of FIG. 2A is washed with a predetermined cleaning liquid, and in step P52 of FIG. 16, the mother translucent substrate 52 ′ of FIG. A protective film 31 is pasted on the second main surface S2 by lamination, for example. After that, in the process P53 of FIG. 16, the first of the mother translucent substrate 52 ′ of FIG.
A resist pattern 32 shown in FIG. 3E is formed on the main surface S1 by patterning by a photo-etching process using a positive photosensitive resin.

Next, in the glass substrate patterning step P54 as the panel region forming step in FIG. 16, the mother substrate 52 ′ is etched using the resist pattern 32 as a mask, so that the substrate as shown in FIG. A region other than the mask 52 ′, that is, the panel region is removed by a predetermined thickness to be formed thin. In this embodiment, the thickness of a panel area | region can be 0.2 mm, for example in the glass substrate of thickness 0.4mm. Then, FIG.
In step P55 of FIG. 6, the resist pattern 32 is removed by, for example, an organic solvent, thereby removing the thin panel region Tp on the substrate 52 ′ as shown in FIG.
And a thick outer edge region To.

Next, in the reinforcing treatment step P56 of FIG. 16 as the reinforcing layer forming step, the reinforcing layer 23 (see FIG. 6) is formed on the first main surface S1 and the second main surface S2 of the substrate 52 ′, and the step of FIG. In P57, the SiO ₂ layer 24 is formed on the first main surface S1 and the second main surface S2 (FIG. 3H).
Thus, the process Q3 of FIG. 11 for forming the mother translucent substrate 42 ′ is completed.

Next, in the second conductive pattern formation step Q7 in FIG. 16, the second electrode 44, the terminal portion 45b, and the wiring 49 in FIG. 15 are formed on the first main surface S1 and in the panel region Tp. First, in step P58 of FIG. 16, the wiring 49 and the first layer 49a of FIG. 15 are formed by, for example, forming a film using Cr as a material and patterning it by a photoetching process. Next, in process P59 of FIG. 16, the second electrode 44 and the second layer 50 shown in FIG.
An O film is formed and patterned by photoetching. Thereafter, the second electrode 44 and the second layer 50 are fired at a predetermined temperature (for example, 220 ° C.) to be polycrystallized. Thus, the second conductive pattern forming process Q7 for forming the second conductive pattern is completed.

Next, in step P60, the resin film 5 covering the second electrode 44, the terminal portion 45b, and the wiring 49 is provided.
6, for example, after a photosensitive resin is applied to a uniform thickness by spin coating, only the terminal portion 45b and the outer edge region To are removed by photolithography, followed by baking.

Next, in the first conductive pattern forming step Q8 in FIG. 16, the first electrode 43 and the terminal portion 45a in FIG. 15 are formed on the resin film 56 and in the panel region Tp. In step P61 of FIG. 16, the second electrode 43 and the terminal portion 45a of FIG. 15 are formed by forming an a-ITO film and patterning it by a photoetching process. Thereafter, the first electrode 43 and the terminal portion 45a are fired at a predetermined temperature (for example, 220 ° C.) to be polycrystallized. Thus, the first conductive pattern forming process Q8 for forming the first conductive pattern is completed. Furthermore, the resin film 5
6 covers the second electrode 43. Thus, the panel structure 51 ′ shown in FIGS. 15 and 17C in which the conductive pattern is formed on the first main surface S1 side of the mother substrate 52 ′ is completed.

Next, in FIG. 16, a dividing step P62 as an outer edge region removing step is executed. Specifically, the panel structure 51 ′ is cut using a laser along the chain line X0 in FIGS. 15 and 17C. At this time, a step is formed between the outer edge region To and the panel region Tp in accordance with the difference in thickness thereof, but the step portion can also be reliably cut by using a laser. Thereby, the outer edge region To shown in FIG. 17C is cut from the panel region Tp. That is, the panel structure 51 ′ of FIG. 15 is divided into the individual substrates 51 shown in FIG. 13A, and the individual substrates 51 are formed. Thereafter, the wiring boards 46a and 46 in FIG.
By connecting b, the touch panel 51 is completed.

Also in this embodiment, the panel region Tp is selectively formed thin in the mother translucent substrate 52 ′, and the thickness of the other outer edge region To is increased. In this way, FIG.
In the panel forming operation after the process P58 of step 6, the strength of the mother translucent substrate 52 ′ can be ensured by the thick outer edge region To, so that the substrate element 60 is placed in the thin panel region Tp. During formation, the substrate 52 'can be prevented from being damaged or bent.

Further, in the process P62 of FIG. 16, as shown in FIG. 17C, the panel structure 51 ′
Since the outer edge portion To is removed from the panel region Tp by cutting using a laser, the touch panel 51 can be thinly formed using the thin portion of the substrate 52.

In the present embodiment, the impact resistance and the load resistance of the translucent substrate 52 ′ can be improved by forming a reinforcing layer on the translucent substrate 52 ′ in step P56 of FIG.
As a result, even if the thickness of the panel region Tp of the substrate 52 ′ is further reduced as compared with the conventional manufacturing method in which the reinforcing layer is not formed, the substrate 52 ′ is prevented from being damaged or bent in the subsequent process. it can. Moreover, even if a touch panel is formed using a thinly formed substrate, a sufficient surface pressing strength that can withstand use can be ensured by applying a strengthening process to the substrate.
In this embodiment, since the strengthening process P56 is performed after the glass substrate patterning process P54, the strengthening process of the substrate 52 ′ is reliably performed without removing the strengthening layer by the etching process in the process P54. It can be carried out.

(Other embodiments)
As mentioned above, although the preferable embodiment was mentioned and the manufacturing method of the thin substrate of this invention was demonstrated, this invention is not limited to that embodiment, It can change variously within the range of the invention described in the claim. .
For example, in the above-described embodiment, in step P4 of FIG. 1, the glass substrate is patterned on one side surface (first main surface S1) of the translucent substrate 42 ′ as shown in FIG. 3 (f). It was to be. However, the patterning of the glass substrate can be performed on both surfaces (the first main surface S1 and the second main surface S2) of the glass substrate as long as the thickness of the substrate after patterning can be secured.

In the first embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present invention is applied to a manufacturing method of a simple matrix type liquid crystal panel which is a thin substrate. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an active matrix type liquid crystal panel using switching elements is used. This method can also be applied.

It is process drawing which shows one Embodiment of the manufacturing method of the thin substrate which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the transition of the structure of a board | substrate corresponding to the process drawing of FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a transition of the structure of the substrate following FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the transition of the structure of the substrate following FIG. 3. It is sectional drawing which shows the liquid crystal device which is an example of the board | substrate manufactured using the manufacturing method of the thin substrate which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the translucent board | substrate which is a component of the board | substrate shown in FIG. It is the top view seen from the substrate normal line direction of FIG. It is a top view which shows a part of panel structure body of the large area manufactured by the manufacturing method of FIG. It is a top view which shows one board | substrate among the panel structures of FIG. It is a top view which shows the other board | substrate among the panel structures of FIG. It is process drawing which shows other embodiment of the manufacturing method of the board | substrate which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the transition of the structure of a board | substrate corresponding to the process drawing of FIG. It is a figure which shows the touchscreen which is another example of the board | substrate manufactured using the manufacturing method of the board | substrate which concerns on this invention, (a) is the top view, (b) is the side view. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the touchscreen of FIG. It is a top view which shows a part of panel structure of the large area manufactured by the manufacturing method of FIG. It is process drawing which shows other embodiment of the manufacturing method of the board | substrate which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the transition of the structure of a board | substrate corresponding to the process drawing of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the touchscreen which is another example of the board | substrate manufactured using the manufacturing method of the board | substrate which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1. 1. liquid crystal device 2. Liquid crystal panel (thin substrate) Driving IC, 4. Lighting equipment,
6). LED, 7. Light guide, 8. Seal material, 9. Liquid crystal layer,
11. First substrate, 11a. A first translucent substrate,
12 A second substrate, 12a. A second translucent substrate,
13. Overhang, 15a. Strip electrode (first conductive pattern),
15b. Strip-shaped electrode (second conductive pattern), 16a, 16b. Alignment film, 17. Polarizing layer,
18. Colored film, 19. Light shielding member, 20. 20. overcoat layer; Spacer,
22. Glass substrate, 23. Reinforcement layer, 24. SiO ₂ layer, 26. wiring,
27. Terminal for external connection 31. Protective film, 32. Resist pattern,
32 '. Resist film, 33. Exposure mask, 34. Glass substrate,
35. Light-shielding pattern, 41, 51. Touch panel (thin substrate),
41 ', 51'. Mother board 42,52. Translucent substrate,
42 ', 52'. Mother translucent substrate, 43. A first electrode (first conductive pattern),
44. Second electrode (second conductive pattern), 45a, 45b. Terminal part,
46a, 46b. Wiring board, 47. Resin film, 48. Input means, 49. wiring,
49a. First layer of terminal portion, 49 '. Material layer, 50. The second layer of the terminal part,
56. Resin film, 60. A substrate element; Cell gap, P.I. Sub-pixel,
V. Indicated Area,

Claims (12)

A panel region forming step for selectively thinly forming a panel region which is a planar region of the translucent substrate;
A substrate element forming step of forming at least one substrate element on at least one surface in the panel region formed thinly;
After the substrate element forming step, an outer edge region removing step of removing an outer edge region that is a region other than the panel region of the translucent substrate;
A method for producing a thin substrate, comprising: In the manufacturing method of the thin substrate of Claim 1,
The panel region forming step includes
Forming a resist in the outer edge region of the translucent substrate;
Removing the panel region by a predetermined thickness by etching;
And a step of removing the resist. The method for manufacturing a thin substrate according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a reinforcing layer forming step of forming a reinforcing layer on both surfaces of the translucent substrate between the panel region forming step and the substrate element forming step. A method for manufacturing a thin substrate, comprising: 4. The thin substrate manufacturing method according to claim 3, wherein the translucent substrate is formed using alkali glass, and the reinforcing layer is formed by a chemical strengthening process in the reinforcing layer forming step. Manufacturing method. 5. The method for manufacturing a thin substrate according to claim 1, wherein in the panel region forming step, the plurality of panel regions are formed side by side in a plane of the translucent substrate. A method for manufacturing a thin substrate. 6. The thin substrate manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein in the outer edge region removing step, a region other than the panel region is cut from the light-transmitting substrate. A method for manufacturing a substrate. 7. The method for manufacturing a thin substrate according to claim 6, wherein in the outer edge region removing step, a region other than the panel region is cut using a laser. In the manufacturing method of the thin substrate as described in any one of Claims 1-7,
The substrate element forming step includes
Forming at least one first conductive pattern on one surface of the translucent substrate;
And a step of forming at least one second conductive pattern on the other surface of the translucent substrate. In the manufacturing method of the thin substrate as described in any one of Claims 1-7,
The substrate element forming step includes
Forming at least one first conductive pattern on one surface of the translucent substrate;
Forming an insulating film covering the first conductive pattern;
And a step of forming a plurality of second conductive patterns on the insulating film. In the manufacturing method of the thin substrate as described in any one of Claims 1-7,
The thin substrate is a first substrate of a liquid crystal panel composed of two substrates facing each other,
The substrate element forming step includes
Forming a plurality of first conductive patterns on one surface of the translucent substrate;
And a step of forming an alignment film on the first conductive pattern. In the manufacturing method of the thin substrate as described in any one of Claims 1-7,
The thin substrate is a second substrate of a liquid crystal panel composed of two substrates facing each other,
The substrate element forming step includes
Forming a plurality of colored films adjacent to one surface of the translucent substrate;
Forming a light shielding film between the colored films adjacent to each other;
Forming a resin film covering the colored film and the light shielding film;
Forming a plurality of second conductive patterns on the resin film so as to planarly overlap the colored film;
Forming a spacer at a position overlapping the light shielding film on the resin film in a plane;
And a step of forming an alignment film covering the second conductive pattern and the spacer. In the manufacturing method of the thin board | substrate of Claim 1-7,
The thin substrate is a first substrate and a second substrate of a liquid crystal panel composed of two substrates facing each other,
The substrate element forming step of the first substrate includes:
Forming a plurality of first conductive patterns on one surface of the translucent substrate;
Forming an alignment film on the first conductive pattern,
The substrate element forming step of the second substrate includes:
Forming a plurality of colored films adjacent to one surface of the translucent substrate;
Forming a light shielding film between the colored films adjacent to each other;
Forming a resin film covering the colored film and the light shielding film;
Forming a plurality of strip-like electrodes that planarly overlap the colored film on the resin film;
Forming a spacer at a position overlapping the light shielding film on the resin film in a plane;
Forming an alignment film covering the strip electrode and the spacer, and
After the substrate element forming step of the first substrate and the substrate element forming step of the second substrate,
Bonding the first substrate and the second substrate with the surfaces on which the substrate elements are formed facing each other;
Forming a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate bonded together;
A method for producing a thin substrate, further comprising:

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