JP2008292758A - Liquid crystal display panel, method of manufacturing liquid crystal display panel, liquid crystal display device, and method of manufacturing liquid crystal display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal display panel in which a specified place of a substrate can be supported even when temperature and external force are changed and the occurrence of low temperature air bubbles upon temperature drop, color irregularities due to temperature change or external force, or the like can be suppressed, to provide a manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display panel, to provide a liquid crystal display device provided with the liquid crystal display panel, and to provide a method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display device. <P>SOLUTION: The liquid crystal display panel includes: a pair of substrates and a plurality of columnar spacers holding a gap between the pair of substrates, wherein the columnar spacers include a space part in which liquid crystal is filled and an opening which is communicated with the space part and is disposed on a surface opposite to the substrate, and the opening is fluid-tightly closed by the substrate. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, a liquid crystal display device, and a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device.

  Liquid crystal display devices are used in various home appliances and information terminal devices such as televisions, personal computers and mobile phones. A liquid crystal display panel used in the liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates made of glass or the like bonded together so as to face each other, a spacer for holding a gap (interval) between the pair of substrates, a pair of substrates, And a liquid crystal filled in a space formed by the spacer.

Here, if the spacer strength is increased more than necessary, the spacer contraction can follow the contraction of the liquid crystal having a large contraction rate in a low temperature environment where the use environment of the liquid crystal display panel is, for example, about −10 ° C. In other words, the filled liquid crystal has a negative pressure and low temperature bubbles are likely to be generated.
On the other hand, if the strength of the spacer is reduced, the spacer can be easily contracted in a low temperature environment, so that the generation of low temperature bubbles can be suppressed. However, if it is too small, the gap of the substrate changes and color unevenness easily occurs when an excessive load is locally applied.

  For this reason, a technique has been proposed in which two types of spacers having different heights are used to suppress the generation of low-temperature bubbles and to suppress the occurrence of color unevenness caused by an external force (see Patent Document 1).

  In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, two types of spacers having different heights are arranged, and the substrate is supported only by the spacers having a high height when the temperature is lowered, and the height is high when an external force is applied. The substrate is supported by both the spacer and the low spacer.

In this case, the high spacer supports the substrate both when the temperature is lowered and when an external force is applied. Therefore, there is a possibility that plastic deformation may occur in the high spacer. Then, when the spacer having a high height is plastically deformed, the substrate is bent, so that the in-plane thickness of the liquid crystal varies and color unevenness may occur easily.
JP 2002-341354 A

  The present invention can support a predetermined position of a substrate even when the temperature and external force change, and suppress the generation of low-temperature bubbles generated when the temperature drops and color unevenness caused by temperature change and external force. Provided are a liquid crystal display panel, a liquid crystal display panel manufacturing method, a liquid crystal display device, and a liquid crystal display device manufacturing method.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, a columnar body spacer that holds a pair of substrates and a gap between the pair of substrates is provided, the columnar body including a space portion filled with liquid crystal, and the space portion. There is provided a liquid crystal display panel characterized in that the opening is provided on a surface facing the substrate, and the opening is liquid-tightly closed by the substrate.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a photocurable resin film is formed on one main surface of the substrate, and the film is irradiated with light through a photomask to provide the photocurable resin. A method of manufacturing a spacer to be cured, wherein the photomask has a plurality of transmissions having different transmittances of the ultraviolet rays for forming spaces provided in a plurality of columnar bodies constituting the spacer and filled with liquid crystals. There is provided a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, characterized in that a portion is provided.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a photocurable resin film is formed on one main surface of the substrate, and the film is irradiated with light through a photomask to provide the photocurable resin. A method of manufacturing a spacer to be cured, wherein the substrate is provided with a recess corresponding to a space provided in a plurality of columnar bodies constituting the spacer and filled with liquid crystal. A method for manufacturing a display panel is provided.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid crystal display device comprising the above-described liquid crystal display panel.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device comprising a step of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel by the above-described method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to support a predetermined position of the substrate even when the temperature and the external force change, and it is possible to generate low-temperature bubbles generated when the temperature is lowered and color unevenness caused by changes in the temperature and external force. Provided are a liquid crystal display panel that can be suppressed, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, a liquid crystal display device, and a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view for illustrating a liquid crystal display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view for illustrating the spacer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view for illustrating the spacer according to the comparative example.

As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal display panel 10 includes a plurality of columnar spacers 1, a color filter substrate 3 and an array substrate 4 provided so as to face each other with a predetermined gap g through the spacers 1. , Is provided. The space formed by the outer peripheral surface 1 a of the spacer 1, the color filter substrate 3, and the array substrate 4 is filled with liquid crystal 2. The liquid crystal 2 is also filled in the space 1 c formed by the inner peripheral surface 1 b of the spacer 1, the color filter substrate 3, and the array substrate 4. Further, the color filter substrate 3 and the array substrate 4 are joined so as to be liquid-tight via the seal member 5 at the peripheral portion thereof.
The end face of the spacer 1 and the color filter substrate 3 and the array substrate 4 are joined so as to be liquid-tight. Therefore, the liquid crystal 2 filled in the space 1 c of the spacer 1 is prevented from leaking to the outer peripheral surface 1 a side of the spacer 1.

  The end face of the spacer 1 is in contact with the color filter substrate 3 and the array substrate 4, and can be brought into close contact with each other when an external force is applied or when the temperature is lowered. In addition, it is possible to mix the joined end face of the spacer 1 and the contacted one.

  However, from the viewpoint of reliability, it is preferable that the end face of the spacer 1 and the color filter substrate 3 and the array substrate 4 are joined so as to be liquid-tight.

  The color filter substrate 3 includes a transparent substrate 3a made of a transparent material such as glass. Then, on the side of the transparent substrate 3a facing the liquid crystal 2, in order from the transparent substrate 3a, a light-shielding film (not shown), a color filter layer having red, green, and blue pixels (not shown), a transparent electrode (not shown), an alignment film (not shown) Are provided so as to be laminated.

  The array substrate 4 includes a transparent substrate 4a made of a transparent material such as glass. On the side of the transparent substrate 4a facing the liquid crystal 2, a switching element including a scanning line and a signal line (not shown), a pixel electrode (not shown), and an alignment film (not shown) are provided.

  The spacer 1 can be made of various inorganic materials, organic materials, composite materials, etc. in consideration of insulation, weather resistance, chemical resistance, dimensional stability, and the like. However, when the spacer 1 is formed by a photolithography method described later, it is preferable to use a photocurable resin.

  Next, a spacer according to a comparative example studied in the process of the inventor's invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the spacer 100 according to the comparative example has a solid cylindrical shape. A support area of the spacer 100 (a cross-sectional area of a portion supporting the substrate) is A.
As in the case shown in FIG. 1, the gap g between the color filter substrate 3 and the array substrate 4 is held by the spacer 100. Here, since the linear expansion coefficient α _LC of the liquid crystal 2 filled in the space formed by the color filter substrate 3, the array substrate 4, and the spacer 100 is larger than the linear expansion coefficient α _SS of the spacer 100, the temperature greatly decreases. In some cases, the contraction amount of the liquid crystal 2 exceeds the contraction amount of the spacer 100, and the free thermal contraction of the liquid crystal 2 is hindered to reduce the pressure.

ここで、圧力低下ΔＰにより、圧力が液晶２の物性などから決められる所定の閾値Ｐ_Ｃより低くなると気泡が発生する。この気泡は低温気泡と呼ばれ、低温気泡が発生すると液晶表示パネルの表示品質が著しく低下する。 At this time, the temperature change is ΔT, the area density (the total supported area of all the spacers 100 arranged / the total area of the display portion of the liquid crystal display panel) is ρ, the volume modulus of the liquid crystal 2 is K, and the Young of the spacer 100 is When the rate is E, the pressure drop ΔP can be expressed by the following equation (6).

Here, the pressure drop [Delta] P, bubbles are generated when the pressure becomes lower than a predetermined threshold value P _C which is determined from the physical properties of the liquid crystal 2. This bubble is called a low-temperature bubble. When the low-temperature bubble is generated, the display quality of the liquid crystal display panel is remarkably deteriorated.

(6) As can be seen from equation by reducing the area density [rho, to reduce the pressure drop [Delta] P, if it is possible to higher than the threshold value P _C pressure, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of low-temperature air bubbles.

（７）式から分かるように、面積密度ρを小さくすればギャップｇの変化量Δｇは大きくなる。そして、変化量Δｇがギャップの変化許容値ｇ_Ｃより大きくなると、ギャップむら、あるいは、色むらと呼ばれる不良が発生する。 On the other hand, the change amount Δg of the gap g generated when a stress is applied to the liquid crystal display panel 10 from the outside is the area density ρ, the initial value of the gap g ₀ , the stress applied to the liquid crystal display panel σ, and the stress When the plastic strain of the material of the spacer 100 generated when σ is loaded is ε _p , it can be expressed by the following equation (7).

As can be seen from the equation (7), if the area density ρ is decreased, the change amount Δg of the gap g is increased. When the change amount Δg is larger than the gap change allowable value g _C , a defect called gap unevenness or color unevenness occurs.

  Thus, the suppression of low-temperature bubbles and the suppression of gap unevenness and color unevenness are in a so-called trade-off relationship, and it is difficult to suppress both simultaneously by adjusting only the area density ρ.

  In this case, as in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, two types of spacers having different heights are provided, and the substrate is supported only by the spacers having a high height until the change amount Δg reaches a predetermined value. In this way, if the pressure drop ΔP is reduced and the change amount Δg reaches a predetermined value and the substrate is supported by all the spacers to reduce the change amount Δg, the low temperature bubbles can be suppressed, and the gap unevenness / color It is possible to achieve both suppression of unevenness.

However, in such a technique, the substrate cannot be supported by a low-height spacer disposed at a position where the substrate is to be supported unless the change amount Δg is increased to some extent. Therefore, depending on the use environment and the magnitude of the stress applied from the outside, the substrate is likely to be bent at this portion (between the spacers having a high height). Then, the in-plane thickness of the liquid crystal varies due to the bending of the substrate, and color unevenness or the like may easily occur.
Further, since the spacer having a high height is subjected to a stress regardless of whether the temperature is lowered or an external force is applied, there is a risk of causing plastic deformation. Further, since the substrate is bent due to the plastic deformation of the high spacer, the in-plane thickness of the liquid crystal may vary, and color unevenness may easily occur.

  As a result of studies, the present inventor can suppress low-temperature bubbles by providing a space having an opening on the support surface of the spacer 1 (surface supporting the substrate) and filling the space with the liquid crystal 2. Further, the inventors have found that it is possible to achieve both suppression of gap unevenness and color unevenness, and also to suppress the bending of the substrate that occurs between the spacers 1. And since the height of each spacer can be made the same, the stress added to a spacer can be disperse | distributed and the knowledge that the plastic deformation of a spacer can also be suppressed was acquired.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the spacer 1 has an annular shape. That is, the spacer 1 includes a space portion 1c (a space having an opening on the support surface) provided so as to penetrate between the support surfaces, and an annular portion 1d provided so as to surround the space portion 1c. ing.

  As described with reference to FIG. 1, the space 1 c is filled with the liquid crystal 2, and the opening is closed with the color filter substrate 3 and the array substrate 4 so as to be liquid-tight.

In such a spacer 1, when the temperature of the use environment is lowered, the linear expansion coefficient α _LC of the liquid crystal 2 is larger than the linear expansion coefficient α _{SS of} the spacer 1, and thus the volume of the space 1 c provided in the spacer 1. The volume of the liquid crystal 2 that is more filled becomes smaller. Therefore, when the temperature decreases, a space is formed between the substrate and the liquid crystal 2, and only the annular portion 1 d of the spacer 1 contributes to the support of the substrate.

また、低温気泡が発生する際の閾値Ｐ_Ｃがわかっている場合には、ΔＰがＰ_Ｃを下回らないための面積密度ρ₁の条件として、（６）式と（８）式から以下の（９）式を導くことができる。

尚、ρ₁は開口部が設けられた面における開口部を除いた部分の面積密度（配設されたすべてのスペーサ１の円環部１ｄの合計支持面積／液晶表示パネルの表示部の全面積）である。また、（９）式の条件は、面積密度ρ₁の上限値を画定するものである。 At this time, if the relationship between the support area A1 of the annular portion 1d (the cross-sectional area of the portion supporting the substrate) A1 and the support area A of the spacer 100 of the comparative example is expressed by the following expression (8), the spacer 1 Can be contracted more easily than the spacer 100, so that free thermal contraction of the liquid crystal 2 is allowed and generation of low-temperature bubbles is easily suppressed. In this case, the supporting area A may be a known supporting area of the columnar spacer, and the spacer 1 satisfying the relationship of the expression (8) can be easily designed.

Also, if you know the threshold P _C during cold bubbles are generated, as a condition for area density [rho ₁ to ΔP is not less than P _C, (6) Equation (8) below from the equation ( 9) Equation can be derived.

Here, ρ ₁ is the area density of the portion excluding the opening on the surface where the opening is provided (the total support area of the annular portion 1d of all the spacers 1 arranged / the total area of the display portion of the liquid crystal display panel) ). Further, the condition of the formula (9) defines an upper limit value of the area density ρ ₁ .

  Here, the equation (9) takes into account the shrinkage in the thickness direction of the liquid crystal display panel 10, but the amount of shrinkage in the thickness direction of the color filter substrate 3 and the array substrate 4 is negligible. It is said.

  In this case, the contraction amount in the planar direction of the color filter substrate 3 and the array substrate 4 is larger than that in the thickness direction. However, if the contraction in the plane direction is also taken into account, the accuracy is improved, but the arithmetic expression may be complicated and may become a practical obstacle.

As a result of the investigation, the present inventor has corrected the area density in consideration of the shrinkage in the planar direction by correcting the linear expansion coefficient α _LC of the liquid crystal and the linear expansion coefficient α _SS of the spacer by a factor obtained in advance by experiments. to obtain a knowledge that can be obtained conveniently the [rho ₁ condition.

次に、液晶表示パネル１０に外部から応力が負荷された場合には、空間部１ｃに充填された液晶２は、基板とスペーサ１とによって液密に密封されているので、液晶２にも圧縮応力が負荷されることになる。この際、液晶２の体積弾性率Ｋが大きいため、液晶２はスペーサ１と一体となって収縮しようとする。そのため、外部から負荷される応力を液晶２とスペーサ１とに分担させることができ、円環部１ｄの支持面積Ａ１と、空間部１ｃの支持面積Ａ２との合計である「Ａ１＋Ａ２」の支持面積を有するスペーサとして基板を支持することができる。 The following equation (10) is derived from this finding, where f ₁ is a factor for correcting the linear expansion coefficient α _SS of the spacer, and f ₂ is for correcting the linear expansion coefficient α _LC of the liquid crystal. Is a factor. The factor is derived based on the ratio between the linear expansion coefficient of the substrate and the linear expansion coefficient of the liquid crystal, the ratio of the linear expansion coefficient of the substrate and the linear expansion coefficient of the spacer, and the like. Since it is affected by the configuration of the liquid crystal display panel, it is specifically determined by experiments.

Next, when a stress is applied to the liquid crystal display panel 10 from the outside, the liquid crystal 2 filled in the space 1 c is liquid-tightly sealed by the substrate and the spacer 1, so that the liquid crystal 2 is also compressed. Stress will be applied. At this time, since the bulk modulus K of the liquid crystal 2 is large, the liquid crystal 2 tends to shrink together with the spacer 1. Therefore, the stress applied from the outside can be shared between the liquid crystal 2 and the spacer 1, and the support area of “A1 + A2” which is the sum of the support area A1 of the annular portion 1d and the support area A2 of the space portion 1c. The substrate can be supported as a spacer having

また、ギャップの変化許容値ｇ_Ｃおよび応力σが負荷されたときに発生するスペーサ１の材料の塑性歪ε_pがわかっている場合には、変化量Δｇが変化許容値ｇ_Ｃを上回らないための面積密度ρ₂の条件として、（７）式と、（１１）式から以下の（１２）式を導くことができる。尚、ρ_２は開口部が設けられた面の開口部を含んだ面積密度（配設されたすべてのスペーサ１の円環部１ｄと空間部１ｃの合計支持面積／液晶表示パネルの表示部の全面積）である。

尚、ｇ_０はギャップの初期値である。
また、（１２）式の条件は、面積密度ρ_２の下限値を画定するものである。 In this case, if the relationship between the support area “A1 + A2” and the support area A of the spacer 100 as a comparative example is expressed by the following equation (11), the substrate is supported by a spacer having a larger support area than the spacer 100. Therefore, it is easy to suppress the change in the gap g. As a result, it becomes easy to suppress the occurrence of gap unevenness and color unevenness due to external force. The supporting area A may be a known supporting area of the columnar spacer, and the spacer 1 satisfying the relationship of the expression (11) can be easily designed.

Further, when the gap change allowable value g _C and the plastic strain ε _p of the material of the spacer 1 generated when the stress σ is applied, the change amount Δg does not exceed the change allowable value g _C. As a condition of the area density ρ _2, the following expression (12) can be derived from the expression (7) and the expression (11). Here, ρ ₂ is an area density including the opening of the surface provided with the opening (the total support area of the annular portion 1d and the space 1c of all the spacers 1 arranged / the display portion of the liquid crystal display panel. Total area).

In addition, g ₀ is the initial value of the gap.
Further, (12) conditions are those that define the lower limit of the area density [rho _2.

  Here, equation (6) is derived by regarding the material of the spacer as an elastic body, but it is preferable to take this into consideration when the magnitude of plastic strain relative to elastic strain increases.

そして、（６）式のヤング率Ｅを、Ｅ^＊で置き換えることにより、スペーサの材料の塑性をも考慮した圧力低下ΔＰの式を導くことができる。そのため、この場合の圧力低下ΔＰは以下の（１４）式で表すことができる。

ここで、ヤング率ＥをＥ^＊に置きかえることにより、圧力低下ΔＰの絶対値は小さくなる。そして、（１４）式から、圧力低下ΔＰが閾値Ｐ_Ｃを下回らないための面積密度ρ₁の条件として、以下の（１５）式を導くことができる。

この場合、ヤング率ＥをＥ^＊に置き換えることにより、面積密度ρ₁の上限値は大きくなる。 FIG. 4 shows the stress-total strain curve of the spacer material, and the maximum slope E ^* of a straight line formed by connecting a point on the curve and the origin.
In this case, the relationship between E and E ^* is expressed by the following equation (13).

Then, by substituting the Young's modulus E in the equation (6) with E ^* , an equation for the pressure drop ΔP that also takes into account the plasticity of the spacer material can be derived. Therefore, the pressure drop ΔP in this case can be expressed by the following equation (14).

Here, the absolute value of the pressure drop ΔP is reduced by replacing the Young's modulus E with E ^* . Then, it is possible to derive from (14), as a condition of area density [rho ₁ for the pressure drop ΔP does not fall below the threshold value P _C, the following equation (15).

In this case, the upper limit value of the area density ρ ₁ is increased by replacing the Young's modulus E with E ^* .

As described above, if the linear expansion coefficient α _LC of the liquid crystal and the linear expansion coefficient α _SS of the spacer are corrected by a factor obtained in advance by experiments, the following expression (16) can be obtained from the expression (15). Led.

ここで、ｆ_１はスペーサの線膨張係数α_ＳＳを補正するためのファクター、ｆ_２は液晶の線膨張係数α_ＬＣを補正するためのファクターである。

Here, f ₁ is a factor for correcting the linear expansion coefficient α _SS of the spacer, and f ₂ is a factor for correcting the linear expansion coefficient α _LC of the liquid crystal.

そして、係数βは、基板のヤング率Ｅ_ｓｕｂ、基板の厚さｔ、スペーサとスペーサとの間の平均距離Ｌを用いて、以下の（１８）式とすることができる。

ここで、ギャップの初期値をｇ_０とすれば、（１４）式から以下の（１９）式が導かれる。

この場合、圧力低下ΔＰの絶対値は、基板の撓みの作用によって小さくなる。 Equation (14) is derived by regarding the substrate as a rigid body, but the Young's modulus of the substrate is small, the thickness of the substrate is thin, or the average distance between the spacers is long. In some cases, it is preferable to consider a change in the gap due to the bending of the substrate between the spacers.
In this case, since the average value Δg ^* of the change amount Δg of the gap over the entire display portion of the liquid crystal display panel is considered to be proportional to the pressure drop ΔP of the liquid crystal, the following equation (17) is derived.

The coefficient β can be expressed by the following expression (18) using the Young's modulus E _{sub of} the substrate, the thickness t of the substrate, and the average distance L between the spacers.

Here, if the initial value of the gap is g ₀ , the following equation (19) is derived from the equation (14).

In this case, the absolute value of the pressure drop ΔP becomes smaller due to the bending action of the substrate.

この場合、基板の撓みの作用により、面積密度ρ₁の上限値は大きくなる。 Then, from (19), as a condition of area density [rho ₁ for the pressure drop ΔP does not fall below the threshold value P _C, the following equation (20) is derived.

In this case, the upper limit value of the area density ρ ₁ is increased due to the bending action of the substrate.

Further, as described above, if the linear expansion coefficient α _LC of the liquid crystal and the linear expansion coefficient α _SS of the spacer are corrected by a factor obtained in advance by experiments, the following expression (21) can be obtained from the expression (20). Led.

ここで、ｆ_１はスペーサの線膨張係数α_ＳＳを補正するためのファクター、ｆ_２は液晶の線膨張係数α_ＬＣを補正するためのファクターである。

Here, f ₁ is a factor for correcting the linear expansion coefficient α _SS of the spacer, and f ₂ is a factor for correcting the linear expansion coefficient α _LC of the liquid crystal.

  As described above, since the support area of the spacer 1 according to the present embodiment is as small as A1 when the temperature is lowered, free thermal contraction of the liquid crystal can be allowed and generation of low temperature bubbles can be suppressed. On the other hand, when a stress is applied from the outside, the support area increases as “A1 + A2”, so that the change in the gap g can be suppressed. Further, when the temperature is lowered, the substrate is supported by at least the annular portion 1d, so that a portion that does not support the substrate unlike that disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not occur, and the substrate is bent and uneven in color. And the like can be further suppressed. And since the height of each spacer can be made the same, the stress added to a spacer can be disperse | distributed and the plastic deformation of a spacer can also be suppressed.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view for illustrating the spacer of the liquid crystal display panel according to the second embodiment of the invention. The same parts as those described in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the spacer 11 has a cylindrical outer shape, and includes a space portion 1e having an opening on one support surface, and an annular portion 1f provided so as to surround the space portion 1e. ing. That is, the spacer 11 has a bottomed space 1e. A1 is a support area of the annular portion 1f (a cross-sectional area of a portion supporting the substrate), and A2 is a support area of the space portion 1e.

  As described with reference to FIG. 1, the space 1 e is filled with the liquid crystal 2, and the opening is closed with the color filter substrate 3 or the array substrate 4 so as to be liquid-tight.

  Also in the present embodiment, if the support area A1 and the support area A2 are the same as those described with reference to FIG. 2, the above-described equations can be applied, and the same effects as those described with reference to FIG. Can be generated.

For convenience of explanation, the opening portion of the space portion 1e is provided on one support surface. However, the two space portions 1e may be provided so as to face each other, and the opening portions may be provided on both support surfaces. it can.
The space portion 1c and the space portion 1e are provided so as to be substantially perpendicular to the support surface. However, if the support area A1 and the support area A2 are the same, their axis lines are provided obliquely. Alternatively, the cross-sectional area may be gradually reduced, gradually increased, or arbitrarily changed.

  Further, the numbers of the space portions 1c, the space portions 1e, and the openings are not limited to those illustrated, and if the support area A1 and the support area A2 are the same, the numbers can be appropriately changed.

  Further, the cross-sectional shape in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the spacer is not limited to an annular shape, and can be, for example, an annular shape with a polygonal outer shape. However, if the outer shape is a shape having no “corner” such as a circle or an ellipse, the stress applied to the spacer can be made uniform, and chipping and peeling can be suppressed.

Next, the manufacturing method of the spacer which concerns on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.
FIG. 6 is a schematic process cross-sectional view for illustrating the method for manufacturing the spacer of the liquid crystal display panel according to the third embodiment of the invention.
First, as shown in FIG. 6A, a photocurable resin composition is applied to one side of the substrate 20 to form a coating film 21. The coating method is not particularly limited, and for example, a coating method such as a slot die method, a slit coater method, a gravure coater method, a spin coater method, a screen printing method, a flexographic printing method, and an inkjet method can be used.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, the photocurable resin is cured by irradiating the coating film with ultraviolet rays UV through a photomask 22 having a predetermined transmission part 23. Thereafter, if the substrate 20 is washed with an alkaline solution or the like, the spacer 1 having a desired shape as shown in FIG. 6C can be manufactured.

FIG. 7 is a schematic process cross-sectional view for illustrating the method for manufacturing the spacer of the liquid crystal display panel according to the fourth embodiment of the invention.
When manufacturing the spacer 11 having the bottomed space portion 1e, for example, a recess 20a having a predetermined shape is provided on the substrate 20 as shown in FIG. In this case, the coating film 21 irradiated with the ultraviolet rays UV through the photomask 22a having the predetermined transmission part 23a tends to contract at a constant contraction rate during curing. Therefore, the recess 24 is formed on the end surface (upper surface) of the spacer so as to follow the recess 20a provided on the substrate 20. Then, if the board | substrate 20 is wash | cleaned with an alkaline solution etc., the spacer 11 which has the bottomed space part 1e as shown in FIG.7 (b) can be manufactured. In addition, about application | coating of a photocurable resin composition, since it is the same as that of what was demonstrated in FIG. 6, the description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 8 is a schematic process cross-sectional view for illustrating the method for manufacturing the spacer of the liquid crystal display panel according to the fifth embodiment of the invention.
When manufacturing the spacer 11 having the bottomed space portion 1e, for example, as shown in FIG. 8A, a photomask 22b is provided with a transmissive portion 23b and a transmissive portion 23c having different transmittances of ultraviolet rays UV. It is also possible to change the range and depth of curing. In this case, since the curing speed is lower immediately below the transmission part 23c having a lower transmittance than directly below the transmission part 23b having a higher transmittance, the recess 24 is formed on the end surface (upper surface) of the spacer. Thereafter, if the substrate 20 is washed with an alkaline solution or the like, the spacer 11 having the bottomed space 1e as shown in FIG. 8B can be manufactured. In addition, about application | coating of a photocurable resin composition, since it is the same as that of what was demonstrated in FIG. 6, the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In addition, if the transmittance of ultraviolet rays in the transmission part is continuously changed, the cross-sectional shape in the axial direction of the space part is an arbitrary shape such as a curved surface shape, an inclined surface shape, or a shape in which the cross-sectional area gradually decreases or increases. It can also be.

  Further, the number and arrangement of the transmissive portions are not limited to those illustrated, and can be appropriately changed depending on the number and arrangement of the space portions. For example, when a plurality of space portions are formed in the spacer, a plurality of transmission portions can be provided in accordance with the space portions.

  In the manufacturing method illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, the substrate on which the spacer is formed may be the color filter substrate 3 or the array substrate 4.

Next, a manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
For convenience of explanation, a method of manufacturing a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) color liquid crystal display panel will be described.

  The manufacturing process of the TFT color liquid crystal display panel includes a TFT array forming process, a color filter forming process, an alignment film forming process, a substrate bonding process, a liquid crystal injection process, and a substrate cutting process.

Here, when the spacer according to the embodiment of the present invention described above is provided on the color filter substrate side, the above-described spacer manufacturing method is performed after the color filter forming step or in the color filter forming step.
When the spacer according to the embodiment of the present invention described above is provided on the array substrate side, the above-described spacer manufacturing method is performed after the TFT array forming process or in the TFT array forming process.

Further, it is preferable to use an ODF (One Drop Fill) method in the substrate bonding step and the liquid crystal injection step.
In the ODF method, first, a photocurable resin is applied to the peripheral portion of the substrate. Then, a predetermined amount of liquid crystal is dropped on one substrate and bonded to the other glass substrate, and then irradiated with ultraviolet rays to seal the peripheral portion. Therefore, if the ODF method is used, the liquid crystal can be easily filled in the space provided in the spacer.

  In addition, about the other process in the manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display panel, since the technique of each known process can be applied, those description is abbreviate | omitted.

  For convenience of explanation, a manufacturing method of a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) color liquid crystal display panel has been described, but the same applies to a TN (Twisted Nematic) type liquid crystal display panel and an STN (SuperTwisted Nematic) type liquid crystal display panel. Thus, the spacer according to the embodiment of the present invention can be formed.

Next, a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The liquid crystal display device according to the present embodiment includes the above-described liquid crystal display panel according to the present embodiment, a mechanism member, and the like.
Examples of the mechanism member include a driver IC, a drive circuit that generates a control signal input to the driver IC, and a backlight.
Further, a cover or the like can be provided as necessary.
In addition, since a known technique can be applied to the mechanism member, the cover, etc., the description thereof is omitted.

Next, a manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the manufacture of the liquid crystal display device according to the present embodiment, a liquid crystal panel is manufactured by the above-described method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to the present embodiment, and a mechanism member is attached to the manufactured liquid crystal display panel.
Thereafter, the production of the liquid crystal display device is completed by appropriately attaching a cover or the like as necessary.
In addition, since it is possible to apply a known technique with respect to mounting of the mechanism member and attachment of the cover, the description thereof is omitted.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions.

  As long as the features of the present invention are provided, those skilled in the art appropriately modified the design of the above-described embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention.

  For example, the shape, size, material, arrangement, and the like of each element included in the spacer 1, the liquid crystal display panel 10, the spacer 11, the photomask 22, the photomask 22a, and the like are not limited to those illustrated, but may be changed as appropriate. Can do.

  Moreover, each element with which each embodiment mentioned above is combined can be combined as much as possible, and what combined these is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as the characteristics of the present invention are included.

It is a schematic cross section for illustrating the liquid crystal display panel which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 1 is a schematic perspective view for illustrating a spacer of a liquid crystal display panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a model perspective view for illustrating the spacer concerning a comparative example. It shows the stress-total strain curve of the spacer material, and the maximum slope E ^* of a straight line formed by connecting a point on the curve and the origin. It is a model perspective view for illustrating the spacer of the liquid crystal display panel which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a typical process sectional view for illustrating the manufacturing method of the spacer of the liquid crystal display panel concerning a 3rd embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic process sectional drawing for illustrating the manufacturing method of the spacer of the liquid crystal display panel concerning a 4th embodiment of the present invention. It is a typical process sectional view for illustrating the manufacturing method of the spacer of the liquid crystal display panel concerning a 5th embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 spacer, 1a outer peripheral surface, 1b inner peripheral surface, 1c space part, 1d ring part, 1e space part, 1f ring part, 2 liquid crystal, 3 color filter substrate, 3a transparent substrate, 4 array substrate, 4a transparent substrate, 5 Seal member, 10 Liquid crystal display panel, 11 Spacer, 20 Substrate, 20a Recessed part, 21 Coating film, 22 Photomask, 22a Photomask, 23 Transmission part, 23a Transmission part, 23b Transmission part, 23c Transmission part, 24 Recession part, 100 spacer, A supporting area, A1 supporting area, A2 supporting area, g gap, UV ultraviolet, [rho ₁ area density, [rho ₂ area density,

Claims (9)

A pair of substrates;
A columnar spacer that holds a gap between the pair of substrates;
With
The columnar body is
A space filled with liquid crystal;
An opening provided on a surface that communicates with the space and faces the substrate;
Have
The liquid crystal display panel, wherein the opening is liquid-tightly closed by the substrate. 2. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, wherein an area density ρ _{1 of} a portion excluding the opening on the surface provided with the opening satisfies the relationship of the following expression (1).

Here, α _LC is the linear expansion coefficient of the liquid crystal, α _SS is the linear expansion coefficient of the spacer, f ₁ is a factor for correcting the linear expansion coefficient α _SS of the spacer, and f ₂ is a correction of the linear expansion coefficient α _LC of the liquid crystal. factors for, K is the bulk modulus of the liquid crystal, E is Young's modulus of the spacers, [Delta] T is the temperature variation, P _C is the threshold value of the pressure at which bubbles are generated. 2. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, wherein an area density ρ _{1 of} a portion excluding the opening on the surface provided with the opening satisfies the relationship of the following expression (2).

Here, α _LC is the linear expansion coefficient of the liquid crystal, α _SS is the linear expansion coefficient of the spacer, f ₁ is a factor for correcting the linear expansion coefficient α _SS of the spacer, and f ₂ is a correction of the linear expansion coefficient α _LC of the liquid crystal. factors for, K is the bulk modulus of the liquid crystal, [Delta] T is the temperature variation, P _C is the pressure at which bubbles are generated threshold, E ^* is the stress of the material of the spacer - a point and the origin on the curve in the total strain curve This is the maximum slope of the connected straight line. The area density ρ _{1 of the} portion excluding the opening on the surface provided with the opening satisfies the relationship of the following equation (3), where β in the equation (3) is the following equation (4): The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, wherein

Here, ρ is the area density of the surface of the spacer that is not provided with an opening, and α _LC is the linear expansion coefficient of the liquid crystal, α _SS is the linear expansion coefficient of the spacer, and f ₁ is the linear expansion coefficient α of the spacer. factor for correcting the _SS, f ₂ is a factor for correcting the linear expansion coefficient alpha _LC of the liquid crystal, K is the bulk modulus of the liquid crystal, [Delta] T is the temperature variation, P _C is the pressure at which bubbles are generated threshold, E ^* Is the maximum value of the slope of the straight line connecting the point on the stress-total strain curve of the spacer material and the origin, g ₀ is the initial value of the gap, β is a proportional coefficient related to the change of the gap due to the deflection of the substrate, L is the average distance between the spacers, E _sub is the Young's modulus of the substrate, and t is the thickness of the substrate. 5. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, wherein an area density including the opening of the surface provided with the opening satisfies the relationship of the following expression (5): 5. .

Here, ρ ₂ is the area density including the opening of the surface provided with the opening, g ₀ is the initial value of the gap, g _C is the allowable change of the gap, ε _p is the plastic strain of the spacer material, σ Is a stress applied to the liquid crystal display panel. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, wherein a film of a photocurable resin is formed on one main surface of a substrate, and the film is irradiated with light through a photomask to cure the photocurable resin,
The photomask is provided with a plurality of transmission portions having different transmittances of the ultraviolet rays for forming spaces provided in a plurality of columnar bodies constituting the spacer and filled with liquid crystal. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, wherein a film of a photocurable resin is formed on one main surface of a substrate, and the film is irradiated with light through a photomask to cure the photocurable resin,
A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, wherein the substrate is provided with recesses corresponding to spaces provided in a plurality of columnar bodies constituting the spacer and filled with liquid crystal.   A liquid crystal display device comprising the liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1.   A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, comprising the step of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel by the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to claim 6.

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