JP2009058569A - Repair method and device, and method of manufacturing electrooptical device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently and easily repair a bright spot defect in a liquid crystal device or the like. <P>SOLUTION: A repair method repairs the bright spot defect in a pixel area (10a) when manufacturing an electrooptical device sandwiching an electrooptical substance (50) between a pair of substrates (10, 20). The repair method includes: specifying processes (S101, S102) for specifying defective parts generating the bright spot defect; and applying processes (S103, S104) for applying a correction material for correcting the bright spot defect to become difficult to be viewed to the specified defective parts by an ink jet method on at least one substrate of a pair of the substrates. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a repair method and apparatus for manufacturing an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device, and a technical field of a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device including the repair method.

  This type of repair method is performed, for example, in order to prevent the occurrence of a bright spot defect in the pixel region when the electro-optical device is manufactured. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for preventing the occurrence of a bright spot defect due to a pixel defect defect. According to Patent Document 1, when a pixel switching element is defective in a pixel circuit that drives each pixel in a pixel region in a state where a pair of substrates constituting an electro-optical device is bonded, a conductive film is formed by a laser. Is repaired by switching and switching the pixel switching element to the redundant switching element.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for preventing a bright spot defect from occurring in a pixel region due to a foreign matter when a foreign matter is recognized between a pair of substrates constituting the electro-optical device. ing. According to Patent Document 2, a bright hole is blocked by opening a microhole on the outside of a substrate at a foreign substance existing location and filling the microhole with a light-shielding material.

JP 2007-72116 A JP 2007-65653 A

  However, the correction of the pixel circuit using the laser as described above may cause a new defect in the pixel circuit due to disconnection of wiring existing in a portion other than the corrected portion. Further, when laser is irradiated with a pair of substrates attached to each other, the alignment film and the color filter may be damaged, and the electro-optical material may be contaminated by the organic material that has melted and flowed out.

  On the other hand, according to Patent Document 2, formation of a microhole is performed by shaving the substrate with a microdrill. Such work requires a high level of technology, and there is a possibility that the process for repair becomes complicated.

  In particular, according to the conventional technique, since appropriate correction is not performed, the liquid crystal device as a whole is often judged to be defective as a result of final inspection. For this reason, various material resources constituting the liquid crystal panel and the like are wasted, and the total amount of liquid crystal panels and the like discarded while containing various harmful organic and inorganic substances increases. As a result, there is a serious problem that it may lead to environmental destruction which is a recent social concern.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems and the like, and includes an environment-friendly repair method and apparatus capable of repairing a bright spot defect more effectively and easily, and such a repair method. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device.

  In order to solve the above problems, the repair method of the present invention repairs a defective bright spot in a pixel region of an electro-optical device when an electro-optical device is formed by sandwiching an electro-optical material between a pair of substrates. A method for identifying a defective portion where the bright spot defect occurs in the pixel region for at least one of the pair of substrates, and the bright spot defect with respect to the identified defective portion And an application step of applying a correction material for correcting the ink so as not to be visually recognized by an inkjet method.

  According to the repair method of the present invention, when the electro-optic device is manufactured, the bright spot defect in the pixel region is repaired as follows. In the present application, the “pixel region” means the entire region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a plane, and typically, an image display region in which an image for direct viewing or projection is displayed in a transmission type or a reflection type. Means.

  In the electro-optical device manufacturing process, for example, a pixel electrode and a pixel switching element are formed on one substrate of a pair of substrates, and a counter electrode, for example, facing the pixel electrode is formed on the other substrate. To do. After that, for example, an alignment film is formed on each of the pair of substrates and bonded together, and then, for example, liquid crystal is injected as an electro-optical material between the pair of substrates and sealed. Thereafter, a dust-proof substrate such as dust-proof glass made of quartz or a glass member, a phase difference plate, a polarizing film, a deflection filter, or the like is provided on the side opposite to the side where each of the pair of substrates faces each other.

  In such a manufacturing process, foreign matter may adhere to each of a pair of substrates, or a pixel circuit including a pixel switching element may be defective. In this case, due to a defect, regardless of the driving state of the pixel electrode or the counter electrode, the mutual electrodes are always energized, or the alignment state of the electro-optical material by the alignment film cannot be satisfactorily controlled. Light leakage occurs. Further, if foreign matter adheres to the surface of the substrate facing the electro-optical material or the substrate surface on the opposite side, or if there is a scratch on the substrate surface, the display light is scattered. Alternatively, the pixel circuit defect may be a pixel defect defect (hereinafter also referred to as “leak bit”), and the light transmittance in the electro-optical material may be uncontrollable. As a result, a bright spot defect occurs in the pixel region of the electro-optical device. Here, the bright spot defect is very conspicuous in human vision, particularly on various images that are generally displayed, compared to the dark spot defect.

  Therefore, in the present invention, first, a defective portion where such a bright spot defect occurs is specified for at least one of the substrates by the specifying step. Here, the “defective location” is a location where a bright spot failure can occur due to the presence of foreign matter and leak bits as described above. Further, “at least one substrate” includes not only the meaning of the substrate itself but also the meaning of a substrate such as a dust-proof substrate attached to the substrate.

  Then, a correction material is apply | coated with the inkjet method with respect to this identified defective location by an application | coating process. Here, the “correcting material” is used for correcting the defective bright spot so that it is difficult to be visually recognized, and is typically a black pigment or dye ink. “Black system” means each color defined by the hue, saturation, and lightness that are visually recognized as gray or black. Such a material has a higher light-shielding property and can be reliably reduced than the brightness of the bright spot. Therefore, by changing the bright spot defect to the dark spot defect in the pixel region, this can be made difficult to be visually recognized. The “inkjet method” is a method in which ink, which has been widely developed for printer applications, is ejected in a granular form. For example, in an electro-optical device, for example, a pixel on the order of several microns to several tens of microns, with a positional accuracy in units of microns. Also, it is easy to apply as dots in micron units by existing technology.

  The correction material is applied to the defective portion so as to directly cover, for example, a foreign substance existing in the portion. Or a correction material is apply | coated so that the light which permeate | transmits the said location can be interrupted | blocked with respect to a defective location. Therefore, it is difficult for the pixel electrode or the counter electrode to be always energized due to the presence of the conductive foreign matter, or the transmitted light in the defective portion is reduced, thereby making it difficult for the bright spot to be visually recognized in the display in the pixel region. It becomes possible to correct as follows. Thereby, a bright spot defect can be repaired. The surface on which the correction material is applied may be the surface of the substrate itself facing the electro-optical material, the opposite surface, or the surface of a dust-proof substrate or the like attached to the substrate.

  In this manner, in the coating process, the correction material is applied by the ink jet method, and therefore, for example, a work such as providing a fine hole in the substrate becomes unnecessary. Therefore, the advanced technique for such work is unnecessary, and it is possible to prevent troublesome work required for repair. Further, since the pixel circuit is not corrected by the laser, it is possible to prevent a new defect of the pixel circuit and damage to the alignment film due to the repair. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the organic material from being melted into the electro-optical material and flowing out from the alignment film or the like.

  According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to repair bright spot defects more easily and effectively. In particular, by efficiently repairing, the case where the electro-optical device as a whole is determined to be defective is reduced by the final inspection. For this reason, wasteful use of various material resources constituting the electro-optical device can be prevented, and disposal of various harmful organic substances and inorganic substances can be suppressed. As a result, the environment-friendly electro-optical device is provided.

  In one aspect of the repair method of the present invention, the application step includes a step of relatively aligning the identified defective portion and a nozzle position of an application unit capable of applying the correction material; and And a step of applying by the applying means.

  According to this aspect, in the coating step, first, the two-dimensional movement of the nozzle of the coating unit with respect to the set substrate is performed by, for example, or in addition to or in addition to the two-dimensional movement of the stage on which the substrate is placed. By the movement, the defective portion and the nozzle position of the coating means are aligned. Further, the distance from the nozzle of the coating means to the surface to be coated is also adjusted to a predetermined distance corresponding to the nozzle. Thereafter, the correction material is applied by an inkjet method from the nozzle of the application means. Therefore, the correction material can be reliably applied to the defective portion.

  If there are a plurality of defective portions, such alignment and application as one set may be sequentially performed on the plurality of defective portions already specified in the specific process.

  In another aspect of the repair method of the present invention, the specifying step includes a step of finding the defective portion and a step of specifying the position of the found defective portion.

  According to this aspect, in the specific process, first, a defective portion with a bright spot defect is found. This can be done by looking directly at the CCD, camera, visual observation, etc., or by observing the projected image, and the judgment of whether or not it is a defective part may be based on the output of a luminance meter or image analysis by a computer. Alternatively, visual image analysis may be used. Here, when a defective portion is found on at least one of the substrates, the position of the defective portion is specified. The position of the defective part is specified as coordinate information in the pixel region on the substrate surface, for example. Alternatively, the position of the stage on which the substrate is placed may be specified.

  In another aspect of the repair method of the present invention, the specifying step and the coating step are performed on a large substrate including a plurality of at least one of the pair of substrates.

  According to this aspect, in the electro-optical device manufacturing process, for example, from the large substrate such as a mother substrate including several to several hundred individual substrates, the individual substrates are not cut and separated. Perform a defective repair. Therefore, it is possible to perform repair more efficiently compared to the case where repair is performed for each substrate.

  In another aspect of the repair method of the present invention, the specifying step and the coating step are performed before the pair of substrates are bonded to each other.

  According to this aspect, in the manufacturing process of the electro-optical device, the repair is individually performed for each of the pair of substrates, and then compared with the case where the repair is performed on each defective portion after the pair of substrates is bonded. Thus, it becomes possible to prevent the bright spot defect from occurring more easily and reliably.

  In addition, repair of defective bright spots can be performed on the facing surfaces that are bonded to face each other. Therefore, for each of the pair of substrates, it is possible to prevent a bright spot defect from occurring due to, for example, the presence of foreign matter attached to the facing surface side.

  In addition, it is possible to reduce the number of substrates that are defective due to the possibility that a bright spot defect may occur before the pair of substrates are bonded together, and to improve the yield in the electro-optical device manufacturing process. .

  In the aspect in which the repair is performed before bonding the pair of substrates, in the coating step, the correction material is coated on the substrate surface of the at least one of the pair of substrates facing the electro-optical material. May be.

  By applying in this way, the correction material can be applied to each of the pair of substrates so as to directly cover, for example, the foreign matter existing on the side facing the electro-optical material. In addition, light that passes through the defective portion can be blocked between the pair of substrates by the applied correction material.

  In this case, further, the specifying step and the coating step are performed on the substrate surface after forming an alignment film for controlling the alignment state of the electro-optical material and before a rubbing process on the alignment film, Then, the same material as the alignment film may be applied as the correction material.

  If applied in this way, repair can be performed more efficiently. That is, in the electro-optical device manufacturing process, an alignment film is formed on the opposing surface side of each of the pair of substrates. When foreign material exists on the alignment film with the alignment film formed, this material can directly cover the foreign material by applying the same material as the alignment film as a correction material on the opposite surface side of the substrate. . After that, in the electro-optical device manufacturing process, the alignment film is subjected to rubbing treatment including the defective portion, thereby preventing the alignment failure of the electro-optical material based on the presence of foreign matter on the alignment film. can do. Therefore, it is possible to repair a bright spot defect due to a poor alignment of the electro-optical material.

  Further, in this case, since the same material as the alignment film is used as the correction material, the correction material applied to the opposite surface flows out into the electro-optical material and becomes contaminated, and a new display defect occurs due to the repair. Can be more reliably prevented.

  In another aspect of the repair method of the present invention, in the specifying step and the coating step, a transparent plate member is bonded to the side opposite to the side facing the electro-optical material in at least one of the pair of substrates. Later, it is performed on the outer surface of the transparent plate member located on the side opposite to the side facing the electro-optical material.

  According to this aspect, in the electro-optical device manufacturing process, after bonding a pair of substrates, for example, a dust-proof substrate, a cover glass, and a defocus glass as a transparent plate member on the opposite side of each of the pair of substrates. Then, heat radiation glass or the like is attached. Or optical members, such as a polarizing plate and a phase difference plate, are bonded together. Thereafter, in the transparent plate member, repair of defective bright spots is performed on the outer surface of the pair of substrates opposite to the side facing the corresponding substrate.

  By applying a black dye or pigment as a correction material to the foreign matter or scratch attached to the outer surface of the transparent plate member, the foreign matter or scratch is covered. Alternatively, a black dye or pigment is applied to the outer surface of the transparent plate member at a defective portion based on foreign matter, scratches, or leak bits attached to each of the pair of substrates inside the transparent plate member. Thereby, it is possible to block light contributing to display in a defective portion based on a foreign matter or a scratch on the transparent plate member and a defective portion based on a leak bit or the like inside the transparent plate member.

  Here, the shadow of the correction material applied to the outer surface of the transparent plate member is reflected in the display image in the pixel region. Since the light contributing to the display emitted through the transparent plate member is blocked, the shadow of the correction material is reflected in a defocused state. Therefore, it becomes possible to make it difficult to visually recognize the shadow of the correction material in the display image.

  In another aspect of the repair method of the present invention, a confirmation step of confirming whether or not the application position of the applied correction material coincides with the position of the defective portion, and the application position is the position of the defective portion. And a removal step of removing the applied correction material when it does not match.

  According to this aspect, after the correction material is applied and repaired in the application process, it is possible to confirm whether or not repair has been performed on the defective portion in the confirmation process. Here, in the confirmation step, the application position is identified by, for example, coordinate information, and is confirmed by checking the position of the defective portion and the coordinate information identified in the identification step.

  When it is confirmed in the confirmation step that repair has been performed on a location different from the defective location, the correction material applied to a location different from the defective location is removed in the removal step. Thereafter, the defective portion can be repaired by performing again from the specific step. Accordingly, it is possible to repair the bright spot defect more effectively and more reliably. In addition, a more environmentally friendly repair method can be realized.

  In order to solve the above problems, the method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to the present invention includes the above-described repair method according to the present invention (including various aspects thereof).

  According to the method for manufacturing an electro-optical device of the present invention, since the repair method according to the present invention described above is included, a bright spot defect can be repaired more easily and effectively. For this reason, it is possible to improve the yield in the manufacturing process and to manufacture an environment-friendly electro-optical device.

  In order to solve the above problems, the repair device of the present invention repairs a bright spot defect in a pixel region of an electro-optical device when an electro-optical device is formed by sandwiching an electro-optical material between a pair of substrates. An apparatus for identifying a defective portion where the bright spot defect occurs in the pixel region for at least one of the pair of substrates, and the bright spot defect with respect to the identified defective spot Coating means for applying a correction material for correction so as to be difficult to be visually recognized by an inkjet method.

  According to the repair device of the present invention, it is possible to repair the bright spot defect of the electro-optical device as in the case of the repair method as described above. Therefore, it is possible to repair the bright spot defect more easily and effectively.

  Note that the repair device of the present invention can also adopt various aspects similar to the various aspects of the above-described repair method of the present invention.

  Such an operation and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the best mode for carrying out the invention described below.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, a driving circuit built-in type TFT active matrix driving type liquid crystal device, which is an example of the electro-optical device of the present invention, is taken as an example.

<First Embodiment>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, an overall configuration of a liquid crystal device as an electro-optical device will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the liquid crystal device as seen from the side of the counter substrate together with the components formed on the TFT array substrate, and FIG. 'Cross section. In FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the scales are different for each layer / member so that each layer / member can be recognized on the drawing. This also applies to each drawing described later.

  1 and 2, the liquid crystal device is composed of a TFT array substrate 10 and a counter substrate 20 which are arranged to face each other. The TFT array substrate 10 is a transparent substrate such as a quartz substrate, a glass substrate, or a silicon substrate. The counter substrate 20 is also a transparent substrate made of the same material as the TFT array substrate 10, for example. A liquid crystal layer 50 is sealed between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, and the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are provided with a sealing material 52 provided in a seal region located around the pixel region 10a. Are bonded to each other. In the present embodiment, the pixel region 10a does not mean an individual pixel region, but means an image display region in which a plurality of pixels are two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix.

  The sealing material 52 is made of, for example, an ultraviolet curable resin, a thermosetting resin, or the like for bonding the two substrates, and is applied on the TFT array substrate 10 in the manufacturing process and then cured by ultraviolet irradiation, heating, or the like. It is. Further, for example, in the sealing material 52, a gap material 56 such as a glass fiber or a glass bead for dispersing the distance (inter-substrate gap) between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 to a predetermined value is dispersed. The liquid crystal device according to this embodiment is small and suitable for performing enlarged display for a light valve of a projector.

  A light-shielding frame light-shielding film 53 that defines the frame region of the pixel region 10a is provided on the counter substrate 20 side in parallel with the inside of the seal region where the sealing material 52 is disposed. However, part or all of the frame light shielding film 53 may be provided as a built-in light shielding film on the TFT array substrate 10 side.

  On the TFT array substrate 10, a data line driving circuit 101, a sampling circuit 7, a scanning line driving circuit 104, and an external circuit connection terminal 102 are formed in the peripheral area located around the pixel area 10 a.

  In the peripheral region on the TFT array substrate 10, the data line driving circuit 101 and the external circuit connection terminal 102 are provided along one side of the TFT array substrate 10 on the outer peripheral side from the seal region. In addition, a region located on the inner side of the seal region in the peripheral region on the TFT array substrate 10 is covered with the frame light shielding film 53 along one side of the pixel region 10 a along one side of the TFT array substrate 10. A sampling circuit 7 is arranged.

  The scanning line driving circuit 104 is provided along two sides adjacent to one side of the TFT array substrate 10 so as to be covered with the frame light shielding film 53. Further, in order to electrically connect the two scanning line driving circuits 104 provided on both sides of the pixel region 10a in this way, the TFT array substrate 10 is covered with the frame light shielding film 53 along the remaining side. A plurality of wirings 105 are provided.

  In the peripheral region on the TFT array substrate 10, vertical conduction terminals 106 are disposed in regions facing the four corners of the counter substrate 20, and vertical conduction is provided between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. A material is provided corresponding to the vertical conduction terminal 106 and electrically connected to the terminal 106.

  In FIG. 2, on the TFT array substrate 10, a laminated structure in which pixel switching TFTs as drive elements, wiring lines such as scanning lines and data lines are formed is formed. In the pixel region 10a, pixel electrodes 9a are provided in a matrix on the upper layer of wiring such as pixel switching TFTs, scanning lines, and data lines. An alignment film 16 is formed on the pixel electrode 9a. In the present embodiment, the pixel switching element may be constituted by various transistors, TFD, or the like in addition to the TFT.

  On the other hand, a light shielding film 23 is formed on the surface of the counter substrate 20 facing the TFT array substrate 10. The light shielding film 23 is formed of, for example, a light shielding metal film or the like, and is patterned, for example, in a lattice shape in the pixel region 10 a on the counter substrate 20. A counter electrode 21 made of a transparent material such as ITO is formed on the light shielding film 23 (below the light shielding film 23 in FIG. 2) so as to face the plurality of pixel electrodes 9a. An alignment film 22 is formed on the upper side (below the counter electrode 21 in FIG. 2).

  The liquid crystal layer 50 is made of, for example, a liquid crystal in which one or several types of nematic liquid crystals are mixed, and takes a predetermined alignment state between the pair of alignment films. A liquid crystal storage capacitor is formed between the pixel electrode 9 a and the counter electrode 21 by applying a voltage to each of the liquid crystal devices during driving.

  Although not shown here, on the TFT array substrate 10, in addition to the data line driving circuit 101 and the scanning line driving circuit 104, a plurality of data lines are precharged at a predetermined voltage level prior to the image signal. A precharge circuit to be supplied, an inspection circuit for inspecting the quality, defects, etc. of the liquid crystal device during manufacture or at the time of shipment may be formed.

  Next, an electrical configuration of the pixel portion of the liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram of various elements, wirings, and the like in a plurality of pixels formed in a matrix that forms the pixel region of the liquid crystal device according to this embodiment.

  In FIG. 3, pixel electrodes 9a and TFTs 30 are formed in a plurality of pixel portions formed in a matrix that constitutes the pixel region 10a. The TFT 30 is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 9a, and performs switching control of the pixel electrode 9a during operation of the liquid crystal device. The data line 6a to which the image signal is supplied is electrically connected to the source of the TFT 30. The image signals S1, S2,..., Sn written to the data lines 6a may be supplied line-sequentially in this order, or may be supplied for each group to a plurality of adjacent data lines 6a. Good.

  The scanning line 11a is electrically connected to the gate 3a of the TFT 30, and the liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment applies the scanning signals G1, G2,..., Gm to the scanning line 11a in a pulsed manner at a predetermined timing. It is configured to apply in a line sequential order. The pixel electrode 9a is electrically connected to the drain of the TFT 30, and the image signal S1, S2,..., Sn supplied from the data line 6a is obtained by closing the TFT 30 as a switching element for a certain period. It is written at a predetermined timing. Image signals S 1, S 2,..., Sn written in a liquid crystal as an example of an electro-optical material via the pixel electrode 9 a are held for a certain period with the counter electrode formed on the counter substrate.

  The liquid crystal constituting the liquid crystal layer 50 (see FIG. 2) modulates light and enables gradation display by changing the orientation and order of the molecular assembly depending on the applied voltage level. In the normally white mode, the transmittance for incident light is reduced according to the voltage applied in units of each pixel, and in the normally black mode, the light is incident according to the voltage applied in units of each pixel. The transmittance for light is increased, and light having a contrast corresponding to an image signal is emitted from the liquid crystal device as a whole.

  In order to prevent the image signal held here from leaking, a storage capacitor 70 is added electrically in parallel with the liquid crystal capacitor formed between the pixel electrode 9a and the counter electrode 21 (see FIG. 2). ing. The storage capacitor 70 is a capacitive element that functions as a storage capacitor that temporarily holds the potential of each pixel electrode 9a in response to supply of an image signal. One electrode of the storage capacitor 70 is electrically connected in parallel with the pixel electrode 9a and connected to the drain of the TFT 30, and the other electrode is connected to a fixed potential capacitor line 300 so as to have a constant potential. According to the storage capacitor 70, the potential holding characteristic in the pixel electrode 9a is improved, and display characteristics such as contrast improvement and flicker reduction can be improved.

  Next, a manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a partial plan view for explaining that the liquid crystal device of the present embodiment is manufactured on a mother substrate, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an outline of the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device. These are perspective views which show the structure of the dustproof board | substrate provided in a liquid crystal device.

  The liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment is configured such that a plurality of liquid crystal devices are formed on the mother substrate Mt as shown in FIG. That is, the liquid crystal devices are formed on the mother substrate Mt so as to be arranged in a matrix in the vertical and horizontal directions, and each liquid crystal device has various configurations as described with reference to FIGS. Elements (TFT 30, scanning line 11a, data line 6a, etc., scanning line driving circuit 104, data line driving circuit 101, etc.) are formed.

  In FIG. 4, the mother substrate Mt includes a plurality of TFT array substrates 10 shown in FIGS. That is, various components on the side of the TFT array substrate 10 are formed on the mother substrate Mt. Apart from this, a counter electrode 21, an alignment film, etc. are formed on a glass or quartz substrate not shown in FIG. A plurality of counter substrates 20 are formed, and each counter substrate 20 is individually divided, for example. Then, the counter substrate 20 is individually opposed to each of the TFT array substrates 10 formed on the mother substrate Mt, and the pair of TFT array substrates 10 and the counter substrate 20 are individually bonded with the sealing material 52. The liquid crystal is sealed between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. Thereafter, by dividing the mother substrate Mt, each individual liquid crystal device as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is manufactured.

The outline of the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. In FIG. 5, the data line 6a, the scanning line 11a, the TFT 30, etc. and the pixel electrode 9a are formed on the TFT array substrate 10 (step S1). On the other hand, a light shielding film 23, a counter electrode 21, and the like are formed on the counter substrate 20 in parallel with or before or after each manufacturing process on the TFT array substrate 10 side. (Step S4)
Subsequently, after the alignment films 16 and 22 are formed of, for example, polyimide on the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 (step S2 or S5), a rubbing process is performed (step S3 or S6). The alignment film 16 or 22 is formed in parallel or before and after the TFT array substrate 10 side and the counter substrate 20 side, respectively.

  Thereafter, the side of the TFT array substrate 10 on which the alignment film 16 is formed and the side of the counter substrate 20 on which the alignment film 22 is formed are bonded together via a seal material 52 (step S7). Subsequently, liquid crystal is injected between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 (step S8) and sealed (step S9).

  Thereafter, a dust-proof substrate such as dust-proof glass, a TN (twisted nematic) mode, an STN (super TN) mode, respectively, on the side on which the projection light of the counter substrate 20 enters and on the side on which the outgoing light of the TFT array substrate 10 exits. A polarizing film, a retardation film, a polarizing plate, and the like are bonded in a predetermined direction according to an operation mode such as a D-STN (double-STN) mode or a normally white mode / normally black mode (step S10). .

  The above is the outline of the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device. FIG. 6 shows an outline of the configuration of the dustproof substrate 400 bonded to each of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 in step S10. Due to the defocusing action of the dustproof substrate 400, the dust and dirt adhering to the outer surfaces of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, that is, the adhesive surface bonded to the dustproof substrate 400, are displayed in a defocused state on the display screen. The Rukoto. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the above-described dust and dust from being clearly reflected on the display screen. Such an effect is particularly great on a projected image projected on a screen. Note that a driving IC for driving the data line driving circuit 101 and the scanning line driving circuit 104 is formed on the flexible substrate 501 and mounted on the external circuit connection terminal 102 by TAB.

  Here, a bright spot defect may occur on the image projected on the screen. The bright spot defect is particularly prominent as a portion that appears much brighter than the surroundings on the display screen, particularly when black display is performed.

  In the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device, foreign matter such as dust or dust may adhere to the TFT array substrate 10 or the counter substrate 20 or the dustproof substrate 400, or the pixel circuit described with reference to FIG. In this case, due to foreign matter existing between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, the electrodes are always energized regardless of the driving state of the pixel electrode 9 a or the counter electrode 21, or the alignment film 16 or 22 Light leakage or the like occurs due to the poor control of the orientation state of the electro-optic material. In addition, if foreign matter adheres to the surface of the dust-proof substrate 400 or scratches are present on the surface of the substrate, the display light is scattered. Alternatively, a defect in the pixel circuit becomes a leak bit, which may cause a situation where the light transmittance in the liquid crystal becomes uncontrollable. As a result, a bright spot defect occurs.

  In the present embodiment, repair of defective bright spots is performed in the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device. Preferably, in the manufacturing process described with reference to FIG. 5, the repair is performed before the step S <b> 7, that is, before the bonding of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, and the alignment film 16 or the step S <b> 2 or S <b> 5. This is performed after the film formation 22 and before the rubbing process in step S3 or S6.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the repair device. The repair device according to the present embodiment includes a discovery device 702, a specifying device 704, an alignment device 705, and a coating device 706. The discovery device 702 and the identification device 704 are included in a dedicated monitor 700 for detecting a bright spot defect, for example, for each of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. Alternatively, the discovery device 702 and the identification device 704 may be included in an inspection device for inspecting adhesion of foreign matter and the like.

  Before the bonding of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, for example, repair is performed on the mother substrate Mt including a plurality of TFT array substrates 10. Alternatively, before the counter substrate 20 is divided, the mother substrate Mc including the plurality of counter substrates 20 is repaired. In the repair device, a stage 708 for holding the mother substrate Mt or Mc is provided, and the position of the stage 708 is adjusted by the alignment device 705, whereby the mother substrate Mt or Mc on the stage 708 is applied to the coating device. Align with 706. In addition, the coating device 706 applies the correction material 707 onto the mother substrate Mt or Mc by an inkjet method.

  Next, repair of a bright spot defect performed in the repair apparatus shown in FIG. 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11 in addition to FIG. Below, the case where repair is performed for each TFT array substrate 10 in the mother substrate Mt will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the steps of repair performed in the repair apparatus step by step, FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram schematically showing each step of repair, and FIG. 10 is a TFT in each step of repair. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration of an array substrate, and FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining coordinate information.

  Note that FIG. 10A shows the configuration of a cross-sectional portion corresponding to FIG. 2 while focusing on one TFT array substrate 10 in the mother substrate Mt, and FIG. 10B and FIG. In FIG. 10, the configuration of the portion indicated by the dotted line A0 in FIG. 10B and 10C, the detailed structure of the laminated structure on the TFT array substrate 10 side is not shown. In addition, FIG. 11 shows only the main configuration of the peripheral region on the TFT array substrate 10.

  In FIG. 8, in the repair device, the discovery device 702 finds a defective portion where a bright spot failure may occur in the pixel region 10a on each TFT array substrate 10 of the mother substrate Mt (step S101). Thereafter, the position of the found defective portion is specified by the specifying device 704 (step S102).

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 10A, after the alignment film 16 is formed on the pixel electrode 9a on the TFT array substrate 10, repair is performed before the rubbing process. In FIG. 9A, the mother substrate Mt is arranged on the stage 708 so that the side opposite to the side on which the alignment film 16 and the like of each TFT array substrate 10 is formed is held, for example. In this state, the monitor 700 disposed on the stage 708 so as to face the mother substrate Mt monitors a defective portion on the side of the mother substrate Mt on which the alignment film 16 and the like are formed on each TFT array substrate 10. . Such monitoring is performed by, for example, acquiring an image of each TFT array substrate 10 and analyzing the inside of the image by the discovery device 702 in the monitor 700. The discovery device 702 investigates the presence or absence of a foreign substance that may cause a bright spot defect, for example, and if it exists, finds the presence part of the foreign substance as a defective part.

  The position of the found defective portion is specified as coordinate information by the specifying device 704 in the monitor 700, for example. In FIG. 10A, when the discovery device 702 finds the presence of the foreign substance 810 shown in FIG. 10B in the region surrounded by the dotted line A0 on the TFT array substrate 10, the identifying device 704 As shown in FIG. 10B or FIG. 11, the position Ad0 of the foreign object 810 is specified by being represented by coordinates (x0, y0) in the pixel region 10a.

  Thereafter, in FIG. 8, the alignment device 705 aligns the mother substrate Mt and the coating device 706 based on the position Ad0 of the defective portion specified by the specifying device 704 (step S103). More specifically, in FIG. 9B, in this step, the nozzle 706n of the coating apparatus 706 is disposed on the stage 708 so as to face the mother substrate Mt. For example, as indicated by a white arrow, the alignment device 705 adjusts the position of the stage 708, thereby aligning the defective portion Ad0 of the TFT array substrate 10 on the mother substrate Mt with the nozzle 706n.

  Thereafter, in FIG. 8, the coating device 706 applies the correction material to the defective portion Ad0 from the nozzle 706n by the ink jet method as shown in FIG. 9C (step S104). Here, the correction material is made of a material that can correct the bright spot defect so as not to be visually recognized in the pixel region 10a by being applied to the defective portion Ad0. In the present embodiment, the correction material is preferably made of the same material as the alignment film 16, for example, polyimide.

  As shown in FIG. 10C, the foreign material 810 can be directly covered with polyimide by applying polyimide to the defective part Ad0 on the side of the TFT array substrate 10 where the alignment film 16 is formed. Therefore, after that, the rubbing process is performed on the alignment film 16 including the defective portion Ad0, thereby preventing light leakage due to the alignment failure of the liquid crystal based on the presence of the foreign material 810 on the alignment film 16. Thus, it is possible to repair a bright spot defect. In this case, for example, polyimide is used as the correction material, so that the correction material applied on the opposite surface side is more reliably prevented from flowing out into the liquid crystal and being contaminated and causing a new display defect due to repair. can do.

  This completes the repair. In step S104 in FIG. 8, the coating apparatus 706 applies the correction material by the ink jet method. Therefore, it is possible to easily apply the correction material by adjusting the processing conditions of the ink jet method, and for example, a work such as providing a fine hole in the substrate becomes unnecessary. Therefore, the advanced technique for such work is unnecessary, and it is possible to prevent troublesome work required for repair. Further, since the pixel circuit is not corrected by the laser, it is possible to prevent a new defect of the pixel circuit and damage to the alignment film 16 and the like due to repair. Thereby, for example, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the organic material melts into the liquid crystal and flows out from the alignment film 16.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to repair a bright spot defect more easily and effectively.

  Further, by repairing in the state of the mother substrate Mt or Mc, it is easier to repair compared to the case of individually repairing the TFT array substrate 10 or the counter substrate 20 that is separated from the mother substrate Mt or Mc. Can be performed.

  In addition, by repairing each of the substrates before bonding the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, the defective areas are compared together when repairing them collectively after bonding these substrates. Thus, it is possible to prevent the bright spot defect from occurring more easily and reliably. In addition, as described above, repair of defective bright spots can be performed on the facing surfaces that are bonded to face each other. Therefore, for each of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, it is possible to prevent a bright spot defect from occurring due to, for example, the presence of foreign matter attached to the counter surface side. In addition, before the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are bonded together, the number of defective substrates can be reduced due to the possibility of a bright spot defect, and the yield in the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device is improved. Can be made.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment as described above, since the bright spot defect can be repaired more easily and effectively in the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device, the yield in the manufacturing process is improved and the reliability is higher. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a liquid crystal device capable of performing high-quality image display.

  Here, the repair of the present embodiment is not limited to the aspect described above. For example, repair of defective bright spots may be performed after the rubbing process (step S3 or S6) in FIG. 5 and before the bonding of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 (step S7). Further, each of the mother substrates Mt and Mc may be repaired on the side of the TFT array substrate 10 or the counter substrate 20 opposite to the side on which the alignment film 16 or 22 is formed.

  Further, in FIG. 8, in step S104, a light-shielding material may be applied as a correction material. By covering such a foreign substance 810 as shown in FIG. 10B with such a material, for example, light transmitted through the defective portion can be blocked, and the brightness of the bright spot can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to repair a bright spot defect by making it difficult for the bright spot to be visually recognized on the display screen displayed in the pixel region 10a. The correction material is, for example, a black dye or pigment, and when each of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 is applied to the opposite surface side, the liquid crystal may flow out of the liquid crystal. It is preferable to use a material that does not cause defects such as poor alignment due to contamination.

  In addition, in addition to or instead of foreign matter existing in the pixel region 10a on the TFT array substrate 10 or the counter substrate 20, a spot where a bright spot defect may occur due to a leak bit or a scratch on the substrate surface is defined as a defective spot. Alternatively, repair may be performed.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 12 or FIG. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that repair is performed on the dustproof substrate. Therefore, only the points different from the first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings, and the same configurations as those of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11 and redundant descriptions will be omitted. Sometimes.

  FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram schematically showing each repair process in the second embodiment, and FIG. 13 is a plan view for explaining coordinate information on the dustproof substrate.

  In the second embodiment, in the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device described with reference to FIG. 5, after the step S <b> 10, for example, the outer surface of the dustproof substrate is repaired by the repair device described with reference to FIG. 7. Is done.

  Hereinafter, the repair of defective bright spots according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7 in addition to FIG. 12 or FIG. 13 and also to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, in FIG. 8, for example, the defective part is found (step S101) as follows.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 6, in a state where the dustproof substrate 400 is provided on the TFT array substrate 10 or the counter substrate 20, the liquid crystal device is irradiated with projection light as in the case of the projector, and the display screen is displayed. Projection inspection may be performed. When a bright spot defect is found in the projection inspection, the display screen is monitored by the monitor 700 while the liquid crystal device is energized, as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 12A illustrates an example of a configuration for monitoring the outer surface of the dust-proof substrate 400 on the counter substrate 20 provided on the stage 708. The discovery device 702 in the monitor 700 analyzes the acquired display screen and finds a defective part that causes a bright spot defect. For example, in a defective portion, a bright spot defect may occur due to foreign matters, scratches, or leak bits attached to the outer surface of the dustproof substrate 400.

  Thereafter, in FIG. 8, the position of the found defective portion is specified as, for example, coordinate information by the specifying device 704 in the monitor 700 (step S <b> 102). As shown in FIG. 13, the specifying device 704 specifies the position Bd of the defective portion on the outer surface of the dustproof substrate 400 by using coordinates (x1, y1).

  Then, in FIG. 8, based on the position Bd of the defective location specified by the specifying device 704, the alignment device 705 aligns the dust-proof substrate 400 and the coating device 706 (step S103). More specifically, in FIG. 12B, for example, as indicated by a white arrow, the alignment device 705 adjusts the position of the stage 708 so that the defective portion Bd of the dustproof substrate 400 is moved to the nozzle 706n. To align.

  Thereafter, in FIG. 8, the coating device 706 applies the correction material to the defective portion Bd from the nozzle 706n by the ink jet method as shown in FIG. 12C (step S104). In the second embodiment, the correction material is preferably a black dye or pigment, which is less likely to cause contamination of the liquid crystal. Thereby, the brightness of the bright spot can be reduced by blocking the light transmitted through the defective portion Bd. Therefore, it is possible to repair a bright spot defect.

  The shadow of the correction material applied to the outer surface of the dustproof substrate 400 is reflected on the display screen in the pixel region 10a of the liquid crystal device. Since the light that contributes to the display emitted through the dust-proof substrate 400 is blocked, the shadow of the correction material is reflected in a defocused state. Therefore, it becomes possible to make it difficult to visually recognize the shadow of the correction material in the display image.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 14 or FIG. In the third embodiment, the repair is performed again after the repair according to the first or second embodiment. Hereinafter, only differences from the first or second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings, and configurations similar to those of the first or second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The description to be omitted may be omitted.

  FIG. 14 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the repair device according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the steps of the repair according to the third embodiment step by step.

  First, with reference to FIG. 14, the configuration of the repair device in the third embodiment will be described only with respect to differences from the first or second embodiment. In FIG. 14, the same components as those in the repair device shown in FIG. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  In the third embodiment, in addition to the discovery device 702, the identification device 704, the alignment device 705, the coating device 706, and the like, the repair device is applied with a confirmation device 801 for confirming the application position of the correction material by the coating device 706 and the repair device. A removal device 803 is provided for removing the correction material. In FIG. 14, the mother substrate Mt or Mc (see FIG. 7) or the dustproof substrate 400 (see FIG. 12) to be repaired on the stage 708 is shown as the target substrate Cb.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 14 or FIG. 15, each repair process in the third embodiment will be described.

  After the correction material 707 is applied to the target substrate Cb shown in FIG. 14, in FIG. 15, the confirmation device 801 displays the application position of the correction material 707 in the same coordinates as in the first or second embodiment, for example. The information is specified by the information (step S201), and the position of the defective part specified by the specifying device 704 is checked against the coordinate information (step S202). Here, the confirmation device 801 is actually provided in the monitor 700, and the application position may be specified by the same procedure as the detection and specification of the defective portion by the detection device 702 and the specification device 704.

  When the confirmation device 801 determines that the application position does not coincide with the position of the defective part (step S202: No), the removal device 803 removes the correction material 707 at the application position (step S203). On the other hand, when the confirmation device 801 determines that the application position matches the position of the defective portion (step S202: Yes), the series of operations ends.

  Thereafter, it becomes possible to repair the defective portion again by the same procedure as in the first or second embodiment. Accordingly, it is possible to repair the bright spot defect more effectively and more reliably.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and a repair method and apparatus with such a change. In addition, a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device using the repair method is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

It is a schematic plan view of a liquid crystal device. It is HH 'sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 4 is an equivalent circuit diagram of various elements, wirings, and the like in a plurality of pixels formed in a matrix that forms a pixel region of the liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment. It is a fragmentary top view for demonstrating that the liquid crystal device of this embodiment is manufactured on a mother board | substrate. It is a flowchart shown about the outline | summary of the manufacturing process of a liquid crystal device. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the dustproof board | substrate provided in a liquid crystal device. It is a block diagram which shows roughly the structure of a repair apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows each process of the repair performed in a repair apparatus later on. It is a schematic diagram which shows typically about each process of repair. It is sectional drawing which shows roughly the structure of the TFT array substrate in each process of repair. It is a top view for demonstrating coordinate information. It is a mimetic diagram showing typically about each process of repair in a 2nd embodiment. It is a top view for demonstrating the coordinate information on a dust-proof board | substrate. It is a block diagram which shows roughly the structure of the repair apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows each process of the repair which concerns on 3rd Embodiment later on.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... TFT array substrate, 20 ... Opposite substrate, 50 ... Liquid crystal layer, 702 ... Discovery device, 704 ... Specific device, 705 ... Alignment device, 706 ... Coating device, 707 ... Correction material

Claims (11)

When manufacturing an electro-optical device having an electro-optical material sandwiched between a pair of substrates, a repair method for repairing a bright spot defect in a pixel region of the electro-optical device,
A specific step of identifying a defective portion where the bright spot defect occurs in the pixel region for at least one of the pair of substrates;
A repair method comprising: applying a correction material for correcting the specified defective portion so as to make the bright spot defect difficult to be visually recognized by an inkjet method. The application step is a step of relatively aligning the identified defective portion and a nozzle position of an application means capable of applying the correction material;
The repair method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of applying by the applying means after the alignment. The specific process includes
Discovering the defective part;
The repair method according to claim 1, further comprising: identifying a position of the found defective portion.   4. The repair method according to claim 1, wherein the specifying step and the coating step are performed on a large substrate including a plurality of at least one of the pair of substrates. 5. .   5. The repair method according to claim 1, wherein the specifying step and the coating step are performed before the pair of substrates are bonded to each other.   6. The repair method according to claim 5, wherein, in the applying step, the correction material is applied on a substrate surface facing the electro-optical material in at least one of the pair of substrates. The specific step and the coating step are performed on the substrate surface after forming an alignment film for controlling the alignment state of the electro-optic material and before rubbing the alignment film,
The repair method according to claim 6, wherein, in the application step, the same material as the alignment film is applied as the correction material.   In the identifying step and the coating step, after the transparent plate member is bonded to the opposite side of the pair of substrates facing the electro-optical material, the electro-optical material in the transparent plate member The repair method according to claim 1, wherein the repair method is performed on an outer surface located on a side opposite to the side facing the surface. A confirmation step for confirming whether or not the application position of the applied correction material matches the position of the defective portion;
The removal step of removing the applied correction material when the application position does not coincide with the position of the defective portion, further comprising: Repair method.   An electro-optic device manufacturing method comprising the repair method according to claim 1. When manufacturing an electro-optical device having an electro-optical material sandwiched between a pair of substrates, the repair device repairs a defective bright spot in a pixel region of the electro-optical device,
Identifying means for identifying a defective portion where the bright spot defect occurs in the pixel region for at least one of the pair of substrates;
A repair device, comprising: an application unit that applies, to the identified defective portion, a correction material for correcting the defective bright spot so as to be difficult to be visually recognized by an inkjet method.

Images