JP2009058605A - Method and device for forming alignment layer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suitably form an alignment layer without reducing quality. <P>SOLUTION: This method for manufacturing the alignment layer is to form the alignment layer (8) on a panel for an electrooptic device comprising a substrate (19) and a mounting part containing a terminal part (102) formed on the substrate for connection to outside. The method includes an application process to apply the alignment layer onto the substrate with the patterning method so that unstable regions (81) which are locally or discretely formed on the end region of the alignment layer on the substrate seen in planar manner and the film thickness could be uneven compared to the center region of the alignment layer are on portions other than an image display region (10a) on the substrate, and a fixing process to fix the applied alignment layer. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a forming method for applying an alignment film to an electro-optical device panel used in an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device, and a technical field of the forming device.

  As an electro-optical device, there is a liquid crystal device in which a liquid crystal is sandwiched between a pair of substrates as an electro-optical material. In such a liquid crystal device, for example, the liquid crystal is in a predetermined alignment state between a pair of substrates, and a predetermined voltage is applied to the liquid crystal, for example, for each pixel portion formed in the image display region. The gradation display is performed by changing the order and modulating the light. In order to perform such gradation display on at least one of the pair of substrates, various terminals such as an external circuit connection terminal to which a drive signal is supplied from an external circuit are provided around the image display area. It is formed in the peripheral region located.

  In the liquid crystal device, the alignment of the liquid crystal is controlled by an alignment film having a specific surface shape and applied on at least one of the pair of substrates. As such an alignment film, an organic alignment film obtained by rubbing an organic film formed of an organic material such as polyimide, or an inorganic alignment film is used.

  As a method for applying the alignment film, for example, a spin coating method is used. When using the spin coating method, an alignment film is first applied to the entire surface of the substrate, and then the alignment film applied to unnecessary portions is removed so that the alignment film is applied to a desired region on the substrate. The Alternatively, as a method for applying the alignment film, for example, a patterning method such as a flexographic printing method or an ink jet method is used. When a flexographic printing method or an inkjet method is used, the alignment film is applied to the substrate so that the alignment film is not applied to a region other than the desired region on the substrate, so that the alignment film is applied to the desired region on the substrate. Is applied. In Patent Document 1, an alignment film is applied by a flexographic printing machine including a relief plate in which a plurality of projections are arranged so that the center of gravity of the plurality of projections is not orthogonally arranged along the printing direction. Thus, a technique for making the film thickness of the alignment film uniform is disclosed.

JP-A-6-118414

  However, in the case of applying the alignment film using the spin coating method, the alignment film is applied to the entire surface of the substrate. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the alignment film applied to the connection terminal portion. In order to save this trouble, it is considered that the alignment film may be applied by using a patterning method. However, when the alignment film is applied by using the patterning method, a part of the alignment film (especially, the film at the end of the alignment film) due to the difference in drying property when the applied alignment film is dried. (Thickness) has a technical problem that it may become non-uniform. If an alignment film with such a non-uniform film thickness overlaps the image display area, the liquid crystal cannot be uniformly aligned because the surface of the alignment film is not flat, or the liquid crystal cannot be uniformly rubbed. Disturbance may cause color unevenness, cell gap failure, and display quality degradation.

  The present invention has been made in view of, for example, the conventional problems described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an alignment film forming method and a forming apparatus capable of suitably forming an alignment film without deteriorating quality, for example. And

  In order to solve the above problems, an alignment film forming method of the present invention is an electro-optical device panel constituting an electro-optical device in which an electro-optical material is sandwiched between a pair of substrates, and the pair of substrates Forming an alignment film for forming an alignment film on a panel for an electro-optical device, comprising a substrate constituting any one of the above and a mounting portion including a terminal portion for connection to the outside formed on the substrate An unstable region that is locally or discretely present in an end region of the alignment film as viewed in plan on the substrate and whose film thickness may be non-uniform compared to the central region of the alignment film Includes a coating step of applying the alignment film on the substrate by a patterning method so as to be located in a portion other than the image display area on the substrate, and a fixing step of fixing the applied alignment film.

  According to the method for forming an alignment film of the present invention, components of an electro-optical device (for example, a pixel electrode, a pixel switching TFT, various drive circuits, a circuit for supplying a signal or a potential to them, or a circuit or An alignment film is formed on the substrate on which the mounting portion including the external connection terminals and the like is formed. The substrate thus formed constitutes one of a pair of substrates constituting the electro-optical device (that is, a TFT array substrate or a counter substrate) according to the components formed on the substrate.

  In the present invention, in particular, in the coating process, by using a patterning method capable of patterning such as a flexographic printing method or an ink jet method, the unstable region of the alignment film is positioned in a portion other than the image display region on the substrate. An alignment film is applied. That is, in the present application, the “patterning method” does not mean a method of patterning by etching or the like after solid coating, but means a method of applying a film so as to have a pattern from the beginning. For example, the alignment film is applied so that the unstable region is positioned around the image display region. Thereafter, in the fixing step, the applied alignment film is dried, baked or the like, and the alignment film is fixed (in other words, fixed) on the substrate. Here, the “unstable region” is a partial region on the alignment film that is highly likely to have a non-uniform film thickness due to a difference in the drying property of the alignment film (in other words, an alignment in an uneven state). This is to show a partial region of the film). Such unstable regions often appear in the edge region of the applied alignment film. That is, the unstable region exists in the end region of the alignment film, and the film thickness of the alignment film tends to be non-uniform in the unstable region as compared with the central region. Here, the “central region” means that most or the main portion of the applied alignment film is located closer to the center than the end region where the unstable region exists when viewed in plan on the substrate. `` End region '' means an extremely narrow region that is located closer to the end than the central region, typically along the edge or edge or contour of the alignment film when seen in a plan view. To do. That is, in the central region of the applied alignment film, the film thickness of the alignment film tends to be uniform due to the uniformity of the film forming conditions and the drying conditions.

  For this reason, according to the present invention, the unstable region does not overlap the image display region. Therefore, the film thickness of the alignment film formed on the image display area is substantially uniform. As a result, there is little or no possibility of display quality deterioration (for example, color unevenness) due to poor alignment of the liquid crystal or cell gap due to non-uniform thickness of the alignment film. Thereby, the alignment film can be suitably formed without degrading the quality of the electro-optical device.

  In particular, in recent years, electro-optical devices having a relatively small size are often used for mobile phones, liquid crystal projectors, and other various display units. In such a relatively small electro-optical device, the width of the frame region located around the image display region tends to be narrow. Therefore, if the alignment film is applied without taking special measures, the unstable region of the alignment film easily protrudes from the frame region toward the image display region, and as a result, the unstable region overlaps the image display region. It becomes easy. Even in such a case, according to the present invention, since the unstable region can be reliably prevented from overlapping the image display region, the alignment film is preferably used without degrading the quality of the electro-optical device. Can be formed.

  In addition, in the present invention, since the alignment film is applied using the patterning method, the alignment film is hardly applied to a region where the alignment film is unnecessary. For this reason, after applying the alignment film, it is not necessary to remove the alignment film applied to unnecessary regions by a removal process such as ashing. Thereby, the process concerning application | coating of alignment film can be simplified.

  In one aspect of the method for forming an alignment film of the present invention, a plurality of the substrates are formed on one mother substrate larger than the substrate so as to be arranged along one direction, and the mounting portion is Each of the plurality of substrates is formed in one end region so that the plurality of substrates are arranged adjacent to or in close proximity to another end region where the mounting portion is not formed. In the end region, the alignment film is continuously applied along the one direction so that the alignment film is applied across the plurality of substrates adjacent or close to each other in the other end region.

  According to this aspect, a plurality of electro-optical device panels are manufactured from a single mother substrate by so-called multiple chamfering. At this time, the plurality of substrates formed on one mother substrate are formed on the mother substrate so as to be arranged along one direction. Furthermore, each board | substrate is formed on the mother board | substrate so that it may adjoin or adjoin to the adjacent board | substrate in the other edge area | region in which a mounting part is not formed. That is, the mounting portion is formed in one end region of each substrate that is not in contact with the adjacent substrate. For this reason, in this aspect, each substrate has a substrate adjacent in one direction centered on each substrate, and a mounting portion is formed in the other direction.

  In this case, in the coating step, the alignment film is continuously applied along one direction so that the alignment film is applied across adjacent or adjacent substrates in the other end regions. In other words, in one direction, it is not necessary to apply an alignment film to each substrate while identifying the boundary in one direction of each substrate, and a plurality of substrates are regarded as one substrate and the alignment films are collectively processed. Can be applied. For this reason, the patterning process when applying the alignment film can be relatively simplified. On the other hand, even if the alignment film is applied in this way to the application of the alignment film, the edge region of the applied alignment film is not located in the region where the substrates are adjacent to each other. It can be surely prevented from overlapping the image display area of each substrate.

  Needless to say, in the region where the substrates are not adjacent to each other, as described above, it is necessary to apply the alignment film while performing patterning so that the unstable region does not overlap the image display region.

  In addition, a plurality of such arrangements along one direction may be arranged in a direction crossing the one direction. That is, a plurality of substrates may be arranged in a matrix on the mother substrate, and the same effect can be obtained by applying the above-described coating process to the arrangement along one direction. At the same time, it leads to further improvement in production efficiency.

  In another aspect of the coating method of the alignment film of the present invention, the coating step applies the alignment film to a region excluding a region where the mounting portion is formed.

  According to this aspect, the alignment film is not applied to the mounting portion where the alignment film is unnecessary. For this reason, after applying the alignment film, it is not necessary to remove the alignment film applied to the mounting portion by a removal process such as ashing. Thereby, the process concerning application | coating of alignment film can be simplified.

  In another aspect of the coating method of the alignment film of the present invention, the mounting portion is formed in one end region of the substrate, and the coating step is performed by terminating the end region other than the one end region. The alignment film is applied until.

  In general, a frame region is formed outside the image display region on the substrate. That is, the possibility that an image display area is formed in the edge area of the substrate is low. Therefore, according to this aspect, since the alignment film is formed up to the end region of the substrate, it is possible to reliably prevent an unstable region that may exist in the end region of the alignment film from overlapping the image display region.

  In another aspect of the coating method of the alignment film of the present invention, the connection terminal is formed in one end region of the substrate, and the coating step includes other end regions excluding the one end region. The alignment film is applied so that the alignment film is applied to the outside of the substrate beyond.

  According to this aspect, since the alignment film is formed to the outside of the substrate, it is possible to reliably prevent an unstable region that may exist in the end region of the alignment film from overlapping the image display region.

  Furthermore, since the alignment film may be formed to the outside of the substrate, it is not necessary to fit the application range of the alignment film in the substrate. For this reason, it is not necessary to increase the accuracy of patterning when applying the alignment film. That is, the patterning process when applying the alignment film can be relatively simplified. On the other hand, when the substrate is cut out, the alignment film applied to the outside of the substrate is discarded when the substrate is cut out from the mother substrate. There is no problem.

  In another aspect of the method for applying an alignment film of the present invention, the application step applies the alignment film so that the unstable region and the image display region are separated by a predetermined length or more.

  According to this aspect, since the unstable area and the image display area are separated (in other words, not adjacent to each other), it is possible to reliably prevent the unstable area from overlapping the image display area.

  As described above, in the alignment film coating method in which the alignment film is applied such that the unstable area and the image display area are separated from each other by a predetermined length or more, the predetermined length may be configured to be approximately 0.2 mm.

  According to this configuration, the unstable area and the image display area are separated by at least 0.2 mm, so that it is possible to reliably prevent the unstable area from overlapping the image display area. Here, “substantially 0.2 mm” may be a case where it is considered to be substantially 0.2 mm in consideration of a manufacturing margin or a manufacturing error in addition to the case where it is literally 0.2 mm. It is.

  In another aspect of the method for applying an alignment film of the present invention, the application step includes (i) at least one end region of the substrate in which the unstable region bonds the pair of substrates. (Ii) In at least one end region of the substrate, the unstable region and the seal region are not overlapped with the seal region located around the image display region. The alignment film is applied so that the overlapping width is approximately half or less of the width of the seal region.

  According to this aspect, since the unstable area and the image display area are separated (in other words, not adjacent to each other), it is possible to reliably prevent the unstable area from overlapping the image display area.

  Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the seal region from overlapping the unstable region. For this reason, the sealing material can be formed on the alignment film having a uniform film thickness. That is, the inconvenience that the sealing material is inclined with respect to the substrate can be suitably prevented. Thereby, the distance between a pair of board | substrates can be suitably maintained with the spacer contained in a sealing material. Even if the seal region overlaps the unstable region, the width of the overlap between the unstable region and the seal region is less than half of the width of the seal region. Can be prevented. For this reason, the distance between the pair of substrates can be appropriately maintained by the spacer included in the sealing material. Thus, “substantially less than half” includes not only literally less than half, but also includes cases where the overlap is small enough not to reveal the disadvantages caused by the seal region overlapping the unstable region as described above. .

(Orientation film forming device)
In order to solve the above problems, an alignment film forming apparatus of the present invention is an electro-optical device panel constituting an electro-optical device in which an electro-optical material is sandwiched between a pair of substrates, and the pair of substrates Forming an alignment film for forming an alignment film on a panel for an electro-optical device, comprising a substrate constituting any one of the above and a mounting portion including a terminal portion for connection to the outside formed on the substrate An unstable region that is locally or discretely present in an end region of the alignment film as viewed in plan on the substrate and whose film thickness may be non-uniform compared to the central region of the alignment film. Includes a coating unit that coats the alignment film on the substrate by a patterning method and a fixing unit that fixes the coated alignment film so as to be positioned in a portion other than the image display area on the substrate.

  According to the embodiment of the alignment film forming apparatus of the present invention, the same benefits as the various advantages of the above-described embodiment of the alignment film forming method of the present invention can be obtained.

  Incidentally, in response to the various aspects in the embodiment of the alignment film forming method of the present invention described above, the embodiment of the alignment film forming apparatus of the present invention can also adopt various aspects.

  In the above description, the alignment film forming method and forming apparatus are described. However, the electro-optical device panel in which the alignment film is formed using such a forming method or apparatus also has the various effects described above. Needless to say, you can enjoy. That is, an electro-optical device panel constituting an electro-optical device having an electro-optical material sandwiched between a pair of substrates, the substrate forming one of the pair of substrates, and formed on the substrate. An unstable region that is locally or discretely present in an end region of the alignment film and can have a non-uniform film thickness. It goes without saying that the electro-optical device panel in which the alignment film is coated on the substrate by a patterning method so as to be located in a portion other than the image display region on the substrate can also enjoy the various effects described above. . Similarly, it goes without saying that an electro-optical device using such a panel for an electro-optical device as at least one of a pair of substrates can also enjoy the various effects described above.

  The operation and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the embodiments described below.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the electro-optical device of the invention is applied to a liquid crystal device.

(1) Basic Configuration of Liquid Crystal Device First, the configuration of the liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of the liquid crystal device according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line HH ′ of FIG.

  1 and 2, in the liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment, a TFT array substrate 10 as an example of a “pair of substrates” according to the present invention and a counter substrate 20 are disposed to face each other. 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 in a frame-shaped or frame-shaped seal region located around the image display region 10a. The sealing material 52 provided is bonded to each other.

  In FIG. 1, a light-shielding frame light-shielding film 53 that defines the frame area of the image display 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. A data line driving circuit 101 and an external circuit connection terminal 102 are provided along one side of the TFT array substrate 10 in a region located outside the sealing region in which the sealing material 52 is disposed in the peripheral region. However, the data line driving circuit 10 may be provided inside the seal region so that the data line driving circuit 101 is covered by the frame light shielding film 53. The sampling circuit 7 is provided so as to be covered with the frame light shielding film 53 on the inner side of the seal region along the one side. Further, the scanning line driving circuit 104 is provided so as to be covered with the frame light-shielding film 53 inside the seal region along two sides adjacent to the one side. On the TFT array substrate 10, vertical conduction terminals 106 for connecting the two substrates with the vertical conduction material 107 are arranged in regions facing the four corner portions of the counter substrate 20. Thus, electrical conduction can be established between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20.

  On the TFT array substrate 10, a lead wiring 90 is formed for electrically connecting the external circuit connection terminal 102 to the data line driving circuit 101, the scanning line driving circuit 104, the vertical conduction terminal 106, and the like. . Among these, a region where the external circuit connection terminal 102, the data line driving circuit 101, and the lead wiring 90 are formed constitutes one specific example of the “mounting portion” in the present invention.

  Note that the data line driving circuit 101 and the routing wiring 90 are formed from the same layer as the conductive layer constituting the data line, the scanning line, the circuit of the pixel portion, and the like formed on the substrate in the image display area, for example. When laminated on the substrate, it may be excluded from the “mounting portion” according to the present invention. That is, in the case of a built-in circuit or wiring, it is not necessary to mount these after forming the alignment film, so there is no particular problem even if the alignment film remains formed above.

  In FIG. 2, on the TFT array substrate 10, there is formed a laminated structure in which pixel switching TFTs (Thin Film Transistors), which are driving elements, and wirings such as scanning lines and data lines are formed. In the image display area 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 8 is formed on the pixel electrode 9a. 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 image display region 10a on the counter substrate 20. On the light shielding film 23, a counter electrode 21 made of a transparent material such as ITO is formed in a solid shape so as to face the plurality of pixel electrodes 9a. An alignment film 8 is formed on the counter electrode 21. Further, 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. The above configuration is a so-called vertical electric field mode configuration in which the liquid crystal layer 50 is driven by an electric field between the pixel electrode 9a of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter electrode 21 of the counter substrate 20, but IPS (In-Plane Switching), A lateral electric field mode configuration such as FFS (fringe field switching) may be used. In the horizontal electric field mode, since the pixel electrode and the counter electrode are disposed on the TFT array substrate side, there is no electrode on the counter substrate.

  Although not shown here, in addition to the data line driving circuit 101 and the scanning line driving circuit 104, the TFT array substrate 10 is used for inspecting the quality, defects, and the like of the liquid crystal device during manufacturing or at the time of shipment. An inspection circuit, an inspection pattern, or the like may be formed.

(2) Manufacturing Method of Liquid Crystal Device Next, a manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a first mother substrate (or a part thereof) including a plurality of TFT array substrates.

  The liquid crystal device according to this embodiment is manufactured as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 3, a stack including various components (that is, the pixel electrode 9a and the pixel switching TFT, the scanning line driving circuit 104, the data line driving circuit 101, etc.) on the TFT array substrate 10 side described above. The structure is formed on the first mother substrate 1 made of a relatively large glass substrate or silicon substrate. In this case, it is assumed that multiple chamfering is performed in which a plurality of TFT array substrates 10 are formed on one first mother substrate 1. In particular, each of the plurality of TFT array substrates 10 has adjacent TFTs on the sides where the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 and the like are not formed (in FIG. 3, the left and right sides of the plurality of TFT array substrates 10). It is formed on one first mother substrate 1 so as to be in contact with the array substrate 10. Further, the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 and the like is formed on the same side (lower side of each of the plurality of TFT array substrates 10 in FIG. 3) with respect to each of the plurality of TFT array substrates 10. Thereafter, an alignment film 8 is formed on the TFT array substrate 10 on which a laminated structure including various components is formed.

  In the present embodiment, as will be described in detail later, the TFT array substrate 10 in which a laminated structure including various components is formed so that the unstable region 81 of the alignment film 8 does not overlap the image display region 10a. An alignment film 8 is formed thereon. Details will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  On the other hand, various components on the counter substrate 20 side described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 in parallel with or in parallel with the step of forming the TFT array substrate 10 on the first mother substrate 1. A laminated structure including (the counter electrode 21, the light shielding film 23, etc.) is formed on another second mother substrate. Here, it is assumed that multiple chamfering is performed in which a plurality of counter substrates 20 are formed on one second mother substrate. Thereafter, an alignment film 8 is formed on the TFT array substrate 10 on which a laminated structure including various components is formed.

  Then, the 1st mother board | substrate 1 and the 2nd mother board | substrate are made to oppose by a bonding process, and it bonds together with the sealing material 52 which consists of ultraviolet curing resin, thermosetting resin, etc., for example. At this time, a sealing material 52 having a predetermined height is formed in a frame-shaped sealing region on the first mother substrate, and a predetermined amount of liquid crystal constituting the liquid crystal layer 50 is dropped into an inner region of the sealing material 52. Later, the first mother substrate 1 and the second mother substrate may be bonded to each other with a sealing material 52. That is, a so-called liquid crystal dropping and bonding method may be adopted.

  Note that the second mother substrate may be divided before bonding, and a large number of divided counter substrates may be bonded to one first mother substrate. In this case, the liquid crystal can be vacuum-injected into the space between the substrates by dropping the liquid crystal into the liquid crystal injection port provided in the sealing material 52 in a vacuum atmosphere.

  Alternatively, after the sealing material 52 is removed in a part of the frame-shaped sealing region and the bonded first mother substrate 1 and second mother substrate are cut into each liquid crystal panel or into a set of a plurality of liquid crystal panels. The liquid crystal may be injected between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 using the portion where the sealing material 52 is missing as an injection port.

  After the bonding and liquid crystal injection are completed, an inspection process is appropriately performed collectively on the plurality of liquid crystal devices arranged on the first mother substrate. Thereafter, the first mother substrate or the second mother substrate in addition thereto is divided into individual liquid crystal devices through dicing and scribing. The unstable region existing in the end region of the alignment film may be completely cut off so as not to remain on the substrate of any liquid crystal device by dicing or scribing in such a dividing step. Or, in an individual liquid crystal device, the unstable area such as the image display area or the seal area is divided so that a part or all of the unstable area remains in the area that is out of the area that has a substantial adverse effect. Also good.

(3) Method for Forming Alignment Film Next, a method for forming the alignment film in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a flowchart conceptually showing the flow of the alignment film forming method in this embodiment, and FIG. 5 shows the first mother substrate (or a part thereof) on which the alignment film is formed. 6 is a plan view, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II ′ of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line JJ ′ of FIG. In the present embodiment, a method for forming the alignment film 8 on the TFT array substrate 10 having a mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 and the like will be described. However, it goes without saying that the same technique may be used when forming the alignment film 8 on the counter substrate 20. For simplification of description, in FIG. 5, only some of the components of the TFT array substrate 10 are extracted and shown, and the other parts are not shown.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the alignment film 8 is formed with a laminated structure including various components by using a patterning method (patterning method) such as a flexographic printing method or an ink jet method. An alignment film 8 is applied on the TFT array substrate 10 (step S11). Thereafter, the applied alignment film 8 is dried (step S12) and baked (step S13), whereby the alignment film 8 is fixed on the TFT array substrate 10.

  Particularly in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the alignment film 8 is applied on the TFT array substrate 10 so that the unstable region 81 of the alignment film 8 does not overlap the image display region 10a. As shown in FIG. 6, the unstable region 81 is an alignment film 8 that is highly likely to vary in film thickness due to a difference in drying property and a difference in baking properties when fixing the alignment film 8. The upper area is shown. This unstable region 81 typically corresponds to an end region of the alignment film 8 applied in a rectangular shape. Since this variation in film thickness can vary depending on the characteristics of the alignment film 8 itself and the environment in which the alignment film 8 is formed, the size of the unstable 81 (eg, width, etc.) is generally defined as a fixed value. It is difficult. However, as an example, when the alignment film 8 having a film thickness of 1100 to 1200 mm is formed, for example, the width of the film from the end of the alignment film 8 is approximately 1 mm to 1.5 mm and the film thickness varies approximately several hundred mm. It has been measured by experiments by the inventors of the present application that it can occur.

  Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the alignment film 8 is formed on the TFT array substrate 10 so that the end of the unstable region 81 and the end of the image display region 10a are separated by at least 0.2 mm or more. It is preferable to apply to.

  As a result, the unstable area 81 does not overlap the image display area 10a. Therefore, the film thickness of the alignment film 8 formed on the image display region 10a is substantially uniform. As a result, there is little or no possibility that a cell gap defect or display quality degradation (for example, color unevenness) due to non-uniformity of the alignment film 8 will occur. Thereby, the alignment film 8 can be suitably formed on the TFT array substrate 10 without degrading the quality (for example, display quality) of the liquid crystal device.

  In particular, in recent years, liquid crystal devices having a relatively small size are often used for mobile phones, liquid crystal projectors, and other various display units. In such a relatively small size liquid crystal device, the width of a frame area (for example, a seal area where the seal material 52 is formed, an area where the frame light shielding film 53 is formed, etc.) located around the image display area. Tend to be narrow. For this reason, if the alignment film 8 is applied without taking special measures, the unstable region 81 tends to protrude from the frame region toward the image display region 10a. As a result, the unstable region 81 is displayed as an image. It is easy to overlap the region 10a. Even in such a case, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reliably prevent the unstable region 81 from overlapping the image display region 10, so that the alignment film 8 does not deteriorate the quality of the liquid crystal device. Can be suitably formed. That is, the effect obtained by forming the alignment film 8 in the embodiment of the present embodiment is particularly remarkable when a liquid crystal device having a relatively small size is manufactured.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, in other words, in this embodiment, since the alignment film 8 is applied using the patterning method, an unnecessary region (for example, an external connection terminal) The alignment film 8 is not applied to the mounting portion including 102. For this reason, after the alignment film 8 is applied, it is not necessary to remove the alignment film 8 applied to unnecessary regions by a removing process such as ashing. Thereby, the process concerning application | coating of the alignment film 8 can be simplified.

  In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 and the like is not formed (specifically, the direction in which the TFT array substrate 10 is adjacent, In the left and right directions in FIGS. 5 and 6, the alignment film 8 is applied in a lump. In other words, the alignment film 8 is continuously applied across the adjacent TFT array substrates 10 on the side where the mounting portion is not formed.

  Thereby, in the direction in which the mounting portion is not formed, it is not necessary to apply the alignment film 8 to each TFT array substrate 10 while identifying the boundary of each TFT array substrate 10, and a plurality of TFT array substrates 10 are combined into one. It is possible to apply the alignment film 8 as a whole by considering it as a TFT array substrate. For this reason, the patterning process when applying the alignment film 8 can be relatively simplified. On the other hand, even if the alignment film is applied in this way to the application of the alignment film 8, the region where the TFT array substrates 10 are adjacent to each other (that is, the boundary of the TFT array substrate 10) Since the end region is not positioned, the unstable region 81 that typically exists in the end region can be reliably prevented from overlapping the image display region 10a of each TFT array substrate 10.

  In the above description, an example in which the alignment film 8 is applied so that the image display area 10a and the unstable area 81 are separated by at least 0.2 mm has been described. However, in addition to or instead of applying the alignment film 8 while directly considering the positional relationship between the image display area 10a and the unstable area 81, a seal area (in other words, in the seal area) is formed. The alignment film 8 may be applied in consideration of the positional relationship between the formed sealing material 52) and the unstable region 81. This example will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line J-J ″ in FIG. 5, and shows a cross-sectional view clearly showing the positional relationship between the sealing material 52 and the unstable region 81.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, when the unstable region 81 is viewed from the outside (that is, the image display region 10a) of the seal region that forms the frame region (in other words, the seal material 52 formed in the seal region). Alternatively, the alignment film 8 may be applied so as to be positioned on the outside). That is, the unstable region 81 and the seal region may not be overlapped. This makes it possible to reliably prevent the unstable region 81 from overlapping the image display region 10 by considering that the seal region exists outside the image display region 10a. Furthermore, the sealing material 52 can be formed on the alignment film 8 having a uniform film thickness. That is, the disadvantage that the sealing material 52 is inclined with respect to the TFT array substrate 10 can be suitably prevented. Thereby, the distance between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 can be suitably maintained by the spacer included in the sealing material 52.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8B, the unstable region 81 and the seal region may overlap. However, in this case, the width where the unstable region 81 and the seal region overlap is preferably less than or equal to half the width of the seal region. With this configuration, even if the unstable region 81 and the seal region overlap, the inconvenience that the seal material 52 is inclined with respect to the TFT array substrate 10 can be prevented accordingly. For this reason, the distance between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 can be suitably maintained by the spacer included in the sealing material 52.

(4) Modified Example Next, with reference to FIG. 9 to FIG. 12, a modified example of the alignment film forming method in the present embodiment will be described.

(4-1) First Modification First, with reference to FIG. 9, a modification of the method for forming an alignment film in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the first mother substrate (or a part thereof) on which the alignment film is formed by the forming method according to the first modification.

  As shown in FIG. 9, according to the method of forming the alignment film 8 according to the first modification, the end of the TFT array substrate 10 opposite to the side on which the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 is formed is formed. The alignment film 8 is applied up to the position of the region. That is, the alignment film 8 is applied to the end region of the TFT array substrate 10 on the side opposite to the side where the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 and the like is formed.

  Here, as described above, since the frame area such as the seal area is formed outside the image display area 10 a on the TFT array substrate 10, the image display area 10 a is formed in the end area of the TFT array substrate 10. Is unlikely. Therefore, since the alignment film 8 is formed up to the end region of the TFT array substrate 10, it is possible to reliably prevent the unstable region 81 that may exist in the end region of the alignment film 8 from overlapping the image display region 10a.

  Note that the end region of the TFT array substrate 10 is not limited to the side opposite to the side on which the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 and the like is formed, and is the boundary between the first mother substrate 1 and the TFT array substrate 10. Alternatively, the alignment film 8 may be applied.

(4-2) Second Modified Example Next, with reference to FIG. 10, a second modified example of the alignment film forming method in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the first mother substrate (or a part thereof) on which the alignment film is formed by the forming method according to the second modification.

  As shown in FIG. 10, according to the method of forming the alignment film 8 according to the second modification, the end of the TFT array substrate 10 opposite to the side on which the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminal 102 is formed is formed. The alignment film 8 is applied beyond the position of the region. That is, the alignment film 8 is applied across the first mother substrate 1 beyond the end region of the TFT array substrate 10 on the side opposite to the side where the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 and the like is formed. . For this reason, the end region (that is, the unstable region 81) of the alignment film 8 is formed on the first mother substrate 1 instead of on the TFT array substrate 10. Thereby, it is possible to reliably prevent the unstable region 81 that may exist in the end region of the alignment film 8 from overlapping the image display region 10a.

  Note that the end region of the TFT array substrate 10 is not limited to the side opposite to the side on which the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 and the like is formed, and is the boundary between the first mother substrate 1 and the TFT array substrate 10. Further, the alignment film 8 may be applied across the first mother substrate 1.

  In the above description, an example in which the plurality of TFT array substrates 10 are not adjacent to each other on the side where the mounting portion including the external connection terminals 102 is formed on the first mother substrate 1 will be described. Yes. In other words, on the first mother substrate 1, each of the plurality of TFT array substrates 10 has a gap between the adjacent TFT array substrate 10 on the side where the mounting portion including the external connection terminals 102 and the like is formed. It explains about. However, on the first mother substrate 1, each of the plurality of TFT array substrates 10 may be adjacent on the side where the mounting portion including the external connection terminals 102 and the like is formed. That is, on the first mother substrate 1, each of the plurality of TFT array substrates 10 has a gap with the adjacent TFT array substrate 10 on the side where the mounting portion including the external connection terminals 102 and the like is formed. It does not have to be.

  Even in this case, it goes without saying that the alignment film 8 may be formed in the various modes described above. A method for forming the alignment film 8 in this case will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 11 shows the alignment film when the plurality of TFT array substrates 10 are adjacent to each other on the side where the mounting portion including the external connection terminals 102 is formed on the first mother substrate 1. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing one aspect of the forming method. FIG. 12 is a side of the first mother substrate 1 where each of the plurality of TFT array substrates 10 is formed with a mounting portion including the external connection terminals 102 and the like. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing one embodiment of a method for forming an alignment film when adjacent to each other.

  As shown in FIG. 11, on the first mother substrate 1, each of the plurality of TFT array substrates 10 is described above even when adjacent to both the side on which the mounting portion including the external connection terminals 102 is formed. In this manner, the alignment film 8 is applied. Specifically, the alignment film 8 is applied on the TFT array substrate 10 so that the unstable region 81 of the alignment film 8 does not overlap the image display region 10a. Further, the alignment film 8 is not applied to the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 and the like. In the direction in which the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 and the like is not formed, the alignment film 8 is collectively applied. In FIG. 11, the end of the alignment film 8 does not overlap the seal region on the side where the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 and the like are formed on the TFT array substrate 10 and on the opposite side. You may arrange | position so that the unstable area | region and sealing area | region of the alignment film currently formed may overlap.

  Especially when each of the plurality of TFT array substrates 10 is adjacent on the side where the mounting portion including the external connection terminals 102 is formed, the mounting portion formed on the upper TFT array substrate 10 in FIG. And the lower TFT array substrate 10 adjacent to the upper TFT array substrate 10 are adjacent to each other. Therefore, on the opposite side of the lower TFT array substrate 10 to the side on which the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 is formed, the region beyond the end region of the lower TFT array substrate 10 (that is, the upper side) The alignment film 8 is not applied to the region where the mounting portion of the TFT array substrate 10 is located. That is, the alignment film 8 is applied to the end region of the TFT array substrate 10 at the maximum on the opposite side of the other TFT array substrate 10 where the mounting portion including the external circuit connection terminals 102 is formed. Is preferred.

  It goes without saying that the above-described various effects can be suitably enjoyed even with such a configuration.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit or idea of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and the alignment film accompanying such changes These manufacturing methods and apparatuses are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

It is a top view which shows the structure of the liquid crystal device which concerns on this embodiment. It is H-H 'sectional drawing of FIG. It is a top view which shows the 1st mother board | substrate (or its part) comprised including a some TFT array board | substrate. It is a flowchart which shows notionally the flow of the formation method of the alignment film in this embodiment. It is a top view which shows the 1st mother board | substrate (or its part) in which the alignment film was formed. It is I-I 'sectional drawing of FIG. It is J-J 'sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line J-J ″ in FIG. 5, which clearly shows the positional relationship between the sealing material and the unstable region. It is a top view which shows the 1st mother board | substrate (or its part) in which the alignment film was formed by the formation method which concerns on a 1st modification. It is a top view which shows the 1st mother board | substrate (or its part) in which the alignment film was formed by the formation method which concerns on a 2nd modification. The top view which shows the one aspect | mode of the formation method of an alignment film in case each of several TFT array substrate is adjacent also in the side in which the mounting part containing the terminal for external connection etc. is formed on a 1st mother substrate. It is. The top view which shows the other aspect of the formation method of an orientation film in case each of several TFT array board | substrates adjoins also in the side in which the mounting part containing the terminal for an external connection etc. is formed on a 1st mother board | substrate. It is.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 7 ... Sampling circuit, 8 ... Orientation film, 9a ... Pixel electrode, 10 ... TFT array substrate, 10a ... Image display area, 20 ... Counter substrate, 20e ... End part, 20e1 ... Dicing part, 20e2 ... Crack part, 21 ... Opposite Electrode, 23 ... light shielding film, 50 ... liquid crystal layer, 52 ... sealing material, 53 ... frame light shielding film, 81 ... unstable region, 101 ... data line driving circuit, 102 ... external circuit connection terminal, 104 ... scanning line driving circuit, 106: vertical conduction terminal, 107: vertical conduction material

Claims (9)

An electro-optical device panel constituting an electro-optical device having an electro-optical material sandwiched between a pair of substrates, the substrate forming one of the pair of substrates, and an external formed on the substrate And an alignment film forming method for forming an alignment film for an electro-optical device panel including a mounting portion including a connection terminal portion.
An unstable region that exists locally or discretely in the end region of the alignment film as viewed in plan on the substrate and whose film thickness may be non-uniform compared to the central region of the alignment film is on the substrate. An application step of applying the alignment film on the substrate by a patterning method so as to be located in a portion other than the image display area of
And a fixing step of fixing the applied alignment film. A plurality of the substrates are formed on one mother substrate larger than the substrate so as to be arranged along one direction,
The mounting portion is formed in one end region of each of the plurality of substrates so that the plurality of substrates are arranged adjacent to or in proximity to another end region where the mounting portion is not formed,
In the application step, in the other end region, the alignment film is continuously applied along the one direction so that the alignment film is applied across the plurality of substrates adjacent or close to each other in the other end region. The method for forming an alignment film according to claim 1, wherein the alignment film is applied.   The alignment film forming method according to claim 1, wherein in the applying step, the alignment film is applied to a region excluding a region where the mounting portion is formed. The mounting portion is formed in one end region of the substrate,
4. The method for forming an alignment film according to claim 1, wherein in the applying step, the alignment film is applied up to a terminal end of the other end region excluding the one end region. 5. The connection terminal is formed in one end region of the substrate,
2. The application step includes applying the alignment film so that the alignment film is applied to the outside of the substrate beyond the other end region except the one end region. 4. The method for forming an alignment film according to any one of items 1 to 3.   6. The alignment film formation according to claim 1, wherein in the application step, the alignment film is applied so that the unstable region and the image display region are separated from each other by a predetermined length or more. Method.   The method for forming an alignment film according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined length is approximately 0.2 mm.   In the coating step, (i) in at least one of the end regions of the substrate, the unstable region is formed with a sealant for bonding the pair of substrates and around the image display region. Or (ii) in at least one of the end regions of the substrate, the width where the unstable region and the seal region overlap is approximately half or less of the width of the seal region. The method for forming an alignment film according to claim 1, wherein the alignment film is applied. A panel for an electro-optical device constituting an electro-optical device having an electro-optical material sandwiched between a pair of substrates, the substrate constituting one of the pair of substrates, and an external formed on the substrate An alignment film forming apparatus for forming an alignment film for an electro-optical device panel including a mounting portion including a connection terminal portion with
An unstable region that exists locally or discretely in the end region of the alignment film as viewed in plan on the substrate and whose film thickness may be non-uniform compared to the central region of the alignment film is on the substrate. A coating means for coating the alignment film on the substrate by a patterning method so as to be located in a portion other than the image display area;
And a fixing means for fixing the applied alignment film.

Images