JP2009175477A - Liquid crystal panel and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal panel and a manufacturing method thereof, which improves display quality. <P>SOLUTION: The liquid crystal panel 50 has a CF panel 20, a TFT panel 10 disposed facing the CF panel 20, a light shielding layer 22a formed on the CF panel 20 surrounding the pixels 40 like a frame, a sealant 31 having a liquid crystal inlet 32 extending up to the CF panel 20 edge and to adhere the CF panel 20 and the TFT panel 10, and columnar spacers 33 separated from each other and disposed for each pixel 40 at an area facing a side of the frame-like light shielding layer 22a and crossing the direction that the liquid crystal inlet 32 extends while holding the CF panel 20 and the TFT panel 10 with a predetermined space in between. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal panel and a method for manufacturing the same.

  The liquid crystal panel includes a substrate on which a drive circuit is formed and a counter substrate on which a color filter is formed. Both substrates are arranged facing each other. In addition, the two substrates are bonded together via a spacer that keeps the distance constant and a sealing material that fixes the substrates together. The sealing material has an inlet for injecting liquid crystal. Then, after injecting liquid crystal through this inlet, the inlet is sealed with a sealing material. The liquid crystal panel generally has the above configuration. Such a liquid crystal panel is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

The counter substrate of the liquid crystal panel is bonded to the substrate on which the driving circuit is formed while maintaining a very narrow interval of about several μm. For this reason, if foreign matter exists between the substrates, a display defect or a gap abnormality often occurs. Therefore, several kinds of foreign matter removing steps are set in the manufacturing process. As a typical example of the foreign matter removing step, a cleaning device using water or a chemical solution, a foreign matter suction device using an air flow, or the like can be given.
JP 2003-255368 A

  However, a small foreign substance is relatively difficult to remove in the foreign substance removing step, and easily reattached. For this reason, if a foreign material smaller than the space | interval exists between the board | substrates after bonding, a foreign material will move along the flow of a liquid crystal at the time of liquid crystal injection. Then, there is a problem that the display quality deteriorates by gathering in a part of the liquid crystal panel to become a bright spot group.

  The present invention focuses on the above problems and aims to provide a liquid crystal panel with improved display quality and a method for manufacturing the same.

  A liquid crystal panel according to the present invention includes a first substrate, a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate, a light shielding layer formed on the first substrate so as to surround each pixel in a frame shape, A liquid crystal injection port extending to the end of the first substrate, a sealing material for bonding the first substrate and the second substrate, one side of the frame-shaped light shielding layer, the liquid crystal injection port The first substrate and the second substrate are held at a predetermined interval at a portion facing one side that intersects the extending direction, and a plurality of columnar spacers provided for each pixel are provided apart from each other.

  The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel in which a first substrate and a second substrate are arranged to face each other, and each pixel is surrounded by the first substrate in a frame shape. A plurality of columnar spacers that hold the first substrate and the second substrate at a predetermined distance apart from each other at a portion facing one side of the frame-shaped light shielding layer. A liquid crystal is formed between the adjacent columnar spacers, a step of bonding the first substrate and the second substrate with a sealing material so as to have a liquid crystal injection port extending to an end of the first substrate; And a step of injecting liquid crystal from the liquid crystal injection port so as to pass through.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the liquid crystal panel which improves display quality, and its manufacturing method can be provided.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
First, a liquid crystal display device will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of the liquid crystal panel 50. In FIG. 1, the main part of the liquid crystal panel 50 is shown, and the detailed configuration is not shown. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. Here, as an example, a TFT liquid crystal display device using a thin film transistor (TFT) as a switching element will be described.

  The liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel 50, a backlight unit (not shown), and the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid crystal panel 50 includes a TFT substrate 10 and a color filter (CF) substrate 20 disposed to face the TFT substrate 10. In addition, the liquid crystal panel 50 is bonded using the sealing material 31 at the outer peripheral edges of both the substrates 10 and 20. The liquid crystal panel 50 is sealed by forming the liquid crystal layer 30 between the substrates 10 and 20 and the sealing material 31. The backlight unit is disposed on the non-viewing side of the liquid crystal panel 50 and emits light from the back side of the liquid crystal panel 50.

  In the TFT substrate 10, a plurality of wirings 12 are formed on an insulating substrate 11. As the insulating substrate 11, for example, a glass substrate having optical transparency can be used. The wiring 12 is, for example, a gate wiring, and a plurality of wirings are provided. The plurality of gate wirings are provided in parallel. A plurality of source wirings (not shown) are provided so as to intersect with the plurality of gate wirings via an insulating film (not shown). A gate signal (scanning signal) is supplied to the TFT (not shown) through the gate wiring. Thereby, ON and OFF of the TFT are controlled. When the TFT is in the ON state, a display signal (display voltage) is applied to the pixel electrode 15 described later via the source line. Each wiring 12 has a terminal electrode 13 at the end. Various signals from the outside are supplied to the wiring 12 through the terminal electrode 13. Further, a transfer electrode (not shown) for transmitting a signal input from the terminal electrode 13 to a common electrode 23 described later is formed. Then, an insulating film 14 is formed so as to cover the TFT or the wiring 12.

  A pixel electrode 15 is formed for each pixel 40 on the insulating film 14. Specifically, the pixel electrode 15 is formed between the adjacent wirings 12. Similarly to the pixel electrode 15, the TFT is formed for each pixel 40, and a display voltage is applied to the pixel electrode 15 when the corresponding TFT is in the ON state. As described above, the TFTs and the pixel electrodes 15 are arranged in a row, that is, in an array, so that it is also called an array substrate. And the alignment film 16 is formed on these. The alignment film 16 is formed over substantially the entire display area 41 including the plurality of pixels 40. The alignment film 16 aligns the liquid crystal in a predetermined direction. A polarizing plate 17 is attached to the lower surface of the TFT substrate 10.

  In the CF substrate 20, a color filter layer 22, a common electrode 23, and an alignment film 24 are sequentially formed on the surface of the insulating substrate 21 on the liquid crystal layer 30 side. As the insulating substrate 21, for example, a glass substrate having optical transparency can be used. The color filter layer 22 includes a light shielding layer 22a made of a black matrix (BM) layer and the like, and a colored layer 22b of red (R) green (G) blue (B). Further, the colored layer 22b and the pixel electrode 15 are disposed to face each other. The wiring 12 and the light shielding layer 22a are disposed to face each other. The common electrode 23 is electrically connected to a transfer electrode (not shown) disposed on the TFT substrate 10 via a transfer material (not shown) formed between the TFT substrate 10 and the CF substrate 20. A signal input from the terminal electrode 13 is transmitted to the common electrode 23 through the transfer electrode and the transfer material. As a result, a common potential is supplied to the common electrode 23. Then, an electric field is generated between the common electrode 23 and the pixel electrode 15 to drive the liquid crystal. A polarizing plate 25 is attached to the surface of the CF substrate 20 opposite to the liquid crystal layer 30.

  The TFT substrate 10 and the CF substrate 20 are bonded to each other with a sealing material 31 interposed therebetween. As shown in FIG. 1, the sealing material 31 is formed in a frame shape so as to surround the display region 41. A part of the sealing material 31 has an opening. A sealing material 31 extends from the opening toward the ends of the TFT substrate 10 and the CF substrate 20. The liquid crystal injection port 32 extends from the opening to the ends of the TFT substrate 10 and the CF substrate 20. The liquid crystal injection port 32 is formed at the end of the substrate opposite to the terminal electrode 13 described later. Further, the TFT substrate 10 is formed to have a larger outer dimension than the CF substrate 20. Here, the sealing material 31 is bonded so that the TFT substrate 10 protrudes from one side (one end) of the CF substrate 20. A terminal electrode 13 connected from the outside is formed in a region where the TFT substrate 10 protrudes from the CF substrate 20.

  The substrates 10 and 20 are held between the substrates 10 and 20 by a columnar spacer 33 which is an in-plane spacer so as to have a predetermined interval. Specifically, the columnar spacers 33 are formed between the pixel electrodes 15 in the display area 41 and hold the inter-substrate distance inside the sealing material 31. Thus, the inter-substrate distance between the TFT substrate 10 and the CF substrate 20 is determined by the columnar spacer 33. Specifically, the columnar spacer 33 is provided in a portion facing the light shielding layer 22a. That is, the columnar spacer 33 is provided between the light shielding layer 22 a and the wiring 12. Details of the columnar spacer 33 will be described later.

  The liquid crystal panel 50 includes a control board 34 that generates various signals for driving the liquid crystal, and an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) 35 that electrically connects the control board 34 to the terminal electrode 13. Thereby, various signals from the control board 34 are supplied to the terminal electrode 13 via the FFC 35. The liquid crystal display device is configured as described above.

  Next, the operation of the liquid crystal display device will be described. For example, when an electrical signal is input from the control board 34, various signals are supplied to the terminal electrode 13 via the FFC 35. Then, a scanning signal and a display signal are supplied to the wiring 12 connected to the terminal electrode 13. Thereby, a display voltage is applied to the pixel electrode 15 electrically connected to the wiring 12. In addition, a signal input from the terminal electrode 13 through the transfer electrode and the transfer material is transmitted to the common electrode 23, and a common potential is supplied to the common electrode 23. As a result, an electric field is generated between the pixel electrode 15 and the common electrode 23.

  The liquid crystal is driven by the electric field between the pixel electrode 15 and the common electrode 23, and the direction of the molecules of the liquid crystal changes. That is, the alignment direction of the liquid crystal between the substrates changes. As a result, the polarization state of the light passing through the liquid crystal layer 30 changes. That is, the polarization state of the light that has passed through the polarizing plate 17 and becomes linearly polarized light is changed by the liquid crystal layer 30. Specifically, light from the backlight unit as a light source and external light incident from the outside are converted into linearly polarized light by the polarizing plate 17. Then, when the linearly polarized light passes through the liquid crystal layer 30, the polarization state changes.

  Accordingly, the amount of light passing through the polarizing plate 25 on the CF substrate 20 side varies depending on the polarization state. That is, the amount of light that passes through the polarizing plate 25 on the viewing side in the transmitted light that passes through the liquid crystal panel 50 from the backlight unit changes. The alignment direction of the liquid crystal changes depending on the applied display voltage. Therefore, the amount of light passing through the viewing-side polarizing plate 25 can be changed by controlling the display voltage. That is, a desired image can be displayed by changing the display voltage for each pixel 40. That is, light or the like emitted from the backlight unit is transmitted or blocked to the outside through the TFT substrate 10, the CF substrate 20, and the liquid crystal layer 30, thereby displaying an image or the like on the liquid crystal panel 50.

  The configuration of the liquid crystal panel 50 described above is an example, and other configurations may be used. The operation mode of the liquid crystal panel 50 may be a TN (Twisted Nematic) mode, a STN (Super Twisted Nematic) mode, a ferroelectric liquid crystal mode, or the like. For example, in the case of an IPS (In-Plane Switching) mode, the common electrode 23 provided on the CF substrate 20 in FIG. 2 is provided on the TFT substrate 10 side. As a result, an electric field is generated in the lateral direction with respect to the liquid crystal between the pixel electrode 15 and the common electrode 23. Thus, the liquid crystal panel 50 using a horizontal electric field method may be used. Further, the driving method may be a simple matrix, an active matrix, or the like. As described above, the present invention can be applied to various liquid crystal panels 50.

  Next, details of the columnar spacer 33 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the position of the columnar spacer 33 in one pixel 40. Here, in FIG. 3, only the main parts are shown, and the other components are not shown.

  The light shielding layer 22a is formed so as to surround the pixel 40 in a frame shape. In other words, the light shielding layer 22a is formed so as to surround the pixel electrode 15 in a frame shape. Since the pixels 40 and the pixel electrodes 15 are formed in a rectangular shape, the light shielding layer 22a is also formed in a rectangular frame shape. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of pixels 40 are arranged in a matrix in the display area 41. Therefore, in the display region 41, the light shielding layer 22a is formed so as to surround each pixel 40 in a frame shape. That is, in the display area 41, the light shielding layer 22a is formed in a lattice shape. A plurality of columnar spacers 33 are formed per pixel 40 on the light shielding layer 22a. The columnar spacer 33 has a circular upper surface shape. That is, the columnar spacer 33 is formed in a columnar shape.

  Each columnar spacer 33 is formed along one side of the rectangular pixel electrode 15. That is, each columnar spacer 33 is formed in a portion facing one side of the light shielding layer 22a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the columnar spacer 33 overlaps the light shielding layer 22b. The one side is one side that intersects the extending direction of the liquid crystal injection port 32. In other words, it is a side that intersects the moving direction of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal injection port 32 when the liquid crystal is injected. That is, the one side is not parallel to the moving direction of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal injection port 32. The moving direction of the liquid crystal is perpendicular to, for example, one side near the liquid crystal inlet 32 of the substrates 11 and 21. In the present embodiment, the one side of the light shielding layer 22a is parallel to one side in the vicinity of the injection holes of the substrates 11 and 21 in FIG. That is, in FIG. 3, the one side is the upper side or the lower side of the light shielding layer 22a. The plurality of columnar spacers 33 are formed separately from each other. For example, the plurality of columnar spacers 33 are formed at regular intervals. Here, the interval between adjacent columnar spacers 33 is preferably about 2 to 5 μm, and the number of columnar spacers 33 is preferably 2 to 4 per location, but is not particularly limited.

  In this way, by forming the plurality of columnar spacers 33 apart from each other, foreign substances present in the display area 41 can be captured. That is, the portion where the columnar spacer 33 is formed plays a role of capturing foreign matter present in the display area 41. Thereby, a liquid crystal display device with good display quality can be obtained.

  In addition, the columnar spacers 33 for capturing such foreign substances may be provided in all the pixels 40, or may be provided by thinning out a few pixels 40 at a rate of one pixel 40, for example. In any case, a desired foreign matter capturing effect can be obtained. Further, the thinning is preferable because it does not hinder the pull-in at the time of liquid crystal injection, and bubbles are not easily generated. As described above, the columnar spacer 33 has a role of making the distance between the substrates constant in the liquid crystal panel 50. Here, for example, even when thinning out at a rate of one pixel 40 to several pixels 40, the role of making the inter-substrate distance sufficiently constant can be taken.

  Specifically, among the RGB pixels 40, only the G pixel 40 is not provided with the columnar spacer 33. That is, the columnar spacer 33 is not provided at a ratio of one pixel to three pixels. Even in this case, the role of capturing the foreign matter and the role of making the distance between the substrates constant can be taken. Of course, it is not limited to the repeated arrangement for each color, and it may be thinned out at a rate of 1 pixel 40 per 4 pixels 40, and various modifications such as a thinned arrangement in the row direction of the same color are possible. Needless to say. Even in the case of thinning, columnar spacers 33 may be formed in the thinned pixels 40 in order to make the inter-substrate distance constant. For example, one columnar spacer 33 may be formed in the thinned pixel 40 without forming the plurality of columnar spacers 33 apart from each other.

  In the present embodiment, the shape of the light shielding layer 22a is a rectangular frame shape, but is not limited thereto. For example, the pixel electrode 15 may have a V shape, and the light shielding layer 22a may have a shape surrounding the V shape. That is, the upper side and the lower side of the light shielding layer 22a in FIG. 3 may be V-shaped. In this case, a plurality of columnar spacers 33 may be provided along the V shape. That is, the columnar spacers 33 may be provided in portions facing the two sides of the light shielding layer 22a. Thus, the shape of the pixel electrode 15 is not limited to a rectangle, but may be other polygons or a polygon having a curve in part. Of course, according to it, the shape of the light shielding layer 22a can also be made into various shapes. In addition, the columnar spacer 33 may be provided not only on a portion facing one side of the light shielding layer 22a but also on a portion facing a plurality of sides.

  Next, the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal panel 50 is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal panel 50.

  First, a first mother substrate having a plurality of TFT substrate portions and a second mother substrate having a plurality of CF substrate portions are formed (step S1). The first mother substrate and the second mother substrate correspond to the insulating substrates 11 and 21 shown in FIG. Further, the TFT substrate portion and the CF substrate portion become the TFT substrate 10 and the CF substrate 20 in a later process. In this step, since a general method can be used, it will be briefly described.

  A pattern forming process such as film formation, patterning by a photolithography method, and etching is repeatedly performed on one surface of a first mother substrate such as a glass substrate. Thereby, a switching element such as a TFT, the wiring 12, the terminal electrode 13, the insulating film 14, and the pixel electrode 15 are pattern-formed. A plurality of TFT substrate portions are formed on the first mother substrate. Similarly to the first mother substrate, a light shielding layer 22a, a colored layer 22b, and a common electrode 23 are formed on one surface of a second mother substrate such as a glass substrate.

  In the present embodiment, columnar spacers 33 are formed on each CF substrate portion. The columnar spacer 33 is patterned by a photolithography method in the same manner as a columnar spacer that controls a normal distance between substrates. Specifically, a photocurable resin or the like that becomes a spacer material is applied. Next, the photocurable resin is exposed and exposed from the photomask. And the columnar spacer 33 is pattern-formed by developing a photocurable resin. Specifically, a plurality of columnar spacers 33 are formed at regular intervals for each pixel 40. For example, the plurality of columnar spacers 33 are arranged in parallel to one side of the substrate in the vicinity of the liquid crystal injection port 32 formed in a process described later. Further, the plurality of columnar spacers 33 are formed in a portion facing one side of the light shielding layer 22a. In this embodiment, the columnar spacer 33 is formed on the CF substrate portion, but it may be formed on the TFT substrate portion side.

  Here, the RGB pixels 40 are arranged in rows. That is, the RGB pixels 40 are arranged in a stripe shape. Then, columnar spacers 33 are formed only on the G pixels 40. Further, the columnar spacers 33 are provided every other pixel 40 instead of providing the columnar spacers 33 for all the G pixels 40 arranged in a line. That is, in the plurality of G pixels 40, columnar spacers 33 are provided by thinning out two pixels 40 at a rate of one pixel 40. Further, the adjacent G pixels 40 are thinned out in a staggered manner. For example, the columnar spacers 33 are provided only in the odd-numbered pixels 40 in the G pixels 40 in the first column. In the G pixels 40 in the second column, the columnar spacers 33 are provided only in the even-numbered pixels 40. Thereby, a plurality of CF substrate portions are manufactured on the second mother substrate.

  Further, the rectangular TFT substrate portion and the CF substrate portion are arranged so that the long side and the short side thereof are parallel to the long side or the short side of the rectangular first mother substrate or the second mother substrate. . The TFT substrate portion and the CF substrate portion are regularly arranged. Thereby, a large number of cells can be efficiently imposed on a pair of mother substrates.

  Next, in the substrate cleaning process, the first mother substrate is cleaned (step S2). In the alignment film forming step, the alignment film 16 is formed on the surface of the first mother substrate on which the pixel electrode 15 is formed (step S3). In this step, the alignment film 16 made of an organic film is applied by, for example, a printing method. Then, it is baked and dried by a hot plate or the like. Thereafter, in the rubbing process, the surface of the alignment film 16 is rubbed in a certain direction with a cloth to align the alignment film 16 (step S4).

  Further, similarly to Step S2 to Step S4, the second mother substrate is also subjected to substrate cleaning, alignment film formation, and rubbing. In the case of the second mother substrate, the alignment film 24 is formed on the surface on which the common electrode 23 is formed.

  Subsequently, in the sealing material application process, the sealing material 31 is applied to the surface on which the electrodes of the first mother substrate or the second mother substrate are formed by the screen printing apparatus (step S5). For the sealing material 31, for example, a thermosetting resin such as an epoxy-based adhesive or an ultraviolet curable resin can be used. Next, in the transfer material application process, the transfer material application process is performed on the surface of the first mother substrate or the second mother substrate on which the electrodes are formed (step S6). Thereafter, in the bonding step, the first mother substrate and the second mother substrate are bonded together (step S7). Thereby, each TFT substrate part and CF substrate part are bonded together, and a plurality of cells are formed in an array. In the seal curing step, the seal material 31 is completely cured in a state where the first mother substrate and the second mother substrate are bonded together (step S8). This step is performed, for example, by applying heat according to the material of the sealing material 31 or by irradiating ultraviolet rays.

  Next, in the cell dividing step, the bonded mother substrate is divided for each cell (step S9). Thereafter, a part of the insulating substrate 21 or the like is removed, and the terminal electrode 13 is exposed. Thereby, it can connect from the outside. In the liquid crystal injection process, liquid crystal is injected from the liquid crystal injection port 32 into each cell (step S10). This step is performed by filling the liquid crystal from the liquid crystal injection port 32 by vacuum injection. In the vacuum injection method, for example, a liquid crystal boat storing liquid crystals and a cell are disposed in a vacuum chamber. Then, the inside of the vacuum chamber is evacuated and depressurized to deaerate the inside of the cell gap and the liquid crystal. Thereafter, the liquid crystal inlet at the lower end of the cell is brought into contact with the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal boat. When the inside of the vacuum chamber is returned to atmospheric pressure, the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal boat is sucked into the cell due to the capillary phenomenon and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cell.

  That is, in this liquid crystal injection step, the liquid crystal 60 moves in the cell 61 as shown in FIG. That is, the liquid crystal 60 moves in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Then, the liquid crystal is filled in the sealing material 31. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of the cell 61 in the liquid crystal injection process. As described above, when the liquid crystal 60 moves in the cell 61, the foreign matter 62 existing in the display area 41 also moves. That is, the foreign matter 62 moves in the cell 61 as it flows through the liquid crystal 60. In other words, the liquid crystal 60 injected from the liquid crystal injection port 32 gradually gets away from the liquid crystal injection port 32 and fills the inside of the sealing material 31 while the foreign matter 62 existing in the display region 41 is involved. At this time, by passing between the columnar spacers 33 arranged in the display area 41, the foreign matter 62 is captured in the gap between the columnar spacers 33, and only the liquid crystal 60 passes. And the foreign material 62 is fixed to the part in which the columnar spacer 33 was provided. That is, the foreign material 62 is fixed to a portion facing the light shielding layer 22a.

  Next, in the sealing step, the liquid crystal injection port 32 is sealed with a sealing material (step S11). In this step, the liquid crystal injection port 32 is filled with a photocurable resin. And a sealing material is formed by irradiating light to photocurable resin. Finally, in the polarizing plate attaching step, the polarizing plates 17 and 25 are attached to the liquid crystal cell (step S12), and in the control substrate mounting step, the control substrate 34 is mounted (step S13). Thereby, the liquid crystal panel 50 is completed.

  Thus, after forming the columnar spacer 33 having the above-described configuration, the liquid crystal 60 is injected. As a result, the foreign matter 62 present in the display area 41 is captured by the columnar spacer 33. In addition, since the columnar spacer 33 is formed in the portion facing the light shielding layer 22a, the foreign matter 62 is also fixed to the portion facing the light shielding layer 22a. That is, when displaying the liquid crystal panel 50, the foreign matter 62 is hidden under the light shielding layer 22a. And the foreign material 62 hardly exists in the part which permeate | transmits light and opposes the colored layer 22b in connection with a display. Thereby, the liquid crystal panel 50 with improved display quality can be manufactured.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the present embodiment, the shape of the columnar spacer 33 is different from that of the first embodiment. Since other configurations and manufacturing methods are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted. Here, the columnar spacer 33 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the position of the columnar spacer 33 in one pixel 40.

  The columnar spacer 33 has a rectangular upper surface shape. That is, the columnar spacer 33 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Adjacent columnar spacers 33 are arranged in a V shape (C shape). Specifically, the adjacent columnar spacers 33 are arranged in a V shape projecting on the opposite side to the liquid crystal injection port 32. That is, the interval between the adjacent columnar spacers 33 becomes narrower from the end on the liquid crystal injection port 32 side toward the end on the opposite side of the liquid crystal injection port 32. As the distance from the liquid crystal injection port 32 increases, the distance between the adjacent columnar spacers 33 is reduced. In other words, the arrangement angle of the columnar spacer 33 alone is oriented at one end with a certain angle toward the liquid crystal injection port 32 side. That is, the long side of the rectangular columnar spacer 33 is inclined with respect to one side of the substrates 10 and 20 near the liquid crystal injection port 32. In the present embodiment, four columnar spacers 33 are provided. Two adjacent columnar spacers 33 are arranged in a V shape, and the columnar spacers 33 arranged in a V shape are arranged adjacent to each other. That is, the columnar spacers 33 are arranged in a W shape.

  Also in the present embodiment, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. As in the first embodiment, the interval between adjacent columnar spacers 33 is preferably about 2 to 5 μm, and the number of columnar spacers 33 is preferably 2 to 4 per location. Further, as described above, it is more desirable to arrange the columnar spacers 33 having a rectangular top surface shape in a V shape, but there is no particular limitation.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the present embodiment, the shape of the columnar spacer 33 is different from that of the first embodiment. Since other configurations and manufacturing methods are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted. Here, the columnar spacer 33 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the position of the columnar spacer 33 in one pixel 40.

  The columnar spacer 33 has a curved bar shape. The columnar spacer 33 has a curved upper surface shape, for example, an upper surface shape of a quarter arc. Adjacent columnar spacers 33 are arranged in a U-shape. Specifically, the adjacent columnar spacers 33 are arranged in a U shape projecting on the opposite side to the liquid crystal injection port 32. That is, the interval between the adjacent columnar spacers 33 becomes narrower from the end on the liquid crystal injection port 32 side toward the end on the opposite side of the liquid crystal injection port 32. As the distance from the liquid crystal injection port 32 increases, the distance between the adjacent columnar spacers 33 is reduced. In other words, the arrangement angle of the columnar spacer 33 alone is oriented at one end with a certain angle toward the liquid crystal injection port 32 side. In the present embodiment, four columnar spacers 33 are provided. Two adjacent columnar spacers 33 are arranged in a U shape, and the columnar spacers 33 arranged in a U shape are arranged adjacent to each other.

  Also in the present embodiment, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. As in the first embodiment, the interval between adjacent columnar spacers 33 is preferably about 2 to 5 μm, and the number of columnar spacers 33 is preferably 2 to 4 per location. As described above, it is more desirable to arrange the columnar spacers 33 in a U shape, but there is no particular limitation.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the guide 63 is provided. Since other configurations and manufacturing methods are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted. Here, the guide 63 of this Embodiment is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the position of the guide 63 in one pixel 40.

  The guide 63 is a portion facing the light shielding layer 22 a and is provided in the vicinity of the columnar spacer 33. Specifically, the guides 63 are provided at both ends of the plurality of columnar spacers 33 in one pixel 40. As in the first embodiment, a plurality of columnar spacers 33 are provided in a portion facing one side of the light shielding layer 22a. For this reason, the guides 63 are provided at both ends of one side of the light shielding layer 22a. That is, the guide 63 is provided at two corners of the light shielding layer 22a. In FIG. 8, two guides 63 in total are provided on the right and left sides of the four columnar spacers 33. The guide 63 extends from the corner toward the other side. Here, the other one side is one side of the light shielding layer 22a where the columnar spacer 33 is not provided. In addition, the guide 63 extends linearly along the other side. That is, on the other side, the guide 63 has a rectangular shape. At the corner, the guide 63 is curved along the corner. The guide 63 is formed by the same material and the same process as the columnar spacer 33, for example. Of course, the guide 63 is not limited to this, and the guide 63 may be formed by a different material and different processes from the columnar spacer 33. In this case, after the color filter layer 22 and the common electrode 23 are formed, the guide 63 is formed before the TFT substrate 10 and the CF substrate 20 are bonded together by the sealing material 31.

  Thus, by providing the guide 63, the flow of liquid crystal can be controlled. Thereby, when the liquid crystal passes between the gaps provided in the columnar spacer 33, the probability that foreign matter is captured becomes higher. Thereby, the liquid crystal panel 50 with improved display quality can be manufactured.

  Note that the shape of the guide 63 provided in the present embodiment is preferably a rectangular shape or a curved rod shape, but is not particularly limited. Further, the combination with the shape of the columnar spacer 33 is not limited. For example, the guide 63 may be provided in the columnar spacer 33 of the second and third embodiments.

1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a liquid crystal panel according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is II-II sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the position of a columnar spacer in one pixel according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal panel according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a configuration of a cell in a liquid crystal injection process according to the first embodiment. 6 is a plan view showing the position of a columnar spacer in one pixel according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the position of a columnar spacer in one pixel according to Embodiment 3. FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a position of a guide in one pixel according to the fourth embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

10 TFT substrate, 11 insulating substrate, 12 wiring, 13 terminal electrode, 14 insulating film,
15 pixel electrode, 16 alignment film, 17 polarizing plate,
20 CF substrate, 21 insulating substrate, 22 color filter layer, 22a light shielding layer,
22b colored layer, 23 common electrode, 24 alignment film, 25 polarizing plate,
30 liquid crystal layer, 31 sealing material, 32 liquid crystal injection port, 33 columnar spacer,
34 control board, 35 FFC,
40 pixels, 41 display area, 50 liquid crystal panel,
60 liquid crystal, 61 cell, 62 foreign matter, 63 guide

Claims (12)

A first substrate;
A second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate;
A light shielding layer formed on the first substrate so as to surround each pixel in a frame shape;
A sealing material having a liquid crystal injection port extending to the end of the first substrate, and bonding the first substrate and the second substrate;
The first substrate and the second substrate are held at a predetermined interval on one side of the frame-shaped light-shielding layer opposite to one side intersecting the extending direction of the liquid crystal injection port, and separated from each other. A liquid crystal panel having a plurality of columnar spacers provided per pixel.   The liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of columnar spacers are provided with an interval of 2 to 5 μm.   3. The liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein an interval between adjacent columnar spacers becomes narrower from an end portion on the liquid crystal injection port side toward an end portion on the side opposite to the liquid crystal injection port. The columnar spacer has a rectangular top surface shape,
4. The liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein the adjacent columnar spacers are arranged in a V shape projecting on the opposite side to the liquid crystal injection port. 5. The columnar spacer has a curved upper surface shape,
4. The liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein the adjacent columnar spacers are arranged in a U-shape projecting on the opposite side to the liquid crystal injection port. 5.   The liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, further comprising guides formed at both ends of the plurality of columnar spacers formed in one pixel in a portion facing the light shielding layer. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel in which a first substrate and a second substrate are arranged to face each other,
Forming a light shielding layer on the first substrate so as to surround each pixel in a frame shape;
A step of providing a plurality of columnar spacers for each pixel in a portion facing one side of the frame-shaped light shielding layer, the columnar spacers holding the first substrate and the second substrate at a predetermined interval;
Bonding the first substrate and the second substrate with a sealing material so as to have a liquid crystal injection port extending to the end of the first substrate;
And a step of injecting liquid crystal from the liquid crystal injection port so that the liquid crystal passes between adjacent columnar spacers.   The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of columnar spacers are provided with an interval of 2 to 5 μm.   The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to claim 7 or 8, wherein an interval between the adjacent columnar spacers becomes narrower from an end portion on the liquid crystal injection port side toward an end portion on the side opposite to the liquid crystal injection port. The columnar spacer has a rectangular top surface shape,
10. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to claim 7, wherein the adjacent columnar spacers are arranged in a V-shape projecting on the opposite side to the liquid crystal injection port. The columnar spacer has a curved upper surface shape,
10. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to claim 7, wherein the adjacent columnar spacers are arranged in a U-shape projecting on the opposite side to the liquid crystal injection port. 11.   The guide is formed at both ends of the plurality of columnar spacers formed in one pixel in a portion facing the light shielding layer after the step of forming the light shielding layer and before the step of bonding with the sealing material. The manufacturing method of the liquid crystal panel of any one of thru | or 11.

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