JP2009180775A - Liquid crystal cell and manufacturing method for it - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal cell as an aberration correcting means such as an optical pickup device, which is a high performance liquid cell including a number of connecting terminals while being small-sized, and a manufacturing method for it. <P>SOLUTION: This liquid crystal cell includes: extraction wirings 7a-7f connected to electrode patterns 4, 5 formed on transparent substrates 2, 3 and extended to the outside of a frame-like seal 10; and a conductive material 15 connected to an exposed extraction wiring on the outside of the frame seal 10 and be led out from the substrate end faces 2a, 2b, wherein the frame-like seal 10 has a plurality of cutout parts 11a-11f reaching the substrate end faces 2a, 2b to expose the extraction wirings 7a-7f, and the cutout parts are respectively filled with conductive material 15, whereby conduction with the extraction wirings 7a-7f are obtained by the substrate end faces 2a, 2b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a small liquid crystal cell mounted on an optical pickup device and used for aberration correction and the like, and a method for manufacturing the same.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an optical pickup device mounted on an optical disc apparatus that reproduces or records an optical disc such as a DVD has a problem that performance is deteriorated due to the influence of wavefront aberration caused by various factors. This wavefront aberration includes coma due to the tilt angle of the optical disc, thickness error of the cover layer of the optical disc and spherical aberration due to the multilayered information recording surface, and astigmatism due to the optical system. Is also present.

  These aberrations are particularly affected as the recording density of the optical disc increases. Aberration correction means that cancels this aberration and corrects the aberration with high accuracy is aimed at increasing the density and capacity of the optical disc. It has become an indispensable technology. As a means for correcting this aberration, a liquid crystal cell is arranged in the optical path of the optical pickup device, a predetermined voltage is applied to the liquid crystal cell, the refractive index of the liquid crystal is changed, and a phase difference is given to the passing light beam. A liquid crystal cell for correcting various aberrations has been developed.

  In addition, optical disk devices equipped with optical pickup devices are increasingly required to be smaller and lighter as notebook PCs become smaller and thinner, and as an aberration correction means incorporated into this optical pickup device. Miniaturization of liquid crystal cells is a very important development factor. From such a background, a small liquid crystal cell as an aberration correction unit of an optical pickup device and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  Hereinafter, an outline of an optical pickup device equipped with a liquid crystal cell as aberration correction means and an outline of a conventional liquid crystal cell as aberration correction means disclosed in Patent Document 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram schematically showing an outline of the optical pickup device.

  In FIG. 13, reference numeral 100 denotes an optical pickup device equipped with a liquid crystal cell as aberration correction means. Reference numeral 101 denotes a laser light source, and the collimator lens 103 converts the light beam emitted from the laser light source 101 into parallel light. The polarization beam splitter 105 is set so as to transmit linearly polarized light emitted from the laser light source 101 and reflect linearly polarized light in a direction orthogonal to that reflected from the optical disk 110.

  Reference numeral 120 denotes a liquid crystal cell as an aberration correction unit, which corrects aberrations such as coma aberration with respect to the light beam emitted from the laser light source 101 by controlling the voltage applied to the liquid crystal.

  In addition, a λ / 4 wavelength plate 107 that converts a linearly polarized light beam into circularly polarized light for each light beam emitted from the laser light source 101 is provided on the optical disk 110 side of the liquid crystal cell 120. As a result, the forward direction light of the light beam emitted from the laser light source 101 and the polarization direction of the backward light reflected by the optical disc 110 are converted by 90 degrees.

The objective lens 111 condenses the light beam from the laser light source 101 to form a beam spot on the optical disc 110. The condensing lens 112 has a function of condensing the light beam reflected by the polarization beam splitter 105 onto the light receiver 114. The light receiver 114 converts each incident light beam into an electrical signal and reads information recorded on the optical disc 110.

  As described above, by mounting the liquid crystal cell 120 for correcting aberration, the optical pickup device 100 can realize a high-performance optical pickup device that can cope with higher density and higher capacity of the optical disc.

  Next, as an example of a liquid crystal cell mounted on such an optical pickup device 100, a liquid crystal cell disclosed in Patent Document 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 (a) and 14 (b). FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional view of a conventional liquid crystal cell 120, and FIG. 14B is a plan view thereof. In addition, this figure (a) is CC sectional drawing of the (b) figure.

  As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the liquid crystal cell 120 includes a first transparent substrate 121 and a second transparent substrate 123 each having an electrode pattern on one surface, with the electrode patterns 122 and 124 facing each other. The frame-shaped seal 125 is fixedly formed with a predetermined gap. The liquid crystal 126 is injected into the gap 127 between the first and second transparent substrates 121 and 123, that is, the space sandwiched between the electrode patterns 122 and 124 formed on the first and second transparent substrates 121 and 123. It is formed by injecting from. The electrode pattern 122 has a pattern for correcting coma aberration.

  In addition, lead wires 130 and 131 that are led out to the outside of the frame-shaped seal 125 are formed in the electrode pattern 122. The lead wires 130 and 131 are wiring patterns for supplying a driving signal from the outside to the electrode pattern 122 inside the frame-shaped seal 125. The liquid crystal cell 120 uses the same shape and the same size as the first and second transparent substrates 121 and 123, and the substrate end faces of the first and second transparent substrates 121 and 123 have the same position. It is composed by pasting together. The electrode pattern 124 is connected to other connection wirings and connection terminals (not shown) so that power can be supplied to the electrode patterns 122 and 124, respectively.

  In addition, a gap from the outer side of the frame-shaped seal 125 to the substrate end faces of the first and second transparent substrates 121 and 123 is filled with a conductive material 132 that is electrically connected to the lead-out wirings 130 and 131, respectively. A connection terminal 133 made of a conductive paste is fixed to the outside of the substrate end faces of the first and second transparent substrates 121 and 123 and is electrically connected to the conductive material 132. Further, the connection wires 133 and 136 are fixed to the connection terminals 133, respectively, and the connection terminals 133 and the connection wires 135 and 136 are electrically connected. Further, the reinforcing terminal 138 covers the connection terminal 133 and the connection wires 135 and 136 so that the end surfaces of the connection wires 135 and 136 and the first and second transparent substrates 121 and 123 are securely fixed. It is reinforced.

  With this configuration, when an external drive signal is input to the connection wirings 135 and 136, the drive signal is transmitted to the lead-out wirings 130 and 131 through the connection terminal 133 and the conductive material 132, and the drive signal is transmitted to the electrode pattern of the liquid crystal cell 120. 122 and 124 can be supplied to drive the liquid crystal cell 120. According to the liquid crystal cell 120, there is no need to provide a connection region for supplying a driving signal to the electrode patterns 122 and 124 of the liquid crystal cell from the outside, and the inner region 140 of the liquid crystal cell 120 (region surrounded by a broken line) ) Can be reduced, so that a small aberration correcting liquid crystal cell can be realized.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-215358 (page 6, first (a), 1 (b), FIG. 6)

  In this liquid crystal cell of Patent Document 1, the conductive material 132 filled in the gap between the two first and second transparent substrates 121 and 123 spreads along the substrate end surface outside the frame-shaped seal 125, and has one side. Most of the region is a region of the conductive material 132. As described above, when the arrangement region of the conductive material 132 is widened with respect to the end surface of the substrate, it becomes difficult to provide a plurality of connection wirings 135 and 136 on one side of the first and second transparent substrates 121 and 123. Therefore, only one wiring can be provided on one side of the cell. For this reason, even if a small liquid crystal cell can be realized, a large number of drive signals cannot be supplied to the liquid crystal cell. Therefore, a plurality of aberrations cannot be corrected by one liquid crystal cell, and a fine electrode pattern is formed. It is also difficult to correct aberrations with high accuracy.

  Accordingly, the present invention solves the above-described problems, and provides a high-performance liquid crystal cell having a large number of connection terminals while being small, and a method for manufacturing the same, as an aberration correction unit of an optical pickup device or the like. With the goal.

  In order to solve the above problems, the liquid crystal cell of the present invention employs the following configuration and manufacturing method.

  The liquid crystal cell of the present invention includes a transparent substrate, another transparent substrate, an electrode pattern formed separately on the inner surface of the transparent substrate and the other transparent substrate, and a gap between the transparent substrate and the other transparent substrate. A frame-shaped seal that surrounds the outer extension, a liquid crystal disposed in an inner region of the frame-shaped seal, and a plurality of lead-out wirings for supplying an external signal to the electrode pattern, and a transparent substrate, The other transparent substrate is bonded with a frame-shaped seal so that the substrate end surfaces coincide with each other, and the frame-shaped seal reaches each of the substrate end surfaces and each of the plurality of lead-out wirings in the region reaching the substrate end surface. It has a shape having a plurality of notches from the end surface of the substrate to be exposed. By filling each of the plurality of notches with a conductive material, conduction with the lead-out wiring is achieved at the end surface of the substrate. I was able to And it is characterized in and.

  According to the liquid crystal cell of the present invention, the frame-shaped seal reaches the end surface of the substrate and has a plurality of notches that expose the lead-out wiring. The material does not protrude from the cutout portion of the frame-shaped seal. For this reason, even if the pitch of the lead-out wiring is narrowed, the conductive material is not connected to the conductive material of the other lead-out wiring adjacent to the conductive material, so that there is no electrical short, and a plurality of lead-out lines are formed on the substrate end surface of the transparent substrate. I can do it. Thereby, although it is a small-sized liquid crystal cell, many wirings can be drawn out of the cell and a large number of drive signals can be supplied to the liquid crystal cell. As a result, a liquid crystal cell in which a composite aberration correction electrode pattern for correcting a plurality of aberrations and a high-performance liquid crystal cell that performs highly accurate aberration correction with a fine electrode pattern can be realized in a very small size. .

  Further, the region in which the plurality of notches are formed is at least a part of the outer periphery of the substrate.

  As a result, a plurality of cutouts are formed in at least a part of the outer periphery of the substrate, so that a large number of wirings can be drawn to the outside of the cell, and the liquid crystal having many electrode patterns while being small A cell can be realized.

  The frame-shaped seal is a ring-shaped seal.

  Thereby, a liquid crystal cell can be manufactured by a liquid crystal dropping method, and a highly reliable liquid crystal cell having a large number of connection terminals can be realized without increasing the number of manufacturing steps.

  In addition, a connection terminal that covers the conductive material exposed at the end face of the substrate is further provided.

  With this configuration, a conductive region exposed on the end surface of the substrate is widened, and it is easy to capture a driving signal from the outside, and a liquid crystal cell having excellent reliability can be realized.

  The liquid crystal cell manufacturing method of the present invention includes a transparent substrate, another transparent substrate, an electrode pattern formed on the inner surface of the transparent substrate and the other transparent substrate, and a gap between the transparent substrate and the other transparent substrate. A liquid crystal cell comprising a frame-shaped seal formed around an outer extension, a liquid crystal disposed in an inner region of the frame-shaped seal, and a plurality of lead wires for supplying an external signal to the electrode pattern In the manufacturing method, the electrode pattern and a plurality of lead wires connected to the electrode pattern are formed on the transparent substrate and the other transparent substrate, respectively, and the substrate end surface of the transparent substrate is reached. In the region extending to the end surface, the frame-shaped seal having a plurality of cutout portions exposing each of a plurality of lead-out wirings is formed by a seal forming step of forming a transparent substrate, and a plurality of cutout portions. A conductive material filling step for filling a plurality of cutout portions with a conductive material to be connected to a plurality of lead-out lines, and a gap between the substrates formed by matching the substrate end surfaces of the transparent substrate and the other transparent substrate. And a curing step for curing the frame-shaped seal and the conductive material sandwiched between the transparent substrate and another transparent substrate.

  According to the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal cell of the present invention, the frame-shaped seal is formed up to the end surface of the substrate and has a plurality of cutout portions that expose the lead-out wiring. By filling the cutout portions with a conductive material, The conductive material does not protrude from the cutout portion of the frame-shaped seal. As a result, many wirings can be drawn to the outside of the cell even though it is a small liquid crystal cell, so that many drive signals can be supplied to the liquid crystal cell. As a result, a liquid crystal cell in which a composite aberration correction electrode pattern for correcting a plurality of aberrations and a high-performance liquid crystal cell that performs highly accurate aberration correction with a fine electrode pattern can be manufactured in a very small size.

  The seal forming step is a step of forming the frame-shaped seal in a closed ring shape, and the step of sandwiching the liquid crystal is performed by bonding the transparent substrate on which the liquid crystal is dropped to the inner region of the frame-shaped seal and another transparent substrate. Or a transparent substrate provided with a frame-shaped seal and another transparent substrate onto which liquid crystal is dropped, which is performed.

  According to the above process, the frame-shaped seal is formed in a closed ring shape, and the liquid crystal can be sealed and sandwiched by the transparent substrate by a method of dropping the liquid crystal on the transparent substrate. A liquid crystal cell with excellent reliability can be manufactured.

  Further, the seal forming step is a step performed using a photocurable resin for the frame-shaped seal, the conductive material filling step is a step performed using a thermosetting resin for the conductive material, and the curing step is a frame-shaped seal It is a step of heating and forming the conductive material after the seal is irradiated with light and cured.

According to the above process, since the frame-shaped seal of the photocurable resin has a high viscosity, it is possible to prevent the conductive material filled in the cut-out portion of the frame-shaped seal from flowing out from the cut-out portion as much as possible. In addition, since the frame-shaped seal of the photocurable resin is cured in a short time by light irradiation, the time for the curing process can be shortened, and the flow of the conductive material can be further prevented. Further, the curing of the frame-shaped seal by light irradiation prevents the liquid crystal from becoming high temperature, so that the liquid crystal can be prevented from being damaged, and a liquid crystal cell excellent in reliability can be manufactured. Further, since the heating process of the conductive material is performed after the frame-shaped seal is cured, the conductive material is surely cured in a state where it is filled in the cutout portion, whereby the conductive material is electrically connected to the lead-out wiring. It can be cured in a bonded state and exposed at the end face of the substrate. In addition, the heating temperature of the conductive material can be set low, so that the liquid crystal cell can be further improved without causing damage to the liquid crystal and further curing the frame-shaped seal to ensure the bonding of the transparent substrate. I can do it.

  Further, the conductive material filling step is a step of applying a conductive material at a position corresponding to the notch portion of the other transparent substrate.

  As a result, the application of the conductive material and the formation of the frame-shaped seal can be performed on two transparent substrates in separate steps, and then the conductive material can be filled into the notch by bonding the two transparent substrates. I can do it. As a result, the conductive material can be reliably filled into the cutout portion of the frame-shaped seal.

  In addition, the method further includes a connection terminal forming step of forming a connection terminal that covers the conductive material exposed at the end face of the substrate after the curing step.

  According to the above process, the conductive region exposed at the end surface of the substrate is widened, the drive signal from the outside can be easily taken in, and a liquid crystal cell excellent in reliability can be manufactured.

  Further, the connection terminal forming step is a step of printing and forming the connection terminals.

  According to the above process, since the connection terminal can be easily and reliably covered with the conductive material exposed at the substrate end face, a highly reliable connection terminal can be formed on the substrate end face of the liquid crystal cell. I can do it.

  As described above, according to the present invention, although a small liquid crystal cell, a large number of wirings can be drawn to the outside of the cell, so that a large number of drive signals can be supplied to the liquid crystal cell. As a result, a liquid crystal cell in which a composite aberration correction electrode pattern for correcting a plurality of aberrations and a high performance liquid crystal cell for correcting aberrations with high accuracy can be realized and provided in a very small size. In addition, a small-sized liquid crystal cell having a large number of connection terminals can be manufactured in a short time without increasing the number of manufacturing steps.

  The specific configuration of the liquid crystal cell of the present invention, its modification, and the manufacturing method will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  First, the configuration of the liquid crystal cell of Example 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b). A feature of Example 1 is that a liquid crystal cell in which liquid crystal is sealed by a liquid crystal dropping method (hereinafter abbreviated as an ODF method) is applied to the present invention. FIG. 1A is a plan view of the liquid crystal cell 1 of Example 1, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal cell 1 taken along a cross-sectional line AA in the plan view.

  1 (a) and 1 (b), a liquid crystal cell 1 includes a first transparent substrate 2 and a second transparent substrate 3 each having a substantially rectangular shape, for example, 5 μm to 10 μm by spacers (not shown). Are fixed by a frame-shaped seal 10 at intervals of the above, and the peripheral substrate end faces are aligned and bonded together. The first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3 have substantially the same shape.

The first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3 have electrode patterns 4 and 5 made of indium tin oxide (ITO) or the like formed on their surfaces, respectively, and are arranged facing each other. A liquid crystal 6 is sealed in a gap between the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3, that is, a space between the electrode patterns 4 and 5, and the liquid crystal 6 includes the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 2. 3.

  In addition, specific patterns for correcting aberrations are formed on the electrode patterns 4 and 5, respectively. For example, in FIG. 1A, electrode patterns 4a to 4e divided for coma aberration correction are formed as the electrode pattern 4, and the electrode pattern 5 is formed as a solid pattern facing the electrode patterns 4a to 4e. Yes. The electrode patterns 4 and 5 are not limited to coma correction, and may be patterns that correct spherical aberration and astigmatism.

  Moreover, 7a-7e of Fig.1 (a) is the extraction wiring formed by connecting to the electrode patterns 4a-4e and extending toward the outer side of the frame-shaped seal 10, respectively. Reference numeral 7 f in FIG. 1B denotes a lead-out wiring that is connected to the other opposing electrode pattern 5 and extends toward the outside of the frame-shaped seal 10. These lead wirings 7 a to 7 f are wiring patterns for supplying driving signals from the outside to the electrode patterns 4 a to 4 e and the electrode pattern 5 inside the frame-shaped seal 10.

  The frame-shaped seal 10 is a ring-shaped seal formed so as to surround the outer peripheries of the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3, and there is an injection port for injecting liquid crystal as in the conventional example. do not do. That is, the liquid crystal cell 1 of Example 1 encloses the liquid crystal 6 by the ODF method, and the liquid crystal 6 is enclosed inside the frame-shaped seal 10 and is sandwiched between the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3. The manufacturing method using the ODF method of the present invention will be described later.

  The frame-shaped seal 10 is formed to extend to the substrate end surfaces 2 a and 2 b of the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3, and the frame-shaped seal 10 on the substrate end surface 2 a side is outside the frame-shaped seal 10. A plurality of cutout portions 11a to 11e that expose the lead-out wirings 7a to 7e extending toward the surface. Further, the frame-shaped seal 10 on the side of the substrate end surface 2b has a cutout portion 11f that exposes the lead wiring 7f of the electrode pattern 5.

  The cutout portions 11a to 11f of the frame-shaped seal 10 are filled with a conductive material 15 such as a carbon paste, whereby the substrate end surfaces 2a and 2b of the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3 are filled. Thus, the conductive material 15 can be led out, and the conductive material 15 can be exposed from the gap between the substrate end faces 2a and 2b.

  The conductive material 15 is electrically connected to the lead-out wirings 7a to 7f inside the notches 11a to 11f, whereby the conductive material 15 exposed at the substrate end surfaces 2a and 2b is connected to the lead-out wirings 7a to 7f. The electrode patterns 4a to 4e and the electrode pattern 5 formed inside the frame-shaped seal 10 are electrically connected to each other. The first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3 are made of white glass of about 0.4 mm as an example, and the gap in which the liquid crystal 6 is sealed is about 5 μm to 10 μm as described above. ) In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1), the thickness of the gaps between the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3 and the electrode patterns 4 and 5 and the liquid crystal 6 are drawn larger than the actual scale for easy understanding. Yes.

  Next, based on the plan view of FIG. 2A and the side view of FIG. 2B, the configuration of the frame-shaped seal 10 and the conductive material 15 of the liquid crystal cell 1 of Example 1 will be described in detail. FIG. 2B is a side view of the liquid crystal cell 1 as viewed from the substrate end face 2a side.

  In FIG. 2A, the frame-shaped seal 10 is formed so as to surround the outer periphery of the liquid crystal cell 1, and is formed to reach the substrate end surfaces 2 a and 2 b facing each other of the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3. Yes. In FIG. 2A, the electrode pattern and the conductive material are not shown in order to make the shape of the frame-shaped seal 10 easy to understand.

  The frame-shaped seal 10 that reaches the substrate end surface 2a has notches 11a to 11e formed in the substrate end surface 2a. The notches 11a to 11e have a concave shape with respect to the substrate end surface 2a, and a plurality of small notches are formed at substantially equal intervals along the substrate end surface 2a. By filling the notches 11a to 11e with the conductive material 15, the conductive material 15 can be exposed from the substrate end surface 2a at substantially equal intervals, as shown in FIG. 2B.

  Further, the notch 11f on the side of the substrate end surface 2b facing the substrate end surface 2a has the same shape as the notches 11a to 11e, and the notch 11f is also filled with the conductive material 15 and is not shown in the figure. The conductive material 15 is exposed from the end face 2b. Thus, by filling the cutout portions 11a to 11f of the frame-shaped seal 10 with the conductive material 15, the conductive material 15 flows out in the direction of other cutout portions adjacent to the cutout portions 11a to 11f, There is no protrusion.

  For this reason, even if the pitch of the notches 11a to 11e, that is, the pitch of the lead wires 7a to 7e (see FIG. 1A) is reduced to some extent, the conductive material 15 of another lead wire adjacent to the conductive material 15 is used. Thus, an electrical short circuit is eliminated, and a large number of wirings can be drawn out to the substrate end face of the liquid crystal cell.

  Further, since the liquid crystal cell 1 of Example 1 is an ODF type liquid crystal cell, a liquid crystal injection port as in the conventional example is unnecessary. For this reason, the cutout portions 11a to 11e of the frame-shaped seal 10 provided in a concentrated manner on the substrate end surface 2a can be formed on all the substrate end surfaces of the four sides of the liquid crystal cell 1, thereby increasing the number of wirings. It can be pulled out to the end face of the substrate. Therefore, the liquid crystal cell 1 of the present invention having the notches 11a to 11f in the frame-shaped seal 10 can exhibit a greater effect when combined with the manufacturing method using the ODF method.

  Thus, in Example 1, the notches 11a to 11f of the frame-shaped seal 10 are formed only on a part of the outer periphery of the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3, but this configuration is limited. First, the frame-shaped seal 10 reaches all the outer peripheral substrate end faces of the transparent substrates 2 and 3, and the notches are all outer peripheries of the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3, that is, the four side substrate end faces. It may be formed in all. Moreover, although the shape of the notches 11a to 11f is shown as a substantially rectangular concave shape, the shape is not limited to this shape, and any shape such as a semicircle or a triangle may be used as long as the conductive material 15 can be filled. . In addition, the gap between the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3 in the side view of FIG. 2B is drawn larger than the actual scale for easy understanding.

  Next, the conductive material 15 exposed at the end face of the substrate and the connection terminal 16 covering the conductive material 15 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the liquid crystal cell 1 as viewed from the substrate end face 2a side.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a frame-shaped seal 10 is formed in the gap between the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3, and the notches 11 a to 11 e formed in the frame-shaped seal 10 at substantially equal intervals. Is filled with the conductive material 15 and is exposed from the substrate end surface 2a. Note that the gap between the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3 is drawn larger than the actual scale for easy understanding.

Here, 16 is a connection terminal made of a conductive paste or the like that covers the exposed conductive material 15. The connection terminal 16 is shown in a semi-transparent manner for easy understanding of the description. The connection terminal 16 is in close contact with the conductive material 15 and is exposed from the connection terminal 16 and the substrate end surface 2a. Are electrically connected. The connection terminal 16 may be expanded to the thickness of the liquid crystal cell 1 and covered with the conductive material 15, or may have a form slightly exceeding the thickness of the liquid crystal cell 1. In addition, since the pitch of the notches 11a to 11e is about 800 μm as an example, the pitch of the connection terminals 16 is also about 800 μm.

  Here, as described above, the conductive material 15 exposed from the substrate end surface 2a is only exposed from the gap of about 5 μm to 10 μm between the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3. The exposed area of 15 is very narrow. In order to couple the connection wiring for supplying the driving signal from the outside to the conductive material 15, the coupling area is too small, and it is difficult to perform the coupling with high reliability. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, by covering the conductive material 15 with the connection terminal 16, the conductive region exposed at the end face of the substrate is widened, and it becomes easy to connect the connection wiring.

  As described above, in the liquid crystal cell 1 of the present invention, the frame-shaped seal 10 is a ring-shaped seal that surrounds the outer peripheries of the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3, and at least a part of the frame-shaped seal 10 is present. It has a plurality of notches 11a to 11f that reach the end face of the substrate and expose the lead-out wirings 7a to 7f. Then, by filling the cutout portions 11a to 11f with the conductive material 15, the conductive material 15 and the lead-out wirings 7a to 7f are electrically connected, so that many wirings are placed outside the liquid crystal cell even though it is a small liquid crystal cell. It can be pulled out and a large number of drive signals can be supplied to the liquid crystal cell.

  As a result, a liquid crystal cell in which a composite aberration correction pattern for correcting a plurality of aberrations and a high-performance liquid crystal cell that performs highly accurate aberration correction with a fine electrode pattern can be realized in a very small size. Further, by covering the conductive material 15 with the connection terminal 16 as described above, the conductive region exposed at the end face of the substrate is widened, and it becomes easy to capture the drive signal from the outside, and a liquid crystal cell with excellent reliability is realized. I can do it.

  Next, the configuration of the liquid crystal cell of Example 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). FIG. 4A is a plan view of the liquid crystal cell 20 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4B is a side view of the liquid crystal cell 20.

  A feature of the second embodiment is that an injection type liquid crystal cell in which liquid crystal is sealed by injection from an injection port is adapted to the present invention. Since the basic configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description is omitted.

  4A and 4B, reference numeral 20 denotes a liquid crystal cell according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the liquid crystal cell 20, the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3 are fixedly bonded to each other with a frame-shaped seal 21 with a spacer (not shown) at an interval of 5 μm to 10 μm, for example.

  The frame-shaped seal 21 is formed so as to surround the outer peripheries of the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3, and injects liquid crystal (not shown) into the inner region of the frame-shaped seal 21 on the substrate end surface 2 c side. The inlet 22 is provided. Further, after injecting liquid crystal from the injection port 22, the injection port 22 is sealed with a sealing material 23 in order to seal the liquid crystal. Similarly to the first embodiment, the frame-shaped seal 21 is formed so as to reach the substrate end surfaces 2a and 2b of the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3, and the frame-shaped seal 21 on the substrate end surface 2a side has a plurality of cuts. The frame-shaped seal 21 on the side of the substrate end surface 2b has a notch 11f.

Further, the cutout portions 11a to 11f of the frame-shaped seal 21 are filled with the conductive material 15 such as carbon paste as in the first embodiment, and the substrate end faces of the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3 are filled. 2a and 2b are electrically connected to the respective lead wires 7a to 7f (the lead wire 7f that is electrically connected to the opposing electrode pattern does not appear in this figure), whereby the conductive material 15 is sealed with a frame-like seal. It is electrically connected to each electrode pattern formed inside 21.
The conductive material 15 is covered with a connection terminal (not shown) as in the first embodiment, but the description thereof is omitted here. Note that the gap between the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3 in the side view of FIG. 4B is drawn larger than the actual scale for easy understanding.

  As described above, in the liquid crystal cell 20 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, as in the first embodiment, the frame-shaped seal 21 is formed so as to reach the substrate end surfaces 2a and 2b, and the plurality of notches 11a to 11f are filled. The conductive material 15 is exposed at the substrate end surfaces 2a and 2b. Since the conductive material 15 is electrically connected to the lead wires 7a to 7f, many wires can be drawn to the outside of the liquid crystal cell even though it is a small liquid crystal cell. As a result, a liquid crystal cell in which a composite aberration correction pattern for correcting a plurality of aberrations and a high-performance liquid crystal cell that performs highly accurate aberration correction with a fine electrode pattern can be realized in a very small size.

  The liquid crystal cell of Example 1 encloses liquid crystal by the ODF method, and the liquid crystal cell of Example 2 encloses liquid crystal by the injection method, but the present invention is applicable to both types of liquid crystal cells. I can do it. However, in the liquid crystal cell 20 of Example 2, as shown in the drawing, it is difficult for the substrate end surface 2c having the injection port 22 to form a notch and to draw out the wiring, and the number of the drawing wiring (that is, the number of connection terminals) ) Will be reduced.

  Next, the configuration of the liquid crystal cell of Example 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). FIG. 5A is a plan view of the liquid crystal cell 30 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5B is a side view of the liquid crystal cell 30.

  A feature of the third embodiment is that a circular liquid crystal cell in which liquid crystal is sealed by the ODF method is applied to the present invention. Although the external shape of the liquid crystal cell 30 of the third embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment, the basic configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus a part of the description is not repeated.

  5A and 5B, reference numeral 30 denotes a liquid crystal cell according to Example 3 of the present invention. The liquid crystal cell 30 is formed by attaching a substantially circular first transparent substrate 31 and a second transparent substrate 32 to each other by a frame seal 33 with a spacer (not shown), for example, at an interval of 5 μm to 10 μm. Combined. The first and second transparent substrates 31 and 32 have substantially the same shape, and are bonded so that the substrate end surfaces 31a and 32a of the entire circumference coincide with each other. The inner region 34 of the first and second transparent substrates 31 and 32 has a divided electrode pattern made of ITO or the like formed on the surface thereof, and liquid crystal is sealed in a gap where the electrode patterns face each other. The illustration is omitted here.

  The frame-shaped seal 33 is a ring-shaped seal formed in a circular shape so as to surround the outer peripheries of the first and second transparent substrates 31 and 32, and liquid crystal (not shown) sealed by the ODF method is used. It is formed by being sandwiched between first and second transparent substrates 31 and 32. The frame-shaped seal 33 is formed to reach the substrate end faces 31a and 32a on the outer periphery of the first and second transparent substrates 31 and 32, and exposes a plurality of lead wirings 35 connected to an electrode pattern (not shown). It has a plurality of notches 36a-36j.

  In addition, the notches 36a to 36j are filled with a conductive material 37 such as carbon paste, and are electrically connected to the lead-out wiring 35 at the substrate end surfaces 31a and 32a, thereby being exposed at the substrate end surfaces 31a and 32a, respectively. The conductive material 37 is electrically connected to an electrode pattern (not shown) formed in the inner region 34 of the frame-shaped seal 33 through the lead wires 36a to 36j. The conductive material 37 is covered with a connection terminal (not shown) as in the first embodiment, but a description thereof is omitted here.

  In the present embodiment, the cutout portions 36a to 36j are formed at substantially equal intervals around the outer circumference of the first and second transparent substrates 31 and 32. However, the cutout portions 36a to 36j are limited to this configuration. Instead, it may be formed on a part of the outer periphery. Further, the number of notches is not limited and may be arbitrarily formed according to the electrode pattern to be formed. In addition, the gap between the first and second transparent substrates 31 and 32 in the side view of FIG. 5B is drawn enlarged from the actual scale for easy understanding.

  As described above, in the liquid crystal cell according to the third embodiment of the present invention, as in the first embodiment, the frame-shaped seal 33 is formed to reach the substrate end faces 31a and 32a on the outer periphery of the substrate, and a plurality of notches 36a to 26j. The conductive material 37 filled in is exposed at the substrate end faces 31a and 32a. Since the conductive material 37 and the lead wires 36a to 36j are electrically connected, many wires can be drawn to the outside of the liquid crystal cell even though it is a small liquid crystal cell. As a result, a liquid crystal cell in which a composite aberration correction pattern for correcting a plurality of aberrations and a high-performance liquid crystal cell that performs highly accurate aberration correction with a fine electrode pattern can be realized in a very small size.

  The liquid crystal cell 30 of the present invention is disposed in the optical path of the light beam emitted from the laser light source of the optical pickup device. However, since the cross section of the optical path of the light beam is substantially circular, the cross-sectional shape of the light beam Accordingly, by making the liquid crystal cell into a circular shape as in the present embodiment, the area efficiency of the liquid crystal cell is improved, there is no useless area, and a smaller liquid crystal cell 30 can be realized. In addition, since the outer shape of the objective lens and the like mounted on the optical pickup device is circular, it is easy to combine with the optical lens by making the liquid crystal cell circular, and the optical pickup device can be further downsized. realizable.

  Next, the structure of the liquid crystal cell according to Example 4 of the present invention to which the connection wiring is fixed will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). FIG. 6A is a plan view showing that the connection wiring 60 is fixed to the liquid crystal cell 1 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view showing that the connection wiring 60 is fixed to the liquid crystal cell 1. FIG. 6B is a sectional view taken along the line BB in the plan view.

  6 (a) and 6 (b), the liquid crystal cell 1 is the liquid crystal cell shown in Example 1, and the frame-like sheet 10 includes the substrate end faces 2a of the first and second transparent substrates 2 and 3, The cutout portions 11a to 11f are provided along 2b, and the cutout portions 11a to 11f are filled with the conductive material 15. The conductive material 15 is exposed at the substrate end faces 2a and 2b and is covered with a connection terminal 16 made of a conductive paste or the like. Reference numeral 60 denotes a connection wiring such as a lead wire, the tip of which is covered with the connection terminal 16 and fixed to the substrate end faces 2 a and 2 b of the liquid crystal cell 1.

  In this way, the connection wiring 60 can be reliably connected to the conductive material 15 in a sufficiently large conductive area if it is electrically connected to the conductive material 15 via the connection terminal 16, and is electrically and mechanically reliable. High connection is possible. Further, since the connection wiring 60 is fixed to the substrate end faces 2a and 2b of the liquid crystal cell 1, as shown in the figure, a connection area on the plane is hardly required, and a large number of connections can be made without increasing the plane area. A large number of drive signals can be supplied to the liquid crystal cell by the connection wiring 60.

  Although not shown, as shown in the conventional liquid crystal cell (see FIG. 14A), the connection terminals 16 and the connection wiring 60 are covered with a reinforcing material, so that the connection wiring 60 is more reliably connected to the liquid crystal cell. 1 may be fixed to the substrate end faces 2a and 2b.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the connection wiring 60 is connected to the conductive material 15 exposed from the substrate end faces 2a and 2b via the connection terminals 16, so that the liquid crystal cell 1 is externally connected. It is not necessary to provide a wide connection area for supplying drive signals, and a large number of connection wirings 60 can be arranged on the substrate end face of the liquid crystal cell in a narrow area. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a liquid crystal cell in which a composite aberration correction pattern for correcting a plurality of aberrations is formed, and a liquid crystal cell that performs high-precision aberration correction with a fine electrode pattern while being extremely small.

  Next, the configuration of the liquid crystal cell to which the FPC 70 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is fixed will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing that the FPC 70 is fixed to the composite liquid crystal cell 40 according to the fifth embodiment.

  In FIG. 7, reference numeral 40 denotes a substantially circular composite liquid crystal cell, which is manufactured by stacking a plurality of substantially circular liquid crystal cells similar to the liquid crystal cell 30 of the third embodiment (see FIGS. 5A and 5B). The In the composite liquid crystal cell 40, for example, four transparent substrates 41 to 44 are overlapped, frame-shaped seals 45 to 47 are formed in the gaps, and liquid crystal (not shown) is enclosed. As in the third embodiment, the frame-shaped seals 45 to 47 have notches formed in the substrate end surfaces of the transparent substrates 41 to 44 and filled with the conductive material 50, and are formed on the substrate end surfaces on the outer periphery of the composite liquid crystal cell 40. Three rows of connection lines 51 to 53 are formed. Although not shown here, the conductive material 50 is preferably covered with a connection terminal (see FIG. 3).

  Reference numeral 70 denotes an FPC (flexible printed circuit board), and a connection pattern 71 made of copper foil or the like as a connection wiring is formed on the inside thereof. The connection patterns 71 are formed at the same pitch as the conductive material 50 on the connection lines 51 to 53 exposed at the substrate end face of the composite liquid crystal cell 40. Then, the FPC 70 is wound around the composite liquid crystal cell 40 and the outside thereof is covered with a heat shrinkable tube (trade name: Hishi tube) (not shown), whereby the connection pattern 71 and the conductive material 50 can be brought into close contact with each other. . If the conductive material 50 is covered with a connection terminal (not shown), the connection between the conductive material 50 and the connection pattern 71 is further ensured.

  With this structure, the composite liquid crystal cell 40 can efficiently input a drive signal from the outside in a minimum space, which can greatly contribute to the downsizing of the optical pickup device in which the composite liquid crystal cell 40 is incorporated. In addition, the composite liquid crystal cell 40 to which such an FPC 70 is connected has, on each transparent substrate 41 to 44, an electrode pattern for correcting each aberration such as coma, spherical aberration, astigmatism, and λ / 4. By forming an electrode pattern as a wave plate, it is possible to realize a multi-function type liquid crystal cell in which a light beam 72 is incident to perform composite aberration correction, polarization conversion, and the like.

  In addition, although the composite liquid crystal cell 40 of a present Example is comprised by the four transparent substrates 41-44, this board | substrate number is not limited and may be arbitrary. Further, the connection by the FPC 70 is not limited to the circular liquid crystal cell as in the present embodiment, and although not shown, the composite liquid crystal cell in which the substantially rectangular liquid crystal cells shown in the first embodiment are overlapped is used. Further, a structure may be adopted in which a drive signal from the outside is supplied by covering the periphery of the substrate with FPC bent at a right angle.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, a large number of external drive signals can be efficiently input by the FPC 70 in a minimum space. Thus, a high-performance liquid crystal cell that performs highly accurate aberration correction can be provided.

Next, as Example 6 of the present invention, an example of a method for producing a liquid crystal cell of the present invention will be described.
The manufacturing method of the liquid crystal cell of the present invention can be applied to both the ODF type liquid crystal cell and the injection type liquid crystal cell, but the manufacturing method of the ODF type liquid crystal cell particularly suitable for the present invention is used. The explanation is centered.

  Here, the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal cell of the present invention includes a pattern forming step on the first and second transparent substrates, an alignment film forming step, a rubbing step, a seal forming step on one transparent substrate, and on the other transparent substrate. The conductive material filling step, the spacer spraying step, the step of sandwiching the liquid crystal between the first and second transparent substrates, the step of curing the frame-shaped seal and the conductive material, and the step of forming the connection terminal. is there. The liquid crystal cell shown in the following description is the substantially circular liquid crystal cell shown in the third embodiment, and the formed electrode pattern has a composite aberration correction pattern for correcting coma aberration, spherical aberration, and astigmatism. It is the formed liquid crystal cell. In addition, the code | symbol attaches | subjects the same number to the same element as Example 3, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  First, the pattern formation process and the alignment film formation process will be described. FIGS. 8A and 8B show a pattern forming process in which electrode patterns for supplying power to the liquid crystal and lead wirings connected to the electrode patterns are formed on the first and second transparent substrates 31 and 32. Is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the annular electrode pattern 38 for correcting spherical aberration is formed of ITO on the inner region 34 of the first transparent substrate 31 having a substantially circular shape. Although not shown, three lead-out wirings are drawn out radially from the annular electrode pattern 38 toward the substrate end face 31a.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, a composite correction electrode pattern 39 for astigmatism correction and coma aberration correction is formed by ITO on the inner region 34 of the substantially transparent second transparent substrate 32. Although not shown here, a total of seven lead-out wires are drawn out radially from the composite correction electrode pattern 39 toward the substrate end face 32a.

  Next, after forming the above-described pattern, an alignment film of polyimide is formed by a printing method on the first transparent substrate 31 and the second transparent substrate 32 in an alignment film forming step. Subsequently, this alignment film is baked at about 200 ° C., and then a rubbing process (not shown) for performing an alignment process is performed, but details are omitted.

  Next, a seal forming process for forming the frame-shaped seal on the transparent substrate and a conductive material filling process for filling the transparent substrate with the conductive material are performed. FIG. 9A is a drawing showing a frame-shaped seal forming process for forming a frame-shaped seal 33 on the surface of the first transparent substrate 31. FIG. 9B is a drawing showing a conductive material filling step for filling the second transparent substrate 32 with the conductive material 15.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, a ring-shaped frame-shaped seal 33 is formed on the first transparent substrate 31 so as to surround the outer periphery thereof. The frame-shaped seal 33 is made of a photo-curing resin that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays or the like, and is formed to reach the substrate end surface 31 a on the outer periphery of the first transparent substrate 31. At this time, ten lead wires (not shown) connected to the annular electrode pattern 38 and seven lead wires (not shown) formed on the second transparent substrate 32 are respectively exposed. It is important to form the notches 36a to 36j along the substrate end surface 31a.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, the conductive material is provided at positions corresponding to the notches 36 a to 36 j of the frame-shaped seal 33 formed on the first transparent substrate 31 in the second transparent substrate 32. 15 is applied. That is, since ten cutout portions 36 a to 36 j of the first transparent substrate 31 are formed, the conductive material 15 is applied to 10 positions corresponding to the second transparent substrate 32, respectively. As a result, the first transparent substrate 31 and the second transparent substrate 32 are bonded together in a subsequent process, whereby the conductive material 15 is filled into the notches 36a to 36j of the frame-shaped seal 33.

  Next, a liquid crystal dropping step is performed. FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a liquid crystal dropping step in which the liquid crystal 81 is dropped on the inner region 34 of the frame-shaped seal 33.

  As shown in FIG. 10, an appropriate amount of liquid crystal 81 is dropped onto the inner region 34 of the frame-shaped seal 33 formed on the first transparent substrate 31 by a liquid crystal dropping dispenser 80. Here, the liquid crystal 81 may be dropped on the surface of the second transparent substrate 32 which is the other substrate corresponding to the inner region 34.

  Next, a step of sandwiching the liquid crystal between the first and second transparent substrates is performed. FIG. 11A shows a process of bonding the first and second transparent substrates.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, the first transparent substrate 31 that is one transparent substrate on which liquid crystal is dropped and the second transparent substrate 32 that is the other transparent substrate are aligned in a vacuum chamber. A predetermined weight C is applied and pasted. At this time, the notch portions 36a to 36j of the frame-shaped seal 33 formed on the first transparent substrate 31 and the conductive material 15 applied to the second transparent substrate 32 are aligned, and the notch portion 36a. It is important to fill the conductive material 15 in .about.36j.

  The frame-shaped seal 33 is a photo-curing resin and has a high resin viscosity. Therefore, when the first and second transparent substrates 31 and 32 are bonded together, the conductive material 15 is removed from the notches 36a to 36j. There is almost no flow. In addition, since the first and second transparent substrates 31 and 32 are pressurized with a predetermined load C, the frame-shaped seal 33 and the conductive material 15 are crushed and spread in the direction of the substrate end surfaces 31a and 32a. It is exposed from the substrate end faces 31a and 32a.

  Next, the hardening process which hardens the frame-shaped seal | sticker clamped by the 1st, 2nd transparent substrate bonded together and a electrically conductive material is performed. FIG. 11B is a drawing showing this curing step.

  As shown in FIG. 11B, first, the liquid crystal cell 30 to which the first and second transparent substrates 31 and 32 are bonded is irradiated with ultraviolet rays (not shown) for about 40 seconds (light irradiation step). The sandwiched frame-shaped seal 33 is cured. As a result, only the frame-shaped seal 33 is cured first, so that the conductive material 15 does not flow out from the notches 36a to 36j toward the other notches. Moreover, since the liquid crystal cell 30 does not become high temperature by this ultraviolet irradiation, the liquid crystal cell excellent in reliability can be manufactured without damaging the liquid crystal to be enclosed.

  Next, after performing this light irradiation process, the liquid crystal cell 30 is heated to cure the conductive material 15 sandwiched between the first and second transparent substrates 31 and 32. Here, by selecting the material of the conductive material 15, the heating temperature for curing can be set as low as about 120 ° C., so that the liquid crystal sealed in the liquid crystal cell 30 is hardly damaged. Moreover, since this heating process hardens the conductive material 15 and further hardens the frame-shaped seal 33, the sealing of the liquid crystal becomes more reliable and the reliability of the liquid crystal cell can be improved.

  As described above, the liquid crystal cell manufacturing method of the present embodiment uses an ODF method for encapsulating liquid crystal and uses the frame-shaped seal 33 that is a photocurable resin, rather than increasing the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal cell. A liquid crystal cell excellent in reliability can be manufactured in a shorter time than a manufacturing process using a general injection method.

  Next, the connection terminal forming step will be described. FIG. 12 shows a connection terminal forming process for forming the connection terminals 16 in the liquid crystal cell 30.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the conductive material 15 (see FIG. 11B) exposed at substantially equal intervals on the substrate end faces 31a and 32a of the liquid crystal cell 30 completed by the curing process is connected to the connection terminal 16 made of a conductive paste or the like. Is coated by a technique such as printing. Here, by forming the connection terminal 16 by printing, the conductive material 15 (see FIG. 11B) can be covered easily and reliably with high positional accuracy, and the highly reliable connection terminal 16 is attached to the liquid crystal cell 30. Can be formed. In addition, a dicing process is added before the connection terminal formation process, and the substrate end faces 31a and 32a of the liquid crystal cell 30 are polished, thereby making the connection terminal 16 more reliable and forming the connection terminal 16 with higher reliability. I can do it.

  In this embodiment, the ODF type liquid crystal cell manufacturing method has been described by taking the circular liquid crystal cell 30 as an example. However, the liquid crystal cell may be the substantially rectangular liquid crystal cell shown in the first embodiment, for example. Is the same. In addition, in the method of manufacturing an injection type liquid crystal cell as shown in Example 2, a step of forming a frame-shaped seal having a notch in one transparent electrode, and a conductive material is applied to the other transparent electrode The other processes are the same as the general liquid crystal cell manufacturing process except that the processes are different.

  As described above, the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal cell of the present invention can be applied to either an ODF type liquid crystal cell or an injection type liquid crystal cell. Effectively, a small liquid crystal cell having a large number of connection terminals 16 and excellent in reliability can be manufactured in a short time. The configuration diagrams and the like shown in the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this configuration, and may be any configuration as long as they satisfy the gist of the present invention. In the embodiments of the present invention, liquid crystal cells having a substantially rectangular shape or a substantially circular shape are presented. However, the liquid crystal cell of the present invention is not limited to these shapes, and can be applied to a polygonal shape or an elliptical shape. Is done.

It is the top view and sectional drawing of a liquid crystal cell concerning Example 1 of this invention. It is the top view and side view which show the notch part of the frame-shaped seal | sticker of the liquid crystal cell concerning Example 1 of this invention. It is an enlarged side view which shows the connecting terminal which coat | covers the electrically conductive material exposed by the board | substrate end surface of the liquid crystal cell concerning Example 1 of this invention. It is the top view and side view of a liquid crystal cell concerning Example 2 of this invention. It is the top view and side view of a liquid crystal cell concerning Example 3 of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing which show having connected the wiring for connection to the liquid crystal cell concerning Example 4 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows adhering FPC to the liquid crystal cell concerning Example 5 of this invention. In the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal cell concerning Example 6 of this invention, it is a perspective view for demonstrating the pattern formation process which forms an electrode pattern in one and the other transparent substrate. In the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal cell according to Example 6 of the present invention, a frame-shaped seal forming step for forming a frame-shaped seal on one transparent substrate and a conductive material filling step for filling the other transparent substrate with a conductive material will be described. FIG. In the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal cell concerning Example 6 of this invention, it is a perspective view for demonstrating the process of dripping a liquid crystal in the process of clamping a liquid crystal between transparent substrates. In the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal cell according to Example 6 of the present invention, the step of bonding two transparent substrates in the step of sandwiching the liquid crystal between the transparent substrates, and the curing step of curing the frame seal and the conductive material are explained. It is a perspective view for doing. It is a perspective view explaining the connection terminal formation process which forms a connection terminal in the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal cell concerning Example 6 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the outline of an optical pick-up apparatus. It is sectional drawing and a top view of the conventional liquid crystal cell.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 20, 30 Liquid crystal cell 2, 31 1st transparent substrate 3, 32 2nd transparent substrate 41-44 Transparent substrate 2a, 2b, 2c, 31a, 32a Substrate end surface 4, 4a-4e, 5 Electrode pattern 6, 81 Liquid crystal 7a-7f, 35 Lead-out wiring 10, 21, 33, 45-47 Frame-shaped seal 11a-11f, 36a-36j Notch 15, 37, 50 Conductive material 16 Connection terminal 22 Inlet 23 Sealing material 34 Inside Area 38 Ring electrode pattern 39 Composite correction electrode pattern 40 Composite liquid crystal cell 51-53 Connection line 60 Connection wiring 70 FPC
71 connection pattern 72 light beam 80 liquid crystal dropping dispenser

Claims (10)

A transparent substrate;
With other transparent substrates,
An electrode pattern formed by dividing the inner surface of the transparent substrate and the other transparent substrate;
A frame-shaped seal formed between the transparent substrate and another transparent substrate and surrounding an outer extension;
Liquid crystal disposed in the inner region of the frame-shaped seal;
A plurality of lead wires for supplying an external signal to the electrode pattern,
The transparent substrate and the other transparent substrate are bonded together with the frame-shaped seal, with the substrate end faces matched.
The frame-shaped seal has a shape having a plurality of notches from the substrate end surface that exposes each of the plurality of lead-out wirings in a region reaching the substrate end surface and reaching the substrate end surface;
A liquid crystal cell characterized in that each of the plurality of cutout portions is filled with a conductive material so that conduction to the lead-out wiring can be established at the substrate end face. 2. The liquid crystal cell according to claim 1, wherein the region in which the plurality of notches are formed is at least a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate. The liquid crystal cell according to claim 1, wherein the frame-shaped seal is a ring-shaped seal. The liquid crystal cell according to claim 1, further comprising a connection terminal that covers the conductive material exposed at the end face of the substrate. A transparent substrate, another transparent substrate, an electrode pattern formed separately on the inner surface of the transparent substrate and the other transparent substrate, and a gap between the transparent substrate and the other transparent substrate, surrounding the outer extension portion In a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal cell, comprising: a formed frame-shaped seal; a liquid crystal disposed in an inner region of the frame-shaped seal; and a plurality of lead wires for supplying an external signal to the electrode pattern.
A pattern forming step of forming the electrode pattern and the plurality of lead wires connected to the electrode pattern on each of the transparent substrate and the other transparent substrate;
Seal formation for forming the frame-shaped seal having a plurality of cutout portions in the transparent substrate in a region reaching the substrate end surface of the transparent substrate and reaching the substrate end surface. Process,
A conductive material filling step of filling each of the plurality of cutout portions with a conductive material connected to the plurality of lead wirings exposed at the plurality of cutout portions;
Sandwiching liquid crystal in a gap between the transparent substrate and the substrate formed by matching the substrate end faces of the other transparent substrate;
A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal cell, comprising: a curing step of curing the frame-shaped seal and the conductive material sandwiched between the transparent substrate and the other transparent substrate. In the seal formation step, the frame-shaped seal is a step of forming a ring shape,
In the step of sandwiching the liquid crystal, the transparent substrate on which the liquid crystal is dropped on the inner region of the frame-shaped seal is bonded to another transparent substrate, or the transparent substrate provided with the frame-shaped seal, and the liquid crystal The method for producing a liquid crystal cell according to claim 5, wherein the liquid crystal cell is a step of bonding the other dropped transparent substrate together. The seal formation step is a step performed using a photocurable resin for the frame-shaped seal,
The conductive material filling step is a step performed using a thermosetting resin for the conductive material,
The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal cell according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the curing step is a step of heating and forming the conductive material after the frame-shaped seal is cured by light irradiation. The liquid crystal according to claim 5, wherein the conductive material filling step is a step of applying the conductive material at a position corresponding to the notch portion in the other transparent substrate. Cell manufacturing method. 9. The liquid crystal according to claim 5, further comprising a connection terminal forming step of forming a connection terminal that covers the conductive material exposed on the end surface of the substrate after the curing step. Cell manufacturing method. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal cell according to claim 9, wherein the connection terminal forming step is a step of printing and forming the connection terminal.

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