JP2012068287A - Color filter substrate and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a color filter substrate for liquid crystal panels with reduced dignity deterioration of a product by forming a capacitance type touch panel electrode and a color filter on the front/back of a same transparent substrate and forming an overlapped part of XY electrodes with jumpers; and to provide a manufacturing method allowing an inspection by an inspection machine.SOLUTION: The touch panel electrode includes a plurality of first translucent electrodes intermittently disposed in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction orthogonally thereto on a same layer; and a plurality of second translucent electrodes disposed in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, the respective second translucent electrodes being disposed at spaces between the rows and between the columns of the first translucent electrodes. The respective first translucent electrodes aligned in the X-axis direction are electrically connected by a plurality of jumpers aligned in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction and composed of a conductive material, and the jumpers are formed at prescribed positions superposed on a black matrix of the translucent substrate backside when the substrate display surface is viewed from the vertical direction.

Description

  The present invention relates to a color filter substrate having a touch panel function, which is used for a touch panel liquid crystal display or the like, and relates to a color filter substrate in which a touch panel electrode and a color filter are formed on the front and back of the same glass substrate and a manufacturing method thereof.

  A color filter used in a color liquid crystal display device or the like is an indispensable member for a color liquid crystal display device or the like, and has a role of improving the image quality of the liquid crystal display device or giving each pixel a color of each primary color. Yes. The filter segment or black matrix that constitutes this color filter is coated with a photosensitive material on a glass substrate, etc., dried and removed excess solvent, and then exposed through a photomask for pixel formation (proximity exposure). For example, it is formed by irradiating active energy rays using an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp, curing (negative type) or increasing alkali solubility (positive type), and removing a portion dissolved by an alkali solution or the like. By repeating this for each color, a color filter is produced.

  In an active matrix liquid crystal display device, generally, an array substrate in which active elements (thin film transistors, TFTs) are formed for each pixel on a glass substrate, and a color filter in which a color filter and a uniform transparent electrode are formed on the glass substrate. The substrate is disposed so as to face the liquid crystal in between. The shutter action of the liquid crystal of each pixel is controlled by the switching action of each TFT element on the array substrate.

  In recent years, color liquid crystal display devices have formed a large market as liquid crystal color televisions and liquid crystal display device-integrated notebook personal computers. In addition, touch panel type liquid crystal displays in which a touch panel is integrated with a liquid crystal display panel, such as a mobile phone, a portable information terminal, and a car navigation system, have spread in the market. There are various types of touch panels such as a resistance film type and a capacitance type depending on the structure and detection method. Among these, the capacitive touch panel has a translucent conductive film (translucent electrode) on one substrate, and has a capacitance formed by contact (touch) with a finger or a pen. The position to be touched is specified by detecting a change in the amount of weak current flowing therethrough, and the liquid crystal display device is driven by receiving the instructed content as an input signal. The capacitive touch panel has an advantage that higher transmittance can be obtained as compared with the resistive touch panel.

  Initially, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1, a resistive film (pressure sensitive) that is attached on a display element such as a liquid crystal and that is handwritten, point input, or finger input with a pen while corresponding to the display content ) Type transparent touch panel has been developed. However, this method has a problem that the thickness and size of a product equipped with a touch panel increase. Therefore, even when a capacitive touch panel is used, conventionally, a technique in which a touch panel electrode and a color filter are formed on separate substrates and bonded to form a module has been the mainstream. However, there are problems in display performance, such as generation of interference fringes due to subtle displacement between the touch panel stripe and the color filter stripe, and the occurrence of parallax in oblique display due to the distance between the touch panel surface and the color filter surface.

  Therefore, there is a technology to form the touch panel electrode and the color filter on the front and back of the same glass substrate for the purpose of reducing the process of bonding the touch panel electrode and the color filter substrate and for preventing the optical characteristics from being reduced due to the gap generated when the panel is bonded. It is being considered by each company. A touch panel electrode is formed on the opposite surface (front surface) of the glass substrate on which the color filter is produced on the one surface (back surface) as described above.

  In the case of forming a capacitive touch panel electrode, a metal jumper is formed in an overlapping portion of the XY electrodes, and an electrode capable of recognizing XY is formed. For example, in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, a plurality of X-axis traces that are made of a transparent conductive thin film on a substrate and are arranged at equal intervals in the X-axis direction and arranged parallel to each other, and at equal intervals in the Y-axis direction A plurality of Y-axis traces arranged in parallel to each other, and the X-axis traces and the Y-axis traces are arranged in a deterministic manner on the same plane, and each sensor unit on the individual X-axis traces Are connected to each other, and the sensor units on the individual Y-axis traces are not connected but are spaced apart and electrically connected via a jumper made of a conductive material. A capacitive touch panel electrode) is disclosed.

  The jumper is formed of metal, ITO (indium tin oxide) or the like. When forming a jumper in the overlapping part of the capacitive touch panel electrode, conventionally, the jumper of the touch panel electrode has been laid out in the pixel opening of the color filter part on the back surface.

JP-A-6-139005 Registered Utility Model No. 3144563 Registered Utility Model No. 3144241

  The above-described conventional capacitive touch panel electrode is formed by laminating a translucent electrode, an insulating film, and a jumper (conductor) in this order on a substrate. In this case, since the jumper is formed on the side close to a person (the side opposite to the liquid crystal panel), when the jumper is formed of a conductive material having a metallic luster, the jumper is easily noticeable visually.

  On the other hand, the applicant of the present application, in Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-129326, can stack the jumper (conductor), the insulating film, and the translucent electrode in this order, making the jumper less noticeable and disconnecting. We have invented and proposed a capacitance-type input device having a low structure.

  However, in either case of the capacitive touch panel electrode having the above structure, when the capacitive touch panel electrode and the color filter are formed on the same glass substrate, the XY electrode of the capacitive touch panel electrode. If the overlapping jumper is laid out in the pixel opening of the color filter on the back surface, there is a problem that the quality of the color filter is degraded due to the influence of the jumper. (The jumper will be visible.) In addition, if the touch panel electrode jumper is laid out at the pixel opening of the color filter, the image quality inspection by the inspection machine becomes impossible due to the jumper, and the quality of the product deteriorates. There was a problem that led to increased costs due to tact down and the need to modify the manufacturing equipment.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problem. The capacitive touch panel electrode and the color filter are formed on the front and back of the same transparent substrate, and the XY electrode of the capacitive touch panel electrode. When forming overlapping parts with jumpers, we provide an excellent color filter substrate for liquid crystal panels that reduces the problem of product quality degradation, and enables inspection by an inspection machine to stabilize quality and equipment It is an object to provide a manufacturing method that leads to cost increase suppression by remodeling and tact down.

The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is a color filter in which a capacitive touch panel electrode is formed on the surface of a transparent substrate, and a plurality of colored pixels defined by a black matrix are formed on the back surface of the transparent substrate. In the color filter substrate having a touch panel function formed,
The touch panel electrode is arranged on the same layer in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and a plurality of first translucent electrodes arranged intermittently in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction orthogonal thereto. And each of the first translucent electrodes arranged in rows and columns of the first translucent electrodes and aligned in the X-axis direction. Are electrically connected to each other by a plurality of jumpers made of a conductive material arranged in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the jumper is the transparent substrate when the substrate display surface is viewed from the vertical direction. The color filter substrate is formed at a predetermined position overlapping the black matrix on the back surface.

  The invention according to claim 2 of the present invention is the color filter substrate according to claim 1, wherein the conductive material of the jumper is a metal.

Next, an invention according to claim 3 of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a color filter substrate according to claim 1,
at least,
(1) forming a black matrix that defines an opening region corresponding to the pixel portion on the back surface of the transparent substrate;
(2) forming a plurality of colored pixels in the opening region;
A back surface processing step including at least
(A) forming a jumper made of a conductive material on the transparent substrate surface at a predetermined position overlapping the black matrix on the back surface of the transparent substrate when the substrate display surface is viewed from the vertical direction;
(B) forming an insulating film so as to cover the jumper and the surface of the transparent substrate, and providing a through hole in the insulating film at a portion where the first light-transmissive electrode and the jumper overlap; Forming a transparent conductive film to be the first and second translucent electrodes on the entire surface of the insulating film using a transparent conductive material; and (d) patterning the transparent conductive film, Forming a first translucent electrode and a second translucent electrode;
Surface processing steps including in this order,
A process for producing both the front and back surfaces of the color filter substrate.

  As described above, the color filter substrate of the present invention is a first translucent electrode in which a capacitive touch panel electrode and a color filter are formed on the front and back of the same transparent substrate and aligned in the X-axis direction. Each is connected by a jumper, and the jumper is formed at a predetermined position that overlaps with the black matrix on the back surface of the transparent substrate when the substrate display surface is viewed from the vertical direction. Therefore, the problem of product quality degradation is reduced, and an excellent color filter substrate for a liquid crystal panel can be provided. Furthermore, since there is no jumper in the colored pixel portion, inspection by an inspection machine is possible, and inspection can be guaranteed, so that the quality is stabilized and an effect of suppressing cost increase due to device modification and tact down can be obtained.

It is the schematic diagram which showed one Example of the color filter board | substrate of this invention in the cross section. It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the touch-panel electrode of the surface of the color filter board | substrate shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the touch-panel electrode of the surface of the color filter board | substrate shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows transparently the layout of the touchscreen and color filter of the color filter substrate of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows transparently the layout of the touchscreen and color filter of the conventional color filter board | substrate. It is explanatory drawing which shows the image test | inspection image of a touchscreen-color filter integrated substrate. It is explanatory drawing which shows the superimposition position pattern and jumper position in pseudo defect generation | occurrence | production confirmation.

  The color filter substrate of the present invention will be described in detail below based on one embodiment. In the following description, portions having the same functions as those of the conventional color filter substrate will be described using the same names and numbers without changing them.

  In general, a touch panel type liquid crystal display device includes a display panel, a panel drive unit, a touch position detection unit, and the like. The display panel includes an array substrate, a counter substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. The color filter substrate of the present invention is a touch panel-color filter integrated substrate (hereinafter abbreviated as a TP-CF integrated substrate) in which a plurality of pixel portions and signal lines for detecting a touch position are formed. The liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between the substrate and the array substrate.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the color filter substrate of the present invention in cross section. As shown in FIG. 1, the color filter substrate of the present invention has a plurality of jumpers 8, an insulating film 6, a plurality of first translucent electrodes 3, and a plurality of second electrodes on the surface of the transparent substrate 2. A capacitive touch panel electrode 1 including a translucent electrode 4 and a protective film 9 is formed. The jumper 8, the insulating film 6, and the translucent electrodes (the first translucent electrode 3 and the second translucent electrode 4) are formed on the transparent substrate 2 in this order. Further, on the back surface of the transparent substrate 2, a plurality of colored pixels 12 such as red (R), green (G), and blue (B) defined by the black matrix 11 and a uniform transparent electrode 13 are formed. A color filter 10 is formed.

  The transparent substrate 2 preferably has a certain degree of transmittance with respect to visible light, and preferably has a transmittance of 80% or more. It may be generally used for liquid crystal display devices, and an inorganic transparent substrate such as glass or a transparent resin substrate such as polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, and cyclic olefin copolymer can be used. Since the touch panel function according to the present invention is a capacitance type, there is no need for distortion due to an external force unlike the conventional touch screen system, and the material and thickness can be appropriately selected according to the specifications of the display panel to be applied.

The jumpers 8 are made of a conductive material, and are arranged in a matrix on the surface of the transparent substrate 2 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. Each of the jumpers 8 is for connecting the first translucent electrodes 3 aligned in the X-axis direction in the X-axis direction, and a pair of first translucent electrodes whose both ends are adjacent in the X-axis direction. The electrode is formed at a predetermined position that overlaps with the black matrix on the back surface of the transparent substrate when the substrate display surface is viewed from the vertical direction. The jumper 8 can be formed of a conductive polymer such as metal (MAM, APC, etc.), ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), PEDOT (polyethylenedioxythiophene), or the like. Here, MAM is an abbreviation of Mo (molybdenum) / Al (aluminum) / Mo and is a conductive material having a three-layer structure. APC is a silver / palladium / copper alloy.

The insulating film 6 is formed by laminating a translucent insulating material so as to cover the entire surface of the jumper 8 and the transparent substrate 2. A through hole reaching the surface of the jumper 8 is provided in the insulating film where the first translucent electrode 3 and the jumper 8 overlap. FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the touch panel electrode 1 formed on the surface. FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the touch panel electrode 1 includes a plurality of first translucent electrodes 3 intermittently arranged in the same layer in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction orthogonal thereto, and the X-axis. And a plurality of second translucent electrodes 4 arranged in the direction and the Y-axis direction, each disposed between the rows and columns of the first translucent electrodes 3. First, using a transparent conductive material of composite oxide of metal oxides such as indium, tin, gallium, and zinc such as ITO, insulation is performed in the same process using vacuum film formation techniques such as vapor deposition, ion plating, and sputtering. A transparent conductive film is formed on the entire surface of the film 6. Thereafter, this transparent conductive film is patterned by a known method to form a first translucent electrode and a second translucent electrode having a predetermined shape.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the touch panel electrode 1 on the surface of the color filter substrate of the present invention. The first translucent electrodes 3 aligned in the X-axis direction are not connected to each other in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction on the insulating film 6, but are transparent through the through holes 7. It will be in the state electrically connected to the jumper 8 on a board | substrate. On the other hand, each of the second translucent electrodes 4 is arranged in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and each is disposed between the rows and the columns of the first translucent electrodes. The second translucent electrode 4 and the second translucent electrode 4 are connected to each other in the Y-axis direction via a connection portion 5 that is patterned.

  As shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 1, the color filter 10 on the back surface has a black matrix (BM) 11 that defines an opening region corresponding to a pixel portion formed on a transparent substrate 2, and a plurality of colors are formed in the opening portion. Colored pixels 12 are formed. Further, a transparent conductive film 13 as a common electrode layer is formed on the entire surface. Further, if necessary, a photo spacer (not shown) is further formed on the black matrix 11 via the transparent conductive film 13.

  First, a black matrix 11 that defines an opening region corresponding to the pixel portion is formed on the back surface of the transparent substrate 2 on which the touch panel electrode 1 is previously formed. In this case, the pitch and shape of the black matrix are designed so that the jumper 8 of the touch panel electrode 1 is located at a predetermined position overlapping the black matrix 11 when the substrate display surface is viewed from the vertical direction. In the present invention, each pitch of the first translucent electrode 3 and the second translucent electrode 4 is, for example, a red pixel as long as the position of the jumper 8 and the black matrix 11 is satisfied. (R), a green pixel (G), a blue pixel (B) can be formed for each unit pixel, or for a predetermined number of unit pixels, and the shape can be various shapes other than a rectangle. It is possible to select. In the present embodiment, the width of the black matrix is preferably in the range of 3 to 30 μm.

  The black matrix is a thin light-shielding pattern that is formed between pixels in order to increase the contrast of the liquid crystal display device, which is formed using a black resin. As a method of forming the black matrix, there is a method of forming a black matrix using a black photosensitive resin by a photolithography method. Carbon black and a plurality of organic pigments can be used as the black color material.

  Next, a plurality of colored pixels 12 such as red (R), green (G), and blue (B) are formed in the opening region. Further, a transparent conductive film 13 as a common electrode layer is formed on the entire upper surface. In the present embodiment, the touch panel electrode 1 is formed in advance on the surface of the transparent substrate, and then the color filter 10 is formed on the back surface of the transparent substrate. However, this processing step can be performed in reverse.

  As a method for forming colored pixels, a pigment dispersion method has become the mainstream. In the pigment dispersion method, a colored photosensitive resin coating layer in which a color material such as an organic pigment is dispersed is patterned by a known photolithography method, whereby a color filter is formed into pixels of a plurality of colored layers (red, green, blue, etc.). It is the method of forming. The color order of multiple colored layers is not limited, but for the convenience of alignment, colored pixels (red pixels, green pixels, blue pixels, etc.) are sequentially formed by applying the colored layer, exposing, developing, etc. after forming the black matrix pattern. It is desirable to form. The black photosensitive resin and the colored photosensitive resin used for forming the black matrix and the colored pixel are, for example, a pigment dispersed in a resin binder using a dispersant, and a monomer, an initiator, a sensitizer, a solvent in the dispersion. Etc. are added.

  As described above, the TP-CF integrated substrate of the present invention was obtained by forming a touch panel electrode on the same transparent substrate in the surface processing step and subsequently forming a color filter in the back surface processing step. For comparison evaluation, a substrate with the jumper position shifted was also produced.

  Next, using this TP-CF integrated substrate, an image inspection performed with a normal color filter is performed, and the touch panel electrode formed on the surface performs image inspection (transmission / reflection) of the color filter. In this case, it was reflected in the captured image, and the possibility of generating a pseudo defect when the comparison process of the color filter inspection was performed was verified. The explanatory view of FIG. 6 schematically shows an image inspection image of the TP-CF integrated substrate. (A) is a reflection mode, (b) is a transmission mode.

<Evaluation details>
[Verification of occurrence of pseudo defects in translucent electrode]
Using a color filter image inspection machine, capture the image of the color filter with the touch panel electrode made of ITO pattern formed on the surface, and compare the brightness value (0-255) at the place with and without the ITO pattern on the surface. Thus, it was confirmed whether a contrast difference occurred. When the contrast difference is 25 or more, it is determined that a pseudo defect occurs. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

[Verification of occurrence of pseudo defects in metal jumper]
Using a color filter image inspection machine, capture the RGB image of the color filter with the touch panel electrode made of ITO on the surface, and the brightness value of the part with and without the metal jumper on the surface (0 to 255) Were compared to confirm whether a contrast difference had occurred. In this case, as shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG. 7, the overlapping position of the metal jumper and BM was evaluated as the following three patterns in which the jumper direction was vertical and horizontal with respect to the color filter pattern. When the contrast difference is 25 or more, it is determined that a pseudo defect occurs. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1.
Superposition position pattern 1: The jumper is half-hidden on the BM.
Superposition position pattern 2: The jumper is completely on the opening (pixel portion).
Superposition position pattern 3: The jumper is completely on the BM.

<Evaluation results>
As shown in Table 1, regarding the ITO patterning portion (translucent electrode portion), the contrast difference was less than 25, and it was determined that no pseudo defect occurred. With regard to the metal jumper portion, only the post-RGB substrate after the superimposed position pattern 3 had a contrast difference of less than 25 in both the reflection mode and the transmission mode, and it was determined that no pseudo defect occurred. On the other hand, if the conventional jumper is only partially hidden or has a jumper in the pixel area, it becomes difficult to see by reflection by reducing the jumper, but it is transparent, that is, the jumper can be seen practically As a result, the image quality deteriorates. That is, only the color filter substrate of the present invention (the jumper part is completely hidden by the BM part) has a small contrast difference in both reflection and transmission, has little influence on image quality, and enables image inspection for quality assurance. I found out that

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Touch-panel electrode 2 ... Transparent substrate 3 ... 1st translucent electrode
4 ... 2nd translucent electrode 5 ... Connection part (2nd translucent electrode) 6 ... Insulating film
7 ... Through hole 8 ... Jumper 9 ... Protective film
10 ... Color filter 11 ... Black matrix 12 ... Colored pixels
13 ... Transparent conductive film

Claims (3)

A color filter having a touch panel function in which a capacitive touch panel electrode is formed on a surface of a transparent substrate, and a color filter including a plurality of colored pixels defined by a black matrix is formed on the back surface of the transparent substrate. In the substrate,
The touch panel electrode is arranged on the same layer in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and a plurality of first translucent electrodes arranged intermittently in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction orthogonal thereto. And each of the first translucent electrodes arranged in rows and columns of the first translucent electrodes and aligned in the X-axis direction. Are electrically connected to each other by a plurality of jumpers made of a conductive material arranged in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the jumper is the transparent substrate when the substrate display surface is viewed from the vertical direction. A color filter substrate, which is formed at a predetermined position overlapping the black matrix on the back surface.   The color filter substrate according to claim 1, wherein the conductive material of the jumper is a metal. A method for manufacturing a color filter substrate according to claim 1,
at least,
(1) forming a black matrix that defines an opening region corresponding to the pixel portion on the back surface of the transparent substrate;
(2) forming a plurality of colored pixels in the opening region;
A back surface processing step including at least
(A) forming a jumper made of a conductive material on the transparent substrate surface at a predetermined position overlapping the black matrix on the back surface of the transparent substrate when the substrate display surface is viewed from the vertical direction;
(B) forming an insulating film so as to cover the jumper and the surface of the transparent substrate, and providing a through hole in the insulating film at a portion where the first light-transmissive electrode and the jumper overlap; Forming a transparent conductive film to be the first and second translucent electrodes on the entire surface of the insulating film using a transparent conductive material; and (d) patterning the transparent conductive film, Forming a first translucent electrode and a second translucent electrode;
Surface processing steps including in this order,
The manufacturing method of the color filter board | substrate characterized by comprising the process process of both front and back.