JP2013044769A - Manufacturing method of pattern phase difference film, and manufacturing method of optical film - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of accurately and simply manufacturing a large amount of pattern phase difference films used for three-dimensional image display of a passive system, and a method for accurately and simply manufacturing a large amount of optical films such as color filters.SOLUTION: Sizes of pattern phase difference films and optical films are corrected by adjusting moisture content in a moisture content adjusting step, on the basis of measurement results of sizes of the pattern phase difference films and optical films in a measurement step.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for producing a patterned phase difference film applied to a passive three-dimensional image display, and a method for producing an optical film used for a display such as a color filter.

  Conventionally, flat panel displays have been mainly two-dimensional displays. However, in recent years, flat panel displays capable of three-dimensional display have attracted attention, and some are also commercially available. Further, there is a tendency that future flat panel displays are capable of three-dimensional display, and flat panel displays capable of three-dimensional display are being studied in a wide range of fields.

  In order to perform three-dimensional display on a flat panel display, it is usually necessary to selectively provide a right-eye image and a left-eye image in some manner, respectively, to the viewer's right eye and left eye. As a method for selectively providing a right-eye video and a left-eye video, for example, a passive method is known. This passive three-dimensional display method will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a passive three-dimensional display using a liquid crystal display panel. In the example of FIG. 7, the pixels of the liquid crystal display panel that are continuous in the vertical direction are sequentially assigned to the right eye and the left eye, and are driven by the image data for the right eye and the left eye, respectively. And the image for the left eye are displayed simultaneously. In addition, a pattern retardation film is disposed on the panel surface of the liquid crystal display panel, and light emitted by linearly polarized light from the right-eye and left-eye pixels is converted into circularly polarized light having different directions for the right-eye and left-eye. As a result, in the passive method, glasses equipped with corresponding polarizing filters are attached, and a right eye image and a left eye image are selectively provided to the viewer's right eye and left eye, respectively.

  This passive method can also be applied to a liquid crystal display device having a low response speed, and can also perform three-dimensional display with a simple configuration using a pattern retardation film and circularly polarized glasses. For this reason, a passive liquid crystal display device has attracted much attention as a central presence of future display devices.

  By the way, the pattern phase difference film which concerns on a passive system requires the pattern phase difference layer which gives a phase difference to transmitted light corresponding to allocation of a pixel. This pattern retardation film has not been widely researched and developed yet, and there is no established standard technology.

  With respect to this pattern retardation film, Patent Document 1 discloses a manufacturing method in which a photo-alignment film in which the alignment regulating force is controlled is formed on a glass substrate, and liquid crystal alignment is patterned by this photo-alignment film. However, since the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires the use of a glass substrate, there is a problem that the pattern retardation film becomes expensive and it is difficult to mass-produce a large area.

  Regarding the pattern retardation film, Patent Document 2 discloses a photo-alignment film in which a fine uneven shape is formed around a roll plate by laser irradiation, and this uneven shape is transferred to control the alignment regulating force in a pattern shape. A method of making is disclosed. In the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to irradiate the entire circumference of the roll plate with laser without being leaked by laser scanning. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes time to produce the roll plate. There is also a problem that an expensive laser processing apparatus must be used.

JP 2005-49865 A JP 2010-152296 A

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and with respect to a pattern phase difference film and the like applied to a three-dimensional image display by a passive method, a pattern phase difference film that can be easily produced in large quantities with high accuracy. It aims at providing the manufacturing method and the manufacturing method of an optical film.

  The inventor has conducted extensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has come up with the idea of correcting the dimensions by adjusting the water content, thereby completing the present invention.

(1) In the method for producing a patterned retardation film in which a retardation layer that gives a retardation to transmitted light is formed on a substrate made of a transparent film material,
A measuring step for measuring the dimensions of the pattern retardation film;
A method for producing a pattern retardation film, comprising: a moisture content adjusting step for adjusting the moisture content of the pattern retardation film based on a measurement result of the measuring step.

  With regard to (1), the pattern retardation film can vary its dimensions by adjusting the water content. Therefore, by adjusting the moisture content based on the measurement result of the dimension according to (1), it can be corrected to the target dimension, and as a result, a pattern retardation film can be produced easily and in large quantities with high accuracy. Pattern retardation films can be produced.

(2) The moisture content adjusting step includes
The method for producing a pattern retardation film according to (1), wherein moisture of the pattern retardation film is evaporated to adjust a moisture content.

  In (2), by adjusting the moisture content by evaporation of moisture, the dimensions can be corrected, for example, by leaving it in a dry room, and the processing can be simplified.

(3) The pattern retardation film according to any one of (1) and (2), further including a packaging step of sealing the pattern retardation film whose moisture content is adjusted by the moisture content adjustment step in a bag that does not allow moisture to permeate. Manufacturing method.

  According to (3), the pattern retardation film whose dimensions are corrected by adjusting the moisture content can be prevented from returning to the original dimensions due to subsequent moisture absorption or the like.

(4) In a method for producing an optical film that is held on a panel surface of a display and gives desired optical characteristics to light emitted from the display,
A measuring step for measuring the dimensions of the optical film;
A method for producing an optical film, comprising: a moisture content adjusting step of adjusting the moisture content of the optical film based on a measurement result of the measuring step.

  In (4), it can be applied to an optical film such as a color filter and can be mass-produced with high accuracy with a simple configuration.

  Pattern retardation films and optical films can be produced easily and in large quantities with high accuracy.

It is a figure which shows the pattern phase difference film which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the manufacturing process of the pattern phase difference film of FIG. It is a figure where it uses for description of the exposure process of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the process which concerns on adjustment of moisture content. It is a figure where it uses for description of FIG. It is a figure which shows the change of the dimension at the time of leaving unattended. It is a figure where it uses for description of the three-dimensional image display by a passive system.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a view showing a pattern retardation film according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the pattern retardation film 1, an alignment film 3 and a retardation layer 4 are sequentially formed on a substrate 2 made of a transparent film material. In the pattern retardation film 1, the retardation layer 4 is formed of a liquid crystal material, and the alignment of the liquid crystal material is patterned by the alignment regulating force of the alignment film 3. The orientation of the liquid crystal molecules is indicated by a long and narrow ellipse in FIG. By this patterning, the pattern phase difference film 1 is formed in a band shape alternately with the right-eye area A and the left-eye area B sequentially with a certain width corresponding to the pixel assignment in the liquid crystal display panel. A phase difference corresponding to each of the light emitted from the right-eye and left-eye pixels is given.

  In the pattern retardation film 1, after a photo-alignment material film made of a photo-alignment material is produced, the alignment film 3 is formed by irradiating the photo-alignment material film with ultraviolet rays by linearly polarized light by a so-called photo-alignment technique. Here, the ultraviolet rays applied to the photo-alignment material film are set so that the direction of polarization is different by 90 degrees between the right-eye region A and the left-eye region B, whereby the liquid crystal material provided in the retardation layer 4 , Liquid crystal molecules are aligned in the corresponding directions in the right-eye region A and the left-eye region B, and a phase difference corresponding to transmitted light is given.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing manufacturing steps of the pattern retardation film 1. In the manufacturing process of the pattern retardation film 1, the base material 2 is provided by a long film wound around a roll, and the photo-alignment material film is sequentially produced by feeding the base material 2 out of the roll (steps SP1-SP2). . Here, although various manufacturing methods can be applied to the photo-alignment material film, in this embodiment, a film-forming liquid in which the photo-alignment material is dispersed in a solvent such as benzene is applied by a die and then dried. Produced. As the photo-alignment material, various materials to which a photo-alignment technique can be applied can be applied. In addition, for example, triacetyl cellulose is applied to the substrate 2.

  Subsequently, in the manufacturing process, the alignment film 3 is produced by irradiating ultraviolet rays in the exposure process (step SP3). Subsequently, in this manufacturing process, after the liquid crystal material is applied by a die or the like in the retardation layer manufacturing process, the liquid crystal material is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays, and the retardation layer 4 is manufactured (step SP4). Subsequently, in this manufacturing process, after performing an antireflection film manufacturing process or the like as necessary, in the cutting process, the pattern phase difference film 1 is manufactured by cutting out to a desired size (steps SP5 to SP6).

  FIG. 3 shows the details of this exposure process. This manufacturing process is performed by irradiating ultraviolet rays (polarized ultraviolet rays) by linearly polarized light through a mask 16 that shields a portion corresponding to the region A for the right eye or the region B for the light eye. In the left eye region B or the right eye region A, the photo-alignment material film is oriented in a desired direction (FIG. 3A). Thereby, this manufacturing process executes the first exposure process. For this reason, the mask 16 is extended in the conveyance direction of the base material 2, and elongated slits corresponding to the regions for the right eye or the left eye are repeatedly produced in a direction orthogonal to the extension direction.

  Subsequently, this manufacturing process irradiates the entire surface with ultraviolet light by linearly polarized light whose polarization direction is 90 degrees different from that of the first exposure process, and the unexposed area A for the right eye or the light eye for the first exposure process. In the region B, the photo-alignment material film is oriented in a desired direction (FIG. 3B). Thus, in this manufacturing process, the photo-alignment film 3 is produced by sequentially exposing the right-eye area A and the left-eye area B by two exposure processes.

  By the way, when the dimension of the pattern phase difference film 1 produced in this way was measured, it turned out that it varies variously. If this variation can be reduced, the accuracy can be further improved. Therefore, in this process, the dimension of the pattern retardation film 1 is measured by product inspection in the shipping process, and the dimension is corrected by adjusting the moisture content based on the measurement result.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing related to the adjustment of the water content. In this manufacturing process, this processing procedure is executed for the pattern retardation film 1 produced by the processing of FIG. 2, and the dimensions of the pattern retardation film 1 are measured (steps SP11-SP12). Here, in this embodiment, the dimension of the pattern retardation film 1 is measured by the area widths of the predetermined number of areas for the right eye and left eye produced on the pattern retardation film 1. This predetermined number is the number corresponding to the number of pixels in the vertical direction of the liquid crystal display panel in which the pattern retardation film 1 is used.

  In the manufacturing process, when the measured dimension is larger than the reference value, the dimension is corrected by adjusting the moisture content (step SP13). Here, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a result of measuring a change in dimensions when the pattern retardation film is left in a dry room. Reference numerals L1 and L2 are measurement results of the pattern retardation film produced by different rolls, respectively, and are taken out of the dry room after 10 hours after being left in the dry room. Reference numeral L3 represents a case where a similar sample is left in a dry room and then transferred to an aluminum bag that does not transmit moisture after 6 hours. The dry room subjected to this test has a temperature of 25 ° C. and a humidity of about 1%. The vertical axis represents the amount of change in dimensions.

  According to the measurement result of FIG. 5, it can be seen that if the amount of water contained in the dry room is decreased, the size is reduced. In addition, it can be seen that the extent to which this dimension is reduced is expressed by a function of time. As a result, the pattern retardation film can be set to a target dimension by leaving it in the dry room for a time corresponding to the measured dimension.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, in the moisture content adjusting step, the time for leaving in the dry room is calculated from the dimension measurement result. Further, the pattern retardation film 1 is left in the dry room for the calculated time, and the dimension of the pattern retardation film is corrected to the target dimension.

  By the way, as shown by reference numerals L1 and L2 (FIG. 5), even if the dimensions are corrected by adjusting the water content in this way, when the pattern retardation film 1 is taken out from the dry room, the moisture gradually absorbs the original. Return to dimensions. Here, FIG. 6 is a figure which shows the change of the dimension of the pattern phase difference film 1 by the comparison with the case where it affixes on a liquid crystal display panel. In FIG. 6, symbols L4 and L5 correspond to a case where 6 hours have elapsed after being left in the dry room and taken out from the dry room and left as it is. Similarly, reference numeral L6 denotes a case where the device is left in the dry room and then taken out of the dry room after 6 hours and mounted on the liquid crystal display panel.

  According to FIG. 6, it can be seen that the dimensions do not change even after mounting on the liquid crystal display panel even in a normal environment. Thus, it can be seen that the pattern retardation film 1 can maintain the corrected dimension without absorbing moisture until it is mounted.

  Therefore, in this process, the pattern retardation film whose dimensions have been corrected and the pattern retardation film whose dimensions are within the target range from the beginning are sealed and sealed in a bag that does not transmit moisture in the packing process ( Step SP14). As such a bag, for example, a bag made of a polyester film coated with aluminum can be used. In this case, a desiccant may be enclosed together, or an inert gas such as nitrogen may be enclosed. In addition, about the pattern phase difference film which completed the correction | amendment of a dimension, you may pack-process in a dry room.

  According to this embodiment, by adjusting the moisture content of the pattern retardation film and correcting the dimension of the pattern retardation film based on the dimension measurement result of the pattern retardation film, the pattern retardation can be easily and in large quantities. A film can be produced to ensure sufficient accuracy.

  Moreover, a dimension can be easily adjusted by performing adjustment of this moisture content using a dry room.

  Further, by subsequently sealing and holding the bag in a moisture-impermeable bag, the corrected dimension can be maintained, thereby preventing deterioration of dimensional accuracy.

[Other Embodiments]
As mentioned above, although the specific structure suitable for implementation of this invention was explained in full detail, this invention can change the structure of the above-mentioned embodiment variously in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention.

  That is, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the moisture content is adjusted by leaving it in a dry room is described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the moisture content may be adjusted by heating with an oven.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the moisture content is adjusted by evaporation of moisture has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the moisture content may be adjusted by absorbing moisture. In this case, it can be applied when the dimension of the produced pattern retardation film is shorter than the target dimension, and moisture can be absorbed by leaving it in a humidified environment. In this case, once the moisture is absorbed, the pattern retardation film may be transferred to a dry room or the like to dry the moisture and finally adjust the moisture content. Pattern retardation film can be packed under circumstances.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the pattern retardation film is completely inspected by measuring the dimension of the pattern retardation film and adjusting the moisture content when the dimension is long is described. However, the moisture content may be adjusted in lot units by sampling. Moreover, instead of measuring the direct dimension of the pattern retardation film, the corresponding part before cutting into individual films may be measured, and further, by measuring the parameters capable of estimating the dimension of the pattern retardation film, You may measure the dimension of a pattern phase difference film indirectly. As such an indirect measurement method, it is conceivable to prepare a test piece for measurement from a roll and measure a change in dimensions due to heating or the like of the test piece.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the dimensions of the pattern retardation film are corrected is described on the assumption that the pattern retardation film is cut and shipped. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the film is wound on a roll. The present invention can also be widely applied when shipping a pattern retardation film in a state. In this case, in the state of being wound on a roll, the area width for the right eye and the left eye produced on the pattern retardation film is measured, and based on the measurement result, the moisture content is adjusted in the state of the roll, Shipped sealed.

  Moreover, in the above-described embodiment, the case where a pattern retardation film is produced by continuously processing a base material made of a long material wound around a roll has been described. The present invention can be widely applied to the production of a pattern retardation film by processing.

  In the above-described embodiment, a photo-alignment technique is applied, and a local exposure process is performed using a mask in the first exposure process, and then the whole surface is irradiated with ultraviolet rays in the second exposure process to be unexposed. Although the case where the region is exposed is described, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be widely applied to the case where a pattern retardation film is manufactured by applying a photo-alignment technique. Moreover, it can apply widely also when producing a pattern phase difference film by processes, such as rubbing, instead of optical orientation.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where a pattern retardation film is prepared on the premise of using a liquid crystal display panel is described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and on the premise of using an organic EL panel or a plasma display panel. The present invention can be widely applied also when the polarizing filter is provided integrally.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the production of a pattern retardation film has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is widely applicable to the production of various optical films used for displays such as color filters. Can be applied. That is, in the color filter, by repeating the same exposure process as described above, the three primary color filter areas constituting the color image are sequentially and cyclically formed on the transparent film material. Accordingly, even in the color filter, high dimensional accuracy is similarly required, and the dimensional accuracy can be improved by applying the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pattern retardation film 2 Base material 3 Orientation film 4 Phase difference layer 16 Mask

Claims (4)

In the method for producing a patterned retardation film in which a retardation layer that gives a retardation to transmitted light is formed on a substrate made of a transparent film material,
A measuring step for measuring the dimensions of the pattern retardation film;
A method for producing a pattern retardation film, comprising: a moisture content adjusting step for adjusting the moisture content of the pattern retardation film based on a measurement result of the measuring step. The moisture content adjusting step
The method for producing a pattern retardation film according to claim 1, wherein the moisture content of the pattern retardation film is evaporated to adjust a moisture content. Furthermore, it has a packing process which seals the pattern phase difference film by which the water content was adjusted by the said water content adjustment process to the bag which does not permeate | transmit moisture, The manufacture of the pattern phase difference film of Claim 1 or Claim 2 Method. In the method for producing an optical film that is held on the panel surface of the display and gives desired optical characteristics to the light emitted from the display,
A measuring step for measuring the dimensions of the optical film;
A method for producing an optical film, comprising: a moisture content adjusting step of adjusting the moisture content of the optical film based on a measurement result of the measuring step.

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