JP2014002266A - Method of manufacturing liquid crystal panel and device of manufacturing liquid crystal panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel which allows the operation of sticking substrates to each other to be accurately performed.SOLUTION: A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel includes the steps of disposing a first substrate 100 on a first stage 180 so that the first substrate 100 is in a vertical direction 90, disposing a second substrate 110 on a second stage 190 so that the second substrate 110 is in the vertical direction 90, and sticking the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 positioned in the vertical direction 90 to each other.

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal panel manufacturing method and a liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and a bonding apparatus for bonding substrates constituting a liquid crystal panel.

  A liquid crystal panel, which is a component of a liquid crystal display device (LCD), has a structure in which a pair of glass substrates are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap secured. In a liquid crystal panel, for example, an array substrate (TFT substrate) on which a plurality of TFTs (thin film transistors, etc.) are formed and a color filter substrate (CF substrate) on which a color filter substrate, a light shielding film, etc. are formed are narrowly spaced (about several μm). ), And a space between them is filled with a liquid crystal layer. The array substrate and the CF substrate are bonded together by a sealing agent that functions as an adhesive.

  When bonding a pair of substrates constituting the liquid crystal panel, it is necessary to perform alignment between the substrates, so-called alignment processing, with high accuracy. Here, with reference to FIGS. 19A to 19C, a method of bonding substrates (array substrate, CF substrate) constituting a liquid crystal panel using a conventional bonding apparatus will be described (for example, Patent Documents). 1).

  First, as shown in FIG. 19A, the array substrate 64 is placed on the surface of the first suction stage 28 in the bonding apparatus 22 with the display area facing up. The alignment mark formed on the array substrate 64 is arranged facing the recognition camera 29 and is imaged by the recognition camera 29. The array substrate 64 is held by suction on the first suction stage 28. The CF substrate (counter substrate) 62 is sucked and held by the second suction stage 26. The alignment mark formed on the CF substrate 62 is arranged in a state of being positioned so as to face the alignment mark of the array substrate 64 and to face the recognition camera 29.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 19B, the second suction stage 26 is lowered by the XYZθ moving mechanism 30 to move the CF substrate 62 to the array substrate 64. In the meantime, the protruding mechanism 34 is protruded by a predetermined value from the opening provided in the second suction stage 26. Then, the recognition camera 29 is used to recognize the alignment mark on the array substrate 64 and the alignment mark on the CF substrate 62, and then the amount of displacement is calculated to calculate the correction amount, and then the XYZθ moving mechanism 30 is driven. To correct (alignment).

  Here, as the CF substrate 62 approaches the array substrate 64, first, the peripheral portion of the alignment mark of the counter substrate 62 protruding by the protruding mechanism 34 is temporarily fixed on the array substrate 64. UV-curing adhesive) 60. In this temporary fixing stage, a positional deviation amount is obtained to calculate a correction amount, and the XYZθ moving mechanism 30 is driven to perform correction.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 19C, the sealing agent 60 is permanently fixed. That is, the temporarily fixed array substrate 64 and CF substrate 62 are held in a pressurized state, and further heated by a heater or the like to cure the thermosetting sealant 60 and perform the main fixing.

  According to this bonding method, when the array substrate 64 and the CF substrate 62 are aligned and bonded, the position correction can be performed in a state where only the temporary fixing sealant 60 is in contact. Therefore, the occurrence of displacement between the substrates is greatly reduced, and high-precision bonding can be realized in the production of the liquid crystal panel.

JP 2001-264780 A

  The method shown in FIGS. 19A to 19C has an advantage that high-precision bonding can be executed. However, according to the study of the present inventor, high-precision bonding of 5 μm or less is required. I found out that I couldn't handle it. This was found to be a problem caused by the bending of the substrates (array substrate 64 and CF substrate 62).

  That is, when performing the above-described substrate bonding, the TFT substrate 70 and the CF substrate 80 are arranged in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 20A, but the flatness of each substrate is about 100 μm. Here, as shown in FIG. 20A, when at least one of the glass substrates is bent, a bend of at least about 5 μm is inevitably caused.

  If bending of such a size occurs, highly accurate bonding of 5 μm or less cannot be realized. When the TFT substrate 70 and the CF substrate 80 have the same dimensions, as shown in FIG. 20B, for example, the dimension of the TFT substrate 70 that is bent is smaller than the dimension of the CF substrate 80 that is not bent. It will be shorter. Here, although each substrate is adsorbed to a stage (not shown), the flatness is about 100 μm, and it is difficult to achieve a flatness that can achieve high accuracy of 5 μm or less. It is.

  Currently, the accuracy limitation based on the bending of the substrate must be accepted. However, if the substrates are bonded together with the above-described bending, for example, the liquid crystal panel is not bothered when viewed from the front, but the color tone changes when viewed from an oblique direction. There is also the possibility of problems such as

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such a point, and a main object thereof is to provide a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel capable of bonding substrates with high accuracy.

  The manufacturing method according to the present invention is a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel including a first substrate and a second substrate, and the first substrate is disposed on a first stage so that the first substrate is in a vertical direction. Step (a), step (b) of placing the second substrate on the second stage so that the second substrate is in the vertical direction, and the first substrate and the second substrate positioned in the vertical direction (C).

  In a preferred embodiment, a liquid crystal layer applied by an inkjet method is formed on one surface of the first substrate and the second substrate, and the first substrate is formed with the liquid crystal layer formed. Then, the bonding of the second substrate is performed.

  In a preferred embodiment, the substrate on which the liquid crystal layer is formed includes a sealing agent formed so as to surround the periphery of the liquid crystal layer, and an adhesive for fixing formed on a peripheral portion of the substrate. Is provided.

  In a preferred embodiment, in the step (c), the fixing adhesive is cured by light irradiation.

  In a preferred embodiment, in the step (c), while recognizing the first alignment mark formed on the first substrate and the second alignment mark formed on the second substrate with a camera, The first stage and the second stage are brought close to each other.

  In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the first stage and the second stage includes an XYθ moving mechanism.

  In a preferred embodiment, in the step (a), the first substrate is positioned in the vertical direction by using a robot hand capable of rotating the first substrate from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction, and the step (b) The second substrate is positioned in the vertical direction using a robot hand that can rotate the second substrate in the vertical direction from the horizontal direction.

  In a preferred embodiment, the step (a) includes a step of holding at least an upper end in the vertical direction of the first substrate, and the step (b) holds at least an upper end of the second substrate in the vertical direction. The process of carrying out is included.

  In a preferred embodiment, the step (a) further includes a step of holding the lower end of the first substrate in the vertical direction, and the step (b) further holds the lower end of the second substrate in the vertical direction. The process of carrying out is included.

  In a preferred embodiment, each of the first substrate and the second substrate is a mother glass including a plurality of liquid crystal panel regions.

  In a preferred embodiment, the mother glass has a rectangular shape, and the mother glass has a long side of 800 mm to 1000 mm and a short side of 600 mm to 800 mm.

  The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention includes a first holding device that positions the first substrate in the vertical direction, a first stage that holds the first substrate in the vertical direction, and a second that positions the second substrate in the vertical direction. A holding device, a second stage that holds the second substrate in a vertical direction, a vacuum chamber that houses the first stage and the second stage, and a movement that brings the first stage and the second stage closer to each other Mechanism.

  In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the first stage and the second stage includes an XYθ moving mechanism, and is formed on the second substrate and a first alignment mark formed on the first substrate. A camera that images the second alignment mark, and an ultraviolet irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet rays onto a fixing adhesive formed on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate and made of an ultraviolet curable resin. And.

  In a preferred embodiment, an ink jet apparatus is further provided that forms a liquid crystal layer on at least one of the first stage and the second stage.

  According to the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention, the first substrate and the second substrate are arranged in the vertical direction, and the first substrate and the second substrate positioned in the vertical direction are bonded together. Bending can be prevented, and as a result, highly accurate bonding of 5 μm or less can be realized.

(A)-(c) is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating the manufacturing method (bonding method of a board | substrate) of the liquid crystal panel which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. (A)-(c) is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating the formation method of the liquid-crystal layer based on one Embodiment of this invention. (A) is an example at the time of forming by dripping a liquid crystal layer, (b) is an example which shows the problem in the case of (a). (C) is an example at the time of forming the liquid-crystal layer based on one Embodiment of this invention with an inkjet system. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the structure of the manufacturing apparatus (board | substrate bonding apparatus) of the liquid crystal panel which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the example which carries out rotation holding | maintenance of the board | substrate 100 in the perpendicular direction using the rotating shaft of a robot hand. (A)-(f) is process sectional drawing explaining the board | substrate bonding method which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. (A)-(d) is process sectional drawing explaining the board | substrate bonding method which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the structure of the chuck | zipper (holding device) 160a which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the structure of the chuck | zipper (holding device) 160b which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the structure of the chuck | zipper (holding device) 160c which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the structure of the chuck | zipper (holding device) 160d which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. (A) And (b) is process drawing explaining the board | substrate holding method using the chuck | zipper (holding apparatus) 160a which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIGS. 4A to 4C are process diagrams illustrating a substrate holding method using a chuck (holding device) 160a according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4A to 4C are process diagrams illustrating a substrate holding method using chucks (holding devices) 160a and 160e according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4A to 4E are process diagrams illustrating a substrate holding method using chucks (holding devices) 160a and 160e according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4A to 4C are process diagrams illustrating a substrate holding method using a chuck (holding device) 160e according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4A to 4D are process diagrams illustrating a substrate holding method using a chuck (holding device) 160e according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) And (b) is process drawing explaining the board | substrate holding method using the chuck | zipper (holding apparatus) 160d which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIGS. 4A to 4C are process diagrams illustrating a holding method using a chuck (holding device) 160d according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A)-(c) is process sectional drawing which shows the board | substrate bonding method using the conventional bonding apparatus. (A) And (b) is the schematic for demonstrating the bending of a board | substrate in the case of using the conventional bonding apparatus.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, for simplification of description, members and parts having the same action are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted or simplified. In addition, the dimensional relationship (length, width, thickness, etc.) in each drawing does not necessarily accurately reflect the actual dimensional relationship. In addition, hatching in the drawing is given mainly for the purpose of easy understanding of the constituent elements, and does not necessarily represent the elements of the material.

  Further, matters necessary for the implementation of the present invention other than matters specifically mentioned in the present specification can be grasped as design matters of those skilled in the art based on the prior art in this field. The present invention can be carried out based on the contents disclosed in the present specification and drawings and the common general technical knowledge in the field. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

  FIGS. 1A to 1C are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, it is a conceptual perspective view for explaining a method of bonding substrates (100, 110) constituting the liquid crystal panel.

  The liquid crystal panel of this embodiment is composed of a pair of translucent substrates, that is, an array substrate on which a thin film transistor (TFT) is formed, and a color filter substrate (CF substrate) including a color filter layer. ing. The array substrate and the CF substrate are respectively composed of separate glass substrates, and are bonded to each other after the liquid crystal material is dropped. In this way, the liquid crystal display panel is manufactured. In the liquid crystal panel, by applying an electric field between the array substrate and the CF substrate, the alignment state of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer located between the two substrates is changed, and the amount of light transmitted for each pixel. A desired image is displayed by controlling.

  In the configuration example shown in FIG. 1A, the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 including a plurality of liquid crystal panel regions are shown. Specifically, the first substrate 100 is a mother glass including a plurality of array substrates for each liquid crystal panel, and the second substrate 110 includes a plurality of array substrates for each liquid crystal panel. Mother glass. In addition, the thickness of the glass substrate which comprises a liquid crystal panel is 0.7 mm or less, for example. When the mother glass (mother substrate) is a fourth generation mother glass, for example, the size is 730 mm (W) × 920 mm (L).

  In this example, a liquid crystal layer 130 corresponding to each liquid crystal panel is formed on the second substrate (CF substrate) 110, and a sealing agent 120 is formed so as to surround the liquid crystal layer 130. A fixing adhesive 140 that can be fixed by UV irradiation is formed on the second substrate (CF substrate) 110. The fixing adhesive 140 can serve as a temporary fixing that can correct the positioning when the first substrate (array substrate) 100 and the second substrate (CF substrate) are bonded to each other. is there. In this example, the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 may be interchanged.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, both substrates (100, 110) are arranged so that the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 are in the vertical direction 90. Specifically, in FIG. 1A, the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 are arranged along the horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction 90, but in FIG. Both substrates (100, 110) are arranged in the direction of 90 in the vertical direction. When both the substrates (100, 110) are arranged in the vertical direction 90, both the first substrate 1000 and the second substrate 110 are pulled by gravity and extend straight without bending of the substrates. In the actual manufacturing process, the first substrate 100 is set on a first stage (not shown) and positioned so as to extend in the vertical direction 90, and the second substrate 110 is placed on a second stage (not shown). It is set so as to extend in the vertical direction 90.

  Then, the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 are bonded to each other in a state extending in the vertical direction 90 as indicated by an arrow shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 1C, the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 are bonded to each other, and a liquid crystal panel in which the liquid crystal layer 130 is disposed between the pair of substrates (100, 110) is manufactured. Is done. Specifically, when the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 are bonded together, first, the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 are temporarily fixed with the fixing adhesive 140, and then the positional deviation between the two substrates (100, 110) is adjusted. By fixing the fixing adhesive 140, the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 are fixed. Since the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 extend in the vertical direction 90, both the substrates 100 and 110 are not bent, and therefore, it is possible to perform high-precision bonding of 5 μm or less, which could not be realized conventionally. It becomes.

  When the second substrate 110 is arranged in the vertical direction 90, the following problem occurs. That is, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the liquid crystal material 130 is dropped on the substrate 110 by the liquid crystal dropping method (one drop fill method (ODF process)), the dropped liquid crystal material (droplet) 130 is Pulled by gravity and trying to move downward. Then, as shown in FIG. 2B, there is a high possibility that the liquid crystal material 130 will slide down, which may result in a poor bonding process. In this embodiment, the liquid crystal material 130 is applied by an ink jet method, and as shown in FIG. 2C, a thin film of the liquid crystal material 130 is formed on the surface of the substrate 110, which is compared with FIG. Thus, the surface area of the liquid crystal material 130 is increased. By adopting this coating method, sliding of the liquid crystal material 130 is suppressed, and while the liquid crystal material 130 is positioned and held on the surface of the substrate 110, the two substrates (100, 110) are bonded together, The sealing of the liquid crystal layer 130 is completed by curing the sealant 120.

  Next, a liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus (substrate bonding apparatus) 200 capable of performing substrate bonding in the vertical direction 90 shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C will be described with reference to FIG. To do.

  The liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus (substrate bonding apparatus) 200 shown in FIG. 3 holds a first holding device (first chuck) 160A for positioning the first substrate 100 in the vertical direction and the first substrate 100 in the vertical direction 90. The first stage 180 is provided. Furthermore, the substrate bonding apparatus 200 includes a second holding device (second chuck) 160B that positions the second substrate 110 in the vertical direction 90, and a second stage 190 that holds the second substrate 110 in the vertical direction 90. Have

  In the configuration of this embodiment, the first stage 180 and the second stage 190 are housed in the vacuum chamber 150. In the illustrated example, the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110, the first chuck 160 </ b> A, and the second chuck 160 </ b> B are also disposed in the vacuum chamber 150. The substrate bonding apparatus 200 includes a moving mechanism (stage moving mechanism) that brings the first stage 180 and the second stage 190 close to each other, and the first stage 180 and the second stage 190 are moved close to each other by the moving mechanism. Thus, in the state where the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 are both positioned in the vertical direction 90, the bonding process of both the substrates (100, 110) can be performed.

  The first stage 180 and the second stage 190 of the present embodiment can suck and hold the back surface of the first substrate 100 and the back surface of the second substrate 110 in the vertical direction 90, respectively. In addition, at least one of the first stage 180 and the second stage 190 includes an XYθ moving mechanism, and the relative position of the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 is set in the X direction (for example, with the vertical direction 90 as a reference). , The short side direction of the rectangular substrate), the Y direction (for example, the long side direction of the rectangular substrate), and the θ direction (for example, the clockwise or counterclockwise direction of the substrate). The direction in which the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 approach each other can be the Z direction, and the Z direction can be controlled by adjusting the distance between the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110. This can be done by a moving mechanism.

  In the configuration of the present embodiment, a camera 170A (170) that captures an image of a first alignment mark (not shown) formed on the first substrate 100 and a second alignment mark (not shown) formed on the second substrate 110. And a camera 170B (170) that captures the image. The first alignment mark is a mark representing a reference position (reference coordinates) of the first substrate 100, and is represented by, for example, a cross mark. Similarly, the second alignment mark is a mark representing the reference position (reference coordinates) of the second substrate 110, and is represented by, for example, a cross mark.

  The first alignment mark and the second alignment mark are typically provided on the outer edge (non-display area) of the substrate, and the surface of the first stage 180 and the second stage 190 is read by reading the alignment mark with the camera 170. Thus, it is possible to specify the exact positions of the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 that are sucked and held. In one substrate (100, 110), not only one alignment mark but also a plurality of alignment marks may be provided. For example, the alignment marks can be formed at the four corners of the substrate.

  The camera (imaging device) 170 of the present embodiment is, for example, a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor. Image data of the alignment mark imaged by the camera 170 is transmitted to a control device (not shown) that controls the stage 180 or 190. Specifically, the control device of the present embodiment includes control (position control, suction control, etc.) of the first and second stages 180 and 190, first and second holding devices (first and second chucks) 160A, 160B control (gripping control, position control, etc.) and control in the vacuum chamber 150 (inert gas introduction control, decompression control, etc.) can be executed.

  The control device of the substrate bonding apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment is formed of a semiconductor integrated circuit, and is, for example, an MPU (micro processing unit) or a CPU (central processing unit), and is used in combination with a storage device. As the storage device, for example, a semiconductor memory, a hard disk (HDD), an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or the like can be used. In the configuration of this embodiment, an input device (keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc.) and an output device (display, etc.) can be connected to the control device, and these elements are general-purpose PCs (personal computers). Can be used. In addition, the substrate bonding method of the present embodiment (that is, the substrate bonding process in the vertical direction) can be stored in the storage device of the substrate bonding apparatus 200 in the form of a substrate bonding program, and By starting the program, the function of the substrate bonding apparatus 200 can be realized.

  In the configuration of this embodiment, an ultraviolet irradiation device 210 for curing the fixing adhesive 140 made of an ultraviolet curable resin is disposed. The ultraviolet irradiation device 210 is a lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays, and is, for example, a high-intensity discharge lamp (such as a high-pressure mercury lamp) or an LED lamp. In addition, when the sealing agent 120 is comprised from the ultraviolet curing resin, you may arrange | position the ultraviolet irradiation device 210 which cures the sealing agent 120. FIG.

  In order to convert the main surface of the first substrate 100 or the second substrate 110 of the present embodiment from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction 90, for example, using a robot hand 220 as shown in FIGS. It can be carried out. First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the substrates (100, 110) are placed on the substrate mounting part 235 of the robot hand 220. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the substrate is rotated while the substrate (100, 110) is held by the substrate mounting unit 235 using the rotation shaft 230 of the robot hand 220. Position in the vertical direction 90. Thereafter, the substrate (100, 110) may be held using the first and second holding devices (first and second chucks) 160A and 160B to maintain the vertical direction 90 of the substrate.

  Next, a substrate bonding method using the substrate bonding apparatus 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (f) and FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (d). FIG. 5A to FIG. 6D are process cross-sectional views for explaining the substrate bonding method of this embodiment.

  First, as shown in FIG. 5A, a first substrate (array substrate) 100 and a second substrate (CF substrate) 110 are arranged in a vacuum chamber 150, respectively. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the substrates 100 and 110 are positioned in the vertical direction 90 and introduced into the vacuum chamber 150 in that state, and then the holding device 160 (first chuck). The substrates 100 and 110 are held in the vacuum chamber 150 using 160A and the second chuck 160B). In this example, the holding device 160 uses a structure that sandwiches the front and back surfaces of the substrates 100 and 110. However, if the holding device 160 can hold the substrate, a holding device having another structure is used. Also good.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, using the camera 170, the position of the alignment mark on the first substrate 100 (the first position of the first alignment mark) and the position of the alignment mark on the second substrate 110 ( The first position of the second alignment mark is imaged (recognized), thereby calculating the positions of the substrates 100 and 110 and the mark pitch.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5C, the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 held by the holding device 160 are moved to the first stage 180 and the second stage 190, respectively, and the substrate 100, 110 is replaced. After the substrates 100 and 110 are moved to the stages 180 and 190, the holding device 160 is retracted.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5D, the position of the alignment mark (the second position of the first alignment mark) on the first substrate 100 placed on the stage 180 and the stage 190 using the camera 170. The position of the alignment mark (second position of the second alignment mark) of the placed CF substrate 110 is recognized. Next, the positions of the alignment marks (the first position of the first alignment mark and the first position of the second alignment mark) of the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 recognized in FIG. 5B are compared.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5E, the inside of the vacuum chamber 150 is evacuated 240. The vacuum evacuation 240 is executed by a vacuum pump (decompression pump) connected to the vacuum chamber 150.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5F, alignment is performed using the XYθ control mechanism in the stage 180 or 190 based on the comparison result of the alignment mark positions in FIG. Then, in a state where the main surface of the first substrate 100 and the main surface of the second substrate 110 are held in the vertical direction, the bonding surfaces are bonded together to bond both the substrates 100 and 110 together.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6A, the adhesive 140 provided on the second substrate 110 is cured by irradiating the bonding surface with ultraviolet rays (light irradiation) using an ultraviolet irradiation device 210. Then, the bonded first substrate 100 and second substrate 110 are fixed. When the curing of the adhesive 140 is temporarily fixed, at this time, the alignment control can be performed by the stages 180 and 190, and the final alignment of the substrate bonding can be executed. Further, when there is no problem in alignment between the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 bonded together by the curing of the adhesive 140, the curing of the adhesive 140 can be fixed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, the inside of the vacuum chamber 150 is opened to the atmosphere 250. In the case of opening to the atmosphere 250, an inert gas (such as nitrogen gas) may be introduced.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6C, the liquid crystal panel made of the substrates (100, 110) bonded and fixed is detached from the stage 180 and the stage 190. In this example, once the liquid crystal panel (100, 110) is held by the second stage 190, the liquid crystal panel (100, 110) is then held by the holding device 160 (here, the second chuck 160B), It is made to detach | leave from the stage 180. FIG.

  Finally, as shown in FIG. 6D, the liquid crystal panels (100, 110) are taken out from the vacuum chamber 150 to the outside. In this way, the step of bonding the substrates (100, 110) in the vertical direction 90 is performed.

  In the substrate bonding method (liquid crystal panel manufacturing method) according to the present embodiment, the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 are arranged so as to be in the vertical direction 90 and are positioned in the vertical direction 90. 100 and the second substrate 110 are bonded together. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the substrate (100, 110) from being bent in the bonding step, and as a result, it is possible to realize bonding with high accuracy of, for example, 5 μm or less. In addition, the liquid crystal panel can be manufactured by the high-accuracy bonding, in which a problem that the color tone is changed when viewed from an oblique direction is prevented.

  In the above-described embodiment, the robot hand 220 including the rotation shaft 230 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B is used as a method of arranging the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 in the vertical direction 90. Although the method has been described, it is not limited thereto. For example, there is a method of delivering a substrate to a robot hand in a state where the substrate (100, 110) is in the vertical direction 90 using a turning stage. Alternatively, the substrates (100, 110) are in the horizontal direction until they are attracted and fixed to the first stage 180 and the second stage 190, and then the entire vacuum chamber 150 is rotated from there to rotate the substrates (100, 110) in the vertical direction. It can be 90.

  In addition, the size of the glass substrate (mother glass) of the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 110 preferably has, for example, a side of 800 mm to 1000 mm and a short side of 600 mm to 800 mm. Specifically, it is preferable to use a fourth generation mother glass (G4 mother glass: 730 mm × 920 mm), or a first generation mother glass (G3 to G5 mother glass). This is because in the case of a mother glass of a small size, the bending of the glass itself is often not considered as a problem. That is, if the substrate area is small, it can be handled by a conventional horizontal bonding apparatus, and it is often easy to obtain sufficient mechanical accuracy (stage flatness / parallelism). On the other hand, in the case of a mother glass of a large size, there is a drawback that the device structure for making the substrate 90 in the vertical direction becomes complicated. However, if the disadvantage can be eliminated, the problem of bending becomes more conspicuous in the case of a mother glass having a larger size, so that the effect obtained by the method of the present embodiment is increased.

  Hereinafter, a specific example of the holding device 160 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As described above, the holding device 160 has a function of holding the substrates (100, 110) in the vertical direction 90 in the vacuum chamber 150.

  The holding device 160a shown in FIG. 7 has a mechanical pad type structure. Specifically, the substrate 100 is held by a mechanical external force (for example, the force of an air cylinder or solenoid) using the two pad portions 160a that sandwich the front and back surfaces of the substrate 100 (110). The mechanical holding device 160a shown in FIG. 7 is excellent in practical use in that the substrate 100 can be mechanically and reliably held.

  The holding device 160b shown in FIG. 8 has a suction-type pad structure. Specifically, the suction pad 160b having the vacuum hole 161 is brought into contact with the back surface of the substrate 100 (110), and the substrate 100 is held by the suction force (pressure difference) of the vacuum hole 161 of the suction pad 160b. The adsorption type holding device 160b shown in FIG. 8 has an advantage that single-sided adsorption (desorption) is possible, but the apparatus configuration is complicated in that it is necessary to provide a vacuum system.

  The holding device 160c shown in FIG. 9 has an adhesive pad type structure. Specifically, the suction pad 160c having adhesive force is brought into contact with the back surface of the substrate 100 (110), and the substrate 100 is held by the adhesive force of the suction pad 160c. The adhesive holding device 160c shown in FIG. 9 has an advantage that single-sided adsorption is possible, but a mechanism for desorption is required in the case of desorption of the substrate.

  The holding device 160d shown in FIG. 10 has an electrostatic pad type structure. Specifically, the suction pad 160d having electrostatic force is brought into contact with the back surface of the substrate 100 (110), and the substrate 100 is held by the Coulomb force of the suction pad 160d. The adhesive holding device 160d shown in FIG. 10 has the advantage that it can be adsorbed and desorbed on one side, but it requires a relatively high device cost to generate a Coulomb force for adsorbing the substrate.

  FIGS. 11A and 11B are process perspective views for explaining a holding method using the mechanical pad type holding device 160a shown in FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 11A, pad portions 160a corresponding to the width direction of the substrate 100 are set on the front surface side and the back surface side of the substrate 100 (110), respectively. Next, as shown in FIG. 11B, the substrate 100 is in the vertical direction 90 with the upper end (upper side) of the substrate 100 sandwiched between the pad portion 160 a on the front surface side of the substrate and the pad portion 160 a on the back surface side of the substrate. To fix.

  Further, in FIGS. 12A to 12C, after the upper end (upper side) of the substrate 100 is sandwiched, the lower end (lower side) of the substrate 100 is also sandwiched so that the substrate 100 is not further bent.

  First, as shown in FIG. 12A, pad portions 160 a are set on the substrate front side and the substrate back side at the upper end of the substrate 100 and the lower end of the substrate 100. Next, as shown in FIG. 12B, first, the upper end of the substrate 100 is sandwiched between the pad portions 160 a and the substrate 100 is fixed in the vertical direction 90. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12C, the lower end of the substrate 100 is sandwiched between the pad portions 160a. If a little tension is applied between the upper side and the lower end of the substrate 100, the substrate 100 can be further prevented from being bent.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 13A to 13C, the mechanical pad type holding device 160a may be configured such that one is provided on one side of the substrate and a plurality is provided on the other side of the substrate. Is possible.

  In this example, as shown in FIG. 13A, first, at the upper end of the substrate 100 (110), one long pad portion 160a corresponding to the width of the substrate 100 and a plurality of short (three) pads. The unit 160e is set. Next, as shown in FIG. 13B, one long pad portion 160a is brought into contact with the substrate 100, and the central portion of the short pad portion 160e is brought into contact with the substrate 100. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 13C, a part other than the center part of the short pad part 160 e is brought into contact with the substrate 100. In this case, first, the central portion of the upper end of the substrate 100 is held by the short pad portion 160e, so that it is possible to suppress the substrate 100 from being bent even when a plurality of pad portions 160e are used.

  14A to 14E, in the configuration in which one pad portion 160a is arranged on one side of the substrate 100 and a plurality of pad portions 160e are arranged on the other side of the substrate 100, the lower end as well as the upper end of the substrate 100 are arranged. In addition, a configuration in which pad portions 160a and 160e are arranged is shown.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14A, first, at each of the upper end and the lower end of the substrate 100 (110), one long pad portion 160a corresponding to the width of the substrate 100 and a plurality of short (3 Sheet) of pad portions 160e. Next, as shown in FIG. 14B, one long pad portion 160a is brought into contact with the upper end of the substrate 100, and the upper end of the substrate 100 is brought into contact with the pad portion 160e located at the central portion. Next, as shown in FIG. 14C, a portion other than the central portion of the short pad portion 160 e is brought into contact with the upper end of the substrate 100.

  Similarly, as shown in FIG. 14D, one long pad portion 160a is brought into contact with the lower end of the substrate 100, and the lower end of the substrate 100 is brought into contact with the pad portion 160e located at the central portion. Finally, as shown in FIG. 14 (e), a portion other than the central portion of the short pad portion 160 e is brought into contact with the lower end of the substrate 100. Even in this case, since the short pad portion 160e is held from the center of the upper end and the lower end of the substrate 100, it is possible to prevent the substrate 100 from being bent even when a plurality of pad portions 160e are used.

  Further, FIGS. 15A to 15C show a configuration in which a plurality of pad portions 160e are arranged on both one side and the other side of the upper end of the substrate 100. FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 15A, a plurality of short sheets (two sheets) are set on each side at the upper end of the substrate 100, one by one. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 15B, the short pad portion 160 e is brought into contact with the upper end of the substrate 100 to hold the substrate 100. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 15C, the short pad portions 160e on both sides are made to apply tension 165 to each other. In this case, even in the gripping configuration using the two pad portions 160e on both sides of the substrate, the tension 165 is applied between the pad portions 160e, so that the substrate 100 can be prevented from being bent.

  In addition, FIGS. 16A to 16D show a configuration in which a plurality of pad portions 160e are arranged on both one side and the other side of the upper and lower ends of the substrate 100. FIG.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 16A, first, at each of the upper end and the lower end of the substrate 100 (110), a plurality of short sheets (two) are respectively provided on both sides of the upper end and the lower end of the substrate 100. Set one by one. Next, as shown in FIG. 16B, the short pad portion 160 e is brought into contact with the upper end of the substrate 100 to hold the substrate 100. Next, as shown in FIG. 16C, the short pad portions 160e on both sides are made to apply tension 165 to each other. Thereafter, as illustrated in FIG. 16D, the short pad portion 160 e located at the lower end of the substrate 100 is brought into contact with the substrate 100 to hold the substrate 100. In this case, the tension 165 is applied between the pad portions 160e, and the upper end and the lower end of the substrate 100 are held, so that the substrate 100 can be more reliably prevented from being bent.

  FIGS. 17A and 17B are process perspective views for explaining a method of holding the substrate 100 (110) using the pad portion 160d (or 160b, 160c) of the one-side suction method. First, as shown in FIG. 17A, the pad portion 160 d corresponding to the width direction of the substrate 100 is set on the back surface side of the upper end of the substrate 100. Next, as shown in FIG. 17B, the pad portion 160 d is brought into contact with the back surface of the upper end of the substrate 100, and the substrate 100 is fixed so as to be in the vertical direction 90.

  Further, FIGS. 18A to 18C show a method of holding the upper end and the lower end of the substrate 100 (110) using the pad portion 160d (or 160b, 160c) of the one-side suction method. First, as shown in FIG. 18A, pad portions 160 d corresponding to the width direction of the substrate 100 are respectively set on the back surfaces of the upper end and the lower end of the substrate 100. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 18B, the pad portion 160 d is brought into contact with the back surface of the upper end of the substrate 100. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 18C, the pad portion 160 d is brought into contact with the back surface at the lower end of the substrate 100. In this method, since both the upper end and the lower end of the substrate 100 are fixed in contact with each other, the substrate 100 can be fixed more reliably in the vertical direction 90.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal panel which can perform bonding of a board | substrate with high precision can be provided.

100 First substrate (array substrate)
110 Second substrate (CF substrate)
120 Sealant 130 Liquid Crystal Layer (Liquid Crystal Material)
140 Fixing adhesive 150 Vacuum chamber 160 Holding device (chuck)
161 Vacuum hole 170 Camera 180 First stage 190 Second stage 200 Substrate bonding apparatus 210 Ultraviolet irradiation apparatus 220 Robot hand 230 Rotating shaft 235 Substrate mounting portion

Claims (14)

A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel including a first substrate and a second substrate,
Placing the first substrate on the first stage so that the first substrate is in a vertical direction;
Placing the second substrate on the second stage so that the second substrate is in a vertical direction;
And a step (c) of bonding the first substrate and the second substrate positioned in a vertical direction. A liquid crystal layer applied by an inkjet method is formed on the surface of one of the first substrate and the second substrate,
The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein the bonding of the first substrate and the second substrate is performed in a state where the liquid crystal layer is formed.   The said board | substrate with which the said liquid crystal layer was formed is provided with the sealing agent formed so that the circumference | surroundings of the said liquid crystal layer might be enclosed, and the fixing adhesive formed in the peripheral part of the said board | substrate. 2. A method for producing a liquid crystal panel according to 2.   The method for producing a liquid crystal panel according to claim 3, wherein in the step (c), the fixing adhesive is cured by light irradiation.   In the step (c), the first stage and the second stage are recognized while the camera recognizes the first alignment mark formed on the first substrate and the second alignment mark formed on the second substrate. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein the stage is brought close to the stage.   6. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first stage and the second stage includes an XYθ moving mechanism. In the step (a), using a robot hand capable of rotating the first substrate from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction, the first substrate is positioned in the vertical direction,
The said process (b) positions the said 2nd board | substrate to a perpendicular direction using the robot hand which can rotate the said 2nd board | substrate from a horizontal direction to a perpendicular direction. Liquid crystal panel manufacturing method. The step (a) includes a step of holding at least the upper end in the vertical direction of the first substrate,
The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to claim 1, wherein the step (b) includes a step of holding at least an upper end in a vertical direction of the second substrate. The step (a) includes a step of further holding a lower end in the vertical direction of the first substrate,
The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to claim 8, wherein the step (b) includes a step of further holding a lower end of the second substrate in the vertical direction.   The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel according to claim 9, wherein each of the first substrate and the second substrate is a mother glass including a plurality of liquid crystal panel regions. The mother glass has a rectangular shape,
The method for producing a liquid crystal panel according to claim 10, wherein the mother glass has a long side of 800 mm to 1000 mm and a short side of 600 mm to 800 mm. An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel,
A first holding device for positioning the first substrate in the vertical direction;
A first stage for holding the first substrate in a vertical direction;
A second holding device for positioning the second substrate in the vertical direction;
A second stage for holding the second substrate in a vertical direction;
A vacuum chamber for housing the first stage and the second stage;
An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel, comprising: a moving mechanism for bringing the first stage and the second stage close to each other. At least one of the first stage and the second stage includes an XYθ moving mechanism,
A camera that images the first alignment mark formed on the first substrate and the second alignment mark formed on the second substrate;
The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising: an ultraviolet irradiation device configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays onto a fixing adhesive formed on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate and made of an ultraviolet curable resin. Liquid crystal panel manufacturing equipment.   Furthermore, the manufacturing apparatus of the liquid crystal panel of Claim 12 or 13 provided with the inkjet apparatus which forms a liquid-crystal layer in at least one of the said 1st stage and the said 2nd stage.

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