JP2580951Y2 - Rubbing equipment - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rubbing device for rubbing a surface of an alignment film formed on a substrate in one direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An alignment film formed on an electrode forming surface of a transparent substrate used for a liquid crystal display element is formed of an alignment material such as a polyimide resin. An orientation process for arranging in the direction is performed.

[0003] This alignment treatment is performed by a method of rubbing the film surface of the alignment film in one direction, and a rubbing apparatus shown in Fig. 2 is conventionally used for such rubbing treatment.

This rubbing device is formed by winding a rubbing cloth 2 in which a cloth 2a such as a cotton cloth is planted with a fiber hair 2b such as rayon or nylon on the outer peripheral surface of a roller 1. Then, the substrate A on which the alignment film a is formed is placed on the stage 3 with its alignment film forming surface facing up. The rubbing cloth 2 is brought into contact with the film surface of the alignment film a of the substrate A, and the roller 1 is By performing parallel movement along the film surface of the alignment film a while rotating in one direction, the film surface of the alignment film a is rubbed in one direction on the surface of the rubbing cloth 2 and rubbing is performed. Alignment film a of each substrate A sequentially mounted on stage 3
Is applied to

[0005]

In such a rubbing apparatus, the rubbing cloth 2 is rotated in accordance with the rotation of the roller 1.
Are repeatedly contacted with the alignment film a. Since the surface of the rubbing cloth 2 rubs against the film surface of the alignment film 3 due to this contact, the surface of the polyimide resin film or the like of the material of the alignment film a is slightly scraped with the rubbing cloth 2 accordingly.
The shaved resin adheres to the rubbing cloth 2, and the rubbing cloth 2 is gradually stained, and the fiber hairs 2b of the rubbing cloth 2 are also gradually worn.

When the rubbing cloth 2 deteriorates in this manner, the rubbing state of the film surface of the alignment film a is changed.
Of the alignment film a and abrasion of the fiber hairs 2b, which causes poor alignment in the alignment film a.

For this reason, conventionally, the rubbing cloth 2 is periodically or arbitrarily removed from the outer peripheral surface of the roller 1 and replaced with a new rubbing cloth 2 so as to prevent the occurrence of defective alignment with respect to the alignment film a. I have to.

However, the work of replacing the rubbing cloth 2 is troublesome and time-consuming, and requires skill. Therefore, every time the rubbing cloth 2 is replaced, the work of the rubbing treatment is interrupted, and the work efficiency is reduced. I will.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point. The purpose of the present invention is to almost stop the rubbing process when the rubbing cloth is deteriorated and is switched to a new rubbing cloth. It is an object of the present invention to provide a rubbing device capable of efficiently achieving the switching without improving the working efficiency.

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided a stage for mounting a substrate in a rubbing apparatus for rubbing a film surface of an alignment film formed on the substrate in one direction. And a rotatable holder disposed above the stage, a plurality of rotatable rollers mounted on the same circumference of the holder in the holder, and detachably mounted on the outer peripheral surface of these rollers. Rubbing cloth, and any one of the plurality of rollers is shifted to and disposed directly above the stage by the rotation of the holder, and the surface of the rubbing cloth of the roller is placed on the stage. The substrate is placed in contact with the film surface of an alignment film, and the film surface is rubbed by rotation of the roller.

[0011]

When rubbing the surface of an alignment film, first, a substrate on which an alignment film is formed is placed on a stage with its alignment film formation surface facing up. Then, the holder is rotated, and any one of the plurality of rollers attached to the holder is shifted and disposed immediately above the stage.

In this state, the surface of the alignment film is brought into contact with the surface of the rubbing cloth attached to the roller while rotating the roller. Thereby, the film surface of the alignment film is rubbed in one direction by the surface of the rubbing cloth.

The rubbing process is sequentially performed on the alignment films of a plurality of substrates as described above. And when the rubbing cloth of the roller has deteriorated to some extent, the holder is rotated again to separate the roller from directly above the stage, and another roller is moved directly above the stage, and then the roller A rubbing process is sequentially performed on the alignment films of a plurality of substrates by using an unused rubbing cloth that has been newly attached.

As described above, when the rubbing cloth is deteriorated and the rubbing cloth is switched to a new rubbing cloth, it is only necessary to rotate the holder and shift the necessary rollers directly above the stage. The work can be continued almost continuously without interruption, and the rubbing work efficiency is surely improved.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

A stage 10 on which the substrate A is mounted is provided so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction, and a holder 11 having a substantially cross shape is provided above the stage 10 so as to be rotatable via a support shaft 12. I have.

The holder 11 is rotated about a support shaft 12, and a plurality of the holders 11 are equally distributed on the same circumference of the rotation.
For example, four rotating shafts 13 are provided rotatably, and a motor 14 for driving these rotating shafts 13 is attached to the back surface of the holder 11.

Rollers 15a, 15b, 15 are provided at the ends of the respective rotating shafts 13 projecting toward the front side of the holder 11.
c, 15d, and these rollers 15a, 1
A rubbing cloth 16 is detachably wound around the outer peripheral surfaces of 5b, 15c and 15d. These rubbing cloths 16 are obtained by implanting fiber hairs 16b such as rayon or nylon on a cloth 16a such as a cotton cloth.

Each of the rollers 15 is mounted on the holder 11.
A regulating mechanism 17 for regulating the rotation angle is provided so that a, 15b, 15c, and 15d are sequentially shifted to positions immediately above the stage 10. Next, a procedure for rubbing the film surface of the alignment film a using the rubbing apparatus having the above-described configuration will be described.

First, the substrate A on which the alignment film a is formed is placed on the stage 10 with its alignment film forming surface facing up. Then, the holder 11 is rotated about the support shaft 12 and a plurality of rollers 15 attached to the holder 11 are rotated.
a roller 1 of one of a, 15b, 15c and 15d
5 a is arranged directly above the stage 10.

In this state, the roller 15a is
4 and the stage 10 is horizontally moved in one direction, and the substrate A placed on the stage 10
Is brought into contact with the surface of the rubbing cloth 16 of the roller 15a. As a result, the film surface of the alignment film a is rubbed in one direction on the surface of the rubbing cloth 16 from one end to the other end.

In this manner, the alignment films a of the plurality of substrates A
Are sequentially subjected to a rubbing process. When the rubbing cloth 16 of the roller 15a has deteriorated to some extent, the holder 1
1 is rotated again, and the roller 15a is moved to the stage 10
Of the other roller 1
The rubbing process is performed on the alignment films a of the plurality of substrates A sequentially using the unused new rubbing cloth 16 wound around the rollers 15b.

On the other hand, the used rubbing cloth 16 wound around the roller 15a detached from just above the stage 10 is removed, for example, during the rubbing operation by the roller 15b, and replaced with a new rubbing cloth 16.

In this manner, each of the rollers 15a, 15
rubbing cloth 1 wound around b, 15c, 15d
The rubbing process is performed on the surface of the alignment film a on a large number of substrates A by sequentially using the substrates 6.

According to such a processing step, when the rubbing cloth 16 is deteriorated and is switched to a new rubbing cloth 16, the holder 11 is simply rotated to rotate the necessary roller 15a.
It is only necessary to move 15b directly above the stage 10, so that the work of the rubbing process is hardly interrupted, the work can be continued almost continuously, and the rubbing work efficiency is surely improved.

When the material of the alignment film a formed on the substrate A is different, the alignment film a
In such a case, it is necessary to use a rubbing cloth 16 suitable for the alignment film a for each material beforehand with a roller 15.
a, 15b, 15c, and 15d, and when the alignment film a is rubbed, the corresponding roller 15
a, 15b, 15c, and 15d are selected and arranged immediately above the stage 10, so that the rubbing cloth 16
Rubbing can be efficiently performed according to the material of the alignment film a without exchanging the rubbing.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which four rollers are provided in the holder has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to such a case. For example, two rollers may be provided in the holder and used alternately. Is also possible.

As a driving source for rotating each roller, in addition to the case where each roller is individually provided as in the above-described embodiment, for example, one driving source is provided, and a clutch mechanism is provided to the roller which is shifted directly above the stage. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the motive power is transmitted and rotated via the.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of rubbing cloths provided on each roller can be used to successively rub the surface of the alignment film of a large number of substrates almost continuously without interruption. Therefore, there is an advantage that work efficiency can be surely improved and efficient processing can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a rubbing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a conventional rubbing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10: Stage 11: Holder 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d: Roller 16: Rubbing cloth

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A rubbing apparatus for rubbing a film surface of an alignment film formed on a substrate in one direction, comprising: a stage on which a substrate is mounted; a rotatable holder disposed above the stage; A plurality of rotatable rollers mounted on the same circumference of the rotation of the holder, and a rubbing cloth removably mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the rollers, and the plurality of the plurality of rollers are rotated by rotation of the holder. Any one of the rollers is shifted and disposed immediately above the stage, and the surface of the rubbing cloth of the roller is brought into contact with the film surface of the alignment film of the substrate placed on the stage, and the roller A rubbing device characterized in that the film surface is rubbed by rotation of the rubbing.