JP2837304B2 - Spacer spraying device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates, for example to form a spacer for holding a distance between the upper and lower two substrates such as a liquid crystal display panel, scan <br/> pacer over to spray powder as a spacer material it relates to scatterplot apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a liquid crystal display panel has two substrates 20 provided at regular intervals.
The liquid crystal 21 is sealed in the gap 20. The size of this gap is usually called the cell thickness. It is important to provide a uniform cell thickness on the liquid crystal display panel. For this reason, spacers 22... That maintain the gap are formed in the gap between the two substrates 20.

[0003] In the conventional method of spraying a spacer, a spacer material made of a powder having a specific particle size distribution is used, for example, using fluorocarbon (eg, Daiflon manufactured by Daikin Industries, Ltd.), trichloroethane, pure water, or the like. There is a method of dispersing the mixture in various liquids and spraying the mixed liquid on the upper surface side of the substrate (wet method). In this method, the liquid as the dispersion medium after the spraying of the mixed liquid is removed by volatilizing naturally or, in the case of water, by forcibly evaporating the liquid.

The spacer material sprayed by the method using the above-mentioned mixed liquid tends to be distributed in a state in which a plurality of powder particles come into contact with each other on the upper surface side of the substrate to form a block. The so-called aggregation in which the spacer materials come into contact with each other to form a block is a problem in securing the quality of the liquid crystal display panel. That is, in order to form the spacer while ensuring the quality of the liquid crystal display panel, it is important to distribute the spacer material as uniformly as possible on the upper surface side of the substrate. It is preferred that the powder particles be sprayed so that there is no powder, and ideally, the distance between the powder particles should be substantially the same.

[0005] However, the above method has the following problems due to the use of a liquid as a dispersion medium.

That is, according to this method, a stain is formed on the surface of the liquid after evaporating or evaporating, and a decrease in the voltage holding ratio of the liquid crystal is caused by mixing of the ionic impurities into the mixed liquid. As a result, the quality of the liquid crystal display panel is reduced.

Recently, it has become difficult to employ a method using a liquid as a dispersion medium due to a problem of treating a liquid used in a mixed liquid. In other words, for example, there is a tendency that CFCs cannot be used due to CFC regulations for preventing pollution such as ozone layer destruction. Furthermore, even if chlorofluorocarbon is not used as the liquid, the runoff of the mixed waste liquid including the spacer material causes pollution, so some sort of pollution control must be performed. In addition, there is a problem such as an increase in processing cost accompanying it.

Therefore, recently, in order to solve the above problem, a method using a gas instead of a liquid as a dispersion medium (dry method) has been used.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a conventional apparatus for forming a spacer of a dry type liquid crystal display panel. In addition,
FIG. 7 is a front view (perspective view) of FIG. 6 as viewed from the direction A.

As shown in FIG. 6 , a substrate 2 to be sprayed is
0 is placed above the suction cup 42. Then, the substrate 20 and the suction board 42 are arranged so as to be covered with a scatter box 41 having a lower surface opening. In this state, a gas containing fine powder as a spacer material is introduced from the inlet side of the injection pipe 40 provided at the upper part of the spray box 41, and the fine powder is ejected into the spray box 41 from the ejection port 40a. By spraying, fine powder is attached to the upper surface side of the target substrate 20 to form a spacer. At this time, the gas used as the dispersion medium includes N ₂ , Air, Dry
Air and the like.

Here, the shape and size of the particles of the spacer material made of fine powder are, for example, (1) spherical shape: diameter of 3 to 20 μmφ, (2) elongated rod shape: diameter of 3 to 20 μmφ, and length of 15 to 70 μm. The injection tube 40 has a tube inner diameter of 10 mm.
φ, tube length is formed to 500 mm.

According to the above configuration, the gas containing the fine powder as the spacer material is sprayed through the injection pipe 40 into the spray box 41.
, Individual fine powders or aggregated fine powder particles collide with the injection pipe tube wall (inner wall). Alternatively, individual fine powders or groups of aggregated fine powder particles collide with each other.

Accordingly, regarding the group of agglomerated fine powder particles, the number of the fine powder particles constituting the group of particles (the number of the fine powder particles in contact in one particle group) Is smaller than the number of components before the collision.

The following two points can be cited as reasons why the number of fine powder particles in contact in one particle group is reduced by collision. (1) Due to physical force: For example, a decrease due to a physical impact acting upon collision between the particle group and the injection pipe tube wall (inner wall). (2) Electric force: The spacer material (particle group) is rubbed by collision, and static electricity due to friction is generated in the spacer material (particle group). That is, the spacer material (particle group) is charged by static electricity. Therefore, electric repulsion of the same kind of electricity (plus plus minus minus) occurs and decreases.

As described above, by using the gas as the dispersion medium, the aggregation of the spacer material can be reduced, and the spacer can be more uniformly formed on the substrate 20.

[0016]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional method, the degree of aggregation of the spacer material is related to the flow rate of the gas containing the spacer material. In other words, basically, the higher (higher) the flow rate, the lower the degree of aggregation.

As described above, the amount of the physical impact and the amount of static electricity generated at the time of the collision are such that the higher the flow rate of the gas containing the spacer material (particle group), that is, the flow rate of the spacer material (particle group) contained in the gas becomes The higher the speed, the greater the impact and the greater the amount of generated static electricity.

Therefore, as the flow rate of the gas containing the spacer material (particle group) increases, the number of spacer materials in contact with one spacer material particle group decreases, and the degree of aggregation decreases. Here, the injection pipe 40
FIG. 8 shows an example of the elapsed time dependency of the flow rate (unit: m / min) of the gas containing the spacer material injected from the substrate. The graph represented by the solid line in the figure shows the flow velocity immediately after the outlet of the injection pipe 40, that is, the value inside the spray box 41. Further, a graph represented by a broken line indicates the flow velocity before the outlet inside the injection pipe 40.

As is apparent from FIG. 8 , the gas flow rate does not reach the required steady-state values for a predetermined time from the start of the injection of the fine powder. That is, since the flow velocity is low (small) in the initial stage of the injection, the degree of aggregation of the spacer material is particularly large. In the conventional method, the spacer material particles having a high degree of aggregation at this time are scattered (attached) onto the substrate 20 as it is. Therefore, since the spacers are formed on the upper surface side of the substrate 20 while including the aggregates, there is a problem that the quality of the liquid crystal display panel is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to reduce aggregation of a spacer material on a substrate as much as possible, thereby reducing, for example, the quality of a liquid crystal display panel. and to provide a spacer over spraying device capable of preventing.

[0021]

A spacer dispersion according to claim 1.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the cloth device is provided with a spray box,
Inject gas containing body spacer material into the spray box,
Spread the spacer material on the substrate to be spread placed in the cloth box.
The following means are taken in a spacer spraying apparatus provided with an injecting means for spreading .

That is, there are provided exhaust means for guiding the spacer material sprayed from the injection means to the outside of the spray box, and control means for stopping the exhaust operation of the exhaust means after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start of powder injection. In addition, the injection means is characterized in that at least a part of the injection means is formed of a bendable member.

[0023] Further, the spacer dispersing device of the second aspect ,
To solve the above problems, in the spacer spraying apparatus having the same configuration as claimed in claim 1, the following means are taken.

That is, there are provided exhaust means for guiding the spacer material sprayed from the injection means to the outside of the spray box, and control means for stopping the exhaust operation of the exhaust means after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start of powder injection. In addition, the injection means is characterized in that at least a part thereof is formed of a shape memory member .

[0025]

According to the construction of the spacer dispersing device of the first aspect, the bendable member as the injection means is a spacer material.
Prior to the distribution of gas containing
You. Until the specified time elapses from the start of spraying,
The gas containing the spacer material did not reach the specified flow rate
Therefore, the degree of aggregation of the spacer material increases. But this
The above space sprayed into the spray box via the injection means during
Gas containing heat sink material is exhausted out of the spray box by exhaust means.
Will be issued. As a result, the spacer material having a high degree of cohesion is not scattered on the upper surface side of the substrate .

On the other hand, when a predetermined time elapses from the start of spraying, the operation of exhausting the gas containing the spacer material is stopped by the control means. After the evacuation operation, the bendable member is straightened by a predetermined process. As a result, the injection means is disposed at a predetermined position for dispersing the powder from near the exhaust means. Thereafter, a spacer having a low degree of aggregation is uniformly formed on the upper surface side of the substrate by spraying a spacer material having a low degree of aggregation.

Further, according to the configuration of the spacer dispersing apparatus of the second aspect , the shape memory member as the injection means is disposed near the exhaust means before dispersing the gas containing the spacer material. Until a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of spraying,
Since the gas containing the spacer material has not reached the predetermined flow rate, the degree of aggregation of the spacer material increases. However, during this time, the gas containing the spacer material sprayed into the spray box via the injection means is discharged out of the spray box by the exhaust means. As a result, the spacer material having a large degree of aggregation is not scattered on the upper surface side of the substrate.

On the other hand, when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of spraying, the operation of exhausting the gas containing the spacer material is stopped by the control means. After the evacuation operation, the shape memory member is straightened by applying a predetermined heat treatment. As a result, the injection means is disposed at a predetermined position for dispersing the powder from near the exhaust means. And after this, by spraying a spacer material with a small degree of aggregation,
A uniform, low-aggregation spacer is formed on the upper surface side of the substrate. In addition, since at least a part of the injecting means is formed of a shape memory member, the spraying operation can be performed any number of times by appropriately performing a heat treatment.

[0029]

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

The case where the present invention is applied to the application of spacers to a liquid crystal display panel will be described below. The spacer dispersing device for a liquid crystal display panel according to the present embodiment includes a method of forming a liquid crystal display element at a time using a large electrode substrate (a multi-cell manufacturing method), and a method of manufacturing an active liquid crystal display element that requires high-definition pattern formation. Also, it is suitable for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device such as a large high-definition dot matrix.

As shown in FIG. 1, the present spacer forming apparatus is provided with a suction plate 2 for sucking and fixing a substrate 1 (substrate to be dispersed), such as glass or film, used for a liquid crystal display panel. . The size of the substrate 1 is vertical (mm)
× width (mm) × thickness (mm) is, for example, 200 × 20
0 × 0.7, 300 × 300 × 0.7, 300 × 400
× 1.1, or 500 × 500 × 2.0, etc.
Various combinations of vertical, horizontal, and thickness are possible.

On the upper surface of the substrate 1, a transparent conductive film 3 formed by a vapor deposition method or the like is laminated, and a predetermined electrode pattern is formed on the transparent conductive film 3 by a photolithography method or the like. Have been.

On the other hand, the substrate 1 and the suction plate 2 are covered by a rectangular parallelepiped spray box 4 having an opening on the lower surface. The scatter box 4 is made of resin such as acrylic, for example. Also, in the vicinity of the center of the upper wall portion of the scatter box 4,
A through-hole 5 penetrating the upper wall portion is formed, and one end of an injection pipe 9 (injection means) is fitted into the through-hole 5. One end of the injection pipe 9 has a predetermined length inside the scatter box 4, and the tip end is an ejection port 9a. Further, an exhaust hole 10 is formed in one side wall of the spray box 4, and one end of an exhaust pipe 11 (exhaust means) having an open / close valve 12 (control means) is attached to the exhaust hole 10. .

In this embodiment, at least a part of the injection tube 9 is formed using a shape memory alloy (shape memory member, a bendable member), and is curved in the spray box 4 at normal temperature. The ejection port 9a, which is the tip, is set to be located near the center P of the exhaust hole 10.
Further, when heated to a predetermined temperature by a heating device (not shown), the injection tube 9 is set to be substantially straight, and the injection port 9a, which is the tip, is set to be located at P ′ above the substrate 1. I have. In addition, as a material of the part which is not comprised by a shape memory alloy among the said injection pipes 9, a plastic, glass fiber, etc. are mentioned.

On the other hand, an air supply source 8 as a gas supply source such as a compressor is connected to the other end of the injection pipe 9 via a powder supply device 6 having a built-in powder measurement device (not shown). . The air supply source 8 guides the supplied fine powder 7 into the injection pipe 9 and introduces the fine powder 7 by introducing dehumidified air having a high degree of cleanliness into the powder supply device 6. In the pipe 9, the flow velocity in the pipe is about 20
The air is conveyed by dehumidified air at m / min.

The shape and size of the particles of the fine powder 7 as the spacer material are, for example, (1) spherical: 3 to 20 μm in diameter, (2) elongated rod: 3 to 20 μm in diameter, and 15 to 70 μm in length. . The spacer material is formed of various materials such as various plastics and glass. Also,
As the gas for carrying the fine powder 7, in addition to the dehumidified air, for example, such as air, no dampening N ₂ gas and removal are generally used.

The operation of the apparatus for dispersing spacers for a liquid crystal display panel according to this embodiment in the above configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 2, first, the substrate 1 is placed on the upper side of the suction plate 2, and
And the substrate 1. At this time, the ejection port 9a, which is the tip of the injection pipe 9, is disposed so as to be located near the center P of the exhaust hole 10.

In this state, first, the opening / closing valve 12 of the exhaust pipe 11 is closed to start the exhaust. Then exhaust pipe 1
The opening / closing valve 12 is opened, and the fine powder 7 as a spacer material is introduced into the injection pipe 9 through the powder supply device 6 and injected into the injection pipe 9 with dehumidified air through the air supply source 8. Start. Thereafter, the flow rate of the gas containing the fine powder 7 becomes a predetermined value (for example, 100 m / m after exiting the ejection port 9a).
min) .

During this time, almost all the gas containing the fine powder 7 flowing into the spray box 4 through the injection pipe 9 and the jet port 9a is exhausted by the exhaust pipe 11 and the open / close valve 1 which is open.
2 and is discharged to the outside of the spray box 4. That is, the gas immediately after the start of the injection including the fine powder 7 as the spacer material having a high degree of aggregation is discharged to the outside of the spray box 4 without being guided onto the substrate.

Thereafter, a heat treatment is applied to the injection pipe 9 at least part of which is formed using a shape memory alloy through a heating device (not shown) to raise the temperature to a predetermined temperature. Immediately after that, the on-off valve 12 is closed.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the shape of the injection pipe 9 changes from the state shown by the two-dot chain line to the state shown by the solid line, becomes substantially straight, and the injection port 9a, which is the front end, is connected to the substrate. 1 above P '. Therefore,
The flow velocity is a predetermined value (for example, 100 m after exiting the ejection port 9a).
/ Min), and the gas containing the fine powder 7 is sprayed toward the substrate 1. That is, a gas containing the fine powder 7 as a spacer material having a small degree of aggregation is scattered, so that a more uniform spacer can be formed on the substrate.

As described above, the spacer spraying apparatus according to the present embodiment comprises the injection tube 9 for spraying the fine powder 7 as the spacer material and the spray box 4 for accommodating the substrate 1.
, At least a part of the injection pipe 9 is formed using a shape memory alloy, and an exhaust pipe 11 including an open / close valve 12 is provided. Therefore, the gas containing the fine powder 7 as a spacer material is injected for a period until a predetermined flow rate is reached after the start of injection.
It can be discharged to the outside of the scatter box 4 through the exhaust pipe 11 including the injection pipe 9 and the opening / closing valve 12 guided near the opening of the exhaust pipe 11. That is, the gas containing the spacer material having a high degree of aggregation immediately after the start of the injection is discharged without being guided onto the substrate 1.

Further, since at least a part of the injection pipe 9 is formed using a shape memory alloy, after the gas containing the fine powder 7 as the spacer material reaches a predetermined flow rate, the injection pipe 9 Is subjected to a predetermined heat treatment to change its shape, and is guided above the substrate 1 disposed on the bottom surface of the spray box 4 to spray a gas containing the fine powder 7 having a suitable flow rate onto the substrate 1. Can be. That is, since the gas containing the fine powder 7 having a small degree of aggregation is scattered, a more uniform spacer can be formed on the substrate 1. In the above embodiment, the liquid crystal display panel has been described as an example. However, the present invention can be applied to other similar configurations.

[0045] In the above embodiment has been described by taking a liquid crystal display panel as an example, it is possible to form a spacer by using the equipment of the present invention to products having other similar structure. That is, the structure, in a plurality of platen minute intervals, yet if products that require to be bonded parallel as possible, can be applied equipment of the present invention in its manufacturing process.

For example, FIG. 4 shows the structure of a trigger electrode type plasma display as a flat panel display other than liquid crystal. In the figure, an anode 53 is provided on a back surface of a front glass 51, and a trigger electrode 55 as a third electrode and a dielectric layer 56 are formed on the back glass 52,
Further, a cathode 54 is provided thereon. An AC-type auxiliary discharge is performed between the trigger electrode 55 and the cathode 54 by applying a pulse having a negative potential higher than the discharge start voltage to the trigger electrode 55. In the above structure, a barrier 50 is provided to keep a uniform distance between the front glass 51 and the rear glass 52.
And a low-pressure gas is sealed inside. In this case, a spacer may be used instead of the barrier 50. If the spacer is formed using the spraying method and apparatus according to the present invention, a more uniform interval can be provided between panels, and a highly accurate and stable product can be provided. Can be supplied. Also, in the case of a fluorescent display tube or the like, there is a possibility of using a spacer in order to maintain uniformity between the panels. In that case, using the method and the apparatus for dispersing the spacer material according to the present invention, a more accurate and stable method is used. We can supply quality products.

[0047]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the spacer spraying device sprays the spacer material sprayed from the injection means as described above.
Exhaust means for guiding out of the box and a predetermined time after the start of powder injection
Control means for stopping the evacuation operation of the evacuation means,
Is provided, and the injection means is at least partially provided.
Is a configuration made of a bendable member .

Therefore, the gas containing the spacer material having a high degree of cohesion from the start of the spraying until reaching the predetermined flow rate is sprayed into the spray box via the injection means, but is discharged out of the spray box by the exhaust means. Therefore, the spacer material having a large degree of cohesion is not scattered on the upper surface side of the substrate.
Therefore, after a lapse of a predetermined time, by a predetermined process, the bendable member is disposed on the substrate to be dispersed, and thereafter, only the gas including the spacer material that has reached the predetermined flow velocity is dispersed on the substrate to be dispersed, Since a uniform spacer with a small degree of aggregation can be formed on the substrate to be dispersed, the yield can be improved, and the quality of a product, for example, a liquid crystal display panel can be stabilized.

Further, in the spacer dispersing device according to the second aspect ,
As described above, the exhaust unit that guides the spacer material sprayed from the injection unit to the outside of the spray box, and the control unit that stops the exhaust operation of the exhaust unit after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of powder injection, are provided. The injection means has a configuration in which at least a part thereof is formed of a shape memory member.

Therefore, the gas containing the spacer material having a high degree of cohesion from the start of the spraying to the predetermined flow rate is sprayed into the spray box via the injection means, but is discharged out of the spray box by the exhaust means. . As a result, the spacer material having a large degree of aggregation is not scattered on the upper surface side of the substrate. Therefore, after a lapse of a predetermined time, by applying a predetermined heat treatment, the shape memory member is disposed on the substrate to be dispersed, and thereafter, only the gas containing the spacer material that has reached the predetermined flow velocity is dispersed on the substrate to be dispersed. In addition, since a uniform spacer with a small degree of aggregation can be formed on the substrate to be dispersed, the yield is improved, and the quality of a liquid crystal display panel as a product, for example, is stabilized .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a spacer spraying device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the spacer spraying apparatus viewed from a direction A in FIG. 1, and shows a state before heat treatment is performed on an injection pipe formed using a shape memory alloy.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the spacer spraying apparatus viewed from a direction A in FIG. 1, and shows a state after heat treatment of an injection tube formed using a shape memory alloy.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a structure of a plasma display as a flat panel display other than a liquid crystal.

FIG. 5 shows a conventional example and is a longitudinal sectional view showing a spacer formed on a liquid crystal display panel.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a conventional spacer spraying device.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the spacer spraying device as viewed from a direction A in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the elapsed time dependency of the flow rate of the gas containing the spacer material injected from the injection pipe in the conventional spacer spraying device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate (substrate to be sprayed) 2 Suction board 3 Transparent conductive film 4 Spray box 9 Injection pipe (injection means) 9a Spout port 11 Exhaust pipe (exhaust means) 12 Opening / closing valve (control means)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G02F 1/1339 500

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A spray box and an injection means for injecting a gas containing a powder spacer material into the spray box and spraying the spacer material on a substrate to be sprayed disposed in the spray box. In the spacer spraying device provided, exhaust means for guiding the spacer material sprayed from the injection means to the outside of the spray box, and control means for stopping the exhaust operation of the exhaust means after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of powder injection. In addition, at least a part of the injection means is formed of a bendable and stretchable member. 2. A spray box, and an injection means for injecting a gas containing a powder spacer material into the spray box and spraying the spacer material on a substrate to be sprayed disposed in the spray box. In the spacer spraying device provided, exhaust means for guiding the spacer material sprayed from the injection means to the outside of the spray box, and control means for stopping the exhaust operation of the exhaust means after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of powder injection. The spacer dispersing device is provided, wherein at least a part of the injection means is formed of a shape memory member.