JP4152167B2 - Method for inspecting connection state of transfer portion of liquid crystal display panel and electrode structure used therefor - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to a method for inspecting a transfer portion connection state of a liquid crystal display panel and an electrode structure used in the inspection method, and in particular, two sheets bonded to each other via a sealing material mixed with a transfer material such as conductive beads. The present invention relates to a method for inspecting a connection state of a transfer portion of a liquid crystal display panel suitable for inspecting a connection state of electrodes formed on the panel substrate, and an electrode structure used in the inspection method.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in a liquid crystal display panel in which two panel substrates provided with electrodes made of ITO (indium tin oxide) or the like are bonded to each other via a sealing material and liquid crystal is sealed between the two panel substrates, By mixing a transfer material into the sealing material, the electrodes of both panel substrates are made conductive.
[0003]
FIG. 5 shows a liquid crystal display panel in which the electrodes are electrically connected by such a transfer material. The liquid crystal display panel 1 is an upper and lower side in which striped electrodes 2 and 3 are formed on the inner surface of a glass substrate. Two panel substrates 5 and 6 are provided. As shown in FIG. 5, the lower panel substrate 6 has a larger plane area than the upper panel substrate 5, and this larger portion is a terminal in which a plurality of terminals 4 are aligned. Part 6a.
[0004]
The two panel substrates 5 and 6 are bonded to each other via a planar frame-shaped sealing material 7. In the space surrounded by the panel substrates 5 and 6 and the sealing material 7, liquid crystal is contained. An encapsulated liquid crystal layer 8 is formed.
[0005]
A transfer material (not shown) made of conductive beads or the like is mixed inside the seal material 7, and a transfer portion consisting of an overlapping portion of the seal material 7 mixed with the transfer material and the electrodes 2 and 3. 10, the electrodes 2 and 3 of the upper and lower panel substrates 5 and 6 are electrically connected to each other.
[0006]
Conventionally, when the liquid crystal display panel 1 is manufactured, the connection state of the transfer unit 10 is inspected.
[0007]
As shown in FIG. 6, the transfer material of the transfer unit 10 can be regarded as a resistor 11 disposed inside the seal material 7, and the resistance value can be considered to increase due to disconnection. .
[0008]
Since the transfer material is intended to electrically connect the electrodes 2 and 3 of the upper and lower panel substrates 5 and 6 with each other, the resistance value is desirably low.
[0009]
However, when the resistance value of the transfer unit 10 increases due to disconnection, the electrodes 2 and 3 are in contact with the transfer unit 10 and the electrodes 2 and 3 intersect the electrode 2 and 3 with the liquid crystal layer 8 interposed therebetween. The voltage applied between the pixels decreases, which causes a lighting failure in the pixels.
[0010]
Therefore, the transfer unit connection state is inspected by turning on the liquid crystal display panel 1 at room temperature and humidity, and visually checking the lighting state, that is, lighting or non-lighting of the display pixels of the liquid crystal display panel. It came to judge the presence or absence.
[0011]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-188212 (FIG. 1)
[0012]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the actual liquid crystal display panel 1, a plurality of transfer materials are mixed in one transfer unit 10, and these transfer materials are connected in parallel via the electrodes 2 and 3. It can be seen that
[0013]
That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the resistance of the transfer unit 10 can be considered as a combined resistance of a plurality of resistors 11 connected in parallel to each other.
[0014]
The number of resistors 11 connected in parallel increases in proportion to the plane area of the transfer portion 10, that is, the overlapping portion of the sealing material 7 and the electrodes 2 and 3.
[0015]
Therefore, conventionally, even if the electrical connection state of each transfer material is poor, the combined resistance of the transfer unit 10 is reduced, resulting in an unstable liquid crystal in the transfer unit connection state that affects the liquid crystal display. It was difficult to identify the display panel 1.
[0016]
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and inspecting a transfer unit connection state that can appropriately identify an unstable liquid crystal display panel in a transfer unit connection state that affects liquid crystal display at the inspection stage. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an electrode structure used in this inspection method.
[0017]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a method for inspecting a transfer portion connection state of a liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1 of the present invention is characterized in that at least one of end terminals located on both outer sides of a plurality of terminals is provided with a sealing material. A small area transfer portion forming electrode having a width smaller than that of the end terminal is extended to the position facing the liquid crystal layer through the forming portion, and a pattern for visual confirmation is formed on the small area transfer portion forming electrode. The small area transfer portion forming electrode intersects with the sealing material sandwiched at a position facing the small area transfer portion forming electrode on the panel substrate facing the terminal portion side panel substrate. By forming the small area transfer portion forming counter electrode to form the small area transfer portion, the small area transfer portion forming counter electrode and the visual confirmation A visual confirmation counter pattern for forming a visual confirmation pixel is formed by facing each other in a state where the liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between the patterns, and in this state, an AC voltage is applied to the end terminal to perform the visual confirmation. The lighting state of the transfer pixel is confirmed. If the visual check pixel is not turned on, the connection state of the transfer unit is determined to be a normal level.
[0018]
By adopting such a method, the presence or absence of disconnection in the transfer unit can be easily and appropriately determined by confirming the lighting state of the visual confirmation pixels connected to the small area transfer unit that easily reflects the influence of the disconnection. It becomes possible.
[0019]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for inspecting a transfer portion connection state of a liquid crystal display panel according to the first aspect, wherein the small area transfer device is located near the end terminal via the transfer material in the seal material. A liquid crystal display panel in which the visual check pixel is lit after forming a short-circuit electrode that is electrically connected to the counter electrode for forming a portion and the counter pattern for visual check, and confirming the lighting state of the visual check pixel The short-circuiting electrode and the end terminal are short-circuited with each other, the lighting state of the visual confirmation pixel is checked again, and if the visual confirmation pixel is turned off, the connection state of the transfer unit is determined to be a normal level. There is in point to do.
[0020]
By adopting such a method, it is possible to select liquid crystal display panels in which the visual confirmation pixels are lit, that can be determined to have a transfer unit connection state at a normal level.
[0021]
The feature of the electrode structure used for the inspection of the transfer portion connection state according to claim 3 is that the position facing the liquid crystal layer through the sealing material forming portion on at least one of the end terminals located on both outer sides of the plurality of terminals. An electrode for forming a small area transfer portion that is narrower than the end terminal formed to extend to the end portion, a pattern for visual confirmation continuously provided to the electrode for forming the small area transfer portion, and the terminal portion side A small-area transfer portion is formed at a position facing the small-area transfer portion forming electrode on the panel substrate facing the panel substrate, and intersects the small-area transfer portion forming electrode with the sealing material interposed therebetween. A counter electrode for forming a small area transfer portion, and a counter electrode for forming the small area transfer portion, and the visual confirmation pattern and the liquid In that it has a visual confirmation opposing pattern to form a visual confirmation pixel by facing each other in a state sandwiching the layers.
[0022]
By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to easily and appropriately determine the presence or absence of a disconnection in the transfer unit by applying an AC voltage to the end terminal and confirming the lighting state of the visual confirmation pixel. It becomes possible.
[0023]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a feature of the electrode structure used for the inspection of the transfer portion connection state according to the third aspect, in which the small area transfer portion is formed in the vicinity of the end terminal via the transfer material in the sealing material. It is in the point which has the electrode for a short circuit formed so that it may conduct | electrically_connect with a counter electrode and the said opposing pattern for visual confirmation, and the said edge part terminal was mutually shortable.
[0024]
And by adopting such a configuration, after confirming the lighting state of the visual confirmation pixel, the shorting electrode and the end terminal are connected to the liquid crystal display panel in which the visual confirmation pixel is lit. If the visual confirmation pixel is turned on again by short-circuiting each other and the visual confirmation pixel is turned off, the connection state of the transfer unit can be determined to be a normal level. Can be selected that can be determined to be normal.
[0025]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of an electrode structure used for inspection of a transfer portion connection state of a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0026]
Note that portions having the same or similar basic configuration as those in the related art will be described using the same reference numerals.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 1, the electrode structure 12 used for the inspection of the transfer portion connection state in the present embodiment is formed on the terminal portion 6a of the liquid crystal display panel 13 and its periphery.
[0028]
That is, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, end terminals 3 a located on both outer sides of the plurality of terminals 4 formed on the terminal portion 6 a, at the outer positions of the formation portions of the sealing material 7. The small-area transfer portion forming electrodes 14 and 15 are formed to extend so as to be narrower than the end terminal 3a.
The small area transfer part forming electrodes 14 and 15 extend in parallel from the end terminal 3a along the outside of the part where the sealing material 7 is formed, and then refracted obliquely toward the liquid crystal layer 8 side. It is formed in a planar shape that passes through the formation portion of the sealing material 7 and then refracts again to reach a predetermined position facing the liquid crystal layer 8.
[0029]
Further, a visual confirmation pattern 16 is connected to the tip of each of the small area transfer portion forming electrodes 14, 15.
[0030]
The small area transfer portion forming electrodes 14 and 15 and the visual confirmation patterns 16 and 17 may be integrally formed of the same film forming material as the end terminal 3a.
[0031]
On the other hand, at the position facing the small area transfer portion forming electrodes 14 and 15 on the panel substrate 5 facing the panel substrate 6 on the terminal portion 6a side, it is almost the same as the small area transfer portion forming electrodes 14 and 15. Counter electrodes 19 and 20 for forming a small area transfer portion having the same width are formed.
[0032]
The counter electrodes 19 and 20 for forming the small area transfer part are formed with the electrodes 14 and 15 for forming the small area transfer part from the upper end of the panel substrate 5 in FIGS. 2 and 3 toward the liquid crystal layer 8 below. After extending obliquely so as to cross each other with the sealing material 7 interposed therebetween, it is formed in a planar shape that refracts and reaches a position facing the visual confirmation patterns 16 and 17.
[0033]
A small area transfer portion 21 is formed by the intersection of the small area transfer portion forming electrodes 14 and 15 and the small area transfer portion forming counter electrodes 19 and 20.
[0034]
The counter electrodes 19 and 20 for forming the small area transfer portions are respectively opposed to the visual confirmation patterns 16 and 17 with the liquid crystal layer 8 sandwiched therebetween. It is connected continuously. The visual confirmation counter patterns 22 and 23 may be integrally formed of the same film forming material as that of the small area transfer portion forming counter electrodes 19 and 20.
[0035]
And the visual confirmation pixel 25 for confirming the disconnection of the said small area transfer part 21 by visual observation is comprised by the opposing part of the said visual confirmation patterns 16 and 17 and the said visual confirmation opposing patterns 22 and 23. It has become.
[0036]
In the visual confirmation pixel 25, in the state where an AC voltage is applied to the end terminal 3a, no disconnection occurs in the small area transfer section 21, and the small area transfer section forming electrodes 14 and 15 and the small area transfer section 21 are small. When the area transfer portion forming counter electrodes 19 and 20 are held at the same potential, they are not lit. On the other hand, when the small-area transfer portion 21 is disconnected and a potential difference is generated between the small-area transfer portion forming electrodes 14 and 15 and the small-area transfer portion forming counter electrodes 19 and 20. It comes to light up.
[0037]
Here, unlike the normal transfer unit 10, the small area transfer unit 21 has a small plane area and a large combined resistance in parallel connection, so that it is easy to reflect the influence of disconnection.
[0038]
That is, when a disconnection occurs in the small area transfer unit 21, the disconnection can be clearly confirmed by lighting the visual confirmation pixel 25.
[0039]
Note that the visual confirmation pixel 25 may be lit due to a defect in the small area transfer portion 21 itself such as the small area transfer portion 21 having a high resistance even when the transfer portion is not disconnected. is there.
[0040]
Therefore, the present embodiment has an electrode structure for confirming the connection state of the transfer part again after the transfer part connection state is inspected.
[0041]
That is, short-circuiting electrodes 26 and 27 are formed in the vicinity of the end terminal 3a so as to extend from the position in the vicinity of the end terminal 3a to the formation portion of the sealing material 7, and each short circuit. The electrode 26 is electrically connected to the visual confirmation counter patterns 22 and 23 and the small area transfer section forming counter electrodes 19 and 20 through the transfer section 10.
[0042]
In addition, relay electrodes 28 and 29 are formed between the visual confirmation opposing patterns 22 and 23 and the transfer portion 10, and the visual confirmation opposing pattern 22 is transferred from the transfer portion 10 by the relay electrodes 28 and 29. , 23 can be conducted.
[0043]
As described above, for example, a conductive rubber or the like is placed on the liquid crystal display panel in which the visual confirmation pixel 25 is lit so as to straddle both the end terminal 3a and the shorting electrodes 26 and 27. Thus, when the terminal 3a and the short-circuit electrodes 26 and 27 are short-circuited, the lighting state of the visual confirmation pixel 25 is confirmed again. If the visual confirmation pixel 25 is turned off, the connection state of the transfer unit is It can be determined that the level is normal.
[0044]
Next, the inspection method for the transfer portion connection state according to the present invention to which the electrode structure is applied will be described.
[0045]
In the present embodiment, the small-area transfer portion 21 formed by the facing portions of the small-area transfer portion forming electrodes 14 and 15 and the small-area transfer portion forming counter electrodes 19 and 20 sandwiching the sealing material 7 therebetween. And a visual confirmation pixel 25 comprising opposing portions of the visual confirmation patterns 16 and 17 and the visual confirmation opposing patterns 22 and 23 with the liquid crystal layer 8 interposed therebetween, and the short-circuit electrodes 26 and 27. A liquid crystal display panel 13 on which is formed is prepared.
[0046]
First, an alternating voltage is applied between the segment terminal and the common electrode terminal (not shown) to light the pixels in the display unit.
[0047]
At this time, when the connection state of the small area transfer portion 21 is normal and no disconnection occurs, the small area transfer portion forming electrodes 14 and 15 and the small area transfer portion forming counter electrodes 19 and 20 have the same potential. Therefore, the visual confirmation patterns 16 and 17 connected to the small area transfer portion forming electrodes 14 and 15 and the visual confirmation opposing pattern 22 connected to the small area transfer portion forming counter electrodes 19 and 20 are provided. , 23 are also at the same potential.
[0048]
Thereby, when the connection state of the small area transfer portion 21 is normal, the visual confirmation is obtained by sandwiching the liquid crystal layer 8 between the facing portions of the visual confirmation patterns 16 and 17 and the visual confirmation opposing patterns 22 and 23. The pixel 25 is not lit.
[0049]
Then, the liquid crystal display panel 13 in which the visual confirmation pixel 25 is not turned on is advanced to the next manufacturing process as an appropriate product.
[0050]
On the other hand, when the disconnection occurs in the small area transfer portion 21, a potential difference is generated between the small area transfer portion forming electrodes 14 and 15 and the small area transfer portion forming counter electrodes 19 and 20, and similarly, the visual observation is performed. A potential difference also occurs between the confirmation patterns 16 and 17 and the visual confirmation counter patterns 22 and 23.
[0051]
Thereby, when the disconnection has arisen in the small area transfer part 21, the said pixel 25 for visual confirmation lights up.
[0052]
Then, the liquid crystal display panel 13 in which the visual confirmation pixel 25 is turned on cannot proceed to the next manufacturing process as a defective product.
[0053]
However, when the short-circuiting electrodes 26 and 27 and the terminal 3a are short-circuited to the liquid crystal display panel in which the visual confirmation pixel 25 is turned on and the visual confirmation pixel 25 is turned off, the connection state of the transfer unit 10 is normal. The liquid crystal display panel 13 is advanced to the next manufacturing process.
[0054]
At this time, the visual confirmation pixel 25 is turned off by short-circuiting the short-circuiting electrodes 26 and 27 and the terminal 3a with conductive rubber or the like.
[0055]
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the presence / absence of the disconnection of the transfer unit 10 can be easily and appropriately determined by checking the lighting state of the visual confirmation pixels 25 connected to the small area transfer unit 21 that easily reflects the effect of the disconnection. can do.
[0056]
In addition, this invention is not limited to the thing of the said embodiment, A various change is possible as needed.
[0057]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the inspection method of the connection state of the transfer portion of the liquid crystal display panel and the electrode structure used therefor according to the present invention, it is possible to easily and appropriately identify a defective product based on the disconnection of the transfer portion. As a result, reliability and manufacturing efficiency can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a liquid crystal display panel having the electrode structure in an embodiment of an electrode structure used for inspection of a transfer portion connection state of the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an embodiment of an electrode structure used for inspection of a transfer portion connection state of a panel. FIG. 3 is different from FIG. 2 showing an embodiment of an electrode structure used for inspection of a transfer portion connection state of a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view of an electrode structure used for inspecting a transfer portion connection state of a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention, and an electrode structure of a panel substrate on a terminal portion side and a panel substrate on a side facing the terminal portion. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a liquid crystal display panel provided with a transfer portion that has been conventionally used. FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the state of the transfer portion. Figure 7 [Description of symbols] and 6 to the state of the transfer unit shown schematically different views shown in
2, 3 Electrode 3a End terminal 5, 6 Panel substrate 6a Terminal part 7 Sealing material 8 Liquid crystal layer 12 Electrode structure 13 Liquid crystal display panel 14, 15 Small area transfer part forming electrodes 16, 17 Visual confirmation patterns 19, 20 Small Counter electrode 21 for area transfer portion formation Small area transfer portions 22 and 23 Counter pattern 25 for visual confirmation Pixels 26 and 27 for visual confirmation Short circuit electrode

Claims (4)

Provided with a terminal portion in which a plurality of terminals are aligned on one of two panel substrates facing each other across the liquid crystal layer, the two panel substrates being electrodes of both panel substrates In the inspection method of the transfer portion connection state of the liquid crystal display panel bonded to each other through a sealing material mixed with a transfer material for electrically connecting the two,
A small-area transfer section that is narrower than the end terminals until it reaches a position facing the liquid crystal layer through at least one of the end terminals positioned on both outer sides of the plurality of terminals through a sealing material forming section. A forming electrode is extended and formed, and a visual confirmation pattern is continuously provided on the small area transfer portion forming electrode, and is opposed to the small area transfer portion forming electrode on the panel substrate facing the terminal side panel substrate. A small area transfer portion forming counter electrode that forms a small area transfer portion by crossing the small area transfer portion forming electrode with the sealing material sandwiched therebetween, and forming the small area transfer portion A visual confirmation pixel is formed by opposing the forming counter electrode and the visual confirmation pattern to each other with the liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween. In this state, an alternating voltage is applied to the end terminal to check the lighting state of the visual confirmation pixel. If the visual confirmation pixel is not lit, the connection state of the transfer unit is A method for inspecting a transfer unit connection state, characterized by determining a normal level. A short-circuit electrode that is electrically connected to the small-area transfer portion forming counter electrode and the visual confirmation counter pattern is formed in the vicinity of the end terminal via the transfer material in the sealant, and the visual confirmation is performed. After confirming the lighting state of the pixel, the short-circuiting electrode and the end terminal are short-circuited with respect to the liquid crystal display panel in which the visual confirmation pixel is lit, and the lighting state of the visual confirmation pixel is again set. 2. The method for inspecting a transfer unit connection state according to claim 1, wherein the transfer unit connection state is determined to be a normal level when the visual confirmation pixel is turned off. Provided with a terminal portion in which a plurality of terminals are aligned on one of two panel substrates facing each other across the liquid crystal layer, the two panel substrates being electrodes of both panel substrates In the electrode structure used for the inspection of the transfer portion connection state of the liquid crystal display panel bonded to each other through a sealing material mixed with a transfer material for electrically connecting the two,
At least one of the end terminals located on both outer sides of the plurality of terminals is narrower than the end terminal formed to extend to a position facing the liquid crystal layer through a sealing material forming portion. An electrode for forming a small area transfer portion;
A pattern for visual confirmation connected to the electrode for forming the small area transfer portion,
Formed at a position facing the small area transfer portion forming electrode on the panel substrate facing the terminal portion side panel substrate, and intersecting the small area transfer portion forming electrode with the sealing material interposed therebetween. A counter electrode for forming a small area transfer part, which forms a small area transfer part by
Continuing to the counter electrode for forming the small area transfer part, the visual confirmation pattern and a visual confirmation counter pattern forming a visual confirmation pixel by facing each other with the liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween. Characteristic electrode structure. Formed in the vicinity of the end terminal so as to be electrically connected to the counter electrode for forming a small area transfer portion and the counter pattern for visual confirmation through a transfer material in the sealant, and short-circuited with the end terminal. The electrode structure according to claim 3, further comprising a short-circuiting electrode.

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