JP4427758B2 - Color filter and electro-optical device repair device and manufacturing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a color filter and a repair device, a repair method, a manufacturing apparatus, and a manufacturing method for an electro-optical device using the color filter. In particular, the present invention relates to a technical improvement for repairing a defective portion of a color filter.

  The color filter is formed, for example, by arranging layers colored in red, green, and blue in a predetermined pattern. There are various methods for forming these colored layers, such as a method of ejecting ink of each color to each pixel formed by partitioning on a substrate on a substrate by an inkjet method. It is difficult to produce a pattern without defects.

  In view of this, there has been proposed a technique for making a non-defective product by correcting a defective color filter. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-271752 discloses a correction method by detecting a pinhole in a colored layer and discharging a colored material corresponding to the colored layer to the detected pinhole using an inkjet head. is doing.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-271752

  However, according to the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-271752, three color repair inks and three color ink jet heads are required. For this reason, it is considered that maintenance of the ink and the inkjet head is complicated. In addition, a system for specifying whether the color to be imparted to the defective portion is red, green, or blue is also necessary.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a color filter and an electro-optical device repair device, a repair method, a manufacturing device, and a manufacturing method that can easily repair a defective portion of the color filter with a simple training. .

  In order to solve the above problems, a color filter repair device of the present invention is a device for repairing a color filter configured by arranging a colored layer in a predetermined pattern on a transparent substrate, and the colored layer A detection unit for detecting a defective portion of the substrate, a control unit for controlling the amount of black material to be discharged based on the detected defect, and discharging the black material to the detected defective portion using an ink jet head And a discharge portion that performs the above operation.

  By using the black material, it is not necessary to provide the repair ink for each of the three colors or the ink jet head for repair, and the defective portion of the color filter can be easily repaired with a simple configuration.

  An electro-optical device repair device according to the present invention controls a detection unit that detects a defective portion of a colored layer in a color filter provided in the electro-optical device, and controls an amount of a black material that is discharged based on the detected defect. A control unit that controls the amount of black material to be discharged based on the detected defect, and discharge that discharges the black material to the position corresponding to the detected defective portion using an inkjet head It has a part.

  The color filter repair method of the present invention includes a detection step of detecting a defective portion of the colored layer, a control step of controlling the amount of black material to be discharged based on the detected defect, and the detected defective portion. A discharge step of discharging a black material using an inkjet head.

  The electro-optical device repairing method of the present invention detects defective portions of the colored layer in the color filter provided in the electro-optical device by the same method as the color filter repairing method, and discharges based on the detected defects. The amount of the black material to be controlled is controlled, and the black material is ejected to the position corresponding to the detected defective portion using an ink jet head.

  The color filter and electro-optical device manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention has the same configuration as the above-described color filter and electro-optical device manufacturing apparatus, thereby repairing defective portions of the color filter and the electro-optical device and correcting the color filter and electro-optical device. An optical device is manufactured.

  The color filter and electro-optical device manufacturing method according to the present invention repairs a defective portion of the color filter and electro-optical device by the same method as the above-described color filter and electro-optical device manufacturing method. To manufacture.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a color filter and electro-optical device repair device, repair method, manufacturing device, and manufacturing method that can easily repair defective portions of the color filter with a simple configuration.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(1. Configuration of manufacturing equipment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a repair device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the color filter restoration device 100 includes an inkjet head group 1, an X direction drive shaft 4, a Y direction guide shaft 5, a control device 6, a mounting table 7, a detection device 8, and a base 9.

  The ink jet head 1 serves as a discharge unit that discharges a coloring material supplied from an ink tank (not shown) to each pixel. Here, in particular, a black material is discharged. Here, the black material refers to a material that is evaluated as black in the production of a color filter. In addition to black ink, a black color is used in a color filter as long as the material does not have translucency even if it has other colors. Can be evaluated. In the case where the repair device 100 also serves as a color filter or electro-optical device manufacturing device, the ink-jet head is provided with red, green, and blue ink-jet heads in addition to the black ink-jet heads.

  The mounting table 7 is for mounting the color filter substrate 101 to be repaired by the repairing device, and includes a mechanism for fixing the color filter substrate at a reference position.

  An X-direction drive motor 2 is connected to the X-direction drive shaft 4. The X direction drive motor 2 is a stepping motor or the like, and rotates the X direction drive shaft 4 when a drive signal in the X axis direction is supplied from the control device 6. When the X-direction drive shaft 4 is rotated, the inkjet head 1 moves in the X-axis direction.

  The Y-direction guide shaft 5 is fixed so as not to move with respect to the base 9. The mounting table 7 includes a Y-direction drive motor 3. The Y-direction drive motor 3 is a stepping motor or the like, and moves the mounting table 7 in the Y-axis direction when a drive signal in the Y-axis direction is supplied from the control device 6.

  That is, the inkjet head 1 can be freely moved to any location on the color filter substrate 101 by performing driving in the X-axis direction and driving in the Y-axis direction. The relative speed of the inkjet head 1 with respect to the color filter substrate 101 is also determined by the control of the driving mechanism in each axial direction.

  The detection device 8 is a scanning device including a light emitting device and a light receiving element, and detects a defective portion of the color filter substrate 101 as the mounting table 7 moves in the Y direction. The defective portion refers to a portion where light leakage occurs due to a portion (pinhole) where the coloring material is not applied to the colored layer or the thickness of the colored layer is thin.

  The control device 6 receives the position information of the light omission point detected by the detection device 8, and based on this information, the positional relationship between the inkjet head 1 and the mounting table 7 is transferred to the X direction drive motor 2 and the Y direction drive motor 3. Supply a signal to control. Further, the control device 6 supplies a signal for controlling the ejection of ink droplets to the inkjet head 1 and ejects a black material to the detected light omission location.

(2. Color filter configuration)
FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of a color filter that is repaired by a repair device or a repair method according to an embodiment of the present invention or manufactured by a manufacturing device or a manufacturing method. 2A is a plan view, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. 2A. The hatching of each part of the sectional view is partially omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the color filter 200 includes pixels 13 arranged in a matrix, and the boundary between the pixels is partitioned by a partition 14. Each of the pixels 13 has one of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) ink introduced therein. In this example, the arrangement of red, green, and blue is a so-called mosaic arrangement, but other arrangements such as a stripe arrangement and a delta arrangement may be used.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the color filter 200 includes a light-transmitting substrate 12 and a light-shielding partition 14. A portion where the partition 14 is not formed (removed) constitutes the pixel 13. Each color ink introduced into the pixel 13 constitutes a colored layer 20. An overcoat layer 21 and an electrode layer 22 are formed on the upper surfaces of the partition 14 and the colored layer 20.

(3. Color filter manufacturing method)
FIG. 3 is a manufacturing process cross-sectional view illustrating a method for manufacturing a color filter according to an embodiment of the present invention. The hatching of each part of the sectional view is partially omitted.

(3-1. Bank formation and surface treatment process)
After the surface of the transparent substrate 12 made of non-alkali glass having a thickness of 0.7 mm, length of 38 cm, and width of 30 cm is washed with a cleaning solution obtained by adding 1% by weight of hydrogen peroxide to hot concentrated sulfuric acid, and rinsed with pure water. Air clean to obtain a clean surface. A chromium film with an average thickness of 0.2 μm is formed on this surface by sputtering to obtain a metal layer 16 ′ (FIG. 3: S1).

  After drying this substrate on a hot plate at 80 ° C. for 5 minutes, a photoresist layer (not shown) is formed on the surface of the metal layer 16 ′ by spin coating. A mask film on which a required matrix pattern shape is drawn is brought into close contact with the surface of the substrate, and exposure is performed with ultraviolet rays. Next, this is immersed in an alkaline developer containing potassium hydroxide at a ratio of 8% by weight, the unexposed portion of the photoresist is removed, and the resist layer is patterned. Subsequently, the exposed metal layer is removed by etching with an etchant containing hydrochloric acid as a main component. In this way, a light shielding layer (black matrix) 16 having a predetermined matrix pattern can be obtained (FIG. 3: S2). The thickness of the light shielding layer 16 is approximately 0.2 μm. The width of the light shielding layer 16 is approximately 22 μm.

  On this substrate, a negative transparent acrylic photosensitive resin composition 17 'is further applied by spin coating (FIG. 3: S3). This is pre-baked at 100 ° C. for 20 minutes, and then exposed to ultraviolet rays using a mask film on which a predetermined matrix pattern shape is drawn. The unexposed resin is developed with an alkaline developer, rinsed with pure water, and spin-dried. After baking as final drying is performed at 200 ° C. for 30 minutes to sufficiently cure the resin portion, the bank layer 17 is formed, and the partition 14 including the light shielding layer 16 and the bank layer 17 is formed (FIG. 3: S4). ). The film thickness of the bank layer 17 is 2.7 μm on average. The bank layer 17 has a width of about 14 μm.

  In order to improve the ink wettability of the colored layer forming region (particularly the exposed surface of the glass substrate 12) partitioned by the obtained light shielding layer 16 and bank layer 17, dry etching, that is, plasma processing is performed. Specifically, a high voltage is applied to a mixed gas obtained by adding 20% oxygen to helium to form an etching spot in a plasma atmosphere, and the substrate is etched by passing under the etching spot.

(3-2. Ink introduction process)
Next, the R (red), G (green), and B (blue) inks are introduced into the pixels 13 formed by being partitioned by the partition 14 by the ink jet method (FIG. 3: S5). As the ink jet head, a precision head using the piezoelectric effect is used, and 10 micro ink droplets are selectively ejected for each colored layer forming region. The drive frequency is 14.4 kHz, that is, the ejection interval of each ink droplet is set to 69.5 μsec. The distance between the head and the target is set to 0.3 mm. In order to prevent the flying speed from the head to the target colored layer formation region, the flight bend, and the generation of split stray droplets called satellites, the waveform (including voltage) that drives the piezo element of the head as well as the physical properties of the ink )is important. Accordingly, a waveform having a condition set in advance is programmed, and ink is applied to a predetermined color arrangement pattern by simultaneously applying ink droplets of three colors of red, green, and blue.

  As an ink, for example, after dispersing an inorganic pigment in a polyurethane resin oligomer, cyclohexanone and butyl acetate are added as low boiling point solvents, butyl carbitol acetate is added as a high boiling point solvent, and a nonionic surfactant is 0.01% by weight. Is added as a dispersant, and a viscosity of 6 to 8 centipoise is used.

(3-3. Drying / curing step)
Next, the applied ink is dried. First, the ink layer 19 was set by leaving it in a natural atmosphere for 3 hours, then heated on a hot plate at 80 ° C. for 40 minutes, and finally heated in an oven at 200 ° C. for 30 minutes. A colored layer 20 is obtained by performing a curing process (FIG. 3: S6).

  In a preferred embodiment, the color filter substrate is sent to the detection device 8 at this stage to detect defects in the colored layer 20 and eject black ink. Details will be described later.

  An overcoat layer 21 having a smooth surface is formed on the substrate by spin-coating a transparent acrylic resin paint. Further, an electrode layer 22 made of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is formed in a required pattern on the upper surface to form a color filter 200 (FIG. 3: S7).

(4. Color filter repair)
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a color filter repair method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The hatching of each part of the sectional view is partially omitted.

  4A and 4B show a first aspect of the repair method. When step S5 of FIG. 3 is executed, the repair device 100 moves the color filter substrate together with the mounting table 7 in the Y direction, and the detection device 8 scans for defects. When the color filter substrate has a pinhole 20a in the colored layer 20 as shown in FIG. 4A, the detection device 8 detects the position and transmits it to the control device 6. The control device 6 stores the defect position information in the storage device and drives the X-direction drive motor 2 and the Y-direction drive motor 3 based on the position information to move the inkjet head 1 to a predetermined location on the substrate. . When the inkjet head 1 reaches a position where the ink can be ejected to the defective portion, the control device 6 ejects black ink from the inkjet head 1. In this ejection, black ink is ejected regardless of whether the pinhole is a red, green, or blue pixel.

  The detection device detects not only the position of the pinhole but also the size of the pinhole and transmits it to the control device 6. The control device 6 controls the amount of black ink to be ejected according to the size of the pinhole. Also good.

  After discharging the black ink, drying and curing are performed in the same manner as described above, so that each of the defective G (green) and R (red) pixels is filled with black ink as shown in FIG. The repair is completed. In the color filter thus repaired, the portion 20b to which the black ink is applied becomes black or does not transmit light, and light leakage is prevented.

  4 (c) and 4 (d) show a second aspect of the repair method. In this aspect, step S7 of FIG. 3 is executed and the color filter 200 is completed. Specifically, the color filter 200 is scanned with the detection device 8 similar to the above to detect the defective portion 20c, and black ink is applied to the electrode layer 22 formed on one surface of the color filter 200 with an inkjet head. Discharge. This is dried and cured to form a black ink layer 20d as shown in FIG. Also in the color filter thus repaired, the portion to which the black ink is applied becomes a black or light-impervious region, and light leakage is prevented.

  The present invention is not limited to this, and the black ink may be discharged and dried and baked on the substrate 12 side which is the other surface of the color filter 200. In addition, in the process of manufacturing an electro-optical device (liquid crystal display panel, etc.), which will be described later, using a color filter before repair, a defective portion is detected by the above-described detection device, and black ink is applied to the outer surface of the electro-optical device. By doing so, the region through which light is lost may be restored to black or a region through which light does not pass.

(5. Configuration of display device)
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a color liquid crystal display device which is an example of an electro-optical device repaired and manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention. The hatching of each part of the sectional view is partially omitted.

  The color liquid crystal display device 300 is manufactured by combining the color filter 200 and the counter substrate 338 and enclosing the liquid crystal composition 337 between the two. On the inner surface of one substrate 338 of the liquid crystal display device 300, TFT (thin film transistor) elements (not shown) and pixel electrodes 332 are formed in a matrix. Further, as the other substrate, the color filter 200 is installed so that the red, green, and blue colored layers 20 are arranged at positions facing the pixel electrodes 332.

  Alignment films 326 and 336 are formed on the opposing surfaces of the substrate 338 and the color filter 200. These alignment films 326 and 336 are rubbed so that liquid crystal molecules can be aligned in a certain direction. Further, polarizing plates 329 and 339 are bonded to the outer surfaces of the substrate 338 and the color filter 200, respectively. Further, a combination of a fluorescent lamp (not shown) and a scattering plate is generally used as the backlight, and the liquid crystal composition 337 is displayed by functioning as an optical shutter that changes the transmittance of the backlight light. I do.

  The electro-optical device is not limited to the above-described color liquid crystal display device in the present invention. For example, a small television using a thin cathode ray tube or a liquid crystal shutter, an EL display device, a plasma display, a CRT display, an FED (Field Emission). Various electro-optical means such as a display panel can be used.

(6. Configuration of electronic equipment)
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a notebook personal computer which is an example of an electronic device manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention.

  As shown in the figure, the liquid crystal display device 300 is housed in a housing 510, and the display area of the liquid crystal display device 300 is exposed from an opening 511 formed in the housing 510. The personal computer 500 also includes a keyboard 530 as an input unit.

  In addition to the liquid crystal display device 300, the personal computer 500 includes various circuits such as a display information output source, a display information processing circuit, a clock generation circuit, and a power supply circuit that supplies power to these circuits, although not shown. The display signal generation unit is configured. For example, a display image is formed on the liquid crystal display device 300 by supplying a display signal generated by a display signal generation unit based on information input from the input unit 530 or the like.

  The electronic apparatus in which the electro-optical device according to this embodiment is incorporated is not limited to a personal computer, but is a mobile phone, an electronic notebook, a pager, a POS terminal, an IC card, a mini-disc player, a liquid crystal projector, and an engineering workstation ( EWS), a word processor, a television, a viewfinder type or a monitor direct-view type video tape recorder, an electronic desk calculator, a car navigation device, a device equipped with a touch panel, a watch, a game machine, and the like.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a repair device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of a color filter that is repaired by a repair device or a repair method according to an embodiment of the present invention or manufactured by a manufacturing device or a manufacturing method. It is manufacturing process sectional drawing explaining the manufacturing method of the color filter by embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the restoration method of the color filter by embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the color liquid crystal display device which is an example of the electro-optical apparatus repaired and manufactured with the manufacturing method of this invention. It is a perspective view of the notebook type personal computer which is an example of the electronic device manufactured by the manufacturing method of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Restoration apparatus, 1 ... Inkjet head (ejection part), 8 ... Detection part, 200 ... Color filter, 12 ... Transparent substrate, 14 ... Partition, 20 ... Colored layer, 20a ... Pinhole (defect part), 300 ... Color Liquid crystal display device (electro-optical device), 500 ... Personal computer (electronic equipment)

Claims (10)

An apparatus for repairing a color filter constituted by arranging colored layers in a predetermined pattern on a transparent substrate,
A detection unit for detecting a defective portion of the colored layer;
A control unit for controlling the amount of black material to be discharged based on the detected defect;
A discharge unit that discharges the black material using an inkjet head to the detected defective portion;
Color filter repairing device. An apparatus for repairing an electro-optical device provided with a color filter configured by arranging colored layers in a predetermined pattern on a transparent substrate,
A detection unit for detecting a defective portion of the colored layer;
A control unit for controlling the amount of black material to be discharged based on the detected defect;
A discharge unit that discharges the black material using an inkjet head to a position corresponding to the detected defective portion;
An electro-optical device repairing apparatus comprising: A method of repairing a color filter configured by arranging colored layers in a predetermined pattern on a transparent substrate,
A detection step of detecting a defective portion of the colored layer;
A control step of controlling the amount of black material to be discharged based on the detected defects;
A discharge step of discharging the black material to the detected defective portion using an inkjet head;
For repairing color filters with A method of repairing an electro-optical device including a color filter configured by arranging colored layers in a predetermined pattern on a transparent substrate,
A detection step of detecting a defective portion of the colored layer;
A control step of controlling the amount of black material to be discharged based on the detected defects;
A discharge step of discharging the black material to the position corresponding to the detected defective portion using an inkjet head;
A method of repairing an electro-optical device comprising: An apparatus for manufacturing a color filter configured by arranging colored layers in a predetermined pattern on a transparent substrate,
A detection unit for detecting a defective portion of the colored layer;
A control unit for controlling the amount of black material to be discharged based on the detected defect;
A discharge unit that discharges the black material using an inkjet head to the detected defective portion;
A color filter manufacturing apparatus comprising: An apparatus for manufacturing an electro-optical device provided with a color filter configured by arranging colored layers in a predetermined pattern on a transparent substrate,
A detection unit for detecting a defective portion of the colored layer;
A control unit for controlling the amount of black material to be discharged based on the detected defect;
A discharge unit that discharges the black material using an inkjet head to a position corresponding to the detected defective portion;
An electro-optical device manufacturing apparatus comprising: A method of manufacturing a color filter configured by arranging colored layers in a predetermined pattern on a transparent substrate,
A detection step of detecting a defective portion of the colored layer;
A control step of controlling the amount of black material to be discharged based on the detected defects;
A discharge step of discharging the black material to the detected defective portion using an inkjet head;
A method for producing a color filter comprising: A method for manufacturing an electro-optical device including a color filter configured by arranging colored layers in a predetermined pattern on a transparent substrate,
A detection step of detecting a defective portion of the colored layer;
A control step of controlling the amount of black material to be discharged based on the detected defects;
A discharge step of discharging the black material to the position corresponding to the detected defective portion using an inkjet head;
A method of manufacturing an electro-optical device comprising:   A method for manufacturing an electro-optical device, comprising using the color filter manufactured by the method according to claim 7.   An electronic apparatus manufacturing method using the electro-optical device manufactured by the method according to claim 8.

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