JP4751612B2 - Substrate bonding apparatus and substrate bonding method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement of a substrate bonding apparatus and a substrate bonding method that are suitable for use in manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel.

  In general, a liquid crystal display panel used in a display such as a personal computer, a TV receiver, or various monitors is a seal in which a pair of opposed thin glass substrates are applied in a frame shape so as to surround the display surface. It is manufactured by pasting together via an agent. Note that a large number of spacers are provided in advance on the display surface of the substrate so that the interval (cell gap) between the bonded substrates is constant.

  A liquid crystal display panel is formed by sealing a liquid crystal in a display surface between two bonded substrates, and there are an injection method and a dropping method for sealing a liquid crystal in the display surface.

  FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view showing a conventional substrate bonding apparatus employed for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel by a liquid crystal dropping method, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

  A thin glass substrate 1a, 1b having a pair of upper and lower rectangular shapes is carried into a chamber 2 comprising upper and lower chambers 2a, 2b. As shown in FIG. 9, the upper substrate 1a is The lower substrate 1b is held on the lower surface of the stage 3a, and the lower substrate 1b is placed on the upper surface of the lower stage 3b.

  A spacer 4 is provided in advance on the display surface of the lower substrate 1b, and the liquid crystal 6 is dropped, and the adhesive sealant 5 is applied to the lower substrate 1b in a frame shape so as to surround the display surface.

  The upper stage 3a is coupled and held to the support shaft 7a of the XY-θ moving mechanism 7 at the center position, and this XY-θ moving mechanism 7 is guided to a guide mechanism 8 incorporated inside the upper chamber 2a. However, it is configured to be movable in the vertical direction (arrow Z).

  A motor 9 is installed on the upper chamber 2a, and an XY-θ moving mechanism 7 connected to a drive shaft 9a of the motor 9 is incorporated by a ball screw mechanism driven by the motor 9 so as to move up and down.

  The XY-θ moving mechanism 7 and the motor 9 are driven and controlled by a controller (not shown), and move the upper substrate 1a held by the upper stage 3a in the XY-θ direction and the vertical direction on the horizontal plane, respectively. Can be made.

  The lower stage 3b places and holds the lower substrate 1b, and the lower chamber 2b to which the lower stage 3b is fixed incorporates imaging cameras 10a and 10b for positioning the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b.

  Images of positioning marks (alignment marks) on the surfaces of the substrates 1a and 1b by the imaging cameras 10a and 10b are supplied to a controller (not shown), and the controller drives the XY-θ moving mechanism 7 and the motor 9. By the control, relative positioning between the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b based on a so-called pattern recognition method is possible.

  Although not shown, the entire upper chamber 2a itself is configured to be movable up and down. In a state where a closed space is formed by connection with the lower chamber 2b due to the lowering of the upper chamber 2a, the upper chamber 2a itself is not shown. It is possible to reduce the pressure by exhausting the chamber 2 using an exhaust pump (vacuum pump) and return to atmospheric pressure by supplying gas from an inert gas supply tank.

  When the chamber 2 forms a closed space, an elastic member 11 is attached to each of the upper chamber 2a in close contact with the lower chamber 2b and the lower end portion on the guide mechanism 8 side in order to ensure airtightness.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the upper stage 3a incorporates a pressing mechanism 12 that pushes the upper substrate 1a from the outside by a plate member 12a along the sealant 5 applied in a frame shape. In addition, the lower chamber 2b is configured to move on the transport rail 13, and movement of the lower chamber 2b on the transport rail 13 causes the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b before being bonded by the lower chamber 2b to enter the chamber 2. It is possible to carry in and carry out the bonded substrate from the chamber 2 (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  In the substrate bonding apparatus having the above-described configuration, after the highly accurate alignment between the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b is performed, the bonding is performed through the applied sealant 5 in a vacuum atmosphere.

When bonding is performed via the sealant 5 in a vacuum atmosphere, the upper and lower stages 3a and 3b have irregularities due to undulation, etc., and flatness sufficient to sufficiently crush the sealant is not obtained. There is. Therefore, in the above configuration, the pressure mechanism 12 that pushes the upper substrate 1a from the outside by the plate member 12a is incorporated in the upper stage 3a, and the plate member 12a is pressed against the upper substrate 1a along the sealing agent 5, thereby Prior to returning to the above, the sealing agent 5 between the bonded upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b is crushed.
JP 2003-241157 A

  As described above, in the conventional substrate bonding apparatus shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the pressure in the vacuum atmosphere is reduced before the chamber 2 is returned to atmospheric pressure and the bonded substrate is taken out of the chamber 2. When the upper substrate 1a is pressed by the mechanism 12, the sealing agent 5 is crushed through the upper substrate 1a, and contact between the upper substrate 1a and the sealing agent 5 is obtained.

  However, since there is a bias against the pressing surface of the hard plate member 12a, and merely pressing the plate member 12a, the main substrate 1a and the seal are sealed as schematically shown in FIG. Improvements are desired because there may be places where the agent 5 is not in good contact.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the board | substrate bonding apparatus and board | substrate bonding method which can perform the bonding between board | substrates by a sealing agent more favorably.

The first invention is
Hold the upper substrate on the upper stage, place the lower substrate to be bonded to the held upper substrate on the lower stage so as to face each other, apply a sealant to at least one of the substrates in a frame shape , liquid crystal is dropped on the inner side of the frame-shaped sealing member, through a coated the sealant, the two substrates bonded in a vacuum atmosphere, attached subsequently board the vacuum atmosphere is configured to return to the atmosphere In the alignment device
At least one of the upper stage and the lower stage includes a discharge hole that opens corresponding to the position of the sealant,
From the discharge hole, the gas is discharged toward the inner position than the sealant,
It has a control part which controls so that gas discharge from the discharge hole may be started prior to returning the vacuum atmosphere to atmospheric pressure.

In a second aspect of the present invention, in the chamber, a substrate placement step of holding the upper substrate on the upper stage and supporting the lower substrate on the lower stage, alignment is performed after this step, and sealing is performed on at least one of the substrate surfaces A bonding step of bonding the upper and lower substrates in a vacuum atmosphere via the sealing agent of the substrate in which the agent is applied in a frame shape and liquid crystal is dropped inside the frame-shaped sealing material; In the substrate bonding method in which the pressure inside the chamber is returned to atmospheric pressure and the bonded substrate is carried out of the chamber,
Prior to returning the pressure in the chamber to atmospheric pressure, a discharge hole that is formed in at least one of the upper stage and the lower stage and opens along the sealant is positioned inside the sealant. It has the discharge process which discharges gas toward.

  As described above, according to the substrate bonding apparatus and the substrate bonding method of the present invention, gas is supplied along the sealing agent from the outer surface to the two substrates bonded in a vacuum atmosphere via the sealing agent. Since the discharge is performed, the substrate is deformed by the pressing.

  Therefore, even if the flatness of the pressing surface of the upper and lower stages that press the substrate is not obtained on one side of the sealing agent applied in a frame shape, the sealing agent is crushed by the pressing deformation of the substrate by the discharge gas. In good contact with the upper and lower substrates.

  Thereby, since it can suppress that gas enters into the inside of the sealing agent apply | coated to frame shape, high quality bonding is possible.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a substrate bonding method and a substrate bonding apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, the same components as those of the conventional configuration shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a substrate bonding apparatus according to the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a pair of upper and lower rectangular glass substrates 1a and 1b are in a chamber 2 composed of upper and lower chambers 2a and 2b, and the upper substrate 1a is held on the lower surface of the upper stage 3a by suction or the like. The lower substrate 1b is placed and held on the upper surface of the lower stage 3b.

  Spacers 4 are provided in advance on the display surface of the lower substrate 1b, an adhesive sealant 5 is applied in a frame shape so as to surround the display surface, and liquid crystal 6 is dropped on the display surface.

  The upper stage 3a is connected and held at the center to the support shaft 7a of the XY-θ moving mechanism 7, and the XY-θ moving mechanism 7 is guided by a guide mechanism 8 incorporated in the upper chamber 2a. However, it is movable in the vertical direction (arrow Z) which is the vertical direction.

  In the upper stage 3a, a discharge hole 3aa capable of discharging a gas such as dry air or nitrogen gas from the lower surface of the stage 3a toward the opposing lower stage 3b is formed in the upper stage 3a surface.

  2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part schematically shown for explaining the configuration of the substrate bonding apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

  As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, the opening of the discharge hole 3aa is formed in a slit shape that is long in the application direction of the sealing agent 5.

  Further, the discharge direction of the discharge hole 3aa is such that the gas can be blown toward a portion on the upper substrate 1a slightly inside the application position of the sealant 5 located between the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b. The position is shifted inward (that is, on the display surface side).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the discharge hole 3aa formed in the upper stage 3a is connected to a gas supply source (air tank) 14 in which a gas such as an inert gas is stored under pressure via a pipe 3ab.

  The pipe 3ab located outside the chamber 2 is provided with an opening / closing valve 3ac, and the controller 15 can control the discharge timing and the discharge amount of the gas discharged from the discharge hole 3aa by controlling the opening / closing valve 3ac. Has been.

  Further, a vibration generator 16 such as an ultrasonic generator capable of imparting vibration to the gas discharged from the opening is provided in the vicinity of the opening of the discharge hole 3aa. As described above, as the vibration generator 16 that applies vibration to the flowing gas, for example, an ultrasonic generator described in JP-A-11-319741 can be employed.

  The XY-θ moving mechanism 7 is connected to the drive shaft 9 a of the motor 9, and the upper substrate 1 a is moved in the horizontal plane by drive control of the XY-θ moving mechanism 7 and the motor 9 by the controller 15. It can move in the XY-θ direction and the vertical direction.

  The lower stage 3b is fixed on the lower platen lower chamber 2b as in the prior art, and the lower chamber 2b incorporates imaging cameras 10a and 10b for positioning the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b. Yes.

  Images of positioning marks (alignment marks) on the surfaces of the substrates 1a and 1b imaged by the imaging cameras 10a and 10b through the lower stage 3b are supplied to the controller 15 to detect the mark position based on the pattern recognition technique and the detection thereof. By the drive control for the XY-θ moving mechanism 7 and the motor 9 based on the marked position, relative positioning between the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b is possible.

  Further, as in the prior art, the entire upper chamber 2a including the motor 9 is configured to be movable up and down. The upper chamber 2a descends and is connected to the lower chamber 2b to form a closed space and hermetically sealed. In this state, the inside of the chamber 2 can be returned to the atmospheric pressure by decompression of the inside of the chamber 2 by a vacuum pump (not shown) connected to the chamber 2 and gas supply from an inert gas supply tank in which nitrogen gas or the like is stored. . The inert gas supply tank can also serve as the gas supply source 14 described above.

  The operation of the substrate bonding apparatus according to the first embodiment having the above configuration will be described.

  First, the upper substrate 1a is carried into the chamber 2, and the upper substrate 1a is sucked and held on the lower surface of the upper stage 3a.

  Next, a spacer 4 is provided on the display surface in advance, and a sealing agent 5 is applied so as to surround the display surface, and the lower substrate 1b in which the liquid crystal 6 is dropped in a region surrounded by the sealing agent 5 is It is placed and held on the stage 3 b and is carried into the chamber 2.

  Next, after the upper chamber 2a is lowered to form a closed space, the inside of the chamber 2 is evacuated. Subsequently, the upper stage 3a is lowered, and the upper substrate 1a and the lower substrate 1b are aligned after the upper substrate 1a and the lower substrate 1b are aligned. , 1b are bonded together through a sealant 5 in a vacuum atmosphere.

  After the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b are positioned and bonded via the sealant 5, the suction holding of the upper substrate 1a on the upper stage 3a is released.

  The controller 15 opens the open / close valve 3ac and releases the gas such as an inert gas from the gas supply source 14 to the discharge hole 3aa formed in the upper stage 3a through the pipe 3ab along with the release of the upper substrate 1a. Is done. As shown in FIG. 2, the gas such as an inert gas discharged from the opening of the discharge hole 3aa is discharged toward the inside of the position where the sealing agent 5 of the upper substrate 1a of the bonded substrates 1a and 1b is applied. Is done.

The inert gas discharged from the opening of the discharge hole 3aa collides with the upper surface of the upper substrate 1a and flows to the left and right (in the direction intersecting the coating line of the sealant 5) along the upper surface.

  The discharge hole 3aa is formed so as to discharge gas toward the inner position along the sealant 5 applied in a frame shape, and the gas discharged from the discharge hole 3aa is applied to the thin bonded substrate 1a. Since the collision occurs, the upper substrate 1a is deformed and the upper substrate 1a is pushed downward (in the direction of the lower substrate 1b).

  As a result, even if there is a gap between the sealing agent 5 and the upper substrate 1a, or there is a contact failure or a crushing failure of the sealing agent 5 between the sealing agent 5 and the upper substrate 1a, it is shown in FIG. As described above, since the upper substrate 1a is pushed toward the sealant 5 by the discharged gas, the upper substrate 1a is pressed against the sealant 5 and makes good contact with the sealant 5.

  Thereafter, gas is supplied into the chamber 2 from an inert gas supply tank (not shown) connected to the chamber 2, and the inside of the chamber 2 is returned to atmospheric pressure.

  When the inside of the chamber 2 returns to atmospheric pressure, the upper stage 3a and the upper chamber 2a are raised, and the bonded substrates 1a and 1b (liquid crystal cells) are carried out.

  In this way, control is performed at the initial stage of pressurization on the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b mounted on the lower stage 3b and bonded together in the chamber 2 based on the internal / external pressure difference by returning to the atmospheric pressure in the chamber 2. When the opening / closing valve 3ac is controlled by the container 15, the upper substrate 1a is pressed against the sealant 5 by pushing the substrate with the discharge gas from the discharge hole 3aa. Thereby, the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b can be bonded together while the sealant 5 is crushed well in the entire region.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the discharge hole for the upper substrate 1a is also provided at the location where the contact between the upper substrate 1a and the sealant 5 is insufficient due to the lack of flatness between the upper and lower stages 3a and 3b. As shown in FIG. 4, good contact (adhesion) is obtained by pushing the gas blowout from 3aa.

Further, according to this embodiment, the discharge gas collides from the discharge hole 3aa toward the inner position of the upper substrate 1a where the sealing agent 5 is applied, so that the discharge gas wraps around the edge of the upper substrate 1a, and the sealing agent Intrusion into the region surrounded by the sealing agent 5 from between the upper substrate 1a and the upper substrate 1a is suppressed.

  That is, the gas discharged from the discharge hole spreads in the chamber. At this time, in order for the spread gas to reach between the sealant 5 and the substrate 1a, after colliding with the upper substrate 1a, it flows to the edge of the upper substrate 1a through the gap between the upper stage 3a and the upper substrate 1a, Then, the path of flowing between the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b is traced around the edge of the upper substrate 1a. Therefore, the longer the path length, the longer it takes for the gas discharged from the discharge hole 3aa to reach between the sealing agent 5 and the substrate 1a.

  As in the embodiment, by disposing the discharge hole 3aa on the inner side of the sealant so that the discharge gas from the discharge hole 3aa collides with the inner position of the upper substrate 1a in the vicinity of the sealant 5, the discharge hole 3aa While pushing the upper substrate 1a into the sealant 5 by the discharge gas, the path length until the discharge gas from the discharge hole 3aa reaches between the sealant 5 and the substrate 1a can be made as long as possible, from the discharge hole 3aa. The time required for the discharged gas to reach between the sealing agent 5 and the substrate 1a can be made as long as possible. Therefore, it becomes possible to push the upper substrate 1a into the sealing agent 5 for a long time by the discharge gas from the discharge hole 3aa. Thereby, the contact between the upper substrate 1a and the sealing agent 5 becomes more reliable until the discharge gas from the discharge hole 3aa reaches between the sealing agent 5 and the substrate 1a, and the inside of the sealing agent 5 becomes inside. It is possible to perform high-quality bonding in which the ingress of gas is suppressed, and it is possible to manufacture a liquid crystal display panel with good display quality.

  Further, since the gas flow discharged from the discharge hole 3aa becomes a vibrating gas flow by the vibration generator 16 attached to the discharge hole 3aa, a collision force due to ultrasonic vibration is also applied to the surface of the upper substrate 1a. The substrate 1a can be pushed into the sealing agent 5 efficiently and effectively.

  Further, when returning the inside of the chamber 2 to atmospheric pressure, first, gas is discharged from the discharge hole 3aa, and then gas is supplied into the chamber 2 from an inert gas supply tank (not shown) connected to the chamber 2, When supplying gas from an inert gas supply tank (not shown), the sealant 5 is in good contact with the upper substrate 1a throughout the area by the discharge gas from the discharge hole 3aa. It is possible to prevent the gas from entering the inside (in the region surrounded by the sealant 5) through the space between the upper substrate 1a and the sealant 5.

  In addition, since the upper substrate 1a is pushed into the sealing agent 5 by causing the discharge gas to collide with the upper substrate 1a, it is only necessary to provide the upper stage 3a with the discharge hole 3aa. On the other hand, by incorporating the means for pushing into the upper stage 3a, it is possible to prevent the upper stage 3a from becoming complicated as much as possible.

  Further, the upper stage 3a is provided with a discharge hole 3aa, and the upper substrate 1a is sucked and held on the upper stage 3a, and then the upper substrate 1a is bonded to the upper substrate 1a through the sealant 5 applied to the lower substrate 1b. The upper substrate 1a is kept adsorbed and held by the upper stage 3a until the discharge gas is blown. Therefore, the position of the upper substrate 1a can be fixed until the discharge gas from the discharge hole 3aa is blown to the upper substrate 1a, so that the positional deviation between the upper substrate 1a and the lower substrate 1b before the discharge gas is blown. Can be prevented as much as possible. That is, until the discharge gas is blown, there may be a portion where the contact is insufficient between the sealing agent 5 and the upper substrate 1a, and the portion between the sealing agent 5 and the upper substrate 1a is good. It is considered that the position shift is more likely to occur than in a state where a good contact is obtained. Therefore, as described above, such a positional shift can be prevented by fixing the position of the upper substrate 1a until the discharge gas is blown onto the upper substrate 1a.

  Further, since the discharge hole 3aa is provided in the upper stage 3a, the discharge gas from the discharge hole 3aa can be blown from a position as close as possible to the upper substrate 1a. Therefore, the discharge gas from the discharge hole 3aa can be effectively blown onto the upper substrate 1a. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent gas from entering the inside of the sealing agent 5.

  For this reason, the substrate bonding is performed more accurately by the operation of returning the gas to the atmospheric pressure in the chamber 2 following the blowing of the gas through the discharge hole 3aa, and the upper substrate 1a and the sealing agent 5 are in close contact with each other, so that bubbles are mixed in. It is possible to avoid the deterioration of the quality of the display function due to.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view schematically showing a main part for explaining a second embodiment of the substrate bonding apparatus according to the present invention. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in the structure of the opening of the discharge hole 3aa, and the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment. Only the point will be specifically explained.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the substrate laminating apparatus according to the second embodiment has a large opening width in the discharge hole 3aa of the upper stage 3a, and a sponge or an opening in the discharge hole 3aa having a large opening width. An elastic member 3ad such as rubber is accommodated.

  Therefore, when the gas is discharged from the discharge hole 3aa toward the upper substrate 1a surface, the elastic member 3ad is pushed out to the upper substrate 1a surface and pushes the upper substrate 1a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. Good contact (adhesion) is obtained between 1a and the sealant 5.

  The elastic member 3ad is drawn into the opening of the discharge hole 3aa by generating a negative pressure in the discharge hole 3aa after the inside of the chamber 2 is returned to atmospheric pressure. The elastic member 3ad drawn into the opening is held in the opening by the contact resistance between the side wall surface of the elastic member 3ad itself and the side wall surface of the opening of the discharge hole 3aa, and is opened even after the negative pressure is released. Stay in the club. That is, in the second embodiment, the discharge hole 3aa can be selectively connected to the gas supply source 14 and a negative pressure source (not shown).

  Also in this second embodiment, the gas discharged from the discharge hole 3aa pushes the surface of the upper substrate 1a inside the coating line of the sealant 5 through the elastic member 3ad, so that the first embodiment Similarly, the gas blown out from between the ejection hole 3aa and the elastic member 3ad wraps around the edge of the upper substrate 1a and enters the inside (display surface) through the gap between the sealing agent 5 and the upper substrate 1a. Is suppressed.

  The elastic member 3ad only needs to be able to push in the surface of the upper substrate 1a with the discharge gas. For example, the elastic member 3ad has a spongy shape and has many air holes, and expands with the discharge gas to push the surface of the upper substrate 1a. Also good.

  In the second embodiment, the elastic member 3ad has been described as being pulled into the opening of the discharge hole 3aa by negative pressure. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the elastic member 3ad is pulled into the opening by a spring or the like. The elastic member 3ad protrudes from the opening against the urging force of a spring or the like by supplying gas from the gas supply source 14 and stops supplying gas from the gas supply source 14 when the gas supply from the gas supply source 14 is stopped. You may make it draw in in an opening part by urging | biasing force of.

  FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view schematically showing a main part for explaining a third embodiment of the substrate bonding apparatus according to the present invention. The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in the structure of the opening of the discharge hole 3aa, and the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment. Only the point will be specifically explained.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the substrate bonding apparatus according to the third embodiment is configured by mounting an elastic member 3ae such as rubber having elasticity and airtightness in the discharge hole 3aa of the upper stage 3a. Has been.

  Therefore, when gas is supplied to the discharge hole 3aa, the elastic member 3ae swells due to its airtightness and stretchability, and protrudes toward the upper substrate 1a as shown in FIG. As a result, the upper substrate 1a is pushed toward the sealing agent 5 by the protruding elastic member 3ae, so that good contact (adhesion) is obtained between the upper substrate 1a and the sealing agent 5.

Thus, in the third embodiment, after the upper substrate 1a is pushed toward the sealant 5 by the elastic member 3ae, the gas is supplied into the chamber 2 from an inert gas supply tank (not shown). For this reason, when the gas is supplied from the inert gas supply tank into the chamber 2, good contact is obtained between the upper substrate 1 a and the sealing agent 5 by the elastic member 3 ae, so that the inert gas supply tank Can be prevented from passing through between the upper substrate 1a and the sealant 5 and entering the inside (in the region surrounded by the sealant 5). Therefore, an effect equivalent to that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  Further, since the elastic member 3ae is inflated, the gas supplied to the discharge hole 3aa is not released into the chamber 2, so that the pressure of the gas supplied to the discharge hole 3aa is changed to the sealing agent for the upper substrate 1a. 5 (the position inside the sealant 5 in this embodiment) can be efficiently applied, and the upper substrate 1a can be pressed and brought into contact with the sealant 5 more reliably.

  In the third embodiment, when the pressure in the discharge hole 3aa is higher than the pressure in the chamber 2 in a state where the pressure in the chamber 2 is reduced, such as when the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b are bonded together, Since the elastic member 3ae protrudes toward the upper substrate 1a due to the difference, the pressure in the discharge hole 3aa is preferably set to the same pressure as the pressure in the chamber 2 when it is not necessary to protrude the elastic member 3ae. .

  For example, when a switching valve for selectively connecting the discharge hole 3aa to the pipe 3ab and the space in the chamber 2 is provided, and the elastic member 3ae does not need to protrude, the switching valve is switched to the space in the chamber 2 Then, the pressure in the discharge hole 3aa is set to the same pressure as the space in the chamber 2, and when the elastic member 3ae is projected, the switching valve is switched to the pipe 3ab side to supply the gas from the gas supply source 14 to the discharge hole 3aa.

  In each of the embodiments described above, the discharge hole 3aa is formed on the upper stage 3a side. However, the gas discharge hole may be formed on the lower stage 3b side, or provided on both the upper and lower stages 3a and 3b. Gas may be discharged along the sealing agent 5 toward the inside thereof, and the substrate 1a and the substrate 1b may be bonded together via the sealing agent 5 by deformation of the substrate and crushing of the sealing agent 5.

  In the substrate bonding apparatus in each of the embodiments described above, the sealant 5, the liquid crystal 6, and the spacer 4 are described as being provided on the lower substrate 1b side. However, the sealant 5, the liquid crystal 6, and the spacer are provided. Needless to say, 4 can be arbitrarily and selectively provided on one or both of the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b.

  In each of the above embodiments, the upper and lower substrates 1a and 1b have been described as having a single display surface, but the sealing agent 5 is applied along the edge of the substrate even if it is a so-called multi-chamfer substrate. Any substrate can be applied.

  In this case, the discharge holes may be provided in accordance with the application patterns of a plurality of sealing agents applied to one substrate.

Further, among the plurality of coating patterns of the sealing agent applied to the discharge hole on a single substrate, the outer peripheral side may be provided along the coated sealant (edge side of the substrate). That is, as the distance from the edge of the substrate to the sealing agent becomes longer, the gas tends not to enter the sealing agent from between the sealing agent and the substrate. This is because the time required for the gas discharged from the discharge holes to reach the sealing agent increases as the distance from the edge of the substrate to the sealing agent increases. The long time it takes for the gas to reach the sealant means that the bonded substrate is subject to a long pressing force due to the internal / external pressure difference, and this causes the gas discharged from the discharge holes to reach the sealant. This is because the substrate and the sealant are in good contact with each other before reaching. Therefore, when discharging gas from the discharge hole, the discharge hole is blown so that the gas is blown along the sealant portion located on the outer peripheral side (edge side of the substrate) where the gas is most likely to enter the inside of the sealant. If provided, the gas can be prevented from entering the inside of the sealing agent without spraying the discharge gas along the sealing agent located on the inner side.

  When the size of the substrate held or placed on the stages 3a and 3b varies depending on the production lot, etc., the ejection holes 3aa each having a shape corresponding to the size of the substrate are formed in the stage 3a or the like in advance. In addition, the same operation and effect can be obtained by selectively switching between the pipe 3ab and the gas supply source 14 connected to the different discharge holes according to the size of the bonded substrates 1a and 1b.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 1 , the sealing agent 5 can be cured in the chamber 2 if the upper stage 3 a or the lower stage 3 b incorporates an ultraviolet irradiation device.

  As described above, according to the substrate bonding apparatus of each of the above embodiments, prior to the return operation to the atmosphere in the chamber 2, the outer surface corresponding to the application position of the sealing agent 5 on the two bonded substrates is described. By blowing the gas, a good bonding is performed by crushing the sealing agent 5 due to the deformation of the substrate, and bubbles can be prevented from being mixed into the cell even if the subsequent operation to return to atmospheric pressure in the chamber is performed. .

  In each of the above embodiments, the gas supply to the discharge hole is performed by the gas supply source, and the gas is supplied into the chamber 2 from an inert gas supply tank (not shown). The active gas supply tank can be replaced with open air (communication with atmospheric pressure).

  That is, when gas is supplied from the gas supply source to the discharge hole or when gas is supplied from the inert gas supply tank to the chamber, the discharge hole or chamber is opened to the atmosphere because the chamber is in a reduced pressure atmosphere. This is because the gas can be supplied to the discharge hole or the chamber.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the example in which the opening of the discharge hole 3a is provided in the slit shape has been described, but a plurality of holes may be arranged in place of the slit shape.

  Moreover, although the example which sprays gas toward the inner part of the sealing agent in a board | substrate was demonstrated, you may make it spray gas toward the position on the sealing agent in a board | substrate. In this case, since the discharge gas from the discharge hole pushes the substrate on the sealing agent toward the sealing agent, the sealing agent can be efficiently crushed.

  Also in the second and third embodiments, similarly to the first embodiment, a vibration generator may be provided in the discharge hole to apply ultrasonic vibration to the supplied gas.

1 is a partially cutaway front view showing a first embodiment of a substrate bonding apparatus according to the present invention. It is the principal part expanded sectional view typically shown in order to demonstrate the structure of the board | substrate bonding apparatus shown in FIG. It is AA arrow sectional drawing of FIG. In the structure shown in FIG. 2, it is a principal part expanded sectional view after gas discharge. In the 2nd Example of the board | substrate bonding apparatus by this invention, it is the principal part expanded sectional view typically shown in order to demonstrate the structure. In the structure shown in FIG. 5, it is a principal part expanded sectional view after gas discharge. It is the principal part expanded sectional view typically shown in order to demonstrate the structure of the 3rd Example of the board | substrate bonding apparatus by this invention. FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part after gas discharge in the configuration shown in FIG. 7. It is a partially notched principal part front view which showed the conventional board | substrate bonding apparatus. It is AA arrow sectional drawing of FIG. It is a principal part expanded sectional view typically shown in order to demonstrate the structure of the board | substrate bonding apparatus shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1a, 1b Substrate 2 Chamber 2a Upper chamber 2b Lower chamber 3a Upper stage 3aa Discharge hole 3ab Pipe 3ac Open / close valve 3ad Elastic member 3b Lower stage 4 Spacer 5 Sealant 6 Liquid crystal 7 XY-θ moving mechanism 8 Guide mechanism 9 Motor 10a , 10b Imaging camera 12 Pressing mechanism 12a Plate member 14 Gas supply source 15 Controller 16 Vibration generator

Claims (5)

Hold the upper substrate on the upper stage, place the lower substrate to be bonded to the held upper substrate on the lower stage so as to face each other, apply a sealant to at least one of the substrates in a frame shape , liquid crystal is dropped on the inner side of the frame-shaped sealing member, through a coated the sealant, the two substrates bonded in a vacuum atmosphere, attached subsequently board the vacuum atmosphere is configured to return to the atmosphere In the alignment device
At least one of the upper stage and the lower stage includes a discharge hole that opens corresponding to the position of the sealant,
From the discharge hole, the gas is discharged toward the inner position than the sealant,
A substrate bonding apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls gas discharge from the discharge holes to be started prior to returning the vacuum atmosphere to atmospheric pressure. The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the discharge hole is formed in a slit shape along the sealant.   3. The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the discharge hole stores an elastic member that receives a pressing force from the discharge gas and can protrude from the opening surface. 4.   The vibration generator which gives a vibration to the gas supplied from the said gas supply source was provided between the opening part of the said discharge hole, and the said gas supply source among Claim 1 thru | or 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. The substrate bonding apparatus according to any one of the above. Within the chamber, a substrate placement process in which the upper substrate is held on the upper stage and the lower substrate is supported on the lower stage, and alignment is performed after this process, and the sealant is applied in a frame shape to at least one of the substrate surfaces A bonding step of bonding the upper and lower substrates in a vacuum atmosphere via the sealing agent of the substrate on which liquid crystal has been dropped inside the frame-shaped sealing material, and after this step, the pressure in the chamber is changed to atmospheric pressure. In the substrate bonding method for returning the bonded substrate from the chamber,
Prior to returning the pressure in the chamber to atmospheric pressure, a discharge hole that is formed in at least one of the upper stage and the lower stage and opens along the sealant is positioned inside the sealant. A substrate bonding method comprising a discharge step of discharging gas toward the substrate.

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