JP5119516B2 - Method for manufacturing liquid crystal display device and apparatus for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device in which liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a predetermined direction by irradiating ultraviolet rays in a state where an electric field is applied to a liquid crystal display substrate in which liquid crystals are sealed. Specifically, the liquid crystal absorbs ultraviolet rays. The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device and an apparatus for manufacturing the liquid crystal display device which are intended to stabilize the alignment of liquid crystal molecules by suppressing heat generation to a high temperature and to improve the manufacturing efficiency of the liquid crystal display device.

  In a conventional method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device of this type, a liquid crystal material in which a liquid crystal is mixed with a monomer is sealed between a pair of substrates, and a voltage is applied between the substrates so that the liquid crystal molecules are tilted to emit ultraviolet rays. Irradiation was performed to polymerize the above monomers to polymerize the liquid crystal molecules, thereby defining the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Such a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device suppresses the occurrence of defects because liquid crystal molecules can be aligned in a non-contact manner compared to a method in which liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a predetermined direction by rubbing the alignment film. It has the feature that it can do.
JP 2003-228050 A

  However, in such a conventional method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal may absorb ultraviolet rays and generate heat at 80 ° C. or higher, and the liquid crystal loses the switching function of transmission and blocking of light and an appropriate image can be obtained. There was a risk of a problem that the display could not be performed.

  The problem of the heat generation of the liquid crystal can be dealt with by irradiating the ultraviolet rays at a constant time interval in a time-sharing manner. In this case, however, there is a problem that the manufacturing efficiency of the liquid crystal display device is deteriorated.

  Therefore, the present invention addresses such problems, suppresses the liquid crystal from absorbing ultraviolet rays and generating heat to a high temperature, thereby stabilizing the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules and improving the manufacturing efficiency of the liquid crystal display device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device and an apparatus for manufacturing the same.

In order to achieve the above object, a manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a liquid crystal display substrate in which a plurality of pixels are formed in a matrix between a TFT substrate and a counter electrode substrate, and liquid crystal is sealed. by irradiating ultraviolet rays to the liquid crystal display substrate in the state where an electric field is applied to each pixel, the molecules of the liquid crystal method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display device be oriented in a predetermined direction, the liquid to one side of the liquid crystal display substrate And a second step of irradiating the liquid crystal display substrate with a predetermined amount of ultraviolet light in a state where a predetermined amount of electric field is applied to each pixel.

With such a configuration, a plurality of pixels are formed in a matrix between the TFT substrate and the counter electrode substrate, and one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate on which the liquid crystal is sealed is brought into contact with a liquid cooling medium so that each pixel is provided with a liquid crystal display substrate. A liquid crystal display substrate is irradiated with a predetermined amount of ultraviolet light in a state where a fixed electric field is applied to align liquid crystal molecules in a predetermined direction.

  In addition, after the second step is performed, a third step of irradiating the liquid crystal display substrate with a predetermined amount of ultraviolet rays in a state where the application of the electric field to each pixel is removed. Thus, after applying a predetermined amount of ultraviolet light to the liquid crystal display substrate with a predetermined amount of electric field applied to each pixel, the liquid crystal display substrate is irradiated with a predetermined amount of ultraviolet light with the electric field applied to each pixel removed. Irradiate.

  Furthermore, the TFT substrate has a COA (Color filter On Array) configuration in which color filters are continuously formed on the upper surface, and the second step irradiates the liquid crystal display substrate with ultraviolet rays from the counter electrode substrate side. To do. Thus, ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the counter electrode substrate side to the liquid crystal display substrate provided with a TFT substrate having a COA configuration in which color filters are continuously formed on the upper surface.

  In the first step, the liquid crystal display substrate contacts the surface of the TFT substrate opposite to the counter electrode substrate side with the cooling medium. Thus, in the first step, the surface of the liquid crystal display substrate opposite to the counter electrode substrate side of the TFT substrate is brought into contact with the cooling medium.

  The cooling medium is water cooled to a predetermined temperature. Thus, one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate is cooled with water cooled to a predetermined temperature.

Further, the manufacturing apparatus of the liquid crystal display device of the present invention forms a plurality of pixels in a matrix form between a pair of substrates, seals the liquid crystal, and drives the pixels to at least two adjacent edges. A liquid crystal that aligns the molecules of the liquid crystal in a predetermined direction by irradiating the liquid crystal display substrate with ultraviolet rays in a state in which an electric field is applied to the pixels by energizing the electrodes of the liquid crystal display substrate on which the electrodes are formed. An apparatus for manufacturing a display device, wherein a concave portion that stores a liquid cooling medium that contacts and cools one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate is formed in the center, and the upper surface of the side wall that surrounds the concave portion is used for the liquid crystal display. A stage that adsorbs and holds the vicinity of the peripheral edge of one surface of the substrate, and is disposed near at least two adjacent edges of the stage and is connected to the plurality of electrodes of the liquid crystal display substrate held on the stage. Multiple energizing A prober having a child, disposed above the stage, a light source device for irradiating ultraviolet rays to the liquid crystal display substrate held by the stage, in which with a.

With such a configuration, one surface of a liquid crystal display substrate in which a plurality of pixels are formed in a matrix between a pair of substrates and liquid crystal is sealed on the upper surface of a side wall surrounding the recessed portion of the stage having a recessed portion formed in the center. A liquid cooling medium is stored in the recessed portion, and is cooled by bringing the cooling medium into contact with one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate to cool at least two adjacent edge portions of the stage. A plurality of terminals of the prober disposed on the substrate are connected to a plurality of electrodes formed on at least two adjacent edges of the liquid crystal display substrate, energized, and an electric field is applied to each of the pixels above the stage. The liquid crystal display substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet rays by the light source device arranged in the above to align liquid crystal molecules in a predetermined direction.

  Furthermore, the light source device includes a plurality of lamp units including a plurality of flash lamps arranged in a matrix. Accordingly, the liquid crystal display substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet rays by the plurality of flash lamps provided in the plurality of lamp units arranged in a matrix.

  Furthermore, the light source device can be moved relative to the stage in a plane parallel to the stage. As a result, the light source device is moved relative to the stage in a plane parallel to the stage.

  The light source device causes the plurality of flash lamps to perform simmer discharge before the ultraviolet light is turned on. As a result, the plurality of flash lamps are subjected to simmer discharge before the ultraviolet light is turned on.

  The plurality of flash lamps are sequentially lit for a predetermined time with a predetermined delay time. Thus, the plurality of flash lamps are sequentially turned on for a predetermined time with a predetermined delay time.

  Furthermore, a plurality of photosensors were provided on the bottom surface of the recessed portion of the stage. Thus, the light transmitted through the liquid crystal display substrate is detected by a plurality of photosensors provided on the bottom surface of the recessed portion of the stage.

  Furthermore, the bottom surface of the recessed portion of the stage is provided with an ejection port for ejecting the cooling medium onto the one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate that is sucked and held, and an ejection port for discharging the cooling medium. As a result, the cooling medium is ejected from the ejection port provided on the bottom surface of the recessed portion of the stage and sprayed onto one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate held by suction, and the cooling medium is discharged from the discharge port provided on the bottom surface of the recessed portion. .

  And it has a conveying means for carrying in and carrying out the liquid crystal display substrate with respect to the stage. Thus, the liquid crystal display substrate is carried in and out of the stage by the conveying means.

  Moreover, the said conveyance means adsorb | sucks and conveys the surface on the opposite side to the said stage side of the said liquid crystal display substrate. Thereby, the surface opposite to the stage side of the liquid crystal display substrate is sucked and transported by the transport means.

  Furthermore, an air knife for injecting compressed gas onto one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate and blowing off the attached cooling medium is provided on the carry-in and carry-out side of the liquid crystal display substrate on the side of the stage. . Accordingly, the compressed gas is sprayed onto one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate by the air knife provided on the carry-in and carry-out side of the liquid crystal display substrate on the side of the stage, and the attached cooling medium is blown off.

  The cooling medium is water cooled to a predetermined temperature. Thus, one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate is cooled with water cooled to a predetermined temperature.

According to the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device according to the first aspect, the liquid crystal display substrate can be cooled with the liquid cooling medium, and the liquid crystal can be prevented from absorbing ultraviolet rays and generating heat to a high temperature. Accordingly, the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules can be stabilized, and a liquid crystal display device with high display quality can be stably manufactured. In addition, since it is not necessary to perform ultraviolet irradiation in a time-sharing manner, the manufacturing efficiency of the liquid crystal display device can be improved.

  According to the invention of claim 2, liquid crystal molecules aligned in a predetermined direction can be fixed, and the liquid crystal molecules can be prevented from returning to the initial state after removing the electric field applied to the pixel. . Therefore, the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules can be further stabilized.

  Furthermore, according to the invention of claim 3, liquid crystal alignment of a liquid crystal display substrate comprising a TFT substrate having a COA (Color filter On Array) structure in which color filters are continuously formed on the upper surface can be easily performed.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a light source that emits ultraviolet rays can be disposed in the space on the counter electrode substrate side to irradiate the liquid crystal display substrate with ultraviolet rays. Therefore, a special waterproof type lamp is not required as the light source, and for example, a versatile and inexpensive xenon lamp, an ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp, an ultraviolet light emitting laser light source, or the like can be used.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, water cooled to a predetermined temperature can be used as the cooling medium, and the handling of the cooling medium is easy and safe.

According to the apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, the liquid crystal display substrate can be cooled with a liquid cooling medium, and the liquid crystal can be prevented from absorbing ultraviolet rays and generating heat to a high temperature. it can. Accordingly, the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules can be stabilized, and a liquid crystal display device with high display quality can be stably manufactured. In addition, since it is not necessary to perform ultraviolet irradiation in a time-sharing manner, the manufacturing efficiency of the liquid crystal display device can be improved.

  Furthermore, according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is easy to control the lighting of the lamp, and it is possible to collectively irradiate ultraviolet rays to a large-sized liquid crystal display substrate. Therefore, the manufacturing efficiency of the liquid crystal display device can be further improved.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to uniformly irradiate ultraviolet rays onto a large liquid crystal display substrate. Therefore, the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules in the entire display region of the liquid crystal display substrate can be aligned in a substantially constant direction.

  Moreover, according to the invention which concerns on Claim 9, a flash lamp can be lighted at high speed. Therefore, the efficiency of the liquid crystal alignment process by ultraviolet irradiation can be improved.

  Furthermore, according to the invention which concerns on Claim 10, the irradiation energy of an ultraviolet-ray can be disperse | distributed. Therefore, the temperature rise of the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal display substrate can be further suppressed.

  According to the invention of claim 11, the lighting state of the liquid crystal display substrate can be inspected. In this case, if a flash lamp that emits white light by simmer discharge is used as the backlight, it is not necessary to provide a separate backlight, so that the configuration of the apparatus can be simplified.

  According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the generation of an air layer at the contact interface between the liquid crystal display substrate and the cooling medium, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the liquid crystal display substrate.

  Furthermore, according to the invention which concerns on Claim 13, carrying in and carrying out of the large sized liquid crystal display substrate can be performed safely and easily.

  According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the cooling medium adhering to the liquid crystal display substrate surface is sucked so as not to cause a suction failure of the liquid crystal display substrate surface. Therefore, there is no possibility that the liquid crystal display substrate may be dropped and damaged during unloading.

  According to the fifteenth aspect of the invention, the substrate can be quickly dried by blowing off the cooling medium attached to one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate.

  According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, water cooled to a predetermined temperature can be used as a cooling medium, and the handling of the cooling medium is easy and safe.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line OO in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a partial sectional plan view of FIG. 1 is a right side view of FIG. In this liquid crystal display manufacturing apparatus, a plurality of pixels are formed in a matrix between a pair of substrates, and ultraviolet rays are applied to the liquid crystal display substrate while an electric field is applied to each pixel of the liquid crystal display substrate in which the liquid crystal is sealed. Irradiates and aligns liquid crystal molecules in a predetermined direction, and includes a stage 1, a prober 2, a light source device 3, a conveying means 4, an alignment camera 5, and an air knife 6.

  The liquid crystal display substrate 7 used here has a COA (Color filter On Array) configuration in which a color filter is continuously formed on the top of the TFT. As shown in FIG. The display area 9 is provided in a matrix, and the size of the counter electrode substrate 11 is made larger than the size of the TFT substrate 10 as shown in FIG. A plurality of electrodes 12 for supplying drive signals to the plurality of pixels 8 to at least two edge portions 11b and 11c (see FIG. 5) adjacent to each other on the surface 11a of the counter electrode substrate 11 on the TFT substrate 10 side. A plurality of electrode groups 13 that are arranged side by side are provided. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 14 indicates a liquid crystal layer, and reference numeral 15 indicates a sealing material.

  The stage 1 adsorbs and holds the liquid crystal display substrate 7. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the stage 1 is formed with a recessed portion 16 in the central portion and is in contact with one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate 7. Cooling water as a cooling medium to be cooled can be stored, for example, domestic water, industrial water or pure water, and the upper surface of the side wall 17 surrounding the recessed portion 16 is formed as a smooth surface, and a plurality of suction jets 18 are formed on the upper surface. And sucking air from each suction jet 18 to adsorb the vicinity of the periphery of the back surface 10a of the TFT substrate 10 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 to the upper surface of the side wall 17, and air from each suction jet 18 The liquid crystal display substrate 7 is levitated and floated. Note that pipes (not shown) are connected to the respective suction jets 18. Further, the ends of these pipes are combined into one and connected to two switching valves. One of the switching valves is connected to a suction pump (not shown) and the other is connected to an air compressor (not shown). Has been. In this case, when the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is held by suction on the stage 1, the switching valve is switched to the suction pump side to suck air from the suction outlet 18. When coarse alignment adjustment is performed between the liquid crystal display substrate 7 and the prober 2 described later, and when the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is carried out, the switching valve is switched to the air compressor side, and the air is discharged from the suction outlet 18. Is ejected to float the liquid crystal display substrate 7.

  Here, cooling water is jetted to the bottom surface of the recessed portion 16, and a plurality of jets 19 for spraying the back surface 10 a of the TFT substrate 10 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 sucked and held on the stage 1 and the cooling water are discharged. And a discharge port (not shown). In addition, the said discharge port is connected and provided in the some drainage groove | channel 20 provided crossing vertically and horizontally as shown in FIG. Moreover, each said jet nozzle 19 is provided inside the some island 21 enclosed by the drainage groove 20, and makes the one end of the water supply path 43 into each jet nozzle 19 as shown in FIG. A water supply pipe (not shown) is connected to the other end of the water supply path 43, and the end of the water supply pipe is connected to a water supply pump that pumps cooling water from a water storage tank (not shown). Further, a drain pipe (not shown) is connected to the discharge port, and the end of the drain pipe is connected to a water storage tank so that the cooling water can be circulated and used.

  A plurality of photosensors 22 are provided in each island 21 on the bottom surface of the recessed portion 16. The photo sensor 22 inspects the lighting state of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 and receives the transmitted light of the liquid crystal display substrate 7.

  Further, a plurality of lift pins 23 are provided in the drainage groove 20 on the bottom surface of the recessed portion 16. These lift pins 23 support the back surface 10a of the TFT substrate 10 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 and move up and down together, and the tip positions of the lift pins 23 are formed at substantially the same height. . Further, the periphery of the lift pin 23 is subjected to water leakage prevention treatment so that the cooling water does not leak through the lift pin 23.

  The prober 2 is disposed on at least two adjacent edge portions 44a and 44b (see FIG. 2) of a frame-like prober holding portion 44 provided so as to surround the stage 1. This prober 2 is provided with a plurality of prober units 2a provided with a plurality of terminals 27 connected to a plurality of electrodes 12 formed on the edge of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 and energized. A plurality of electrodes formed on the counter electrode substrate 11 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 placed on the stage 1 with the tip end portion 27 protruding above the upper surface of the side wall 17 of the stage 1 (see FIG. 7). 12 can be brought into contact with each other. The plurality of terminals 27 are contact pins that are formed so as to expand and contract so as to be shrunk when a pressing force is applied from the outside and to return to the original state when the pressing force is removed, and for liquid crystal display placed on the stage 1 The plurality of electrodes 12 of the substrate 7 are brought into contact with each other at a substantially constant pressure. The prober holding portion 44 is formed so as to be movable in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and is formed so as to be rotatable about the center thereof. The terminal 27 of the prober 2 is connected to the electrode 12 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7. Alignment can be performed.

  The stage 1 and the prober holding portion 44 are accommodated inside a housing 24 provided so as to surround them, and a liquid crystal display is provided on the stage 1 through a loading / unloading port 25 formed on the side surface of the housing 24. The board | substrate 7 for work can be carried in / out. Further, a shutter 26 that opens and closes the carry-in / out port 25 by rotating in the direction indicated by the broken line in FIG. 4 is attached to the carry-in / out port 25. It is designed not to leak.

  A light source device 3 is disposed above the stage 1. The light source device 3 irradiates the liquid crystal display substrate 7 held on the stage 1 with ultraviolet rays. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of lamp units 29 each having a plurality of flash lamps 28 are arranged in a matrix. Has been established. The lamp unit 29 is provided, for example, with four flash lamps 28 and surrounding the flash lamps 28. The lamp unit 29 has an opening on the lower surface side, multi-reflects and uniformizes the light emitted from the flash lamp 28, and the light is emitted from the openings. And a reflector 30 to be discharged. The rear end portion of the reflector 30 is formed so as to be removable from the front end portion, so that the flash lamp 28 can be easily replaced.

  The light source device 3 is movable in the X-axis and Y-axis directions in a plane parallel to the stage 1 by a moving means (not shown), and moves back and forth within the plane with a predetermined amplitude while the flash lamp 28 is lit. By swinging left and right (in the X-axis and Y-axis directions), the region of the surface of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 corresponding between the adjacent lamp units 29 can be uniformly irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

  Further, a drive circuit as shown in FIG. 8 is connected to the four flash lamps 28, and the switching transistors 31a to 31d shown in FIG. The flash lamps 28 are sequentially turned on for a predetermined time with a predetermined delay time.

Here, the lighting of the four flash lamps 28 will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG.
First, for example, when an AC voltage of 200 V AC is supplied, the AC voltage is converted into a direct current by the AC / DC converter 32 shown in FIG. Thereby, a predetermined charge is accumulated in the capacitor 33 as shown in FIG. Further, a weak current is supplied to the flash lamps 28a to 28d as shown in FIG. 5B, and the flash lamps 28a to 28d are simmered (preliminarily lit). In this simmer discharge state, since the flash lamp 28 emits white light, the flash lamp 28 can be used as a backlight for lighting inspection of the liquid crystal display substrate 7. Subsequently, when an A flash pulse as shown in FIG. 5C is supplied to the switching transistor 31a, the switching transistor 31a is turned on to supply a DC voltage to the flash lamp 28a. Lights for 200 μs. Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 3D to 3F, the BD flash pulses are sequentially supplied to the switching transistors 31b to 31d with a delay of time Td. As a result, the switching transistors 31b to 31d are sequentially turned ON / OFF, and the flash lamps 28b to 28d are sequentially turned on, for example, for Tw = 200 μs in the same manner as described above. Then, the A to D flash pulses are repeatedly supplied for a predetermined time, and the flash lamps 28 a to 28 d are sequentially turned on to obtain a predetermined irradiation light amount.

  Conveying means 4 is provided on the side of the stage 1. This transport means 4 carries in and out the liquid crystal display substrate 7 with respect to the stage 1, and the surface opposite to the stage 1 side of the liquid crystal display substrate 7, that is, the upper surface 11d of the counter electrode substrate 11 (FIG. 6) is a robot provided with a plurality of arms 34 that adsorb and hold. The transport means 4 moves forward and backward in the Y-axis direction on the rail 35 shown in FIG. 4, and the head portion 36 rotates 360 ° around the rotation shaft 37. A plurality of suction cups and suction ports 38 are formed at the center of each suction cup on the lower surface of each arm 34. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, each suction port 38 is connected to a groove 39 formed inside the arm 34, and is connected to, for example, a hole 40 (see FIG. 3) formed in the root portion of each arm 34. Suction can be performed by another suction pump through a tube (not shown).

  An alignment camera 5 is provided above the stage 1. The alignment camera 5 detects an alignment mark provided on the liquid crystal display substrate 7 and aligns the electrode 12 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 and the terminal 27 of the prober 2. The prober holding portion 44 is moved together with the prober holding portion 44 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and is rotated about the center of the prober holding portion 44 as an axis.

  An air knife 6 is provided on the carry-in and carry-out side of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 of the stage 1. The air knife 6 is for rapidly drying by blowing compressed air on one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate 7, that is, the back surface 10a (see FIG. 6) of the TFT substrate 10, and is not shown by piping. Connected to an air compressor. Note that the gas to be injected is not limited to air, and may be an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon.

Next, the operation of the liquid crystal display device manufacturing apparatus configured as described above and the method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display device will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, in step S 1, the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is attracted to the lower surface of the arm 34 of the transport means 4 by the transport means 4 and is transported in the Y-axis direction and positioned on the stage 1. .

  In step S <b> 2, the lift pins 23 are raised and the tips of the lift pins 23 are brought into contact with the back surface 10 a of the TFT substrate 10 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7. When the tip of the lift pin 23 comes into contact with the liquid crystal display substrate 7, this is detected by a sensor (not shown), and the suction of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 to the arm 34 of the transport means 4 is released. As a result, the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is transferred from the transport means 4 to the lift pins 23. The transport means 4 moves in the Y-axis direction and retracts to its original position when the delivery of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is completed.

In step S <b> 3, as shown in FIG. 7, the lift pins 23 are lowered in the Z-axis direction and the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is placed on the stage 1. When the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is placed on the stage 1, this is detected by a sensor (not shown) and controlled by the control means to drive the air compressor (not shown) and switch the switching valve to the air compressor side. Air is ejected from the suction outlet 18 on the upper surface of the side wall 17 of the recessed portion 16 to float the liquid crystal display substrate 7 . In this state, the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is pressed in the diagonal direction by a pressing pin (not shown), and is pressed against a positioning convex portion (not shown) provided on two adjacent edges of the stage 1 in the diagonal direction. . Thereby, the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is arranged at a predetermined position on the stage 1, and coarse alignment adjustment between the electrode 12 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 and the terminal 27 of the prober 2 is performed. Thereafter, the switching valve is switched to the suction pump side and sucked from the suction outlet 18 to hold the liquid crystal display substrate 7 on the upper surface of the side wall 17 of the recessed portion 16 by suction. At this time, the plurality of terminals 27 of the prober 2 provided on the prober holding portion 44 are pushed down by the liquid crystal display substrate 7, and the plurality of electrodes 12 provided on the edge of the counter electrode substrate 11 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7. Press contact.

  In step S <b> 4, the alignment camera 5 is turned on to image the alignment marks 41 provided at the four corners of the liquid crystal display substrate 7. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11A, when the alignment mark 41 is deviated from the center of the field of view 42 of the alignment camera 5, the control means (not shown) controls the alignment camera 5 based on the captured image of the alignment mark 41. The displacement amount of the alignment mark 41 from the center of the field of view 42, that is, the displacement amount and the rotation angle in the X-axis and Y-axis directions is calculated, and the prober holder 44 is moved in the X-axis and Y-axis directions according to these displacement amounts and rotation angles. And rotated to position the alignment mark 41 at the center of the field of view 42 of the alignment camera 5 as shown in FIG. As a result, the terminal 27 of the prober 2 is accurately aligned with the electrode 12 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7.

  In step S5, the light source device 3 is driven. In this case, first, a weak current is supplied to the flash lamps 28a to 28d of the plurality of lamp units 29, and the flash lamps 28a to 28d are subjected to simmer discharge. Accordingly, each of the flash lamps 28a to 28d emits white light. At the same time, a plurality of electrodes 12 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 are energized from a signal source (not shown) through the prober 2, and a predetermined amount of electric field is applied to the plurality of pixels 8 to drive each pixel 8 ON. As a result, the white light can be transmitted through the liquid crystal display substrate 7, and the transmitted light is detected by the plurality of photosensors 22 provided on the bottom surface of the recessed portion 16 of the stage 1, and the lighting state of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is detected. Check.

  In step S6 (first step), when it is confirmed that the entire surface of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is turned on, the water supply pump is driven to pump up the cooling water from the water storage tank, and this cooling water is extracted from the bottom surface of the recessed portion 16 of the stage 1. And ejected from the ejection port 19 provided on the back surface 10 a of the TFT substrate 10 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7. Thereafter, the cooling water is discharged from the discharge port through the drain groove 20, returned to the water storage tank, cooled to a predetermined temperature by a separately provided chiller, and circulated for use.

  In step S7 (second step), A to D flash pulses shown in FIGS. 9C to 9F are applied to the switching transistors 31a to 31d shown in FIG. 8 in a state where a predetermined amount of electric field is applied to each pixel 8. Are sequentially supplied at a delay time Td, and the flash lamps 28a to 28d are turned on in turn for a time Tw. In this case, the A to D flash pulses are repeatedly supplied for a predetermined time until a predetermined irradiation light quantity is obtained. Therefore, unlike the case where the flash lamps 28a to 28d are turned on at the same time, a large amount of irradiation energy is not supplied in a concentrated manner, and the irradiation energy can be dispersed and the heat generation of the liquid crystal can be further suppressed. it can. During the execution of step S7, the light source device 3 is swung with a predetermined amplitude in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and the ultraviolet rays are evenly distributed in the region of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 corresponding to the space between the adjacent lamp units 29. Is irradiated. Thereby, the liquid crystal molecules in the display region 9 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 can be uniformly aligned in a predetermined direction.

  In step S8 (third step), the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is irradiated with a predetermined amount of ultraviolet rays in the same manner as in step S7 with the application of the electric field to each pixel 8 removed. As a result, the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules of each pixel 8 is fixed, and the liquid crystal molecules are prevented from returning to the initial state after the electric field applied to each pixel 8 is removed, thereby stabilizing the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules. it can.

  In step S <b> 9, the light source device 3 is turned OFF, the water supply pump is stopped, and the cooling water in the recessed portion 16 of the stage 1 is drained.

  In step S <b> 10, the transport unit 4 is moved in the Y-axis direction to position the arm 34 above the stage 1. Next, the suction pump of the stage 1 is stopped, and the suction of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 to the upper surface of the side wall 17 of the recessed portion 16 is released.

  In step S11, the switching valve is switched and the air compressor is driven, and air is ejected from the suction ejection port 18 to float the liquid crystal display substrate 7. Thereafter, the lift pins 23 are raised to lift the liquid crystal display substrate 7 until the upper surface 11 d of the counter electrode substrate 11 contacts the lower surface of the arm 34. When the sensor detects that the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is in contact with the arm 34, the suction pump of the transport means 4 is driven to attract the liquid crystal display substrate 7 to the lower surface of the arm 34, and the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is lifted by the lift pin. 23 to the conveying means 4. When the delivery of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is completed, the lift pins 23 are lowered to a predetermined position.

  In step S <b> 12, the transport unit 4 moves in the Y-axis direction and carries out the liquid crystal display substrate 7. At this time, compressed air is jetted from the air knife 6 provided on the carry-in and carry-out sides of the stage 1, and the cooling water attached to the back surface 10a of the TFT substrate 10 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is blown off to dry the substrate.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is irradiated with the predetermined amount of ultraviolet rays in the state where the application of the electric field to each pixel 8 is removed in step S8 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. In step S7, when the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules can be obtained sufficiently stably, step S8 may be omitted.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the prober 2 is provided in the frame-like prober holding portion 44 provided so as to be movable surrounding the stage 1 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the prober 2 is not limited to the stage. The at least two adjacent edges of 1 may be provided so as to be movable in the X-axis and Y-axis directions and to be rotatable about the center of the prober 2 as an axis. In this case, the alignment camera 5 is preferably provided so that both the electrode 12 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 and the tip of the terminal 27 of the prober 2 can be observed. Alternatively, in step S3, if the electrode 12 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 and the terminal 27 of the prober 2 can be aligned within a predetermined allowable range, the prober 2 is fixed to the edge of the stage 1. It may be provided. In this case, step S4 can be omitted, and the alignment camera 5 may not be provided.

  Furthermore, although the case where the plurality of electrodes 12 of the liquid crystal display substrate 7 are provided on the counter electrode substrate 11 side has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this and may be provided on the TFT substrate 10 side. . In this case, when the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is placed on the stage 1, the prober 2 is retracted to the standby position on the side of the stage 1, and the liquid crystal display substrate 7 is placed on the stage 1. The terminals 27 of the prober 2 may be brought into contact with each electrode from above by moving to above the plurality of electrodes on the substrate.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the back surface 10a of the TFT substrate 10 is brought into contact with the cooling water has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the upper surface 11d of the counter electrode substrate 11 may be brought into contact with the cooling water. . In this case, the light source device 3 is disposed on the bottom surface of the recessed portion 16 of the stage 1, and a waterproof type is used as the flash lamp 28.

  In the above embodiment, the case where cooling water is used as the cooling medium has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any antifreezing liquid or the like can be used as long as it can be cooled by contacting one surface of the substrate. It can be anything.

  In the above description, the case where the TFT substrate 10 has a COA configuration has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any device can be used as long as the alignment of liquid crystal molecules can be controlled by ultraviolet irradiation. It may be.

It is a front view which shows embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus of the liquid crystal display device by this invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line OO in FIG. 1. It is a fragmentary sectional top view of FIG. It is a side view of FIG. It is a top view which shows the example of 1 structure of the liquid crystal display substrate used for the said manufacturing apparatus. It is a center line sectional view of the above-mentioned substrate for liquid crystal display. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line P-P in FIG. 2. It is explanatory drawing which shows one structural example of the drive circuit of the light source device used for the said manufacturing apparatus. It is a timing chart which drives the said light source device. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing shown about alignment with the substrate for liquid crystal displays and a prober performed using an alignment camera.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Stage 2 ... Prober 3 ... Light source device 4 ... Conveyance means 6 ... Air knife 7 ... Substrate for liquid crystal display
8 ... Pixel
10 ... TFT substrate
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Counter electrode board | substrate 12 ... Electrode 16 ... Recessed part 17 ... Side wall 19 ... Jet port 22 ... Photo sensor 27 ... Terminal 28, 28a-28d ... Flash lamp 29 ... Lamp unit

Claims (16)

A plurality of pixels are formed in a matrix between the TFT substrate and the counter electrode substrate, and the liquid crystal display substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet rays while an electric field is applied to each pixel of the liquid crystal display substrate in which the liquid crystal is sealed. A liquid crystal display device manufacturing method for aligning the liquid crystal molecules in a predetermined direction,
A first step of bringing one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate into contact with a liquid cooling medium;
A second step of irradiating the liquid crystal display substrate with a predetermined amount of ultraviolet light in a state where a predetermined amount of electric field is applied to each pixel;
A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device.   2. The third step of irradiating the liquid crystal display substrate with a predetermined amount of ultraviolet light after performing the second step, with the application of an electric field to each pixel removed. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device. The TFT substrate has a COA (Color filter On Array) configuration in which color filters are continuously formed on the upper surface,
In the second step, the liquid crystal display substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the counter electrode substrate side.
The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 or 2.   4. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 3, wherein in the first step, the liquid crystal display substrate is brought into contact with the cooling medium at a surface opposite to the counter electrode substrate side of the TFT substrate. Method.   The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling medium is water cooled to a predetermined temperature. Each electrode of a liquid crystal display substrate in which a plurality of pixels are formed in a matrix between a pair of substrates to seal a liquid crystal, and a plurality of electrodes for driving the pixels are formed at least at two adjacent edges. In a state where an electric field is applied to each pixel and an electric field is applied to each pixel, the liquid crystal display substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to align the molecules of the liquid crystal in a predetermined direction.
A recess is formed in the center for storing a liquid cooling medium that cools in contact with one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate, and the peripheral portion of the one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate is adsorbed on the upper surface of the side wall surrounding the recess. And holding the stage,
A prober provided with a plurality of terminals disposed near at least two adjacent edges of the stage and connected to the plurality of electrodes of the liquid crystal display substrate held on the stage and energized;
A light source device that is disposed above the stage and irradiates the liquid crystal display substrate held on the stage with ultraviolet rays;
An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, comprising:   7. The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein the light source device comprises a plurality of lamp units each having a plurality of flash lamps arranged in a matrix.   8. The liquid crystal display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the light source device is movable relative to the stage in a plane parallel to the stage.   9. The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 7, wherein the light source device causes simmer discharge of the plurality of flash lamps before the ultraviolet light is turned on.   The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of flash lamps are sequentially turned on for a predetermined time with a predetermined delay time.   The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of photosensors are provided on a bottom surface of the recessed portion of the stage.   The bottom surface of the recessed portion of the stage is provided with an ejection port for ejecting the cooling medium onto the one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate that is sucked and held, and an ejection port for discharging the cooling medium. The manufacturing apparatus of the liquid crystal display device of any one of Claims 6-11.   The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to any one of claims 6 to 12, further comprising conveying means for carrying the liquid crystal display substrate into and out of the stage.   The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 13, wherein the transport unit sucks and transports the surface of the liquid crystal display substrate opposite to the stage side.   An air knife for injecting a compressed gas onto one surface of the liquid crystal display substrate and blowing off the attached cooling medium is provided on the carry-in and carry-out side of the liquid crystal display substrate on the side of the stage. The manufacturing apparatus of the liquid crystal display device of any one of Claims 12-14.   16. The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein the cooling medium is water cooled to a predetermined temperature.

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