JPH0247605A - Color filter and its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily mass-produce a color filter with desired shape and size and to reduce the cost by forming a coloring material dispersion type photosensitive layer on a transparent substrate, then exposing at specific positions through holes of a light shield member, and repeating a process for development. CONSTITUTION:The transparent substrate 1 such as a glass substrate is coated with the coloring material dispersion type photosensitive layer of a specific color and the specific positions of the coloring material dispersion type photosensitive layer 2 are exposed through the through holes 8 of the light shield member (shadow mask) 3 and developed to form a monochromatic filter. Then the monochromatic color filter is coated with a coloring material dispersion type photosensitive layer of a 2nd specific color and specific positions different from a 1st color are exposed and developed through the through holes of the shadow mask 3 to form a bicolor filter. The same process is repeated for 3rd, 4th... specific colors. Consequently, the large-sized color filter is mass-produced at low cost.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Fields] The present invention relates to a color separation color filter formed by arranging a large number of multicolor color filter elements, such as a color filter for a liquid crystal display device, a color filter for a color facsimile, and the like. The present invention relates to a manufacturing method, and particularly to a large color filter of 8 inches to 10 inches or more and a manufacturing method thereof.

[Prior Art] Image sensors such as small color display devices such as portable liquid crystal color television devices, color facsimile machines, and color copying machines have a large number of colored color filter elements arranged in a predetermined pattern. Color filters are used.

The colored color filter elements of such color filters are formed using a dye dyeing method or a colorant-dispersed photosensitizer, and in order to form these colored color filter elements, a close contact process using a glass photomask is required. Exposure methods and projection exposure methods using a stepper are used.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the contact exposure method using a glass photomask, scratches, dirt, etc. may occur on both the glass photomask and the filter during the process of bringing them into close contact. On the other hand, in the projection exposure method using a stepper, exposure is carried out through a lens, so it is difficult to increase the exposure area of the second time, and it has been impossible to form a large color filter.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a method for mass-producing large color filters of 8 inches to 10 inches or more at a low cost.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the color filter of the present invention is provided by forming a colorant-dispersed photosensitive agent layer on a transparent substrate, and then forming a light-shielding member having a large number of through holes. The method for producing a color filter of the present invention is characterized in that it is produced by repeating the steps of exposing a predetermined position of the colorant-dispersed photosensitive agent layer through the holes and then developing it multiple times. After forming the colorant-dispersed photosensitive agent layer, the process of exposing a predetermined position of the colorant-dispersed photosensitive agent layer to light through the through-holes of a light-shielding member that has a large number of through-holes, and then developing the process is repeated several times. It is characterized by

[Function] In the present invention, first, a colorant-dispersed photosensitizer of a first predetermined color is coated on a transparent substrate such as a glass substrate, and a light-shielding member (hereinafter referred to as a shadow mask) having a large number of through holes is coated. )
A predetermined position of the colorant-dispersed photosensitive agent layer is exposed and developed through the through hole to form a monochromatic color filter, and then a second predetermined colorant-dispersed colorant layer is applied to the monochrome color filter. Apply a photosensitive agent and pass through the holes in the shadow mask.
A predetermined position different from the first color is exposed and developed to form a two-color color filter. By repeating the same process for the third, fourth, etc. predetermined colors, a color filter having a desired color arrangement can be created.

In addition, the size and shape of the color filter can be adjusted by changing the size and shape of the shadow mask.If you make it rectangular, you can get a color filter about the size of a color cathode ray tube, and if you make it straight, you can use it for line sensors. color filters can be obtained.

[Example code] Examples will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment of the present invention.
This is an example of creating a color filter having color filter elements of three colors, red and blue. In FIG. 1, 1 is a glass plate as a transparent substrate, 2 is a layer formed by coating a colorant-dispersed photosensitizer, 3 is a shadow mask, 4 is an exposure light source, 5, 6 and 7 are respectively Indicates the position of the light source.

As shown in FIG. 1, one feature of the present invention is the use of a shadow mask 3 when creating a color filter. First, the creation of the shadow mask 3 will be explained.

To create the shadow mask 3, first, a pair of etching patterns for the front and back sides are created. The method is as follows:
After exposing the required image on a high-resolution photographic plate using an automatic drawing device equipped with a laser length measuring device, the desired pattern is completed by performing development processing. Alternatively, a necessary image may be drawn on a chromium substrate coated with photoresist using an electron beam drawing device. Note that the etching pattern may have any desired shape, but it is generally rectangular.
The etching pattern on the front and the etching on the back are arranged at the same position.

Next, a thin metal plate that rusts easily and easily blackens, such as a hard copper alloy material with a thickness of 0.25 mm, is used, and both sides of the thin plate are photo-etched using the pattern created in the above method. By etching using a method, a shadow mask 3 is created by opening rectangular through holes having a shape similar to the etching pattern described above. Note that the methods for creating these shadow masks are widely known as methods for creating shadow masks for color picture tubes.

After fixing the shadow mask 3 created in this way to a frame (not shown) equipped with jig pins using adhesive, black nickel plating is applied to the surface to make it non-reflective, giving it a black surface. .

Next, the glass plate 1 that will become the substrate of the color filter is set in a holding fixture (not shown) that has a jig hole that fits into the jig pin provided on the frame to which the shadow mask 3 is fixed. Note that the thickness of the glass plate 1 can be selected as appropriate, and may be, for example, 1 thick.

After washing and drying the glass plate 1 set in the holding bracket, 1
A colorant-dispersed photosensitive agent of a color, for example, green, is applied and dried to form a colorant-dispersed photosensitive agent layer 2.

Next, the glass plate 1 on which the colorant-dispersed photosensitive agent layer 2 is formed
Above, after the shadow mask 3 is positioned and fixed by the jig pins and jig holes at a slight distance, the exposure light source 4 is placed at a predetermined position, for example, 5, and is placed at an appropriate distance. The first exposure is performed by irradiating a light beam rich in ultraviolet rays from the exposure light source 4 for a predetermined period of time.

After exposure is completed, development is performed and dried, the colorant-dispersed photosensitizer remains only in the areas irradiated by the light beam that passed through the through holes of the shadow mask 3 and is fixed, so that the green color filter element is A large number of monochromatic color filters arranged at predetermined intervals can be obtained.

Next, the jig pins and jig holes are uncoupled, and a second color, for example, a red colorant-dispersed photosensitive agent is applied onto the monochromatic color filter obtained in the above process and dried. A colorant-dispersed photosensitive agent layer 2 is formed, and the shadow mask 3 is again positioned and fixed at a predetermined position using jig pins and jig holes. Once the shadow mask 3 is fixed, the next step is exposure. When exposing the second color, the light beam passing through the shadow mask 3 is exposed to a position adjacent to the green color filter element of the first color. The light source 4 is placed, for example, at the position indicated by 6 in FIG. After completion of exposure, development processing and drying are performed to obtain a two-color color filter in which two color filter elements of green and red are arranged adjacently.

Next, the two color filters obtained in the above steps are removed, and a third color, for example, a blue colorant-dispersed photosensitive agent is applied thereon, dried, and the shadow mask 3 is fixed in a predetermined position. , the exposure light source 4 is placed at the position shown by 7 in FIG. 1, and the remaining portion is exposed. After completion of exposure, development processing and drying are performed to obtain a three-color color filter in which three-color filter elements of green, red, and blue are regularly arranged in a desired pattern.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the through hole 8 of the shadow mask 3 and the color filter elements of each color, and corresponding to changing the position of the exposure light source 4 from 5.8.7 in FIG. It can be seen that the path of the exposure light beam changes as shown in 5'', 6-7-, and a predetermined position is exposed in each case. This is clear from the shadow mask theory regarding color cathode ray tubes. Therefore, it is clear that the shape and arrangement of the color filter elements can be arbitrarily set by appropriately selecting the etching pattern of the shadow mask 3 and the position of the exposure light source 4. In addition, in Fig. 2, G
, R, and B indicate green, red, and blue color filter elements, respectively. The same applies below.

A typical example of the arrangement of color filter elements of three colors is shown in FIG. Figure 3a shows a parallel arrangement and Figure 3a shows a checkered arrangement. As described above, these arrangements can be obtained by appropriately selecting the etching pattern of the shadow mask 3 and the arrangement of the exposure light source 4. In addition, in Fig. 3aNb, the black stripe indicated by 9 is a light blocking part provided around each color filter element in order to improve the contrast. A chromium thin film may be vapor-deposited and sputtered on top, and then formed by photo-etching. Alternatively, during the color filter manufacturing process, a color filter may be formed so that the thin films of the multicolored colorant-dispersed photosensitizer overlap each other at the periphery. It can be formed by any convenient method, such as by forming a filter element.

After creating a color filter having color filter elements of three colors through the above steps, a transparent protective layer is formed on the color filter elements to complete the color filter.

Furthermore, if necessary, electrodes and the like can be formed using a transparent conductive film on the protective layer.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, a case where a color filter of three colors is created is taken as an example, but it is clear that the color filter is not limited to three colors, and if the shape of the shadow mask 3 is made rectangular, it will be similar to that of a color cathode ray tube. By arranging the through holes in a straight line, a color filter for a line sensor can be obtained.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, the present invention skillfully utilizes the theory of shadow masks related to color cathode ray tubes to create color filters, so it is possible to create color filters of a desired shape and size. It can be easily mass-produced and therefore costs can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the color filter and its manufacturing method according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the through holes of the shadow mask and the color filter elements of each color, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement of color filter elements. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Glass plate, 2...Colorant-dispersed photosensitive agent layer, 3
...Shadow mask, 4...Light source for exposure, 8...
Through hole, 9...black stripe. Applicant Dainippon Printing Co., Ltd. Agent Patent attorney Hideo Sugai (4 others) Figure 3 (a) (b)

Claims (7)

[Claims] (1) After forming a colorant-dispersed photosensitive layer on a transparent substrate,
A method for manufacturing a color filter, comprising repeating the steps of exposing a predetermined position of the colorant-dispersed photosensitive layer through the holes of a light-shielding member having a large number of holes, and then developing the layer several times. (2) The method for manufacturing a color filter according to claim 1, wherein the transparent electrode is formed after performing the above steps a plurality of times. (3) The method for manufacturing a color filter according to claim 1, wherein a protective film is formed after performing the above steps a plurality of times. (4) The method for manufacturing a color filter according to claim 3, further comprising forming a transparent electrode after forming the protective film. (5) The method for manufacturing a color filter according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that a light shielding portion is formed around the color filter element. (6) After forming a colorant-dispersed photosensitive agent layer on a transparent substrate,
A color filter characterized in that it is produced by repeating the steps of exposing a predetermined position of the colorant-dispersed photosensitive layer through the holes of a light-shielding member having a large number of holes, and then developing the layer multiple times. (7) The color filter according to claim 6, characterized in that a light shielding portion is formed around the color filter element.