JPH08145849A - Color filter inspection apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To detect the size and height of a foreign article and achieve highly accurate measurements by detecting irregular reflection components of an inspection light entering a color filter with a constant angle by a line sensor and obtaining positional data of the foreign article. CONSTITUTION: A microprocessor 12 stores positional data when a line sensor 11 detects a scattering light and outputs the data to a system controller 40. The system controller 40 moves a moving table 30 on the basis of the positional data of a foreign article input from the microprocessor 12 thereby moving the foreign article to a measuring position of an interference microscope 21. The interference microscope 21 starts measurements when the position of the foreign article agrees with the interference microscope 21. Measuring data are processed at an image processor 22 and output as shape data of the size and height to the system controller 40. The system controller 40 compares the size and height of the foreign article for every position of the foreign article with standard values, thereby judging whether a color filter 4 is good.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color filter inspection device for inspecting foreign substances adhering to a liquid crystal color filter, and more particularly to a color filter inspection device capable of automatically measuring the position and height of the adhering foreign substances. It is a thing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a color liquid crystal panel. Reference numeral 1 is a glass substrate on which a pixel electrode 3 driven by a TFT 2 is formed, 4 is a glass substrate on which a color filter layer 5 of R, G, B and a common electrode 6 are formed, and 7 is a liquid crystal. In the liquid crystal panel, when a voltage is applied between the pixel electrode 3 and the common electrode 6, light passes through the liquid crystal 7 and is emitted in the color of the color filter. However, there is a disadvantage that transmitted light is cut off when foreign matter is attached to the color filter. Therefore, before assembling the color liquid crystal panel, a color filter inspection device is generally used which inspects each pixel of the color filter by using a microscope.

[0003]

Although such a conventional color filter inspection apparatus can know the size of a foreign substance, it cannot obtain information about the height, and therefore the foreign substance that has passed the size inspection can be obtained. However, when the color liquid crystal panel is assembled with a large height, foreign matters come into contact with the pixel electrodes, which causes a short circuit between the circuits.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point. After the position of the foreign matter on the color filter is specified by detecting the diffused reflection component of the inspection light, the foreign matter at the specified position is detected by an interference microscope. An object of the present invention is to provide a color filter inspection device capable of performing accurate measurement by measuring the size of a foreign substance and the height of the foreign substance.

[0005]

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention provides a color filter inspecting apparatus for inspecting the shape of a foreign substance adhered on a color filter to judge the quality of the color filter. A sensor for detecting the diffused reflection component of the inspection light incident on the color filter at a constant angle, a moving table for moving the color filter so that the inspection light can be scanned by the inspection light, and the moving table when the diffused reflection component is detected by the sensor. Based on the moving position of the moving table, a storage unit that stores the position of the foreign substance that diffusely reflects the inspection light, and based on the foreign substance position stored in the storage unit, move the moving table to guide the foreign substance to the measurement position. , Based on the size and height of the foreign matter measured by the interference microscope and the interference microscope that measures this foreign matter with an interference image It is characterized by comprising a determining means for determining the quality of the color filter.

[0006]

After the diffused reflection component of the inspection light incident on the color filter at a constant angle is detected by the line sensor and the position data of the foreign matter is obtained, the foreign matter is captured based on this position data, and the height of the foreign matter is measured by the interference microscope. Measure the size.

[0007]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram showing an embodiment of a color filter inspection device of the present invention. 10 in the figure
Is a position detection unit that detects the position of the foreign matter on the color filter 4, 20 is a shape detection unit that measures the shape of the foreign matter detected by the position detection unit 10, 30 is a moving table, and the color filter 4 is scanned by the inspection light. The foreign matter is guided to the measurement position of the shape detection unit 20 while being moved as much as possible.

In the position detecting section 10, 11 is a line sensor for detecting the diffused reflection component of the inspection light incident at a constant angle, and 12 is a storage means for storing the position of a foreign substance which diffusely reflects the inspection light (hereinafter referred to as a microprocessor). Then, the moving table 3 when the line sensor 11 detects the diffused reflection component
The moving position of 0 is stored. Reference numeral 13 is a sensor I for transmitting a signal from the line sensor 11 to the microprocessor 12.
/ F.

FIG. 2 shows an explanatory diagram of the position detecting section, and FIG. 3 shows an overall configuration diagram of the position detecting section. A line light source 14 emits inspection light to the color filter 4 at a constant angle. The color filter 4 is mounted on the moving table 30 and moved, and the entire surface is scanned by the inspection light emitted from the linear light source 14. The inspection light emitted from the linear light source 14 is diffusely reflected if there is a foreign matter on the color filter 4,
The light is received by the line sensor 11. Reference numeral 15 is a lens that makes the diffuse reflection component parallel light and guides it to the line sensor 11. The moving table shown in FIG. 2 is only a frame that holds the outer periphery of the color filter 4. The frame-shaped moving table 4 is effective when measuring transmitted light.

The microprocessor 12 stores the position data (X, Y) when the line sensor 11 receives the scattered light and outputs it to the system controller 40. The system controller 40 moves the moving table 30 based on the foreign substance position data (X, Y) input from the microprocessor 12, and moves the foreign substance to the measurement position of the interference microscope 21. The interference microscope 21 performs measurement at the time when the position of the foreign matter is on the interference microscope 21. The measurement data is data-processed by the image processing device 22, and is output to the system controller 40 as shape data of size and height.

The system controller 40 compares the size and height of the foreign matter with the standard value for each position of the foreign matter, and determines the quality of the color filter 4. The reason why the line sensor is used in this embodiment is to shorten the scan time.

[0012]

As described above in detail, the color filter inspection apparatus of the present invention specifies the position of a foreign substance on a color filter by detecting the diffuse reflection component, and then detects the foreign substance at the specified position by an interference microscope. The measurement is made so that the height of the foreign matter can be measured in addition to the size of the foreign matter.
Therefore, a short circuit between the pixel electrode and the pixel electrode will not occur due to the foreign matter after the color liquid crystal panel is assembled.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram showing an embodiment of a color filter inspection device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the principle of a position detection unit.

FIG. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of a position detection unit.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a color liquid crystal panel.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Position Detection Unit 11 Line Sensor 12 Storage Means 20 Shape Detection Unit 21 Interference Microscope 40 System Controller

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A color filter inspecting apparatus for inspecting the shape of a foreign substance adhering to a color filter to judge the quality of the color filter, wherein the sensor detects a diffused reflection component of inspection light incident on the color filter at a constant angle. A moving table that moves the color filter so that it can be scanned by the inspection light; and a foreign object position that diffusely reflects the inspection light based on the moving position of the moving table when the sensor detects the diffuse reflection component. Storage means for storing, an interference microscope for moving the moving table to guide the foreign material to a measurement position based on the foreign material position stored in the storage means, and measuring the foreign material with an interference image; Determining means for determining the quality of the color filter based on the size and height of the foreign matter A color filter inspection device characterized in that