JPH10114875A - Ink composition, method for forming pattern and color filter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an ink composition which can form an elaborate pattern on the surface of e.g. glass or ceramics without using e.g. any wettability improver or the like by regulating a system comprising a solvent, a pigment dispersed therein and a dispersant so that the system may satisfy special conditions. SOLUTION: A system comprising a solvent, a pigment and a dispersant for enhancing the affinity between both is regulated so that the ratio V/S (wherein V is the volume of the system, and S is the surface area of the interface formed at the boundary between the system and the vapor phase) may be maximized. The surface tension of the system is maintained at 20.0-50.0dyn/cm at 25 deg.C, and the viscosity of the system is maintained at 1.5-20.0cP at 25 deg.C. Referring to Fig. (a), when the ink composition 203 is deposited on the surface 202 of a substrate 201, the ratio V/S (wherein V is the volume of the composition 203, and S is the surface area of the interface 204) is kept maximum. Referring to Fig. (b), when the solvent is evaporated from the composition, the V/S ratio (wherein V is the volume of composition 203, and S is the surface area of the interface) is increased, and the composition 203 deposited on the surface 202 is sunk. Therefore, a composition which does not suffer from this problem is formed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink composition, a method for forming a pattern, and a color filter, and more particularly to an ink composition used for forming a pattern by an ink jet method and a method for forming a pattern using the ink composition. And a color filter manufactured by a method for forming a pattern using the ink composition.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A pattern forming method using an ink-jet method is based on various ink composition discharging methods, for example,
Droplets of the ink composition fly over the substrate by an electrostatic suction method, a method of applying mechanical vibration or displacement to the ink using a piezoelectric element, a method of heating and bubbling the ink, and utilizing the pressure. Then, a pattern is formed on the surface of the base material. A pattern forming method using an inkjet method has attracted attention in many fields because it has advantages such as low noise generation, high-speed pattern formation, and easy formation of multicolor patterns. ing.

[0003] Color filters used in CRTs, display devices such as liquid crystal displays and plasma displays, and solid-state imaging devices have been manufactured by various methods such as a pigment dispersion method, a dye dispersion method, and a dyeing method.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-179711 discloses that after forming a patterned light absorbing layer on the inner surface of a face plate, a pigment dispersion and a phosphor slurry are applied, and exposure and development are performed through a mask. Thus, a method for producing a fluorescent film with a filter is described. JP-A-59-75205 describes a method for producing a color filter by forming a colored layer on a substrate by an ink-jet method.

[0005]

However, in the method for manufacturing a fluorescent film with a filter described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-179711, the number of steps for manufacturing a fluorescent film is large, and a pigment is provided for each color. Since the application of the dispersion and the phosphor slurry and the exposure and development through the mask must be performed, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost is increased. In the method for manufacturing a color filter described in JP-A-59-75205, a colored layer is formed on a substrate by an ink jet method, but a diffusion preventing pattern or a wettability improving agent is previously formed on a glass substrate. Therefore, there is a problem that the capital investment and the number of steps increase, the manufacturing cost increases, and the manufacturing yield decreases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional example, and it is an object of the present invention to form a delicate pattern on the surface of glass, ceramics, polyester resin or the like by an ink jet method without forming a wetting agent or the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink composition capable of performing the following.

Further, the present invention can easily and efficiently form a delicate pattern on the surface of a glass substrate or the like, reduce the number of steps and equipment investment, and provide excellent reliability and economical efficiency of the formed pattern. It is an object to provide a method for forming a pattern.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a color filter which is excellent in light resistance and water resistance, has a highly reliable pattern in practical use, and is economically excellent.

[0009]

The ink composition according to the present invention comprises a solvent, a pigment dispersed in the solvent, and a dispersant dispersed in the solvent to increase the affinity between the solvent and the pigment. Ratio (V / S) of the volume (V) of the system to the surface area (S) of the interface of the system generated at the boundary between the system and the gas phase
Is controlled to be maximum.

The ink composition according to the present invention may further comprise a solvent, a pigment dispersed in the solvent, and a pigment dispersed in the solvent.
In a system comprising a dispersant for increasing the affinity between the solvent and the pigment, (1) the surface tension of the system is 20.0 dyn / cm to 50.0 dyn / cm at 25 ° C .; Has a viscosity of 1.5 cp to 20.0 cp at 25 ° C.

Further, the ink composition according to the present invention comprises a solvent, a pigment dispersed in the solvent, and a pigment dispersed in the solvent.
It is characterized by comprising a dispersant for increasing the affinity between the solvent and the pigment, and an additive dispersed in the solvent and controlling the free energy at the interface.

The method for forming a pattern according to the present invention comprises the steps of: dispersing in a solvent, a pigment dispersed in the solvent, and the solvent;
The ratio (V / V) of the volume (V) of the system including the dispersant that increases the affinity between the solvent and the pigment and the surface area (S) of the interface of the system generated at the boundary between the system and the gas phase. S) discharging the ink composition controlled to be the maximum from a nozzle as a droplet by an inkjet method, applying the droplet to the surface of a substrate, Adhering the pigment in the liquid droplets.

[0013] The method of forming a pattern according to the present invention is directed to a system comprising a solvent, a pigment dispersed in the solvent, and a dispersant dispersed in the solvent to enhance the affinity between the solvent and the pigment. 1) The surface tension of the system is 25 ° C
20.0 dyn / cm to 50.0 dyn / cm,
(2) The viscosity of the system is 1.5 cp to 20.
A step of ejecting the ink composition of 0 cp as droplets from a nozzle by an inkjet method, a step of applying the droplets to the surface of a substrate, and a step of attaching the pigment in the droplets to the substrate. And a process.

The method for forming a pattern according to the present invention further comprises a solvent, a pigment dispersed in the solvent, a dispersant dispersed in the solvent to increase the affinity between the solvent and the pigment, Dispersing an ink composition comprising an additive that controls the free energy at the interface as a droplet from a nozzle by an inkjet method, applying the droplet to a surface of a substrate, Adhering the pigment in the liquid droplets onto a material.

[0015] A color filter according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a base material and a colored layer formed of a pigment adhered to the surface of the base material by an ink jet method.

In general, when a pattern such as a picture element of a color filter is formed by an ink jet method, the surface of a base material (colored layer) is different from that of a fiber such as paper.
In the case of a film material made of ceramics or polyester resin, the conventional ink composition does not adhere well to the surface of the substrate, and the ink composition is repelled or bleeds on the surface of the substrate. . Further, since the adhesion of the color material to the surface of the substrate is weak, the color material is easily peeled from the surface of the base material, and the formed pattern is immediately collapsed. Here, the substrate, the surface of the layer to be coated with the ink composition is different from fibers such as paper, glass,
This shows a general structure having a structure made of a film of ceramics or polyester resin on the surface to which a color material adheres. Therefore, as a substrate belonging to this category, a glass substrate or a ceramic substrate, a polyester resin, a diacetate resin, a triacetate resin, an acrylic resin, a polycarbonate resin, a polyvinyl chloride resin, a polyimide resin, cellophane or Examples include various film materials such as celluloid, and coated paper whose surface is coated with an organic polymer compound such as polyamide or polyester.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show a process in which the ink composition is applied to the surface of a base material such as a glass substrate or a ceramic substrate, and the solvent evaporates from droplets of the ink composition. It is the figure which represented typically.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the ink composition 203 is applied to the surface 202 of the substrate 201, the interface 2 in contact with the gas phase of the ink composition 203 is formed.
04 (S) and volume (V) of ink composition 203
(S / V) is the minimum, in other words, the ink composition 2
The ratio (V / S) of the volume (V) of No. 03 to the surface area (S) of the interface 204 is kept to be maximum. However, as shown in FIG. 2B, as the solvent evaporates from the ink composition, the surface area of the interface 204 in contact with the gas phase of the ink composition 203 and the volume of the ink composition 203 are reduced. The ratio cannot be kept at a minimum, and the ratio of the surface area of the interface 204 in contact with the gas phase of the ink composition 203 to the volume of the ink composition increases. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2B, the center of the ink composition 203 adhered to the surface 202 of the substrate 201 sinks toward the substrate 201, and the ink composition 2 with respect to the volume of the ink composition
The ratio of the surface area of the interface 204 in contact with the gas phase of 03 increases. Then, the pigment 205 contained in the ink composition 203 is partially (surrounded) at the interface of the ink composition 203.
206a and 206b, the ink composition 203
Inside, the uniform dispersibility of the pigment 205 is lost. Therefore, the pigment 2 is applied to the surface 202 of the substrate 201.
Since the pattern formed by the adhesion of 05 is partially shaded and the adhesion to the surface of the substrate is partially different, it is difficult to stably form a good pattern.

The present inventors have repeated various experiments, and by selecting the type and particle size of the pigment as the color material, the dispersant and the solvent, an ink composition capable of forming a good pattern while avoiding the above-mentioned problems. I found something. In the experiment, each step as shown in Table 1 was considered.

[0020]

[Table 1] As can be seen from Table 1, in order to form a good pattern, when the solvent evaporates from the ink composition applied to the surface of the substrate, the form of the droplets of the ink composition on the surface of the substrate is changed. It is necessary to keep the droplets wet on the substrate. Further, the pigment contained in the ink composition needs to have an affinity for the adhesion surface of the base material and to have a strong adhesion.

In order to satisfy these conditions, experiments were conducted to examine various materials constituting the ink composition, and the results shown in Tables 2 and 3 were obtained. In Tables 2 and 3, the symbols ○, Δ, and × indicate a favorable level, a practical level, and a level that is less than practical, respectively.

[0022]

[Table 2]

[Table 3] Table 2 shows the results obtained by applying the conventional ink composition on a glass substrate, and Table 3 shows the results obtained by applying the ink composition of the present invention on a glass substrate. This is a summarized table. 1 (b) and 1 (d)
1 is an optical microscope photograph showing a state in which a conventional ink composition is adhered on a glass substrate. FIGS. 1A and 1C show the ink composition of the present invention on a glass substrate. It is an optical microscope photograph which showed the state where it was made to adhere. FIGS. 1A and 1B are examples in which the distance between droplets is experimentally widened in order to clarify the effect of the ink composition of the present invention, and FIGS. FIG. 1D shows an example in which a line is drawn by continuous hitting. FIG. 1 (a) and FIG.
As is clear from (b), in the ink composition of the present invention, all the droplets are arranged in an orderly manner while maintaining substantially the same shape. Is displaced. FIG.
As is clear from (c) and FIG. 1 (d), in the conventional ink composition, a portion thinner than the periphery (of the line) is formed at the center of the line. That is, FIGS. 1 (a) to 1
(D) As understood from Tables 2 and 3, according to the ink composition of the present invention, the surface of the base material (layer to be colored) is excellent on the surface of a glass substrate different from fibers such as paper. A stable pattern can be formed stably. In addition,
Similar results have been obtained when the surface of the substrate is a film made of a ceramic substrate, polyester resin, or the like.

Next, the ink composition of the present invention will be described in detail.

The ink composition of the present invention has a solvent, a pigment and a dispersant for improving the dispersibility of the pigment in the solvent, and appropriately controls the types, amounts and composition ratios of the solvent, the pigment and the dispersant. Thus, after the ink composition is applied as droplets on the surface of the substrate, the surface area (S) of the interface in contact with the gas phase of the droplets and the volume of the system in the process of evaporating the solvent from the droplets In other words, the ratio (V / S) between the volume (V) of the system and the surface area (S) of the interface in contact with the gas phase of the droplet is set so that the ratio (S / V) to (V) is minimized. ) Is kept to be maximum. Therefore, in the process of evaporating the solvent from the droplet, the pigment contained in the droplet is uniformly dispersed inside the droplet. The ink composition has a surface tension of 20.0 dyn / cm at 25 ° C.
50.0 dyn / cm, viscosity 1.5 cp to 2 at 25 ° C.
If it shows physical properties in the range of 0.0cp,
In the process of evaporating the solvent from the droplet after being applied as a droplet on the surface of the substrate, the ratio of the surface area (S) of the interface in contact with the gas phase of the droplet to the volume (V) of the system ( S / V) can be minimized, that is, the ratio (V / S) between the volume (V) of the system and the surface area (S) of the interface of the droplet in contact with the gas phase can be maximized. The pigment to be dispersed is uniformly dispersed inside the droplet in the process of evaporating the solvent from the droplet. Furthermore, the ink composition of the present invention has a solvent, a pigment and a dispersant that enhances the dispersibility of the pigment in the solvent, but after the ink composition is applied as droplets to the surface of the substrate, In the process of evaporating the solvent from the droplet, the ratio (S / V) between the surface area (S) of the interface in contact with the gas phase of the droplet and the volume (V) of the system is minimum, that is, the volume of the system In order to control the ratio (V / S) between (V) and the surface area (S) of the interface in contact with the gas phase of the droplet, the physical properties of the ink composition are controlled at a surface tension of 25 ° C. In order to control so as to be in the range of 20.0 dyn / cm to 50.0 dyn / cm, additives may be further added in addition to the solvent, the pigment and the dispersant. At this time, the physical properties of the ink composition were adjusted so that the viscosity at 25 ° C. was 1.5 cp to 1.5 cp.
Adjust to 20.0 cp. Therefore, according to the ink composition of the present invention, it is possible to stably form a good pattern without causing a partial difference in shading or a partial difference in the adhesive force of the pigment.

In the ink composition of the present invention, the affinity of the solvent for the surface of the base material and the evaporation rate greatly affect the steps A and B in Table 1. That is, in order to land the ink composition at an accurate position on the surface of the substrate, it is necessary to have an affinity of the solvent for the surface of the substrate in order to obtain a suitable wettability, and at the same time, an appropriate evaporation rate. is necessary.

In order to satisfy these conditions, water and various organic solvents can be used alone or as a mixture as a solvent constituting the ink composition of the present invention.
Examples of the organic solvent include alkyl alcohols having 1 to 4 carbon atoms such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, and isobutyl alcohol; Amides such as dimethylformamide and dimethylacetamide; ketones or ketoalcohols such as acetone and diacetone alcohol; ethers such as tetrahydrofuran and dioxane; polyalkylene glycols such as polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol; ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and butylene Glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, thiodiglycol, hexylene glycol, diethylene glycol Alkylene glycols the alkylene group contains from 2 to 6 carbon atoms, such as Le, ethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol ethyl ether, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether,
At least one substance selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols such as triethylene glycol monoethyl ether and esters such as ethyl acetate and butyl acetate can be suitably used. When a mixture of a plurality of solvents is used, the combination of solvents and the mixing ratio are determined within a range that does not impair the characteristics of the above-described ink composition. Note that an ink composition using only water as a solvent is defined as an aqueous ink composition, and an ink composition using an organic solvent as a solvent is defined as a solvent-based ink composition.

The pigment constituting the ink composition of the present invention is formed from the viewpoint of stably forming a good pattern without causing partial differences in shading or partial differences in the adhesive force of the pigment. If you value the transparency of the pattern,
When the average particle diameter is in the range of 0.001 μm to 0.30 μm, more preferably 0.05 μm to 0.15 μm, and when the luminous efficiency is emphasized like a phosphor, the average particle diameter is 0.5 μm to 50 μm. , More preferably 1 μm to 20 μm
m is desirable. The average particle size is
This is a concept expressed as the diameter of the smallest sphere having the same surface area.

As the pigment constituting the ink composition of the present invention, various pigments can be used depending on the intended use. Examples thereof include carbon black, graphite black, iron black, Cu.Fe.Mn black, and Co.Fe.・ C
r-black, Cu-Cr-Mn black, titanium black, manganese black, cobalt black, ultramarine, cobalt blue, red iron oxide, cadmium red, cobalt green, sulfide phosphor, rare-earth oxide phosphor and rare-earth oxysulfide Other than inorganic pigments such as phosphors, as organic pigments, azo pigments, phthalocyanine pigments, indigo pigments, anthraquinone pigments, perylene pigments, perinone pigments,
Dioxazine pigments, quinacridone pigments, isoindolinone pigments, phthalone pigments, methine / azomethine pigments, and condensed polycyclic pigments can be used alone or in combination. When the organic pigment is dispersed in the solvent-based ink composition, a combination of the organic solvent and the organic pigment is selected so that the organic pigment is not dissolved in the organic solvent.

When the ink composition of the present invention is applied to a color filter used in an LCD, phthalocyanine blue is used as a blue pigment, dioxazine violet is used as a violet pigment, and anthoraquinone red is used as a red pigment.
Perylene red, isoindolin yellow, benzidine yellow, isoindolinone yellow as a yellow pigment, phthalocyanine green as a green pigment, carbon black, iron black, CuFeMn black, CoFeCr black as a black pigment, Cu, Cr, Mn black or the like can be suitably used. When the ink composition of the present invention is applied to a color filter used for a color picture tube / PDP, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue as a blue pigment, red stem pigment, cadmium red as a red pigment, and cobalt as a green pigment. Green, black pigments such as carbon black, iron black, graphite black,
Titanium black, manganese black, cobalt black and the like can be suitably used. Furthermore, C-CRΤ / P
When the ink composition of the present invention is applied to a phosphor pixel for DP, ZnS: Αg as a blue light-emitting phosphor, Y ₂ O ₂ S: Eu, Y ₂ O ₃ : Eu as a red light-emitting phosphor. ,
ZnS: Cu, ZnS: Cu,
Au or the like can be suitably used.

Further, the dispersant constituting the ink composition of the present invention must be dispersed in a solvent in order to adsorb to the surface of the pigment and prevent aggregation of the pigment and the pigment. A strong affinity is also required. The dispersant has a function of adsorbing on the surface of the pigment contained in the ink composition and uniformly dispersing the pigment in the ink composition, but also has a function of firmly attaching the pigment to the surface of the base material. It is. Therefore, the dispersant is involved in the step A in Table 1, but largely determines the step C.

In order to satisfy these conditions, the dispersant constituting the ink composition of the present invention is appropriately determined according to the combination of the ink composition type / pigment described above. That is, in the case of an aqueous / organic pigment combination, for example, an acrylic resin, polyvinylacrylpyrrolidone and polyvinylalkylpyrrolidone can be used as the dispersant. Similarly, the dispersant may be an acrylic resin or polyvinyl acrylpyrrolidone when the combination of the ink composition type and the pigment is an aqueous / inorganic pigment, or a polyvinyl butyral or an acrylic resin when the combination is a solvent / organic pigment. In the case of a solvent / inorganic pigment, polyvinyl butyral, an acrylic resin, polyvinyl acryl pyrrolidone, etc. can be suitably used. When an organic solvent is used as the solvent in the ink composition of the present invention, it is more preferable that the organic solvent is an alcohol. When alcohols are used as the organic solvent, when the pigment is an organic pigment, when the pigment is an organic pigment, polyvinyl butyral, acrylic resin, polyvinyl pyridine, polyamide resin, phenol resin or polyvinyl acrylpyrrolidone can be suitably used. In the case of a pigment, polyvinyl butyral, an acrylic resin or polyvinyl acrylpyrrolidone can be suitably used.

Further, after the ink composition of the present invention is applied as droplets to the surface of a substrate, the surface area of the interface (S ) And the volume (V) of the system (S / V) is kept to a minimum, ie, the ratio (V) of the volume (V) of the system to the surface area (S) of the interface in contact with the gas phase of the droplet. In order to maintain the maximum value of (/ S), an additive can be used as a component of the ink composition. By using the additive, the physical properties of the ink composition were such that the surface tension was 20.0 dyn / cm
It can be controlled within a range of about 50.0 dyn / cm.

The additives constituting the ink composition of the present invention are appropriately determined depending on the type of the system described above. That is, when the ink composition is aqueous, the additive is
At least one substance selected from the group consisting of sodium dialkyl sulfosuccinate, a fluorine-based surfactant and a polyether-modified silicone oil can be suitably used. When the ink composition is of a solvent type, the additive is selected from the group consisting of silicone resin, acrylic resin, modified polysiloxane copolymer, polycarboxylic acid, polycarboxylic acid ester and unsaturated polycarboxylic acid. At least one substance obtained can be suitably used.

The proportion of the pigment in the ink composition is determined by preventing clogging of the ink composition inside the nozzle, and by controlling the optical density (O
In consideration of D) and the like, 1 part of pigment is added to 100 parts by weight of solvent.
-30 parts by weight, preferably 3-15 parts by weight.

On the other hand, the dispersant and the additive
1 to 100 parts by weight of the dispersing agent and 1
The dispersant is preferably 10 to 30 parts by weight, and the additive is 3 to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the pigment.
It is more preferable to use about parts by weight.

If the amount of the dispersant is less than 1 part by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the pigment, the dispersibility of the pigment decreases, and it becomes difficult to obtain an ink composition in which the pigment is uniformly dispersed. In addition, 100 parts by weight of the pigment is 100 parts by weight of the dispersant.
When the amount is more than the weight part, the viscosity of the ink composition becomes high and the ink is not uniformly discharged from the nozzle of the ink jet system, so that it is difficult to form a good pattern.

When the amount of the additive is less than 1 part by weight or more than 30 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the pigment, after the ink composition is applied as droplets on the surface of the base material, In the process of evaporating the solvent from the droplet, the ratio (S / V) between the surface area (S) of the interface in contact with the gas phase of the droplet and the volume (V) of the system is minimized. It is difficult to control the ratio (V / S) of the volume (V) of the system to the surface area (S) of the interface in contact with the gas phase of the droplet so as to be maximum.

Further, in the ink composition of the present invention, various components such as a pH adjuster, a fungicide, a chelating agent or a reducing agent are appropriately added within a range not to impair the properties of the ink composition. It is also possible.

The method for forming a pattern according to the present invention comprises forming a pattern on the surface of a substrate by an ink-jet method using the above-described ink composition. In the pattern forming method according to the present invention, the ink jet method of ejecting the ink composition is capable of effectively ejecting the ink composition from a nozzle and depositing the ink composition droplet on the surface of the base material. Any method is possible as long as it is possible. As an inkjet method for discharging the ink composition, for example, a nozzle and several mm of the nozzle
A strong electric field is applied between the accelerator electrode placed in front of the nozzle and the ink composition is formed into particles from the nozzles, and the ink composition is drawn out one after another. An information signal is given to the deflection electrode while the drawn ink composition flies between the deflection electrodes. An electrostatic suction method that forms a pattern, high pressure is applied to the ink with a small pump, and the nozzle is mechanically vibrated with a crystal oscillator or the like, thereby forcibly ejecting a droplet of the ink composition and ejecting the droplet. A method of forming a pattern by charging the liquid droplets according to the information signal simultaneously with the discharge and passing the charged droplets between the deflecting electrode plates and deflecting them according to the amount of charge, giving an electric signal to the piezo element and mechanically displacing it By applying pressure to the ink composition to eject droplets of the ink composition from a nozzle, or by applying thermal energy to the ink composition, The effect of intense changes in volume, a method of discharging droplets of the ink composition from a nozzle can be suitably used.

Further, when a pattern such as a picture element of a color filter is formed, it is desirable to control the amount of ink droplets to be applied to the surface of the substrate when forming the pattern. That is, when the amount of the ink composition droplets adhered to the surface of the base material is small, the amount of the pigment adhered to the surface of the base material is small. ) Is low, and it is difficult to obtain predetermined optical characteristics. In order to avoid this problem, it is conceivable to increase the amount of pigment contained in the ink composition to improve the optical density (OD) of the pattern. However, in this case, it is not only difficult to maintain the characteristics of the ink composition, but also
Since the ink composition is easily clogged inside the nozzle, this problem cannot be practically avoided. Also,
In the case where the amount of the ink composition droplets to be adhered to the surface of the base material is large, even if the amount of the pigment contained in the ink composition is reduced, such as in a humid atmosphere such as the rainy season or in winter In a low temperature environment, the evaporation of the solvent in the ink composition is slowed down, so that the adhesion of the pigment on the surface of the base material is reduced, and it is difficult to stably form a good pattern.

When a water-based ink composition is used in the pattern forming method of the present invention, from the viewpoint of controlling the evaporation rate of water as a solvent, the base on which the droplets of the ink composition are adhered. It is desirable that the temperature of the surface of the material be 20 ° C to 120 ° C.

The color filter according to the present invention comprises a substrate and a coloring layer formed on the surface of the substrate by a pigment adhered by an ink-jet method. Substrate can be used. That is, glass substrates and ceramic substrates, polyester resins, diacetate resins, triacetate resins, acrylic resins, polycarbonate resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, polyimide resins, various film materials such as cellophane or celluloid, polyamide Alternatively, a coating paper or the like whose surface is coated with an organic polymer compound such as polyester can be used as a base material, and a display device such as LCD, CRT or PDP, a light receiving surface of an image pickup tube, CCD, BBD, CID or BASIS can be used. A wafer on which a solid-state imaging device such as
The present invention can be applied to a contact type image sensor or the like using a thin film semiconductor. Further, as the pigment constituting the colored layer formed on the surface of the base material, the various pigments described above can be used.

The colored layer of the color filter according to the present invention is obtained by applying the above-described ink composition on the surface of a substrate by an ink jet method and adhering the pigment contained in the ink composition onto the surface of the substrate. It is formed by: The thickness of the colored layer of the color filter is determined according to the desired spectral characteristics, but is usually 0.01 to 5 μm.
m is desirable.

The colored layer of the color filter of the present invention has sufficient durability by itself. However, in order to protect the colored layer from various environmental conditions, the surface of the colored layer is made of polyamide or polyimide. , Polyurethane, polycarbonate or silicone resin, Si ₃ N ₄ ,
An inorganic film such as SiO ₂ , SiO, Al ₂ O ₃ or Ta ₂ O ₃ can be provided as a protective layer by a coating method by spin coating or roll coating or a vapor deposition method. At this time, by subjecting the provided protective layer to an alignment treatment, it can be easily applied to an LCD.

[0045]

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

(Example 1) According to the compositions shown in Tables A to C, each component was mixed and stirred in a stirring tank adjusted to a temperature of 20 ° C, and then filtered with a filter having a pore size of 0.5 µm. Ink compositions A to C were prepared. In each of the ink compositions A to C, the average particle size of the pigment is about 0.1 μm. In addition, the ink compositions A to C at 25 ° C.
Are as shown in Table 5. In addition, Solmix AP-4 is sold from Japan Exclusive Alcohol.

Next, a glass substrate (with a black matrix formed thereon) used for the display section of the LCD is prepared, and a piezo-type ink jet printer (MJ-800) is prepared.
C; Seiko Epson Corporation; 720 dpi), and color filters were prepared using ink compositions A to C.

Then, a color filter having a good pattern in which the width of the black matrix (BM) was about 40 μm and the pattern width of each formed colored layer was about 140 μm was obtained. In this color filter, the maximum difference in the width of the pattern of the formed colored layer was about 10 μm.

Further, the adhesion between the glass substrate and each colored layer is good, and the heat resistance, cold resistance, chemical resistance and the like of the conventional color filter formed by a dyeing method, a pigment dispersion method, an electrodeposition method or a printing method are obtained. It was equivalent to the colored layer. Further, the optical characteristics of the colored layer were also equivalent to those of the conventional color filter.

The cost for forming the colored layer is as follows:
The cost was about 1/5 compared to the cost of forming a colored layer of a conventional color filter.

(Example 2) According to the compositions shown in DF of Table 4, each component was mixed and stirred in a stirring tank whose temperature was adjusted to 20 ° C, and then filtered through a filter having a pore size of 0.5 µm. Ink compositions DF were prepared. In each of the ink compositions DF, the average particle size of the pigment is about 0.1 μm. Further, the ink compositions D to F at 25 ° C.
Are as shown in Table 5.

Next, the same glass substrate as in Example 1 was used for a piezo-type ink jet printer (MJ-800C;
Seiko Epson Corporation; 720 dpi), and color filters were prepared using ink compositions D to F.

Then, a color filter having a good pattern having a black matrix (BM) width of about 40 μm and a pattern width of each formed colored layer of about 140 μm was obtained. In this color filter, the maximum difference in the width of the pattern of the formed colored layer was about 10 μm.

The adhesion between the glass substrate and each colored layer was as good as in Example 1, and the heat resistance, cold resistance, chemical resistance and the like were formed by a dyeing method, a pigment dispersion method, an electrodeposition method or a printing method. It was equivalent to the coloring layer of the conventional color filter.
Further, the optical characteristics of the colored layer were also equivalent to those of the conventional color filter.

The cost for forming the colored layer is as follows:
The cost was about 1/5 compared to the cost of forming a colored layer of a conventional color filter.

Example 3 According to the composition shown in Table 4G, the components were mixed and stirred in a stirring tank whose temperature was adjusted to 20 ° C., and then filtered with a filter having a pore size of 0.5 μm to obtain an ink composition. Material G was prepared. The ink composition G
Has an average particle size of about 0.25 μm. The viscosity and surface tension at 25 ° C. of the ink composition G are as shown in Table 5.

Next, the same glass substrate (BM) as in Example 1 was used.
Is prepared, and set in a piezo-type inkjet printer (MJ-800C; Seiko Epson Corporation; 720 dpi), and color filters are formed using ink compositions A to C and G. Did.

Then, a color filter having a good pattern in which the width of the black matrix (BM) was about 40 μm and the pattern width of each formed colored layer was about 140 μm was obtained. In this color filter, the maximum difference in the width of the pattern of the formed colored layer was about 10 μm.

Further, the adhesion between the glass substrate and each colored layer is good, and the heat resistance, cold resistance, chemical resistance and the like of the conventional color filter formed by a dyeing method, a pigment dispersion method, an electrodeposition method or a printing method are also improved. It was equivalent to the colored layer. Further, the optical characteristics of the colored layer were also equivalent to those of the conventional color filter.

(Example 4) According to the compositions shown in Tables H to J, each component was mixed and stirred in a stirring tank whose temperature was adjusted to 20 ° C, and then filtered through a filter having a pore size of 0.5 µm. Ink compositions H to J were prepared. In the ink compositions H to J, the average particle diameter of the pigment is about 0.023, about 0.020, and about 0.021 μm, respectively. The viscosity and surface tension at 25 ° C. of the ink compositions H to J are as shown in Table 5.

Next, a screen glass substrate (Nippon Electric Glass; black matrix formed) used for a 28-inch wide C-CR II is prepared, and a piezo-type inkjet printer (MJ-800C; Seiko Epson Corporation; 720 dpi), and a pattern of a colored layer of a color filter was formed using the ink compositions H to G.

Then, a color filter having a pattern of each colored layer formed in a black stripe hole having a pattern width of 150 μm was obtained. In this color filter, the maximum difference in the width of the pattern of the formed colored layer was about 10 μm. The adhesion between the glass substrate and each colored layer was good, and the heat resistance, cold resistance, chemical resistance and the like of each colored layer were similar to those of the conventional colored layer formed by the photolithography method. Further, the optical characteristics such as the light emission luminance of the colored layer were similar to those of the conventional colored filter.

The cost for forming the colored layer is as follows:
The cost, including the capital investment, was about 1/100 of the cost of forming the conventional colored layer. Further, the amount of the material used for forming the colored layer was about 1/30.

(Example 5) In accordance with the compositions shown in Tables K to M, each component was mixed and stirred in a stirring vessel adjusted to a temperature of 20 ° C, and then filtered with a filter having a pore size of 0.5 µm. Ink compositions K to M were prepared. In the ink compositions K to M, the average particle diameter of the pigment is about 0.023, about 0.020, and about 0.021 μm, respectively. The viscosity and surface tension at 25 ° C. of the ink compositions K to M are as shown in Table 5.

Next, a screen glass substrate similar to that in Example 4 was prepared, and a piezo-type inkjet printer (MJ-800C; Seiko Epson Corporation; 72
0 dpi), and a pattern of a colored layer of a color filter was formed using the ink compositions K to M.

Then, a color filter having a pattern of each colored layer formed in a black stripe hole having a pattern width of 150 μm was obtained. In this color filter, the maximum difference in the width of the pattern of the formed colored layer was about 10 μm. The adhesion between the glass substrate and each colored layer was good, and the heat resistance, cold resistance, chemical resistance and the like of each colored layer were similar to those of the conventional colored layer formed by the photolithography method. Further, the optical characteristics such as the light emission luminance of the colored layer were similar to those of the conventional colored filter.

The cost for forming the colored layer is as follows:
The cost, including the capital investment, was about 1/100 of the cost of forming the conventional colored layer. Further, the amount of the material used for forming the colored layer was about 1/30.

Example 6 In the same manner as in Example 4, ink compositions H to J were prepared.

Next, a screen glass substrate (Asahi Glass Co., Ltd .; partition walls formed) used for a 28-inch plasma display was prepared, and a piezo-type inkjet printer (MJ-800C; Seiko Epson Corporation;
720 dpi), and a pattern of a colored layer of a color filter was formed using the ink compositions H to J. Then, a color filter in which a pattern of each colored layer was formed in a rectangular hole having a pattern width of 150 μm was obtained. In this color filter, the maximum difference in the width of the pattern of the formed colored layer was about 10 μm.

The adhesion between the glass substrate and each colored layer was good, and the heat resistance, cold resistance, chemical resistance and the like of each colored layer were the same as those of the conventional colored layer formed by the photolithography method. Further, the optical characteristics such as the light emission luminance of the colored layer were similar to those of the conventional colored filter.

The cost for forming the colored layer is as follows:
The cost, including the capital investment, was about 1/5 of the cost of forming the conventional colored layer. Further, the amount of the material used for forming the colored layer was about 1/20.

(Example 7) According to the compositions shown in N to P in Table 4, each component was mixed and stirred in a stirring tank adjusted to a temperature of 20 ° C, and then filtered through a filter having a pore size of 0.5 µm. Ink compositions N to P were prepared. In the ink compositions N to P, the average particle diameter of the pigment is about 0.023, about 0.020, and about 0.021 μm, respectively. The viscosity and surface tension at 25 ° C. of the ink compositions N to P are as shown in Table 5.

Next, a screen glass substrate (Asahi Glass Co., Ltd .; partition walls formed) used for a 28-inch plasma display is prepared, and a piezo-type inkjet printer (MJ-800C; Seiko Epson Corporation;
720 dpi), and a pattern of a colored layer of a color filter was formed using the ink compositions N to P. Then, a color filter in which a pattern of each colored layer was formed in a rectangular hole having a pattern width of 150 μm was obtained. In this color filter, the maximum difference in the width of the pattern of the formed colored layer was about 10 μm.

The adhesion between the glass substrate and each colored layer was good, and the heat resistance, cold resistance and chemical resistance of each colored layer were similar to those of the conventional colored layer formed by the photolithography method. Further, the optical characteristics such as the light emission luminance of the colored layer were similar to those of the conventional colored filter.

The cost for forming the colored layer is as follows:
The cost, including the capital investment, was about 1/5 of the cost of forming the conventional colored layer. Further, the amount of the material used for forming the colored layer was about 1/20.

(Example 8) According to the compositions shown in Q to S in Table 4, each component was mixed and stirred in a stirring tank adjusted to a temperature of 20 ° C, and then filtered with a filter having a pore size of 0.5 µm. The ink compositions Q to S were adjusted. The average particle size of the pigment in each of the ink compositions Q to S is about 0.010 μm. Further, 2 of ink compositions Q to S
The viscosity and surface tension at 5 ° C. are as shown in Table 5.

Next, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device)
Was prepared and set in a piezo-type inkjet printer (MJ-800C; Seiko Epson Corporation; 720 dpi). Next, CC
The pattern of the color layer of the color filter was formed using the ink compositions Q to S such that the pattern of each color layer of the color filter was arranged corresponding to each light receiving cell of D.

Then, a color filter having a pattern of each colored layer having a pattern width of 150 μm was obtained. In this color filter, the maximum difference in the width of the pattern of the formed colored layer was about 10 μm.

The adhesion between the wafer and each colored layer was good, and the heat resistance, cold resistance and chemical resistance of each colored layer were similar to those of the conventional colored layer formed by the photolithography method. Further, the optical characteristics of the colored layer were also equivalent to those of the conventional color filter. Further, the cost for forming the colored layer, including the amount of capital investment, was about 1/100 of the cost for forming the conventional colored layer.
Further, the amount of the material used for forming the colored layer is about 1/3.
It was 0.

(Example 9) According to the composition shown in T of Table 4, each component was mixed and stirred in a stirring tank adjusted to a temperature of 20 ° C, and then filtered with a filter having a pore size of 0.5 µm to obtain an ink composition. Material T was adjusted. Note that the ink composition T
Has an average particle size of about 0.025 μm.
The viscosity at 25 ° C., the surface tension at 25 ° C., and the density of the ink composition T are as shown in Table 5.

Next, a polyester OHP film was prepared, and a piezo-type ink jet printer (M
J-800C; Seiko Epson Corporation; 720dp
Set to i). Next, using the ink composition T, the OH
A character pattern was formed on the P film.

Then, an OHP film on which a character pattern having a pattern width of 250 μm was formed was obtained. In this OHP film, the maximum difference in the width of the formed character pattern was about 15 μm.

The adhesion between the OHP film and the coloring layer constituting the character pattern is good, and the heat resistance, cold resistance, chemical resistance, etc. of the coloring layer are the same as those of the conventional coloring layer formed on the OHP film. Was. Further, the optical characteristics of the colored layer such as OD were also equivalent to those of the conventional colored layer.

The cost for forming the colored layer forming the character pattern was about 1/100 of the cost for forming the conventional colored layer, including the capital investment.

[0085]

[Table 4]

[Table 5]

[0086]

As described above, according to the ink composition of the present invention, the pigment is always uniformly dispersed in the droplets adhered to the surface of the base material such as glass, ceramics or polyester resin. . Therefore, it is possible to provide an ink composition that can form a delicate pattern on the surface of glass, ceramics, polyester resin, or the like by an inkjet method without forming a layer to be colored or the like.

Further, according to the pattern forming method of the present invention, an ink composition in which a pigment is always uniformly dispersed in droplets adhered to the surface of a substrate such as glass, ceramics or polyester resin is used. Since the pattern is formed by the ink jet method, a delicate and highly reliable pattern can be directly formed on the surface of a substrate such as glass, ceramics, or polyester resin.
Therefore, the number of steps and capital investment can be reduced, and a pattern forming method capable of economically forming a pattern on the surface of a base material can be provided.

Further, according to the color filter of the present invention, since the base material has a coloring layer formed of a pigment adhered by an ink jet method on the surface of the base material, the color filter has a practical property such as light resistance and water resistance. A color filter capable of achieving improvement in reliability and economy can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an optical microscope photograph showing a state in which the present invention and a conventional ink composition are applied on a glass substrate.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which an ink composition is applied to a surface of a base material such as a glass substrate or a ceramic substrate, and a solvent evaporates from droplets of the ink composition.

[Explanation of symbols]

201 base material 202 surface 203 ink composition 204 interface 205 pigments 206a, 206b a part of the interface

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H01J 5/08 H01J 9/227 C 9/227 E 11/02 B 11/02 17/04 17/04 29/32 29/32 B41J 3/04 101Y (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Nakasumi 6-15 Midorigaoka Minamicho, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A system comprising a solvent, a pigment dispersed in the solvent, and a dispersant dispersed in the solvent to increase the affinity between the solvent and the pigment, and a boundary between the system and the gas phase. An ink composition characterized in that the ratio of the resulting surface area to the interface of the system is controlled to be maximum. 2. A system comprising a solvent, a pigment dispersed in the solvent, and a dispersant dispersed in the solvent to increase the affinity between the solvent and the pigment, wherein (1) the surface tension of the system is 25 ° C. 20.0dyn /
(2) The viscosity of the system is 1.5 cp to 20.dyn / cm at 25 ° C.
0 cp; 3. A solvent, a pigment dispersed in the solvent, a dispersant dispersed in the solvent to increase the affinity between the solvent and the pigment, and dispersed in the solvent to control an interface free energy. An ink composition comprising: an additive. 4. A system comprising a solvent, a pigment dispersed in the solvent, and a dispersant dispersed in the solvent to increase the affinity between the solvent and the pigment, and a boundary between the system and the gas phase. Ejecting the ink composition controlled so that the ratio of the surface area of the generated interface to the surface area to be a maximum from a nozzle as a droplet by an inkjet method, and applying the droplet to a surface of a base material; And a step of attaching the pigment in the droplets onto the base material. 5. A system comprising a solvent, a pigment dispersed in the solvent, and a dispersant dispersed in the solvent to enhance the affinity between the solvent and the pigment, wherein (1) the surface tension of the system is 25 ° C. 20.0dyn /
(2) The viscosity of the system is 1.5 cp to 20.dyn / cm at 25 ° C.
A step of ejecting the ink composition as 0 droplets from a nozzle by an inkjet method as a droplet, a step of depositing the droplet on the surface of a substrate, and adhering a pigment in the droplet on the substrate. Forming a pattern. 6. A solvent, a pigment dispersed in the solvent, a dispersant dispersed in the solvent, which enhances the affinity between the solvent and the pigment, and an additive dispersed in the solvent to control the free energy at the interface. Discharging the provided ink composition as droplets from a nozzle by an inkjet method; applying the droplets to the surface of a substrate; and attaching the pigment in the droplets onto the substrate. And a method for forming a pattern. 7. A color filter, comprising: a base material; and a coloring layer formed of a pigment adhered to a surface of the base material by an inkjet method.