KR101087241B1 - Appartus and method for repairing liquid crystal display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a repair apparatus and a method of a liquid crystal display panel which can improve the yield by darkening the bright point.

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display panel comprising: a first substrate on which first thin films are formed and a second substrate on which second thin films are formed; The first portion of the region corresponding to the first and second substrates in which the heat is conducted by conducting electrical heat to any one of the first and second substrates in the region corresponding to the foreign matter mixed in the liquid crystal display panel. And a heat conduction apparatus for opaquely hazing the second thin film.

Description

Repair apparatus and method for LCD panel {APPARTUS AND METHOD FOR REPAIRING LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY PANEL}             

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional liquid crystal display panel.

2 is a view for explaining the orientation misalignment caused by the foreign matter inserted in the process.

3 is a view showing a bright point appearing when the image is implemented by the foreign material.

4 is a view illustrating an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a view for explaining the operation of the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

    <Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

2, 102: upper substrate 4, 104: black matrix

6, 106: color filter 18,118: common electrode

32,132 Lower substrate 16,116 Pixel electrode                 

55,155 Foreign material 160: Thermal conduction device

162: heat conduction pin 170: liquid crystal display panel

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel, and more particularly, to a repair apparatus and a method of a liquid crystal display panel capable of darkening a bright point to improve image quality.

In general, a liquid crystal display (LCD) displays an image by adjusting the light transmittance of the liquid crystal according to a video signal. To this end, the liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel in which liquid crystal cells are arranged in a matrix, and a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal display panel.

The liquid crystal display is roughly classified into a twisted nematic (TN) mode using a vertical electric field and an in plan switch (IPS) mode using a horizontal electric field according to the electric field driving the liquid crystal.

The TN mode is a mode in which a liquid crystal is driven by a vertical electric field between a pixel electrode and a common electrode disposed to face the upper substrate. The TN mode has a large aperture ratio and a narrow viewing angle. On the other hand, the IPS mode is a mode for driving the liquid crystal by a horizontal electric field between the pixel electrode and the common electrode disposed side by side on the lower substrate has a large viewing angle has a disadvantage of small aperture ratio.                         

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional TN mode liquid crystal display panel.

The liquid crystal display panel illustrated in FIG. 1 includes an upper array substrate (or a black matrix 4, a color filter 6, a common electrode 18, and an upper alignment layer 8) sequentially formed on the upper substrate 2. A color filter array substrate), a TFT formed on the lower substrate 32, a lower array substrate composed of a pixel electrode 16 and a lower alignment layer 38, and an injection into an internal space between the upper array substrate and the lower array substrate. The liquid crystal 52 is provided.

Meanwhile, in the IPS mode liquid crystal display panel, the common electrode 18 is formed on the lower substrate 32 and the planarization layer (compensated) to compensate for the step difference of the color filter 6 on the color filter 6 on the upper substrate 2. Not shown) is formed.

In the upper array substrate, the black matrix 4 is formed on the upper substrate 2 in correspondence with the TFT region of the lower array substrate and the region of the gate lines and data lines not shown, and the color filter 6 is formed. Prepare a cell area to be used. The black matrix 4 prevents light leakage and absorbs external light to increase contrast. The color filter 6 is formed over the cell region separated by the black matrix 4 and the black matrix 4. The color filter 6 is formed for each of R, G, and B to implement R, G, and B colors. The common electrode 18 is supplied with a common voltage for controlling the movement of the liquid crystal. The spacer 13 serves to maintain a cell gap between the upper array substrate and the lower array substrate.

In the lower array substrate, the TFTs overlap with the gate electrode 9 formed on the lower substrate 32 together with the gate line, and the semiconductor layers 14 and 42 overlapping the gate electrode 9 and the gate insulating film 44 therebetween. ) And source / drain electrodes 40 and 47 formed together with data lines (not shown) with semiconductor layers 14 and 42 interposed therebetween. This TFT supplies the pixel signal from the data line to the pixel electrode 16 in response to the scan signal from the gate line. The pixel electrode 16 is a transparent conductive material having a high light transmittance and is in contact with the drain electrode 47 of the TFT with the passivation layer 50 interposed therebetween. The upper and lower alignment layers 8 and 38 for liquid crystal alignment are formed by applying an alignment material such as polyimide and then performing a rubbing process.

If a defect occurs in each of the thin films of the upper array substrate and the lower array substrate of the conventional liquid crystal display panel, it is repaired by using a rework or a laser. However, in the case where foreign matter is deposited between the thin film of the upper array substrate and the thin film of the lower array substrate, repair by a rework, a laser, or the like is impossible.

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining the misalignment caused by the foreign matter inserted in the process, and FIG. 3 is a view showing a bright spot appearing when the image is formed by the foreign matter.

In general, when moving to a separate chamber or to a third place in the chamber to form a predetermined thin film or to form another thin film and the thin film, for example, as shown in Figure 2 and the common electrode 18 The foreign material 55 or the like may be frequently deposited between the upper alignment layers 8. The alignment layer positioned to correspond to the foreign material 55 is not uniformly rubbed during the rubbing process by the foreign material 55, so that an uneven alignment area A is formed in the liquid crystal display panel.

In the liquid crystal display panel, light leakage is generated by the non-uniform alignment region A, and the light leakage interferes with the light transmittance of the liquid crystal, thereby causing bright spots to appear on the liquid crystal display panel as shown in FIG. 3. In general, when a high gray is implemented, a dark spot is seen by light leakage, and when a low gray is implemented, it is called a bright spot where the sun is bright by a light leak. Here, the human eye is relatively sensitive to bright spots rather than dark spots, thereby giving a stricter criterion for the bright spots than the dark spots when the panel is judged as unfavorable. Accordingly, a method for minimizing the defective rate of the panel due to bright spots is required.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a repair apparatus and method for a liquid crystal display panel which can improve the yield by darkening the bright point.

In order to achieve the above object, a repair apparatus for a liquid crystal display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a liquid crystal display panel in which a first substrate on which first thin films are formed and a second substrate on which second thin films are formed are bonded together with a liquid crystal interposed therebetween. ; The first portion of the region corresponding to the first and second substrates in which the heat is conducted by conducting electrical heat to any one of the first and second substrates in the region corresponding to the foreign matter mixed in the liquid crystal display panel. And a heat conduction apparatus for opaquely hazing the second thin film.

The first thin films may include a black matrix partitioning a cell region and a color filter formed for each cell region partitioned by the black matrix, wherein the color filter is shaded by heat conducted from the thermal conductive apparatus to the first substrate. Is processed.

The first thin films further include a planarization layer planarizing the first substrate on which the color filter is formed, wherein at least one of the color filter and the planarization layer is hedge by heat conducted from the heat conduction apparatus to the first substrate. Is processed.

The thermal conductive apparatus converts electricity applied from a power source into electrical heat, and includes a thermal conductive pin for conducting the electrical heat to at least one region of the first and second substrates.

The contact area between the thermally conductive fins and the first and second substrates is about 10 to 200 μm.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for repairing a liquid crystal display panel, wherein the first substrate on which the first thin films are formed and the second substrate on which the second thin films are formed are repaired with the liquid crystal interposed therebetween. Detecting a position of a foreign substance mixed in the liquid crystal display panel; The first and second thin films in a region corresponding to the first and second substrates in which the electrical heat is conducted by conducting electrical heat to any one of the first and second substrates in the region corresponding to the foreign material. Opaque hazing.

Opaquely aging the first and second thin films further include conducting electrical heat conducted to the first and second substrates to the first and second thin films.

The first thin films may include a black matrix partitioning a cell region and a color filter formed for each cell region partitioned by the black matrix, and the color filter is hedged by heat conducted to the first substrate.

The first thin films further include a planarization layer planarizing the first substrate on which the color filter is formed, and at least one of the color filter and the planarization layer is hedged by heat conducted to the first substrate.

Other objects and features of the present invention in addition to the above object will be apparent from the description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

4 is a diagram illustrating a repair apparatus for a TN mode liquid crystal display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the foreign material 155 is mixed into the liquid crystal display panel 170, the repair apparatus of the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention is electrically connected to the liquid crystal display panel 170 in a region corresponding to the foreign material 155. A heat conduction device 160 is provided to burn an organic thin film of the liquid crystal display panel in a region where the foreign material 155 is mixed by applying heat.

The LCD panel 170 includes an upper array including a black matrix 104, a color filter 106, a common electrode 118, a spacer 113, and an upper alignment layer 108 sequentially formed on the upper substrate 102. A substrate (or color filter array substrate), a TFT formed on the lower substrate 132, a lower array substrate composed of a pixel electrode 116 and a lower alignment layer 138, and an internal structure between the upper array substrate and the lower array substrate. The liquid crystal 152 injected into the space is provided.

In the upper array substrate, the black matrix 104 is formed on the upper substrate 102 corresponding to the TFT region of the lower plate and the gate line and data line regions not shown, and the cell in which the color filter 106 is to be formed. Provide an area. The black matrix 104 prevents light leakage and absorbs external light to increase contrast. The color filter 106 is formed over the cell region separated by the black matrix 4 and the black matrix 4. The color filter 106 is formed for each of R, G, and B to implement R, G, and B colors. The common electrode 118 is supplied with a common voltage for controlling the movement of the liquid crystal. The spacer 113 serves to maintain a cell gap between the upper array substrate and the lower array substrate.

In the lower array substrate, the TFTs overlap the gate electrodes 109 formed on the lower substrate 102 together with the gate lines, and the semiconductor layers 114 and 147 overlapping the gate electrodes 109 and the gate insulating layer 144 therebetween. ) And source / drain electrodes 140 and 142 formed together with data lines (not shown) with semiconductor layers 114 and 147 interposed therebetween. The TFT supplies a pixel signal from the data line to the pixel electrode 116 in response to a scan signal from the gate line.

The pixel electrode 116 is a transparent conductive material having a high light transmittance and contacts the drain electrode 142 of the TFT with the passivation layer 150 therebetween. The upper and lower alignment layers 108 and 138 for liquid crystal alignment are formed by applying an alignment material such as polyimide and then performing a rubbing process.                     

Meanwhile, in the IPS mode liquid crystal display panel, the common electrode 118 is formed on the lower substrate 132 and the planarization layer (compensated) to compensate for the step difference of the color filter 106 on the color filter 106 on the upper substrate 102. Not shown) is formed.

The heat conduction device 160 is the upper substrate 102 and the lower substrate 132 in the region corresponding to the region in which the foreign material 155 is mixed, if the mixed foreign material 155 is found after the upper and lower array substrate is bonded. Conduct heat to at least one of For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, when the foreign material 155 is mixed between the common electrode 118 and the upper alignment layer 108, heat from the heat conduction device 160 may be transferred to the foreign matter (the liquid crystal display panel 170). 155 directly conducts heat to the upper substrate 102 in the region corresponding to the mixed region.

The heat conduction device 160 of the present invention converts electricity supplied from a power source into heat by electric resistance, and heat conduction fins 162 for conducting the converted heat to specific portions of the upper substrate 102 and the lower substrate 132. It is provided.

The heat conduction pin 162 is manufactured at an end of about 10 μm to 200 μm for precise contact with specific portions of the upper substrate 102 and the lower substrate 132.

Hereinafter, an operation of the present heat conduction apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, the foreign material 155 is mixed between the common electrode 118 of the liquid crystal display panel 170 and the upper alignment layer 108, and the heat conductive fins 162 of the heat conductive device 160 are the liquid crystal display panel. The upper substrate 102 corresponding to the region in which the foreign material 155 is mixed at 170 is in contact with the upper substrate 102.

The heat conduction device 160 converts electricity supplied from a power source into heat to conduct heat to the heat conduction pins 162, and the heat conduction to the heat conduction pins 162 is mixed with the water 155 through the upper substrate 102. It is conducted up to the color filter 106 to match the area.

At this time, the color filter 106 formed of an organic material is discolored due to the heat conducting due to its characteristics, or black when the relatively high heat is conducted from the heat conduction device 160.

As a result, light leakage occurs due to the misalignment caused by the foreign material 155, and partially darkens the color filter 106 in the region where the foreign material 155 mixed with the bright point of the liquid crystal display panel 170 is mixed. Is minimized to improve yield.

If a foreign material (not shown) is seated on the lower substrate 132, the heat conductive fins 162 of the heat conduction device 160 may be in contact with the lower substrate 132, and the foreign material may be mixed in the lower substrate 132. By discoloring the organic protective film 150, the bright spot can be darkened to improve the yield.

In the present invention, the thin film that changes its characteristics by heat and is blurred or search discolored is an organic thin film of the upper substrate 102 or the lower substrate 132.

As a result, light leakage occurs due to misalignment caused by the foreign material 155 seated on the upper substrate 102 or the lower substrate 132, thereby darkening the region that acted as a bright point of the liquid crystal display panel 170 to improve the yield. Can be.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a repair method of a liquid crystal display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, an upper array substrate on which a black matrix 104, a color filter 106, a common electrode 118, a spacer 113, and an upper alignment layer 108 are sequentially formed on the upper substrate 102. Or a color filter array substrate) is formed (S2).

In addition, a thin film transistor, a pixel electrode 116 connected to the thin film transistor, and a lower alignment layer are formed on the lower substrate 132 at the intersection of the gate line and the data line 40, the gate line and the data line by a separate process. A lower array substrate (thin film transistor array substrate) on which 138 is formed is formed. (S4) Meanwhile, in the case of the liquid crystal display panel of the IPS mode, the common electrode 118 is formed on the lower substrate 132 and the upper substrate ( The planarization layer is formed on the color filter 106 of the 102.

Thereafter, the upper substrate and the lower substrate are bonded to each other with the liquid crystal interposed therebetween, thereby forming the liquid crystal display panel dl.

Subsequently, when the foreign material 155 or the like is mixed between the thin film of the upper substrate 102 and the thin film, for example, between the color filter 106 and the upper alignment layer 108, the thermal conductive device 160 shown in FIG. The heat conductive fins 162 are brought into contact with the upper substrate 102 in the region corresponding to the foreign material 155 by using the heat transfer pins 162.

When the heat conduction pin 106 is in contact with the upper substrate 102, heat from the heat conduction pin 162 is conducted to the upper substrate 102, the heat from the upper substrate 102 of the region where the foreign material 155 is mixed By being conducted to the color filter 106, the color filter 106, which is an organic material due to heat, becomes faded or blackened when high heat is conducted. (S8) The light emitted from the backlight is a light-discolored or blackened area. It will not pass. As a result, dark or darkly discolored areas are darkened so that the defective rate of the panel is minimized and the yield is always maintained.                     

As such, the method of darkening the bright spots of the faded or black discolored areas by applying electric heat is not only an IPS mode liquid crystal panel and a TN mode liquid crystal display panel, but also ECB (Electric Controlled Birefringence), and VA (Vertical). It can also be easily applied to the liquid crystal display panel of the alignment mode.

As described above, the repairing apparatus and method of the liquid crystal display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the bright point is generated by the foreign matter mixed between the thin film and the thin film during the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display panel, the electric By conducting normal heat and darkening the area corresponding to the foreign material, the failure rate of the panel is minimized and the yield is improved.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (9)

A liquid crystal display panel in which a first substrate on which first thin films are formed and a second substrate on which second thin films are formed are bonded to each other with a liquid crystal interposed therebetween; The first portion of the region corresponding to the first and second substrates in which the heat is conducted by conducting electrical heat to any one of the first and second substrates in the region corresponding to the foreign matter mixed in the liquid crystal display panel. And a heat conduction device for opaquely hazing the second thin film. The method according to claim 1, The first thin films may include a black matrix partitioning a cell region and a color filter formed for each cell region partitioned by the black matrix. The color filter is repaired by heat transferred from the heat conduction device to the first substrate. The method of claim 2, The first thin films further include a planarization layer planarizing the first substrate on which the color filter is formed. And at least one of the color filter and the planarization layer is subjected to a heat treatment by heat conducted from the heat conduction apparatus to the first substrate. The method of claim 1, The heat conduction device, Converts electricity from the power source into electrical heat, And a heat conductive pin for conducting the electrical heat to at least one region of the first and second substrates. The method of claim 4, wherein The contact area between the heat conductive fins and the first and second substrates is about 10 to 200㎛ repair apparatus of the liquid crystal display panel. A method of repairing a liquid crystal display panel in which a first substrate on which first thin films are formed and a second substrate on which second thin films are formed are bonded to each other with a liquid crystal interposed therebetween. Detecting a position of a foreign material mixed in the liquid crystal display panel; The first and second thin films in a region corresponding to the first and second substrates in which the electrical heat is conducted by conducting electrical heat to any one of the first and second substrates in the region corresponding to the foreign material. The method of repairing a liquid crystal display panel comprising the step of opaque hazing. The method of claim 6, Opaquely processing the first and second thin films, And electrically conducting electrical heat conducted to the first and second substrates to the first and second thin films. The method of claim 6, The first thin films may include a black matrix partitioning a cell region and a color filter formed for each cell region partitioned by the black matrix. The color filter is repaired by the heat conducted to the first substrate. The method of claim 6, The first thin films further include a planarization layer planarizing the first substrate on which the color filter is formed. And at least one of the color filter and the planarization layer is hedged by heat conducted to the first substrate.

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