KR101271522B1 - dispence apparatus for liquid crystal display device and dispense method using thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dispensing device for a liquid crystal display device and a dispensing method using the same, and more particularly, to a dispensing device for forming a seal pattern or dropping a liquid crystal in each cell region thereof for a large-area substrate, and a dispensing method using the same. It is about. More specifically, the present invention provides an apparatus comprising: a stationary stage on which a substrate is seated; A column slider spaced apart from the stage and arranged in a plurality of side by side crossing the upper portion of the substrate, the column slider being slidable in an X axis direction perpendicular to each length axis; A plurality of liquid crystal display devices and a dispensing method using the same are provided for the liquid crystal display device including a head attached to each column slider and slidable in the Y-axis direction along the longitudinal direction of each column slider. The installation area can be reduced, and relatively small column slides and heads slide in place of large stages and substrates, reducing the possibility of particle generation and equipment burden, and in particular, sliding width in the x axis direction for each column slider. Freely controllable, it is applicable to MMG models in which cell areas of different sizes are formed on a single substrate.

Description

Dispensing apparatus for liquid crystal display device and dispense method using the same

1 is a perspective view of a typical dispensing equipment.

2 is a schematic view of a typical dispensing equipment.

3A and 3B are schematic diagrams showing typical seal dispensing and liquid crystal dispensing methods, respectively.

Figure 4 is a schematic view of the dispense equipment according to the present invention.

5A and 5B are schematic views showing a seal dispense and a liquid crystal dispense method by the dispense method according to the present invention, respectively.

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

52: substrate 60: stage

62: column slider 72: head

C1, C2: first and second cell regions

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dispensing apparatus for a liquid crystal display and a dispensing method using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a dispensing apparatus and a method of dispensing using the same. The present invention relates to a dispensing apparatus for forming a pattern) or dropping a liquid crystal, and a dispensing method using the same.

The liquid crystal display device, which is widely used for TVs and monitors, is advantageous for moving image display and has a large contrast ratio. Therefore, the optical anisotropy and polarization of liquid crystal are applied. The principle of image realization is shown in that the liquid crystal layer is face-bonded between the first and second substrates provided with an array layer for liquid crystal driving and a color filter layer for color realization. A liquid crystal panel is an essential component, and the transmittance is realized by changing the arrangement direction of the liquid crystal molecules by an electric field in the liquid crystal panel. In addition, the transmittance difference of the liquid crystal panel is displayed as various images by reflecting the sum of the tones of the color filter through the light of the back light placed on the rear surface.

Meanwhile, a general liquid crystal display manufacturing process includes a substrate manufacturing process for obtaining the first and second substrates, a cell process in which both substrates are bonded to each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, and a liquid crystal panel and a backlight. It can be divided into a module process to integrate.

In addition, the dual substrate manufacturing process and the cell process typically target first and second large area substrates (bare or mother glass) in which a plurality of cell regions are divided by positions in order to reduce the process or improve the yield. In the substrate fabrication process, thin film deposition, photo-lithography, and etching are repeated several times. A color filter layer is realized, and in a cell process, a seal pattern for bonding to one of the cell regions of the first or second large area substrate is formed, and then bonded to the surface through the liquid crystal layer, and then cut by cell regions. To obtain a plurality of liquid crystal panels.

The liquid crystal panel thus obtained is integrated with the backlight through various mechanical means in the module process.

In this case, the seal pattern may include a seal dispensing step of forming a sealant line along an edge of each cell region of either the first or second large area substrate, and in order to interpose the liquid crystal layer, a liquid crystal dropping method. On the premise, a liquid crystal dispense step of dropping a predetermined amount of liquid crystal into each cell region according to a predetermined rule is included.

The liquid crystal display device manufacturing apparatus mobilized for the seal dispense and the liquid crystal dispensing step is a dispensing device, and a schematic perspective view is shown in FIG. 1.

As can be seen, the general dispensing equipment includes a stage 10 on which a large-area substrate 2 (hereinafter, referred to as a substrate 2) is seated, and an upper portion of the substrate 2 spaced apart from the stage 10 by a predetermined distance. One or more column sliders 22 arranged side by side and arranged along the longitudinal direction of each of these column sliders 22 are provided with a plurality of heads 32 for discharging liquid crystals or sealants.

The dual stage 10 is slidable in the direction orthogonal to the column slide 22, that is, in the X-axis direction on the drawing, and the column slide 22 is fixed, and the plurality of column slides 22 are fixed to the column slide 22. The head 32 is slidable in the Y-axis direction and lifted in the Z-axis direction along the longitudinal direction of the column slide 22. When the substrate 2 is seated on the stage 10, the head 32 The liquid crystal or sealant discharge operation and the X and Y axis sliding of the stage 10 and the head 32 and the Z axis raising and lowering of the head 32 proceed properly to form a seal pattern for each cell region or a liquid crystal drop.

2 is a plan view schematically illustrating the above-described general dispenser equipment, and FIGS. 3A and 3B are plan views of a unit cell region C for explaining a seal pattern formation and a liquid crystal dropping method using the dispense equipment of FIG. 2. 3A illustrates a seal pattern forming method and FIG. 3B illustrates a liquid crystal dropping method.

First, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3A, after the substrate 2 is seated on the stage 10, an initial seal pattern forming point is formed by sliding the X axis of the stage 10 and sliding the Y axis of the head 32. Arbitrary head 32 is aligned to the top ①. The head 32 is then stopped and the sealant is dispensed while the stage 10 slides in the X-axis direction to form a sealant line in the X-axis direction from 1 to 2, and the stage 10 is then stopped. In the state, the head 32 slides in the Y-axis direction to form a sealant line in the Y-axis direction from ② to ③. Through the same process, the sealant line in the X-axis direction from ③ to ④ and from ④ to ① Sealant lines in the Y-axis direction are formed in sequence to complete the seal pattern 42 in the cell region C. FIG.

Next, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3B, after the substrate 2 is seated on the stage 10, the first liquid crystal dropping point is formed by the X-axis sliding of the stage 10 and the Y-axis sliding of the head 32. ① The arbitrary head 32 is aligned at the top. Subsequently, the liquid crystal is dispensed while the head 32 slides in the Y-axis direction while the stage 10 is stopped, thereby forming a liquid crystal drop line in the Y-axis direction from ① to ②, and then the head 32 is stopped. In this state, the stage 10 moves in the X-axis direction, dispensing the liquid crystal to form a liquid crystal drop line in the X-axis direction ranging from ② to ③, and in the order of ③ to ④, ④ to ⑤ through the same process. Liquid crystal drop lines are formed in sequence to terminate liquid crystal dispensing at the end of the wafer.

As a result, the liquid crystal droplets 52 according to the predetermined rule are dropped in the cell region C. FIG.

However, the general dispensing method described above represents various problems. First, since the stage 10 is adopted to slide, the dispensing method requires a large installation area. In particular, the size of the substrate 2 is also rapidly increasing in accordance with the recent trend of larger size of the liquid crystal display. In order to move such a large substrate 2, the sliding width including the size of the stage 10 also increases, This entails an increase in the installation area.

Second, there is a high possibility of particles (particles) and the disadvantage that excessive load is applied to the stage (10). This can be found in the sliding of the stage 10 as described above. Since the large stage 10 and the substrate 2 are moved, there is a high possibility of particle generation, and the substrate 2 is likely to be contaminated. 2) and as the size of the stage 10 increases, the weight also increases greatly, and an excessive burden is applied in the sliding process of the stage 10.

Third, a so-called multi-model glass (MMG) model in which cell regions of different sizes are arranged on the substrate 2 in a distributed manner is difficult to be applied. That is, in recent years, in order to increase the utilization of the substrate 2, an MMG method of properly distributing cell regions C having different sizes on one substrate 2 has been in the spotlight. Since the X-axis direction seal pattern or the liquid crystal drop line by the sliding shows the same length uniformly, there is a disadvantage that the MMG method is difficult to apply.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, it is possible to proceed in a stable process even in a narrow installation area, to prevent the occurrence of particles and damage due to excessive load, and also the liquid crystal capable of MMG process progression It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device for manufacturing a display device and a dispensing method using the same.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a stationary stage on which the substrate is seated; A column slider spaced apart from the stage and arranged in a plurality of side by side crossing the upper portion of the substrate, the column slider being slidable in the X-axis direction perpendicular to each longitudinal direction; Provided is a plurality of liquid crystal display device manufacturing apparatus including a head attached to each of the column slider, the head sliding in the Y-axis direction along the longitudinal direction of each column slider.

In this case, the heads may further include nozzles for dispensing sealant or liquid crystal, respectively. In addition, the head may be moved up and down in the Z-axis direction, the sliding width in the X-axis direction of each column slider is different from each other, the substrate is defined by the cell area of the different size for each column slider is defined It is characterized by the MMG system.

In addition, the present invention is a dispensing method using a stage on which a substrate is seated, a plurality of side-by-side column sliders across the upper substrate, and a plurality of heads attached to each of the column sliders, wherein (a) the substrate is seated on the stage. Becoming a step; (b) while the stage is stationary, the head dispenses the target material while the plurality of column sliders slide in the X-axis direction perpendicular to the respective longitudinal directions, so that the X-axis of the target material is on the substrate. Forming a plurality of lines; (c) while the stage is stationary, the plurality of heads dispense the target material while sliding in the Y-axis direction along the respective longitudinal direction of the column slider, so that the Y-axis line of the target material is placed on the substrate. It provides a dispensing method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device comprising a plurality of steps.

In this case, the steps (b) and (c) may be repeated several times, and the target material may be a sealant or a liquid crystal. In the step (b), the column sliders may have different widths. In the step (c), the heads are slid with different widths, so that the x-axis lines and the Y-axis lines of different lengths are implemented on the substrate.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, this invention is demonstrated in detail with reference to drawings.

4 is a plan view of the dispensing equipment according to the present invention, which includes a stage 60 on which a large-area substrate 52 (hereinafter, simply referred to as substrate 52) is mounted, and the stage 60. A plurality of heads (72) arranged side by side at a predetermined interval spaced above the seated substrate 52, and a plurality of heads (72) attached to each of the column sliders 62 and the nozzle for discharging the liquid crystal or sealant Is made of.

In the dispensing apparatus according to the present invention, the stage 60 is stopped, the column slider 62 is slid in the X-axis direction on the drawing perpendicular to the respective longitudinal directions, and the plurality of heads 72 are corresponding column sliders ( It is possible to slide in the Y-axis direction in the drawing along the longitudinal direction of the 62) and to lift in the Z-axis direction. For this purpose, although not shown, parallel linear guides for moving the respective column sliders 62 along opposite side edges of the stage 60 corresponding to both ends of the column sliders 62 63) may be provided, and both ends of the column slider 62 may be slid by a linear motor along the corresponding linear guide.

That is, in the dispensing equipment according to the present invention, the stage 60 remains stationary during the dispensing process, the X-axis sliding of the column slider 62 and the Y-axis sliding of the head 72 and the Z-axis. The lifting operation in the direction is characterized in that seal dispensing and liquid crystal dispensing of the cell regions C1 and C2 of the substrate 52 are possible.

5A and 5B, respectively, are plan views of arbitrary cell regions C1 for explaining the dispensing method according to the present invention. FIG. 5A shows a seal pattern forming method and FIG. 5B shows a liquid crystal dropping method. .

First, reference is made to FIGS. 4 and 5A.

Initially, the substrate 52 is seated on the stage 60 of the dispense equipment according to the present invention. Thereafter, the head 72 is aligned with the upper part of the first seal pattern forming point ① by the X-axis sliding of the column slider 62 and the Y-axis sliding of the head 72. At this time, the stage 60 maintains a stationary state.

The stage 60 and the head 72 are then stopped while the column slider 62 slides in the X-axis direction, dispensing the sealant to form a sealant line in the X-axis direction from 1 to 2, and subsequently the stage. The column slider 62 is stopped while the 60 is still stopped, and the head 72 moves in the Y-axis direction to form a sealant line in the Y-axis direction from ② to ③. Next, the head 72 is stopped and the column slider 62 slides in the X-axis direction to dispense the sealant to form a sealant line in the X-axis direction from 3 to 4, and finally the column slider 62 stops. The head 72 moves in the Y-axis direction to form a final sealant line in the Y-axis direction from ④ to ⓛ. As a result, the seal pattern 82 covering the edge of the cell region C1 is completed, and the stage 60 has not moved during this process.

Next, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5B, the substrate 52 is seated on the initial stage 60. Subsequently, an arbitrary head 72 is aligned with the first liquid crystal dropping point ① above by the X-axis sliding of the column slider 62 and the Y-axis sliding of the head 72.

Subsequently, the stage 60 remains still, and when the column slider 62 is also stopped, the liquid crystal is dispensed while the head 72 slides in the Y-axis direction. Is formed. Subsequently, the head 72 is stopped and the column slider 62 moves in the X-axis direction to dispense the liquid crystal to form a liquid crystal drop line in the X-axis direction from ② to ③. ) And the stop of the column slider 62, the sliding of the head 72 in the Y-axis direction, the stop of the stage 60 and the head 72 and the sliding of the column slider 62 in the X-axis direction, Thus, liquid crystal dispensing is finished.

As a result, the desired liquid crystal drop line was completed, and the stage 60 was not moved during this process.

As described above, the dispensing equipment according to the present invention adopts a method of sliding the column slider 22 instead of the sliding of the stage 60, and thus exhibits characteristics suitable for the MMG method.

Referring back to FIG. 4, in the dispensing equipment according to the present invention, the X-axis sliding width of each column slider 62 may be free for each column slider 62, and a head attached to each column slider 62 may be provided. The Y-axis sliding width of the 72 may also be free for each head 72. Accordingly, as shown, the first and second cell regions C1 and C2 having different sizes may be implemented in the same dispensing process on one substrate 52.

As a result, the liquid crystal dispensing equipment according to the present invention shows an advantage that the installation area can be reduced because the stage is not moved.

In addition, instead of moving a large stage and substrate, only a relatively small column slide and a sliding of the head are made, so that particles are less likely to occur and the life is not extended to the equipment by extending the life.

In particular, the dispense apparatus according to the present invention can freely control the sliding width in the x-axis direction for each column slider, so that the sealing pattern and the liquid crystal dropping for the MMG model in which cell areas of different sizes are formed on a single substrate are possible. There is this.

Claims (8)

A stationary stage on which the substrate is seated; First and second column sliders spaced apart from the stage and crossing the substrate side by side and slidable in an X axis direction perpendicular to each longitudinal direction; A plurality of heads respectively attached to the first and second column sliders and slidable in the Y axis direction along the length direction of the first and second column sliders, respectively. Wherein the first and second column sliders have different sliding widths in the X-axis direction, and the substrate is divided into cell regions of different sizes for each of the first and second column sliders. and a pair of linear guides at both ends of the stage, wherein the first and second column sliders are slid through the linear guides. The method of claim 1, The head is a nozzle for dispensing sealant or liquid crystal, respectively Dispensing device for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device further comprising. The method of claim 1, Dispensing apparatus for a liquid crystal display device wherein the head can be moved up and down in the Z-axis direction, respectively. The method of claim 1, The head attached to the first column slider is attached to one surface of the first column slider, and the head attached to the second column slider does not face the head attached to the first column slider. Dispensing device for a liquid crystal display device attached to the other side of the. A dispensing method using a stage on which a substrate is seated, parallel first and second column sliders across the substrate, and a plurality of heads respectively attached to the first and second column sliders, (a) mounting a substrate on the stage; (b) with the stage stationary, the head dispensing the target material while the first and second column sliders slide in the X-axis direction perpendicular to their respective longitudinal directions, thereby displacing the target material on the substrate. Forming a plurality of X-axis lines; (c) the stage is stationary, and the plurality of heads are dispensed with the target material while sliding in the Y-axis direction along the longitudinal direction of each of the first and second column sliders, thereby displacing the target material on the substrate. Forming a plurality of Y-axis lines of the The first and second column sliders are slid to different widths in the step (b), and the heads are slid to different widths in the step (c), so that different lengths of different lengths are formed on the substrate. An X-axis line and a Y-axis line are implemented, and the first and second column sliders slide through a pair of linear guides provided at both ends of the stage. 6. The method of claim 5, (B) and (c) steps are repeated several times. 6. The method of claim 5, Dispensing method for a liquid crystal display device wherein the target material is a sealant or a liquid crystal. The method according to claim 6, The head attached to the first column slider is attached to one surface of the first column slider, and the head attached to the second column slider does not face the head attached to the first column slider. Dispensing method for a liquid crystal display device attached to the other side of the.

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