KR101294231B1 - Nozzle coating device and methode for fabricating the color filter substarte using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a slit having a second width by forming a first slit nozzle and a plurality of bars of a predetermined length facing the first slit nozzle and having end portions thereof having a first width. A slit head configured by coupling a gap nozzle slit to be formed and a second slit nozzle facing each other with the first slit nozzle and the gap nozzle slit interposed therebetween; A supply line connected to the slit head; Pumping means connected to the supply line; A storage tank connected to the pumping means; Provided is a nozzle coating apparatus including a stage positioned below the slit head, and a method of manufacturing a color filter substrate using the same.

Nozzle coating device, slit head, slit, bar, color filter pattern

Description

Nozzle coating device and method for manufacturing color filter substrate using the same {Nozzle coating device and methode for fabricating the color filter substarte using the same}

1 is an exploded perspective view of a general liquid crystal display device.

Figure 2 is a simplified view showing a process of coating a color resist on a substrate using a conventional slit coating apparatus.

3 is a perspective view of a slit head of the nozzle coating apparatus according to the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view of a side of a slit head of a nozzle coating apparatus according to the present invention.

5 is a front view of a state in which only the first slit nozzle and the gap nozzle are combined in the slit head of the nozzle coating apparatus according to the present invention;

6 is a view showing the lower surface of the slit head of the nozzle coating apparatus according to the present invention.

Briefly showing the formation of a red, green, blue color filter pattern on a substrate using a nozzle coating apparatus according to the present invention.

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

101: nozzle coating device 103: slit head

105: first slit nozzle 110: gap slit nozzle

120: second slit nozzle 150: chemical liquid supply line

155 pumping means 160 chemical storage tank

165 stage 180 substrate

183: Red color filter pattern

The present invention relates to a coating apparatus, and more particularly to a nozzle coating apparatus capable of forming a stripe-shaped pattern having a predetermined spacing interval.

Recently, liquid crystal displays have been spotlighted as next generation advanced display devices having low power consumption, good portability, high technology value, and high added value.

Of these liquid crystal display devices, an active matrix type liquid crystal display device having a thin film transistor, which is a switching device capable of controlling voltage on and off for each pixel, .

In general, a liquid crystal display device forms an array substrate and a color filter substrate through an array substrate manufacturing process for forming thin film transistors and pixel electrodes, and a color filter substrate manufacturing process for forming color filters and common electrodes, And a liquid crystal interposed therebetween.

In more detail, the structure of the liquid crystal display will be described with reference to FIG. 1, which is an exploded perspective view of a general liquid crystal display. As shown in FIG. 1, the array substrate 10 and the color filter substrate are interposed between the liquid crystal layer 30. 20 has a configuration in which the bottom surface is bonded to each other, wherein the lower array substrate 10 has a plurality of gate lines 14 vertically and horizontally arranged on the upper surface of the transparent substrate 12 to define a plurality of pixel regions P. A thin film transistor Tr is provided at the intersection of the two wires 14 and 16, and is connected one-to-one with the pixel electrode 18 provided in each pixel region P.

Also, the upper color filter substrate 20 facing the array substrate may cover a non-display area such as the gate line 14, the data line 16, and the thin film transistor Tr on the rear surface of the transparent substrate 22. Grid-like black matrix 25 is formed so as to border each pixel region P, and the red, green, and blue color filter layers 26 are sequentially arranged to correspond to each pixel region P in the grid. ) Is formed, and a transparent common electrode 28 is provided over the entirety of the black matrix 25 and the red, green, and blue color filter layers 26.

Although not shown in the drawings, the two substrates 10 and 20 are sealed with a sealant or the like along the edges to prevent leakage of the liquid crystal layer 30 interposed therebetween. An upper and lower alignment layer is provided at the boundary between each of the substrates 10 and 20 and the liquid crystal layer 30 to provide reliability in the molecular alignment direction of the liquid crystal, and at least one outer surface of each of the substrates 10 and 20 is polarizing plate. It is provided.

In addition, a back-light is provided on the outer surface of the array substrate to supply light. The on / off signals of the thin film transistor T are sequentially scanned by the gate wiring 14. When the image signal of the data wiring 16 is transmitted to the pixel electrode 18 of the pixel region P applied and selected, the liquid crystal molecules are driven by the vertical electric field therebetween, and thus the light transmittance is changed. Branch images can be displayed.

In the manufacture of the liquid crystal display device having such a configuration, in particular, the color filter substrate, referring to FIG. 2, which briefly illustrates a process of coating a color resist on a substrate using a conventional slit coating apparatus, is formed on a transparent substrate 50. Color resists containing red, green, and blue pigments and having photosensitive properties are sequentially coated on the entire surface using a spin coating or slit coating apparatus 70 to form a color resist layer 52, and then exposed. Patterning was performed by performing exposure and development using a mask to form a color filter layer containing a red, green, and blue color filter pattern.

Therefore, in order to form a color filter layer having red, green, and blue color filter patterns, it can be seen that three times of exposure and development must be performed.

However, in recent years, efforts have been made to improve productivity by increasing the price competitiveness of liquid crystal displays, and in particular, focus on minimizing the mask process in manufacturing array substrates and color filter substrates.

The mask process includes at least an exposure using an exposure mask and a development process. By reducing the mask process, the mask process is made of quartz or the like, thereby reducing the cost of an exposure mask having a very high cost and further reducing material costs. Because.

Thanks to this trend, in recent years, a method of forming a color filter layer using an inkjet device in which the particles of red, green, and blue are formed by injecting particles in each pixel region to form the red, green, and blue color filters has been proposed, but the inkjet device has a high viscosity of color resists. Due to the clogging of the nozzle with a very fine size of the head, bad pattern defects occur, and the cost of the inkjet device is very expensive, and the color filter layer having red, green, and blue color filter patterns is formed by spraying with the particle size of the molecular unit. It takes a very long time to do so, and it is very weak in terms of productivity per unit time.

An object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle coating apparatus that can be formed to solve the above-described problems, and to form a color filter pattern in a form spaced at a predetermined interval.

Another object of the present invention is to improve productivity in manufacturing a color filter substrate by forming a color filter pattern of red, green, and blue without proceeding a mask process using the nozzle coating apparatus according to the present invention.

In the nozzle coating apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object, a plurality of bars of a predetermined length facing the first slit nozzle and the first slit nozzle and the end portion thereof having a first width are spaced apart from each other. A slit head formed by fastening a gap nozzle slit, each forming a slit having a second width, and a second slit nozzle facing each other with the first slit nozzle and the gap nozzle slit interposed therebetween; A supply line connected to the slit head; Pumping means connected to the supply line; A storage tank connected to the pumping means;

And a stage located below the slit head.

At this time, the inner surface of the first slit nozzle or the second slit nozzle further comprises a groove portion, the slit head further comprises a supply port connecting the groove portion and the supply line, the groove portion and the plurality of bars Bars and slits are characterized by being connected to each other.

In addition, the first width is characterized in that it has a size of 2 to 3 times the second width, the second width is characterized in that the 70㎛ to 140㎛, the pumping means is a diaphragm type pump or It is preferable that it is either a tube-type pump or a syringe pump.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a color filter substrate for a liquid crystal display device, the method comprising: seating a substrate on a stage of a first nozzle coating apparatus; Moving the nozzle head or the stage of the first nozzle coating apparatus at a constant speed in one direction and simultaneously discharging red resist from the nozzle head to form a stripe type red color filter pattern spaced apart from each other on the substrate by a predetermined distance. Making a step; Mounting the substrate on which the red color filter pattern is formed on a stage of a second nozzle coating apparatus; A stripe type green color filter pattern which moves the nozzle head or the stage of the second nozzle coating apparatus at a constant speed in one direction and continuously discharges green resist from the nozzle head to be spaced apart from each other on the substrate by a predetermined distance. Forming; Mounting the substrate on which the green color filter pattern is formed on a stage of a third nozzle coating apparatus; Moving the nozzle head or the stage of the third nozzle coating apparatus at a constant speed in one direction, and simultaneously discharging the blue resist from the nozzle head to form a stripe type blue color filter pattern spaced apart from each other on the substrate. It includes a step.

At this time, after positioning each nozzle head on the substrate seated on the stage of each nozzle coating apparatus, further comprising the step of aligning the nozzle head, the discharge of the red, green, blue resist is the pumping means of the It is characterized by a certain subscription.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described a nozzle coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the structure of the slit head of the nozzle coating apparatus characterized by this invention is demonstrated with reference to drawings.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the slit head of the nozzle coating apparatus according to the invention, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the side of the slit head of the nozzle coating apparatus according to the invention, Figure 5 is a slit of the nozzle coating apparatus according to the invention It is a front view of the state which combined only the 1st slit nozzle and the gap nozzle in the head, and FIG. 6 is a figure which shows the lower surface of the slit head of the nozzle coating apparatus which concerns on this invention.

 As shown, the slit head 103 of the nozzle coating apparatus according to the present invention is largely divided into three parts. The first slit nozzle 105 and the second slit nozzle 120 are configured to face each other to implement the slit, and the first and second slit nozzles are disposed between the first and second slit nozzles 105 and 120. A gap slit nozzle 110 having a structure in which a plurality of slits 116 and a bar 113 alternate with each other as a comb, forming a gap between 105 and 120. have.

In this case, the width w1 of each of the plurality of slits 116 implemented in the gap slit nozzle 110 is about the width of each pixel region of the liquid crystal display, and for implementing the plurality of slits 116. Bars 113 located on both sides of the slit 116 are characterized in that the width w2 is two to three times larger than the width w1 of the slit 116. Typically, the width in the horizontal direction of the pixel area of the liquid crystal display device is about 80 μm to about 150 μm, and the width w1 of the slit 116 is about 70 μm to about 140 μm, and the bar ( The width w2 of the 113 is preferably determined in the range of about 140 μm to about 420 μm. The reason why the width w1 of the slit is formed to have a smaller value than the horizontal width of the pixel area on the actual substrate is that the color resist spreads to some extent after application, and the slit head 103 and the substrate have a predetermined value. Since the coating is performed at a spacing interval, in consideration of this, it is preferable to determine the width w1 of the slit 116 to have a width smaller than the width of the pattern actually formed.

In addition, the thickness t1 of the gap slit nozzle 110 becomes a spaced interval between the first and second slit nozzles 105 and 120, and a plurality of predetermined spaces apart from each other provided in the gap slit nozzle 110. Slits 116 form the discharge passage of the color resist.

Accordingly, when the first and second slit nozzles 105 and 120 are coupled to the gap slit nozzle 110, a nozzle head 103 having a plurality of outlets spaced apart from each other is formed at the bottom thereof.

On the other hand, a groove 130 for storing an appropriate amount of the color resist to be coated is formed on one side of one of the first and second slit nozzles 105 and 120 (the first slit nozzle 105 in the drawing). The chemical liquid supply port 125 is connected to the groove 130 to receive the color resist from the outside, and is located at the upper end of the slit nozzle including the groove 130. In this case, the gap slit nozzle 110 has a plurality of bars 113 and a part of the slit 116 formed at the lower end of the groove 130 so that a predetermined pressure is applied to the lower portion of the groove 130. In the present invention, a plurality of slits 116 provided in the gap slit nozzle 110 form a pipe having a thickness t1 of the gap slit nozzle 110 itself and a width w1 of the slit 116. The color resist is moved along a pipe formed of the plurality of slits 116, and in this case, the position of the end of the pipe is discharged to the outside of the nozzle coating apparatus through the outlet spaced apart from each other to apply on the substrate Will be.

At this time, the pipe and the outlet connected to the pipe are formed by being spaced apart by the width (w2) of the bar (113) of the gap slit nozzle 110, the viscosity of the color resist and the nozzle coating apparatus When the slit head 103 or the moving speed of the stage and the predetermined pressure applied to the slit head 103 are properly adjusted, it is discharged from the slit head 103 of the nozzle coating apparatus to form a color resist pattern in the form of wiring on the substrate. Can be formed.

Meanwhile, in the slit head 103 of the nozzle coating apparatus according to the present invention, the gap slit nozzle 110 is positioned between the first and second slit nozzles 105 and 120, and then each slit is formed by a bolt 135 or the like as a fastening means. The slit head 103 is formed by being fastened between the nozzles 105, 110, and 120 without a spaced interval.

In this case, the slit head 103 is configured by forming a gap slit nozzle 110 having a predetermined thickness t1 corresponding to the entire surface of the first and second slit nozzles 105 and 120. The first and second slit nozzles 105 and 120 have a structure that is fastened without a spaced interval between the first and second slit nozzles by varying the fastening strength of the fastening means, such as a slit coating apparatus for coating a color resist on the entire surface of a conventional substrate. Problems such as the difference in discharge amount of the collet resist and the thickness difference of the color filter layer due to the difference between the intervals do not occur.

Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 7, which briefly illustrates forming a red, green, and blue color filter pattern on a substrate using the nozzle coating apparatus according to the present invention, the slit head 103 having the above-described configuration is illustrated. The nozzle coating apparatus according to the present invention includes a slit head 103 of the nozzle coating apparatus, and the supply port 125 for supplying a color resist to the groove 130 formed inside the slit head 103. The groove part by controlling the amount of color resist which is connected to the chemical liquid supply line 150 and the chemical liquid supply line 150 to be supplied to the groove part 130 while maintaining a constant pressure in the groove part 130. And a pumping means 155 for adjusting a predetermined amount of the color resist filled in the 130, and a chemical storage tank 160 for storing the stage and the color resist.

At this time, the slit coating apparatus 101 according to the present invention is to form a constant thickness of the red, green, blue color resist pattern 183 is coated on the substrate 180 more precisely the discharge amount of the color resist more precisely stripe type. As an important factor, it is connected to the supply line 150 to uniformly discharge the color resist through the slit head 103 from the chemical storage tank 160 to the groove 130 in the slit head 103. The pumping means 155 for supplying the color resist and at the same time enabling a constant ejection of the color resist is provided by the upper and lower movement of a diaphragm type pump or bellows using pressurization of the fluid through the diaphragm. By using a tube phragm type pump or injection method using a change in the volume of the tube, It is one of the syringe pump (syringe pump) is preferred.

Among these pumps, especially diaphragm pumps divide the diaphragm chamber into diaphragms and pressurize or inhale the oil in the pressure chamber by the action of a piston, causing the diaphragm to expand or contract. Since it is possible to precisely control the flow of the color resist through the chemical supply pipe to be carried out in the nozzle coating apparatus 101 according to the present invention it may be most preferable to have the diaphragm (diaphragm) pump have.

A method of forming a color filter layer having a red, green, and blue color filter pattern using the nozzle coating apparatus having the above-described configuration will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 7.

After positioning and aligning the slit head 103 of the nozzle coating apparatus 101 with its groove (not shown) filled with red resist on the substrate 180, the slit head 103 is moved at a constant speed in one direction. Or by moving the stage 165 on which the substrate 180 is mounted at a constant speed in one direction and pressing the pump 155 through the pumping means 155, thereby applying red color resist from the slit head 103 to the substrate 180. Discharge continuously on the surface of In this case, the width w3 between both ends of the slit head 103 more accurately discharging the color resist is equal to the width w4 of the substrate 180 or the width w4 of the substrate 180. Although smaller than the width of the area displaying the image on the substrate 180 (not shown, the interval between the color filter pattern located at the outermost portion of the substrate), the plurality of by one straight motion The stripe type red color filter patterns 183 are formed on the substrate 180 by being spaced apart from each other by one interval.

Subsequently, the substrate 180 on which the stripe-type red color filter pattern 183 is formed is moved to a slit coating apparatus having a slit head 103 filled with green resist in its groove (not shown), and then the red color filter pattern described above. A stripe-type green color filter pattern (not shown) is formed adjacent to each of the stripe-type red color filter patterns 183 through the same method of forming 183, and a blue color filter pattern (not shown) in the same manner. ). In this case, the stripe-type red, green, and blue color filter patterns 183 (not shown) preferably use a nozzle coating apparatus having red, green, and blue resists provided in the groove portions, respectively. This is because when the red, green, and blue color filter patterns are formed using one nozzle coating apparatus, the color resist must be changed, and in this case, a separate preparation step such as cleaning the groove of the coating apparatus must be performed. This process is the same as the formation of the color filter layer through the conventional slit coating apparatus or spin coating apparatus.

Therefore, the red, green, and blue color filter patterns are stripe-type without complicated exposure and development processes by performing three coating processes using each slit coating apparatus 101 each having red, green, and blue resists according to the present invention. A color filter layer having a form in which 183 (not shown or not shown) is sequentially repeated may be formed.

In this case, the portion of the slit head 103 according to the present invention that discharges the color resist has a discharge port having a size having a width of about one width of the pixel region and the thickness of the gap slit nozzle 110, the molecular unit By having a much larger area than the head of the ink jet device for ejecting particles of the size of, the clogging of the discharge port is much less than the ink jet device, and also at a much faster speed than the formation of the color filter layer through the ink jet device. It has the advantage of forming a color filter layer of green, green and blue.

In the present invention, the slit head for discharging the color resist is further provided with a gap slit nozzle having a plurality of bars and slits, thereby forming a stripe type color filter pattern spaced apart from each other on the substrate through one linear motion. Providing a nozzle coating apparatus, the color filter layer of red, green, and blue can be formed without a mask process, thereby improving the cost and productivity in the production of the liquid crystal display market value.

Since the thickness of the discharge port through which the color resist is discharged is determined by the thickness of the gap slit nozzle, there is an effect of preventing the thickness change of the color filter pattern discharged on the substrate due to the gap between the slit heads according to the fastening strength.

Claims (10)

A first slit nozzle having a groove portion in which a coating liquid may be stored on the side, and a plurality of bars of a predetermined length facing the first slit nozzle and having an end portion having a first width are formed spaced apart from each other. A slit head comprising a gap nozzle slit forming a plurality of slits having a second width, and a second slit nozzle facing a groove of the first slit nozzle having a flat side surface with the gap nozzle slit interposed therebetween; A supply line connected to the slit head; Pumping means connected to the supply line; A storage tank connected to the pumping means; A stage located below the slit head, An end of each of the plurality of slits is connected to the groove portion nozzle coating apparatus, characterized in that. delete The method of claim 1, The slit head further comprises a supply port for connecting the groove portion and the supply line. delete The method of claim 1, And the first width has a size two to three times the second width. 6. The method of claim 5, And the second width is 70 μm to 140 μm. The method of claim 1, And the pumping means is one of a diaphragm-type pump, a tube-ramp-type pump, or a syringe pump. Mounting the substrate on the stage of the first nozzle coating apparatus; Moving the nozzle head or the stage of the first nozzle coating apparatus at a constant speed in one direction and simultaneously discharging red resist from the nozzle head to form a stripe type red color filter pattern spaced apart from each other on the substrate by a predetermined distance. Making a step; Mounting the substrate on which the red color filter pattern is formed on a stage of a second nozzle coating apparatus; Moving the nozzle head or the stage of the second nozzle coating apparatus at a constant speed in one direction and simultaneously discharging the green resist from the nozzle head to form a stripe type green color filter pattern spaced apart from each other on the substrate Making a step; Mounting the substrate on which the green color filter pattern is formed on a stage of a third nozzle coating apparatus; Moving the nozzle head or the stage of the third nozzle coating apparatus at a constant speed in one direction, and simultaneously discharging the blue resist from the nozzle head to form a stripe type blue color filter pattern spaced apart from each other on the substrate. Including the steps of: The first to third nozzle coating apparatus is a method for producing a color filter substrate, characterized in that any one of the nozzle coating apparatus of claim 1, 3, 5 to 7. 9. The method of claim 8, And aligning the nozzle heads after positioning the nozzle heads on a substrate seated on a stage of each nozzle coating apparatus. 9. The method of claim 8, And the red, green, and blue resists are discharged by constant joining of the pumping means.

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