KR101786773B1 - Probe film for testing liquid crystal display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a probe film mounted on a probe block for inspecting a panel, the probe film comprising: a film on which contact lines contacting lead wires of the panel are arranged on one surface; And a transparent cover layer formed so as to surround the metal layer. The present invention also provides a probe film for a liquid crystal display panel inspection.

Description

[PROBE FILM FOR TESTING LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY PANEL]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a probe film for inspecting a liquid crystal display panel, and more particularly, to a probe film for inspecting a liquid crystal display panel capable of stably performing electrical inspection on a panel.

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a flat panel display panel refers to a display device such as an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), and a plasma display panel (PDP) There are two types of panels: one is a film transistor, the other is a twisted nematic (TN), the other is a super twisted nematic (STN), the other is a color super twisted nematic (CSTN) And is employed in a liquid crystal display panel of a communication device such as a cellular phone, for example.

A probe block is used to check whether the liquid crystal display panel is operating normally without a pixel error.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, density of a pixel has been increased as a liquid crystal display panel has been made to have a higher image quality. As a result, a need for a probe block having a narrow pitch has been increased. The probes developed so far include a needle type made of tungsten or rhenium-tungsten wire, a blade type made of nickel or beryllium copper, a copper plate attached to a polyimide film, Film type which is produced by etching other conductive materials, Hybrid type which is made by injecting conductive medium by using semiconductor process technology in film type, Pogo pin by spring tension, (Pogo type), which is manufactured by using a MEMS process technology, and a MEMS type (MEMS type) using a semiconductor MEMS process technology.

A conventional probe block for inspecting a liquid crystal display panel has a structure in which needles are generally provided in a wire form and the needles are bonded and fixed by an epoxy resin to limit the outer diameter of the needle. There is a problem that can not cope.

That is, although the mounting surface of the needle holder on which the needles are mounted is limited, since the flat panel display device is highly integrated and the number of terminals is extremely increased, it is difficult to arrange the wire type needles as many as necessary.

In addition, it is impossible to make an accurate physical contact with the contacts on the liquid crystal display panel due to the impact at the time of inspection, and the probe pins are bent or deformed by absorbing the impact generated at the time of contact, .

Further, since the contact portion of the flat panel display panel and the plurality of measurement end points are not formed, there is a problem that the reliability of the inspection can not be secured when a measurement error occurs in the measurement portion.

In addition, in the blade type, there is a problem of electric signal noise, and since direct contact with the contact portion of the flat panel display panel is not achieved, stable electrical inspection can be performed by a physical force due to an increase in overdrive (OD) There is also a problem.

In order to solve this problem, a film type probe block is being developed. However, in the case of the film-type probe block, the probe film is deformed by shrinkage or expansion due to changes in the external environment such as temperature change, humidity change, contact environment and the like, so that the contact lines formed on the lead wires of the panel and the probe film The contact between the lead wires and the contact lines is unstable and the stability of the electrical inspection of the panel is deteriorated.

KR 10-1160076 B1

It is an object of the present invention to prevent the deformation of the probe film according to the external environment and to improve the alignment between the lead wires of the panel and the contact lines formed on the probe film, And a probe film for inspecting a liquid crystal display panel.

The probe film of the present invention is a probe film mounted on a probe block for inspecting a panel. The probe film includes a film on which contact lines contacting lead wires of the panel are arranged on one surface, And a transparent cover layer formed to surround the metal layer.

In addition, the metal layer may be formed at a position corresponding to a contact portion where the contact lines and the lead wires make contact with each other.

The metal layer may be formed on the inner side of the film so that an end of the contact lines protrudes from an end of the metal layer.

In addition, the metal layer may be formed as a plurality of spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the contact lines.

The transparent cover layer may be formed of a photosensitive resin.

The present invention relates to a probe film which is formed along a direction in which contact lines are arranged on the other surface of a film opposite to a surface on which contact lines are formed and also has contact portions on the other surfaces of the film, It is possible to prevent the film from being deformed due to a change in the external environment such as a temperature change, a humidity change, a contact environment, etc. by the metal layer, thereby preventing misalignment between the lead wires and the contact lines of the panel The stability of electrical inspection of the panel can be improved as the contact between the lead wires of the panel and the contact lines is stabilized.

Further, since the metal layer is formed on the other surface of the film so that the end portions of the contact lines protrude from the end portions of the metal layer, thereby improving the alignment accuracy between the lead wires of the panel and the contact lines, It is possible to prevent the occurrence of misalignment with the contact lines and to improve the stability of the electrical inspection of the panel as the contact between the lead lines of the panel and the contact lines is stabilized.

In addition, the present invention is characterized in that, when a plurality of metal layers are formed on the other surface of the film and are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the contact lines to cut the end portion of the used contact line, Since the contact lines protrude from the metal layer even after the cut by the portions spaced apart from each other between the metal layers even in cutting, alignment between the lead wires of the panel and the contact lines It is possible to prevent the occurrence of an error and to improve the stability of the electrical inspection of the panel as the contact between the lead wires and the contact lines of the panel is stabilized.

In addition, the present invention includes a transparent cover layer formed of a transparent material that surrounds a metal layer on the other surface of the film, thereby preventing separation between the metal layer and the film, and preventing deformation of the film by a metal layer not separated on the film Since the transparent cover layer is formed of a transparent material to improve alignment accuracy between the lead wires of the panel and the contact lines, it is possible to prevent misalignment between the lead wires and the contact lines of the panel, The stability of the electrical inspection of the panel can be improved as the contact with the contact lines is stabilized.

1 shows a schematic configuration of a probe block according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a plan view and a side view of a probe film according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view of a probe film according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a plan view and a side view of a probe film according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view of a probe film according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiments of the present invention are provided to more fully describe the present invention to those skilled in the art, and the following embodiments may be modified in various other forms, The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be more thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an," and "the" include plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, " comprise "and / or" comprising "when used herein should be interpreted as specifying the presence of stated shapes, numbers, steps, operations, elements, elements, and / And does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, operations, elements, elements, and / or groups. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed items.

Although the terms first, second, etc. are used herein to describe various elements, regions and / or regions, it should be understood that these elements, components, regions, layers and / Do. These terms do not imply any particular order, top, bottom, or top row, and are used only to distinguish one member, region, or region from another member, region, or region. Thus, the first member, region or region described below may refer to a second member, region or region without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings schematically showing embodiments of the present invention. In the figures, for example, variations in the shape shown may be expected, depending on manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as limited to any particular shape of the regions illustrated herein, including, for example, variations in shape resulting from manufacturing.

1 shows a schematic configuration of a probe block according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The probe block 10 according to the present embodiment contacts the lead wire (not shown) of a panel to be inspected to apply an inspection signal to the panel and detect an output signal according to the inspection signal to determine whether the panel has normal electrical characteristics As shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1, a probe block 10 includes a block body 11, a probe film 13, a flexible circuit board 15, and the like.

The probe film 13 may be adhered to the bottom surface 11a of the block body 11 having a shape inclined downward along the front end at a rear end thereof and the probe block 10 may be mounted on the bottom surface 11a of the block body 11 with the probe film 13 mounted To the lead wire of the panel through the probe film (13).

The flexible circuit board 15 is attached to the bottom surface 11a of the block body 11 at the rear end of the probe film 13 and electrically connected to the probe film 13 to apply an inspection signal to the probe film 13, And receives an output signal from the film 13.

The probe film 13 may be a TIC film or may be a chip on film (COF) type having a driver IC or a type having no driver IC.

FIG. 2 is a plan view and a side view of a probe film according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a probe film according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 and 3, the probe film according to the present embodiment includes a film 21, a plurality of contact lines 23 formed on one side of the film 21, a plurality of contact lines 23 formed on one side of the film 21 A transparent cover layer 27 formed to surround the metal layer 25 on the other side of the film 21, a coating layer 35 for protecting one side of the film 21, T).

The film 21 may be, for example, a polyimide film as a soft material. The contact lines 23 are in contact with the lead wires of the panel at the time of panel inspection to transmit signals to the lead wires or receive signals from the lead wires and to electrically connect the flexible circuit board 15 and the flexible circuit board 15 via the wiring lines 33 .

The metal layer 25 is formed on the other side of the film 21 which is the opposite side of one side where the contact lines 23 are formed so as to prevent deformation of the film 21 at the portions of the contact lines 23, Are integrally formed along the arrangement direction. The metal layer 25 is formed at a position corresponding to the contact area where the contact lines 23 of the other surface of the film 21 and the leads of the panel are in contact with each other. The metal layer 25 may be formed on the other surface of the film 21 by a deposition process such as a sputtering process or a plating process. Since the metal layer 25 is made of a metal material that is not deformed even by changes in the external environment such as a temperature change, a humidity change, and a contact environment, the deformation of the film 21 can be prevented even when the external environment changes. The metal layer 25 may be formed to have an appropriate thickness to prevent deformation of the film 21 while maintaining the flexibility of the probe film.

That is, the film 21 may be deformed such as shrinkage or expansion due to changes in the external environment such as a temperature change, a humidity change, a contact environment, and the like. Thus, an alignment error occurs between the lead wires of the panel and the contact lines 23 formed at one end of the film 23.

The probe film according to the embodiment of the present invention is provided on the opposite surface of the surface on which the contact lines 23 are formed with an array of contact lines 23 at positions corresponding to the contact portions where the contact lines 23 and lead wires contact It is possible to prevent deformation of the film 21 even when the external environment changes such as a temperature change, a humidity change, and a contact environment.

The metal layer 25 is formed so that the end portions 23a of the contact lines 23 protrude from the end portions 25a of the metal layer 25, The end 25a of the metal layer 25 may be located on the other side of the film 21 and positioned inside the film 21. [ Since portions of the contact lines 23 from the end portions 25a of the metal layer 25 to the end portions 23a of the contact lines 23 are exposed through the transparent film 21, The alignment accuracy between the lead wires and the contact lines 23 can be improved.

The transparent cover layer 27 is formed so as to surround the metal layer 25 on the other surface of the film 21 so as to prevent the separation between the metal layer 25 and the film 21. Here, the transparent cover layer 27 may be formed of, for example, a photosensitive resin. The transparent cover layer 27 is also formed by exposing portions of the contact lines 23 from the end portion 25a of the metal layer 25 to the end portion 23a of the contact lines 23 through the transparent cover layer 27 So that it can be made of a transparent material. This transparent cover layer 27 can improve the alignment accuracy between the lead wires of the panel and the contact lines 23.

The probe film 13 may be mounted on the bottom surface of the probe block 10 after the metal layer 25 and the transparent cover layer 27 are formed as described above.

FIG. 4 is a plan view and a side view of a probe film according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a probe film according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The probe film according to the present embodiment can be inspected at a new end portion by cutting the end portion of the contact lines 23 in the case where the end portions of the contact lines 23 are worn or cracked through continuous inspection . Hereinafter, descriptions of substantially the same configurations as those of the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3 will be omitted and differences will be mainly described.

The metal layer 26 formed on the other surface of the film 21 is integrally formed along the direction of arrangement of the contact lines 23 and is formed so as to extend along the longitudinal direction of the contact lines 23 And a plurality of metal layers 26_1-4 that are spaced apart from each other. The transparent cover layer 27 is also formed to cover all of the plurality of metal layers 26_1 to 26_4.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to cut along the inner end of the metal layer to be removed when cutting the end portion of the contact lines 23 where abrasion, cracks, or the like have occurred. For example, during the first cutting, it is possible to cut along the inner end of the metal layer 26_1, and during the second cutting, along the inner end of the metal layer 26_2. The end portion of the new contact lines 23 can then be used to perform the inspection and the remaining portion of the metal layer 25 protruding from the end of the remaining metal layer (e.g., the end of the metal layer 26_2 after the first cut) 27 can be aligned with the lead wires through portions of the contact lines 23 that are visible through the contact lines 23 and 27.

The probe film according to the present embodiment can prevent deformation of the film 21 due to the metal layer 26 and prevent the metal layer 26 from being deformed by a plurality of spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the contact lines 23 It is possible to improve the alignment accuracy between the lead wires of the panel and the contact lines 23 through the spaced portions between the metal layers after cutting.

Although the probe film of the present invention and the probe block including the probe film of the present invention have been described above, it is apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described, but should be determined by the scope of the appended claims, as well as the claims.

It is to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects and that the scope of the present invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, It is intended that all changes and modifications derived from the equivalent concept be included within the scope of the present invention.

10: probe block 11: block body
13: probe film 15: substrate
21: film 23: contact line
25: metal layer 27: transparent cover layer

Claims (4)

A probe film mounted on a probe block for inspecting a panel,
A transparent film on one side of which contact lines contacting the leads of the panel are arranged;
A metal layer integrally formed along an arrangement direction of the contact lines at positions corresponding to the contact portions of the other surface of the film so as to prevent deformation of the contact lines where the contact lines and the lead wires contact with the film; And
A transparent cover layer formed to surround the metal layer;
/ RTI >
Wherein the metal layer is formed inside the film so that the end portions of the contact lines protrude from the end portions of the metal layer. delete delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the transparent cover layer is formed of a photosensitive resin.

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