KR20030051012A - Apparatus for diffusing spacer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A spacer sprayer is provided to spray spacers uniformly and reduce a period of time required for a spacer spraying process. CONSTITUTION: A spacer sprayer includes a spacer spray chamber(62) and a plurality of spray nozzles(72a,72b). The spray nozzles are arranged in at least two rows on a substrate(61) to spray spacers onto the substrate. The substrate is moved while the spacers are sprayed on to the substrate. The spacer sprayer further includes a plurality of driving rollers(80) that are set inside the spacer spray chamber to move the substrate. The spray nozzles are arranged zigzag.

Description

Spacer spreading device {APPARATUS FOR DIFFUSING SPACER}

The present invention relates to a spacer spreading device, and more particularly, to a spacer spreading device capable of preventing a spacer spreading failure by configuring a plurality of spreading nozzles so as to uniformly distribute the spacers.

LCDs have advantages of small size, thinness, and low power consumption, and are being used as notebook PCs, office automation devices, and audio / video devices. In particular, an active matrix liquid crystal display device using a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as "TFT") as a switch element is suitable for displaying a dynamic image.

In an active matrix type liquid crystal display, an image corresponding to a video signal such as a television signal is displayed on a pixel matrix (Picture Element Matrix or Pixel Matrix) in which pixels are arranged at intersections of gate lines and data lines. Each of the pixels includes a liquid crystal cell that adjusts the amount of transmitted light according to the voltage level of the data signal from the data line. The TFT is provided at the intersection of the gate line and the data lines to switch the data signal to be transmitted to the liquid crystal cell in response to the scan signal from the gate line.

The manufacturing process of the active matrix type liquid crystal display device is produced by dividing the substrate into cleaning, substrate patterning, alignment film formation, substrate bonding / liquid crystal injection, and mounting process.

In the substrate cleaning process, foreign substances on the substrates before and after the upper and lower substrates are patterned are removed using a cleaning agent. In the substrate patterning process, the upper substrate is patterned and the lower substrate is patterned.

A color filter, a common electrode, a black matrix, and the like are formed on the upper substrate. Signal lines such as data lines and gate lines are formed on the lower substrate, and TFTs are formed at intersections of the data lines and gate lines. The pixel electrode is formed in the pixel region between the data line and the gate line.

Referring to Fig. 1, the manufacturing process of the TFT is as follows. First, the gate electrode 20 and the gate line are deposited on the substrate 18 with a metal such as Al, Mo, Cr, or an alloy thereof, and then patterned by photolithography.

On the substrate 18 on which the gate electrode 20 is formed, a gate insulating film 22 made of an inorganic film such as SiNx, SiOx or the like, and amorphous silicon (hereinafter referred to as "a-Si") on the gate insulating film 22 And the ohmic contact layer 26 made of a-Si doped with n + ions are successively deposited.

On the ohmic contact layer 26, a source electrode 28 and a drain electrode 30 made of metal such as Mo and Cr are formed. This source electrode 28 is patterned integrally with the data line. The ohmic contact layer 26 exposed through the opening between the source electrode 28 and the drain electrode 30 is removed by dry etching or wet etching. A protective film 32 made of SiNx or SiOx is deposited on the source electrode 28 and the drain electrode 30 to cover the TFT.

Subsequently, a contact hole is formed on the protective film 32. A pixel electrode 34 made of indium tin oxide is coated so as to be connected to the drain electrode 30 through the contact hole.

During the TFT process, the gate electrode 20, the gate line, the source electrode 28, the data line, the drain electrode 30, and the pixel electrode 34, as well as color filters and black matrices (not shown) are photographed using photo equipment. It is patterned by the process of forming, exposing, and developing a resist.

In the substrate bonding / liquid crystal injection process, an alignment film is coated and rubbed on the lower substrate, followed by an upper / lower substrate bonding process using a seal, liquid crystal injection, and an injection hole encapsulation process. Here, the reality serves to define the liquid crystal injection space and the liquid crystal region.

In the substrate bonding / liquid crystal injection process, an alignment film is coated on the lower substrate and rubbed, followed by an upper / lower substrate bonding process using a seal material, liquid crystal injection, and an injection hole encapsulation process.

Finally, in the mounting process, a tape carrier package (TCP) in which integrated circuits such as a gate drive integrated circuit and a data drive integrated circuit are mounted is connected to a pad portion on a substrate.

In this process sequence, after the TFT is formed on the lower substrate, when the upper and lower substrates are bonded, the display stain generated due to the non-uniformity of the liquid crystal layer by regulating the cell gap of the liquid crystal cell and maintaining the appropriate thickness of the liquid crystal layer In order to prevent the deterioration of visibility and spacers.

In general, a type of spreader for dispersing a spacer onto an LCD substrate is a wet spreader which properly spreads and distributes the spacer in a solution in which IPA (Isopropylalcohol) and water are mixed. After charging the polarity of the LCD substrate differently, it can be divided into a dry spreader that distributes the spacer on the LCD substrate.

Referring to FIG. 2, a conventional spacer dispersing apparatus includes a chamber 42 for dispersing a spacer 56, a spacer supply part 48 for supplying the spacer 56, and a spacer 56 from the spacer supply part 48. The supply pipe 50 for supplying the gas to the chamber 42, the loading part 44 for loading the substrate 41 into the chamber 42, and the substrate 41 on which the spacers 56 are scattered. ), And an unloading part 46 for unloading the wafer) and an inspection part 47 for dispersing inspection of the spacers 56 scattered on the substrate 41.

The chamber 42 is connected to the supply pipe 50 and adds a spray nozzle 52 for adjusting the scattering area of the spacer 56, and a table 54 on which the substrate 41, which has been finished, is loaded and seated. It is provided with.

The spray nozzle 52 serves to evenly distribute the spacer 56 on the substrate 41. The supply pipe 50 is made of a stainless steel tube, and is a passage for feeding the spacer 56 from the spacer supply part 48 to the injection nozzle 52 of the chamber 42.

The spacer supply unit 48 weighs the spacer 56 as necessary for the process and is fed to the supply pipe 50 by an inert gas.

The loading unit 44 serves to load the substrate 41 having completed the preceding process into the chamber 42, and the unloading unit 46 stores the substrate 41 having the spacer 56 scattering therein completed in the chamber 42. Unloading from serves to move to the inspection unit (47). Here, the substrate 41 is loaded into the loading unit 44 by a robot (not shown) and unloaded from the unloading unit 46 to the inspection unit 47.

The inspection unit 47 detects the density of spacer dispersion by detecting the density of the spacers 56 scattered on the substrate 41.

As described above, the conventional spacer spreading device randomly scatters the spacers 56 by using one injection nozzle 52, so that agglomeration of the spacers 56 occurs. In addition, the substrate 41 is loaded into the chamber 42 by the transfer robots, and then remains on the table 54 of the chamber 42 for a predetermined time, and then scatters the spacer 56 and then moves the transfer robots again by the transfer robots. Unloading is a problem that the process time is delayed.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a spacer spreading device that can prevent a spacer scattering defect by configuring a plurality of scattering nozzles so as to uniformly distribute the spacers.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a general thin film transistor.

2 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional spacer spreading device.

3 is a cross-sectional view showing a spacer spreading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a view showing the injection nozzle shown in FIG.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

18: glass substrate 20: gate electrode

22 gate insulating film 24 semiconductor layer

26 ohmic contact layer 28 source electrode

30 drain electrode 32 protective film

34: pixel electrode 41, 61: substrate

42, 62: chamber 44: loading section

46: unloading unit 47, 67: inspection unit

48, 68: spacer supply part 50, 70: supply pipe

52, 72a, 72b: injection nozzle 56, 76: spacer

80: drive roller

In order to achieve the above object, the spacer spreading apparatus according to the present invention includes a spacer spreading chamber and a plurality of spray nozzles arranged in at least two rows above the substrate to spray the spacers on the substrate, respectively.

The substrate may be transferred when the spacer is sprayed.

It is further provided with a plurality of driving rollers installed in the spacer dispersion chamber to transfer the substrate.

The spray nozzles may be arranged in a zigzag form.

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

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 will be described a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, a spacer spreading apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a spacer supply unit 68 supplying a spacer 76, a chamber 62 for distributing the spacer 76, and a spacer supply unit 68. Supply pipe 70 for supplying the spacer 76 to the chamber 62, and the first and second injections, which are connected to the supply pipe 70 and arranged in two rows for adjusting the scattering area of the spacer 76. Dispersion test is performed on the nozzles 72a and 72b, the drive rollers 80 installed in the chamber 62 to transfer the substrate 61, and the spacers 76 scattered on the substrate 61. An inspection unit 67 is provided for the purpose.

The spacer supply unit 68 weighs the spacer 76 as necessary for the process and is fed to the supply pipe 70 by an inert gas.

The supply pipe 70 is made of a stainless steel tube and presses the spacer 76 from the spacer supply part 68 to the first and second injection nozzles 72a and 72b of the chamber 62.

The driving rollers 80 transfer the substrate 61 loaded into the chamber 62 after completing the preliminary process. That is, the driving rollers 80 stop the substrate 61 in the chamber 62 for a predetermined time in the chamber 62 as in the related art, and then the substrate 61 is transferred rather than spreading the spacer 76 on the substrate 61. While serving to transport the spacer 76 to be distributed. As a result, the driving rollers 80 for transporting the substrate 61 in the chamber 62 eliminate the need for a transport robot for loading or unloading the substrate 61 as in the prior art.

The inspection unit 67 detects the density of the spacer spread by detecting the density of the spacer 76 scattered on the substrate 61 conveyed by the driving rollers 80.

The first and second spray nozzles 72a and 72b are arranged in a zigzag form so that the spacers 56 are evenly sprayed on the substrate 61 as shown in FIG. 4. The first and second spray nozzles 72a and 72b scatter the spacer 76 while maintaining a gap Gap of about 100 μm with the substrate 61. About 1000 nozzles are installed in the first and second injection nozzles 72a and 72b. On the other hand, the injection nozzle is limited to being arranged in two rows as described above, but three or more rows may be installed in a zigzag form.

As described above, the spacer dispersing apparatus of the present invention spreads the spacer 76 uniformly by using at least two or more rows of injection nozzles 72a and 72b, so that the spacer 76 can be rapidly spread. That is, while the substrate is loaded in the table installed in the chamber in the prior art, the substrate, in which the spacer is dispersed in the state of being stopped for a certain time, is unloaded by the transport robot, whereas in the present invention, the substrate 61 is transferred by the driving rollers 80. By spreading the spacers 76 using at least two or more rows of injection nozzles 72a and 72b having about 1000 nozzles on the surface, the process time is greatly reduced.

In addition, since the spacers 76 are scattered on the substrate 61 using at least two or more rows of injection nozzles 72a and 72b each having about 1000 nozzles, the spacers are uniformly dispersed and spacer aggregation occurs. I never do that.

As described above, the spacer dispersing apparatus according to the present invention may dispose the spacers by uniformly dispersing the spacers by distributing the spacers by installing at least two or more rows of injection nozzles in the spacer dispersing chamber. In addition, since the driving rollers are installed inside the spacer spreading chamber to distribute the spacer while transferring the substrate, the process time can be greatly reduced.

Therefore, the spacer spreading apparatus according to the present invention can not only reduce the dispersion defect of the spacer, but also greatly improve the productivity.

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 (4)

A spacer spread chamber, And a plurality of spray nozzles arranged in at least two rows above the substrate and spraying the spacers on the substrate, respectively. The method of claim 1, And the substrate is transported when the spacer is sprayed. The method of claim 1, And a plurality of driving rollers installed in the spacer spreading chamber to transfer the substrate. The method of claim 1, And the spray nozzles are arranged in a zigzag shape.