KR20030057076A - A printing apparatus and a method of forming color filter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A printer for color filter formation and a color filter forming method are provided to save time and cost for manufacturing a color filter by sequentially forming color filter layers and mechanically aligning a substrate. CONSTITUTION: A printer(150) has three cliches(100a,100b,100c) and three transfer rolls(109a,109b,109c). Stages(135a,135b,135c) are formed parallel to the cliches. The cliches have recesses(102) filled with color resists(104). The color resists are transferred to the transfer rolls in response to the rotation and advance of the transfer rolls. The color resists transferred to the transfer rolls are re-transferred to a substrate. Thus, color filter layers are formed. The color filter layers are formed sequentially by installing the transfer rolls sequentially.

Description

Printing apparatus for forming color filter and method for forming color filter {A PRINTING APPARATUS AND A METHOD OF FORMING COLOR FILTER}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display element, and in particular, a color filter of R, G, B is easily and inexpensively provided by sequentially printing color resists on a substrate, having a cliché and a transfer roll corresponding to R, G and B pigments. The present invention relates to a printing apparatus for forming a color filter of a display device which can be formed, and a color filter forming method using the same.

Recently, with the development of various portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, and notebook computers, there is an increasing demand for flat panel display devices for light and thin applications. Such flat panel displays are being actively researched, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), field emission displays (FEDs), and vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs).

In general, such a flat panel display device is formed with a color filter layer for color realization, and a black matrix is formed to prevent light from leaking to areas other than the image display area, thereby degrading the image quality of the display device. A typical flat panel display device having a liquid crystal display device is a liquid crystal display device. Therefore, in order to explain the structure of the display element including the color filter layer and the black matrix, the liquid crystal display element will be described as an example of the display element.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a general TFT (Thin Film Transistor) LCD. The structure shown in the figure represents only one pixel (liquid crystal pixel) of the liquid crystal display element, and the TFT LCD 1 is formed by gathering a plurality of such pixels. As shown in the figure, the TFT LCD 1 is composed of a thin film transistor substrate on which a thin film transistor is formed and a color filter substrate on which a color filter layer is formed. The liquid crystal layer 40 is formed by injecting liquid crystal therebetween. It is completed by forming.

The thin film transistor substrate includes a gate electrode 13 formed on the transparent glass substrate 10, a gate insulating layer 11 stacked over the entire substrate 10 on which the gate electrode 13 is formed, and the gate insulating layer 11. The semiconductor layer 15 formed thereon, and the data line 18 formed on the source / drain electrode 17 and the gate insulating layer 11 formed on the semiconductor layer 15 simultaneously with the source / drain electrode 17. And a pixel electrode 20 formed in the image display area of the liquid crystal cell 1 and connected to the source / drain electrode 17 and a protective layer 22 formed over the entire substrate 10.

In addition, a color filter layer 34 is formed on the color filter substrate to implement actual colors. The color filter layer 34 is formed only in an image display area of a pixel in which an actual image is to be implemented, and is formed in a black matrix in a region where no image is displayed, for example, in a pixel boundary or near a TFT line or near a gate line or near a data line. 32 is formed to prevent light from leaking into this area. In addition, as the signal is applied on the color filter layer 34 and the black matrix 32, a voltage is applied between the pixel electrode 20 to form a common electrode 36 for operating the liquid crystal molecules.

Although not shown in the drawing, the TFT substrate and the color filter substrate are each coated with an alignment film for aligning the liquid crystal molecules, and outside thereof, light emitted from a backlight (not shown) is transmitted through the liquid crystal layer 40. Polarizing plates for polarizing are attached, respectively.

The TFT substrate and the color filter substrate configured as described above are sealed in a state where the cell gap is kept constant by the spacer 42, and then liquid crystal is injected to complete the liquid crystal panel.

The black matrix 32 is typically composed of opaque Cr or CrOx or Cr / CrOx. The black matrix forms a desired pattern by stacking Cr, CrOx, or Cr / CrOx over the entire substrate 30 and then using a photoresist.

On the other hand, although not shown in the drawing, the color filter layer 34 typically includes pixels having R, G, and B pigments. In this case, although each pixel of the liquid crystal display may be made of sub-pixels having R, G, and B, each pixel generally has one pigment. According to the R, G, and B arrangement of the liquid crystal display device, as shown in FIGS. 2 (a) to 3 (c), it is divided into a strip array, a mosaic array, and a delta array. do. Such an arrangement of R, G, and B may be arranged in various ways depending on the size of the liquid crystal display panel, the shape of the color filter, and the color arrangement.

The color filter layer 34 may be manufactured by various methods. For example, the dyeing method, printing method, electrodeposition method, and pigment dispersion method are methods used to produce such a color filter layer 34. In the conventional STN type LCD, the color filter layer 34 is mainly produced by dyeing, printing, or electrodeposition. However, in recent TFT LCDs, pigment dispersion is mainly performed in that it has excellent precision, good reproducibility, and can be applied to large area liquid crystal panels. Use the law.

In the pigment dispersion method, the color filter layer 34 is manufactured by forming a pattern of photosensitive color resist by a general photo process. That is, a color filter layer is completed by applying a photosensitive color resist on a substrate, irradiating light using a mask, and then applying a developer to form a desired pattern. Therefore, in order to form a color filter by the pigment dispersion method, a photo process is required, and such a photo process has a problem that not only the process is complicated but also a large manufacturing cost is consumed. In addition, since the above photo process must be repeated three times in order to form pixels corresponding to the R, G, and B colors, the process becomes more complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and comprises a plurality of cliché filled with color resist and a plurality of transfer rolls corresponding thereto to form a color resist pattern of the dye on a substrate by the action of a transfer roll. Next, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus for forming a color filter capable of sequentially forming different color resist patterns by the following transfer roll, and a color filter forming method using the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of forming a color filter at an accurate position by accurately aligning a substrate with a cliché and a transfer roll, and a method of forming a color filter using the same.

In order to achieve the above object, the printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of clichés each having grooves filled with R, G, and B color resists, and a color filled in the grooves as they rotate in contact with the clichés. A plurality of transfer rolls to which the resist is transferred and a substrate formed at a position corresponding to the plurality of clichés to be supplied to the outside are placed, and a plurality of color resist patterns of the clichés are formed on the substrate as the transfer rolls act. And an aligning means provided on the stage to align the substrate with the cliché.

The aligning means includes a ridge formed on a plurality of sides of the stage to rise when the substrate is positioned on the stage, and an accommodating portion to receive the ridge when the substrate is not located on the stage. Be sure to

In addition, the method for forming a color filter according to the present invention comprises the steps of placing a substrate on the first stage of a plurality of stages by supplying a substrate from the outside, and filling color resists of R, G, and B colors into grooves formed in the plurality of cells. Thereafter, a plurality of transfer rolls are respectively contacted with the cliché and rotated so as to transfer the color resist to the transfer rolls, and a transfer roll corresponding to the first stage of the transfer rolls is applied to a substrate located at the first stage and placed on the substrate. Forming a color resist pattern, moving the substrate to the next stage, and sequentially forming the color resist pattern by applying a transfer roll corresponding to the stage to the substrate.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a general liquid crystal display device.

2 is a view showing an R, G, and B array of display elements.

3 is a view showing a color resist printing method according to the present invention.

4 is a view showing an inline printing apparatus for forming a color filter of the present invention.

5 is a view showing a color resist printing method in an inline printing apparatus according to the present invention.

6 is a view showing an aligning apparatus installed in the inline printing apparatus according to the present invention.

** Explanation of symbols for main parts of drawings **

100: cliché 102: home

104: color resist 108: doctor blade

109: transfer roll 130: substrate

132: color resist pattern 135: stage

137: ridge portion 138: storage portion

140: loader 150: printing apparatus

In the present invention, a gravure printing process is used to form the color filter of the liquid crystal display device. Gravure printing is a printing method in which a resist is applied to a cliché to scrape off excess resist and is printed, and is known as a printing method in various fields such as publishing, packaging, cellophane, vinyl, and polyethylene. In the present invention, a color filter applied to various display devices such as a liquid crystal display device is manufactured using such a printing method.

Since gravure printing transfers a resist onto a substrate using a transfer roll, a pattern can be formed by one transfer even in the case of a large display element by using a transfer roll corresponding to the area of a desired display element. . Such gravure printing may be used to pattern the color filter of the display device.

In the present invention, the color filter is formed using such gravure printing. At this time, since the color body containing the pigment is filled in the cliché, a color resist pattern for forming a color filter is formed on the substrate. The printing apparatus using the gravure printing method is not used to form a color filter of a specific display device such as a liquid crystal display device, but may be equally applicable to all display devices in which a color filter is essentially included.

Hereinafter, a printing apparatus for forming a color filter of a display device according to the present invention and a method of forming a color filter using the same will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 is a diagram illustrating a basic concept of a color filter layer forming method using a gravure printing method. As shown in the figure, in the gravure printing method, first, the groove 102 is formed at a specific position of the concave plate or cliché 100 corresponding to the pattern to be formed on the substrate, and then the pigment inside the groove 102. Fill the color resist 104 containing. The grooves 102 formed in the cliché 100 are formed by a general photolithography method, and the filling of the color resist 104 into the grooves 102 is performed by the color resist 104 above the cliché 100. After the application, the doctor blade 108 is made by advancing in contact with the cliché 100. Therefore, the color resist 104 is filled in the groove 102 by the progress of the doctor blade 108 and the color resist 104 remaining on the surface of the body 100 is removed.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the color resist 104 filled in the groove 102 of the cliché 100 rotates in contact with the surface of the cliché 100 and rotates 109. Is transferred to the surface. The transfer roll 109 is formed to have the same width as that of the panel of the display element to be manufactured, and has a circumference of the same length as the length of the panel. Therefore, the color resist 104 filled in the groove 102 of the cliché 100 is transferred to the circumferential surface of the transfer roll 109 by one rotation. Then, as shown in Fig. 3 (c), the color resist transferred to the transfer roll 109 by rotating the transfer roll 109 in contact with the surface of the substrate (color filter substrate; 130) A 104 is transferred to the substrate 130, and the transferred color resist 104 is cured to form a color resist pattern, that is, a patterned color resist layer 132. In this case, the desired color resist pattern 132 may be formed over the entire substrate 130 of the display device by one rotation of the transfer roll 109.

As described above, in the gravure printing method, the cliché 100 and the transfer roll 109 may be manufactured according to the size of the desired display element, and the desired color filter layer may be formed on the substrate 130 by one transfer. The color filter layer of the large area display element can also be formed by one process.

In particular, in the present invention, a pixel or sub-pixel forming three colors of R, G, and B is formed by a simple method by an inline printing apparatus employing the gravure printing method. As described above, the printing apparatus of the present invention is named as 'in-line' to repeat a series of R, G, B three-pixel pixels or sub-pixels repeated in a strip, mosaic, or delta method. It is because it can form sequentially by a process.

4 shows the inline printing apparatus as described above. As shown in the figure, the printing apparatus 150 is provided with three cleats 100a, 100b, and 100c and three transfer rolls 109a, 109b, and 109c, and the cleats 100a, 100b, The stages 135a, 135b, and 135c are formed in parallel with 100c).

Each of the cells 100a, 100b and 100c has a groove 102 filled with the color resist 104, and the grooves 102 are filled as the transfer rolls 109a, 109b and 109c rotate and move forward. Color resist 104 is transferred to the transfer rolls 109a, 109b, and 109c. The cells 100a, 100b, and 100c correspond to R, G, B pixels, or sub-pixels, respectively, and the color resist 104 having pigments of R, G, and B in the grooves 102 of the cells, respectively. Is filled and transferred to the respective transfer rolls 109a, 109b, and 109c. In the stages 135a, 135b, and 135c, a transparent glass substrate, a plastic substrate, or an opaque insulating substrate supplied from the outside through the loader unit 140 is positioned, and the color is rotated by the transfer rolls 109a, 109b, and 109c. The resist 104 is retransferred to the substrate. Although not shown in the figure, a vehicle such as a belt is provided between the stages 135a, 135b, and 135c to automatically move the substrate located on one stage to the next stage.

The grooves 102 of the clichés 100a, 100b, and 100c are filled with the color resists 104 of R, G, and B, respectively, to form color arrays of R, G, and B when retransmitted onto the substrate. The color resist 104 of G, B, and R may be filled to form a color array of G, B, and R. Strictly speaking, this color arrangement can be freely set according to the color arrangement of the display element to be manufactured.

The groove formed in the second cleat 100b is formed at a distance away from the groove formed in the first cleat 100a by a distance corresponding to the width of the pixel or sub-pixel, and is formed in the third cleat 100c. The groove may be formed at a position separated by the pixel or subpixel distance from the groove of the second cleat 100b. Therefore, when the color filter layer is formed on the substrate, the respective R, G, and B colors are arranged in order without overlapping.

5 illustrates a method of manufacturing an actual color filter using the inline printing apparatus configured as described above.

As shown in the drawing, when the substrate 130 is input through the loader unit 140 and positioned on the first stage 135a, the cells corresponding to the R, G, B pixels or the R, G, B subpixels are provided. The first transfer roll 109a corresponding to the first stage 135a of the rolls 109a, 109b, and 109c from which the color resist 104 is transferred from the grooves formed in the (100a, 100b, 100c) is the substrate 130, respectively. ), And the color resist 104 transferred to the first transfer roll 109a is retransmitted onto the substrate 130 so that a specific dye (for example, R is applied to the pixel or subpixel). The first color resist pattern (ie, the first color filter layer; 132a) is formed.

Subsequently, when the substrate 130 is automatically moved to the second stage 135b by a moving means (not shown), such as a belt, the second transfer roll 109b acts on the substrate 130. Next to the first color resist pattern 132a, a second color resist pattern of a specific dye (eg, G) is formed, and the substrate 130 moves to the third stage 135c to form a specific dye (eg, , A third color resist pattern of B) is formed, and a color filter forming an array of R, G, and B is formed.

During the printing process as described above, a new substrate 131 is supplied to the loader 140 of the printing apparatus 150 to wait for a subsequent process. Although not shown in the drawing, the printing apparatus 150 is provided with a device such as a robot arm, and the substrate 131 is automatically supplied to the loader 140 by the robot arm.

As described above, in the in-line printing apparatus of the present invention, the cliché 100a, 100b, 100c and the transfer rolls 109a, 109b, 109c are arranged in a row, and the R, G, B colors are provided on the substrate 130. Pixels or subpixels are sequentially formed by a continuous process. Therefore, not only the process is simplified and the process time is shortened, but also the manufacturing cost can be greatly reduced.

As described above, in the printing apparatus of the present invention, when the printing process for one pigment is finished, the substrate is automatically moved to the next stage and the printing process proceeds. In this case, if the substrate is not aligned correctly on the stage, the color resist pattern (color filter layer) is formed at an undesired position, and as a result, a defect occurs in the display element.

To solve this problem, the inline printing apparatus of the present invention includes an aligning apparatus for a substrate. In the present invention, various alignment apparatuses conventionally used may be applied. For example, an aligning apparatus used in a conventional photo process, such as laser marking, can also be applied well to the printing apparatus of the present invention. Such a specific aligning apparatus may be easily applied to the printing apparatus of the present invention by those skilled in the art.

Hereinafter, an example of the aligning apparatus applied to the inline printing apparatus of the present invention will be described. Unlike complicated and expensive laser marking devices, the device has a simple and inexpensive mechanical configuration.

6 shows an aligning apparatus applied to the inline printing apparatus of the present invention. Since three clit bodies and transfer rolls are provided in the printing apparatus of the present invention, an aligning apparatus is required for each of the three stages corresponding thereto, but for convenience of description, only one aligning apparatus is shown in the drawings. Will be explained. Therefore, although not shown in the drawings, the printing apparatus of the present invention will be provided with three aligning apparatuses installed in each stage.

As shown in FIG. 6 (a), the aligning apparatus applied to the inline printing apparatus 150 of the present invention is composed of a plurality of raised portions 137 having a predetermined width installed at the outer side of the stage 135. have. In this case, the ridge 137 may be formed on all four sides of the stage 135 as shown in the drawing, but may be formed on two or three sides. Of course, the ridge 137 may be formed only on one side of the stage 135, but in this case, the actual aligning effect will not be obtained. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a plurality of ridges 137. At this time, the region formed inside the plurality of ridges 137 is an accurate region where the actual substrate is located.

As shown in FIG. 6B, an accommodating part 138 in which the bulging part 137 is accommodated is formed in the printing apparatus 150, and the substrate is not placed on the stage 135. Base 137 is housed in housing portion 138. As shown in FIG. 5, when the substrate 130 is supplied to the stage 135 through the loader 140 and placed on the stage 135, a sensor (not shown) installed on the stage 135 is placed on the substrate 130. Will be detected. As the sensor detects the substrate as described above, the ridge 137 accommodated in the accommodating part 138 rises above the printing apparatus 150 to align the substrate.

As shown in FIG. 6 (c), when the substrate 130 is not accurately positioned on the stage 135, the side surface of the substrate 130 is raised as the ridge 137 accommodated in the housing 138 rises. The ridge 137 is raised, and the substrate 130 moves in the direction of the arrow by gravity to align the substrate 130 to a desired position. Of course, if the substrate is aligned at the correct position, there will be no movement in the substrate 130 even if the ridge 137 is raised. In this aligning process, as the substrate 130 is positioned on the stage 135, the plurality of ridges 137 provided on each side of the stage 135 are raised, so that the substrate 130 is accurately aligned at a desired position. Thus, color filter layers of R, G, and B can be formed at desired positions on the substrate.

The basic concept of the present invention, that is, the concept of forming three, three, and transfer rolls in the inline manner of the curler layers of R, G, and B may be applicable to all display devices including the color filter. Of course, there may be a slight deformation of the device depending on the size of the display element or the arrangement of the color filter, this modification can be easily created by anyone in the technical field to which the present invention belongs using the basic concept of the present invention There will be. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be determined not by the above detailed description but by the appended claims.

As described above, in the in-line printing apparatus of the present invention, in order to form the color filters of R, G, and B, three color bodies and transfer rolls corresponding to the respective pigments are provided to form the color filter layers of R, G, and B. It was formed sequentially. Therefore, the manufacturing process is simple and the manufacturing time can be shortened, and the manufacturing cost can be greatly reduced. In addition, in the printing apparatus according to the present invention, since the substrate is aligned by a mechanical aligning apparatus having a simple structure, an accurate color filter layer can be formed at a low cost.

Claims (8)

A plurality of cells formed with grooves filled with R, G and B color resists, respectively; A plurality of transfer rolls to which the color resist filled in the grooves is transferred as it rotates in contact with the cliché; And A printing apparatus for forming color filters, comprising a plurality of stages formed at positions corresponding to the plurality of clichés, the substrate being supplied to the outside, and having a color resist pattern of the cliché formed on the substrate as the transfer roll acts. . The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the color resist is a color resist containing a pigment. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a loader for supplying a substrate to the stage. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising substrate moving means provided between the stages and automatically moving the substrate on which the color resist pattern is formed in one stage to the next stage. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an aligning means mounted to the stage to align the substrate with the cliché. The method of claim 5, wherein the aligning means, A ridge formed on a plurality of sides of the stage and rising when the substrate is positioned on the stage; And If the substrate is not located on the stage, the printing apparatus characterized in that it consists of a receiving portion for receiving the ridge. Supplying a substrate from the outside to position the substrate on a first stage of the plurality of stages; Filling the color resists of R, G, and B colors into grooves formed in the plurality of clichés, and then rotating the plurality of transfer rolls by contacting the clit bodies to transfer the color resists to the transfer rolls; Forming a color resist pattern on the substrate by applying a transfer roll corresponding to the first stage of the transfer roll to a substrate positioned on the first stage; Moving the substrate to the next stage; And And forming a color resist pattern sequentially by applying a transfer roll corresponding to the stage to a substrate. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising aligning a substrate positioned on the stage.