KR20060116070A - Method and apparatus for manufacturing liquid crystal display - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for manufacturing an LCD are provided to effectively adjust the drop location of liquid crystal and control the amount of liquid crystal, by dropping a solid type liquid crystal on a substrate and then liquefying the dropped solid type liquid crystal. A first substrate and a second substrate are respectively prepared(S10). A solid type liquid crystal is prepared(S20). The solid type liquid crystal is dropped on one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and a sealant is coated on one of the first substrate and the second substrate for bonding the two substrates(S30). The solid type liquid crystal is liquefied(S40), and then the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded(S50).

Description

Manufacturing method and apparatus for a liquid crystal display device {METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY}

1 is a schematic view for explaining a manufacturing method of a conventional liquid crystal display device;

2 is a control flowchart for explaining a manufacturing method of a conventional liquid crystal display device;

3 is a control flowchart for explaining a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a schematic view for explaining a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a manufacturing apparatus of a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

100, 400, 500: substrate 110, 600: sealant

200: manufacturing apparatus of the liquid crystal display device 210: liquid crystal accommodating part

220: stopper 230: temperature holding device

300: solid-state liquid crystal 610: spacer

700: liquid crystal layer

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus of a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, to a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus of a liquid crystal display device using a solid liquid crystal.

BACKGROUND ART A liquid crystal display device, which has recently attracted attention as a display device, includes a liquid crystal panel including 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 is positioned between the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate.

The liquid crystal layer is positioned in a space formed by the sealant and both substrates that adhere both substrates along the edge region of both substrates. The sealant is typically located in an outer black matrix area surrounding the display area and formed on the color filter substrate. Spacers are distributed between the two substrates on which the liquid crystal layer is provided so that both substrates maintain a constant gap. A method of injecting a liquid crystal between the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate includes a method of bonding both substrates with a sealant, then injecting a liquid crystal, and a method of bonding both substrates after dropping the liquid crystal onto either substrate.

1 and 2 are views for explaining a manufacturing method of a conventional liquid crystal display device, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a manufacturing method, Figure 2 is a control flow diagram.

As shown, the color filter substrate 10, which is an upper substrate, and the thin film transistor substrate 20, which is a lower substrate, are provided, and the liquid crystal dropping device 30 is provided on the thin film transistor substrate 20.

The column spacer 11 is provided on the color filter substrate 10 at regular intervals. A sealant 22 is formed on the edge of the thin film transistor substrate 20 to bond the two substrates 10 and 20 to each other, and the liquid crystal liquid 32 is transferred to the thin film transistor substrate 20 by the liquid crystal dropping device 30. It is dropped by.

Referring to the conventional manufacturing method, first, a thin film transistor substrate 20 in which a plurality of gate lines and data lines, thin film transistors and pixel electrodes connected thereto are formed by a driving element array process, and a color filter layer and a common electrode of RGB The formed color filter substrate 10 is provided (S1, S2). Then, the sealant 22 is applied to the edge of the thin film transistor substrate 20, and the liquid crystal 30 is dropped in the form of drops (S3). A column spacer 12 is provided on the color filter substrate 10 to maintain a constant cell gap (S4), and then, both substrates 10 and 20 are bonded (S5), and the substrate is subsequently processed and inspected. (S6). The column spacer is generally performed in the step of preparing the color filter substrate.

The most important thing in this process is to precisely control the uniform dispersion of the spacers and the position and dropping amount of the liquid crystal dropped. However, when a liquid crystal is used, it takes a lot of time and effort to move, mount, and adjust the liquid crystal. Dropped liquid crystals dry at the edges until the two substrates are bonded to each other. A defect that causes staining is caused.

In addition, when the spacer is distributed, a separate process is added, a problem occurs that the spacer does not spread evenly on the substrate, and even in the case of the column spacer patterned on the substrate, there is a problem that it takes a lot of time and cost to add an etching process. .

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device which can effectively adjust the position and amount of the liquid crystal to be injected.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device which can reduce the time and cost of the manufacturing process.

The object is, according to the present invention, providing a first substrate and a second substrate; Providing a solid liquid crystal; Placing the solid-state liquid crystal on either one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and applying a sealant for bonding the both substrates to one of the first substrate and the second substrate; It is achieved by the liquefaction of the solid-state liquid crystal and the bonding of the first substrate and the second substrate.

A thin film transistor array may be provided on a substrate on which the solid liquid crystal is located, and a color filter layer may be provided on a substrate on which the sealant is applied. In other words, it is possible for the solid-state liquid crystal and the sealant to be located on different substrates, respectively.

Liquefying the liquid crystal of the solid phase is characterized in that it is made before the step of bonding both substrates. This order is not limited to the above, and the solid phase liquid crystal may be liquefied by heat and pressure in the bonding step.

Bonding the both substrates includes curing the sealant, and the sealant includes ultraviolet curing resin, and preferably, applying ultraviolet rays to the sealant in the process of solidifying the sealant after bonding.

The liquid crystal of the solid phase is provided in plurality, it is preferable that the liquid crystal of the solid phase has a constant size so that the amount of the liquid crystal of the solid phase can be easily adjusted. In addition, the liquid crystals of the solid phase are positioned at regular intervals on the substrate so as to be uniformly distributed on the substrate.

The solid phase liquid crystal may include a spacer for maintaining a predetermined gap between the first substrate and the second substrate. As such, by discharging together with the liquid crystal without separately applying the spacer, it is possible to reduce the cost and effort of the manufacturing process.

      In the preparing of the solid liquid crystal, the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal may be cooled to a predetermined temperature, and the preparing of the solid liquid crystal may be performed in various forms in consideration of physical and chemical properties of the liquid crystal.

It is preferable that the temperature at the time of cooling is -30 degrees C or less, since the temperature at which a liquid crystal solidifies generally is about -30 degreeC.

In the step of liquefying the liquid crystal of the solid state, it is possible to apply heat to the liquid crystal of the solid state, it may be provided with a separate heating unit. In consideration of the size of the liquid crystal and the area of the substrate, the liquid liquefaction of the liquid crystal may be delayed at room temperature. Therefore, the liquid crystal is easily liquefied within a short time.

On the other hand, the above object is, according to the present invention, a liquid crystal accommodating portion for loading a plurality of solid-state liquid crystal, and having an opening for discharging the liquid crystal of the solid state; It can also be achieved by including a stopper for opening and closing the opening so that the predetermined liquid crystal is discharged from the liquid crystal accommodating portion.

It is preferable to further include a temperature maintaining part for maintaining the solid liquid crystal at a predetermined temperature, thereby preventing the liquid crystal from being liquefied at room temperature.

The temperature maintaining part preferably includes a cooling device for cooling the liquid crystal to keep the liquid crystal below zero in a solid state, and a cooling system used in an air conditioner or the like is possible. In addition, a semiconductor element such as a thermoelectric element may be used to keep the temperature in the accommodating portion where the liquid crystal is accommodated below zero or to inject cold air.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 is a control flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

First, a first substrate and a second substrate constituting the liquid crystal panel are prepared (S10). The thin film transistor, the pixel electrode, the color filter layer, and the common electrode are formed on the first substrate and the second substrate, respectively. The alignment films for orientation of a liquid crystal layer are apply | coated to both board | substrates, respectively. After the alignment layer is applied, the alignment layer is rubbed to provide the alignment control force or surface fixing force (pretilt angle) to the liquid crystal molecules.

Then, the liquid crystal, which is generally dropped in the form of a liquid, is changed into a solid phase (S20). There are various methods of solidifying the liquid crystal, but a typical method is to cool the liquid crystal in a low temperature. In the case of a general liquid crystal, since a freezing point is about -30 degreeC, a solid liquid crystal can be obtained by cooling a liquid crystal at the temperature of -30 degreeC or less. Making the liquid crystal into a solid is not limited to the above method, and various methods using the physical and chemical properties of the liquid crystal are possible. The cooled liquid crystal can be converted back into a liquid phase.

The liquid crystal may be cut into a desired container, frozen and cut to a desired size, or cooled to a size to be arranged on a substrate from the beginning. In addition, the liquid crystal preferably has a constant size so that the amount of alignment can be precisely controlled.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the cooled liquid crystal may include a spacer. The spacer is added to the liquid crystal and mixed to be evenly distributed, and then the spacer is cooled together with the liquid crystal. The spacer for maintaining a predetermined gap between the first substrate and the second substrate may include a plastic and a silica coated on the plastic with a transparent spherical material having a diameter of about 4 to 5 μm.

When a certain number of spacers are solidified simultaneously with the liquid crystal, the spacers are uniformly distributed in the solid phase liquid crystal, so that the liquid crystals are liquefied and the spacers are uniformly distributed between the substrates. In addition, there is an effect that can be applied to a predetermined number of spacers at the same time at the time of liquid crystal coating. In addition, when spacers are spread, various processes of fixing the spacers, measuring the degree of dispersion, and correcting the spacers may be omitted, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing manufacturing costs.

Next, the liquid crystal is placed on either of the first substrate and the second substrate, and a sealant for bonding both substrates is applied (S30). What is necessary is just to apply a solid state liquid crystal or a sealant to either of the board | substrates, respectively. Therefore, the liquid crystal and the sealant may be formed on the same substrate or may be formed on different substrates. In the case of using a liquid crystal, a sealant is generally applied to a substrate onto which the liquid crystal is dropped in order to prevent the dropped liquid crystal from flowing out of the substrate. There is no such restriction. In this way, the use of the solid-state liquid crystal can eliminate the liquidity of the liquid crystal, so that the liquid crystal can be handled more easily.

Positioning the solid liquid crystal on the substrate is described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 illustrates an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device in which a solid phase liquid crystal is placed on a substrate.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, an apparatus 200 for manufacturing a plurality of liquid crystal display devices for discharging the liquid crystals 300 is provided on one of the first and second substrates 100.

The substrate 100 in which the liquid crystal is discharged is one of a thin film transistor substrate having a thin film transistor array such as a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode, and a color filter substrate having a color filter layer and a common electrode. The sealant 110 is coated on the edge of the substrate 100, and the sealant 110 may be applied to the remaining substrate (not shown) in which the liquid crystal 300 is not discharged.

The sealant 110 includes an acrylic resin, an epoxy resin, and the like, and is cured by ultraviolet rays and / or heat. The sealant 110 may further include an amine-based curing agent, a filler such as alumina powder, and the like. The sealant 110 may include a spacer (not shown) made of a hard spacer such as glass fiber and a soft spacer such as atryl resin.

As shown in FIG. 5, the apparatus 200 for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device has an opening 211 through which a solid liquid crystal 300 is discharged, and a liquid crystal accommodating portion 210 having a plurality of liquid crystals 300 loaded therein. The stopper 220 opens and closes the opening so that the liquid crystal 300 is provided on the substrate 100 from the liquid crystal accommodating part 210. In addition, the apparatus 200 for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device further includes a temperature holding part 230 for maintaining a solid liquid crystal at a predetermined temperature.

The liquid crystal accommodating part 210 has a columnar shape for loading the liquid crystal 300, and may have a circular or polygonal cross section according to the shape of the liquid crystal 300. The liquid crystal accommodating part 210 is provided in a shape in which a part of the side surface of the pillar is inclined so that the liquid crystal 300 in the solid state can be discharged in an appropriate amount through the opening 211. In addition, a guide may be provided on the inner wall surface of the liquid crystal accommodating part 210 to sequentially push the liquid crystal 300 outward.

The stopper 220 opens and closes the opening 211 of the liquid crystal accommodating part 210 at predetermined time intervals under the control of an external controller (not shown). The amount of the liquid crystal 300 discharged is determined by the opening and closing period of the stopper 220. A component for opening and closing the opening 211 is not limited to the stopper 220, and a lever or the like may also be applied.

The temperature maintaining part 230 maintains the temperature until the liquid crystal 300 having a solid state of about −30 ° C. or less is positioned on the substrate 100. The temperature maintaining unit 230 is preferably a cooling device capable of maintaining the cooling state of the liquid crystal 300, and may be an air conditioner for emitting cold air or a refrigeration system using a phase change of the refrigerant. In addition, the thermoelectric device may be attached to the liquid crystal accommodating part 210 to emit heat of air in which the liquid crystal 300 is accommodated to the outside.

The solid liquid crystal 300 is provided in a form having a constant size as described above, and is uniformly positioned at predetermined intervals on the front surface of the substrate 100. A plurality of manufacturing apparatuses 200 may be used to quickly position the liquid crystal 300 on a substrate, and although not illustrated, a moving means may be provided in which the manufacturing apparatus 200 may be moved above the substrate 100. By the moving means, the manufacturing apparatus 200 moves the liquid crystal 300 at a predetermined position on the substrate while moving along a predetermined direction.

The manufacturing apparatus 200 according to the present invention can also be used for a display unit of a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone or a PDA having a size of about 2 inches, and in this case, a small amount of liquid crystal 300 is enough to be dropped only once. The manufacturing apparatus 200 of the apparatus is used.

Next, the solid liquid crystal 300 is liquefied (S40) and the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded (S50). After the liquid crystal 300 solidified at a low temperature is provided on the substrate 100, the liquid crystal is gradually liquefied gradually by a temperature difference (about 55 ° C.) from a room temperature (about 25 ° C.). The liquid crystal 300 may be fully liquefied until both substrates are bonded. The time that the liquid crystal 300 is liquefied will vary depending on the size of the liquid crystal 300 and the area of the substrate. However, since the liquid crystal 300 takes about 100 to 150 seconds after being prepared on the substrate, the liquid crystal 300 is liquefied completely. Therefore, it is also possible to apply heat to the liquid crystal 300 for complete liquefaction of the liquid crystal 300, it may be provided with a heating unit for this.

Although it is generally performed before the step S40 of liquefying the solid state liquid crystal 300 and the step S50 of bonding both substrates, the pressure applied while bonding the substrates may liquefy the solid state liquid crystal 300. have.

After the spacer, the sealant 110, and the liquid crystal 300 are all provided on the substrate, the substrates are bonded to each other, and the sealant 110 is cured by applying temperature and pressure (S60). Since the sealant 110 includes an ultraviolet curable resin cured by ultraviolet rays as described above, the sealant 110 is compressed by applying heat or ultraviolet rays to both substrates. In this process, the spacer and the liquid crystal 300 between both substrates are uniformly spread over the entire substrate.

Finally, the substrate is processed, cut and separated into a plurality of liquid crystal panels, and each liquid crystal panel is cleaned and inspected (S70).

6 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate 400 and a second substrate 500, a first substrate 400, and a second substrate 500 that are disposed to face the first substrate 400 and the first substrate 400. ), A spacer for maintaining a gap between the substrates 400 and 500 between the sealant 600 and the liquid crystal layer 700 and the liquid crystal layer 700 positioned between the substrates 400 and 500. 610).

First, referring to the first substrate 400, gate wirings 421 and 422 are formed on the first substrate material 410 made of an insulating material such as glass, quartz, ceramic, or plastic. The gate wirings 421 and 422 may be metal single layers or multiple layers. The gate lines 421 and 422 overlap with the gate electrode 421 and the pixel electrode 440 of the thin film transistor 420 connected to the gate line and the gate line (not shown) extending in the horizontal direction to store the storage capacitor. The common electrode line 422 is formed.

On the first substrate material 411, a gate insulating film made of silicon nitride (SiNx) or the like covers the gate wiring. A semiconductor layer 424 made of a semiconductor such as amorphous silicon is formed on the gate insulating layer 423 of the gate electrode 421, and a high concentration of silicide or n-type impurities is doped on the semiconductor layer 424. An ohmic contact layer 425 made of a material such as n + hydrogenated amorphous silicon is formed. The ohmic contact layer 425 is divided into two parts centering the gate electrode 421.

Data lines 426, 427, and 428 are formed on the ohmic contact side 425 and the gate insulating layer 423. The data lines 426, 427, and 428 may also be single layers or multiple layers of metal layers. The data lines 426, 427, and 428 are branches of the data lines 426 and the data lines 426, which are formed in the vertical direction and intersect the gate lines to form pixels, and extend to the top of the ohmic contact layer 425. The drain electrode 428 is separated from the electrode 427 and the source electrode 427 and is formed on the ohmic contact layer 425 opposite to the source electrode 427 with respect to the gate electrode 421.

On the data wirings 426, 427, and 428 and on the semiconductor layer 424 not covered by these, silicon nitride, an a-Si: C: O film or an a-Si: O: F film and an acrylic organic insulating film deposited by PECVD method A protective film 429 made of or the like is formed. In the passivation layer 429, a contact hole exposing the drain electrode 428 is formed.

The pixel electrode 430 is formed on the passivation layer 428 to receive an image signal from the thin film transistor and generate an electric field together with the common electrode 550 of the second substrate 500. The pixel electrode 430 is physically and electrically connected to the drain electrode 428 through a contact hole to receive an image signal.

Next, the second substrate 500 will be described. The second substrate 500 may include a second substrate material 510 made of an insulating material such as glass, quartz, ceramic, or plastic, such as the first substrate 400. , A color matrix having three primary colors of red, green, and blue, a black matrix 520 formed between the periphery of the second substrate material, and the color filter 530, and an overcoat layer formed on the color filter 530. 540 and a common electrode 550 formed on the overcoat layer 540.

The black matrix 520 may be made of a photosensitive organic material to which black pigments such as chromium, chromium oxide and chromium nitride are added, or may be made of a photosensitive organic material to which black pigment is added to block light. Can be. Here, as the black pigment, carbon black or titanium oxide may be used.

The color filter 530 is formed by repeating red, green, and blue colors, respectively, and serves to impart color to light passing through the liquid crystal layer 700. The color filter 530 may be made using a pigment dispersion method known as a coloring photosensitive organic material.

The overcoat layer 540 serves to protect the color filter 530, and an acrylic epoxy material is used as the material.

The common electrode 550 is made of a transparent conductive material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO). The common electrode 550 directly applies a signal voltage to the liquid crystal layer 700 together with the pixel electrode 500 of the first substrate 400.

A sealant 600 is formed at a lower portion of the black matrix 520 formed on the outer side of the substrate to bond the first substrate 400 and the second substrate 500 to each other. The sealant 600 includes an acrylic resin, an epoxy resin, and the like, and is cured by ultraviolet rays and / or heat. The sealant 600 may further include an amine-based curing agent, a filler such as alumina powder, and the like.

The liquid crystal layer 700 uniformly spreads between the substrates 400 and 500 while the solid state liquid crystal is liquefied and the two substrates 400 and 500 are compressed. When the voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer 700, the liquid crystal molecules have a dielectric constant. Because the anisotropy is negative, its long axis lies perpendicular to the electric field.

The spacer 610 serves to make the cell gap d1 between the substrates 400 and 500 constant, and may be cooled together in the process of solidifying the liquid crystal. The cooled spacer 610 is applied to the substrate together with the discharge of the liquid crystal, and arranged at regular intervals. Since the spacer 610 is discharged together with the liquid crystal, there is no need to separately apply the spacer 610, and the spacer 610 may be evenly distributed between the liquid crystals in the process of mixing with the liquid crystal, and thus may be uniformly arranged on the entire substrate.

Although some embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments may be modified without departing from the spirit or spirit of the invention. . It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.

As described above, according to the present invention, the liquid crystal can be easily handled in the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal panel.

Further, a method and apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device capable of effectively adjusting the position and amount of a liquid crystal to be injected are provided.

In addition, a method and apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device capable of reducing time and cost of a manufacturing process are provided.

Claims (16)

In the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device, Preparing a first substrate and a second substrate; Providing a solid liquid crystal; Placing the solid-state liquid crystal on either one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and applying a sealant for bonding the both substrates to one of the first substrate and the second substrate; And liquefying the solid-state liquid crystal and bonding the first substrate and the second substrate to each other. The method of claim 1, A thin film transistor array is provided on the substrate on which the solid liquid crystal is located. The method of claim 1, And a color filter layer is provided on the substrate to which the sealant is applied. The method of claim 1, And liquefying the liquid crystal of the solid phase is performed before the bonding of the two substrates. The method of claim 1, Bonding the both substrates comprises curing the sealant. The method of claim 1, The sealant includes an ultraviolet curable resin, Bonding the two substrates includes applying ultraviolet rays to the sealant. The method of claim 1, And a plurality of the liquid crystals of the solid phase are provided. The method of claim 7, wherein The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal of the solid phase has a certain size. The method of claim 8, The liquid crystal of the solid phase is a manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device, characterized in that spaced apart at regular intervals. The method of claim 1, And a spacer for maintaining a predetermined gap between the first substrate and the second substrate in the liquid crystal of the solid phase.        The method of claim 1,       In the preparing of the liquid crystal of the solid phase, the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal display device, characterized in that for cooling to a predetermined temperature. The method of claim 11, The temperature at the time of cooling is -30 degrees C or less manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device. The method of claim 1, And liquefying the liquid crystal in the solid phase, applying heat to the liquid crystal in the solid phase. A liquid crystal accommodating portion for loading a plurality of solid state liquid crystals and having an opening for discharging the solid state liquid crystals; And a stopper which opens and closes the opening such that the predetermined solid phase liquid crystal is discharged from the liquid crystal accommodating portion. The method of claim 14, And a temperature holding part for maintaining the solid liquid crystal at a predetermined temperature. The method of claim 15, And the temperature holding part comprises a cooling device for cooling the liquid crystal.

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