KR20070071914A - Vacuum dry device for manufacturing lcd - Google Patents

Abstract

A vacuum drying apparatus for the fabrication of a liquid crystal display device is provided to minimize the generation of failure by enhancing the uniformity of volatility of solvent on the entire surface of a substrate regardless of the size of the substrate using lower and upper exhaust lines capable of exhausting simultaneously the solvent and air from upper and lower portions of a chamber. A vacuum drying apparatus for the fabrication of a liquid crystal display device includes a chamber, a supporter mounted in the chamber to receive a substrate, a lower exhaust line(13) connected through a lower portion of the chamber, a vacuum line, an upper exhaust line, and a depressurizing unit. The vacuum line is formed along an inner surface of the chamber. The vacuum line is connected through the lower exhaust line. The upper exhaust line(23) is used for connecting an upper inner space of the chamber and the vacuum line with each other. The depressurizing unit is used for generating the suction through the lower exhaust line.

Description

Vacuum Drying Device for Liquid Crystal Display Manufacture {Vacuum Dry Device for Manufacturing LCD}

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a conventional vacuum drying apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device

Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of a conventional vacuum drying apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device

Figure 3 is an exploded view showing an embodiment of a vacuum drying apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention

4 is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum drying apparatus for manufacturing the liquid crystal display of FIG.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

11: lower chamber 12: supporter

13 lower exhaust line 14 lower hot plate

15: lower vacuum line 21: upper chamber

23: upper exhaust line 24: upper hot plate

25: upper vacuum line G: substrate

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vacuum drying apparatus used in the manufacture of a liquid crystal display, and more particularly, to a vacuum for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, in which a solvent component existing in a chamber is removed under reduced pressure during photoresist coating. It relates to a drying apparatus.

In general, a liquid crystal display (LCD) completes an LCD panel by bonding two glass substrates, that is, a color filter substrate and a TFT array substrate, and injects liquid crystal therebetween, and displays the screen on the completed LCD panel. It is manufactured through the process of completing the LCD module by installing a drive unit and a backlight assembly for applying a drive signal for reproduction.

The lower substrate of the glass substrate of the liquid crystal display device includes electrodes for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal layer, a thin film transistor for switching data supply for each liquid crystal cell, signal wiring for supplying data supplied from the outside to the liquid crystal cells Signal wiring and the like for supplying a control signal of the thin film transistor are formed.

Various electrodes or color filters formed on the substrate are formed by a photolithography process. The photolithography process is a process of forming an etching pattern on the deposition layer using a port register and forming a desired pattern.

For example, the color filter is dried after applying a porter resistor coating liquid containing a large amount of solvent or the like on a glass substrate. A desired pattern is then formed by the photolithography process.

1 and 2 show an example of the configuration of a conventional vacuum drying apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional vacuum drying apparatus includes a chamber 1 in which a photoresist coating operation is performed on a substrate G, a supporter 2 on which the substrate G is seated, and an inside of the chamber 1. The foreign material fall prevention plate 3 is installed, and the exhaust line (4) communicated with the upper portion of the chamber (1).

Another conventional vacuum drying apparatus shown in FIG. 2 comprises a chamber 1a, a supporter 2a on which the substrate G is seated, and an exhaust line 4a in communication with the lower portion of the chamber 1a.

Therefore, in the conventional vacuum exhaust apparatus, after the photoresist coating operation on the substrate G, the solvent component is discharged and removed by the vacuum pressure formed through the upper or lower exhaust lines 4 and 4a.

However, the conventional vacuum exhaust device has the following problems.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the exhaust line 4 exists in the upper portion of the chamber 1, foreign matter and solvent foreign matter remaining in the chamber may fall on the substrate G when the nitrogen dioxide N2 is purged after the decompression is completed. There is a possibility.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, when the exhaust line 4a is present in the lower portion of the chamber 1a, as the substrate is enlarged, solvent volatilization may not be uniformly performed between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate G so that process defects may occur. do.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum drying apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device that can be uniformly volatilized solvent in all parts of the substrate.

The present invention for achieving the above object, the chamber is a photoresist coating operation on the surface of the substrate; A supporter installed inside the chamber and having a substrate seated thereon; A lower exhaust line communicating with a lower portion of the chamber; A vacuum line formed along an inner wall surface of the chamber and in communication with the lower exhaust line; An upper exhaust line communicating with the chamber inner space and an upper portion of the vacuum line; It provides a vacuum drying apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device comprising a pressure reducing means for generating a suction force through the lower exhaust line.

Here, the vacuum line is formed by a hot plate which is spaced apart from the inner wall surface of the chamber by a predetermined interval, the upper exhaust line may be formed to pass through the hot plate.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a vacuum drying apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 and 4 are exploded views and cross-sectional views schematically showing the structure of a vacuum drying apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention.

3 and 4, the vacuum drying apparatus of the present invention includes a lower chamber 11 and an upper chamber 21 detachably coupled to an upper portion of the lower chamber 11.

The lower chamber 11 is provided with a plurality of supporters 12 on which the substrate G on which the photoresist coating operation is to be performed is mounted and supported.

In addition, a plurality of lower exhaust lines 13 are formed on the lower surface of the lower chamber 11. The lower exhaust line 13 is connected to a pressure reducing means (not shown) such as a vacuum pump for generating a vacuum pressure.

The lower hot plate 14 and the upper hot plate 24 are installed inside the lower chamber 11 and the upper chamber 21 so as to be spaced apart from the inner wall surface of each chamber by a predetermined distance, so that air can flow. Line 15 and upper vacuum line 25 are formed. The upper vacuum line 25 and the lower vacuum line 15 are integrally connected to each other when the upper chamber 21 and the lower chamber 11 are combined.

The lower vacuum line 15 is connected to the lower exhaust line 13.

In addition, a plurality of upper exhaust lines 23 are formed at an upper portion of the upper vacuum line 25 to communicate with an inner space of the chamber and an upper portion of the upper vacuum line 25.

The vacuum drying apparatus configured as described above operates as follows.

First, as shown in FIG. 3, the substrate G is inserted into the lower chamber 11 by a separate transfer robot (not shown) while the upper chamber 21 is separated from the lower chamber 11. And is seated on the supporter 12.

Subsequently, the upper chamber 21 is coupled on the lower chamber 11, and a port register application operation is performed. At this time, the coating liquid applied to the substrate G contains a large amount of solvent. The solvent component is evaporated at low pressure.

Therefore, when the photoresist coating operation is performed, the pressure inside the chambers 11 and 21 is reduced through the lower exhaust line 13 by a pressure reducing means (not shown) such as a vacuum pump (not shown). Evaporation takes place.

That is, the present invention performs a vacuum process and a pre-exposure baking process at the same time after applying the photoresist.

Solvent and air evaporated in the upper and lower chambers 21 and 11 are discharged through the lower exhaust line 13. At this time, solvent and air are also discharged through the upper exhaust line 23. Solvent and air discharged through the upper exhaust line 23 flows along the upper vacuum line 25 and the lower vacuum line 15 to communicate with the lower exhaust line 13 through the lower exhaust line 13. Discharged.

In this way, the vacuum drying apparatus of the present invention is the solvent discharge through the upper exhaust line 23 and the lower exhaust line 13 at the same time.

As described above, according to the present invention, since solvent and air are simultaneously discharged through the upper and lower portions of the chamber, even if the size of the substrate is enlarged, solvent volatilization may be uniformly performed on the entire surface of the substrate, and thus a defect occurs. There is an effect that can be minimized.

Claims (4)

A chamber in which photoresist coating is performed on the surface of the substrate; A supporter installed inside the chamber and having a substrate seated thereon; A lower exhaust line communicating with a lower portion of the chamber; A vacuum line formed along an inner wall surface of the chamber and in communication with the lower exhaust line; An upper exhaust line communicating with the chamber inner space and an upper portion of the vacuum line; And a decompression means for generating suction force through the lower exhaust line. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein the vacuum line is formed by a hot plate spaced apart from the inner wall surface of the chamber by a predetermined distance, and the upper exhaust line is formed through the hot plate. Vacuum drying equipment. The vacuum drying apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of lower exhaust lines and upper exhaust lines are formed. The vacuum drying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises a lower chamber and a lower chamber detachably coupled to an upper portion of the lower chamber.

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