KR20080011828A - Liquid crystal display panel and manufacturing device and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An LCD panel, and an apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same are provided to inject liquid crystals into a liquid crystal injection area through an injection port formed in at least one of two substrates of the LCD panel, thereby forming a liquid crystal layer in a short time. A thin film transistor substrate(70) is bonded to a color filter substrate to define a liquid crystal injection area between the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate. An injection port(20) is formed in at least one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate. The injection port is used as a passage for injecting liquid crystals into the liquid crystal injection area. An apparatus for manufacturing an LCD panel comprises a liquid crystal tank(30) and a nozzle, wherein the nozzle is inserted into the injection port to jet the liquid crystals into the liquid crystal injection area.

Description

Liquid crystal display panel, manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method therefor {LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY PANEL AND MANUFACTURING DEVICE AND METHOD THEREOF}

1 is a perspective view illustrating a liquid crystal display panel according to a first embodiment.

2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a liquid crystal display panel according to a first embodiment.

3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a liquid crystal dropping device according to a first embodiment.

4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an apparatus for injecting a liquid crystal device according to a first embodiment.

5 is a plan view illustrating a nozzle device for injecting a liquid crystal device according to the first embodiment.

6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a liquid crystal dropping system according to a second embodiment.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to a first embodiment.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to a second embodiment.

<Brief description of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

20: injection hole 30: liquid crystal tank

32: flow control valve 34: injection tube

36: nozzle 40: column spacer

50: adhesive 60: stage unit

62: temperature control device 64: vacuum pump

66: vacuum chamber 70: thin film transistor substrate

72: first substrate 74: gate line

76: data line 77: pixel electrode

78 thin film transistor 80 color filter substrate

82: second substrate 84: color filter

86 common electrode 88 black matrix

90 liquid crystal display panel

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel, a manufacturing apparatus, and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display panel, a manufacturing apparatus, and a manufacturing method capable of forming a liquid crystal layer in a short time.

The liquid crystal display displays an image by adjusting the light transmittance of the liquid crystal having dielectric anisotropy using an electric field. To this end, the liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel (hereinafter, referred to as a liquid crystal panel) for displaying an image through a liquid crystal cell matrix, and a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal panel.

The liquid crystal panel is formed by bonding a color filter substrate on which a color filter array is formed and a thin film transistor substrate on which a thin film transistor array including a thin film transistor and a plurality of signal lines are bonded to each other with a liquid crystal interposed therebetween. Each of the color filter substrate and the thin film transistor substrate is provided with an alignment film for liquid crystal alignment. The liquid crystal panel maintains a cell gap filled with liquid crystal by a spacer formed between the color filter substrate and the thin film transistor substrate, and is mainly used for a large liquid crystal panel to which a column spacer is applied with a liquid crystal formation method of dropping method.

The conventional liquid crystal panel manufacturing method to which the liquid crystal dropping method was applied is as follows.

Seal lines surrounding the periphery of each array region are formed on the upper mother substrate on which the plurality of color filter arrays are formed, and liquid crystals are formed on the array region inside the seal line in a dropping manner. Subsequently, the lower mother substrate on which the plurality of thin film transistor arrays are formed is aligned on the upper mother substrate and heat-compressed, and then the seal line is cured with ultraviolet rays to bond the upper and lower mother substrates. At this time, the upper and lower plates are heated and compressed to form a liquid crystal layer by diffusing liquid crystal in a cell gap divided by array regions by a seal line between two mother substrates. In addition, the bonded color filter substrate and the lower mother substrate are cut into a liquid crystal panel unit including each array area, thereby completing a liquid crystal panel.

According to another method, a seal line is formed on the upper mother substrate on which the color filter array is formed, and the lower mother substrate on which the plurality of thin film transistor arrays are formed is arranged on the upper mother substrate. Is formed. In this case, an injection hole through which liquid crystal can be injected is formed. The injection hole is immersed in the liquid crystal tank to form a liquid crystal layer on the color filter substrate and the thin film transistor substrate.

Accordingly, in the former method, the components of the seal line are deteriorated at high temperature or deformed together during the curing reaction. In the latter method, the components of the panel are deteriorated by the pressure difference in the vacuum part.

In addition, PSS (Polarization Shielded Smectic) using Smetic can make liquid crystals in two ways by keeping the liquid crystal molecules at 90 °.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display panel capable of forming a liquid crystal layer in a short time, a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method thereof.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention comprises a thin film transistor substrate; A color filter substrate bonded to the thin film transistor substrate by a binder to provide a liquid crystal injection region; And an injection hole formed to pass through at least one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate and used as a passage for injecting liquid crystal into the liquid crystal injection region.

Here, the radius of the injection hole is characterized in that 0.3 ~ 0.8mm.

And an intake and exhaust mechanism formed to penetrate at least one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate and used as an injection and exhaust passage of a gas for adjusting a vacuum degree of the liquid crystal injection region.

Here, it characterized in that it further comprises a sealing agent for sealing the injection port and the intake and exhaust.

In addition, the encapsulant is formed of an adhesive, metal particles or plastic particles.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention includes a thin film transistor substrate, a color filter substrate bonded to the thin film transistor substrate and a binder to form a liquid crystal injection region, the thin film transistor substrate, and the At least one injection hole formed to penetrate at least one of the color filter substrates and used as a passage for injecting the liquid crystal into the liquid crystal injection region.

Here, a liquid crystal tank for storing the liquid crystal; And a nozzle inserted into the injection hole to inject the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal tank.

The liquid crystal display panel may be seated and further include a vacuum chamber for adjusting the degree of vacuum of the liquid crystal injection region.

The liquid crystal display panel may further include a second nozzle which is formed in the liquid crystal display panel and used as an injection and exhaust passage for adjusting the degree of vacuum of the liquid crystal injection region.

A stage unit positioned under the liquid crystal display panel; A temperature control system embedded in the stage unit to control a temperature of the liquid crystal display panel; And a vacuum pump connected to the second nozzle or the vacuum chamber to inject and exhaust gas into the second nozzle or the vacuum chamber.

Here, the temperature control system is characterized in that to maintain the temperature of the liquid crystal during the liquid crystal injection 80 ~ 90 degrees.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention comprises the steps of forming an injection hole penetrating at least one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate; Bonding the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate with a binder to provide a liquid crystal injection region; And injecting liquid crystal into the liquid crystal injection region through the injection hole.

The method may further include simultaneously forming an intake and exhaust port which penetrates at least one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate and serves as an injection and exhaust passage of a gas for adjusting a vacuum degree of the liquid crystal injection region. It is characterized by including.

In addition, the step of forming the intake and exhaust at the same time with the inlet is characterized in that it comprises the step of forming the intake and outlet and at least one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate through a sand blast process. .

It characterized in that it further comprises the step of encapsulating the inlet and the inlet and outlet with an encapsulant.

Other technical problems and advantages of the present invention in addition to the above technical problem will be apparent from the description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

1 and 2 are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view showing a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention.

The liquid crystal display panel 90 includes a thin film transistor substrate 70 on which a thin film transistor array is bonded to face each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, and a color filter substrate 80 on which a color filter array is formed.

The color filter substrate 80 includes a black matrix 88, a color filter 84, a common electrode 86, a column spacer 40, and a first alignment layer (not shown) formed sequentially on the second substrate 82. Equipped.

The color filter substrate 80 has an injection hole 20 into which the liquid crystal molecules 42 are injected.

The black matrix 88 divides the second substrate 82 into a plurality of cell regions in which the color filter 84 is to be formed, and prevents light interference and external light reflection between adjacent cells. To this end, the black matrix 88 is formed on the second substrate 82 to overlap at least one of the data line 76, the gate line 74, and the thin film transistor 78 formed on the first substrate 72. Is formed.

The color filter 84 is formed to be divided into red (R), green (G), and blue (B) in the cell region divided by the black matrix 88 to transmit red, green, and blue light, respectively.

The common electrode 86 supplies a common voltage Vcom which is a reference when driving the liquid crystal to the transparent conductive layer.

The column spacer 40 keeps the cell gap between the thin film transistor substrate 70 and the color filter substrate 80 constant.

The first alignment film regulates the arrangement state of the liquid crystal molecules 42 by the interface effect. To this end, the first alignment layer has a high resistivity value in order to maintain electrical stability between the liquid crystal layer and the common electrode 86.

The thin film transistor substrate 70 includes a gate line 74 and a data line 76 formed on the first substrate 72 so as to intersect with each other, the thin film transistor 78 adjacent to the intersection portion, and a pixel region having a cross structure. And a second alignment layer (not shown).

The thin film transistor 78 keeps the pixel signal supplied to the data line 76 charged in the pixel electrode 77 in response to the scan signal supplied to the gate line 74. To this end, the thin film transistor 78 may include a gate electrode connected to the gate line 74, a source electrode connected to the data line 76, a drain electrode positioned to face the source electrode, and connected to the pixel electrode 77. An ohmic contact layer for ohmic contact with an active layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, which forms a channel between the electrode and the drain electrode, is provided.

The pixel electrode 77 charges the pixel signal supplied from the thin film transistor 78 to generate a potential difference from the common electrode 86 formed on the color filter substrate 80. Due to the potential difference, the liquid crystals positioned on the thin film transistor substrate 70 and the color filter substrate 80 are rotated by dielectric anisotropy, and the amount of light incident from the backlight unit via the pixel electrode 77 is adjusted to adjust the color filter substrate. Permeate toward (80).

The second alignment film regulates the arrangement state of the liquid crystal molecules 42 by the interface effect. To this end, the second alignment layer has a high resistivity value in order to maintain electrical stability between the liquid crystal layer and the pixel electrode 77.

The bonding layer (not shown) functions to prevent leakage of the liquid crystal injected into the color filter and the thin film transistor substrate 70 and 80.

The liquid crystal layer adjusts the transmittance of light incident by rotation by the difference between the data voltage from the pixel electrode of the thin film transistor substrate 70 and the common voltage from the common electrode of the color filter substrate 80. To this end, the liquid crystal layer is composed of liquid crystal molecules 42 having dielectric anisotropy and refractive anisotropy.

The liquid crystal dropping system shown in FIG. 3 includes a stage unit 62 having a temperature control device 62 capable of adjusting temperature, a vacuum chamber 66 injecting dry nitrogen, and an injection hole of a color filter substrate 80 ( 20 is provided with a liquid crystal tank 30 for injecting the liquid crystal molecules 42.

The stage unit 60 includes a temperature control device 62 on which a liquid crystal display panel 90 into which liquid crystal molecules 42 are to be injected is seated, and which maintains the temperature of the liquid crystal display panel 90 above an isotropic temperature. Here, the temperature controller 62 maintains the temperature of the liquid crystal molecules 42 injected into the color filter substrate and the thin film transistor substrates 70 and 80 at 80 to 90 ° C.

The vacuum chamber 66 fills the nitrogen gas by the vacuum pump 64 and then spreads the liquid crystal molecules 42 evenly inside the liquid crystal display panel 90 by using a capillary phenomenon and a pressure difference.

The liquid crystal tank 30 fills the liquid crystal molecules 42 in the tank, and the liquid crystal molecules pass through the liquid crystal injection tube 34 and the liquid crystal passes through the nozzle 36 in contact with the injection hole 20 of the color filter substrate 80. The display panel 90 is injected into the display panel 90. At this time, a predetermined portion of the liquid crystal injection tube 34 is provided with a flow rate control valve 32 for adjusting the flow rate of the liquid crystal. That is, the liquid crystal molecules 42 are introduced into the liquid crystal display panel 90 through the nozzle 36 in contact with the injection hole 20 by adjusting the flow control valve 32. The injection hole 20 may be formed at least one of the color filter substrate 80 and the thin film transistor substrate 70 so as to penetrate in the thickness direction of one of the substrates, thereby shortening the manufacturing process time. As shown in FIG. 5, the liquid crystal nozzle 36 injects the liquid crystal molecules 42 using at least one nozzle 36 device at a position corresponding to the at least one injection hole 20 formed on the mother substrate. . The liquid crystal nozzle 36 may inject the liquid crystal molecules 42 while moving in the Y or X-axis direction on the display area of the substrate.

As such, the liquid crystal molecules 42 are injected by directly contacting the nozzles 36 on the mother substrate on which the at least one injection hole 20 is formed on the color filter substrate 80, thereby injecting the injection holes 20 into the existing liquid crystal tank 30. By dipping), the liquid crystal molecules may be formed at the inlet of the injection hole 20, thereby preventing a phenomenon that causes a defect of the substrate.

6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a liquid crystal dropping system according to a second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, the liquid crystal dropping system is configured to seat the injection hole 20a into which the liquid crystal molecules 42 are to be injected, the intake and exhaust mechanism 20b into which the vacuum gas is to be injected, and the liquid crystal display panel 90 into which the liquid crystal is to be injected. It has a stage unit 60 for.

The injection hole 20a is formed to penetrate in the thickness direction of any one of the color filter substrate 80 and the thin film transistor substrate 70, and comes in contact with the first nozzle 36a for injecting the liquid crystal molecules 42. A space in which the liquid crystal molecules 42 are injected is provided in the display panel 90. At least one such injection hole 20a may be formed to shorten a manufacturing process time.

The intake and exhaust mechanism 20b is formed to penetrate in the thickness direction of one of the color filter substrate 80 and the thin film transistor substrate 70, and the vacuum gas is connected to the intake and exhaust mechanism 20b through the vacuum pump 64. It is injected into the liquid crystal display panel 90 through the second nozzle 36b. The vacuum gas is injected before the liquid crystal molecules 42 are injected to evenly spread the liquid crystal molecules 42 injected into the liquid crystal display panel 90 by the capillary phenomenon and the pressure difference. The inlet and outlet mechanism 20b may be formed at the other side when the inlet 20a is formed at one side, and the inlet 20a may be formed at the other side when the inlet 20a is formed at one side. In addition, the first and the intake and exhaust openings 20a and 20b may be used as one inlet. Thereafter, the injection hole 20a and the suction device 20b after the injection process may be blocked using an adhesive or the like, or may be blocked with an adhesive after ultrasonic fusion using an encapsulant such as metal particles or plastic particles.

Accordingly, the liquid crystal dropping apparatus according to the second embodiment has a vacuum gas injection hole directly on the color filter substrate 80 compared to the conventional method of dipping the stage substrate on which the liquid crystal display panel 90 is seated in the vacuum chamber 66. 20) to prevent deformation of the component of the binder 50 through ultraviolet curing.

The liquid crystal may be used in any mode, and in particular, may be used in a polymer-dispersion LCD (PDLC) using a smetic state or a cholesteric-nematic liquid crystal mode. .

7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to a first embodiment.

An injection hole is formed on the color filter substrate. (L1 step)

First, a thin film transistor substrate and a color filter substrate on which a plurality of thin film transistors as substrate switching elements are arranged are prepared.

The thin film transistor substrate is manufactured by forming a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode on the substrate by repeating deposition, photolithography, and etching processes. In the color filter substrate, a red, green, and blue color filter is fabricated using a dye or a pigment on a substrate on which a black matrix is formed, and then an ITO film for a common electrode is formed. Manufactured by process. In this case, the color filter substrate forms an injection hole having a diameter of 0.3 ~ 0.8mm on the color filter substrate through a sandblasting process.

As another example, an injection hole may be formed on a color filter by raising a substrate having a hole of 0.6 to 1.5 mm in diameter on a substrate on which only a black matrix is formed. Even if a color filter is not formed on the color filter substrate, the data line is reduced by about one third, red light when the screen is red data, green light when the screen is green data, and blue light when the screen is blue data. According to the data of red, green, and blue light sequentially, the aperture ratio and transmittance of the panel can be increased. In this case, the injection hole is formed in at least one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate. Further, it is preferable that the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter are formed after bonding or formed before bonding.

Next, an alignment film is formed on the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate, and a rubbing process is performed. (L2 step)

The alignment film is formed by cleaning the substrate, applying the alignment film layer, and then using a facility in which a drying process can be continuously performed. In the alignment film process, it is important to form an alignment film with a constant thickness over the entire substrate. In general, the alignment layer may be an organic alignment layer made of an organic material, and may be a horizontal alignment layer or a vertical alignment layer.

Rubbing is a process of determining the initial alignment direction of the liquid crystal, the normal liquid crystal can be driven by the rubbing of the alignment film, and has a uniform display characteristics. The rubbing process refers to rubbing the alignment layer in a certain direction using a cloth or the like, and the liquid crystal molecules are aligned according to the rubbing direction.

Next, the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate are bonded together and inserted into the vacuum chamber. (L3 step)

The thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate are bonded together through the binder. At this time, the binder serves two functions to prevent leakage of the injected liquid crystal. This binder is formed on one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate. The bonded thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate are placed on the stage unit and inserted into the vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber may adjust the valve formed in the vacuum pump to fill the nitrogen gas into the vacuum chamber and discharge the nitrogen gas. In addition, the temperature control device mounted on the stage unit is to maintain the temperature of the substrate formed on the stage unit at 90 ~ 95 ° C.

 The liquid crystal is supplied in a dropwise manner through an injection hole formed on the color filter substrate among the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate provided in the vacuum chamber, and then the injection hole is sealed to complete the liquid crystal panel (steps L4 and L5).

Liquid crystal is injected through the injection hole between the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate filled with nitrogen gas. The temperature at the time of injecting the liquid crystal is preferably set to 70 ~ 80 ° C or less. After the injection is finished, the nozzle contacting the inlet is separated and the epoxy resin with a diameter of 0.6 ~ 1,1mm is blocked in the inlet. The panel is then completed by ultrasonic welding followed by adhesive bonding.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to a second embodiment.

A first and an air intake and exhaust are formed on the color filter substrate. (L11 step)

First, a thin film transistor substrate and a color filter substrate on which a plurality of thin film transistors as substrate switching elements are arranged are prepared.

The thin film transistor substrate is manufactured by forming a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode on the substrate by repeating deposition, photolithography, and etching processes. In the color filter substrate, a red, green, and blue color filter is fabricated using a dye or a pigment on a substrate on which a black matrix is formed, and then an ITO film for a common electrode is formed. Manufactured by process. At this time, the color filter substrate forms a first and an air intake and outlet of diameter 0.5mm on the color filter substrate through a sandblasting process. In this case, when the inlet is formed on one side, the inlet and outlet is formed on the other side, when the inlet and outlet is formed on one side, the inlet 20a may be formed on the other side. It is also possible to use the first and intake vents as one inlet. The rest of the process is the same as in FIG.

As described above, the apparatus and method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention can form a liquid crystal layer in a short time by forming a liquid crystal injection hole and a vacuum pump on the second substrate.

Accordingly, liquid crystal molecules are injected into the liquid crystal molecules by directly contacting the nozzles on the mother substrate where at least one injection hole is formed on the substrate, so that the liquid crystal molecules are formed at the inlet of the injection hole, thereby causing a defect in the substrate. Can be prevented.

In addition, alteration of the binder through ultraviolet curing can be prevented.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the description of the specification but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (14)

A thin film transistor substrate; A color filter substrate bonded to the thin film transistor substrate by a binder to provide a liquid crystal injection region; And an injection hole formed to pass through at least one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate and used as a passage for injecting liquid crystal into the liquid crystal injection region. The method of claim 1, The radius of the injection hole is a liquid crystal display panel, characterized in that 0.3 ~ 0.8mm. The method of claim 1, A liquid crystal display further includes an intake and exhaust mechanism formed to penetrate at least one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate and used as an injection and exhaust passage of a gas for adjusting a vacuum degree of the liquid crystal injection region. panel. The method of claim 3, wherein And an encapsulant for encapsulating the inlet and the inlet and outlet. The method of claim 1, The encapsulant is formed of an adhesive, metal particles or plastic particles. A thin film transistor substrate, a color filter substrate bonded to the thin film transistor substrate by a bonding agent to form a liquid crystal injection region, and formed to penetrate at least one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate to form a liquid crystal in the liquid crystal injection region. In the manufacturing apparatus of the liquid crystal display panel provided with the injection hole used as the channel | path which injects the said, A liquid crystal tank for storing the liquid crystal; And a nozzle inserted into the injection hole to inject the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal tank. The method of claim 6, And a vacuum chamber on which the liquid crystal display panel is mounted and which controls the degree of vacuum of the liquid crystal injection region. The method of claim 6, Intake and exhaust mechanisms for injecting and exhausting gas for adjusting the degree of vacuum of the liquid crystal injection region are formed in the liquid crystal display panel, And a second nozzle inserted into the intake and exhaust mechanism. The method according to any one of claims 7 and 8, A stage unit positioned under the liquid crystal display panel; A temperature control system embedded in the stage unit to control a temperature of the liquid crystal display panel; And a vacuum pump connected to the second nozzle or the vacuum chamber to inject and exhaust gas into the second nozzle or the vacuum chamber. The method of claim 9, The temperature control system is a liquid crystal display panel manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that to maintain the temperature of the liquid crystal when the liquid crystal injection 80 ~ 90 degrees. Forming at least one injection hole penetrating at least one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate; Bonding the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate with a binder to provide a liquid crystal injection region; And injecting liquid crystal into the liquid crystal injection region through the injection hole. The method of claim 11, And simultaneously forming an intake and exhaust port which penetrates at least one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate and is used as an injection and exhaust passage of a gas for adjusting the degree of vacuum of the liquid crystal injection region. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, characterized in that. The method of claim 12, Simultaneously forming the intake and exhaust ports with the inlet And forming at least one of the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate through the sand blasting process to form the intake and exhaust ports and the injection holes. The method of claim 13, And encapsulating the inlet and the inlet and outlet with an encapsulant.

Images