KR20080077232A - Method for disposing spacer and liquid crystal display device - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention provides a method for disposing a spacer, which can dispose a plurality of predetermined single spacers on respective sites of a substrate, and a liquid crystal display device using the method. The method comprises a deposition step of depositing a spacer-containing liquid (200) including a combined spacer (230) comprising a plurality of single spacers (220) previously linked to each other onto a substrate and a fixation step of fixing the combined spacer (230) in the deposited spacer-containing liquid onto the substrate (100).

Description

Method for disposing spacer and liquid crystal display device

The present invention relates to a spacer arrangement method and a liquid crystal display device.

In the manufacture of a liquid crystal display or the like, a spacer arrangement method is known in which a spacer-containing liquid in a head container is discharged as droplets from an opening of the head container and adhered to a desired place on a substrate. By drying the droplets after the droplets are attached, the spacers in the droplets are fixed onto the substrate.

In the case where the spacers are arranged on the substrate in this way, the number of spacers in the droplets to be discharged is, for example, one predetermined number, and such a predetermined number of spacers are arranged at a desired place on the substrate. It is requested.

Conventionally, by uniformly dispersing a single spacer in the spacer-containing liquid and appropriately adjusting the concentration of the single spacer in the spacer-containing liquid, the number of single spacers in the droplets discharged from the opening of the head container is adjusted to about one. there was.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-145101

By the way, in recent years, it is sometimes required to arrange a plurality of predetermined single spacers of, for example, two, three, four, five, six or so in one place on the substrate. In this case, it is necessary to contain a plurality of predetermined single spacers in one discharged droplet.

However, it was difficult to accurately include a plurality of predetermined single spacers in the droplets. For example, even if the concentration of a spacer in a spacer-containing liquid in which a single spacer is dispersed is adjusted to a concentration including an average of four single spacers in one droplet, a droplet that does not contain four single spacers, for example, a single spacer Droplets or the like containing one or zero are generated with a considerable probability. Therefore, it was difficult to arrange a plurality of predetermined single spacers in one place on the substrate.

This invention is made | formed in view of the said subject, and an object of this invention is to provide the spacer arrangement | positioning method which can arrange | position a predetermined several single spacer in each place on a board | substrate, and the liquid crystal display device obtained by this.

The arrangement method of the spacer according to the present invention includes an attaching step of attaching a spacer containing liquid containing a bonding spacer made by joining a plurality of single spacers onto a substrate, and a fixing for fixing the bonding spacer in the attached spacer containing liquid to the substrate. Process.

According to the present invention, since the bonding spacer formed by bonding a plurality of single spacers in advance is included in the spacer-containing liquid, the bonding spacer is fixed to the substrate as it is by the fixing step. Therefore, by appropriately adjusting the number of single spacers in the coupling spacer, a plurality of predetermined single spacers can be easily disposed at each place on the substrate.

Here, it is preferable to form the droplet of a spacer containing liquid in an adhesion process, and to adhere this droplet on a board | substrate.

In the spacer-containing liquid, the bonding spacers each act as if they were one particle. Therefore, by appropriately adjusting the concentration of the bonding spacers in the spacer-containing liquid, it is much easier to include one bonding spacer in the droplet to be formed than to contain a predetermined plurality of single spacers dispersed in the droplet without bonding.

In particular, it is preferable to discharge the droplet toward the substrate from the opening of the head container which is relatively movable with respect to the substrate in the attaching process.

According to this, the droplet of a spacer containing liquid can be arrange | positioned easily in each desired place on a board | substrate.

In addition, you may spray the said droplet containing liquid with respect to a board | substrate in a sticking process. In addition, you may form the liquid film of a spacer containing liquid on a board | substrate in an adhesion process.

According to this, the liquid film and droplet of a spacer containing liquid can be adhered on a board | substrate easily.

Moreover, it is preferable to dry a spacer containing liquid at a fixing process.

When the spacer containing liquid is dried, the bonding spacer in the spacer containing liquid can be easily fixed to the substrate.

In particular, if the surface of the bonding spacer is formed of a resin or the functional group capable of bonding with the substrate is bonded to the surface of the bonding spacer, the spacer can be adhered to the substrate very well by drying the liquid around the spacer.

On the other hand, when the surface of the bonding spacer is formed of a resin that is cured by irradiation of light, in the fixing step, light is applied to the bonding spacer while the bonding spacer in the spacer-containing liquid is brought into contact with the surface of the substrate. It is also preferable to investigate.

According to this, since the surface of the bonding spacer which contacts the board | substrate in a spacer containing liquid is hardened by light, a bonding spacer can be fixed to a board | substrate without drying a spacer containing liquid.

In addition, in the fixing step, the bonding spacer in the spacer-containing liquid present on a part of the substrate may be fixed to the substrate by irradiating light only to a part of the substrate through the mask.

According to this, a part of a board | substrate, ie, the coupling spacer in the spacer containing liquid which exists on a desired place, can be fixed to a board | substrate selectively, and it is preferable. In this case, the droplets may be dried by infrared light, and the bonding spacers may be cured and fixed by the bonding spacer curing light.

In addition, the case where the bonding spacers are the ones in which the single spacers are previously bonded to each other by a thermoplastic binder, or the surfaces of each single spacer are formed by the thermoplastic resin, and the bonding spacers are directly bonded to each other by heating the surface of the single spacers in advance desirable. Such bonding spacers are easy to manufacture.

In addition, in the case where such a bonding spacer is used, after the fixing step, a laminating step of laminating another substrate on the substrate through the bonding spacer is further provided, and the bonding spacer can be heated in the laminating step.

In this case, since the bonding spacers are heated, the rearrangement of the single spacers in each bonding spacer is possible. In particular, even when a three-dimensional bonding spacer in which four or more single spacers are bonded to the substrate is bonded, the bonding spacers are formed between the pair of substrates. Each single spacer of can be rearranged to a thickness of one layer to facilitate uniformity of the distance between the substrates, for example, the color filter and the driving substrate.

A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a liquid crystal drive substrate having a pixel electrode, a color filter disposed opposite the liquid crystal drive substrate, and a spacer disposed between the liquid crystal drive substrate and the color filter, wherein the spacers are formed by combining a plurality of single spacers. It is a bonding spacer made.

Since such a liquid crystal display device has a coupling spacer, the spacer is difficult to move, and distortion of the spacer due to local pressure is also less likely to occur.

Effects of the Invention

According to the present invention, a plurality of predetermined single spacers can be arranged in each place on the substrate, and an excellent liquid crystal display device can be realized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic diagram explaining a single spacer and the coupling spacer made by combining a single spacer.

2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an example of a spacer spraying device used in the present embodiment.

3 is a cross-sectional view of an example of a color filter used in the present embodiment.

4 is a top view illustrating a state in which droplets are sprayed onto the color filter.

5 is a view seen from the direction of the V-V arrow of FIG.

FIG. 6 shows a single spacer or binding spacer actually contained in one droplet when the concentration of the single spacer or binding spacer in the spacer containing liquid is about 1 in the A: droplet volume and B: about 3 in the droplet volume. It is a graph showing the frequency distribution of the number of.

7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which droplets of the color filter of FIG. 4 are dried.

8 is a top view of the mask M having an opening OP.

FIG. 9 is a view of the color filter of FIG. 4 seen in the direction of an arrow showing a state after drying by irradiating light through a mask M, and the place thereof corresponds to the plane VIII-VIII of FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where an unfixed coupling spacer is removed from the color filter in the state of FIG.

11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a liquid crystal drive substrate is placed on a color filter.

12 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a bonding spacer in which four single spacers are combined on a color filter is fixed.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows the spacer containing droplet spraying method which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

14 is a plan view showing a state in which droplets are attached on the color filter.

FIG. 15 is a plan view illustrating a state in which a coupling spacer is selectively fixed on a black matrix. FIG.

16 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing the spacer-containing liquid film forming method according to the fourth embodiment.

17 is a plan view showing a state in which a liquid film is attached on a color filter.

Explanation of the sign

12... Spacer containing liquid, 37... Aperture, 42... Head container, 100... Color filter (substrate), 200... Droplet (spacer-containing liquid), 202... Pixel electrode 210. Liquid film (spacer-containing liquid), 220... Single spacer, 230... Coupling spacer, 300... Liquid crystal display, 400... Liquid crystal drive substrates (other substrates).

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the arrangement | positioning method of the spacer which concerns on this invention, and suitable embodiment of a liquid crystal display device are described, referring drawings. In addition, in description of drawing, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same element, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted. In addition, in a figure, a dimension ratio does not necessarily correspond with what was demonstrated.

(1st embodiment)

In the present invention, a bonding spacer made by combining a plurality of single spacers is prepared, and a spacer containing liquid containing the bonding spacer is ejected as a droplet from the opening of the head, adhered onto a color filter to dry the droplet, and then the color. The TFT substrate is placed on the filter. Hereinafter, it demonstrates in detail.

(Join spacer creation process)

First, as shown in Fig. 1A, a single spacer 220 is prepared. Although the material of the single spacer 220 is not specifically limited, For example, silicon oxide particles, such as a silica, plastic particles, such as a silicone modified polymer, etc. can be used. Moreover, the particle diameter of the single spacer 220 is not specifically limited, either, For example, it can be about 1-7 micrometers in particle diameters.

Moreover, the functional group which the surface of the single spacer 220 is formed of resin, such as a polymer, or is couple | bonded with the surface of a single spacer, and is formed in the surface of a TFT substrate, and orientates a liquid crystal, or a color filter (especially an alignment film). For example, when an epoxy group, glycidyl group, oxetane group, acid anhydride group, lactone group, amide group, carboxyl group, or the like is bonded, the adhesion with the color filter can be strengthened, which is preferable.

For example, when the surface of the single spacer 220 is formed of resin, the adhesion between the single spacer and the alignment film on the surface of the color filter or the TFT substrate can be further improved by heat during drying described later. Examples of the resin include thermoplastic resins, thermosetting resins, and resins cured by irradiation of light, for example, visible ray cured resins, ultraviolet curable resins, infrared curable resins, and the like. Here, the whole single spacer may be formed from resin, or only the surface layer may be formed from resin. Moreover, even if the above-mentioned functional group is attached to the surface of the single spacer, the adhesion between the single spacer 220 and the alignment film on the surface of the color filter or the TFT substrate can be improved by chemical bonding between the functional group and the alignment film on the surface of the TFT or TFT substrate. have. In addition, in the case of resin hardened | cured by irradiation of light, it is also possible to fix it with the alignment film on the surface of a color filter or a TFT substrate by irradiation of the said light.

Subsequently, the plurality of single spacers 220 are combined to form the coupling spacer 230 as shown in Figs. 1B to 1F. The number of spacers 220 included in the coupling spacer 230 may be any number, for example, two, three, four, six, or the like.

The manufacturing method of the coupling spacer 230 is not particularly limited, but a known assembly method may be used. Specifically, for example, a dish granulator, a fluidized bed granulation coating device, a granulation device using a spray dryer, or the like can be used. Furthermore, after dispersing the dispersant in the liquid to disperse the fixing resin (which may be dissolved or dispersed smaller than the spacer) and the spacer (the fixing agent may be chemically treated on the spacer), the solubility parameter of the solution is changed. You may assemble. Further, the solution may be dried (freeze drying may be good), and then pulverized and classified to make the size constant.

In particular, by using a binder, the coupling spacer 230 can be suitably formed regardless of the material of the single spacer 220. Although a binder is not specifically limited, It is preferable to use a thermoplastic binder especially. As the thermoplastic binder, for example, an acrylic resin, a polyester resin, a polyether resin, a polyolefin wax, a polyvinylpyrrolidone, a vinyl acetate resin, a polyvinyl ether resin, and the like, and the spacer-containing liquid are almost (influence on the reliability of the LCD). To a degree) or a resin that does not completely dissolve. Moreover, you may give a functional group which reacts with a particle | grain, or have a functional group which prevents the orientation disorder of a liquid crystal by applying heat to such resin. An example of a coupling spacer 230 formed by bonding three single spacers 220 together by a binder 235 is shown in FIG. 1B.

In addition, the coupling spacer 230 may be formed without using a binder. For example, when the surface of the single spacer 220 is formed of a thermoplastic resin, the surfaces of the single spacer 220 may be directly bonded to each other by stirring the same while heating the single spacer 220. It is possible to generate the bonding spacers 230 without using a binder.

An example of a coupling spacer 230 made by bonding a single spacer 220 to each other without using a binder 235 is illustrated in FIGS. 1C to 1F. (B) and (d) of FIG. 1 show coupling spacers 230 that combine three single spacers 220, FIG. 1 (c) shows coupling spacers 230 that combine two single spacers 220, FIG. 1E illustrates an example of a coupling spacer 230 that combines four single spacers 220, and FIG. 1F illustrates an example of a coupling spacer 230 that combines six single spacers 220.

Here, in the assembly of the coupling spacers 220 formed by the above-described assembly method, the number of the single spacers 220 included in each of the coupling spacers 230 does not become that uniform, so that the combined spacers after assembly ( It is preferable to classify the aggregate of 230). Although the classification method is not specifically limited, For example, the classification method using sedimentation of the granulated particle by the specific gravity difference, such as a multicyclone or stationary in liquid, the classification method using hydrodynamic chromatography, etc., a mesh, a sieve, and a member And a classification method using a column, and the like, whereby an aggregate of the coupling spacers 230 having a high proportion of the coupling spacers 230 formed by bonding a plurality of predetermined single spacers 220 can be obtained. Can be.

Specifically, on the basis of the number, for example, 90% or more, preferably 95%, of the bonding spacers 230 formed by combining a plurality of predetermined single spacers 220 in the total bonding spacers 230. It is preferable to create a combination of the coupling spacers 230 showing the sharp distribution included above.

Then, the aggregate of the bonded spacers 230 thus obtained is dispersed in the spacer carrier liquid to obtain a spacer-containing liquid in which the bonded spacers 230 are dispersed. Here, the coupling spacer 230 is dispersed in the liquid as if it is one particle. In addition, the concentration of the coupling spacer 230 in the spacer-containing liquid is adjusted to the concentration at which approximately one coupling spacer 230 is included in the volume V of the droplets discharged from the opening of the head container (detailed later). do. In this embodiment, the case where the spacer containing liquid containing the coupling spacer which three spacers like FIG.1 (d) couple | bonded is used is demonstrated.

As the space carrier liquid 11 in which the coupling spacer 230 is dispersed, for example, a mixed liquid of water and IPA can be used. Moreover, you may use a dispersing agent as needed.

(Batch process)

Subsequently, using the spacer arrangement | positioning apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 2, the droplet 200 is formed from the spacer containing liquid 12, and the droplet is made to adhere to the surface of the color filter 100. FIG.

First, the embodiment of the spacer arrangement | positioning apparatus 1 and the color filter 100 is demonstrated.

(Spacer placement device)

The spacer arrangement apparatus 1 is an apparatus which injects a spacer containing liquid into the upper color filter 100 from the head apparatus 41, respectively, and attaches the droplet of a spacer containing liquid to the lower surface of the color filter 100. FIG. .

The spacer arrangement | positioning apparatus 1 mainly uses the color filter 100 of the stirring tank 20 which stirs the spacer containing liquid 12, and the spacer containing liquid 12 supplied from the stirring tank 20 above. The head device 41 which sprays toward the droplet 200, the board | substrate movement unit 80 which moves the color filter 100 above the head apparatus 41, the head apparatus 41, and the board | substrate movement unit 80 The controller 90 is mainly provided for controlling ()).

The head device 41 has a box-shaped head container 42 extending in the width direction of the color filter 100. On the upper surface of the head container 42, the opening 37 is formed by arranging a plurality of openings at a predetermined pitch 37P. The arrangement direction of the opening 37 is parallel to the width direction of the color filter and perpendicular to the moving direction of the color filter.

Here, the diameter of the opening 37 can be about 10-50 micrometers, for example. In addition, the pitch 37P of the opening 37 can be about 100 micrometers, for example.

In the head container 42, the hammer 52 and the piezo element 54 are provided sequentially from the top. The bottom part of the piezo element 54 is fixed to the bottom part of the head container 42. In addition, the piezo element 54 is connected to the controller 90, and expands and contracts up and down in accordance with a signal from the controller 90. The hammer 52 is fixed on the piezo element 54. The upper surface of the hammer 52 opposes each opening 37 from below, and is spaced apart from each opening 37 by a predetermined interval.

And when the piezo element 54 is extended upward by the signal from the controller 90, the hammer 52 will move upward. Therefore, the spacer containing liquid 12 near the opening 37 is extruded from the opening 37 by the upper end surface 52d of the hammer 52, and the droplet 200 of the spacer containing liquid 12 faces upward. Sprayed.

The stirring vessel 20 is provided with the stirring blade 17 which rotates by the motor 17a, and stirs the spacer containing liquid 12 in which the above-mentioned coupling spacer 230 is disperse | distributed, and couples the coupling spacer 230 to a spacer. It disperse | distributes in the carrier liquid 11. In addition, the stirring strength is such that the bonding of the coupling spacer 230 is not broken.

One end of the head container 42 is connected to the stirring vessel 20 by the line L1. Moreover, the other end of the head container 42 is connected with the stirring vessel 20 by the line L2 provided with the circulation pump 70. The circulation pump 70 sucks the spacer-containing liquid in the head vessel 42 and discharges it into the stirring vessel 20. Correspondingly to this, the spacer-containing liquid 12 in the stirring vessel 20 is supplied into the head vessel 42 via the line L1.

The substrate moving unit 80 has a substrate sucking portion 82 and a substrate moving portion 84. The substrate suction unit 82 sucks the color filter 100 above the head device 41 by static electricity, reduced pressure, or the like to support the color filter 100. Here, the substrate suction part 82 is the color filter 100 so that the recessed part 160a of the upper film 160 (detailed later) of the color filter 100 becomes parallel with the arrangement direction of the opening 37 downward. ).

In addition, the substrate moving part 84 moves the substrate suction part 82 which sucked the color filter 100 horizontally in the color filter movement direction, ie, the direction orthogonal to the width direction of a color filter. That is, the opening 37 of the color filter 100 and the head device 41 moves relatively along the surface of the color filter 100. In addition, the substrate moving part 84 can move the color filter 100 a predetermined distance also in the width direction of the color filter, and the color filter 100 can be aligned. As the board | substrate moving part 84, the thing of the linear motor type which can move the color filter 100 with high precision is preferable.

The controller 90 is a computer device that performs processing based on a predetermined program, and is connected to the substrate moving unit 80, the piezo element 54, the circulation pump 70, and the motor 17a to control their driving. .

(Color filter)

Subsequently, an example of a color filter as a substrate to which droplets should be attached is described with reference to FIG. 3. The color filter 100 in which the droplets 200 are to be disposed includes a transparent substrate 110, a black matrix 120, a red colored portion 130R, a green colored portion 130G, a blue colored portion 130B, and an upper film ( 160).

The transparent substrate 110 is a transparent flat plate formed of glass or the like.

The black matrix 120 is a film made of a material that shields visible light. As a material of the black matrix 120, metal-based materials, such as chromium and chromium / chromium oxide, a resin material, etc. are mentioned, for example. The black matrix 120 has a lattice shape or stripe shape and forms a plurality of openings 120p. The width 120W of the black matrix can be, for example, about 5 to 30 µm. In addition, the height 120H of the black matrix can be, for example, about 0.1 to 2 μm.

The red coloring part 130R, the green coloring part 130G, and the blue coloring part 130B are respectively arrange | positioned in each opening 120p of the black matrix 120 sequentially. The red colored portion 130R, the green colored portion 130G, and the blue colored portion 130B are each made of a transparent coloring material that can selectively transmit visible light of each color, and for example, a transparent coloring resin can be used. . The width 130W of each coloring part 130R, 130G, 130B can be 5-100 micrometers, for example. The height 130H of each coloring part 130R, 130G, 130B can be 1-2 micrometers, for example.

Here, the height 130H of each coloring part 130R, 130G, 130B is sufficiently higher than the height 120H of the black matrix 120. FIG.

Then, the upper film 160 is formed over each of the colored portions 130R, 130G, and 130B and the black matrix 120. The upper film 160 is a laminate including a transparent flattening film (not shown), a transparent electrode film 140, an alignment film 150, and the like, which are sequentially provided from the transparent substrate 110 side as necessary.

The transparent electrode film 140 is a common electrode which should be disposed opposite to the pixel electrode (detailed later) of the liquid crystal drive substrate for driving the liquid crystal display, and is formed of a transparent conductive material such as ITO. The thickness of the transparent electrode film 140 is about 0.1 micrometer, for example.

The alignment film 150 orientates the liquid crystal in a desired direction, and can be formed, for example, with a resin material such as polyimide. The thickness of the alignment film 150 is, for example, about 0.1 μm.

Then, in response to the step between the upper surface of the black matrix 120 and the upper surface of each of the colored portions 130R, 130G, and 130B, the surface of the color filter 100, that is, the surface of the upper film 160 is black. Concave portions 160a are formed on the matrix 120. The black matrix 120 has a lattice shape or a stripe shape, and the concave portion 160a has a groove shape along the black matrix 120. In addition, the distal end portions of the colored matrices 130R, 130G, and 130B on the side of the black matrix 120 are respectively fixed.

The color filter 100 is formed, for example, on the transparent substrate 110 by the photolithography method or the like, and then forms the black matrix 120 in the opening 120p of the black matrix 120 and then the photolithography method or the like. By sequentially forming the respective colored portions 130R, 130G, and 130B so as to be higher than the black matrix 120, and then sputtering or vapor deposition on the black matrix 120 and the colored portions 130R, 130G, and 130B. By forming a transparent electrode film 140 of a predetermined thickness, by applying a predetermined thickness of an alignment film material such as polyimide resin on the transparent electrode film 140, and solidified, by rubbing its surface to form the alignment film 150, Obtained.

(Droplet ejection and adhesion)

Subsequently, a process of ejecting and attaching the droplets will be described. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the droplet 200 is repeatedly discharged from each opening 37 of the head container 42, moving the color filter 100 in the color filter movement direction, By repeatedly attaching a row (line) of droplets 200 to the substrate surface (see FIG. 3), as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a plurality of droplets 200 are formed on the surface of the color filter 100. Attach in matrix.

Here, by controlling the substrate transfer unit 80 and the piezo element 54, the movement of the color filter 100 is controlled so that the droplet 200 adheres to the recessed portions 160a in the surface of the upper film 160. The pitch 37P of the droplet 200 on each recessed part 160a corresponds to the pitch 37P of the opening 37 of the head container 42.

The diameter of the droplet 200 on the color filter 100 can be about 50-100 micrometers, for example. Therefore, the volume V of the droplet 200 becomes about 10-100 pL, for example. Here, as described above, the concentration of the coupling spacer 230 in the spacer-containing liquid 12 in the head container 42 is about one binding spacer 230 in the volume V of the droplet 200, for example. For example, it is the density | concentration contained about 0.9-1.1. Therefore, most of the droplets 200 discharged from the openings 37 of the head container 42 include only one coupling spacer 230, as shown in Figs.

Since each coupling spacer 230 is a combination of a plurality of desired single spacers 220, a plurality of predetermined single spacers 220 are disposed at a desired place on the color filter.

Here, a description will be given in detail with reference to FIG. 6 regarding the fact that approximately one coupling spacer is included in the droplet 200. FIG. 6 shows that the binding spacer 230 is dispersed as a single particle in the spacer containing liquid 12, and the concentration of the binding spacer 230 is about 1 in the volume V of the droplet, and the B: liquid. An example of the graph showing the frequency distribution of the number of the coupling spacers 230 included in one droplet 200 actually discharged in the case of being set to about three in the volume V of the enemy. In addition, this graph disperses the single spacer 220 as a single particle in the spacer containing liquid 12, and the concentration of the single spacer 220 is about 1 in the volume V of the droplet, and B: It is also a graph which shows the frequency distribution of the number of the single spacers 220 contained in one droplet 200 actually discharged, when it sets to about three in the volume V of droplets.

When the single spacer 220 is dispersed as a single particle in the spacer containing liquid 12 as in the related art, as shown in FIG. 6B, the concentration of the single spacer 220 in the spacer containing liquid 12 is determined by the volume of the droplet. Although the frequency distribution of the number of the single spacers 220 in the droplets 200 becomes broad, even if it is set to the density | concentration containing three single spacers 220 in (V), the single spacers 220 in the droplets 200 will become broad. The number of easily becomes largely nonuniform.

However, as in the present embodiment, when the bonding spacer 230 formed by bonding a plurality of predetermined single spacers 220 is dispersed in the spacer-containing liquid 12 as single particles, the bonding spacers 230 are Act as one particle. Then, when the concentration of the coupling spacer 230 in the spacer-containing liquid 12 is set to a concentration in which approximately one binding spacer 230 is included in the volume V of the droplet, it is shown in Fig. 6A. As described above, only one coupling spacer 230 may be contained in the discharged droplet 200 with a considerable probability. This is relatively small when the single spacer 220 is dispersed as a single particle in the spacer containing liquid 12 so that the concentration of the single spacer 220 is set to the concentration at which one single spacer 220 is contained in the volume V of the droplet. It is common to include one single spacer 220 in the droplet 200 with high precision.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the droplet 200 containing the predetermined several single spacer 220 can be arrange | positioned in each place on the color filter 100. FIG.

(Fixing process)

Subsequently, the coupling spacer 230 in the droplet 200 is fixed to the color filter 100. The fixing method is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include heating by an infrared lamp or the like, or drying by blowing. When the droplet 200 is dried, as shown in FIG. 7, the coupling spacer 230 in the droplet 200 is fixed onto the color filter 100. In this case, coupling between the single spacers 220 of the coupling spacers 230 is generally hardly broken.

Here, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 4, in order to prevent the coupling spacer 230A from sticking to an unintended location, such as when the droplet 200A is attached to an unintended location, it is illustrated in FIG. 8. As mentioned above, it is preferable to irradiate infrared rays with respect to the color filter 100 through the mask M which the recessed part 160a or the part corresponding to the black matrix 120 used as the opening OP. In this way, as shown in FIG. 9, the liquid on the portion corresponding to the opening OP is dried to selectively fix the coupling spacer 230 at the place, while the droplet 200A is not irradiated with infrared rays. Since it is not dried, sticking of the coupling spacers 230A in addition to the intended place in the color filter 100 can be suppressed very efficiently. In this case, after fixing the desired coupling spacer 230, as shown in FIG. 10, when a liquid, for example, a solvent of a spacer-containing liquid, is dropped from the nozzle 480 on the surface of the color filter, it is not fixed. Only non-coupled spacers 230A can be removed above the color filter. In addition, the unfixed coupling spacer 230A may be removed by blowing with gas or immersing in the liquid.

In addition, in the process of fixing to dryness, even if the droplet 200 is carried out in the upward or downward direction, finally, each single spacer 220 of the coupling spacer 230 contacts the color filter 100. Done. In this embodiment, especially, the coupling spacer 230 which combines three single spacers is used, and after drying, the surface of the color filter 100 also with either the single spacer 220 of the coupling spacer 230 is usually dry. In contact with, i.e., fixing, the height of the coupling spacer 230 is equal to the height of the single spacer 220.

In addition, the bonding spacers may be fixed by a method other than drying. For example, when the surface of the coupling spacer 230 is a resin that is cured by irradiation of light, for example, a visible light curing resin, an ultraviolet curing resin, an infrared curing resin, or the like, the coupling spacer 230 in the droplet 200. The bonding spacer 230 can be fixed onto the color filter 10 by irradiating light that cures the resin in a state in which the) is in contact with the surface of the color filter 100. In this case, drying is not necessarily required. In addition, in order to prevent the coupling spacer 230A from sticking to an unintended position, it is preferable to irradiate light through the mask M. FIG. The non-fixed coupling spacer 230A may be removed as described above.

In addition, at the same time as fixing by curing or after fixing by curing, infrared rays are irradiated to the color filter 100 through the mask M, and the liquid around the coupling spacer 230G is dried to bond with the coupling spacer 230G. It is also possible to increase the fixing force of the color filter 100.

(Lamination process of driving board)

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11, the liquid crystal drive board 400 which has the pixel electrode 402 (for example, TFT element etc.) is mounted on the color filter 100 via the coupling spacer 230. As shown in FIG. The liquid crystal drive substrate 400 is provided with a pixel electrode 402, an alignment film 403, and the like on the glass substrate 401.

In addition, the coupling between the color filter 100 and the liquid crystal driving substrate 400 is not a single spacer 220 as in the related art, but an assembly of a plurality of single spacers 220 with a more precisely controlled number. Since each is supported by the spacer 230, the panel gap is uniform and the display is clear. Moreover, since it is an aggregate, it becomes difficult to move a spacer, and also a case where a spacer is crushed by local pressurization hardly arises.

Thereafter, when the liquid crystal is filled between the liquid crystal driving substrate 400 and the color filter 100, the liquid crystal display 300 is completed. The liquid crystal may be added dropwise onto the color filter 100 before the liquid crystal drive substrate 400 is mounted on the color filter 100.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the spacer containing liquid 12 including the coupling spacer 230 formed by bonding the plurality of single spacers 220 is used, in the spacer containing liquid 12, Each of the bonding spacers 230 acts as if it were one particle. And by adjusting the density | concentration of the coupling spacer 230 in the spacer containing liquid 12, it is easy to contain about one coupling spacer 230 in the droplet 200 discharged. Therefore, compared with the prior art, a plurality of predetermined single spacers 220 are disposed at a desired place of the color filter with high precision.

(2nd embodiment)

Subsequently, a second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, as shown in (e) of FIG. 1, the coupling spacer 230 in which four coupling spacers were three-dimensionally couple | bonded is used. In this case, after the adhesion and drying of the droplets as described above, the state shown in FIG. 12 is obtained. Subsequently, the color filter 100 is stacked on the color filter 100, and the coupling spacer 230 is sandwiched between the color filter 100 and the liquid crystal driving substrate 400, thereby providing a predetermined stress with respect to the coupling spacer 230. To release the coupling between the single spacers 220 of the coupling spacer 230, and rearrange each single spacer 220 constituting the coupling spacer 230 to one layer. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the distance between the color filter 100 and the liquid crystal driving substrate 400 is defined by the height of the single spacer 220.

Here, the coupling spacer 230 is a case where the single spacer 220 is bonded to each other through the thermoplastic binder 235, or the surface of each single spacer 220 is formed of a thermoplastic resin, and the coupling spacer ( In the case where the 230 is directly bonded to each other by heating the surface of the single spacer 220, the single spacer 220 can be easily heated with a relatively weak stress by heating the coupling spacer 230 with an infrared lamp or the like in such a lamination process. It can be rearranged so as to be able to be rearranged, and can be rearranged by combining the single spacer 220 again with the thermoplastic resin in the rearranged state.

(Third embodiment)

Subsequently, a third embodiment according to the present invention will be described. In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the spraying device 2 having the droplet spray nozzle 202 is used instead of the spacer arrangement device 1 as in the first embodiment and the second embodiment. A plurality of droplets 200 are sprayed onto the color filter 100 and attached.

As the droplet spray nozzle 202, a 2-fluid nozzle etc. can be used, for example. The blower 204 is connected to the droplet spray nozzle 202 via the line L20, and the pump 206 and the same stirring tank 20 as the first embodiment are connected via the line L22. have. And the spacer containing liquid 12 is supplied to the droplet spray nozzle 202 by the pump 206, and air is supplied to the droplet spray nozzle 202 by the blower 204, and the droplet spray nozzle 202 is supplied. Thus, a large number of droplets 200 of the spacer-containing liquid are formed. These multiple droplets 200 are attached to the surface of the color filter 100 disposed opposite the droplet spray nozzles 202. Moreover, spray conditions, such as the orifice diameter of the droplet spray nozzle 202, the pressure of a spacer containing liquid, or air, are set so that the diameter of a droplet may become desired size. In addition, each droplet 200 preferably includes one coupling spacer 230, respectively.

In this spraying method, it is difficult to control the attachment position of the droplet 200 on the color filter 100 as in the first embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 14, the droplet 200 including the coupling spacer 230 is shown. ) Is arranged almost randomly on the color filter 100. The coupling spacer 230 in the droplet 200 is divided into a coupling spacer 230G disposed on the black matrix 120 and a coupling spacer 230H disposed on a portion other than the black matrix 120.

Subsequently, a mask M as shown in FIG. 8, that is, a portion corresponding to a portion of the black matrix 120 of the color filter 100 becomes an opening OP, and the other portion is a stripe image having a light shielding portion. Light is irradiated to the black matrix 120 of the color filter 100 through the mask M. In this case, the coupling spacer 230G on the black matrix 120 is fixed on the black matrix 120, while portions other than the black matrix 120 are not irradiated with light, so that portions other than the black matrix 120 are not exposed. The upper coupling spacer 230H does not adhere to the color filter 100.

As a fixing method, like 1st Embodiment, the method of drying a liquid by infrared rays, the method of irradiating the light which hardens a bonding spacer, etc. are mentioned, for example.

Then, after fixing the coupling spacer 230G on the black matrix 120 to the color filter, the unfixed coupling spacer 230H is removed from the color filter surface by running water or the like in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, coupling spacers 230G may be selectively disposed on the black matrix 120.

After that, the lamination step may be performed in the same manner as in the first or second embodiment.

(4th embodiment)

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the liquid film 210 of the spacer-containing liquid 12 is attached onto the color filter 100, not the droplet 200. Specifically, the liquid film 210 of the spacer containing liquid 12 can be formed on the color filter 100 using various well-known coating apparatuses. For example, the liquid film 210 can be formed using the die coater 3 and the like shown in FIG. 16. The liquid film 210 can be formed even if the droplets are sprayed by the spray nozzle as in the third embodiment for a sufficiently long time.

When the liquid film 210 is formed, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the coupling spacer 230 is disposed almost randomly on the color filter 100 in the liquid film 210. Here, the bonding spacer disposed on the black matrix 120 is 230G, and the bonding spacer disposed on the portion other than the black matrix 120 is 230H.

Then, it is good to irradiate light through the mask M similarly to 3rd Embodiment. The infrared spacer may be fixed to the color filter 100 by drying the liquid around the coupling spacer 230C on the black matrix 120 by infrared rays, and the surface of the coupling spacer 230G may be fixed by light. The curing may be performed to fix the bonding spacer 230G and the color filter 100. After fixing, the non-fixed coupling spacer 230H may be removed by washing or the like. As a result, as shown in FIG. 15, the coupling spacer 230 is selectively disposed on the black matrix 120. After that, the lamination step may be performed in the same manner as in the first or second embodiment.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation form is possible. For example, the number of the single spacers 220 included in each of the coupling spacers 230 is not particularly limited as long as the number of the single spacers 220 is plural. Do.

In addition, in the said embodiment, although the droplet 200 is discharged upward from the opening 37 of the head container 42, you may discharge downward or sideways.

In addition, the relation between the width of the opening OP of the mask M and the width of the place (for example, the black matrix) where the coupling spacer 230 is to be disposed is preferably equal to each other. Type (ultraviolet / visible / infrared: linearity varies by type), distance between mask and color filter, degree of irregularities of color filter, and how light reaches from light source to color filter (parallel or convergent light) The relationship between the width OPW (see FIG. 8) of the opening OP and the width (for example, 120 W in FIG. 3) of the place where the spacer is to be arranged can be arbitrarily set depending on the properties of the opening OP. . Usually, it is good to set it as (width of opening) <(width of the place where a spacer is to be arrange | positioned).

Further, in manufacturing other than the color filter, for example, a TFT substrate, a liquid crystal display element requiring a cell gap by a spherical spacer, or an optical device such as a multi-mode optical waveguide or a connector requiring a gap control. It is of course also possible to use the method of each of the above embodiments in arranging the spacers with respect to the substrate or the like when manufacturing the same.

As described above, according to the present invention, since a plurality of desired single spacers can be arranged on the substrate, a higher performance liquid crystal display or the like can be manufactured.

Claims (13)

An attaching step of attaching a spacer-containing liquid including a bonding spacer made by joining a plurality of single spacers in advance onto a substrate, A method for arranging a spacer, comprising a fixing step of fixing a bonding spacer in an attached spacer-containing liquid to a substrate. The method of placing a spacer according to claim 1, wherein a droplet of the spacer-containing liquid is formed in the attaching step and the droplet is attached onto a substrate. The method for arranging a spacer according to claim 2, wherein the droplet is ejected toward the substrate from the opening of the head container relatively movable with respect to the substrate in the attaching process. The method of placing a spacer according to claim 2, wherein the droplet of the spacer-containing liquid is sprayed onto the substrate in the attaching step. The method for arranging a spacer according to claim 1, wherein a liquid film of a spacer-containing liquid is formed on a substrate in an attaching step. The spacer arrangement method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the spacer-containing liquid is dried in the fixing step. The method of arranging a spacer according to claim 6, wherein the surface of the bonding spacer is formed of a resin, or the functional group bondable to the substrate is bonded to the surface of the bonding spacer. The surface according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the surface of the bonding spacer is formed of a resin that is cured by irradiation of light, and the bonding spacer in the spacer-containing liquid is brought into contact with the surface of the substrate in the fixing step. Irradiating light with respect to the coupling spacer in the spacer arrangement method. The method of arranging a spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the bonding spacer in the spacer-containing liquid present on a portion of the substrate is fixed to the substrate by irradiating light only to a portion of the substrate through the mask in the fixing step. . 10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the bonding spacers have previously bonded the single spacers to each other with a thermoplastic binder. The arrangement of spacers according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the surface of each single spacer is formed of a thermoplastic resin, and the bonding spacer is directly bonded to each other by preheating the surface of the single spacer. Way. 12. The method of claim 10 or 11, further comprising a lamination step of laminating another substrate over the substrate via the bonding spacer after the fixing step, wherein the bonding spacer is heated in the lamination step. A liquid crystal drive substrate having a pixel electrode, a color filter disposed opposite the liquid crystal drive substrate, and a spacer disposed between the liquid crystal drive substrate and the color filter, wherein the spacer is a bonding spacer formed by combining a plurality of single spacers. .

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