KR20110023140A - Test method for one sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for testing one sheet is provided to improve yield by minimizing the number of display panels which is determined as a defect in a one sheet testing stage. CONSTITUTION: A target property data value with information about the emission and brightness properties of a reference panel is produced(210). An actual data value of an actual panel is measured(220). A MTP stage corresponding to the target property data value and the actual property data value is produced(230). The actual property data value is estimated after the MTP stage is applied(240). One sheet is tested for the estimated property data value(250).

Description

Ledger inspection method {TEST METHOD FOR ONE SHEET}

The present invention relates to a ledger inspection method, and more particularly to a ledger inspection method of the display panel.

Display panels of a plurality of organic light emitting displays are formed on a single substrate (hereinafter, referred to as a mother substrate), and then scribed and separated into individual panels. Before the display panels are cut or separated from the mother substrate, the display panels are turned on in the state of the mother substrate, and the display panel unit inspection process or the aging inspection process is performed.

1 is a view showing a general ledger inspection system.

Referring to FIG. 1, the ledger inspection system includes a ledger substrate 100, a power supply unit 130, and a ledger inspection device 160.

A plurality of display panels 105 are formed on the mother substrate 100 before being cut or separated.

The power supply unit 130 supplies power to each of the plurality of display panels 105 formed on the mother substrate 100 through the wiring 135. The plurality of display panels 105 starts the test driving required for the ledger inspection by using the power supplied from the power supply 130.

The ledger inspection device 160 applies a driving signal to each of the display panels 105 using the input / output wires 165. Then, using the data output in response to the drive signal, it is tested whether the display panel 105 is normally driven as designed by the user. The ledger inspection device 160 determines whether the display panel 105 is unsuccessful based on whether the outputted data is within a range satisfying a data range or a product specification set by a user or the like.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a ledger inspection method that can improve the yield by minimizing defect determination.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for inspecting a ledger includes calculating a target characteristic data value having information on light emission and luminance characteristics of a reference panel, measuring an actual characteristic data value of an actual panel to be inspected. Calculating an MTP step corresponding to a difference between a target characteristic data value and the actual characteristic data value; when correcting the actual characteristic data value by applying the calculated MTP step, predicting the actual characteristic data value after correction; And performing an ledger check on the predicted actual characteristic data value.

The MTP step corresponding to the difference may be an MTP step to compensate for the difference, and may be experimentally determined for each model of the panel to be inspected.

The characteristic data value may be a color coordinate and luminance according to the color coordinate.

The calculating of the MTP step may include calculating a target amount of current flowing through the reference panel that satisfies the color coordinates and the luminance of the reference panel, and an actual amount of current flowing through the panel that satisfies the color coordinates and the luminance of the actual panel. And calculating an MTP step corresponding to the difference between the target current amount and the real current amount.

The calculating of the MTP step may further include calculating a difference between the target current amount and the actual current amount, and calculating an MTP step corresponding to the difference in the current amount. Here, the MTP step corresponding to the difference is an MTP step to compensate for the difference, and can be determined experimentally for each model of the panel to be inspected.

The checking of the ledger may be performed by determining whether the luminance according to the color coordinate, which is the predicted actual characteristic data value, satisfies an inspection standard or a product specification set by a user.

The ledger inspection method according to an embodiment of the present invention can improve the yield by minimizing the number of display panels that are determined to be defective.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly describe the present invention, and like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is "connected" to another part, this includes not only "directly connected" but also "electrically connected" with another element in between. . In addition, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, which means that it may further include other components, except to exclude other components unless otherwise stated.

In the ledger inspection, it is determined whether a signal (which may be information indicating luminance, gamma characteristics, etc.) output from the display panel 105 exists within a user data range or a product specification. If the output signal exists outside the range of the product specification or the like, the corresponding display panel is determined to be defective and disposed of or repaired.

The plurality of display panels 105 which are determined not to be defective in the ledger inspection are scribed and separated into individual panels. Each of the separated display panels is subjected to an individual module shipment inspection. The module shipment inspection is to inspect product quality and driving performance, such as an aging characteristic, a gamma characteristic, or a luminance performance with respect to an input voltage, with respect to each display panel.

One of the important factors for improving the display quality of the organic light emitting display device is gamma setting. The gamma setting is a correlation between display luminance and gray scale data, and the correlation between display luminance and gray scale data is defined according to a gamma curve. In order to maintain stable display quality of the organic light emitting display device, a very accurate gamma setting is required.

If an error occurs in the gamma setting, a deviation occurs between the actual display brightness and the display brightness according to the gray scale data. For the panel in which the deviation occurred, the correction operation of the reference gamma voltage is repeatedly performed to remove the deviation. Hereinafter, the task of repeatedly correcting the reference gamma voltage is referred to as multi time programming (hereinafter referred to as MTP).

Here, the reference gamma voltage is a voltage input to the driving circuit to generate grayscale data for determining the display luminance as a driving voltage or a driving current. When the reference gamma voltage value changes, the driving voltage or driving current according to the gray scale data changes, so that the display brightness of the panel according to the same gray scale data also changes. Therefore, when a deviation occurs between the actual display luminance according to the gradation data and the target luminance according to the gradation data, the reference kiln voltage is adjusted so that the actual display luminance becomes the target display luminance. At this time, the present invention adjusts the reference gamma voltage according to the MTP method to reach the actual display luminance to the target display luminance.

In the above-described module shipment inspection step, gamma characteristics and the like are inspected. If it is determined that correction is necessary for the gamma characteristic and the like, the MTP is performed. Therefore, even if a slight error occurs in the luminance characteristic, the luminance characteristic error can be corrected by performing MTP in the module shipment inspection step.

In general ledger inspection, product specification inspection is performed on the display panel before MTP is performed, and module shipment inspection and MTP are performed on the display panel which is not judged to be defective during ledger inspection. Among the plurality of display panels that are determined to be defective by the ledger inspection method, there are a large number of display panels that can be judged as non-defective products after performing MTP.

The ledger inspection method according to an embodiment of the present invention predicts color coordinates or luminance after MTP and performs ledger inspection based on this. Hereinafter, a method for inspecting a ledger according to an embodiment of the present invention, which may improve yield in manufacturing a display panel by minimizing a defect determination in a ledger inspection step, will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

2 is a flowchart showing a ledger inspection method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, in the ledger inspection method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a characteristic data value of a reference panel is calculated (step 210).

Here, the reference panel refers to a display panel designed to have an optimal specification for each product model to be manufactured by a user. In addition, the characteristic data value means various data that can represent product specifications such as light emission and luminance characteristics of the panel. Therefore, the reference panel provides a target value in color coordinates and luminance and the like for the actual panel to be inspected. In addition, when the actual panel has the same characteristic data value as the reference panel and the luminance value, the display panel has the best product quality.

Hereinafter, the characteristic data value of the reference panel is referred to as 'target characteristic data'. The target characteristic data may be measured for each of the emission colors of the light emitted by the panel, and thus the target characteristic data may be measured for each of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) colors.

The characteristic data refers to data having information on light emission and luminance characteristics of the panel. The characteristic data may be a color coordinate and a luminance satisfying the color coordinate or the current amount I_oled corresponding to the luminance. The amount of current I_oled corresponding to the luminance is the amount of current flowing through the panel, and the luminance of the panel varies according to this value. That is, as the amount of current flowing through the panel increases, the luminance increases, and the luminance and the current amount I_oled have a value proportional to each other. Hereinafter, the current amount I_oled corresponding to the luminance is referred to as the 'light emission current amount'.

The characteristic data value of the actual panel to be inspected is measured (step 220). Hereinafter, the characteristic data values measured in the actual panel are referred to as 'real characteristic data'.

Actual characteristic data can be measured for each of the luminescent colors the panel can emit. That is, luminance and the like may be measured for each of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) colors.

 Here, the characteristic data in step 220 is the same as the characteristic data in step 210. That is, it means data such as color coordinates that can exhibit light emission characteristics of the panel, luminance satisfying the corresponding color coordinates, or emission current amount I_oled corresponding to the luminance.

The difference between the target characteristic data and the actual characteristic data is calculated, and an MTP step corresponding to the difference value is derived (step 230). Hereinafter, a case where the target characteristic data and the actual characteristic data are luminance values satisfying the color coordinates of each product of the display panel will be described as an example.

The display panels have different color coordinates for each product (model). Color coordinates are determined according to product specifications and the like, and the display panel is designed and produced to have the determined color coordinates. In addition, when the color coordinates are different, the luminance ratio between R (red), G (green), and B (blue) light emitting elements is changed, and accordingly, luminance values in the R (red), G (green), and B (blue) colors, respectively. Will also change.

Therefore, when the luminance value is measured in steps 210 and 220, the measurement is performed by considering the color coordinate value that the display panel needs to satisfy.

In operation 230, first, a difference between the luminance value of the reference panel and the luminance value of the actual panel is calculated. As described above, the luminance value is proportional to the emission current amount I_oled. Therefore, the luminance value may be converted into the amount of light emitting current and the difference value between the luminance value of the reference panel and the luminance value of the actual panel is the difference between the emission current amount I_oled in the reference panel and the emission current amount I_oled in the actual panel. Can be represented by a value.

The luminance value of the reference panel is converted to the luminous current amount I_oled and calculated, and the luminance value of the actual panel is converted to the luminous current amount I_oled. Then, the current difference between the luminous current amount I_oled in the reference panel and the luminous current amount I_oled in the actual panel is calculated. Hereinafter, the current difference between the luminous current amount I_oled in the reference panel and the luminous current amount I_oled in the actual panel is referred to as a 'current difference value'. It can be defined as 'current difference = target current amount-actual current amount'.

The calculated MTP step is used to measure and correct the brightness of the panel. The TP stage refers to the number of times MTP is performed. For example, if the MTP stage is a stage, it means that the number of times MTP is performed is a. As the difference between the actual luminance and the target luminance increases, the number of times MTP is performed increases. When the MTP is performed, the driving voltage or driving current of the display panel is corrected in a direction of reducing the difference between the target luminance and the actual luminance by comparing the actual luminance with the target luminance, and the corrected driving voltage or driving current is applied to the display panel. Supplied. In addition, the actual luminance of the panel is measured again, and the actual luminance is different from the target luminance, and the next MTP is performed. As the MTP is repeated, the actual panel brightness is gradually corrected to a value close to the target brightness.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for describing operation 230 of FIG. 2.

3 is a graph showing a difference in current amount compared to an MTP step. Referring to FIG. 3, the MTP step has a value that increases in proportion to the current amount difference value. If the current difference is large, the MTP step is increased to perform luminance compensation several times on the display panel.

If the amount of current difference has a negative value, the MTP step is shown as a negative value. The negative value of the MTP step means that the MTP is performed in a direction of decreasing the actual current amount when the actual current amount is larger than the target current amount. Also, if the amount of current difference has a positive value, the MTP step is shown as a positive value. The MTP step having a positive value means that the MTP is performed in a direction of increasing the real current amount when the actual current amount is smaller than the target current amount.

A graph of the difference in current amount compared to the MTP step shown in FIG. 3 may be obtained experimentally for each product of the display panel. Depending on the display panel specification or model, the current difference graph may be slightly different from the MTP stage.

In the present application, the graph of FIG. 3 may be experimentally calculated and used. Therefore, in step 230, the MTP step corresponding to the current amount difference value is determined using the current difference graph compared with the MTP step previously obtained experimentally. Alternatively, by using the calculated current amount difference value, an MTP step corresponding to the current amount difference value can be calculated experimentally at that time.

The MTP step obtained in step 230 is applied to predict the corrected luminance when the luminance of the actual panel is corrected (step 240).

The ledger inspection is performed by using the luminance of the actual panel predicted in step 240 as the luminance of the panel to be inspected (step 250). In other words, whether the brightness of the actual panel predicted in step 240 is within the range satisfying the inspection criteria (data range) or product specification set by the user is determined whether the product is good or bad.

Here, the difference between the luminance of the reference panel and the luminance of the actual panel is used to determine the MTP step to be applied to the corresponding display panel. Then, the corrected luminance of the actual panel in the case of applying the determined MTP step is predicted, and the ledger inspection is performed with the predicted luminance. Accordingly, when the ledger inspection method according to the present invention is performed, display panels that may not be determined to be defective by performing MTP in a subsequent module inspection process may be prevented from being determined to be defective in the ledger inspection step. Furthermore, the production yield of the product can be improved by minimizing the number of display panels that are determined to be defective in the ledger inspection step.

1 is a view showing a general ledger inspection system.

2 is a flowchart showing a ledger inspection method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for describing operation 230 of FIG. 2.

Claims (9)

Calculating a target characteristic data value having information on light emission and luminance characteristics of the reference panel; Measuring an actual characteristic data value of an actual panel to be inspected; Calculating an MTP step corresponding to a difference between the target characteristic data value and the actual characteristic data value; Predicting the actual characteristic data value after the correction when correcting the actual characteristic data value by applying the calculated MTP step; And And performing a ledger check on the predicted actual characteristic data values. The method of claim 1, wherein the MTP step corresponding to the difference is The MTP step to compensate for the difference, the ledger inspection method determined experimentally for each model of the panel to be examined. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic data value is A ledger inspection method of color coordinates and luminance according to the color coordinates. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein calculating the MTP step Calculating a target current flowing through the reference panel satisfying the color coordinates and the luminance of the reference panel; Calculating an amount of real current flowing in the panel satisfying the color coordinates and the luminance of the actual panel; And And calculating an MTP step corresponding to the difference between the target current amount and the actual current amount. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein calculating the MTP step Calculating a difference between the target current amount and the actual current amount; And Calculating an MTP step corresponding to the difference in current amount; The MTP step corresponding to the difference is an MTP step for compensating for the difference, which is determined experimentally for each model of the panel to be examined. The method of claim 3, wherein performing the ledger inspection And determining whether the luminance according to the color coordinate, which is the predicted actual characteristic data value, satisfies an inspection standard or a product specification set by a user. The method of claim 3, wherein the calculating of the luminance of the reference panel comprises: Ledger inspection method for each of the emission colors that can be emitted by the reference panel. The method of claim 7, wherein measuring the brightness of the actual panel And a ledger inspection method for each of the emission colors that the actual panel can emit. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein the emitting light emitting colors are A method for checking the ledger, which is R, G, and B.

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