KR20130003398A - Automated testing system for display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An automated inspection system for a display device is provided to quickly and precisely perform a test process. CONSTITUTION: A first transfer unit(110a) transfers a first modularized first display device(101a) in an in-line type method. A first vision inspection unit(130) photographs a first display device. The first vision inspection unit performs a failure test through an obtained image. A special inspection unit(140) is located in one side of the first vision inspection unit. The special inspection unit applies external pressure to the first display device. The special inspection part photographs the first display device. The special inspection part performs a failure test through an obtained image. [Reference numerals] (120a) First loader unit; (120b) Second loader unit; (130) First inspection unit; (140) Second inspection unit; (170) Third inspection unit

Description

Automated testing system for display device

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus for a display device, and more particularly to an automatic inspection system for a modular display device.

In recent years, as the society enters a full-scale information age, a display field for processing and displaying a large amount of information has been rapidly developed, and various various flat panel display devices have been developed and are in the spotlight.

Specific examples of such flat panel display devices include a liquid crystal display device (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), a field emission display (FED) And electroluminescence display device (ELD). These flat panel display devices are excellent in performance of thinning, light weight, and low power consumption, and are rapidly replacing existing cathode ray tubes (CRTs).

In particular, a liquid crystal display device is characterized in that it has a large contrast ratio, is suitable for moving picture display, and has low power consumption, and is utilized in various fields such as a notebook computer, a monitor, and a TV. As is well known, liquid crystals have optical anisotropy, in which molecular structures are elongated and directionally oriented, and polarizing properties, in which the direction of molecular arrangement is changed according to their sizes when placed in an electric field.

That is, a general liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display device in which a liquid crystal layer is interposed between a first substrate on which an array layer for liquid crystal driving is formed and a second substrate on which a color filter layer for color implementation is provided, A panel is required as an essential component, and this causes a difference in transmittance by changing the arrangement direction of the liquid crystal molecules with an internal electric field.

The transmittance difference of the liquid crystal panel is displayed in the form of a color image by reflecting the color combination of the color filter through light of a back light placed on the back surface thereof.

A typical process for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device can be classified into a cell process for completing a liquid crystal panel, and a module process for integrating a liquid crystal panel, a liquid crystal panel, and a backlight.

In the dual cell process, an array layer and a color filter layer are formed on each substrate by repeating processes such as thin film deposition, photo-lithography, and etching several times. In the cell process, A seal pattern is formed on one of the first and second substrates to form a seal pattern thereon, and the both substrates are bonded to each other with the liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween to complete the liquid crystal panel. And then integrated with the backlight to form a liquid crystal display device.

On the other hand, such a liquid crystal display device to select a good quality liquid crystal display device through a variety of inspection process, the inspection process proceeds after the module process by the operator's manual work and the operator's naked eye, it takes a long inspection time, especially the operator's Inadvertent failure to check for defects may occur.

This in turn lowers the reliability of the inspection process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and a first object of the present invention is to improve product productivity and quality by quickly and precisely performing an inspection process of a display device.

Through this, the second object is to improve the reliability of the inspection process.

In order to achieve the object as described above, the present invention includes a first transfer unit for transferring the modularized first display device in one direction in an in-line type; A first vision inspection unit which performs a defect inspection through an image obtained by photographing the first display device which is transferred in one direction through the first transfer unit; Located on one side of the first vision inspection unit, and provides an automatic inspection system for a display device including a special inspection unit for performing a defect inspection through the image obtained by applying an external pressure to the first display device.

Here, one side of the special inspection unit is a second vision inspection unit for imaging a modular second display device at the first resolution, and performs a defect inspection, the first and second vision inspection unit is captured at a first resolution The special inspection unit captures a second resolution lower than the first resolution.

And a second transfer part on one side of the first transfer part, and the first display device is transferred to the first vision inspection part through the first transfer part, and is transferred from the special inspection part to the second transfer part to the outside. The second display device is transferred to the second vision inspection unit through the first transfer unit, is transferred from the special inspection unit to the second transfer unit, and then taken out.

In addition, while the second display device is carried out to the outside through the second transfer part, the third display device is transferred to the first vision inspection part through the first transfer part, respectively, and the first and second transfer parts And a transfer unit for supporting the first and second display devices, respectively, wherein the first and second display devices are respectively supported by the transfer unit and are conveyed in one direction through the first and second transfer units.

The transfer unit includes an electrical application unit for applying an electrical signal to the first and second display devices, and the first and second vision inspection units support the first and second display devices, respectively. And a frame, a first imaging unit, an imaging unit supporter, and a first failure detection unit.

In this case, the first and second display devices are supported by the support frame, spaced apart from the transfer unit, and the first and second display devices spaced apart from the transfer unit are moved back and forth, left and right by the support frame. The first imaging unit is pivoted so that the first imaging unit may continuously move or step by area to capture images of parts of the first and second display devices.

Further, the first imaging unit acquires an image having a resolution of 1 / N (N is an integer greater than 12) based on one subpixel of the first and second display devices, and the first imaging unit is And an image sensor for acquiring an image, wherein the image sensor has a photographing area having a horizontal length of 3 μm or more and 60 μm or less and a vertical length of 3 μm or more and 60 μm or less.

The special inspection unit includes a tapping unit, a second imaging unit, and a second defect detection unit, wherein the tapping unit is installed at a rod-shaped support rod and one end of the support rod, and displays the first and second marks. And a tapping tool for applying external pressure to a predetermined portion of the device.

In addition, an external pressure caused by a hit or an external pressure caused by rubbing and pressing may be applied to the first and second display devices through the tapping unit, and the second imaging unit may be one of the first and second display devices. Obtain an image with a resolution of 1 / N (N is an integer greater than 1) based on the pixel.

Then, the defect inspection by the lighting of the first and second display devices is performed through the second imaging unit.

As described above, short-circuits and disconnections of gates and data lines formed in the array substrate are examined by inspecting whether there is a potential short circuit failure due to various physical external pressures of the modular display device according to the present invention, or by applying an electrical signal. Through the automatic inspection system, the inspection process that detects line defects and point defects, etc., can be carried out more quickly and precisely, improving productivity and improving the inspection process. There is an effect that can improve the reliability. Therefore, there is an effect to improve the efficiency of the process, there is an effect to reduce the process cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a flow chart showing a step of manufacturing a display device; Fig.
2 is a plan view schematically showing an automatic inspection system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
3A to 3C are cross-sectional views schematically illustrating the first inspection unit of FIG. 2.
4 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the second inspection unit of FIG. 2.
5 is a plan view schematically showing an automatic inspection system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a step of a manufacturing process of a display device. FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a process of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, which is used in various fields such as a notebook computer, a monitor, The display device will be described as an example. The liquid crystal display first performs a TFT-LCD cell process St10, and forms a liquid crystal cell through the cell process St10.

More specifically, the TFT-LCD cell process (St10) includes a color filter substrate and an array substrate (St11), an alignment film formation (St12), an actual pattern and a spacer formation (St13) St15), cutting (St16), and cell inspection process (St17).

Thus, the first step (St11) of the TFT-LCD cell process (St10) is a step of forming the array substrate and the color filter substrate, respectively.

In this case, a plurality of gate lines and data lines intersect each other on the inner surface of the array substrate, and thin film transistors (TFTs) are provided at each crossing point to correspond one-to-one with the transparent pixel electrodes formed in each pixel. Connected.

In addition, the inner surface of the color filter substrate corresponds to each pixel, for example, a color filter of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color, and each of them, and includes a gate line, a data line, and a thin film. A black matrix covering non-display elements such as transistors is provided, and a transparent common electrode covering them is provided.

The second step St12 is a step of forming an alignment film on the array substrate and the color filter substrate, and includes a process of applying and curing an alignment film, and a rubbing process.

In a third step (St13), a seal pattern is formed so that the liquid crystal interposed between the array substrate and the color filter substrate does not leak, and spacers having a constant size are formed in order to precisely and uniformly maintain the gap between the array substrate and the color filter substrate. It is the process of scattering.

The fourth step St14 of the TFT-LCD cell process St10 is a step of dropping liquid crystal onto a selected one of the substrates, and the fifth step St15 is a step of bonding the array substrate and the color filter substrate , And then proceeds to a sixth step (St16) of cutting the bonded substrates into cell units.

Finally, a seventh step (St17) is a cell inspecting process of the liquid crystal panel, and an auto probe inspection method of applying an electric signal is performed.

In the auto-probe inspection, an electric signal by a probe contact is applied to an externally exposed pad to substantially simulate a liquid crystal panel, thereby detecting a defect in the liquid crystal panel.

The quality of the liquid crystal panel is selected through the auto-probe inspection process.

Thus, the TFT-LCD cell process (St10) is completed and the liquid crystal panel is completed.

Next, a polarization plate attaching step (St20) for attaching the polarizing plate to each of the outer sides of the array substrate and the color filter substrate of the completed liquid crystal panel is performed. The polarizing plate serves to convert the light source into linear light from both sides of the liquid crystal panel do.

Next, the driving circuit attaching step (St30) is performed. The driving circuit is attached to the driving circuit connecting the array substrate of the liquid crystal panel and the electric signal through OLB (out lead bonding) and tap soldering .

These driving circuits are divided into gate driving circuits that scan-transfer the on / off signals of the thin film transistors to the gate lines, and data driving circuits which transfer image signals for each frame to the data lines, and are located at two adjacent edges of the liquid crystal panel. Can be.

This completes the actual driveable liquid crystal panel.

Therefore, in the liquid crystal panel having the above-described structure, when the thin film transistor selected for each gate line is turned on by the on / off signal of the gate driver circuit which is scanned and transmitted, the signal voltage of the data driver circuit is transferred to the corresponding pixel electrode through the data line. The direction of the liquid crystal molecules is changed by the electric field between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, thereby indicating the transmittance difference.

The backlight assembly process includes a light source, a light source guide for guiding the light source, a light guide plate for advancing the light incident from the light source toward the liquid crystal panel, and a plurality of optical sheets .

In the above description, an edge type using a light guide plate has been described. However, a direct type in which a plurality of light sources are arranged in parallel under the liquid crystal panel in a state in which the light guide plate is omitted may be used.

In this case, a fluorescent lamp such as a cathode cathode fluorescent lamp or an external electrode fluorescent lamp may be used as a light source. Alternatively, a light emitting diode lamp may be used as a light source in addition to such a fluorescent lamp.

After the backlight assembly process, the modularization process proceeds.

The modularization process is a process of modularizing a liquid crystal panel and a backlight through a top cover, a support main, and a cover bottom. The top cover is a rectangular frame whose cross section is bent in an "a" shape to cover the upper and side edges of the liquid crystal panel. And the front surface of the cover is opened to display an image realized in the liquid crystal panel.

In addition, the cover bottom which is based on the assembly of the liquid crystal panel and the backlight, and which is the basis for assembling the entire structure of the liquid crystal display device, is formed into a rectangular plate shape and its four edges are vertically bent at a predetermined height.

In addition, a support main mounted on the cover bottom and covering the edges of the liquid crystal panel and the backlight is assembled with the top cover and the cover bottom to complete the modular liquid crystal display device 101.

Next, the final inspection process St50 of the modular liquid crystal display 101 is performed.

The inspection process inspects whether the modular liquid crystal display device 101 is defective or not, and detects whether the modular liquid crystal display device 101 is finally defective according to the inspection result.

The modular liquid crystal display 101 has a defect of a liquid crystal panel which is not detected in the seventh step St17 of the TFT-LCD cell process St10 through an inspection process and a defect of the modular liquid crystal display 101. Will be examined more precisely.

In other words, it checks for potential short-circuit defects caused by various physical external pressures of the modular liquid crystal display device 101, or predetermines such as short-circuits and disconnection of gates and data lines formed on the array substrate by applying an electrical signal. Line defects and point defects are detected.

As described above, the modular liquid crystal display 101, which has been determined to be defective in the modular liquid crystal display 101 that has undergone the inspection process, determines whether a repair is required or not, and then proceeds to the next step. The matter is decided.

In this case, the modularized liquid crystal display device 101, which is not determined to be defective, is assembled to an external case that can be actually used and then delivered to a user, thereby finally inspecting the defective liquid crystal display device 101. Has become very important.

Therefore, the inspection process of the modular liquid crystal display device 101 must be carried out very carefully and precisely, and the inspection process must be performed quickly in order to improve the efficiency of the process.

Therefore, the inspection process of the present invention is characterized in that it proceeds through an automatic inspection system 100 (see Fig. 2). Through this, the inspection process of the modular liquid crystal display device 101 can be automated to proceed the inspection process more quickly and precisely, and the productivity can be improved and the reliability of the inspection process can be improved.

First Embodiment

2 is a plan view schematically showing an automatic inspection system according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 3A to 3C are cross-sectional views schematically showing the first inspection unit of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a second view of FIG. 2. It is sectional drawing which shows the inspection part schematically.

As shown in FIG. 2, the automatic inspection system 100 of the modularized liquid crystal display device 101 includes a loader unit 120 and an inspection unit that supply the largely modular liquid crystal display device 101 to the inspection units 130 and 140. 130, 140, and the unloader 150, each of which is formed in an in-line manner through the transfer unit 110.

That is, the modular liquid crystal display device 101 is transferred from the loader unit 120 to the inspection units 130 and 140 by the transfer unit 110, and the modular liquid crystal display device 101 that has passed through the inspection units 130 and 140. Is carried out to the outside through the unloader unit 150.

Here, the transfer unit 110 serves as a table on which the modular liquid crystal display 101 is directly seated, where the modular liquid crystal display 101 is placed. In this case, the transfer unit 160 is provided on the transfer unit 110. Thus, the liquid crystal display device 101 modularized on the transfer unit 160 is erected and fixed to have a predetermined slope close to the vertical.

The transfer unit 160 is attached to a table on which the modularized liquid crystal display 101 is mounted to perform an inspection, and attached to a modularized liquid crystal display 101 mounted on the table to be electrically connected to the modularized liquid crystal display 101. And a signal applying unit 161 for applying a specific signal.

That is, the lighting signal may be applied to the modular liquid crystal display device 101 through the transfer unit 160, and power may be supplied to the backlight.

And, the conveying unit 110 is made of a conveyor (conveyor) method for sliding the conveying unit 160 by forming a plurality of shaft shafts (shaft: not shown) that rotates in one direction side by side, the conveying unit ( Configure a movement route of 160).

At this time, a plurality of rotating rollers (not shown) having an annular shape are mounted around the plurality of rotatable shaft shafts (not shown) to maintain a predetermined interval.

Therefore, the modular liquid crystal display device 101 is mounted so that the fixed vertical unit has a predetermined inclination close to the vertical, and the fixed transport unit 160 is mounted on a rotating roller (not shown) mounted on each shaft axis (not shown). ) And the rotating roller (not shown) is moved in a sliding manner. Here, the transfer direction of the transfer unit 160 by the conveyor will be defined as the x-axis direction.

In addition, the loader unit 120 is a conventional one, and provides the inspection units 130 and 140 with a modular liquid crystal display device 101 that is conveyed through the transfer unit 110, wherein a plurality of modular liquid crystal display devices ( 101 is multi-aligned in the horizontal and vertical direction, and sequentially supplied to the inspection unit 130, 140 through the loader 120.

At this time, the automatic inspection system 100 of the present invention can be defined by the inspection unit 130, 140 divided into the first inspection unit 130 and the second inspection unit 140, the first inspection unit 130 is a modular liquid crystal display A vision inspection unit which detects a defect by applying an electrical signal to the device 101 to obtain a high resolution image, the second inspection unit 140 is a failure by applying a physical external pressure to the modular liquid crystal display 101 Special inspection unit for detecting

To this end, the first inspection unit 130 includes a support frame 133 on which the modularized liquid crystal display device 101 is mounted, a first imaging unit 135a for scanning imaging the modularized liquid crystal display device 101 in high resolution, and a first imaging unit 135a. 1 includes a first failure detection unit (not shown) that determines whether there is a failure through the data measured by the imaging unit 135a.

In addition, the second inspection unit 140 includes a tapping unit 143 for applying an external pressure of the modular liquid crystal display device 101, and the second imaging unit 145 and the second defect to image the defective part. It includes a detector (not shown).

At this time, both the first and second inspection units 130 and 140 of the present invention operate automatically. Therefore, the inspection process can be carried out more precisely, thus improving the reliability of the product and increasing the productivity.

3A to 3C and FIG. 4, the first inspection unit 130 includes a support frame 133, a first imaging unit 135a, and a first failure detection unit as illustrated in FIG. 3A. City).

The support frame 133 supports both edges of the modularized liquid crystal display 101 that is transferred to the first inspection unit 130 through the transfer unit 110, and transfers the modularized liquid crystal display 101 to the transfer unit 160. Away from it. In this case, the modular liquid crystal display device 101 and the transfer unit 160 remain electrically connected.

That is, the liquid crystal display device 101 modularized through the support frame 133 may be electrically connected to the transfer unit 160, and may rotate back and forth and left and right while receiving an electric signal.

The support frame 133 may be provided with a gripper 133a for supporting both edges of the modular liquid crystal display 101, and the gripper 133a may be provided at the edge of the modular liquid crystal display 101. Therefore, a plurality may be provided at equal intervals.

Therefore, when the modularized liquid crystal display 101 is transferred to the first inspection unit 130, the edge of the modularized liquid crystal display 101 is fixed through the gripper 133a of the support frame 133.

In this case, it is preferable to mount a plurality of displacement sensors (not shown) on the support frame 133 to measure the degree of rotation of the front and rear, left and right sides of the modular liquid crystal display device 101 fixed by the support frame 133. Do.

The first imaging unit 135a is positioned in front of the modular liquid crystal display 101 fixed by the support frame 133, and the first imaging unit 135a is fixed to and supported by the imaging unit support 135b. .

Here, the first imaging unit 135a scans a plurality of lines of the modular liquid crystal display 101 at high resolution and accumulates and averages the images acquired from the plurality of lines. The enlarged image of the defective portion of the liquid crystal display device 101 modularized through the first imaging unit 135a is visible to the operator.

The first imaging unit 135a has a memory for converting a high resolution image obtained by capturing an image of the modular liquid crystal display device 101 into image data, and the first imaging unit 135a has an imaging unit support stand. It is supported to be movable up and down, left and right through the 135b.

That is, the imaging unit support unit 135b connects the pair of linear frames vertically spaced apart from the support frame 133 by a predetermined interval, and both ends of the pair of linear frames, and vertically moves along the longitudinal direction of the pair of linear frames. It can include horizontal frames.

At this time, the first imaging unit 135a is fixed to the horizontal frame, and can move horizontally horizontally along the longitudinal direction of the horizontal frame, so that the first imaging unit 135a is movable up, down, left and right.

In this case, the structure for enabling horizontal and vertical movement of the first imaging unit 135a uses a linear moving mechanism that is widely used.

Accordingly, the first imaging unit 135a continuously moves to capture images of the portions of the modular liquid crystal display 101 as shown in FIG. 3B, or as shown in FIG. 3C. It can be moved step by step L).

In this case, the first imaging unit 135a may acquire an image having a resolution of 1 / N (N is an integer greater than 12) based on one subpixel of the modular liquid crystal display 101.

Therefore, it is possible to obtain images having a high resolution that cannot be confirmed with the naked eye of the operator.

To this end, the first imaging unit 135a may include a plurality of image sensors 135c for acquiring an image. Each of the image sensors 135c has a predetermined photographing area.

That is, one subpixel can be divided into N photographs through the image sensor 135c. For example, the first imaging unit 135a may acquire an image having a resolution of 1/12 or more and 1/108 or less based on one subpixel of the modular liquid crystal display device 101.

In this case, the image sensor 135c may have a photographing area having a horizontal length of 3 μm or more and 60 μm or less and a vertical length of 3 μm or more and 60 μm or less.

Therefore, when the modularized liquid crystal display 101 is transferred to the first inspection unit 130, the modularized liquid crystal display 101 is connected to and supported by the signal applying unit 161 provided in the transfer unit 160. The edge of the modular liquid crystal display device 101 is fixed through the gripper 133a of the frame 133 and rotates little by little from front to back and to the left and right, thereby obtaining a high resolution image through the first imaging unit 135a in various directions. It will detect whether or not.

In this case, the high resolution image acquired through the first imaging unit 135a is automatically delivered to the first defect detection unit (not shown) for processing, and the inspection is automatically performed. The first defect detection unit (not shown) includes the first imaging unit. By analyzing the high-resolution image acquired through the 135a to detect the presence or absence of the failure of the modular liquid crystal display 101, and classifies the modular liquid crystal display 101 as good or bad according to the failure. .

In this case, the first defect detection unit (not shown) may have a line defect, a point defect, a stain defect, an appearance defect, a polarization plate for the liquid crystal display device 101 modularized based on the high resolution image obtained through the first imaging unit 135a. Defects, etc. are detected.

The first inspection unit 130 is located in the closed space 131 provided with a door that can be opened and closed, so that the modular liquid crystal display device 101 may be contaminated from foreign substances such as particles of an external environment during the inspection process. It is desirable to make it significantly reduced.

After completing the vision inspection process through the first inspection unit 130, the modular liquid crystal display 101 is fixed on the transfer unit 160 and then transferred to the second inspection unit 140.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second inspection unit 140 includes a tapping unit 143, a second imaging unit 145, and a second failure detection unit (not shown).

Looking at this in more detail, the modular liquid crystal display device 101 is transferred to the second inspection unit 140 in a fixed state standing up to have a predetermined vertical slope close to the transfer unit 160, the tapping unit 143 Is positioned in front of the modular liquid crystal display 101.

Here, the tapping unit 143 may move horizontally and vertically through the linear module 147.

That is, the linear module 147 is perpendicular to the first linear and the first linear positioned parallel to both edges perpendicular to the transfer unit 160 of the modular liquid crystal display 101, and extends the longitudinal direction of the first linear. And a second linear that is movable up and down vertically.

And, the tapping unit 143 is fixed to the second linear, can move horizontally left and right along the longitudinal direction of the second linear, the tapping unit 143 is movable up and down, left and right.

The tapping unit 143 directly exerts an external pressure on the modular liquid crystal display 101, and the tapping unit 143 is a tapping tool installed at one end of the rod-shaped support rod 143a and the support rod 143a. 143b).

The tapping tool 143b may be made of a rubber material so as not to damage the modular liquid crystal display 101 in the process of applying external pressure to the modular liquid crystal display 101.

Here, the structure of the linear module 147 that enables the tapping unit 143 to move horizontally and vertically uses a linear moving mechanism that is widely used.

In addition, a second imaging unit 145 is positioned at the front of the modular liquid crystal display 101 in the second inspection unit 140, and the second imaging unit 145 has a front surface of the modular liquid crystal display 101. The image is captured by the tapping unit 143 to compare the area to which the external pressure is applied and the area to which the external pressure is not applied so that the operator can see it.

The second imaging unit 145 has a memory for converting an image obtained by enlarging and capturing an image of a defective portion of the modular liquid crystal display device 101 into image data, and the second imaging unit 145. The image obtained through the above is transmitted to the second defect detection unit (not shown).

Therefore, when the modularized liquid crystal display device 101 is transferred to the second inspection unit 140, the second imaging is performed while directly applying an external pressure to a predetermined portion of the modularized liquid crystal display device 101 through the tapping unit 143. The unit 145 detects a short circuit defect.

At this time, the second inspection unit 140 detects a short circuit failure by applying external pressure to all parts of the modularized liquid crystal display 101 as the tapping unit 143 is moved by the linear module 147. .

Here, the tapping unit 143 applies an external pressure by hitting the modular liquid crystal display device 101 or an external pressure by rubbing and pressing, and thus the liquid crystal display device 101 modularized through the tapping unit 143. By applying an external pressure to), latent short circuit defects are detected.

At this time, since the external pressure applied by the tapping unit 143 is the same in all parts of the modularized liquid crystal display device 101, the inspection method using the automatic inspection system is more standardized than the inspection method by manual inspection by the inspector, thereby improving detection power. You can.

Then, the second inspection unit 140 applies a flicker signal to the modular liquid crystal display device 101 through the second imaging unit 145 for imaging the front surface of the modular liquid crystal display device 101. You can also check for defects.

In this case, the second imaging unit 145 may also obtain an image having a resolution of 1 / N (N is an integer greater than 1) based on one pixel of the modular liquid crystal display 101.

The second inspection unit 140 is also located in the closed space 141 provided with a door that can be opened and closed, so that the modular liquid crystal display 101 may be contaminated from foreign substances such as particles of an external environment during the inspection process. It is desirable to make it significantly reduced.

The image acquired through the second imaging unit 145 is provided to a second failure detection unit (not shown), and the second failure detection unit (not shown) analyzes the image acquired through the second imaging unit 145. The presence or absence of a failure in the modular liquid crystal display device 101 is detected, and the modular liquid crystal display device 101 is classified as good or defective according to the failure.

In this case, the second defect detector (not shown) detects a potential short circuit defect for the modular liquid crystal display device 101 based on the image acquired through the second imaging unit 145.

In addition, the modular liquid crystal display 101 which has undergone a special inspection through the second inspection unit 140 is provided to the transfer unit through the unloader unit 150 and is carried out to the outside.

Here, since the inspection of the modular liquid crystal display device 101 preferably performs a special inspection after the vision inspection, the modularized liquid crystal display device 101 moves to the first inspection unit 130 that performs the vision inspection. After the transfer is carried out to the vision inspection, it is preferable that the transfer to the second inspection unit 140 for the special inspection.

As described above, the present invention examines potential short-circuit defects caused by various physical external pressures of the modular liquid crystal display device 101, or short-circuits the gate and data lines of the array substrate by applying an electrical signal. And through the inspection process to detect line defects (Point defects) such as disconnection through the automatic inspection system 100, the inspection process can proceed more quickly and precisely, increase productivity and inspect The reliability of the process can be improved. Therefore, the efficiency of the process can be improved and the process cost can be reduced.

- Second Embodiment -

5 is a plan view schematically showing an automatic inspection system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Here, the second embodiment of the present invention is a configuration to further improve the efficiency of the process with respect to the configuration of the first embodiment described above, and is characterized by the arrangement of the inspection unit 130, 140, 170.

Thus, in order to avoid duplicate description, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts that play the same role as the above-described first embodiment, and only the characteristic contents to be described in the second embodiment will be described.

As shown, the automatic inspection system 100 of the modular liquid crystal display device 101 is largely divided into the first and second loader portions 120a and 120b and the inspection portions 130, 140, and 170, respectively. Is made in an in-line manner through the transfer parts (110a, 110b).

Therefore, the modular liquid crystal display 101 is erected so as to have a predetermined slope close to the vertical, and the fixed transfer unit 160 is moved by the transfer units 110a and 110b in a sliding manner. Here, the transfer direction of the transfer unit 160 by the conveyor will be defined as the x-axis direction.

In particular, the second embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, in order to further improve the efficiency of the process, the plurality of modular liquid crystal display devices 101 perform the inspection process at the same time.

To this end, the inspection unit (130, 140, 170) is located on both sides of the second inspection unit 140, which is a special inspection unit, the first and third inspection units (130, 170) that are vision inspection unit, the first loader 120a Located on one side of the first inspection unit 130, the second loader 120b is located on one side of the third inspection unit 170.

The second inspection unit 140 also serves as an unloader for transferring the modular liquid crystal display device 101 to the transfer units 110a and 110b, and the transfer units 110a and 110b serve as the first and second transfer units 110a. , 110b).

That is, the first modularized liquid crystal display device 101, which is erected and fixed to have a predetermined slope close to the transfer unit 160, is transferred to the first loader unit 120a by the first transfer unit 110a. It is delivered from the first loader 120a to the first inspection unit 130 to perform vision inspection.

Specifically, the first modularized liquid crystal display 101a transferred to the first inspection unit 130 is connected to the signal applying unit (161 of FIG. 3A) provided in the transfer unit 160 and at the same time supports the support frame (FIG. 3A). The edge of the modularized liquid crystal display device 101 is fixed through the gripper 133a of FIG. 3A, and the high resolution image is obtained through the first imaging unit 135a of FIG. Acquisition detects a defect.

At the same time, the second modularized liquid crystal display device 101b is erected and fixed to the transfer unit 160 to have a predetermined inclination close to the vertical, and is transferred to the second loader portion 120b by the first transfer portion 110a. , Waiting for the next step.

The first modularized liquid crystal display 101a, which has been inspected for determining the amount of bubbles through the vision inspection, is transferred to the second inspection unit 140 to undergo a special inspection. Specifically, the first modularized liquid crystal display 101a is transferred to the second inspection unit 140. The modular liquid crystal display 101a detects short-circuit defects through external pressure through the tapping unit 143 of FIG. 4 and through the second imaging unit 145 of FIG. 4.

In addition, the second modularized liquid crystal display 101b that is waiting in the second loader 120b is transferred from the second loader 120b to the third inspector 170 to perform vision inspection. The third modularized liquid crystal display device 101c is erected and fixed to the transfer unit 160 so as to have a predetermined inclination close to the vertical, and is transferred to the first loader portion 120a by the first transfer portion 110a to perform the following procedure. I'm waiting.

After completing the special inspection, the first modularized liquid crystal display 101a is transferred from the second inspection unit 140 to the second transfer unit 110b and then taken out to the outside, and finished with the vision inspection through the third inspection unit 170. The two-modular LCD 101b is delivered to the second inspection unit 140 to perform a special inspection.

After completing the special inspection, the second modularized liquid crystal display 101b is also transferred from the second inspection unit 140 to the second transfer unit 110b and taken out to the outside. It is transferred from the loader unit 120a to the first inspection unit 130 to perform vision inspection, and a fourth modularized liquid crystal display (not shown) is fixed to the transfer unit 160 so that the second loader unit 120b It will wait.

As described above, the present invention examines potential short-circuit defects caused by various physical external pressures of the modular liquid crystal display device 101, or short-circuits the gate and data lines of the array substrate by applying an electrical signal. The inspection process that detects line defects and point defects, such as disconnection, can be carried out through an automatic inspection system, which enables the inspection process to proceed more quickly and precisely, increasing productivity and reliability of the inspection process. Can improve. Therefore, the efficiency of the process can be improved and the process cost can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

100: automatic inspection system, 110a, 110b: first and second transfer unit
120a, 120b: 1st and 2nd loader part, 130: 1st inspection part, 140: 2nd inspection part
170: third inspection unit, 101a, 101b, 101c: first to fourth modularized liquid crystal display device
160: transfer unit

Claims (18)

A first transfer unit configured to transfer the modularized first display device in one direction in an in-line type;
A first vision inspection unit which performs a defect inspection through an image obtained by photographing the first display device which is transferred in one direction through the first transfer unit;
A special inspection unit located on one side of the first vision inspection unit and performing a defect inspection through an image obtained by applying an external pressure to the first display device.
Automatic inspection system for a display device comprising a.
The method of claim 1,
And a second vision inspection unit configured to capture a modularized second display device at the first resolution and perform a defect inspection on one side of the special inspection unit.
The method of claim 2,
And the first and second vision inspection units image at a first resolution, and the special inspection unit captures images at a second resolution lower than the first resolution.
The method of claim 2,
A second transfer part on one side of the first transfer part, and the first display device is transferred to the first vision inspection part through the first transfer part, and is transferred to the second transfer part from the special inspection part and is carried out to the outside Automatic inspection system for display device.
The method of claim 4, wherein
And the second display device is transferred to the second vision inspection unit through the first transfer unit, and is transferred from the special inspection unit to the second transfer unit and carried out to the outside.
The method of claim 4, wherein
And the second display device is carried out to the outside through the second transfer part, and the third display device is transferred to the first vision inspection part through the first transfer part, respectively.
The method of claim 4, wherein
The first and second transfer units each include a transfer unit supporting the first and second display devices, and the first and second display devices are supported by the transfer unit, respectively, so that the first and second transfer units Automatic inspection system for display device conveyed in one direction through.
The method of claim 7, wherein
And the transfer unit includes an electrical application unit for applying an electrical signal to the first and second display devices.
The method of claim 7, wherein
And the first and second vision inspection units each support frame supporting the first and second display devices, a first imaging unit and an imaging unit support, and a first failure detection unit.
The method of claim 9,
The first and second display devices are supported by the support frame, spaced apart from the transfer unit, and the first and second display devices spaced apart from the transfer unit are pivoted back and forth, left and right by the support frame. 검사) Automatic inspection system for display device.
The method of claim 9,
And the first imaging unit moves continuously or step by area to capture images of parts of the first and second display devices.
The method of claim 11,
And the first imaging unit obtains an image having a resolution of 1 / N (N is an integer greater than 12) based on one subpixel of the first and second display devices.
13. The method of claim 12,
The first imaging unit includes an image sensor for acquiring an image, wherein the image sensor has a horizontal length of 3 μm or more and 60 μm or less and an automatic inspection for display device having a photographing area having a vertical length of 3 μm or more and 60 μm or less. system.
The method of claim 1,
The special inspection unit includes a tapping unit, a second imaging unit, and a second failure detection unit.
15. The method of claim 14,
The tapping unit includes a rod-shaped support rod and an end of the support rod, the automatic inspection system for a display device including a tapping tool for applying an external pressure to a predetermined portion of the first and second display device.
The method of claim 15,
And an external pressure caused by hitting the first and second display devices through the tapping unit, or an external pressure caused by rubbing and pressing.
15. The method of claim 14,
And the second imaging unit obtains an image having a resolution of 1 / N (N is an integer greater than 1) based on one pixel of the first and second display devices.
The method of claim 17,
And a defect inspection caused by the lighting of the first and second display devices through the second imaging unit.

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