TW200825579A - A method to form alignment layers on a substrate of an LCD - Google Patents

Abstract

A method to form alignment layers on a substrate of an LCD is disclosed. The substrate is placed in a vacuum chamber and undergoes a purging process. The purging process comprising heating the substrates and removing water vapor from the vacuum chamber. Specifically, the vacuum chamber is evacuated to a low pressure and refilled with a preheated inert gas. Evacuation of the vacuum chamber and refilling of the vacuum chamber are repeated several times. The alignment layer is then deposited by vapor deposition. Alternatively, plasma enhanced vapor deposition can be used for depositing the alignment layer. Furthermore, plasma cleaning prior to the deposition of the alignment layer can be used to clean the substrate.

Description

200825579 IX. Description of the Invention: [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD), and more particularly to a method and apparatus for forming an organic alignment layer on a substrate for vertical alignment of multiple quadrants (muitj -domain vertical alignment) The alignment of liquid crystal molecules in a liquid crystal display. [Prior Art]

The liquid crystal display (LCD) has changed from a simple monochrome display such as an electronic computer and a digital display electronic watch to a dominant display technology. l = currently replaces a cathode ray tube (CRT) and is often used in computer displays and TV monitors, and the quality after overcoming various LCD shortcomings has changed: For example, active array displays (using thin film transistors) replace passive matrix displays to improve resolution, contrast, viewing angle, reaction time, and afterimages (gh) 〇sting). One a ^Yueyue and μ Dongyu, compared to the low '' even if the perspective of the active matrix is still much smaller than the viewing angle of the conventional ray tube- (CRT) display, especially if a viewer can directly connect to the LCD (4) High-quality images, but if the male side of the LCD receives the image of ^bei. The multi-quadrant vertical alignment liquid crystal display (h) is used to improve the viewing angle and contrast of the LCD, but the disadvantage of the MVA LCD is that the manufacturing cost is high. Please refer to the first A and b diagrams for the vertical alignment of the liquid crystal display (8) VA [CD] ((10)) "Pixel function" more clearly, the first _A and a B picture (four) LCD (1) 〇〇) Operable to represent grayscale. 5 200825579 MVA LCD (100) has a first polarizing plate (105), a first substrate (110), a first electrode (12 〇), a first alignment layer (125), a liquid crystal (135 137), and a second alignment layer ( 140), the second electrode 〇 45), the second substrate (15 〇), the second polarizing plate (1 55), and the protrusion (彳6〇), the typical alignment layer (125, 140) is a layer of poly-branched Formed by an amine (pl) thin film coating, a light source (not shown) is emitted from a first polarizing plate (1〇5) disposed on the first substrate (11〇), the first polarizing plate (105) The polarity direction generally refers to the first direction, and the polarized light of the second polarizing plate (155) is perpendicular to the first polarizing plate (1〇5), so that light emitted from the light source cannot penetrate the first polarizing plate (1) 〇5) and the second polarizing plate (155) 'unless the polarity of the light is rotated by 9 degrees between the first polarizing plate (1〇5) and the second polarizing plate (155). Here, only a very small amount of liquid crystal is shown in the first figure. In an actual display, the liquid crystal molecules are rod-like structures having a width of about 5 angstroms (angstr 〇 mS) and a length of about 20 to 25 angstroms. Therefore, there are approximately 10 million liquid crystal molecules in a pixel having a width of 1 μm ("m), a length of 4 m, and a height of 3 μm. In the first A diagram, the liquid crystals (135, 137) are arranged in an upright arrangement, and the special iridium alignment layers (125, 140) align the liquid crystals in the desired rest position so that they are arranged in an upright position. In the upright arrangement, the liquid crystal (135, 137) will not rotate the polarity of the light emitted from the light source, and therefore, the second polarizing plate (155) conceals the first polarizing plate in the first direction (105) ) Polarized light, so the pixels of the MVA LCD (100) provide an optically completely black slogan's result. The MVA LCD (1GQ) provides a very high contrast with any substrate gap in any color. Referring to FIG. B, when a voltage is applied between the 200825579-electrode (120) and the second electrode (145), the liquid crystal (1) 51 (7) is repositioned in a skewed state, particularly by protrusions. ((10)) The liquid crystal (135) is tilted to the left to form a first quadrant, and the liquid crystal is tilted to the right to form a second quadrant. The liquid crystal in the inclined position rotates the polarization of the polarized light which is transmitted from the first polarizing plate (105) by 9Q纟, so that the light can continue to pass through the polarizing plate (155). The degree of tilt can control the polarization of the light, so the amount of light that penetrates the LCD (such as the brightness of the pixel) depends in part on the voltage applied by the field. The generation of multiple quadrants (such as liquid crystal (135) and liquid crystal (137)) can increase the viewing angle of the MVA LCD). Usually a single thin film transistor (TFT) is used in each pixel, whereas in a color display, a color pixel is divided into three color units, and each color unit (through the system is red, green, blue) An independent tFT. The main disadvantage of MVA LCDs is the high cost of making LCDs. Although the material cost of polyamines is very low, the method of forming alignment layers (125, 14 〇) is very costly. Furthermore, the conventional polyamine method produces dust and particulate contaminants and therefore requires expensive cleaning equipment and flowers. The reduction in the manufacturing cost of the alignment layer can greatly reduce the overall cost of manufacturing the LCD screen. In addition, the conventional MVA alignment layer manufacturing method can process only a single substrate at a time, thus resulting in a very low yield. Another common method for fabricating alignment layers in MVA LCDs is to use high-performance to medium-sized sulphur oxides (Sj|jccm Dioxide, Si〇2) or oxidized sulphur (SHicon Monoxide, Si〇) and oxime compounds (siOX). The inorganic material is thermally evaporated on the substrate. This method can be made

Xe produces a stable upright liquid crystal alignment layer. However, the method must be in high straight 7 200825579

It is carried out in an empty chamber and can only be implemented on a small substrate (usually less than 1 inch). The manufactured liquid crystal alignment layer is very sensitive to surface cleanliness and texture, and is related to the angle of evaporation of the dioxide. Only some evaporation angles can be used to create the desired liquid crystal alignment angle. Furthermore, this method can only process a single or very small number of substrates (generally no more than 6 substrates) at a time. 'So this method is not suitable for a large number of batch processes and cannot be used for more than 1 〇. In the case of a ruthenium substrate, and this method generally has a high defect rate due to particulate sweat on the surface, the alignment layer formed of ruthenium oxide has a problem of moisture. There is therefore a need for a low cost process and apparatus for making alignment layers in MVA liquid crystal displays. In addition, in this low-cost method, multiple substrates can be processed simultaneously (such as batch manufacturing methods). SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This is a low-cost process and apparatus for making an alignment layer on a multi-quadrant vertical alignment liquid crystal display (|yjVA LCD) substrate. The fabrication method is to place a substrate in a vacuum chamber to purify the truth. The empty chamber is then filled with an inert gas, and the purification and filling of the vacuum chamber is repeated several times to remove water vapor in the vacuum chamber. Further, the inert gas may be preheated in advance so that the substrate is warmed in the purification and refilling step, and the alignment layer is then formed on the substrate by vapor deposition of the material.很 It is easy to achieve batch production of a plurality of substrates by using the method of the present invention. For example, 'many substrates (usually 8Q~12G regret boards) can be placed in the vacuum chamber to facilitate the alignment on all the substrates at the same time. The process of the invention can produce a very thin organic liquid crystal 8 200825579 layer in high yield and low cost. Further, the present invention can use a material which is environmentally non-toxic to MSDS (Material Safety Information) characteristics (perfluorooctyltriethoxy)

Perfluorooctyitriethoxysilane, PFOTES)) to produce an upright LC alignment layer. Most other decane materials are toxic and therefore not suitable as LC alignment layers, however, the materials used for the final coating on the substrate are non-toxic by the use of specific decane materials for chemical vapor deposition. The decane material of the present invention, such as perfluorooctyltriethylsulfanyl sulphate, triterpene sulphate, octadecyltriethoxydecane and trichlorodecane, which can be attached On |T〇(|ndium Tjn〇xide), or other materials, these materials can be used to directly form a liquid crystal alignment layer or be used as an intermediate layer attached to |τ〇 to make other The decane attached to ΙΤ0 is attached thereto. In particular, in the practice of the invention described hereinafter, the use of w-fluorooctyl triethoxy zebra is due to its environmentally friendly nature, excellent MSDS properties, and for ιτ〇 and other materials. High adhesion. Furthermore, in the present invention, the plasma method can be incorporated in a vapor deposition step which provides electricity to the substrate of the substrate before the substrate is brought into contact with the gas of the possible surface in the vapor deposition method. Pulp cleaning step. In its 匕t-shaped shape, a plasma-assisted vapor deposition method is used to provide a coating material for a vertical liquid crystal four-direction layer and to manufacture a coated material, and a plasma is generated to produce a thorn-like material, and is produced. A more active reaction with the substrate. In addition, materials such as tetrafluorodecane or hexafluoropropylene are used in February to produce polytetrafluoroethylene fine gas-seeking materials, which can be attached to ιτο and other materials, = 9 • 200825579 materials can be used In the direct formation of the liquid crystal alignment layer or as an intermediate adhesion layer on the 〇τ〇, for other decane that cannot adhere to the butyl hydride. [Embodiment] Please refer to the second figure, which is a flow chart for the conventional method (200) for forming an alignment layer in a multi-quadrant vertical alignment liquid crystal display. The conventional method (=〇〇) requires the use of many different machines. For example, a substrate cleaning machine, a polyiamine coating machine, a polyamidene pre-hardening furnace, a polyilylimide post-hardening furnace, an ultrasonic cleaning machine, and a plurality of substrate loaders/unloaders. In the manufacturing process, in an LCD having one or more substrates, a plurality of substrates are first carried on the cassette and then placed on the machine for the subsequent steps. When the substrate carrying step (204) is carried, the substrate is carried into a cassette and placed in the first substrate carrier/unloader; in the step of removing the substrate to the conveyor belt (206), the first substrate carries The unloader removes the substrate from the cassette and places it on the conveyor belt to go to the substrate cleaning machine; in the step of cleaning and drying the substrate (208), the cleaning machine then performs a series of cleaning and drying of the substrate; Then in the carrier substrate step (212), the substrate is carried into the second cassette by the second loader/unloader; in the second cassette after removing the substrate to the conveyor belt step (214} The substrate will then be unloaded to the conveyor belt to the polyamine coating machine; in the polyamido film coating step (216), the polyamido coater will serially polymerize the polyimide The film is coated on each of the substrates. In the poly-branched amine pre-bake step (220), each substrate is then transferred by a conveyor belt to a polyamido pre-baking oven for pre-hardening poly-Asianium. Amine film. In the polyamidamine film inspection step (224), each substrate will be individually 2008255 79 The ground is inspected, and the substrate that has not passed the inspection will be removed; in the carrying substrate step (226), the substrate that passes the inspection will be carried to the third cassette to prepare for hardening; in the step of removing the substrate to the conveyor belt In (228), the substrate is unloaded from the third card E and placed on the conveyor belt to go to the polyamine hardening furnace; thereafter, in the polyamido film hardening step (230), the polyamidene furnace The polyimide film on each substrate is sequentially hardened; then, in the carrier substrate step (232), another carrier/unloader carries the substrate from the polyamidene hardening furnace to the fourth card for preparation. Cleaning of the substrate; in the step of removing the substrate to the conveyor belt (234), a substrate loading/unloading machine removes the substrate from the fourth cassette and places it on the conveyor belt to go to the ultrasonic cleaning machine and the scrubber In the ultrasonic cleaning step (236), the ultrasonic cleaning machine and the scrubbing machine ultrasonically clean and scrub the substrate in a series; in the substrate drying step (240), the substrate is dried; and finally, in the carrier substrate step (244), the substrate loader/unloader will The board is carried from the ultrasonic cleaning and brushing conveyor belt to the fifth cassette. Thus, the use of conventional methods (200) for fabricating LCD alignment layers includes expensive mechanical devices and several automated or expensive automated loading and unloading steps, and each A machine that uses the conventional method (200) costs millions of dollars. The conventional method (200) consumes a lot of water and produces a lot of waste or dust particles. In addition, many of them are used in the conventional method ( The machine can only process the substrate sequentially, thus resulting in a very low yield. Please see Figure 3A, which is the liquid crystal alignment layer of the MVA LCD of the present invention - an embodiment manufacturing method (300a) Flowchart, the implementation of this novel method (300a) requires the use of a substrate loader/unloader and a vacuum bake/vapor coating 11 200825579 cloth machine, which can be supplied from different sources. For example, Yield Engineering Systems Inc., of San J0se Mode | 1224. In carrying the substrate into the cassette step (3〇2), the substrate is carried into the cassette; then in the carrying cassette to vacuum chamber step (3〇4), the substrate carrier/unloader carries the cassette To vacuum baking / vapor coating machine; purchased from

Engineering Systems' ModeM224 can support substrates up to π inches in width and up to 17 inches in length. Large-sized substrates can be processed by large coating machines by the coating process disclosed in the present invention, for example, in one of the present inventions. In the embodiment, each of the four cassettes carries 2 to 25 substrates having a very large size (for example, 150 cm X 180 cm) and is placed in the coating chamber, so in this case In an embodiment, 8 to 1000 large-sized substrates can be processed simultaneously in one deposition step. In the vacuum chamber purification step (308), in order to completely remove water vapor that may be present in the vacuum chamber or substrate, in particular, the vacuum chamber is vented to, for example, 10 to 30 mTorr (mnntor "s The low pressure is then filled with a preheated inert gas such as nitrogen under 8〇~2〇〇, where the exhaust/refill _ gas step can be repeated several times to ensure that the water vapor is completely removed from the vacuum chamber In addition, the preheated inert gas and the heating element of the vacuum chamber enable the substrate to reach a temperature more suitable for vapor deposition (described below). Next in the first low pressure stabilizing step (312), the vacuum chamber Maintaining at low pressure (about 1 Torr) for about 10 minutes, the first low voltage stabilizing step (312) allows the entire substrate to be heated to a set temperature, so that a thicker substrate will have a shorter substrate length during this low pressure process. And the intermediate alignment layer is formed in the first vapor deposition step (316a) at 12 200825579 and a selective second vapor deposition step (324a). According to a particular embodiment of the invention, vapor deposition Place The techniques involved are chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, or a combination of both, however, in most embodiments of the invention, the vapor deposition system includes at least some chemical reactions, such as in some embodiments of the invention. The silane chemical is pumped directly from the raw material bottle to the gas phase reaction chamber, and the raw material bottle is evacuated and filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen before transferring the decane to the gas phase reaction chamber. Reducing chemical degradation. The parameters used in the first vapor deposition step (316a) will vary depending on the chemicals used, but the time is usually 5 to 10 minutes. I5 (rc.) In the first vapor deposition step (316a), a measured amount of the chemical is first introduced into the vapor volume bottle and directly introduced into the gas phase reaction chamber. Various decane materials can be used, for example Amino silanes, epoxy silanes, and mercapto silanes, which can be used to form upright or parallel liquid crystal alignment layers. In one embodiment of the invention, the decane species is 100% pure perfluorooctyltriethoxy® decane (1 H, 1 H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane, PFOTES); In the examples, the decane material is 100% pure trimethyl decyldiethylamine; another suitable decane species includes Trichlorosilane, 3-aminopropyltriethoxy decane. (3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane), Octadecyltriethoxysilane, dimethyl octadecyl [3_(trimethoxymethionine)propyl]ammonium chloride (Dimethyle octadecyl[3- (trimethoxysilyl) 13 200825579 propyi]ammonium chloride, DMOAP), Dimethyldichlorosilane and L-α-choline phospholipid (13- phosphatidylcholine). These dropouts are available from Alfa Aesar (a Johnson Matthey Company of Windham, NH or / and

Sigma-Aldrich Corp of St. Louis, MO·). After the first vapor deposition step (316a), the chemical in the gas phase reaction chamber is purified by a first chemical purification step (320), in particular, the gas phase reaction chamber is evacuated and then inerted as nitrogen. The gas is filled and the chemical is removed after repeated repetitions. A gas discharge pipe in the vacuum discharge line can be used to prevent decane chemistry from entering the vacuum pump. If a second vapor deposition process (eg, the aforementioned second vapor deposition step (324a)) is not used, the second low pressure stabilizing step (322), the second vapor phase deposition step (3243), and the second chemical purification Step (326) will be omitted, and if necessary, the vacuum chamber can be properly pressurized and allowed to be cooled in the boost and cool step (328), after which the cassette can be borrowed in the unloading step (330) It is removed by the loader/unloader. However, if a second vapor deposition step is to be performed, the vacuum chamber will be evacuated in the second low pressure stabilization step (322) to maintain a low pressure (e.g., 1 Torr). In about 10 minutes, the second low pressure stabilizing step (322) allows all of the substrate to be heated to a set temperature. In the second vapor deposition step (324a), the chemical will be as in the first vapor deposition step described above ( 316a) is pumped directly from the raw material bottle into the gas phase reaction chamber. In the second chemical purification step (326) after the second vapor deposition step (324a), the vacuum chamber excludes the chemical 'specifically the vacuum The chamber will be emptied first, then refilled with nitrogen. The gas is repeatedly repeated to remove the chemical, if necessary, in the pressurization and cooling 14 200825579 step (328), the vacuum chamber will be normally pressurized and can be cooled, and then the card S can be unloaded. The step (330) is removed by a loader/discharger. After two vapor deposition steps, the second chemical can be deposited over the first chemical without any interaction between the vapors. However, in some embodiments of the invention, the first chemical purification step (32〇) is omitted, and the chemical may be in the first chemical purification step (32μμμ,

The first vapor deposition step (316a) is implanted, and the second chemical is implanted in the second vapor deposition step (324a), so the first and second chemicals may be mixed or interacted to Form a new layer of chemicals. In most MVA LCD electrodes, indium tin oxide (丨ndium 丁·|η Oxide, 丨TO) and yttrium zinc oxide (9) djum Zinc (10) core, 丨z〇), which are transparent _electric material f 'large Part of the stone smoldering material does not adhere to |τ〇 or ιζ〇', for example, Shixi burning f DM0Ap will adhere to the glass substrate, but will not adhere to IT0 4 lzo 'however, fluorooctyl triethoxy The basestone, tridecylsulfanyldiethylamine, octyltriethoxydecane and trifluorodecane adhere well to the 丨TO#丨20. In addition, many materials do not adhere to 丨T〇 or 丨Z〇i, but adhere to fluorooctyltriethoxydecane, trimethyldecyldiethylamine and trifluorodecane. Because of this, some embodiments of the invention are described in the first vapor deposition (four) (316a), a plurality of viscous alignment layer materials such as octyltriethoxydecane, octyltriethoxydecane and trifluorodecane. It will be deposited on the 1T〇 or 1Z〇 electrode, and then in the second vapor deposition step (324a>, the deposited second alignment layer material is used to form the liquid crystal alignment layer on the more viscous material. In combination with the gas phase, in some embodiments of the invention, 15 200825579 / ediometry, in particular, a suitable plasma system will be placed in the initial V-phase of the gas phase, cleaned on the substrate by plasma or Performing a plasma-assisted vapor deposition step that stimulates the chemical and may cause the chemical to react more efficiently to the substrate. Suitable plasma systems may be from chemical vapor/child (CVD) or electricity. Obtained by the apparatus for slurry-assisted chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), for example, the yy y Stems of the Yield Eng ratio, yj〇de| 1224P 〇明芩, see the second B diagram, which is the invention Some examples of the Φ method (3〇〇b) including the plasma method because The method (300b) is similar to the method (300) of the third A diagram, so only the differences will be described below, in particular in the plasma low pressure stabilization step (3〇9) after the vacuum chamber purification step (308). The vacuum chamber is maintained at a low pressure (for example, 100 to 30 Torr millimts) for about 10 to 20 minutes to prepare for plasma cleaning. Next, in the plasma cleaning step (31 〇), this step is used. In the cleaning of the substrate, a process is basically used in the plasma cleaning process, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 62,3,637, to Dommarm et al., "A cleaning method, a pouring method, a connection method, and a work." Hydrogen process of the use of a cleaning process (a |eaning pr〇cess, a connection process and a workpiece pajr), which may be used in certain embodiments of the invention. Other implementations of the invention In the example, the lye > month depth method comprises backfilling with a process gas of argon or oxygen. In still other embodiments of the invention, the plasma cleaning process comprises producing a low pressure direct current plasma by a hot wire, a plasma Low energy ion The atomic group will react with the surface of the substrate to form a reactive compound. In still other embodiments of the invention of WO 200825579, a plasma physical cleaning method such as money plating can also be used in the plasma cleaning method. The plasma cleaning method and vapor deposition method are combined into one instrument, the substrate can be plasma treated before vapor deposition, and it is not exposed because it is not exposed to the atmosphere and does not need to be transferred to different instruments. To gases that may contaminate the substrate (such as gases in the environment). In addition to plasma cleaning, the method (300b) may also be plasma assisted vapor deposition, in particular, the first vapor deposition step (316a) may be subjected to a first electrode-assisted vapor deposition step (31 6b) Alternatively, in one embodiment of the invention, the plasma is used in the first plasma assisted vapor deposition step (316b), in particular the generation of the plasma excites the chemical and allows the chemical to be more reactively associated with Substrate reaction. In some embodiments of the invention, the plasma assisted vapor deposition process further comprises depressurizing to less than 100 millitorr (mTorr) followed by backfilling the process gas. In addition, in some embodiments of the present invention, the excitation of the processing gas can be achieved by a plasma source outside the vapor deposition coating, and the plasma assisted vapor deposition is very suitable for hexafluoropropylene (HFP). The gas, therefore, embodiments of the present invention are capable of maintaining the low cost of the vapor deposition process as well as the substrate size process under the plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) coating process. The second plasma-assisted vapor deposition step (324b) is similar to the first plasma-assisted vapor deposition step (31 6b) described above, and may be substituted for the second vapor deposition step (324a), although the method (300b) includes plasma Cleaning and plasma assisted vapor deposition, but other embodiments of the invention may utilize plasma cleaning without plasma assisted vapor deposition, and in other embodiments may be utilized without plasma cleaning 17 200825579 Plasma assisted vapor deposition. In this & month, using plasma-assisted vapor deposition, it can be used to include, for example, four gas (CF4), polychao (CFX), and polytetrafluoroethylene (Cf2_cF2_CF2.) (ie (CF2-)n). Fluoropolymer deposition, these materials are very suitable for use in upright liquid crystal alignment layers, are non-toxic, and do not have residual ions or charges, and various starting materials can be used in the present invention, for example, an embodiment of the present invention The second embodiment is applied to hexafluoropropene (hexaflU〇r〇P "〇Pyiene, C3F6 (HFp)), and in another embodiment of the invention, the reaction can be accompanied by a small amount of hydrogen. Fluorine or HFp is reinforced. Other embodiments of the present invention may be used as a fluoropolymer membrane, such as a fluoroalkyl hydrofluoroalkyl group, a fluoroalkyl group, a fluorobenzene, and an unsaturated fluorine-containing fluorine-containing polymer film. Therefore, the novelty and method of this month and month can be used to manufacture the alignment layer by means of less-used devices and labor or automation equipment (such as loading/unloading substrate devices). The cost of the device is only estimated to be the only cost of the lamp. 20% of the cost of the device required for the conventional method can be formed in the liquid crystal display In addition, due to the large reduction of chemical waste and waste water, the cost is reduced. In addition, because of the small number of machines, the required space for the factory is also greatly reduced. One advantage is that the substrate can be added in batches. As mentioned above, many parts of the conventional polyimine alignment layer formation method are to treat the substrate in a continuous manner (eg, at the same time), so the present invention has a conventional method. Better productivity, this high yield can reduce the manufacturing cost of the alignment layer, and this batch processing method can reduce manufacturing costs and material costs. 18 200825579

800~3000 angstroms (A) ’ this very thin alignment layer compared to thicker poly

For example, the voltage drop formed in the alignment layer is significantly reduced in the bound alignment layer. In addition, the thin alignment layer does not require _I very Φ expensive polystyrene to align with the mask, and the chance of contamination by vapor deposition is less than that of liquid smearing. The surface cleaning of the ruthenium substrate plays a very important role in the adhesion strength of the coating film on the surface of the substrate. The conventional plasma cleaning method for the TFT LCD industry and the conventional substrate cleaning method can be started at the method (300a). Before cleaning the substrate, the cleaning of the plasma can be performed in a separate plasma cleaning system before the carrier substrate to the vapor deposition system (such as the carrier substrate to the cassette step (302)), and the plasma cleaning can be selectively combined. In a vapor deposition system • As an in-site system, the plasma cleaning step can be performed prior to vapor deposition (eg, first vapor deposition step (316a)). The material of the substrate also plays a very important role in the adhesion strength of the coated film on the surface of the substrate, in general, such as cerium oxide (smc〇n dioxide, Si〇2), cerium oxide (Si|jC0n m 〇n〇xide,Si〇) and silicon oxide (SiOx), tantalum nitride (Si3N4), silicon nitride (SiNx), and oxynitride (si|ic〇n 〇 Xynitride,

The SiOxNy) isomer substrate has good adhesion to the decane material 19 200825579 & degrees, so the films of these materials are suitable for the soil surface material of the embodiment of the invention. For example, the present invention - examples The thin adhesive layer is applied to the substrate coated with the T0 layer to promote the application of the money material to the surface of the substrate (10). The thin adhesive layer may be any one or more of the materials.

The use of the particular vacuum bake/gas phase coater described above provides a number of advantages 'in embodiments of the invention, which can be accomplished with less complex devices, such as in the conventional photoresist process for depositing hexamethyldiene. Conventional devices for hexamethyldisHazane (HMDS, like a photoresist adhesion enhancer) can be used to carry out some embodiments of the invention. The LpcvD (Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) or simple vapor deposition can be used for the deposition of hmds. However, HMDS is not used as the LC alignment layer of MVALCD because HMDS produces a parallel, non-erected alignment layer. In addition, HMDS does not adhere to the butyl layer, but the method used to deposit HMDS can be used to deposit other decane materials under the corresponding pressure, temperature and time adjustments. Referring to FIG. 4A, which is a flow chart of a novel method (4A) for fabricating a liquid crystal alignment layer of an MVA LCD according to an embodiment of the present invention, the novel method (400a) can be performed by using a conventional device, for example, T〇ky〇, Tokyo, Japan

Ohka Kogy〇 c〇_, Active CO., LTD of Sakitama, Tokyo, Japan, Electron of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, and Aviza Technology 〇f San Francisco, California, Montenegro, ^41\/103 > In general, the HMDS deposition system processes the substrate continuously, so the HMDS deposition system performs a series of decane vapor deposition, 20 200825579 Additional equipment is used to perform the batch hardening step. This novel method (400a) is similar to the method (300a), however, since the alignment layer must be properly hardened by the additional step limitation of t, in the carrier substrate in the cassette step (4〇2), the substrate Initially carried into the cassette, and then in the step of removing the substrate to the conveyor belt (4〇4), the substrate is removed and placed on the conveyor belt in sequence, so that the substrate is sequentially sent to the vacuum chamber. In the vacuum chamber purification step (408), it completely removes water vapor that may appear on the vacuum chamber or the substrate, in particular, the vacuum chamber is first vented to, for example, *10-30 mTorr ( The low pressure of the mmitorrs) is refilled to 8 Torr to 2 Torr (rc inert gas, such as nitrogen, where the vent/refill nitrogen step can be repeated several times) to ensure that the water vapor is completely removed from the vacuum chamber. In addition, due to the preheated inert gas and the heating elements in the vacuum chamber, the substrate will reach a temperature that facilitates vapor deposition (described below). Next, in the first low pressure stabilizing step (41 2}, the vacuum chamber is maintained About 10 at low pressure (about 1 Torr) The first low-voltage stabilization step (412> allows the entire substrate to be heated to a set temperature, so that the thicker substrate will be thinner than the thin substrate during this low-pressure process. In fact, the alignment layer is formed first. In the vapor deposition step (41 6a) and a selective second vapor deposition step (424a), the particular decane chemistry is pumped directly from the stock bottle to the gas phase reaction chamber, while the decane is transferred to the gas phase. Before the reaction chamber, the raw material bottle can evacuate the internal gas and fill an inert gas such as nitrogen to reduce the degradation of the chemical (chernica| degradation). The parameters for the first vapor deposition step (416a) are used according to the use. The chemicals vary, however, basically the time 21 .200825579 is 5 to 10 minutes and the temperature is 150 ° C. In the first vapor deposition step (41 6a}, a measured amount of chemicals It is first introduced into a vapor measuring flask and directly introduced into the gas phase reaction chamber. As in Figure A, various decane materials can be used, such as amino silanes and epoxy silanes. Mercapt〇 silanes. After the first vapor deposition step (416a), the chemical in the gas phase reaction chamber is purified by the first chemical purification step (420), in particular the gas The phase reaction chamber is evacuated and then filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen. After repeated repetitions, the chemical is removed, and a gas discharge pipe in the vacuum discharge line can be used to prevent the stone gas from entering the vacuum pump. If a second vapor deposition process (eg, the aforementioned second vapor deposition step (424a)) is not used, the vacuum chamber can be normally boosted in the boost and cool step (428) if desired After being cooled, the substrate can then be carried into the card g by the loader/unloader in the carrier substrate to the cassette step (43〇). However, if a second vapor deposition step is desired, the vacuum chamber will be evacuated in the second low pressure stabilizing step (422) to maintain a low pressure (e.g., the ear) for about 10 minutes, the second low pressure. The stabilizing step (422) allows all of the substrate to be heated to the same temperature. In the second vapor deposition step (424a), the chemical is directly from the raw material as in the first vapor deposition step (41 6a) described above. The bottle is pumped into the gas phase reaction chamber. In the second chemical purification step (426) after the second vapor deposition step (424a), the vacuum chamber will exclude chemicals, in particular, the vacuum chamber will be evacuated first. Refilling with an inert gas such as nitrogen, repeated several times to remove the chemical, if necessary, the vacuum chamber 22 200825579 is normally pressurized and can be cooled in the pressurization and cooling step (428), then The substrate may be misloaded by the loader/unloader into the card g in the carrier substrate to card S step (430). In the carrier card to hardening oven step (434), the card splicer with the substrate is Carrying into the hardening oven while in the hardening step (43 8), the alignment layer located in the hardening and baking machine will be hardened, in particular, the hardening step is performed in a hardening furnace, and the temperature is operated at 80 to 2 ° C for 30 to 120 minutes, the hardening The furnace is provided by ESpEc c〇rp of Tokyo, Japan, Osaka, Japan, Yamato Scientific Co,, Ltd., CSUN • Manufacturing Ltd_ of Taipei, Taiwan, and Contrel Corporation of Tainan, Taiwan. Finally, in the step of removing the cassette (442 > The completed substrate in the cassette will be removed. As with method (300a), plasma cleaning or other substrate cleaning steps can also be used in method (400a). Some embodiments of the invention prior to starting method (400a) The cleaning step will be performed first, while other embodiments of the present invention perform plasma or substrate cleaning prior to the first vapor deposition step (41 6a), such as the method shown in Figure 4B (4〇〇b), which includes Plasma cleaning and plasma assisting_vapor deposition, because the method (400b) is similar to the method (400a) of the fourth A diagram, the difference is as follows, in particular in the vacuum chamber purification step (4〇8) After the plasma In the low pressure stabilizing step (409), the vacuum chamber is maintained at a low pressure (e.g., 1 Torr to 300 mTorr) for about 1 Torr to 20 minutes to prepare for plasma cleaning, followed by a plasma cleaning step (41 〇). A plasma cleaning method as described above is performed to clean the substrate. Further, in the method (400b), the first vapor deposition step (41 6a) is subjected to the first plasma assisted vapor deposition step (416b). Instead, the second vapor deposition step (424a) is replaced by a second plasma assist 23 200825579 vapor deposition step (424b), which is as previously described. The present invention can also be applied to an LCD which requires parallel alignment of liquid crystals, for example, an alignment layer having liquid crystals in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate when no voltage is applied to the liquid crystal, and a suitable material of such a parallel liquid crystal alignment layer includes hexamethyldiazepine ( Hexamethyldisilazane C6H19Si2N), various dichlorosilanes derivatives (eg dimethyl dichlorosilanes, diphenyl ❿ dichlorosilanes), various trichlorodecane derivatives Trichlorosilanes derivatives (eg, methyl trichlorosilanes, Ethyl trichlorosilanes, Pheny丨trich丨orosilanes, vinyl triclosan) Vinyl trichlorosilanes), stearyl trichlorosilanes, Dirnethyl DES, various trimeth oxy si lane derivatives (eg thiol dimethoxy) M ethyl trim ethoxy si lane, Ethyl 3- 10 曱 石 ( (V|nyl trimetho Xysilane), 3-aminopropytrimethoxysilane, N-3-aminoethyl-3-aminopropyl-methoxy-xanthine (N-3-Amlnoethy 3-Aminoproply tnmethoxysilane )). In general, the formed liquid crystal alignment layer is related to the LC material, the alignment layer material, and the deposition conditions. In one embodiment of the present invention, the surface of the two substrates is processed with the parallel alignment layer. The surface treatment of this type can be implemented by using a guest-host LC material, a cholesteric liquid crystal material or a high cholesterol. LCd of molecular liquid crystal material. In another embodiment of the present invention, the hybrid alignment layer LCD is fabricated by a substrate having an upright LC alignment layer and the other substrate being a parallel LC alignment layer. The type surface treatment can be implemented on a nematic LC material or an LCD of a guest-host type LC material.

Other advantages which may be known by the present invention are: improving the anchoring strength of the Lc alignment layer, particularly on the parallel alignment layer material, although the thickness of the coating material is very thin, the resulting alignment layer The adhesion strength is very strong, so the material can be used to fully coat other LC alignment layers to maintain the same Lc alignment angle while improving the adhesion strength of the lc alignment layer. Regarding the material of the vertical alignment layer, the thickness of the material to be coated is also very thin, and the adhesion strength of the obtained Lc alignment layer is also very high, since the & upright alignment layer material can also be used for overall coating. ^ Other LC alignment layer 'to improve the adhesion strength of the alignment layer with a good LC alignment angle. 'Many pairs of materials used in the examples, water and water vapor have low permeability, so the alignment layer can also As a moisture barrier layer, the method of the invention can also be selectively used to form a moisture layer. The present invention is also applicable to an LCD which requires a liquid crystal pretilt angle, for example, a layer which does not apply a voltage to the liquid crystal and which maintains the liquid crystal in a slightly inclined state. In an embodiment of the present invention, a light-sensitive material and a light-matching (ph〇t〇-aHgnment) method are used to fabricate a tilted alignment layer and a homogenous plane "w Lc alignment layer, which can be Used to make single-quadrant and multi-quadrant torsional nematic (twis[-tic,TN), power-induced birefringence type (e|ect"ica丨丨yinduc 25 200825579 _de, KB), coplanar switching type (| Np|ane switching, 丨PS) and multi-quadrant vertical alignment liquid crystal displays (mva LCDs). The invention can also be used to fabricate the upper and lower alignment layers of a hybrid LCD, with one side substrate being vertically aligned and the other side being parallel aligned or It is a tilted parallel alignment. In addition to being used to fabricate a liquid crystal alignment layer, the present invention can also be used to fabricate a water-repellent gas barrier for a liquid crystal display of a 1± (flexible) substrate.

In various embodiments of the present invention, the above disclosure discloses a novel structure and method for fabricating an alignment layer of a liquid crystal display. The above various structures and methods of the present invention are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Restricted to the particular embodiment described, for example, in the ordinary (four), other vacuum chambers may be defined in view of the above disclosure, the vapor deposition step, the chemical purification step, the chemical, the furnace, the vacuum chamber, the vacuum A baking/gas phase coater or the like, and selectively using these features to design a method in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the present invention is therefore limited only to the scope of the following claims. [Simple diagram of the diagram] Figures A and B are schematic diagrams of a multi-quadrant vertical alignment Lcd (MvALcD) of one pixel. f - A flow chart of a method for manufacturing an MVA LCD alignment layer. Third A and B are flow diagrams of two process embodiments of the method of the present invention for fabricating an alignment layer of an MVA liquid crystal display. The fourth and fourth diagrams of the present invention are flow diagrams of two process embodiments of the method for fabricating an alignment layer of an MVA liquid crystal display of the present invention. [Main component symbol description] 26 200825579 (100) Multi-quadrant vertical alignment liquid crystal display (MVA LCD) (105) First polarizing plate (110) First substrate (120) First electrode (125) First alignment layer (1 35 (1 37) liquid crystal (1 40 ) second alignment layer (145) second electrode (150) second substrate (155) second polarizing plate (160) protrusion (200) conventional method of forming an alignment layer (204) Carrying substrate step ru (206) removing the substrate to the conveyor belt step (208) cleaning and drying the substrate step (21 2) carrying the substrate step (214) removing the substrate to the conveyor belt step (21 6) polyimide film coating Cloth Step (2 2 0) Poly-Butamine Pre-baking Step (224) Polyimide Film Inspection Step (2 2 6) Carrying Substrate Step Lu (228) Removing the Substrate to the Round Tape Step (230) Poly Melamine film hardening step (232) carrying substrate step (234) removing substrate to conveyor belt step (2 3 6) ultrasonic cleaning step (240) substrate drying step (244) carrying substrate step (300a) (300b) MVALCD Manufacturer of Liquid Crystal Alignment Layer 27 200825579 (302) Carrying the substrate to the cassette step (304) carrying the cassette to the vacuum chamber step (308) Vacuum chamber purification step (309) Plasma low pressure stabilization step (31 0) Plasma cleaning step (31 2) First low pressure stabilization step (316a) First vapor deposition step • (316b) First plasma assist Vapor deposition step (320) first chemical purification step (322) second low pressure stabilization step (324a) second vapor deposition step (324b). second plasma assisted vapor deposition step (326) second chemical purification step (328) Pressurization and cooling step (330) Removing the cassette step Lu (400a) (400b) MVA LCD liquid crystal alignment layer manufacturing method (402) carrying the substrate in the cassette step (404) to remove the substrate to the conveyor belt Step (408) Vacuum chamber purification step (409) Plasma low pressure stabilization step (4 1 0) Plasma cleaning step (4 1 2) First low pressure stabilization step 28 200825579 (416a) First vapor deposition step (416b) a plasma assisted vapor deposition step (420) a first chemical purification step (422) a second low pressure stabilization step (424a) a second vapor deposition step (424b) a second plasma assisted vapor deposition step (426) second Chemical purification step (428) pressurization and cooling step • (430) carrying substrate to cassette step (434) carrying cassette (438) bake hardening step of hardening machine step (442) the step of unloading the cassette 29

Claims (1)

200825579 X. Patent application scope: The method for forming an alignment layer on a substrate of a liquid crystal display system includes: 'putting a substrate in a vacuum chamber; purifying the vacuum chamber; and depositing the alignment layer by vapor deposition. ...2, as in the method of claim 1, wherein the gas is utilized The phase deposition deposition of the alignment layer includes depositing the alignment layer by chemical vapor deposition. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the utilizing the deposition method to deposit the alignment layer comprises depositing the alignment layer by plasma assisted vapor deposition. The method of claim 3, wherein the plasma source for the private water vapor-assisted vapor deposition method is disposed outside the vacuum chamber. f: The method of claim 2, wherein The purification process removes water vapor from the vacuum chamber. 6 · The method of claim i, the re-nucleation chamber further includes: /, evacuating the vacuum chamber to a low pressure state; Filling the vacuum chamber with an inert gas. The method of the present invention, wherein the vacuum chamber 7 comprises: evacuating the vacuum chamber to a low pressure state for a period of time; and filling the vacuum chamber with an inert gas The method of claim 6, wherein the inert gas is preheated to a temperature of 80 to 200 ° C, and includes 8 (rc and 2 〇〇 < t. 9 The method of claim 6, wherein the inert gas is a rat. The method of claim 6, wherein the low pressure is 10 to 30 mTorr, which includes 1 〇 mTorr and 3 〇 mTorr. 1 1 The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a low pressure stabilizing step on the substrate. The method of claim i i, wherein the low pressure stabilizing step comprises: evacuating the vacuum chamber to a low pressure; and maintaining the low pressure for a period of time. 1 3. As described in the scope of claim 2, the basin low pressure is 1 Torr and the period is 10 minutes. X 1 4 · The method described in the scope of the patent application, naming *) * 〇, I 丫 from the die 1] The deposition method of the rice deposition method further comprises gasifying at least one chemical substance. 1 5 · If the method described in item 4 of the patent application is applied, the oxygen phase and V 4 τ are used to deposit the alignment layer by chaotic phase/child accumulation method, which also includes: 排 emptying the raw material bottle with chemical substance Gas; and filling the raw material bottle with an inert gas. 6 _ The method described in Article 14 of the patent application scope, the material system includes the stone smoldering substance. Wherein the method is as described in claim 14 of the patent application, and the material of the material includes perfluorooctyltriethoxylate. , 中中化31 200825579 The main substance of the material mentioned in item 14 of the patent application scope is butyl octadecyl triethoxy decane. 1 9 · The semi-materials mentioned in item 14 of the patent application scope include smectite. 2 0 · The methodological substance described in item i of claim 4 includes fluorine-containing polymerization. / ^ 2 1 · The method described in claim 20, the fluoropolymer system includes polytetrafluoroethylene. 2 2 . The method of claim 1, wherein the vacuum chamber is purified by depositing an alignment layer by vapor deposition. 2 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the vacuum chamber further comprises: evacuating the vacuum chamber; and filling the inert gas in the vacuum chamber. 2 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer has a thickness of less than 800 angstroms. 2 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer has a thickness of less than 50 angstroms. 2 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is cured after depositing the alignment layer by vapor deposition. 2 7 · As stated in paragraph 26 of the patent application: 3⁄4 includes carrying the substrate in the cassette. 2 8 • Carrying the cassette into the baking oven as described in Section 27 of the patent application. Wherein the chemistry wherein the chemistry comprises the purification wherein the inclusion is included in the purification wherein the formulation is still included, and it is still packaged, and it is still packaged as described in claim 26 200825579 2 9 The method wherein the hardening step is operated at ~200 °c. 3 〇 The method of claim 26, wherein the hardening step is performed for 30 to 120 minutes. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is cleaned before the substrate is placed in the vacuum chamber. The method of claim 31, wherein the cleaning the substrate comprises cleaning the substrate with a plasma. The method of claim 1, further comprising cleaning the substrate prior to depositing the alignment layer by vapor deposition. The method of claim 3, wherein the cleaning the substrate comprises cleaning the substrate with a plasma. The method of claim 4, wherein the plasma cleaning step occurs in a vacuum chamber. /, ^ 3 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the plasma low pressure stabilization step is included before the poly cleaning. 3 7. As in the method described in the scope of patent application, Lizhong deposited a thin adhesive layer before depositing the alignment layer by gas phase deposition. 〃 38. As stated in the scope of the patent application, the peek layer of the genus includes the enamel substrate. 3 9. If the patent application scope is item 38, 矽 a certain β, 心心忐, Among them, the cancerous soil system includes oxysulfide. 4 0 · If the patent application scope is the 38th item, the Shi Xiji 枓 system includes the oxime compound. The party goes, ... 33 200825579 4 1 · If you apply for the patent scope, item 38 The method according to the method of claim 1, wherein the alignment layer has low permeability to water and water strip gas. 4 3 The method of claim 1, wherein the alignment layer is a helium barrier layer. The method of claim 1, wherein the alignment layer is dedicated to the moisture barrier layer. XI, schema · as the next page 34