WO2014201754A1

WO2014201754A1 - Spacer manufacturing method, substrate, display apparatus, and electronic product

Info

Publication number: WO2014201754A1
Application number: PCT/CN2013/080790
Authority: WO
Inventors: 李红敏; 李小和; 刘永; 张晓洁
Original assignee: 合肥京东方光电科技有限公司; 京东方科技集团股份有限公司
Priority date: 2013-06-21
Filing date: 2013-08-05
Publication date: 2014-12-24
Also published as: CN103336390B; CN103336390A

Abstract

Provided are a spacer, a manufacturing method therefor, a substrate, and a display apparatus. The method for manufacturing the spacer comprises: forming, on a substrate (3), a photosensitive material thin film (6) used for manufacturing the spacer, the photosensitive material comprises a first transparent polymer or a monomer thereof, the first transparent polymer not infiltrating the substrate (3); exposing and developing the photosensitive material thin film (6), and forming multiple spacer patterns (8) with different sizes on the substrate (3); and in a preset temperature, heating the substrate (3) on which the spacer patterns (8) are formed, and then, cooling to enable the spacer patterns (8) to protrude to form the spacers, the spacer patterns (8) with different sizes forming spacers with different heights. By using the provided technical solutions, the aperture ratio of a display apparatus can be increased, and the production cost can be reduced.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of display technologies, and in particular, to a method for manufacturing a spacer, a substrate, a device, and an electronic product.

The display panel of the display device is generally composed of an array substrate, a liquid crystal layer and a color filter substrate. In order to control the thickness of the liquid crystal layer and its uniformity, a spacer (Post Spacer, PS) is usually formed on the color filter substrate or the array substrate. Ensure that the LCD case is thick.

In the prior art, an acrylic resin mixture solution is often used to prepare a spacer. The main component of the acrylic resin mixture solution is an acrylic resin or an acrylic resin monomer and a photoinitiator. The acrylic resin mixture solution is a light sensitive material, and the acrylic resin is used. The mixture solution is coated on the substrate, and a spacer is formed by a process such as exposure development, and the spacer is preferably formed with various heights to achieve a better support effect.

In order to form spacers of various heights, it is necessary to perform exposure using a halftone mask or a half-tone mask. Taking the exposure of a halftone mask or a gray tone mask as an example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 1, the substrate 3 is coated with an acrylic resin mixture solution 2, and the Halftone mask I includes an opaque film. Part, part of the light-transmitting portion and the all-light-transmitting portion, after being exposed by the mask, as shown in (b) of Figure i, due to different illumination, a step difference occurs on the acrylic resin mixture, and then as shown in FIG. (c), the portion of the substrate 3 that is blocked by the opaque portion is not irradiated with light, and the upper acrylic resin mixture is removed after development; where the substrate 3 is irradiated with light, due to the portion of the light-transmitting portion The light intensity is stronger than that of the partially transparent portion, so that the thickness of the acrylic resin mixture remaining after development is relatively large, and a high-level main spacer 4 can be formed on the substrate corresponding to the fully transparent portion, and the corresponding portion is transparent. A sub spacer 5 having a small height is formed on the substrate of the light portion.

The existing spacer material manufacturing method requires a halftone mask or a gray tone mask to expose the film, which increases the complexity of the process and increases the production cost; and is affected by the exposure precision, the spacer The size of the object is relatively large, resulting in a small aperture ratio of the display panel, which increases the backlight cost.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for fabricating a spacer, a substrate, a display device, and an electronic product, which can increase the aperture ratio of the display device and reduce the production cost.

In order to solve the above technical problem, the embodiments of the present invention provide the following technical solutions:

In one aspect, a method of making a spacer is provided, including:

Forming a photosensitive material film for forming a spacer on the substrate, wherein the photosensitive material includes a first transparent polymer or a monomer thereof that is not wetted with the substrate;

Exposing and developing the photosensitive material film to form a plurality of spacer patterns on the substrate;

The substrate on which the spacer pattern is formed is heated at a preset temperature and then cooled to cause the plurality of spacer patterns to be convex to form a spacer.

Further, in the above manufacturing method, the plurality of spacer patterns have different sizes, and the spacer patterns of different sizes form spacers of different heights.

Further, in the above manufacturing method, the forming a photosensitive material film for forming a spacer on the substrate comprises: including a photoinitiator, a first transparent polymer or a monomer thereof.

Further, in the above production method, the photosensitive material solution further includes a second transparent polymer having a non-wetting property with the first transparent polymer and having wettability with the substrate or a monomer thereof.

In the above production method, the second transparent polymer is an acrylic resin. Further, in the above manufacturing method, the preset temperature is greater than a glass transition temperature of the first transparent polymer.

Further, in the above manufacturing method, the surface energy of the first transparent polymer and the monomer thereof is

5-50 dynes/cm, the surface energy is preferably 10-30 dynes/cm, and the surface energy is most preferably 25 dynss/cm.

In the above production method, the first transparent polymer is a styrene resin. Further, in the above manufacturing method, the heating the substrate on which the spacer pattern is formed, and forming the spacer pattern to form the spacer comprises:

The substrate on which the spacer pattern is formed is heated at a temperature of 150 to 300 degrees Celsius for 10 s 1800 s. Preferably, the substrate can be heated in a vacuum environment.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide a spacer for use in the above manufacturing method.

The embodiment of the invention further provides a substrate having a spacer made by the above manufacturing method. Embodiments of the present invention also provide a display device including the substrate as described above.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide an electronic product including the display device as described above.

Embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

In the above solution, the photosensitive material film is subjected to exposure and development to form a plurality of spacer patterns on the substrate, and then the substrate is heated, and the molecules of the first transparent polymer or its monomer start to move at a high temperature due to the first transparent polymerization. The material and its monomer and the substrate are not wetted. According to the principle of minimum surface energy, in order to form a stable structure, the spacer pattern will be convex to form a spacer, thereby reducing the size of the spacer in the horizontal direction, thereby It is advantageous to increase the aperture ratio of the display device.

In addition, the technical solution of the present invention does not need to use a halftone mask or a gray tone mask for exposure, which reduces the complexity of the process and can reduce the production cost.

1 is a schematic view showing the formation of a main spacer and a secondary spacer by a halftone mask in the prior art;

2 is a schematic view showing a method of fabricating a spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Graph mark

1 halftone mask 2 acrylic resin mixture solution 3 substrate

4 main spacer 5 auxiliary spacer 6 photosensitive material film

7 styrenic resin spacers 8 spacer patterns

The technical problems, the technical solutions, and the advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will be more clearly described in the following description. The following problems exist in the manufacturing method of the existing spacer: It is necessary to use a halftone mask or a gray mask to perform exposure, which increases the complexity of the process and increases the production cost; and is affected by the exposure accuracy. The size of the spacers is relatively large, resulting in a small aperture ratio of the display panel, which increases the backlight cost. Embodiments of the present invention provide a spacer, a method of manufacturing the same, a substrate, and a display device, which are capable of increasing the aperture ratio of the display device and reducing the production cost, in view of the above problems in the method of fabricating the conventional spacer.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for fabricating a spacer, including:

Exposing and developing the photosensitive material film to form a plurality of different size spacer patterns on the substrate;

Heating the substrate on which the spacer pattern is formed at a preset temperature, and then cooling, so that the spacer pattern is convexly formed to form a spacer, wherein different size spacer patterns form spacers of different heights .

In the method for fabricating the spacer of the present invention, the photosensitive material film is exposed and developed to form a plurality of spacer patterns on the substrate, and then the substrate is heated, and the molecules of the first transparent polymer or its monomer start to move at a high temperature. Since the first transparent polymer and its monomer and the substrate are not wetted, according to the principle of minimum surface energy, in order to form a stable structure, the spacer pattern will be convexly formed to form a spacer, thereby reducing the level of the spacer at the level The size in the direction is advantageous to increase the aperture ratio of the display device.

In addition, the technical solution of the present invention can realize the formation of spacers of different heights by forming spacer patterns of different sizes, thereby realizing that the formed substrate and the display panel are not physically damaged.

Specifically, in the above manufacturing method, the forming a photosensitive material film for forming a spacer on the substrate comprises:

A photosensitive material film is formed by coating (spin coating or knife coating) on the substrate, the photosensitive material solution includes a photoinitiator, and includes a first transparent polymer or a monomer thereof.

Further, the photosensitive material solution may further include a first transparent polymer a second transparent polymer or a monomer thereof which is non-wetting and has wettability with the substrate, and the spacer pattern thus formed is composed of a first transparent polymer or a monomer thereof, a second transparent polymer or a monomer thereof At the high temperature, the molecules of the first transparent polymer or its monomer start to move, because the first transparent polymer and its monomer and the second transparent polymer and the monomer thereof have non-wetting property, according to the principle of minimum surface energy, Forming a stable structure, wherein the first transparent polymer or its monomer will bulge, and also the second transparent polymer or its monomer has a certain protrusion, which can reduce the spacer in the horizontal direction The size is advantageous to increase the aperture ratio of the display device.

Wherein, the preset temperature needs to be greater than a glass transition temperature of the first transparent polymer, so that the molecules of the first transparent polymer or its monomer can be caused to start moving. In order to ensure that the first transparent polymer or its monomer is capable of forming a raised spacer, the surface energy of the first transparent polymer and its monomer is 5 x 50 dynes/cm.

Specifically, the second transparent polymer may be a acryl resin which is commonly used to make a spacer, and the first transparent polymer may be a styrene resin having non-wetting property with an acrylic resin, Heating the substrate on which the spacer pattern is formed, and forming the spacer pattern to form the spacer is specifically:

The substrate on which the spacer pattern is formed is heated at a temperature of 150-300 degrees Celsius for 10 s to 1800 s, preferably in a vacuum, and after heating, the substrate on which the spacer is formed is cooled to room temperature, and the substrate is completed. Production of spacers.

The embodiment of the invention further provides a substrate having a spacer made by the above manufacturing method. The substrate may be, but not limited to, an array substrate, a color filter substrate, or the like.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide a display device including the substrate as described above. The structure of other parts of the display device can be referred to the prior art, and will not be described in detail herein. The display device can be a liquid crystal display panel, an electronic paper, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) panel, a liquid crystal television, a liquid crystal display, a digital photo frame, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, etc., having any display function, as long as the display device It is only necessary to provide a spacer on the substrate of the device.

The method for fabricating the spacer of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments: Embodiment 1

In this embodiment, a plurality of spacers of different heights can be formed on the substrate, wherein the substrate can be an array substrate or a color filter substrate. This embodiment specifically includes the following steps:

Step ah, forming a photosensitive material solution, the main component of the photosensitive material solution being a first transparent polymer or a monomer thereof, a photoinitiator, wherein the first transparent polymer and the monomer thereof and the substrate are not wetted, the first transparent polymer The molecular weight may range from several thousand to one million. Specifically, the first transparent polymer may be selected from styrene resins;

Step a2: spin-coating or scraping the photosensitive material solution on the substrate to form a film of the photosensitive material, wherein the size of the spacer can be reduced by controlling the thickness of the photosensitive material film, and the thickness of the photosensitive material film is smaller. The size of the finally formed spacer is also smaller; in one embodiment of the present invention, the photosensitive material solution may be spin-coated or blade-coated on the substrate to form a film of the photosensitive material, and the coater is only used. Is an exemplary embodiment, as long as the photosensitive material solution can be spin-coated or blade-coated on the substrate to form a film of photosensitive material, other types of suitable components can be used; Step a3: Film of the photosensitive material on the substrate Exposure development is performed to form a plurality of spacer patterns of different sizes on the substrate. In this step, the single-tone mask can be used for exposure, which reduces the complexity of the process and reduces the production cost. Wherein, the size of the spacer pattern is determined by the resolution of the exposure machine, ranging from several micrometers to several tens of micrometers; in one embodiment of the invention, the exposure material can be used for exposure and development of the photosensitive material film on the substrate. The exposure machine is only an exemplary embodiment, and other types of suitable components can be used as long as the photosensitive material film on the substrate can be exposed and developed;

The step of heat-treating the substrate on which the spacer pattern is formed, the heating temperature is required to be greater than the glass transition temperature of the styrenic resin, specifically, heating at a temperature of 150-300 Torr for 10 s to 1800 s, preferably in a vacuum. The substrate is heated to avoid external influence on the spacer and reduce impurities in the spacer. At high temperatures, the molecular motion of the styrenic resin begins. Since the styrene resin does not wet with the substrate, the interface energy between them is large. According to the principle of minimum surface energy, in order to form a stable structure, the spacer pattern will be The protrusions form spacers, and the spacer patterns of different sizes will form spacers of different heights, and the larger the size of the spacer pattern, the greater the height of the spacers formed;

Step a5: cooling the substrate on which the spacer is formed, preferably cooling to room temperature in a vacuum, The spacer can be fabricated to obtain a substrate on which the spacer is formed. In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate on which the spacer pattern is formed may be heated and cooled using a vacuum cover with a heating device, and the vacuum cover is merely an exemplary embodiment, as long as it can be formed The substrate of the spacer pattern is heated and cooled, and other types of suitable components can also be used.

Due to the principle of mass conservation, the increase in the height of the spacer pattern will result in a reduction in the size in the horizontal direction, which can greatly reduce the size of the finally formed spacer, which is advantageous in increasing the aperture ratio of the display device. In this embodiment, the height of the spacer can be controlled by controlling the size of the spacer pattern, and a plurality of spacers can be formed on the substrate, and the spacer can be realized by using a single-tone mask for exposure. The production can reduce the complexity of the process and reduce the production cost.

Embodiment 2

Step bl: forming a photosensitive material solution, adding a first transparent polymer or a monomer thereof to a solution of an acrylic resin mixture used to prepare a spacer to form a photosensitive material solution, wherein the first transparent polymer and the acrylic resin are not mutually Infiltration, the first transparent polymer may have a molecular weight ranging from several thousand to one million. Specifically, the first transparent polymer may be selected from a styrene resin;

Step b2: As shown in (a) of FIG. 2, a photosensitive material solution is spin-coated or blade-coated on the substrate 3 to form a photosensitive material film 6, wherein the spacer can be reduced by controlling the thickness of the photosensitive material film. The size of the object, the smaller the thickness of the photosensitive material film, the smaller the size of the finally formed spacer;

Step b3: As shown in (b) iff of FIG. 2, the photosensitive material film 6 on the substrate 3 is exposed and developed, and a plurality of spacer patterns 8 of different sizes are formed on the substrate. In this step, a single tone mask is used. The exposure of the board can reduce the complexity of the process and reduce the production cost. Wherein, the size of the spacer pattern 8 is determined by the resolution of the exposure machine, ranging from several micrometers to several tens of micrometers;

Step b4: heat-treating the substrate 3 on which the spacer pattern 8 is formed, and the heating temperature is required to be larger than the glass transition temperature of the styrene resin, and specifically, may be heated at a temperature of 150 to 300 Torr for 10 s to 1800 s, preferably The substrate is heated in a vacuum to avoid external influence on the spacer and reduce impurities in the spacer. At high temperatures, the molecular motion of styrenic resins and their monomers begins. Because of the non-wetting property of styrenic resins and acrylic resins, the interface energy between them is large. According to the principle of minimum surface energy, in order to form a stable structure, the styrene-like W grease and its monomer in the spacer pattern 8 will be convex, and the acrylic resin and the substrate are wettable, and the finally formed styrene-based resin is separated. As shown in FIG. 2(c), the spacers 7 of different sizes will form spacers of different heights, and the larger the size of the spacer pattern, the larger the height of the spacers formed;

Step 5: The substrate on which the spacer is formed is cooled, preferably cooled to room temperature in a vacuum, to complete the preparation of the spacer, and a substrate on which the spacer is formed is obtained.

The styrene resin and its monomer bulge will also drive the acrylic resin and its monomer to have certain protrusions. Due to the principle of mass conservation, the increase of the height of the spacer pattern will lead to the reduction of the size in the horizontal direction. This can reduce the size of the finally formed spacer in the horizontal direction, thereby contributing to an increase in the aperture ratio of the display device. In this embodiment, the height of the spacer can be controlled by controlling the size of the spacer pattern, and a plurality of spacers can be formed on the substrate, and the spacer can be realized by using a single-tone mask for exposure. The production can reduce the complexity of the process and reduce the production cost.

In the above embodiment, the photosensitive material solution includes one or two kinds of transparent polymers. Further, the photosensitive material solution may further include two or more kinds of transparent polymers, as long as one of the transparent polymers and other transparent ones are satisfied. The polymer and the substrate are not wetted. In the actual production process, in order to reduce the complexity of the process, in general, the photosensitive material solution includes one or two kinds of transparent poly. The above is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and it should be noted that Those skilled in the art can also make thousands of improvements and retouchings without departing from the principles of the present invention. These improvements and refinements should also be considered as protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

A method of manufacturing a spacer, comprising:

2. The method of fabricating a spacer according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of spacer patterns have different sizes, and the different size spacer patterns form spacers of different heights.

The method of manufacturing a spacer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the forming a photosensitive material film for forming a spacer on the substrate comprises:

A photosensitive material solution is formed on the substrate to form the photosensitive material film, the photosensitive material solution includes a photoinitiator, and includes a first transparent polymer or a monomer thereof.

The method for fabricating a spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the photosensitive material solution further comprises a non-wetting property with the first transparent polymer and iff The substrate has a wettable second transparent polymer or a monomer thereof.

The method for producing a spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second transparent polymer is an acrylic resin.

The method of manufacturing a spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the predetermined temperature is greater than a glass transition temperature of the first transparent polymer.

The method for producing a spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first transparent polymer and the monomer thereof have a surface energy of 5 to 50 dynes/cm.

The method of producing a spacer according to claim 7, wherein the surface energy is preferably 10-30 dynes./cm.

9. The method of making a spacer according to claim 8, wherein the surface energy is most preferably 25 dynes/cm.

The method of manufacturing a spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The first transparent polymer is a styrenic resin.

The method for fabricating a spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the substrate on which the spacer pattern is formed is heated to cause the spacer pattern to be raised. Forming the spacer includes:

The substrate on which the spacer pattern is formed is heated at a temperature of 150 to 300 degrees Celsius for 10 s 1800 s.

The method of producing a spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the substrate is heated in a vacuum environment.

A substrate comprising a spacer made by the manufacturing method according to any one of claims 12 to 12.

14. A display device, comprising: as claimed! 3 said substrate.

An electronic product, comprising the display device according to claim 14.