JP2002277848A - Liquid crystal substrate and inspection instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal substrate where high precision and stable continuity inspection can be performed. SOLUTION: Extended parts 5 and 6 are formed at end parts of patterns 1 and 2 and probes 81, 82 and 83 are brought into contact with the extended parts 5 and 6 to perform continuity inspection.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal substrate and an inspection device therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Liquid crystal display panels are widely used in various fields, but in recent years, high definition has been advanced, and the width of circuit patterns and the pitch of circuit patterns on liquid crystal substrates have been reduced. The continuity of the pattern of the liquid crystal substrate is checked, and a defective product having a short circuit or cut in the pattern is detected before assembling the panel. In order to inspect the pattern, a method is generally adopted in which a probe is brought into contact with a pattern adjacent to one pattern, and whether or not a short circuit occurs in the pattern based on the presence or absence of conduction between the patterns. There are a method of inspecting the pattern sequentially by scanning the probe and a method of inspecting the conduction state of a plurality of patterns at the same time by using a large number of probes.

[0003]

In the above-described inspection method, it is difficult to inspect a liquid crystal substrate having a small pattern width and a small pattern pitch, and a stable inspection cannot be performed. An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a liquid crystal substrate having a pattern arranged substantially in parallel, wherein an extension for inspection is provided at an end of the pattern. And wherein the extending portions of two adjacent patterns in the pattern extend in the other pattern direction. In the above configuration, since the extending portion extends in the other pattern direction, the same effect as the increase in the pattern width at the extending portion can be obtained. Therefore, the pattern inspection can be stably performed with high accuracy. The extending portions are provided at the ends of the pattern, but are preferably provided at alternately different ends. That is, when the extension is provided at one end of one pattern, the extension is provided at the other end opposite to the one end in another pattern adjacent thereto. With such a configuration, the extension portion can be formed without causing interference with other patterns. Also, a plurality of extending portions provided at one end of the plurality of patterns extend in the same direction, and a plurality of extending portions provided at the other end extend in a direction different from the same direction by 180 °. It is desirable to configure. With this configuration, by setting the extending direction of the extending portion to the scanning direction, it is possible to continuously perform highly accurate and stable inspection. It is desirable that the distal end of the extending portion extends to a position near the extension of the side on the opposite side of the adjacent pattern. With this configuration, the length of the extending portion can be increased. The pitch of the terminal at the end of the pattern of the liquid crystal substrate is smaller than that of the pattern portion. In order to scan such end portions having different pitches, similarly, by providing a pitch adjusting portion having the same pitch at the end portion, and connecting the extending portion to the pitch adjusting portion, similarly, Stable and highly accurate inspection can be performed. Furthermore, the inspection apparatus for a liquid crystal substrate of the present invention is an inspection apparatus for inspecting a conduction state of a pattern by scanning while contacting a probe with a pattern on the liquid crystal substrate, and a second inspection apparatus capable of contacting the extension of one pattern. One probe, a second probe that can contact the extension of another pattern adjacent to the first pattern, and a contact that can contact the extension of still another pattern adjacent to the other pattern And a third probe. By using the three probes in this manner, there is an effect that a stable and high-precision inspection can be executed efficiently while being in contact with the extension portion.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, a plurality of transparent circuit patterns 1 and 2 are formed on a liquid crystal substrate A made of glass by an exposure technique or another method at substantially equal intervals at substantially equal intervals. Thus, a liquid crystal display panel is formed.

The patterns 1 and 2 have a substantially rectangular shape and are formed in large numbers on the liquid crystal substrate A. In FIG.
Only patterns 1 and 2 of the book are shown, and others are omitted. The pattern 1 has one end 10 and the other end 11 at both ends, and has an inner side 13 facing the adjacent pattern 2 and an outer side 12 on the opposite side. Similarly, the pattern 2 has one end 20 and the other end 21 on both ends, an inner side 23 facing the adjacent pattern 1, and an outer side 22 on the opposite side. The configuration of the patterns 1 and 2 is the same as that of the conventional pattern.

The extending portion 5 is continuously and integrally formed on one end 10 side of the pattern 1 having the above configuration. The extension portion 5 is composed of a straight portion 50 continuous with the pattern 1 and a straight portion 50 extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the pattern 1. The pattern 1 and the extension portion 5 form a substantially L-shape. It has become.

Similarly, the extension 6 is formed continuously and integrally on the other end 21 side of the pattern 2. This extension 6
Similarly, the linear portion 60 continuous with the pattern 1 and the pattern 1
And a linear portion 60 substantially orthogonal to
The extension 6 forms a substantially L-shape.

The extension 5 of the pattern 1 extends in the direction of the pattern 2, and the extension 6 of the pattern 2 extends in the direction of the pattern 1. The tip 51 of the extension 5 extends to almost the same level as the extension of the outer side 22, and the tip 61 of the extension 6 extends to almost the same level as the extension of the outer side 12. With the above configuration, the pattern 1 and the pattern 2 realize an arrangement in a shape such that the L-shape is alternately combined.

In the embodiment described above, the pattern 1,
2 has the same effect as the width W of the second portion 2 is increased by the length of the extension portion 6. Similarly, the same effect can be obtained as when the pitch is expanded from the pattern 1 to the next pattern 1 or from the pattern 2 to the next pattern 2.

In order to inspect the continuity of the patterns 1 and 2 having the above-described structure, a short circuit is continuously detected by scanning in the inspection direction indicated by an arrow using an inspection apparatus 80. The inspection device 80 includes probes 81, 82, and 83, and scans in the direction of the arrow while being in contact with the extension portions 5 and 6, thereby conducting the pattern 1 and the pattern 2 and the pattern 2 and the next pattern 1. The continuity between the patterns is sequentially inspected, such as the continuity and the continuity between the next pattern 1 and the next pattern 2. Since the extension portions 5 and 6 are larger than the widths of the patterns 1 and 2, stable and accurate inspection can be performed.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment. In this embodiment, the terminals 15 are formed in the patterns 1 and 2, and the pitch of the terminals 15 is narrowed, and the terminals 15 have a different pitch from the patterns 1 and 2. Therefore, a pitch adjusting section 7 is provided between the extension section 5 and the terminal 15 to return the position of the line to the same position as the patterns 1 and 2 so that the pitch is the same as the patterns 1 and 2. Extension parts 5, 6
Is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

Although the inspection method for scanning as a continuity inspection has been described above, there is an effect that a stable and highly accurate inspection can be performed even when a large number of patterns are inspected simultaneously by using multiple probes.

[0014]

As described above, according to the liquid crystal substrate of the present invention, a stable and accurate continuity test can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the operation of another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: pattern, 2: pattern, 5: extension, 6: extension, 7: pitch adjustment, 8: inspection device, 10: one end, 1
1: other end, 12: outer side, 13: inner side, 15: terminal, 20: one end, 21: other end, 22: outer side, 23:
Inner side, 50: straight section, 51: tip, 52: bottom end, 60:
Linear part, 61: front end, 62: bottom end, 80: inspection device, 8
1: probe, 82: probe, 83: probe.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A liquid crystal substrate having a pattern arranged substantially in parallel, comprising: an extension for inspection at an end of the pattern, wherein the extension of two adjacent patterns in the pattern is provided. Wherein the portions extend in the other pattern direction. 2. The liquid crystal according to claim 1, wherein the extension is provided at one end of one pattern, and the extension is provided at the other end of another pattern adjacent to the one pattern. substrate. 3. An extension provided at one end of the pattern extends in the same direction, and an extension provided at the other end of the pattern extends in a direction different from the same direction by 180 °. The liquid crystal substrate according to claim 1. 4. The liquid crystal substrate according to claim 1, wherein a tip of an extension of the pattern extends to a position near an extension of an opposite side of an adjacent pattern. 5. The pattern has an end portion having a different pitch, a pitch adjustment portion having a same pitch is provided at the end portion, and the extension portion is connected to the pitch adjustment portion. Or the liquid crystal substrate according to 3 or 4. 6. An inspection apparatus for inspecting the continuity of a pattern by scanning while bringing a probe into contact with a pattern on a liquid crystal substrate, comprising: a first probe capable of contacting the extension of one of the patterns; A second probe that can contact the extension of another pattern adjacent to the first pattern, a third probe that can contact the extension of still another pattern adjacent to the other pattern, An inspection apparatus comprising: