JP2011145400A - Method for manufacturing electro-optic device - Google Patents

Abstract

A sealing material is cured relatively easily while preventing contamination of an electro-optic material.
An electro-optical device manufacturing method includes a pair of substrates using a photo-curing sealing material (52) disposed in a sealing region located around a pixel region (10a) in which a plurality of pixels are arranged. This is a method of manufacturing the electro-optical device (100) in which (10, 20) are bonded to each other. In the manufacturing method, after a photocurable sealing material is disposed between a pair of substrates, light is applied to the photocurable sealing material at a first angle with respect to one substrate from the side of one of the pair of substrates. And a second irradiation step of irradiating the photocurable sealing material with light at a second angle different from the first angle with respect to the one substrate from the one substrate side. .
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device, such as a liquid crystal device, in which an electro-optical material is sandwiched between a pair of substrates, and more particularly to the technical field of a sealing material curing method for bonding a pair of substrates together. About.

  As this type of method, for example, a light guide is provided between the frame layers straddling the dividing line of the large glass substrate, and the ultraviolet light irradiated from the large glass substrate side serving as the counter substrate is reflected by the light guide. A method of guiding light to an end face of a UV (Ultra Violet) sealing material has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). Alternatively, there has been proposed a method in which ultraviolet light is irradiated at an inclination with respect to a substrate coated with a UV curable sealing material (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2007-171385 A JP 2003-241389 A

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 has a technical problem that the light guide has to be formed separately, and the manufacturing process may be relatively complicated. Moreover, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, there is a possibility that the time until the sealing material is cured may be relatively long. Then, there is a technical problem that the sealing material may be dissolved in the electro-optical material and the electro-optical material may be contaminated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, for example, and proposes a method of manufacturing an electro-optical device capable of curing a sealing material relatively easily while preventing contamination of an electro-optical material. Let it be an issue.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to the present invention includes a pair of photo-curing sealing materials disposed in a sealing region located around a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged. A method of manufacturing an electro-optical device in which substrates are bonded to each other, and after the photocurable sealing material is disposed between the pair of substrates, the one of the pair of substrates from one substrate side A first irradiation step of irradiating the photocurable sealing material with light at a first angle with respect to the substrate, and a second different from the first angle with respect to the one substrate from the one substrate side. A second irradiation step of irradiating the photocurable sealing material with light at an angle.

  According to the electro-optical device manufacturing method of the present invention, the manufacturing method is a photo-curing type, such as an ultraviolet curable resin, disposed in a seal region located around a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged. This is a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device in which a pair of substrates are bonded to each other by the sealing material.

  After the photocurable sealing material is disposed between the pair of substrates, in the first irradiation step, the photocurable sealing material is formed at a first angle with respect to the one substrate from the one substrate side of the pair of substrates. Light is irradiated. In the second irradiation step, light is irradiated to the photocurable sealing material from the one substrate side to the one substrate at a second angle different from the first angle.

  At least one of the first angle and the second angle is disposed in the vicinity of the other substrate of the pair of substrates and on the electro-optic material side sandwiched between the pair of substrates in the photocurable sealing material. The angle is set so that light is sufficiently applied to the photo-curing sealing material.

  According to the inventor's research, the following matters have been found. That is, when the frame region located around the pixel region is relatively narrow, the light shielding member is disposed in the seal region for disposing the photo-curing type sealing material in the frame region on one of the pair of substrates. Often placed. Then, among the photo-curing type sealing material, the time until the photo-curing type sealing material arranged in the vicinity of the one substrate is cured becomes relatively long. For this reason, a part of the photo-curing type sealing material may be dissolved into the electro-optical material taught between the pair of substrates, and the electro-optical material may be contaminated.

  However, in the present invention, after the photocurable sealing material is disposed between the pair of substrates, in the first irradiation process, the light curing type sealing material is irradiated with light at the first angle from the one substrate side. In the second irradiation step, light is irradiated to the photocurable sealing material at a second angle from the side of one substrate. For this reason, in particular, the portion on the electro-optic material side sandwiched between the pair of substrates in the photo-curing type sealing material can be cured in a relatively short time. As a result, it is possible to prevent contamination of the electro-optical material due to the dissolution of the photocurable sealing material into the electro-optical material.

  Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the electro-optical device of the present invention, the sealing material can be cured relatively easily while preventing the electro-optical material from being contaminated.

  The effect | action and other gain of this invention are clarified from the form for implementing demonstrated below.

It is the top view which looked at the liquid crystal device concerning the embodiment of the present invention from the counter substrate side with each component formed on the TFT array substrate. It is the HH 'sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is process sectional drawing which shows the one part process of the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is process sectional drawing which shows a one part process of the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device which concerns on the modification of embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the scales are different for each layer and each member so that each layer and each member can be recognized on the drawing.

<Electro-optical device>
First, an embodiment of an electro-optical device according to the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In the present embodiment, as an example of the electro-optical device, a liquid crystal device of an active matrix drive type with a built-in drive circuit is cited.

  The overall configuration of the liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a liquid crystal device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side of a counter substrate together with each component formed on a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) array substrate. It is a HH 'sectional view taken on the line.

  1 and 2, in the liquid crystal device 100 according to the present embodiment, the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are arranged to face each other. The TFT array substrate 10 is made of a substrate such as a quartz substrate, a glass substrate, or a silicon substrate, and the counter substrate 20 is made of a substrate such as a quartz substrate or a glass substrate. The “TFT array substrate 10” and the “counter substrate 20” according to the present embodiment are examples of the “pair of substrates” according to the present invention.

  A liquid crystal layer 50 made of liquid crystal, which is an example of the “electro-optical substance” according to the present invention, is sealed between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. The image display area 10a as an example of the “pixel area” according to the invention is bonded to each other by a seal material 52 provided in a seal area.

  The sealing material 52 is made of, for example, an ultraviolet curable resin for bonding the two substrates, and is applied on the TFT array substrate 10 in the manufacturing process and then cured by ultraviolet irradiation. In the sealing material 52, a gap material such as glass fiber or glass beads for dispersing the distance (ie, gap) between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 to a predetermined value is dispersed. Note that the gap material may be arranged in the image display region 10a or a peripheral region located around the image display region 10a in addition to or instead of the material mixed in the seal material 52.

  In FIG. 1, a light-shielding frame light-shielding film 53 that defines the image display region 10 a is provided on the counter substrate 20 side in parallel with the inside of the seal region where the sealing material 52 is disposed. However, part or all of the frame light shielding film 53 may be provided as a built-in light shielding film on the TFT array substrate 10 side.

  A data line driving circuit 101 and an external circuit connection terminal 102 are provided along one side of the TFT array substrate 10 in a region located outside the sealing region in which the sealing material 52 is disposed in the peripheral region. The sampling circuit 7 is provided so as to be covered with the frame light shielding film 53 on the inner side of the seal region along the one side. The scanning line driving circuit 104 is provided in a frame area inside the seal area along two sides adjacent to the one side so as to be covered with the frame light shielding film 53.

  On the TFT array substrate 10, vertical conduction terminals 106 for connecting the two substrates with the vertical conduction material 107 are arranged in regions facing the four corner portions of the counter substrate 20. Thus, electrical conduction can be established between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. Further, a lead wiring 90 for electrically connecting the external circuit connection terminal 102 to the data line driving circuit 101, the scanning line driving circuit 104, the vertical conduction terminal 106, and the like is formed.

  In FIG. 2, on the TFT array substrate 10, a laminated structure in which wirings such as pixel switching transistors, scanning lines, and data lines as drive elements are formed is formed. Although the detailed structure of this laminated structure is not shown in FIG. 2, pixel electrodes 9a made of a transparent material such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) are provided on the laminated structure in a predetermined pattern for each pixel. It is formed in an island shape.

  The pixel electrode 9a is formed in the image display region 10a on the TFT array substrate 10 so as to face a counter electrode 21 described later. On the surface of the TFT array substrate 10 facing the liquid crystal layer 50, that is, on the pixel electrode 9a, an alignment film 16 is formed so as to cover the pixel electrode 9a.

  A light shielding film 23 is formed on the surface of the counter substrate 20 facing the TFT array substrate 10. For example, the light shielding film 23 is formed in a lattice shape when viewed in plan on the facing surface of the facing substrate 20. In the counter substrate 20, a non-opening area is defined by the light shielding film 23, and an area partitioned by the light shielding film 23 is an opening area that transmits light emitted from, for example, a projector lamp or a direct viewing backlight. The light shielding film 23 may be formed in a stripe shape, and the non-opening region may be defined by the light shielding film 23 and various components such as data lines provided on the TFT array substrate 10 side.

  On the light shielding film 23, a counter electrode 21 made of a transparent material such as ITO is formed so as to face the plurality of pixel electrodes 9a. In order to perform color display in the image display region 10a on the light shielding film 23, a color filter (not shown in FIG. 2) may be formed in a region including a part of the opening region and the non-opening region. An alignment film 22 is formed on the counter electrode 21 on the counter surface of the counter substrate 20.

  In addition to the data line driving circuit 101, the scanning line driving circuit 104, the sampling circuit 7, etc., a plurality of data lines are pre-set at a predetermined voltage level on the TFT array substrate 10 shown in FIGS. A precharge circuit that supplies a charge signal prior to an image signal, an inspection circuit for inspecting the quality, defects, and the like of the liquid crystal device during manufacture or at the time of shipment may be formed.

<Method of manufacturing electro-optical device>
Next, an embodiment of an electro-optical device manufacturing method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a process cross-sectional view illustrating a part of the process of the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment.

  After the sealing material 52 is disposed between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, the counter substrate 20 as an example of the “first angle” according to the present invention from the counter substrate 20 side in the first irradiation step. Is irradiated with ultraviolet light (UV) from a direction perpendicular to (see FIG. 3A).

  At this time, a light shielding mask 200 is disposed between the counter substrate 20 and a light source (not shown) in order to protect elements and the like formed in the image display region 10a from ultraviolet light. The light source according to the present embodiment is a parallel light source or a surface light source.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the light shielding member 101 is disposed in at least a part of the region where the sealing material 52 is disposed on the TFT array substrate 10. The light shielding member 101 may constitute at least a part of the frame light shielding film 53 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

  Next, in the second irradiation step, ultraviolet light is irradiated to the sealing material 52 from the side of the counter substrate 20 at an angle θ with respect to the counter substrate 20 as an example of the “second angle” according to the present invention ( (Refer FIG.3 (b)). Thereby, since the light shielding member 101 exists, it is possible to compensate for insufficient curing of the sealing material 52 due to the fact that the sealing material 52 cannot be irradiated with ultraviolet light from the TFT array substrate 10 side.

  In the second irradiation step, it is desirable that the sealing material 52 constituting each of the four sides (see FIG. 1) around the image display region 10a is irradiated with ultraviolet light at an angle θ. In this case, the angle at which the ultraviolet light is irradiated may be different for each of the four sides.

<Modification>
Next, a modification of the embodiment of the method for manufacturing the electro-optical device according to the invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a process cross-sectional view illustrating a part of the process of the method for manufacturing the liquid crystal device according to the modification of the present embodiment.

  In this modification, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the light shielding mask 200 is moved along the surface of the counter substrate 20 in accordance with the angle of the ultraviolet light applied to the sealing material 52. (See arrow a). For this reason, it is possible to prevent the ultraviolet light incident obliquely with respect to the counter substrate 20 from being irradiated to the elements and the like formed in the image display region 10a, and to efficiently irradiate the sealing material 52 with the ultraviolet light. can do.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification. The manufacturing method is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... TFT array substrate, 10a ... Image display area, 20 ... Counter substrate, 50 ... Liquid crystal layer, 52 ... Sealing material, 100 ... Liquid crystal device, 101 ... Light shielding member, 200 ... Light shielding mask

Claims (4)

A method for manufacturing an electro-optical device in which a pair of substrates are bonded to each other by a photo-curing sealing material disposed in a sealing region located around a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged,
After the photocurable sealing material is disposed between the pair of substrates,
A first irradiation step of irradiating light to the photocurable sealing material at a first angle from the one substrate side of the pair of substrates to the one substrate;
And a second irradiation step of irradiating the photocurable sealing material with light at a second angle different from the first angle with respect to the one substrate from the one substrate side. Manufacturing method of electro-optical device.   The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein one of the first angle and the second angle is 90 degrees. In the first irradiation step, a light shielding mask for shielding the pixel region is moved along the surface of the one substrate according to the first angle, and the photo-curing type is moved at the first angle. The sealing material is irradiated with light,
In the second irradiation step, the light-shielding mask is moved along the surface of the one substrate according to the second angle, and light is irradiated to the photocurable sealing material at the second angle. The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 1 or 2.   4. The electricity according to claim 1, wherein a light shielding member is disposed in at least a part of a region corresponding to the seal region on the other substrate of the pair of substrates. 5. Manufacturing method of optical device.

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