CN1904699A - Substrate structure for forming alignment film by inkjet method and liquid crystal panel made by it - Google Patents

Abstract

A substrate structure for forming an alignment film includes a substrate and an alignment film limiting unit, wherein the alignment film limiting unit is located in a non-display area on the substrate. The alignment film limiting unit is composed of a bump, a groove or a combination thereof. When an alignment liquid is ink-jetted, the bump is used to block the diffusion of the alignment liquid, and the groove is used to accommodate excess alignment liquid. In this way, not only the size of the alignment film can be controlled, but also the uniformity of the alignment film can be improved.

Description

Substrate structure for forming alignment film by inkjet method and liquid crystal panel made by it

technical field

The invention relates to a manufacturing mechanism of an alignment film, in particular to a substrate structure for forming an alignment film by ink-jet technology, and a liquid crystal panel manufactured by using the substrate structure.

Background technique

Alignment film is one of the key materials to control the display quality of LCD. It is located on the upper and lower indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent electrodes in the liquid crystal cell (cell) to control the alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules and provide The pretilt angle required by different LCD structures. A commonly used alignment film is polyimide (PI) material, which has properties such as high heat resistance, resistance to chemical solvents and radiation, and good electrical insulation properties.

The traditional alignment film is manufactured by using screen printing technology to coat the alignment liquid on the ITO transparent electrode, and then bake at a high temperature to remove a small amount of solvent and water and solidify to form an alignment film. The alignment film is then rubbed in a certain direction by nylon or rayon, so that the liquid crystals in the liquid crystal cells can be arranged in a certain direction. However, the effective utilization rate of the alignment liquid of the screen printing technology is low, and the method of replacing the material is complicated and time-consuming, so the inkjet technology is increasingly used to manufacture the alignment film.

Inkjet technology uses inkjet head and nozzles to spray the alignment liquid onto the ITO transparent electrode, and it can be sprayed repeatedly to obtain a relatively flat alignment film, followed by drying and rubbing. However, the viscosity of the alignment liquid used in the inkjet technology is low, so it is difficult to control the diffusion of the edge of the alignment film, so that the edge is not smooth and the size control is not easy. When the alignment film exceeds the area of the sealant, the strength of the sealant will be reduced and the quality of the sealant will be affected. On the other hand, the alignment liquid dries from the outside to the inside during the drying process, and gradually pushes the alignment liquid in the center outward, which will cause the thickness of the edge of the alignment film to be higher than that in the central area. Since the non-uniform film thickness easily leads to the problem of non-uniform alignment, it will affect the display quality.

Contents of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a substrate structure for forming an alignment film by an inkjet method, so as to control the area and size of the inkjet alignment film, and solve the problems of uneven edge and uneven film thickness of the alignment film.

According to the above objectives of the present invention, one solution of the present invention is to propose a bump-type alignment film substrate structure, which is used to effectively control the range and size of the inkjet area of the alignment film, so that the alignment film is formed in the sealant area.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one bump is disposed on a non-display area to limit improper diffusion of the alignment liquid, so as to prevent the alignment liquid from exceeding a sealant region and reducing the strength of the sealant. The ratio of the height of the bump to the distance between the upper and lower substrates is about 1:1 to 1:50, preferably about 1:1 to 1:3, and more preferably about 1:2.

Another solution of the present invention is to propose a groove-type alignment film substrate structure, which is used to effectively control the thickness of the edge of the alignment film, so as to avoid the phenomenon that the edge of the alignment film is thicker than the center and meet the requirement of uniform film thickness.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one groove is arranged on a non-display area to accommodate excessive alignment liquid, which can reduce the thickness of the edge of the alignment film to solve the problem of a thicker edge of the alignment film. question. In addition, the depth of the groove depends on the requirements of the process and the number of ink jetting times.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one combination structure is disposed on a non-display area, and the combination structure is composed of a bump and a groove. When jetting an alignment liquid, the bumps are used to limit the improper diffusion of the alignment liquid, and the grooves are used to accommodate excessive alignment liquid, so the area and size of the alignment film can be effectively controlled, and the thickness of the edge of the alignment film can be reduced. , so that the edge of the alignment film is smooth and the film thickness is uniform.

From the above, it can be known that applying the ink-jet method of the present invention to form the substrate structure of the alignment film can effectively control the ink-jet area of the alignment film, and avoid the situation that the edge thickness of the alignment film is thicker, so as to obtain a film with precise size and uniformity. thick alignment film.

Description of drawings

In order to make the above content and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, they are described with accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a bump type alignment film substrate structure described according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of a groove-type alignment film substrate structure described according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a side view of an alignment film substrate structure described according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a side view of the bonding of the upper and lower substrates with bumps; and

Fig. 5 is a side view of the combination of upper and lower substrates with combined structure.

Explanation of reference signs:

100, 200, 300, 402, 408, 502, 508: Substrate

120, 220, 320: display area

140, 240, 340: Frame glue area

160, 360, 460, 560: Bump

280, 380, 580: groove

495, 595: Spacing

Detailed ways

A preferred embodiment of the substrate structure used in the inkjet method to form an alignment film according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

After a substrate is bonded to an indium tin oxide (ITO) conductive material, an alignment film will be formed on the surface of the ITO conductive material using inkjet technology. Referring to FIG. 1 , it is a side view of a bump type alignment film substrate structure described according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 , a substrate 100 can be further divided into a display area 120 and a non-display area, wherein the non-display area can be a sealant area 140 . The inkjet technology is to spray an alignment liquid on it, and control the alignment liquid not to exceed the frame glue area 140 . In this preferred embodiment, a bump 160 is used as an alignment film limiting unit, and it is arranged on the sealant area 140 to prevent improper diffusion of the alignment liquid during inkjet, so as to prevent the alignment liquid from exceeding the sealant The area 140 reduces the strength of the sealant. Therefore, adding the bumps 160 can more accurately control the range and size of the alignment film inkjet area, so that the alignment film is formed in the sealant area 140 .

The above-mentioned bump 160 can be disposed at any position on the sealant area 140 , but the preferred position is one-third to one-half of the width of the sealant area 140 . In addition, referring to FIG. 4, when combining and aligning the display areas of an upper substrate 402 and a lower substrate 408 to manufacture a liquid crystal panel, the bumps 460 can be used to align the upper and lower substrates 402, 408, and control the coating of the frame glue. Cloth precision. The height of the bump 460 can be about one-fiftieth of the distance 495 to the distance 495 between the upper and lower substrates 402, 408, but the preferred height is about one-third the distance 495, more preferably The height is about one-half of the pitch 495 (as shown in FIG. 4 ). On the other hand, different materials can be selected according to different manufacturing processes to manufacture the aforementioned bumps 160 . For example, when performing a thin film transistor array (array) process, you can choose indium tin oxide materials, chromium (Cr), chromium oxide, copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), aluminum oxide, silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxide ( SiO 2 ) or a combination thereof to manufacture the bump 160; when performing a color filter (colorfilter; CF) process, the bump 160 may be made of resin, chromium, chromium oxide or a combination thereof.

Since the bump-type alignment film substrate structure of this preferred embodiment can effectively control the size of the alignment film, it is especially suitable for multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) liquid crystal displays that do not require an alignment process.

Referring back to FIG. 2 , it is a side view of a groove-type alignment film substrate structure described according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2 , a transparent conductive material has been formed on a substrate 200 , which can be further divided into a display area 220 and a non-display area, such as a sealant area 240 . In addition, the sealant area 240 has a groove 280 for adjusting the alignment film, and when an alignment liquid is sprayed on the surface of the display area 220 and the sealant area 240 , it is used to accommodate excess alignment liquid. In this way, even if the alignment liquid is pushed outward from the center during drying, the excess alignment liquid will also flow into the groove 280, thereby reducing the thickness of the edge of the alignment film, so the problem of a thicker edge thickness of the alignment film can be solved, and a certain thickness can be obtained. Alignment film with smooth edges and good film thickness uniformity.

The depth of the groove 280 can be determined depending on the process requirements and the number of times of inkjet, and can be set at any position on the sealant area 240, but the preferred position is one third to the width of the sealant area 240. half place.

In addition, since an alignment film with a uniform film thickness can be obtained by applying this preferred embodiment, the groove-type alignment film substrate structure is particularly suitable for twisted nematic (twistednematic; TN) liquid crystal displays or supercells that require stricter alignment processes. Twisted nematic (super twisted nematic; STN) liquid crystal display.

Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is to combine the above-mentioned bumps and grooves into a combined structure to form an alignment film limiting unit. Referring to FIG. 3 , a substrate 300 has been divided into a display area 320 and a non-display area surrounding and adjacent to the display area 320 , such as a sealant area 340 . A protrusion 360 and a groove 380 are formed on the sealant area 340 , and the groove 380 is disposed inside the protrusion 360 . When an alignment liquid is sprayed on the surface of the display area 320 and the sealant area 340, the groove 380 can accommodate too much alignment liquid, and the bump 360 can prevent the alignment liquid from exceeding the sealant area 340 and affecting the strength of the sealant. The range and size of the area where the alignment film is formed can be effectively controlled, and the thickness of the edge of the alignment film can be reduced, thereby obtaining an alignment film with precise size and uniform film thickness.

The bump 360 of this combined structure can be used to align an upper substrate and a lower substrate when manufacturing a liquid crystal panel. Cross-referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, an upper substrate 502 and a lower substrate 508 each have an alignment film confinement unit with a combined structure of a bump 560 and a groove 580, and the sum of the heights of the two bumps 560 is equal to that of the upper and lower substrates The spacing 595 between 502,508. Therefore, the ratio of the height of the bump 360 to the distance 595 between the upper and lower substrates 502, 508 can be about 1:1 to 1:50, and the preferred ratio is about 1:1 to 1:3, and the more preferable ratio is about 1:1. 2. In addition, the bump 360 can be made of different materials, such as indium tin oxide material, resin, chromium, chromium oxide, aluminum, aluminum oxide, copper, silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or a combination thereof. In addition, the above combination structure can be disposed at any position on the sealant area 340 , but the preferred position is one-third to one-half of the width of the sealant area 340 . It can also be applied to MVA type, TN type or STN type liquid crystal display.

Furthermore, a plurality of bumps, grooves or a combination thereof can also be arranged on a substrate to form an alignment film substrate structure, which can more effectively control the size and edge uniformity of the alignment film. Where the substrate structure of the present invention is used, regardless of the type of alignment liquid or the number of times of inkjet, it is possible to control the inkjet area of the alignment film and the flatness of the edge, and effectively control the size of the alignment film and the uniformity of its film thickness .

From the above-mentioned preferred embodiments of the present invention, it can be known that the substrate structure of the alignment film formed by the inkjet method of the present invention can avoid improper diffusion of the alignment liquid or accommodate too much alignment liquid, so that the alignment film is formed in the area of the sealant area In order to maintain the strength of the frame glue, precisely control the size of the alignment film and reduce the edge thickness to make the edge of the alignment film smooth and the film thickness uniform.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person familiar with the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention The scope of protection shall be subject to what is defined in the claims.

Claims (25)

1. A substrate structure for forming an alignment film by an inkjet method, characterized in that the substrate structure comprises: a substrate having a display area and a non-display area, wherein the non-display area surrounds and is adjacent to the display area; and At least one alignment film limiting unit is arranged on the non-display area to define a formation area of an alignment film on the substrate. 2 . The substrate structure for forming an alignment film by an inkjet method according to claim 1 , wherein the alignment film limiting unit is a bump. 3 . 3. The substrate structure for forming an alignment film by an inkjet method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bump is made from indium tin oxide, chromium, chromium oxide, copper, aluminum, aluminum oxide, silicon nitride One selected from the group consisting of , silicon oxide, resin and combinations thereof. 4. The substrate structure for forming an alignment film by an inkjet method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the substrate is separated from another substrate by a distance, and the ratio of the height of the bump to the distance is about 1:1 to 1:50. 5. The substrate structure for forming an alignment film by an inkjet method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the substrate is separated from another substrate by a distance, and the ratio of the height of the bump to the distance is about 1:1 to 1:3. 6. The substrate structure for forming an alignment film by an inkjet method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the substrate is separated from another substrate by a distance, and the ratio of the height of the bump to the distance is about 1:2. 7. The substrate structure for forming an alignment film by an ink-jet method according to claim 1, wherein the alignment film limiting unit is a groove. 8. The substrate structure for forming an alignment film by an inkjet method according to claim 1, wherein the alignment film restriction unit comprises: a bump; and A groove is arranged on the inner side of the protruding block. 9. The substrate structure for forming an alignment film by an inkjet method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the bump is made from indium tin oxide, chromium, chromium oxide, copper, aluminum, aluminum oxide, silicon nitride Select one from the group consisting of , silicon oxide, resin and their composition. 10. The substrate structure for forming an alignment film by an inkjet method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the substrate is separated from another substrate by a distance, and the ratio of the height of the bump to the distance is about 1:1 to 1:50. 11. The substrate structure for forming an alignment film by an inkjet method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the substrate is separated from another substrate by a distance, and the ratio of the height of the bump to the distance is about 1:1 to 1:3. 12. The substrate structure for forming an alignment film by an inkjet method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the substrate is separated from another substrate by a distance, and the ratio of the height of the bump to the distance is about 1:2. 13. An alignment film substrate structure, which is applied to inkjet technology, characterized in that the alignment film substrate structure includes: a substrate; a frame glue area on the substrate; and At least one alignment film limiting unit is formed at one-third to one-half of the width of the frame glue area, and is used to control the formation area of an alignment film. 14. The alignment film substrate structure according to claim 13, wherein the alignment film restriction unit is a bump, a groove or a combination thereof. 15. The alignment film substrate structure according to claim 14, wherein the bumps are made from indium tin oxide, chromium, chromium oxide, copper, aluminum, aluminum oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxide, resin and Choose one from the group consisting of its composition. 16. The alignment film substrate structure according to claim 14, wherein the substrate is separated from another substrate by a distance, and the ratio of the height of the bump to the distance is about 1:1 to 1:1. 50. 17. The alignment film substrate structure according to claim 14, wherein the substrate is separated from another substrate by a distance, and the ratio of the height of the bump to the distance is about 1:1 to 1:1. 3. 18. The alignment film substrate structure as claimed in claim 14, wherein the substrate is separated from another substrate by a distance, and the ratio of the height of the bump to the distance is about 1:2. 19. A liquid crystal panel, characterized in that the liquid crystal panel comprises: A first substrate having a first display area and a first non-display area surrounding and adjacent to the first display area; a first alignment film confining unit, disposed on the first non-display area; a second substrate having a second display area and a second non-display area surrounding and adjacent to the second display area, wherein the second display area corresponds to the first display area; and A second alignment film confinement unit is disposed on the second non-display area and corresponds to the first alignment film confinement unit. 20. The liquid crystal panel as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first alignment film constraining unit is a bump, a groove or a combination thereof. 21. The liquid crystal panel according to claim 20, wherein the bumps are made from indium tin oxide, chromium, chromium oxide, copper, aluminum, aluminum oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxide, resin and combinations thereof Choose one from the group consisting of objects. 22. The liquid crystal panel according to claim 19, wherein the sum of the height of the first alignment film restriction unit and the height of the second alignment film restriction unit is equal to the distance between the first substrate and the second substrate. a distance. 23. The liquid crystal panel as claimed in claim 22, wherein the height of the first alignment film restriction unit and the height of the second alignment film restriction unit are half of the distance. 24. The liquid crystal panel as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first alignment film limiting unit and the second alignment film limiting unit are the same bump. 25. The liquid crystal panel according to 19, wherein the first alignment film restriction unit and the second alignment film restriction unit are both a combined structure composed of a bump and a groove.

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