JP2004029322A - Method and device for manufacturing display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a device for manufacturing a display device with which processing time is shortened and chances for dust to settle thereon are decreased by integrating a sealant applying step and a drying step and reducing an area occupied by the device. <P>SOLUTION: An XY table 2 to place and hold a glass substrate W and moving to the XY direction, a sealant applying mechanism 5 held so as to be freely movable via a Z axis actuator 4 and so as to always maintain a definite distance from the glass substrate placed on and held with the XY table and continuously applying the sealant P to the glass substrate and a heat ray irradiation mechanism 6 following a sealant applying operation of the applying mechanism 5, making the heat ray irradiate the sealant immediately after sealant application in a concentrated manner so as to evaporate a solvent contained in the sealant and to dry the sealant are equipped for the device for manufacturing a liquid crystal device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a display device in which a space between a pair of glass substrates is filled with a liquid crystal material or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
To manufacture a liquid crystal device as a display device, an application step of applying a sealant to a washed glass substrate in a predetermined pattern is performed, and a pair of glass substrates that have undergone this application step are bonded together via the sealant. Perform the sealing process.
Then, a liquid crystal material, electronic components such as RGB and transistors, a color filter, and the like are provided in a space between the glass substrates to complete a liquid crystal device.
The sealing agent is made of a thermosetting resin material such as epoxy, and contains a solvent for maintaining flexibility and performing a smooth coating action. Therefore, after the coating step and before the sealing step, a drying step of heating the sealing agent applied to the glass substrate to volatilize the solvent is required.
[0003]
Therefore, after applying the sealant in a predetermined pattern by the sealant application device, the glass substrate is taken out of the sealant application device, and then placed in a seal drying furnace and dried.
The seal drying furnace is actually a constant temperature furnace in which the inside of the furnace has a heating atmosphere of about 160 ° C., and a glass substrate is housed in the furnace and left for a certain time. Then, the solvent contained in the sealing agent is volatilized, and a drying step is performed in which the sealing agent is dried.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In order to manufacture a liquid crystal device in this manner, two devices, a sealant application device and a seal drying furnace, are necessarily required, and a heating unit for performing the above-mentioned sealing step and a glass substrate transferred between the devices. Including the transport system and the like, the space occupied by the manufacturing apparatus is extremely large.
In addition, since the application process of the sealant and the drying process are performed completely independently, the glass substrate is repeatedly taken in and out of each device for each process. The chance of adhesion increases.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the purpose thereof is to integrate the application step and the drying step of the sealant, reduce the space occupied by the apparatus, shorten the processing time, An object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a display device in which the chance of dust being attached is reduced.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a manufacturing method for manufacturing a display device in which a pair of glass substrates are bonded together via a sealant, and a space between the glass substrates is filled with a liquid crystal material or the like. At
A cleaning step of cleaning the glass substrate, an application step of applying a sealing agent in a predetermined pattern to the glass substrate cleaned in the cleaning step, and a solvent contained in the sealing agent applied to the glass substrate in the application step. A drying step of volatilizing and drying the sealant; and a sealing step of bonding the pair of glass substrates after the drying step to each other via a sealant, wherein the drying step is a sealant application process in the application step. Immediately after the application of the sealant, heat rays are radiated intensively on the sealant.
[0007]
Further, the applying step applies the sealant to the glass substrate in a rectangular frame-like pattern, and the drying step includes a plurality of heat ray irradiating sources and irradiates the sealant with heat ray corresponding to each side in the rectangular frame-like pattern of the sealant. Irradiate heat rays from the source.
Further, when the beam diameter of the heat ray irradiated from the heat ray irradiation source used in the drying step is D, the line width of the applied sealant is d, and the radius of the corner in the rectangular frame-shaped pattern is R,
D ≧ (2-√2) * R + (√2 / 2) * d
Is set such that the beam diameter D of the hot wire is satisfied.
[0008]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a display device in which a pair of glass substrates are bonded together via a sealant, and a space between the glass substrates is filled with a liquid crystal material or the like. At
A moving means for mounting a glass substrate and moving in the X and Y directions, and being supported movably in the Z direction so that the distance between the glass substrate mounted on the moving means always becomes a constant amount, and An application means for continuously applying the sealant to the sealant, and following the sealant application action of the application means, immediately after the application of the sealant, heat rays are intensively applied to the sealant for irradiation. Drying means for volatilizing the solvent to be dried and drying the sealant.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is an external view of a sealant applying / drying apparatus, FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part thereof, FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of height detection in a sealant applying step, and FIG. 4 is sealant applying and sealing agent drying. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a relationship between a sealant application point and a heat ray irradiation position, and FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a relationship between a sealant application and a heat ray irradiation at a corner portion.
[0010]
First, an outline of a sealant application / drying apparatus and a main part of the apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a base, on which an XY table (moving means) 2 on which a work W as a glass substrate is placed is provided. Further, a gantry 3 is provided on the base 1 so as to straddle the XY table 2, and a Z-axis actuator 4 is attached to the center of the gantry 3 with its axial direction oriented vertically.
[0011]
A sealant application mechanism (application means) 5 and a plurality of heat ray irradiation mechanisms (drying means) 6 are attached to the Z-axis actuator 4. 6 are vertically displaced (Z direction).
The sealant application mechanism 5 is a dispenser that discharges the sealant at a predetermined pressure from the tip. The tip of the dispenser 5 is directed toward the work W, and is controlled so as to continuously apply a sealant to the work.
[0012]
Here, four sets of the heat ray irradiating mechanisms 6 are mounted, and are arranged at 90 ° intervals around the sealing agent applying mechanism 5 so as to surround the periphery thereof. The tip of each heat ray irradiation mechanism 5 faces the work W, and emits a beam of heat rays such as infrared rays or laser light from the tips.
In this case, the sealant application mechanism 5 continuously forms a rectangular frame-shaped seal pattern on the work W here. Then, since there are four sides of the seal pattern, four sets of the heat ray irradiation mechanism 6 are provided.
[0013]
As described later, the irradiation position of each heat ray irradiation mechanism 6 with respect to the pattern of the sealant is adjusted, and only one set of the heat ray irradiation mechanisms 6 among the heat ray irradiation mechanisms performs the heat ray irradiation and sequentially switches the heat ray irradiation. Timing is set.
On both sides of the Z-axis actuator 4 in the gantry 3, recognition cameras 7 for recognizing and correcting the position of each alignment mark drawn on the workpiece W are arranged.
[0014]
In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, a laser displacement meter 8 is attached and fixed near the sealant application mechanism 5. The laser displacement meter 8 irradiates the surface of the work W with laser light L via a reflecting mirror 9 attached to the Z-axis actuator 4 to measure the distance between the tip of a dispenser constituting the sealant applying mechanism 5 and the work W. I do.
This is because the work W and the XY table 2 are slightly warped or have irregularities, and simply moving the XY stage 2 does not make the distance between the tip of the sealant application mechanism 5 and the work W constant. Therefore, the application width and the application height increase or decrease in the state where the sealant P is applied, or the application is blurred.
[0015]
Usually, high precision is required so that the distance between the surface of the work W and the tip of the sealant applying mechanism 5 is 25 μm ± 4 μm, and the width of the applied sealant P is 400 μm. A laser displacement meter 8 is used.
That is, while the distance between the work W surface and the tip of the sealant applying mechanism 5 is measured in real time by the laser displacement meter 8, the Z-axis actuator 4 is operated based on this distance to keep the distance constant. .
[0016]
In the sealant application / drying apparatus configured as described above, the work W cleaned in the previous cleaning step is placed on the XY table 2 by a transfer system such as a robot (not shown). Then, the recognition mark of the work W is recognized by the recognition camera 7 and the position is corrected.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4, an application step of applying the sealant P to the work W by operating the sealant application mechanism 5 while controlling the movement of the work W in the arrow direction is performed. The XY table moves the work W in accordance with a predetermined pattern input in advance, and the sealant P is drawn and applied to the work.
[0017]
Further, a drying step in which the heat ray irradiation mechanism 5 irradiates the sealant P with heat rays (laser light) L is performed. In this drying step, irradiation of the heat ray L is performed following the application processing of the sealant P. In addition, the heat ray irradiation position is concentrated on the position immediately after the application of the sealant P.
The applied sealing agent P is immediately heated, and the solvent contained in the sealing agent volatilizes and the sealing agent dries. Accordingly, immediately after the sealant P is formed on the work W in a predetermined pattern, the entire sealant dries.
[0018]
The work W is taken out of the sealant application / drying apparatus, and reaches a sealing step of bonding two glass substrates through a next step, a transfer application step.
Therefore, since the application step of applying the sealant P to the work W and the drying step of drying the applied sealant are performed at different timings, the processing time is shortened as compared with the conventional step of performing processing independently of each other. And improve productivity.
[0019]
Since the sealant application step and the drying step are performed in the same apparatus, the integration of the apparatuses can be realized and the occupied space can be reduced as compared with the conventional configuration in which the apparatuses are separately arranged.
Since the heating is local to the sealant, less heat energy is required as compared with the conventional method in which the entire glass substrate is immersed in a heating atmosphere, which is extremely advantageous in terms of cost.
[0020]
In addition, each of the four sets of heat ray irradiation mechanisms 6 is controlled to switch the irradiation as shown in FIG. In this case, the condition is that the sealant P is formed in a rectangular frame-like pattern.
In the figure, S is a rectangular frame-shaped pattern drawn on a work W which is a glass substrate, and the mark on this pattern indicates the tip of the dispenser which is the sealant applying mechanism 5, and a semicircular shape at one end of the mark. The part indicates the application direction.
[0021]
Around the sealant application mechanism 5, first to fourth heat ray irradiation mechanisms 6a to 6d are arranged at intervals of 90 °. That is, the first to fourth heat ray irradiation mechanisms 6a to 6d are provided on both left and right portions and upper and lower portions in the drawing.
Actually, the work W is moved in the direction of the arrow by the XY table 2, and the sealant applying mechanism 5 and the heat ray irradiation mechanisms 6a to 6d are fixed. However, for the sake of explanation, the work is fixed and the sealant applying mechanism is fixed. It is assumed that the heat ray irradiation mechanism moves.
[0022]
First, assuming that the application of the sealant starts from the position (a) in the figure, the sealant application mechanism 5 and the four sets of heat ray irradiation mechanisms 6a to 6d simultaneously move along the left side S1 in the figure.
In this state, the first heat ray irradiating mechanism 6a located on the rear side opposite to the traveling direction of the sealant applying mechanism 5 irradiates the heat rays along the pattern S which is the locus of the sealant application immediately after sealing.
[0023]
After the sealing agent P is applied to all of the side portions S1, the sealing agent is applied continuously to the side portion S2 along the position (b) in the drawing. During the application of the sealant on the side portion S2, the operation of the first heat ray irradiation mechanism 6a is stopped, and the second heat ray irradiating mechanism 6a is replaced with the second heat ray irradiating mechanism 6a located on the rear side opposite to the traveling direction of the sealant application mechanism 5. The heat ray irradiation mechanism 6b continues the heat ray irradiation.
After the sealing agent P is applied to all of the side portions S2, the sealing agent is continuously applied to the side portion S3 along the position (c) in the drawing. During the application of the sealant on the side portion S3, the operation of the second heat ray irradiation mechanism 6b is stopped, and the third heat ray irradiating mechanism 6b is replaced by the third heat ray irradiating mechanism 6b. The heat ray irradiation mechanism 6c continues the heat ray irradiation.
[0024]
After the sealing agent P is applied to all of the sides S3, the sealing agent is continuously applied to the side S4 along the position (d) in the drawing. While the sealant is being applied to the side portion S4, the operation of the third heat ray irradiation mechanism 6c is stopped, and the fourth heat ray irradiating mechanism 6c is replaced by the fourth heat ray irradiating mechanism 6c located on the rear side opposite to the moving direction of the sealant applying mechanism 5. The heat ray irradiation mechanism 6d continues the heat ray irradiation.
In this way, when the seal pattern S is formed in a rectangular frame shape, the first to fourth heat ray irradiation mechanisms 6a to 6d perform an irradiation action corresponding to each of the sides S1 to S4. The switching is controlled as follows.
[0025]
For example, only one set of heat ray irradiation mechanism is rotatably provided along the periphery of the seal applying mechanism 5, and is rotated and displaced by 90 ° at the time when the application of the sealant on each side S1 to S4 is completed. Can be operated in the same manner as the apparatus having the four sets of heat ray irradiation mechanisms 6a to 6d.
However, when four sets of heat ray irradiation mechanisms 6a to 6d are provided, the rotation drive mechanism is unnecessary, and there is an advantage that the mechanism is simplified mechanically. It is necessary to control the switching of the device for irradiating the heat ray for each of the sides S1 to S4, but it is almost the same as the control of rotating one set of the heat ray irradiation mechanism by 90 ° for each side.
[0026]
Each corner portion has a certain degree of R shape by forming the seal pattern S in a rectangular frame shape. As described above, the heat ray irradiating mechanisms 6a to 6d corresponding to each of the sides S1 to S4 operate. However, actually, only the linear portions on the sides are irradiated and the sealant is applied to the corners. Stop heating.
Then, when the light beam has moved to the straight portion on the other side through the corner, the next heat ray irradiation mechanism starts irradiation. Hereinafter, similarly, the heat ray irradiating mechanism irradiates the linear portion of the side portion, and stops the irradiation when reaching the corner portion. When the next linear portion of the side is reached, another hot-beam irradiation mechanism starts hot-beam irradiation.
[0027]
FIG. 6A shows the relationship between the application of the sealant and the irradiation of heat rays at the corner K of the seal pattern S.
That is, any one of the heat ray irradiating mechanisms irradiates a heat ray to a straight line portion on any one side of the seal pattern S, and stops irradiating the heat ray irradiating mechanism when reaching the final position which is the stop line T1. .
[0028]
While the sealant application mechanism is applying the corner K, any of the heat ray irradiation mechanisms stops the heat ray irradiation, and another heat ray irradiation mechanism starts the heat ray irradiation from the linear portion T on the next side.
Here, the width of the seal pattern S to be applied is d, the radius of the corner K is R, and the beam diameter d of the irradiated heat ray is the same as the width d of the seal pattern S.
[0029]
When each of the heat ray irradiating mechanisms irradiates only the linear portion on the side of the seal pattern S with the heat ray, and stops the heat ray irradiation at the corner K, the heat ray irradiates a part of the inner diameter part and a part of the outer diameter part of the corner K. An undesired portion (indicated by cross hatching in the drawing) Z occurs, and uniform drying cannot be obtained.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6B, if the width dimension of the seal pattern S is d, the radius of the corner K is R, and the beam diameter of the hot wire is D, only the straight line portion on each side is obtained. Irradiation can obtain uniform drying that can cover the entire corner K.
The beam diameter D of the hot wire is set by the following equation.
D ≧ (2-√2) * R + (√2 / 2) * d
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, since the application step and the drying step of the sealant are integrated, the space occupied by the apparatus can be reduced, the processing time can be shortened, and the opportunity for dust to adhere is reduced. The effect of reducing the number and improving the reliability is obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external view of a sealant application / drying device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the sealant application / drying device according to the embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a view for explaining height detection in a sealant application step according to the embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of sealant application and sealant drying according to the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a sealant application point and a heat ray irradiation position according to the embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a relationship between application of a sealant and irradiation of heat rays at a corner portion according to the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
W: Work (glass substrate),
P ... sealant,
2. XY table (moving means),
4: Z-axis actuator,
5. Sealing agent application mechanism (application means)
6. Heat ray irradiation mechanism (drying means).

Claims (4)

In a manufacturing method for manufacturing a display device in which a pair of glass substrates are bonded together via a sealant and a space between the glass substrates is filled with a liquid crystal material or the like,
A cleaning step of cleaning the glass substrate, an application step of applying a sealing agent in a predetermined pattern to the glass substrate cleaned in the cleaning step, and a solvent contained in the sealing agent applied to the glass substrate in the application step. A drying step of volatilizing and drying the sealant, and a sealing step of bonding the pair of glass substrates after the drying step to each other via a sealant,
The method of manufacturing a display device, wherein the drying step follows a sealing agent application process in the applying step, and heat rays are concentrated on the sealing agent immediately after the application of the sealing agent. In the applying step, the sealing agent is applied to the glass substrate in a rectangular frame pattern,
2. The manufacturing method of a display device according to claim 1, wherein the drying step includes a plurality of heat ray irradiation sources, and irradiates heat rays from heat ray irradiation sources corresponding to respective sides of the rectangular frame pattern of the sealant. Method. When the beam diameter of the heat ray irradiated from the heat ray irradiation source used in the drying step is D, the line width of the applied sealant is d, and the radius of the corner in the rectangular frame pattern is R,

3. The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 2, wherein the beam diameter D of the hot wire is set so as to satisfy the following condition. In a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a display device in which a pair of glass substrates are bonded via a sealant, and a space between the glass substrates is filled with a liquid crystal material or the like,
Moving means for mounting the glass substrate and moving in the XY directions;
Coating means for movably supported in the Z direction so that the distance between the glass substrate and the glass substrate placed on the moving means is always constant, and for continuously applying a sealant to the glass substrate;
A drying means for following the sealing agent applying action of the applying means and immediately irradiating the sealing agent with heat rays immediately after the application of the sealing agent, volatilizing the solvent contained in the sealing agent and drying the sealing agent. An apparatus for manufacturing a display device, comprising:

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