Liquid crystal cells – elements and systems – Nominal manufacturing methods or post manufacturing... – Sealing of liquid crystal
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-24
2003-12-30
Kim, Robert H. (Department: 2871)
Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems
Nominal manufacturing methods or post manufacturing...
Sealing of liquid crystal
C349S153000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06671030
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method for manufacturing an electro-optical device, a sealing member compression curing apparatus appropriate for use in the manufacturing method of the electro-optical device, and the electro-optical device, and electronic equipment.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, electro-optical devices, such as liquid crystal devices, exist and are well known. For example, FIG.
17
(
a
) is a sectional view of a conventional liquid crystal device
1000
taken along a plane that is perpendicular to the surface of each substrate
1001
,
1002
. In particular, FIG.
17
(
a
) is the sectional view of the liquid crystal device
1000
taken along line A
10
-A
10
′ in FIG.
17
(
b
). FIG.
17
(
b
) shows a plan view of the liquid crystal device
1000
viewed from the side of an upper substrate. The structure of the liquid crystal display device
1000
is now discussed.
Referring to FIG.
17
(
a
), the liquid crystal device
1000
includes a substrate (a lower substrate)
1001
and a counter substrate (a upper substrate)
1002
, both of which are bonded to each other with a predetermined spacing maintained therebetween with a sealing member
1004
glued in the peripheral portions thereof. A liquid crystal layer (an electro-optical material layer)
1003
is encapsulated between the substrate
1001
and the counter substrate
1002
. A number of spherical spacers
1007
are arranged in a liquid crystal cell (an electro-optical cell) to maintain a uniform cell gap between the substrate
1001
and the counter substrate
1002
.
Referring now to FIG.
17
(
b
), the sealing member
1004
is formed in a loop configuration between the peripheral portions of the substrate
1001
and the counter substrate
1002
, and includes an injection port
1005
, i.e., an aperture for introducing the liquid crystal (the electro-optical material). Once the liquid crystal (the electro-optical material) is injected between the substrate
1001
and the counter substrate
1002
through the injection port
1005
, the injection port
1005
is closed with a sealing material
1006
. Referring to FIGS.
17
(
a
) and
17
(
b
), in the liquid crystal display device
1000
, the end face
1004
e
of the sealing member
1004
, with the exception of the area immediately adjacent to the injection port
1005
, is inset from the end face
1001
e
of the substrate
1001
and the end face
1002
e
of the counter substrate
1002
.
In accordance with the characteristics of the liquid crystal device
1000
, switching elements, electrodes and an alignment layer (not shown) are formed on the surface of the substrate
1001
facing the liquid crystal
1003
. A color filter layer, electrodes and an alignment layer (not shown) are formed on the surface of the counter substrate
1002
facing the liquid crystal
1003
. Optical members, including a retardation film and a polarizer (not shown) are arranged on the external side of each of the substrate
1001
and the counter substrate
1002
.
FIGS.
18
(
a
)-
18
(
d
) and FIGS.
19
(
a
)-
19
(
d
) are plan views showing the processing steps for producing the liquid crystal device
1000
. As shown, to perform volume production and to simplify the manufacturing process, the liquid crystal device
1000
is manufactured using a substrate base material
2001
, shown in FIG.
18
(
a
), that is diced into a plurality of the substrates
1001
, and a counter substrate base material
2002
, shown in FIG.
18
(
b
), which is diced into a plurality of the counter substrates
1002
.
Regions of the substrate base material
2001
and the counter substrate base material
2002
, respectively, eventually become the substrates
1001
and the counter substrates
1002
, and are respectively referred to as a substrate formation region
1001
a
and a counter substrate formation region
1002
a
. The number of the substrate formation regions
1001
a
in the substrate base material
2001
and the number of the counter substrate formation region
1002
a
in the counter substrate base material
2002
are determined by the areas of the substrate
1001
and the counter substrate
1002
and the areas of the substrate base material
2001
and the counter substrate base material
2002
. As shown in the examples of FIGS.
18
(
a
) and
18
(
b
), the substrate base material
2001
includes four substrate formation regions
1001
a
and the counter substrate base material
2002
includes four counter substrate formation regions
1002
a.
The substrate formation region
1001
a
and the counter substrate formation region
1002
a
are respectively formed in the predetermined locations in the substrate base material
2001
and the counter substrate base material
2002
so that the substrate formation regions
1001
a
are respectively opposed to the counter substrate formation regions
1002
a
when the substrate base material
2001
and the counter substrate base material
2002
are bonded together. Further, while not shown, switching elements, electrodes and an alignment layer that are required for the substrate
1001
can be formed on the surface of each substrate formation region
1001
a
on the substrate base material
2001
, depending on the characteristics of the liquid crystal device
1000
. While also not shown, a color filter layer, electrodes, and an alignment layer required for the counter substrate
1002
can also be formed on the surface of each substrate formation region
1002
a
of the counter substrate base material
2002
.
A sealing member
1004
A made of a thermosetting epoxy adhesive or a photosetting epoxy adhesive is applied in the peripheral portion of each substrate formation region
1002
a
of the counter substrate base material
2002
. After dispersing spacers
1007
in an area internal to the uncured sealing member
1004
A on the counter substrate formation region
1002
a
, the substrate base material
2001
and the counter substrate base material
2002
are bonded together with the uncured sealing member
1004
A interposed therebetween so that the substrate formation regions
1001
a
are aligned with the respective opposing counter substrate formation regions
1002
a
. A liquid crystal cell base material (an electro-optical cell base material)
2003
thus results.
FIG.
18
(
c
) is a plan view showing the liquid crystal cell base material
2003
viewed from above the counter substrate base material
2002
. FIG.
18
(
c
) shows individual liquid crystal cells (electro-optical material cells) represented by reference numeral
1000
A. In this case, the substrate base material
2001
is bonded to the counter substrate base material
2002
in a manner such that the electrodes and the alignment layers formed on the surfaces of the substrate formation region
1001
a
are respectively correctly aligned with the electrodes and the alignment layers on the counter substrate formation region
1002
a.
Referring to FIG.
18
(
d
), the uncured sealing member
1004
A of the liquid crystal cell base material
2003
is cured by compression-bonding the entire liquid crystal cell base material
2003
from outside the substrate base material
2001
and from outside the counter substrate base material
2002
, thereby forming the sealing member
1004
.
Referring to FIG.
19
(
a
), the liquid crystal cell base material
2003
is diced in a manner such that the injection port
1005
for introducing the liquid crystal is positioned along a cutting edge. A plurality of liquid crystal cells (electro-optical material cells)
1000
A become a rectangular liquid crystal cell (electro-optical cell base material)
2004
arranged in a horizontal line.
Next, referring to FIG.
19
(
b
), the injection port
1005
of each cell liquid crystal cell
1000
A of a liquid crystal cell base material
2004
is positioned into contact with liquid crystal
3003
held in a liquid crystal tray
3000
in the presence of a vacuum. Subsequently, the liquid crystal cell base material
2004
is then returned back into the atmosphere to introduce the liquid cry
DiGrazio Jeanne A
Kim Robert H.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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