Liquid crystal cells – elements and systems – Nominal manufacturing methods or post manufacturing... – Sealing of liquid crystal
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-03
2004-09-14
Dudek, James A. (Department: 2871)
Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems
Nominal manufacturing methods or post manufacturing...
Sealing of liquid crystal
C349S153000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06791660
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an electrooptical device and an apparatus to manufacture the same, an electrooptical device and electronic appliances including the electrooptical device. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an electrooptical device including a luminous element, such as an organic EL element, an electrooptical device, and electronic appliances.
2. Description of Related Art
Related art electrooptical devices such as liquid crystal device and organic EL (electroluminescence) device include a plurality of circuit elements, electrodes, and a liquid crystal or an EL element laminated on a substrate. For example, the organic EL device has a luminous element including a luminous layer containing luminous substances interposed between electrode layers of an anode and a cathode. Positive holes injected from the anode side and electrons injected from the cathode side are recombined in a luminous layer having light emitting ability, and light is emitted when the electrons are deactivated from an excited state.
However, the related art electrooptical device as described above is subject to the following problems.
Since the organic EL device having the above construction includes an electric current driving luminous element, an electric current is required to flow between the anode and cathode to emit light. Consequently, the element is heated while emitting the light, and the element is deteriorated by accelerating oxidation of the materials constituting the element due to oxygen and moisture, when the element is placed in an environment containing oxygen and moisture. Alkali metals and alkali earth metals used for the cathode are particularly liable to be oxidized. Generation and growth of dark spots are representative examples of deterioration of the element by oxidation and moisture. The dark spots mean defects of luminous points. Decrease and instability of luminance due to decrease of stability with time, and short service life have been the problems related to advanced deterioration of the luminous element related to driving of the organic EL device.
Accordingly, a method of blocking the electrooptical device from the atmosphere has been developed as one of the countermeasures to reduce or suppress the element from being deteriorated, wherein a substrate on which the luminous element is disposed and a seal member are integrated with an adhesive, and the luminous element is disposed in a space formed with the substrate, seal member and adhesive. However, since the substrate and seal member may slip out of position unless the electrooptical device is transferred after the adhesive has been completely hardened when, for example, the electrooptical device is transferred during the manufacturing process, it creates a problem that productivity is decreased because the electrooptical device cannot be transferred, or the transfer speed should be slow even when it is transferred, before the adhesive is completely hardened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention addresses or solves the above and/or other problems, and provides a method of manufacturing an electrooptical device by which high productivity is maintained in bonding a substrate and seal member, an electrooptical device, and electronic appliances including the electrooptical device.
The present invention provides a method of manufacturing the electrooptical device including a first member on which an electrooptical element is disposed, and a second member covering the electrooptical element, including:
(a) feeding an adhesive material to first and second regions of a joint region to bond the first member and second member;
(b) bonding the first member and second member with the adhesive material;
(c) hardening the adhesive material fed to the first region of the joint region; and
(d) hardening the adhesive fed to the second region of the joint region after the step (c).
Preferably, step (a) in the above manufacturing method includes:
(a-1) feeding a first adhesive material to the first region of the joint region; and
(a-2) feeding a second adhesive material different from the first adhesive material to the second region of the joint region.
According to the present invention, the first member and second member may be temporarily assembled with the first adhesive material within a short period of time to reduce an waiting time of hardening, by disposing first material and second material at the bonding region, and by employing, for example, a material capable of hardening within a short period of time by a first treatment as the first adhesive material. Accordingly, efficiency of succeeding manufacturing steps may be enhanced while maintaining high productivity. An electrooptical device exhibiting desired performance, may be manufactured using the second adhesive, by employing a material having desired performance such as high sealing ability, as the second seal material. The luminous element is formed between the first member and second member using a material having high sealing performance as the second adhesive in order to hermetically seal the luminous element with the first member and second member.
The first adhesive is a light-curable adhesive, and the second adhesive is a thermosetting adhesive. Desirably, step (c) includes:
(c-1) irradiating a light having a prescribed wavelength to a light-curable material fed on the first region; and
step (d) includes:
(d-1) heating a thermosetting material fed on the second region.
Consequently, the first and second members can be temporarily assembled within a short period of time by irradiating the first material with a light, such as a UV light. Employing the thermosetting material as the second material enables sealing performance to be enhanced. The first adhesive material and second adhesive material may be any adhesives capable of bonding the first member and second member, and the adhesive available includes the adhesives including the UV curable material and thermosetting material as described above, as well as an EB (electron beam) curable material, two-part curable materials and thermoplastic materials called as hot-melt materials. The material suitable for the first adhesive is able to temporarily assemble the first member and second member by hardening within a short period of time, and the material suitable for the second adhesive material is able to reduce or block air and moisture from invading into the space formed between the first member and second member.
Desirably, steps (a) to (d) are performed in an inert gas atmosphere in the manufacturing method above in order to prevent the luminous element from being deteriorated or reduce such deterioration. The inert gas as used herein is a gas that is inert to the luminous element including nitrogen gas and argon gas.
In the manufacturing method above, step (a) desirably includes:
(a-3) discontinuously feeding the adhesive material to the first and second regions of the joint region.
Step (b) desirably includes:
(b-1) compressing the first member and second member so that the adhesive material fed discontinuously in the step (a-3) contacts with each other.
The adhesives may be overflowed to the portions outside of the joint region to cause poor hermetic sealing when the first member and second member are compressed in step (b). However, since the first adhesive material or second adhesive material is discontinuously disposed, the pressurized gas within the space formed between the first member and second member can be discharged through discontinuous parts (gaps) at the initial stage of compression. Since the first member and second member are quite intimately contact with each other thereafter, the adhesive materials form a continuous layer due to a capillary action generated, and the space formed between the first and second members are completely isolated from the external environment and hermetically sealed.
Using other materials, such as a hygroscopic material, together with the first and
Hayashi Kenji
Kobayashi Hidekazu
Nakadate Makoto
Tanaka Shigeki
Dudek James A.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Seiko Epson Corporation
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