Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or... – Including a second component containing structurally defined...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-04
2002-03-19
Copenheaver, Blaine (Department: 1773)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or...
Including a second component containing structurally defined...
C428S357000, C428S403000, C428S426000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06358602
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to modified ink particles used for a colour liquid crystal display for a colour television, personal computer, or other apparatuses and a manufacturing method thereof, a colour filter incorporating the modified ink particles and a manufacturing method thereof, a colour display such as liquid crystal panels incorporating such a colour filter, and a manufacturing device of the modified ink particles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, we have observed a growing demand for liquid crystal displays, especially, colour liquid crystal displays as a result of technological advances in the personal computer field, especially, in the portable personal computer field.
However, the liquid crystal display, especially, the colour liquid crystal display is still expensive, and a cutdown in the cost is unavoidable for a widespread use thereof. Particularly, a cutdown in the cost of colour filters to enable colour display is essential.
Conventional manufacturing methods of colour filters are approximately categorised into the following four methods.
The first method adopts a dyeing technique. According to the technique, a base material layer for dyeing is formed from water-soluble polymer materials on a glass substrate, and processed into a desired shape with a photolithographic technique, and the obtained base material layer is soaked in a dyeing agent to become dyed. The soaking operation is repeated thrice for the red (R), green (G), and blue (B) colours to form an RGB colour filter layer.
The second method adopts a pigment dispersion technique. According to the technique, a photosensitive resin layer in which a pigment is dispersed is formed, and processed into a desired pattern. The operation is repeated thrice for R, G, and B to form an RGB colour filter layer.
The third method adopts an electrodeposition technique. According to the technique, a translucent conductive film is formed on a substrate, processed into a desired pattern, and undergoes an electrodeposition in an electrodeposition coating liquid containing a pigment, a resin, and an electrolyte to form a monochromatic filter. The operation is repeated thrice for R, G, and B to form an RGB colour filter layer.
The fourth method adopts a printing technique. According to the technique, a thermosetting type resin in which a pigment is dispersed is printed. The operation is repeated thrice for R, G, and B to form an RGB colour filter layer.
These methods require the same operation to be repeated thrice to form a trichromatic RGB filter layer, adding to the cost. In addition, the printing technique does not produce a high resolution, and therefore is not suitable to form a pattern including highly fine pitches.
To make up the deficiencies, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-225308/1995 (Tokukaihei 7-225308) discloses a manufacturing method of a colour filter adopting an ink jet recording device (printer).
According to the manufacturing method, a curable resin layer containing methylol urea is formed on a substrate such as a glass substrate provided thereon with a lattice-like black matrix section. Subsequently, the resin layer corresponding to an empty space that is in a grid of the black matrix section is dyed by spraying solid inks of the respective RGB colours with an ink jet recording technique. The dyed resin layer is then caused to cure. Hence the method successfully forms a trichromatic RGB filter layer in a single operation, allowing a cut-down in the cost.
Nevertheless, the mutual wettability within the colour filter layer described in the aforementioned Patent Application is not satisfactory between the substrate and the resin layer and between the resin layer and the solid ink. Therefore, there occurs a problem of repelling between the layers, i.e., peeling of the layers at least at a segment of the interface therebetween, causing pin holes and other deficiencies in the colour filter layer.
In addition, regarding with the colour filter layer described in the aforementioned Patent Application, since the black matrix section is embedded in the colour filter layer, the height of the black matrix section is different from that of the colour filter layer, hampering the formation of a uniform surface on the black matrix section and the colour filter layer. Therefore, when such a colour filter is adopted in a colour display such as a liquid crystal panel, diffraction and refraction due to the non-uniform surface is likely to cause undesirable mixture of colour, and degrading colour display quality.
In addition, since the colour filter layer is formed by dispersing ink in a resin layer, the boundaries between the RGB colours are blurred. It is therefore necessary to provide a non-colouring section between adjoining RGB colouring sections to separate those colouring sections in the colour filter layer, which adds to skills and techniques required in the fabrication of the colour filter layer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to offer modified ink particles that satisfy conventionally required properties in terms of heat resistance, solvent resistance, and resolution, as well as ink jet characteristics, that restrain occurrences of pin holes and other deficiencies, and that are readily fabricated into a colour filter; a manufacturing method thereof; a colour filter incorporating the modified ink particles; a colour display such as a liquid crystal panel using the colour filter; and a manufacturing device of the modified ink particles.
In order to achieve the object, a modified ink particle in accordance with the present invention, includes:
a main body; and
a modified portion formed from a modifier on at least a part of a surface of the main body by vapour-depositing the vapourised modifier on the surface of the main body that is floating.
In the modified ink particle as set forth above, when the main body is hydrophobic, the modified portion is preferably hydrophilic. Further, in the modified ink particle as set forth above, when the main body is hydrophilic, the modified portion is preferably hydrophobic.
With the aforementioned arrangement, it is possible to impart both hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties to the modified ink particle: for example, when the main body of the ink particle has hydrophobic properties, the modified portion thereof has hydrophilic properties; when the main body of the ink particle has hydrophilic properties, the modified portion thereof has hydrophobic properties.
For these reasons, with the aforementioned arrangement, when the modified ink particle is used in a colour filter layer or a black matrix layer which is formed, for example, on a substrate of a liquid crystal panel or on a resin layer formed on that substrate, regardless of whether the substrate or the resin layer on the substrate is hydrophilic or hydrophobic, the modified ink particle shows improved affinity with the substrate and the resin layer due to its dual properties. Moreover, the modified ink particle shows improved affinity with, for example, the individual RGB colour filter layers and the black matrix layer that are provided adjacent to each other in the colour filter layer.
Therefore, the aforementioned arrangement restrains occurrences of deficiencies of conventional technique: for example, poor mutual wettability, mutual repelling, peeling at least at a part of the interfaces, and a high likelihood of pin holes in the colour filter layer.
In order to achieve the object, a manufacturing method of a modified ink particle in accordance with the present invention, includes the steps of:
(a) floating a main body of an ink particle;
(b) mixing the floating main body of the ink particle with a vapourised modifier; and
(c) vapour-depositing the vapourised modifier on a surface of the main body of the ink particle to form a modified portion formed from the modifier on the surface of the main body of the ink particle.
With the method as set forth above, the vapourised modifier may be vapour-deposited by turning the vapourised modifier
Hishida Tadanori
Horiuchi Takahiro
Morimoto Kiyofumi
Alexander John B.
Conlin David G.
Copenheaver Blaine
Paulraj Christopher
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
LandOfFree
Modified ink particle, manufacturing method thereof, color... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Modified ink particle, manufacturing method thereof, color..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Modified ink particle, manufacturing method thereof, color... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2817413