JP2005235442A - Manufacturing method and device of flat display panel, and flat display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method capable of easily manufacturing a flat display panel at a low cost, and of reducing deterioration of a fluorescent material. <P>SOLUTION: This manufacturing method comprises: heating processes 11Z1 and 11Z2 for heat-treating a front glass substrate P1 in a chamber 11A capable of keeping a vacuum state while carrying it; a process 11Z3 for introducing a discharge gas; heating processes 12Z1 and 12Z2 for heat-treating a rear glass substrate P2 in a chamber 12A capable of keeping a vacuum state while carrying it; and a process 12Z3 for introducing a discharge gas. The front glass substrate P1 and the rear glass substrate P2 are stacked on each other in a chamber 13 and evacuated; a discharge gas is introduced (13E) again; and a resin-based sealing agent is applied in its atmosphere to carry out sealing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing a flat display panel having a sealed space inside, and a flat display panel manufactured by the manufacturing method or apparatus.

  Some flat display panels include a sealed space for image formation between two flat substrates, such as a plasma display panel (PDP) and a field emission display panel.

  FIG. 1 is a side sectional view schematically showing a configuration of a PDP as an example of such a flat display panel.

  In FIG. 1, a PDP has a front glass substrate P1 on which various structures such as a row electrode pair and a dielectric layer and a protective layer are formed on the back side, and a column electrode on the surface facing the front glass substrate P1. The rear glass substrate P2 on which various structures such as the column electrode protective layer, the partition walls, and the phosphor layer are formed is opposed to each other in parallel with the discharge space S therebetween, and the front glass substrate P1 and the rear glass substrate P2 A sealing layer P3 is formed around the discharge space S at a peripheral portion between the front glass substrate P1 and the rear glass substrate P2 by the sealing layer P3, and the discharge space S is sealed. The structure is stopped.

  FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing a conventional manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing the PDP configured as described above.

  The manufacturing apparatus 1 of FIG. 2 includes a plurality of heating chambers 2 arranged in a straight line in a state of being connected to each other, and a roller conveyor 3 that is inserted through the heating chambers 2 in the horizontal direction. The heating zone Z1 is constituted by eight heating chambers 2 from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the roller conveyor 3 (left side in FIG. 2), and sealed by the two heating chambers 2 next to the heating zone Z1. A zone Z2 is configured, and a cooling zone Z3 is configured by the eight heating chambers 2 next to the sealing zone Z2.

  The rearmost heating chamber 2A of the heating chambers 2 in the sealing zone Z2 is partitioned by a vacuum valve 4, and a vacuum exhaust device 5 and a gas introduction device 6 are connected.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the manufacturing process of the PDP by the manufacturing apparatus 1.

  In FIG. 3, a front glass substrate P1 on which a required structure is formed in the front glass substrate manufacturing step S1, and a low melting point glass paste containing a solvent on which a required structure is formed in the rear glass substrate manufacturing step S2 are peripheral portions. The back glass substrates P2 coated on the substrate and formed with the sealing layer P3 by temporary baking are overlapped at predetermined positions in the overlapping step S3.

  The panel P (see FIG. 2) in which the front glass substrate P1 and the rear glass substrate P2 are overlapped in this way is placed in the temperature rising zone Z1 of the manufacturing apparatus 1 by the roller conveyor 3 in the next sealing baking step S4. In the heating zone Z1, the heating chamber 2 is sequentially heated while being stopped for a predetermined time for each heating chamber 2.

  The panel P heated to a predetermined temperature in the temperature raising zone Z1 is then carried into the heating chamber 2 upstream of the sealing zone Z2, and is softened by heating in the heating chamber 2 maintained at the maximum temperature. The low melting point glass of the sealing layer P3 is welded to the front glass substrate P1, thereby sealing the discharge space S between the front glass substrate P1 and the rear glass substrate P2.

  In the next evacuation step S5, when the panel P is carried into the heating chamber 2A on the downstream side of the sealing zone Z2, the vacuum valves 4 on both sides thereof are closed, and then the evacuation device 5 causes the heating chamber to be heated. 2A is evacuated and exhausted from the discharge space S (see FIG. 1) through an exhaust pipe (not shown) connected to an exhaust hole (not shown) of the rear glass substrate P2. Thus, the inside of the discharge space S is evacuated.

  Thereafter, in the sealing step S6, the discharge gas is introduced into the discharge space S from the gas introduction device 6 through the exhaust pipe. Further, in the next sealing step S7, the exhaust pipe is sealed, and the discharge space S The discharge gas is contained inside.

  In this way, the panel P in which the discharge gas is sealed is carried into the cooling zone Z3 from the heating chamber 2A, and gradually cooled while being conveyed in each heating chamber 2 in the cooling zone Z3 ( For example, see Patent Document 1).

  The PDP manufacturing method as described above has an advantage that the PDP can be continuously manufactured as compared with the manufacturing method using a batch furnace.

  However, this conventional PDP manufacturing method has the following problems.

  That is, in the exhaust process S5 performed in the heating chamber 2A of the sealing zone Z2, when the vacuum exhaust is performed from the discharge space S of the panel P by the vacuum exhaust device 5, the panel P is held in the baked state. During the exhaust, impure gas is generated from the low melting point glass forming the sealing layer P3 and the materials forming the respective structures of the front glass substrate P1 and the rear glass substrate P2, and further, the exhaust pipe and the panel P There is a problem that it is difficult to make the inside of the discharge space S into a high vacuum due to conductance.

For example, in the above-described conventional manufacturing method, even if the discharge from the discharge space S of the panel P is performed at a vacuum of 10 ⁻⁷ Torr, the discharge space S has a vacuum of about 0.01 to 0.1 Torr. However, if a high degree of vacuum required for manufacturing a PDP is to be obtained, a very long exhaust time is required, or the vacuum exhaust device 5 is expensive such as a turbo molecular pump or a cryopump. An exhaust device is required, and in either case, the manufacturing cost increases.

  Furthermore, according to the conventional PDP manufacturing method, the discharge space S is sealed by welding the low melting point glass forming the sealing layer P3 at a high temperature in the sealing baking step S4. There arises a problem that the fluorescent material forming the phosphor layer which is the structure of P2 is deteriorated.

  Furthermore, according to the above conventional PDP manufacturing method, the sealing layer P3 is formed of low melting point glass to seal the discharge space S. Therefore, impurities generated from the solvent of the low melting point glass paste or the low melting point glass itself. There is a problem that the gas is adsorbed inside the panel and adversely affects the occurrence of discharge in the discharge space S during image formation.

JP 2002-75193 A

  An object of the present invention is to solve one or more problems in the conventional method and apparatus for manufacturing a flat display panel as described above.

  In order to achieve the above object, a method for manufacturing a flat display panel according to the first invention (the invention described in claim 1) is provided in such a manner that two substrates on which structures are formed are opposed to each other in parallel by opening a space. A method of manufacturing a flat display panel in which the space is sealed by a sealing portion formed at a peripheral edge between two substrates, in which a structure of the two substrates is formed A first heating step in which one of the substrates is transported in a chamber in which a vacuum state is maintained and the chamber is evacuated, and the other substrate on which the structure of the two substrates is formed; A second heating step in which a heat treatment is carried out in a chamber in which a vacuum state is maintained and the chamber is evacuated, a chamber in which the first heating step is performed, and a substrate of the chamber in which the second heating step is performed In a chamber installed on the downstream side in the transport direction and evacuated, a seal is formed to form a sealing portion at the peripheral portion of the surface of the one substrate that has undergone the first heating step on the side facing the other substrate. A sealing material coating process for coating the adhesive material, a stacking process for stacking the other substrate that has undergone the second heating process on the one substrate that has undergone the sealing material coating process in a chamber in which vacuum evacuation is performed, And a sealing step of sealing a space between the two substrates overlapped in the step in a chamber where vacuum evacuation is performed by the sealing material applied in the sealing material application step. It is said.

  In order to achieve the above object, a flat display panel manufacturing apparatus according to a second invention (the invention described in claim 15) has two substrates on which structures are respectively formed facing each other in parallel by opening a space. A device for manufacturing a flat display panel in which the space is sealed by a sealing portion formed at a peripheral edge between two substrates, in which a structure of the two substrates is formed A first transport member for transporting one substrate, a second transport member for transporting the other substrate on which the structure of the two substrates is formed, and the inside being held in a vacuum state and the first A conveying member extends through the inside and a heating chamber for performing heat treatment on one of the substrates conveyed by the first conveying member, and the second conveying member is maintained in a vacuum state while the second conveying member Extending through the interior A heating chamber for performing heat treatment on the other substrate conveyed by the second conveying member, a heating chamber for performing heat treatment on the one substrate, and heating for performing heat treatment on the other substrate. A chamber that is installed downstream in the transport direction of the first transport member and the second transport member of the chamber and performs evacuation, and a substrate is loaded into the chamber by the first transport member and the second transport member, and the chamber A sealing material applying member for applying a sealing material for forming a sealing portion on a peripheral portion of a surface of the one substrate that has been installed and carried in facing the other substrate; and the two substrates The two substrates are carried in, and an overlapping member that is placed in a chamber into which the substrate is carried and one substrate on which the sealing material is applied by the sealing material application member and the other substrate are overlapped with each other. A sealing member that is installed in the chamber and seals the space between the two substrates superimposed by the overlapping member with the sealing material applied on the sealing material application member. Yes.

  Furthermore, a flat display panel according to the third invention (the invention described in claim 28) is manufactured by the manufacturing method according to the first invention in order to achieve the object.

  Furthermore, a flat display panel according to a fourth invention (the invention according to claim 29) is manufactured by a manufacturing apparatus according to the second invention in order to achieve the above object.

  In the present invention, the front substrate on which the structure is formed is transferred by the transfer device in the chamber of the front substrate production line, the rear substrate on which the structure is formed is transferred by the transfer device in the chamber of the rear substrate production line, Heat treatment is performed on the front substrate transported by the transport device under the condition that the vacuum zone is being evacuated in the chamber of the baking zone configured in the middle of the front substrate production line. Heat treatment is performed on the back substrate transported by the transport device under the condition that the evacuation is performed in the chamber of the configured baking zone, and the front substrate and the back substrate manufactured through this front substrate manufacturing line. The back substrate that has passed through the line is carried into the same chamber where the vacuum is being evacuated. First, a sealing material for forming a sealing layer is applied to the peripheral portion of the surface of one of the front substrate and the rear substrate facing the other substrate by the sealing material coating and substrate overlaying device. Next, the one substrate coated with this sealing material is superimposed on the other substrate, and then the sealing material coated with the space between the superimposed front substrate and rear substrate by the sealing device. The best embodiment is a manufacturing apparatus for sealing by the manufacturing method, a manufacturing method implemented by the manufacturing apparatus, and a flat display panel manufactured by the implementation of the manufacturing apparatus and the manufacturing method.

  According to the manufacturing apparatus and the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, since the two substrates constituting the flat display panel are individually heat-treated on a single plate under vacuum conditions, the front substrate manufacturing line and the rear substrate manufacturing line are Degassing processing from the front substrate and the rear substrate is completed when passing.

  Then, the front substrate and the rear substrate, each of which has been heat-treated, are overlapped in a vacuum evacuated chamber and the internal space between them is sealed, so that the flat display can be performed without evacuating the internal space again. The panel is completed.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing a first embodiment of a manufacturing apparatus for carrying out the flat display panel manufacturing method according to the present invention.

  In the following embodiments, a PDP in which a discharge gas is enclosed in the panel will be described as an example of a flat display panel. However, the present invention keeps the inside of a panel such as a field emission display in a vacuum state, for example. Such other flat display can be manufactured only by omitting the discharge gas introduction step as described later.

  4, a PDP manufacturing apparatus 10 includes a front glass substrate manufacturing line 11 for manufacturing a front glass substrate P1 (see FIG. 1), a rear glass substrate manufacturing line 12 for manufacturing a rear glass substrate P2, and a substrate sealing portion. The front glass substrate manufacturing line 11, the rear glass substrate manufacturing line 12, and the substrate sealing portion 13 are respectively configured in chambers 11A, 12A, and 13A in which the inside is maintained in a vacuum state. Yes.

  In the front glass substrate production line 11, the chamber 11A is partitioned into a plurality of (in the illustrated example, 13) blocks 11Aa, and a conveyor (not shown) is provided in each block 11Aa from the upstream side (left side in FIG. 4). It is installed so as to be inserted toward the downstream side (the right side in FIG. 4), and transports the front glass substrate P1 in the manufacturing process from the upstream side of the front glass substrate manufacturing line 11 to the downstream side as described later. It is like that.

  In the front glass substrate production line 11, a heating zone 11Z1 is constituted by a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) blocks 11Aa from the upstream side, and the next plurality (six in the illustrated example) blocks 11Aa. The baking zone 11Z2 is configured by the above, and the discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 11Z3 is configured by the next plurality (three in the illustrated example) of the blocks 11Aa.

  Further, a heating device (not shown) is attached to each zone of the chamber 11A, and an exhaust device 11B is connected to each zone. A discharge gas introduction device 11C is connected to the discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 11Z3. .

  Similarly to the front glass substrate production line 11, the back glass substrate production line 12 has a chamber 12A divided into a plurality of (13 in the illustrated example) blocks 12Aa, and each block 12Aa has a conveyor (not shown). Is inserted from the upstream side (left side in FIG. 4) to the downstream side (right side in FIG. 4). As will be described later, the rear glass substrate P2 in the manufacturing process is replaced with the rear glass substrate production line 12. It is transported from the upstream side to the downstream side.

  In the rear glass substrate production line 12 as well, a heating zone 12Z1 is configured by a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) blocks 12Aa from the upstream side, and the next plurality (six in the illustrated example) blocks 12Aa. Thus, a vacuum holding zone 12Z2 is configured, and a discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 12Z3 is configured by the next plurality (three in the illustrated example) of blocks 12Aa.

  Further, a heating device (not shown) is attached to each zone of the chamber 12A, an exhaust device 12B is connected to each zone, and a discharge gas introduction device 12C is connected to the discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 12Z3. .

  The substrate sealing section 13 is provided with a sealing material coating and substrate superposing device 13B at the upstream side (left side in FIG. 4) in the chamber 13A, and a plurality of substrates (at the right side in FIG. 4) ( Two sealing devices 13C are installed in the illustrated example.

  An exhaust device 13D is connected to the chamber 13A of the substrate sealing portion 13, and vacuum exhaust from the chamber 13A is performed, and a discharge gas introduction device 13E is connected. The discharge gas is introduced into the chamber 13A.

  Next, a method of manufacturing a PDP using the manufacturing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to a flowchart of the manufacturing process shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 5, the front glass substrate P1 in the manufacturing process in which structures such as row electrode pairs and dielectric layers are formed in the structure forming step S10A of the front glass substrate manufacturing step S10 is the front glass substrate manufacturing of the manufacturing apparatus 10. When the front glass substrate P1 is carried into the line 11, the front glass substrate P1 is sequentially conveyed from the upstream block 11Aa to the downstream block 11Aa in the chamber 11A by a conveyor.

  For the front glass substrate P1 carried into the front glass substrate production line 11, first, a heating step S10B is performed in the heating zone 11Z1.

  That is, in this heating zone 11Z1, vacuum exhaust is performed by the exhaust device 11B so that the degree of vacuum in the block 11Aa becomes higher from the upstream side to the downstream side, and the block 11Aa is similarly applied by the heating device. Heating is performed so that the temperature of the inside becomes higher as it goes from the upstream side to the downstream side.

  Thereby, in this temperature raising step S10B, as the front glass substrate P1 is transported in the heating zone 11Z1 in the downstream direction, the degree of vacuum and the heating temperature increase, and each structure of the front glass substrate P1 is formed. The impure gas generated by heating from the material is gradually exhausted.

  When the front glass substrate P1 is transferred into the next baking zone 11Z2 after the temperature raising step S10B is completed, the baking step S10C is performed in the baking zone 11Z2.

  That is, in the baking zone 11Z2, the degree of vacuum and the heating temperature in each block 11Aa are held at a predetermined constant value by the exhaust device 11B and the heating device, respectively.

Here, the degree of vacuum in each block 11Aa of the baking zone 11Z2 is that the impure gas is gradually exhausted in the heating zone 11Z1, and the front glass substrate P1 is processed by a single plate. Therefore, the degree of vacuum lower than that required in the conventional manufacturing apparatus (for example, 10 ⁻⁷ Torr), for example, 0.01 to 0.1 Torr may be sufficient. It is possible to obtain a sufficient degassing effect.

For example, when the gas pressure of the discharge gas introduced into the discharge space of the finished PDP is 500 Torr, if the degassing is performed at the vacuum degree as described above in the manufacturing process, the discharge gas in the discharge space Impureness is
(0.01-0.1 / 500) × 100 = 0.002-0.02 (%)
It becomes.

  That is, since the purity of the discharge gas in the discharge space of the finished PDP can be maintained at 99.998 to 99.98%, the degree of vacuum in the block 11Aa is set to the degree of vacuum required for the conventional manufacturing apparatus. Even when the degree of vacuum is set lower than the above, the purity of the discharge gas in the discharge space of the PDP can be kept sufficiently high.

  Therefore, it is not necessary to use an expensive exhaust device having a high exhaust capability such as a cryo pump or a turbo molecular pump for the exhaust device 11B. For example, a low cost rotary such as a rotary pump or a fluid operated pump is used.・ Pumps can be used.

  The degree of vacuum is not problematic because the purity is increased even if the degree of vacuum is increased to 0.001 Torr, which is the maximum exhaust capacity of a general rotary pump, and the limit point at which the PDP can discharge stably. As long as the degree of vacuum is 10 Torr, which can maintain a purity of 98%, the PDP can be manufactured without any particular problem with respect to the degree of vacuum in the chamber.

  As described above, the baking step S10C does not require a high degree of vacuum as in the prior art, so the time required for the degree of vacuum in the block 11Aa to reach the set value can be shortened. Can be shortened.

  As described above, in this baking step S10C, while the front glass substrate P1 passes through the baking zone 11Z2, the structure formed on the front glass substrate P1 is baked, and the impure gas generated by baking from this structure. Is discharged (degassed).

  When the front glass substrate P1 is transferred into the next discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 11Z3 after the baking step S10C is completed, the replacement / cooling step S10D is performed in the discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 11Z3.

  That is, in this discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 11Z3, xenon (Xe) gas and neon (Ne) are supplied from the discharge gas introducing device 11C into the block 11Aa that is evacuated by the exhaust device 11B to the same degree as the block 11Aa of the baking zone 11Z2. ) A discharge gas containing gas or the like is introduced so as to increase in concentration from the upstream side to the downstream side.

  The pressure of the discharge gas in the last block 11Aa of the discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 11Z3 is set to be the pressure of the discharge gas in the discharge space of the finished PDP, for example, 500 Torr.

  The discharge gas introduced into each block 11Aa in the discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 11Z3 is a discharge gas having the same purity as that of the discharge gas sealed in the finished product of the PDP.

  Further, the temperature in each block 11Aa of the discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 11Z3 is set so as to gradually decrease from the heating temperature in the baking zone 11Z2 from the upstream side to the downstream side. Yes.

  The front glass substrate P1 is sequentially conveyed through the respective blocks 11Aa of the discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 11Z3, so that the impure gas adhering to the structure of the front glass substrate P1 gradually becomes a component in the discharge gas. The impure gas is further thoroughly removed from the front glass substrate P1 and gradually cooled.

  On the other hand, the rear glass substrate P2 in the manufacturing process in which structures such as column electrodes, column electrode protective layers, partition walls, and phosphor layers are formed in the structure forming step S11A of the front glass substrate manufacturing step S11 is the rear surface of the manufacturing apparatus 10. When loaded into the glass substrate production line 12, as in the case of the front glass substrate production line 11, the back glass substrate P2 is sequentially conveyed by the conveyor from the upstream block 12Aa to the downstream block 12Aa in the chamber 12A. .

  As in the case of the front glass substrate production line 11, a heating step S11B is performed in the heating zone 12Z1 on the rear glass substrate P2 carried into the front glass substrate production line 12, and the heating step S11B After the completion, the baking step S11C is performed in the next baking zone 12Z2, and after the completion of the baking step S11C, the replacement / cooling step S11D is performed in the discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 12Z3.

  The aspects such as the degree of vacuum, temperature, discharge gas concentration, etc. in each block 12Aa of the heating zone 12Z1, baking zone 12Z2, and discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 12Z3 are the same as those in the front glass substrate production line 11 described above. The processing for each rear glass substrate P2 in the temperature step S11B, the baking step S11C, and the replacement / cooling step S11D is the same as the processing for the front glass substrate P1 described above.

  Here, in the baking step S11C in the baking zone 12Z2, the heating temperature (baking temperature) in the block 12Aa is obtained by treating the back glass substrate P2 with a single plate, so that the baking temperature in a conventional manufacturing apparatus (usually, A temperature lower than 450 ° C., for example 350-400 ° C. is sufficient.

  Since the heating temperature in this baking step S11C becomes the highest temperature in the step after applying the phosphor, deterioration due to heating of the fluorescent material forming the phosphor layer, which is one of the structures of the back glass substrate P2, has been conventionally caused. Compared with the manufacturing method of

  As described above, the front glass substrate P1 and the rear glass substrate P2 that have been baked and degassed in the front glass substrate manufacturing step S10 and the rear glass substrate manufacturing step S11, respectively, are the chambers of the substrate sealing portion 13. Then, the sealing material application process S12, the substrate stacking process S13, and the sealing process S14 are sequentially performed in the chamber 13A.

  That is, the inside of the chamber 13A of the substrate sealing portion 13 is evacuated by the exhaust device 13D, and the degree of vacuum in the baking zone 11Z2 of the front glass substrate production line 11 and the baking zone 12Z2 of the rear glass substrate production line 12 is determined. After the same degree of vacuum is achieved, the discharge gas introducing device 13E introduces the same discharge gas as the discharge gas enclosed in the finished PDP having a purity of almost 100%, and the pressure of the discharge gas is completed. It is set to the same value as the pressure of the discharge gas in the discharge space of the product PDP, for example, 500 Torr.

  The inside of the chamber 13A is not heated, and its temperature is set to approximately room temperature.

  In the chamber 13A under such an environment, first, the sealing material application step S12 is performed, and the front glass substrate P1 carried in from the front glass substrate production line 11 by the sealing material application and substrate superposition device 13B, Alternatively, the resin-based sealing material is applied to the peripheral portion of the surface on the side where the structure of the rear glass substrate P2 carried in from the rear glass substrate production line 12 is formed.

  Examples of the resin-based sealing material include an ultraviolet curable acrylic resin, a silicon resin-based adhesive, a polyimide-based adhesive, a silicon-modified olefin resin-based adhesive, and an epoxy-based adhesive.

  After this sealing material application step S12, in the substrate overlapping step S13, the front glass substrate P1 and the rear glass substrate P2 coated with a resin-based sealing material on either surface are applied to the sealing material application and substrate overlapping device. By 13B, the surfaces on which the structures are formed are opposed to each other and are superposed in a state of being aligned at a predetermined position.

  Next, after the substrate stacking step S13, in the sealing step S14, the front glass substrate P1 and the back glass substrate P2 stacked on each other are transferred to the sealing device 13C in the chamber 13A and applied to either. The front glass substrate P1 and the rear glass substrate P2 are sealed with the resin-based sealing material.

  That is, by the sealing device 13C, for example, when the resin-based sealing material is an ultraviolet curable resin, the resin-based sealing material is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Is a resin that is cured by natural drying or heating, a drying process or a heating process is performed, so that the seal is sandwiched between the front glass substrate P1 and the rear glass substrate P2 by superposition and bonds them together. The fixing material is cured, and the discharge space S formed between the front glass substrate P1 and the rear glass substrate P2 is sealed.

  As described above, the sealing material application step S12, the substrate stacking step S13, and the sealing step S14 all have a discharge gas pressure within the discharge space S of the finished PDP after the chamber 13A is evacuated. By performing in the same environment set at 500 Torr, the PDP is completed by the end of the sealing step S14.

  And in each process in the front glass substrate manufacturing line 11 and the back glass substrate manufacturing line 12, the degassing process from the front glass substrate P1 and the back glass substrate P2 is completed, and from sealing layer P3 in sealing process S14. Since there is no possibility that impure gas is generated, there is no adverse effect on the discharge for image formation performed in the discharge space S.

  In the substrate sealing section 13, a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) sealing devices 13C are installed for one sealing material application and substrate superposing device 13B. This is because the processing speed of the sealing device 13C is slower than that of the material coating and substrate superposing device 13B, and it is possible to efficiently manufacture the PDP by installing a plurality of sealing devices 13C. The sealing device 13C may be installed.

  Moreover, in the said Example, exhaust apparatus 11B, 12B, 13D and discharge gas introduction | transduction apparatus 11C, 12C, 13E are each separately provided in the front glass substrate manufacturing line 11, the back glass substrate manufacturing line 12, and the board | substrate sealing part 13. Although connected, each vacuum exhaust may be performed by one exhaust device, and discharge gas may be introduced into each by one discharge gas introduction device.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically showing a second embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus for carrying out the flat display panel manufacturing method according to the present invention.

  In the manufacturing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment described above, the chamber 11A through which the front glass substrate manufacturing line 11 passes and the chamber 12A through which the rear glass substrate manufacturing line 12 passes are configured separately from each other. The manufacturing apparatus 20 of FIG. 6 is configured such that a front glass substrate manufacturing line 21 and a back glass substrate manufacturing line 22 pass through the same chamber 23 arranged in a row, and the front glass substrate and the back glass substrate are respectively The front glass substrate production line 21 and the back glass substrate production line 22 pass through the same chamber 23 in parallel.

  About the structure (not shown) of the board | substrate sealing | blocking part 13 and another part, it is substantially the same as the manufacturing apparatus 10 of 1st Example.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically showing a third embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus for carrying out the method for manufacturing a flat display panel according to the present invention.

  In the manufacturing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment described above, the front glass substrate manufacturing line 11 and the rear glass substrate manufacturing line 12 are configured separately, whereas the manufacturing apparatus 30 of FIG. The rear glass substrate is transported by the same glass substrate production line 31, and the glass substrate production line 31 passes through the chambers 32 arranged in a row.

  About the structure (not shown) of the board | substrate sealing | blocking part 13 and another part, it is substantially the same as the manufacturing apparatus 10 of 1st Example.

  According to this manufacturing apparatus 30, for example, the front glass substrate and the rear glass substrate are alternately conveyed by the glass substrate manufacturing line 31, and the paired front glass substrate and rear glass substrate are formed in the substrate sealing portion 13. Superimposed.

It is a sectional side view which shows the structure of a plasma display panel roughly. It is a sectional side view which shows the conventional plasma display panel manufacturing apparatus roughly. It is a flowchart which shows the manufacturing method of the conventional plasma display panel. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a first embodiment of a flat display panel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention; FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the Example of the manufacturing method of the flat display panel by this invention. It is a top view which shows schematically the 2nd Example of the manufacturing apparatus of the flat display panel by this invention. It is a top view which shows roughly the 3rd Example of the manufacturing apparatus of the flat display panel by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Manufacturing apparatus 11 ... Front glass substrate manufacturing line 11A ... Chamber 11Aa ... Block 11B ... Exhaust device 11C ... Discharge gas introduction device 11Z1 ... Heating zone 11Z2 ... Baking zone 11Z3 ... Discharge gas substitution and cooling zone 12 ... Back glass substrate manufacture Line 12A ... Chamber 12Aa ... Block 12B ... Exhaust device 12C ... Discharge gas introduction device 12Z1 ... Heating zone 12Z2 ... Baking zone 12Z3 ... Discharge gas replacement / cooling zone 13 ... Substrate sealing part 13A ... Chamber 13B ... Sealing material application and Substrate overlay device (sealing material application member, overlay member)
13C: Sealing device (sealing member)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13D ... Exhaust device 13E ... Discharge gas introducing device 20 ... Manufacturing apparatus 21 ... Front glass substrate manufacturing line 22 ... Back glass substrate manufacturing line 23 ... Chamber 30 ... Manufacturing apparatus 31 ... Glass substrate manufacturing line 32 ... Chamber P1 ... Front glass substrate ( substrate)
P2 ... Back glass substrate (substrate)
P3 ... Sealing layer (sealing part)
S: Discharge space (space)

Claims (29)

A flat display panel in which two substrates on which structures are formed are opposed to each other in parallel by opening a space, and this space is sealed by a sealing portion formed at a peripheral portion between the two substrates. A manufacturing method comprising:
A first heating step in which one of the two substrates on which the structure is formed is transported in a chamber in which a vacuum state is maintained and heat-treated while evacuating the chamber;
A second heating step in which the other substrate on which the structure of the two substrates is formed is transported in a chamber in which a vacuum state is maintained and heat-treated while evacuating the chamber;
The other of the one substrate that has undergone the first heating step in the chamber in which the first heating step is performed and the chamber in which the second heating step is performed are disposed downstream in the substrate transport direction and the vacuum is exhausted. A sealing material application step of applying a sealing material for forming a sealing portion on the peripheral edge of the surface facing the substrate;
An overlapping step of superimposing the other substrate that has undergone the second heating step on the one substrate that has undergone the sealing material application step in a chamber in which evacuation is performed;
A sealing step of sealing the space between the two substrates stacked in this stacking step in a chamber in which evacuation is performed by the sealing material applied in the sealing material coating step;
A method for producing a flat display panel, comprising:   The flat display panel manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a degree of vacuum in the chamber in which the first heating step and the second heating step are performed is set to 0.001 to 10 Torr. In a chamber installed upstream of the chamber where the first heating step is performed and in which one substrate is transported, the degree of vacuum in the chamber is increased along the transport direction of the substrate, A first temperature raising step in which the heating temperature for one of the substrates is increased to the heating temperature in the first heating step along the conveying direction;
In a chamber that is installed upstream of the chamber where the second heating step is performed and the other substrate is transported inside, the degree of vacuum in the chamber is increased along the transport direction of the substrate, A second temperature raising step for raising the heating temperature for the other substrate in the step to the heating temperature in the second heating step along the conveying direction;
The method for producing a flat display panel according to claim 1, further comprising: The first heating step is performed on the downstream side of the chamber in which the first heating step is performed to perform evacuation, and in the chamber in which one substrate is transported, the second substrate that is transported in the chamber is cooled. 1 cooling process;
The second heating step is performed on the downstream side of the chamber where the second heating step is performed, and evacuation is performed. In the chamber in which the other substrate is transported, the other substrate transported in the chamber is cooled. 2 cooling processes;
The method for producing a flat display panel according to claim 1, further comprising: A first gas introduction step for introducing a required gas into a vacuum chamber in a chamber installed on the downstream side of the chamber in which the first heating step is performed and in which one substrate is transported;
A second gas introduction step of introducing a required gas into the vacuum chamber in a chamber installed on the downstream side of the chamber in which the second heating step is performed and the other substrate is transported inside;
The method for producing a flat display panel according to claim 1, further comprising:   6. The flat display panel manufacturing according to claim 5, wherein the gas introduction in the first gas introduction step or the second gas introduction step is performed such that the gas concentration increases toward the downstream side in the substrate transfer direction. Method.   The flat display panel manufacturing method according to claim 5, wherein in the first gas introduction step and the second gas introduction step, the same gas as the gas sealed in the flat display panel is introduced.   The flat panel display manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material applying step, the overlapping step, and the sealing step are performed in a chamber into which a necessary gas is introduced after evacuation.   The same gas as the gas sealed in the flat display panel is introduced into the chamber, and the gas pressure in the chamber is set to be approximately the same as the gas pressure of the gas sealed in the flat display panel. Item 9. A method for manufacturing a flat display panel according to Item 8.   The method for manufacturing a flat display panel according to claim 1, wherein the flat display panel is a plasma display panel.   6. The method of manufacturing a flat display panel according to claim 5, wherein the flat display panel is a plasma display panel, and a discharge gas is introduced in the first gas introduction step and the second gas introduction step.   The manufacturing method of the flat display panel according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material applied in the sealing material application step is a resin material.   The method for manufacturing a flat display panel according to claim 12, wherein the resin material is an ultraviolet curable resin material.   The method for producing a flat display panel according to claim 12, wherein the resin material is a resin material that is cured by drying or heating. A flat display panel in which two substrates on which structures are formed are opposed to each other in parallel by opening a space, and this space is sealed by a sealing portion formed at a peripheral portion between the two substrates. Manufacturing equipment,
A first transport member that transports one of the two substrates on which the structure is formed;
A second transport member that transports the other substrate on which the structure of the two substrates is formed;
A heating chamber in which the inside is maintained in a vacuum state and the first transport member extends through the inside and performs heat treatment on one substrate transported by the first transport member;
A heating chamber in which the inside is maintained in a vacuum state and the second transport member extends through the inside and performs heat treatment on the other substrate transported by the second transport member;
The heating chamber that performs the heat treatment on the one substrate and the heating chamber that performs the heat treatment on the other substrate are installed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the first transport member and the second transport member to perform vacuum exhaust. And a chamber into which the substrate is loaded by the first transport member and the second transport member,
A sealing material application member that applies a sealing material to form a sealing portion on the peripheral edge of the surface of the one substrate that has been installed and carried into the chamber and that faces the other substrate;
An overlapping member that is installed in the chamber into which the two substrates are loaded and that superimposes one substrate on which the sealing material is applied by the sealing material application member and the other substrate;
A sealing member that is installed in a chamber into which the two substrates are carried and seals the space between the two substrates that are overlapped by the overlapping member by the sealing material applied on the sealing material applying member. When,
An apparatus for producing a flat display panel, comprising: The first transport member is installed upstream of the heating chamber in the transport direction of the first transport member, the first transport member extends through the inside, and the degree of vacuum is increased along the transport direction of the first transport member. A temperature raising chamber in which the heating temperature for one substrate carried by the member rises to the heating temperature in the heating chamber along the carrying direction;
The second transport member is installed on the upstream side of the heating chamber in the transport direction of the second transport member, the second transport member extends through the inside, and the degree of vacuum is increased along the transport direction of the second transport member. A temperature raising chamber in which the heating temperature for the other substrate carried by the member rises to the heating temperature in the heating chamber along the carrying direction;
The flat panel display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising: The first transport member is installed on the downstream side of the heating chamber in the transport direction of the first transport member, and the first transport member extends through the inside to be evacuated and cools one substrate transported from the heating chamber. A cooling chamber;
The second transport member is installed on the downstream side of the heating chamber in the transport direction of the second transport member, and the second transport member extends through the inside to be evacuated and cools the other substrate transported from the heating chamber. A cooling chamber;
The flat panel display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising: A gas chamber installed on the downstream side of the heating chamber in the conveying direction of the first conveying member, the first conveying member extending through the inside, and a required gas being introduced;
A gas chamber installed on the downstream side of the heating chamber in the conveying direction of the second conveying member, the second conveying member extending through the inside, and a required gas being introduced;
The flat panel display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:   19. The flat display panel according to claim 18, wherein the gas concentration in the gas chamber is set so as to increase toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the first transport member and the transport direction of the second transport member. apparatus.   The flat display panel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the gas introduced into the gas chamber is the same gas as the gas sealed in the flat display panel.   The flat display panel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a required gas is introduced into the chamber in which the sealing material applying member, the overlapping member, and the sealing member are installed after evacuating the chamber.   The gas introduced into the chamber is the same gas as the gas sealed in the flat display panel, and the gas pressure of the gas introduced into the chamber is the gas pressure of the gas sealed in the flat display panel. The flat display panel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the flat display panel manufacturing apparatus is set to be substantially the same value as the above.   The flat display panel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the flat display panel is a plasma display panel.   The flat display panel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the flat display panel is a plasma display panel, and the gas introduced into the gas chamber is a discharge gas.   The flat panel display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the sealing material applied by the sealing material application member is a resin material.   The flat panel display manufacturing apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the resin material is an ultraviolet curable resin material.   26. The apparatus for manufacturing a flat display panel according to claim 25, wherein the resin material is a resin material that is cured by drying or heating.   A flat display panel manufactured by any one of the manufacturing methods according to claim 1.   A flat display panel manufactured by any of the manufacturing apparatuses according to claim 15.

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