JP2008233788A - Manufacturing method and manufacturing device for liquid crystal element - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To tightly fix spacers keeping a gap of a liquid crystal element with good dispersibility. <P>SOLUTION: A manufacturing method includes the stages of: preparing a mixed aligning agent 1 having spacers mixed in an aligning agent solution; coating a substrate with the mixed aligning agent 1 while stirring it; and curing the mixed aligning agent to form an alignment film. A stirring method is characterized in that a stirrer 3 is put in the mixed aligning agent 1 to stir the mixed aligning agent with a magnet stirrer 4 or ultrasonic vibrations are applied. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a spacer arrangement method and a manufacturing apparatus for maintaining a distance between two substrates constituting an element in a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal element.

  In general, a liquid crystal element has a spacer interposed between two substrates having transparent electrodes, a periphery is bonded with a sealing material, and a liquid crystal is filled in the gap. As the spacer, plastic balls made of synthetic resin, glass fiber fibers, or the like are used. Generally, a method in which a spacer is mixed in a low boiling point solvent and sprayed on a substrate is well known. However, in this method, when a physical force such as a pressing force is applied to the liquid crystal element, the spacer may move and gap unevenness may occur.

  As a countermeasure, a technique is known in which a spacer is bonded to one or both of the substrates to form a fixed spacer. As a method of fixing the spacer on the substrate on one side, Patent Document 1 discloses that the organic spacer is mixed in the alignment agent, applied onto the substrate by spin coating, the alignment agent is cured, and the organic spacer is aligned with the alignment agent itself. And a method of adhering a spacer by mixing a spacer with an aligning agent, applying the aligning agent in an overlapping manner, curing the aligning agent, and adhering the spacer as disclosed in Patent Document 2. .

JP-A-60-257427 (2nd page, FIG. 1) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-164924 (2nd page, FIG. 3)

  Although the prior art method can fix the spacers easily, it is fixed in a lump and the dispersibility is not good. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the state on the substrate when the spacer is fixed by a conventional method, and the spacer 9 is observed. Since the spacers 9 are fixed in a lump, there is a risk that the alignment process may not be properly performed during rubbing, or the counter substrate may be damaged. In addition, during mass production, the spacer gradually precipitates in the alignment agent, and there is a possibility that a constant spacer amount cannot be applied on the substrate.

  An object of the present invention is to obtain a liquid crystal element in which a stable amount of a spacer can be easily fixed on a substrate and a stable gap can be maintained.

  In order to solve the above problems, the liquid crystal device manufacturing method of the present invention includes a step of preparing a mixed alignment agent in which a spacer is mixed in an alignment agent solution, and a step of applying the mixed alignment agent onto a substrate while stirring the mixed alignment agent. And a step of curing the mixed alignment agent to form an alignment film.

  Moreover, it has the process of performing an alignment process on the alignment film. In addition, the method of stirring the mixed alignment agent is characterized by putting a stirring bar in the mixed alignment agent and stirring with a magnetic stirrer. Alternatively, it is a method of applying ultrasonic vibration to the mixed alignment agent.

  The apparatus for producing a liquid crystal element of the present invention comprises means for stirring a mixed alignment agent solution in which a spacer is mixed in an alignment agent solution, and has a function of applying the mixed alignment agent onto a substrate while stirring the mixed alignment agent. And

  The means for stirring the mixed alignment agent is a means for putting a stirring bar in the mixed alignment agent and stirring with a magnetic stirrer. Alternatively, it is a means for applying ultrasonic vibration to the mixed alignment agent.

  According to the present invention, the spacer can be easily fixed to the substrate together with the alignment agent, and the mixed alignment agent mixed with the spacer is agitated, so that the spacer in the mixed alignment agent can be dispersed in a steady amount. Can be fixed to the substrate. In addition, by fixing the spacer with good dispersibility, it is possible to prevent defects such as poor alignment and scratches on the counter substrate in subsequent rubbing and laminating processes, etc., and a higher quality liquid crystal The element is completed.

  Hereinafter, practical examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing a method of applying a mixed alignment agent mixed with a spacer of the present invention, and is a schematic view of a production apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal element manufactured according to the present invention. FIG. 4 shows the effect of spacer dispersion when the mixture is applied by the application method of the present invention.

  First, the structure of the liquid crystal element manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention will be described. In FIG. 3, reference numerals 10 and 11 denote a pair of substrates made of soda glass or polycarbonate, and transparent electrodes 12 and 13 made of ITO or the like are formed on the pair of substrates 10 and 11. The alignment films 14 and 15 are formed on the substrate 13 by printing or spin coating. Spacers 16 made of synthetic resin balls, glass balls, or the like for maintaining the distance between the substrates are dispersedly arranged on the alignment film 14 and a part thereof is fixed. The periphery of the substrates 10 and 11 is bonded with a sealing agent 17, and the spacer 16 keeps the spacing in the sealing agent 17 uniform. A liquid crystal 18 is filled in the space between the substrates 10 and 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the spacer and the alignment film manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention are fixed so that the alignment film 14 covers a part of the spacer 16.

  A method and apparatus for manufacturing such a liquid crystal element will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a mixed alignment agent 1 in which a spacer is mixed in an alignment agent solution is prepared and applied on a transparent electrode of one substrate 8 out of a pair of substrates. Only the alignment agent solution is applied on the transparent electrode of the other substrate.

  Hereinafter, a method of applying the mixed alignment agent 1 and fixing the spacer will be described in detail. For the aligning agent solution, an optomer AL1054 ("Optomer" is a registered trademark) manufactured by JSR Co., which is a polyimide resin, was used. After mixing the spacer in the alignment agent solution, the mixture is stirred for 40 minutes in an ultrasonic cleaner to obtain a mixed alignment agent. When ultrasonic vibration was applied for about 40 minutes, the spacers were uniformly dispersed in the alignment agent solution.

  Next, a method of applying the mixed alignment agent 1 and fixing the spacer together with the alignment film formation will be described in detail. 3 g of the spacer and 50 ml of the alignment agent solution are mixed and printed on one side of the pair of substrates using an alignment film printer. First, the mixed alignment agent 1 is put in the dispenser 2, and the mixed alignment agent 1 is applied on the roll 5. When air pressure is applied to the nozzle tip of the dispenser 2, the mixed alignment agent 1 is dropped from the dispenser 2 onto the roll 5 on the roll 5 at an appropriate time. At this time, the mixed alignment agent 1 is supplied while stirring the container containing the mixed alignment agent 1 immediately before the dispenser 2 with the stirring bar 3 and the magnetic stirrer 4.

After the mixed alignment agent 1 is dropped on the roll 5, the mixed alignment agent 1 is uniformly applied to the flexographic plate 7 with the resin blade 6, and transferred from the flexographic plate to the substrate 8. This is baked in a clean oven to completely cure the mixed alignment agent and fix the spacer to the substrate.

  In addition to means for stirring with the stirrer 3 and the magnetic stirrer 4, the dispenser 2 itself may be provided with a stirring function, or may be provided with functions such as applying ultrasonic vibration to the mixed alignment agent 1.

  When a part of the alignment film on the substrate thus manufactured was observed in an enlarged manner, the dispersibility of the spacer 19 was improved as shown in FIG. In addition, even when the substrate is continuously printed during mass production, the number of spacers fixed can be stabilized.

  A mixed alignment agent is applied to both of the pair of substrates, both substrates are baked to form an alignment film, and a spacer is fixed, and then alignment treatment is performed with a cotton cloth. The fixed spacer was not peeled off by the rubbing treatment. Thereafter, a sealant is screen-printed to bond the two substrates together. And liquid crystal was inject | poured between board | substrates and sealed with the sealing agent, and the liquid crystal element was obtained.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the manufacturing apparatus of this invention. It is the figure which showed the mode of the spacer lump at the time of apply | coating the conventional mixed orientation agent without stirring. It is sectional drawing of the liquid crystal element of this invention. It is the figure which showed the mode of the spacer dispersion | distribution at the time of apply | coating, stirring the mixed orientation agent of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mixed orientation agent 2 Dispenser 3 Stirrer 4 Magnet stirrer 5 Roll 6 Blade 7 Flexo plate 8 Substrate 9 Spacer 10, 11 Substrate 12, 13 Transparent electrode film 14, 15 Orientation film 16 Spacer 17 Sealing agent 18 Liquid crystal 19 Spacer

Claims (7)

  A step of preparing a mixed alignment agent in which a spacer is mixed in an alignment agent solution; a step of applying the mixed alignment agent on a substrate while stirring; and a step of curing the mixed alignment agent to form an alignment film. A method for producing a liquid crystal element, comprising:   The method for producing a liquid crystal element according to claim 1, further comprising a step of performing an alignment treatment on the alignment film.   The method for producing a liquid crystal element according to claim 1, wherein the method of stirring the mixed alignment agent comprises placing a stirrer in the mixed alignment agent and stirring with a magnetic stirrer.   The method for producing a liquid crystal element according to claim 1, wherein the method of stirring the mixed alignment agent is a method of applying ultrasonic vibration to the mixed alignment agent. An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal element having a function of applying an alignment agent solution to be an alignment film on a substrate,
An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal element, comprising: means for stirring a mixed alignment agent solution in which a spacer is mixed in the alignment agent solution; and a function of applying the mixed alignment agent on a substrate while stirring the mixed alignment agent.   6. The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal element according to claim 5, wherein the means for stirring the mixed alignment agent is a means for putting a stirring bar into the mixed alignment agent and stirring the mixture with a magnetic stirrer.   6. The apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal element according to claim 5, wherein the means for stirring the mixed alignment agent is a means for applying ultrasonic vibration to the mixed alignment agent.

Images