JP3690124B2 - Manufacturing method of display panel - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a display panel using microcapsules containing electrophoretic particles or magnetophoretic particles, and in particular, individual microcapsules can be accurately arranged at predetermined positions such as on electrodes. The present invention also relates to a display panel manufacturing method capable of manufacturing a display panel that can display a uniform and high-definition display.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In electrophoretic display devices and magnetophoretic display devices that use a microcapsule encapsulating colored dispersion medium and electrophoretic particles to display a desired pattern using electrophoresis or magnetophoresis, the microcapsules are evenly placed on the substrate. It is important to arrange them in a stable display operation.
As a method for uniformly applying such microcapsules on a flat surface, many methods for producing pressure-sensitive paper and thermal paper have been proposed.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 53-2108 discloses a method for producing pressure-sensitive copying paper by a free-fall vertical curtain method as a suitable method in place of the conventional air knife coating method and blade coating method. .
[0003]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 54-65742 discloses a hobber type coating apparatus as a similar method.
In JP-A-57-27172, a microcapsule coating solution is sprayed onto a continuously running web (support) by spraying, and this is smoothed by a leveling device to obtain a continuous coating layer having a constant thickness. A method is disclosed.
Furthermore, in JP-A-62-138284, after forming an adhesive layer on a substrate, a microcapsule layer is formed thereon, and microcapsules not contacted with the adhesive layer are separated by gravity to form a single layer. A method for forming a uniform microcapsule layer is disclosed.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, all of the above-described methods are intended only for obtaining a uniform layer of microcapsules, and are not sufficient as a method for forming a microcapsule layer used for a display panel.
In a display panel, it is important to appropriately arrange microcapsules corresponding to the electrodes or magnetic poles constituting the display pixels in order to display a high-definition image without unevenness for each pixel. Not only the formation of the microcapsule layer but also the control of the location of the individual microcapsules is required.
[0005]
In particular, when color display is to be performed, it is necessary to dispose a plurality of display bodies having different display colors, that is, microcapsules for each pixel and to control them independently. In order to perform such control with high accuracy, for example, the individual microcapsules must be accurately arranged on the electrodes formed on the substrate, and the arrangement of the microcapsules can be performed with higher accuracy. It must be made.
In this respect, none of the above-described methods has presented a method for accurately arranging the microcapsules at a desired position, and there has been no such method so far. In other words, for this reason, conventional electrophoretic display panels or magnetophoretic display panels have not been sufficiently fine in display.
[0006]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a display panel using electrophoresis or magnetophoresis capable of high-definition display or full-color display by arranging individual microcapsules at desired positions. It is in providing the manufacturing method of a panel.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, a microcapsule in which a dispersion medium colored in a predetermined color and electric or magnetophoretic particles are encapsulated is disposed on a substrate, and an electric field or a magnetic field is applied to each microcapsule. By the method for manufacturing a display panel for displaying a desired image by changing the display color of the microcapsule,
Each of the dispersion medium colored in a predetermined color and the electrophoretic or magnetophoretic particles are enclosed in a microcapsule,
Among the generated microcapsules, prepare microcapsules with a uniform diameter within a predetermined range passing through an inkjet nozzle,
The prepared microcapsules are filled into an ink jet type ejection head having the nozzle, and the microcapsules filled in the head are sequentially ejected one by one to a desired position on the substrate by the ejection head. A method for manufacturing a display panel using an ink jet method is provided.
[0008]
In the display panel manufacturing method, the microcapsule includes the electrophoretic or magnetophoretic particles as the dispersion medium, and the dispersion medium is a predetermined color different from the three primary colors. Each of the three types of microcapsules is distinguished by the color of the dispersion medium, and each of the three types of microcapsules is made up of three ink jet methods. Each of the shoot heads is filled, and the three shoot heads sequentially shoot three types of microcapsules each containing a dispersion medium of a predetermined color to each desired position on the substrate. arranged, may be producing a color displayable display panel.
[0009]
In the display panel manufacturing method, the microcapsules are sequentially shot by the shooting head to a position where an electric field applying unit or a magnetic field applying unit is formed on each microcapsule on the substrate. It may be arranged.
Further, in the above-described method for manufacturing the display panel, wherein the adhesive material for fixing the microcapsules to the substrate, filling with the microcapsules shooting out head of the ink jet system, is by Ri before Symbol filling the out shooting head of the microcapsules and the adhesive out successively shot at a desired position on the same time the substrate may be fixed in that position.
In the display panel manufacturing method, an adhesive for fixing the microcapsules to the substrate is applied in advance on the substrate, and the filled microcapsules and the adhesive are formed by the shooting head. of the coated out successively shot at a desired position on the substrate, the microcapsules may be fixed to the position.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of a display panel manufacturing method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the present embodiment, the present invention will be described by exemplifying an electrophoretic display panel capable of full color display for each pixel and a manufacturing method thereof.
[0011]
First, the display panel according to the present invention will be described.
1A and 1B are diagrams showing a configuration of the display panel, in which FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view for showing the structure of the display panel, and FIG. 1B is a top view of the display panel for schematically showing the arrangement of microcapsules. is there.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the display panel 10 of this embodiment includes a lower substrate 11 on which a first electrode 12 is formed and an upper substrate 14 on which a second electrode 13 is formed. Three types of microcapsules 21, 22, and 23, which are arranged so as to face each other, and in which the dispersion medium is colored cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), are arranged in a predetermined arrangement. It is a configuration.
In the display panel 10, the second electrode 13 and the top substrate 14 side are display surfaces.
[0012]
The three types of microcapsules 21 (C), 22 (M), and 23 (Y) are two-dimensional arrays arranged in a row and column order as shown in FIG. The same color is arranged on the lower substrate 11 in a stripe arrangement so that the same color is connected in a row in the column direction.
[0013]
First, the configuration of each part of the display panel 10 will be described.
The bottom substrate 11 is a substrate made of an arbitrary insulating member that supports the display panel 10.
[0014]
The first electrode 12 is a divided electrode formed so that a desired electric field can be independently applied to each microcapsule arranged as shown in FIG. It is formed on the lower substrate 11. The first electrode 12 of the display panel 10 according to the present embodiment is provided with a switch element for each electrode corresponding to each microcapsule, whereby a selection signal is output for each row from a matrix driving circuit (not shown). And a control signal and an output from the driving transistor are applied to each column, and a desired electric field is applied to a desired microcapsule.
[0015]
Each of the microcapsules 21, 22, and 23 is one in which charged pigment particles are mixed and dispersed in a dispersion medium colored in a predetermined color as described above and accommodated in the microcapsule. The display panel 10 of the present embodiment reproduces colors by subtractive color mixing. As described above, each dispersion medium includes three types of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). The charged pigment particles are dyed white.
[0016]
The configuration of each of the three types of microcapsules is shown in FIG.
FIG. 2A is a view showing the cyan (C) microcapsule 21 and shows a state in which the white pigment particles 27 are dispersed in the dispersion medium 24 dyed with cyan. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a magenta (M) microcapsule 22 and shows a state in which white pigment particles 27 are dispersed in a dispersion medium 25 dyed with magenta. FIG. 2C shows a yellow (Y) microcapsule 23 in which white pigment particles 27 are dispersed in a dispersion medium 25 dyed in yellow.
[0017]
With respect to such a microcapsule, a state when an electric field is applied from the outside will be described with reference to FIG. 3 using the cyan microcapsule 21 as an example.
Now, assuming that the white pigment particle 27 is negatively charged and the electric field E is applied to the microcapsule 21 in the direction shown in FIG. 3A, the white pigment is negatively charged. The particles 27 migrate downward and are concentrated on the bottom surface. As a result, when viewed from above the microcapsule 21, the color of the dispersion medium 24 dyed with cyan, that is, cyan is observed.
On the other hand, when an electric field E having a direction as shown in FIG. 3B is applied to the microcapsule 21, the white pigment particles 27 migrate upward and are concentrated and distributed on the upper surface. When the microcapsule 21 is viewed from above, white color is observed.
[0018]
Such a microcapsule is arranged on each divided electrode of the first electrode 12 formed on the lower substrate 11 as shown in the figure, and a microcapsule layer is formed. At this time, each microcapsule is fixed between the first electrode 12 and the second electrode 13 by the binder material 15.
The electric field applied to each microcapsule is controlled by the first electrode 12, and each microcapsule exhibits the color or white color of the dispersion medium.
[0019]
Further, in the display panel 10, the microcapsules 21, 22, and 23 of each color of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) are as shown in FIGS. 1 (A) and 1 (B). The display unit 20 is considered to be configured by three consecutive microcapsules 21, 22, and 23, which are arranged in order in the row direction and arranged one after the other. Control. Thereby, a full color display is possible for each pixel.
[0020]
The second electrode 13 is an electrode formed on the upper substrate 14 so as to face the first electrode 12 with the microcapsule layer interposed therebetween. In the present embodiment, the second electrode 13 is a transparent electrode formed so as to cover the microcapsules arranged two-dimensionally at the same potential as shown in FIG. 1B.
[0021]
The upper substrate 14 is a substrate on the display surface side of the display panel 10. The top substrate 14 is formed of a transparent member together with the second electrode 13, so that when the display panel 10 is viewed from the top substrate 14 side that is a display surface, the state of the microcapsules, that is, a desired pattern by the microcapsules The state of color display can be observed.
[0022]
Next, a method for manufacturing the display panel 10 having such a configuration will be described.
First, three types of dispersion liquids are prepared using three color dispersion media of cyan, magenta, and yellow and white pigment particles.
Next, three types of microcapsules each containing these three types of dispersions are prepared.
Next, the diameters of the prepared microcapsules are made uniform by an arbitrary method such as sieving or specific gravity separation.
[0023]
Next, each of the three types of microcapsules having the same diameter is divided into the first electrodes 12 formed on the lower substrate 11 so that there is no gap in the arrangement as shown in FIG. It arranges in order on an electrode.
A method of arranging the microcapsules according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The microcapsules are arranged by injecting microcapsules into each of the three types of nozzles 31, 32, and 33, and shooting them one by one on the divided electrodes of the first electrode 12 by an inkjet method. Do. In addition, it is also preferable that the nozzles shoot out in a plurality of sets, with the three colors as one set.
[0024]
Accordingly, the diameters of the nozzles 31, 32, and 33 are such that the microcapsules having the same diameter as just described pass through. In other words, in the step of aligning the diameters of the microcapsules described above, the diameters of the microcapsules are aligned to such an extent that they just pass through the nozzles 31, 32, 33.
In addition, as a drive source that actually shoots the microcapsules from the nozzles 31, 32, 33, any device such as an ultrasonic vibrator, a piezoelectric element, or a bubble jet that is normally used as an ink jet method may be used. .
[0025]
By this method, the microcapsules can be accurately and uniformly arranged on the first electrode 12 by controlling the timing of the microcapsule shooting and the moving speed of the nozzles 31, 32 and 33.
At this time, the binder material 15 for fixing the microcapsule on the electrode is injected into the nozzles 31, 32, and 33 together with the microcapsule and shot out together with the microcapsule. It is made to fix on the electrode 12 of this.
[0026]
When the microcapsules 21, 22, 23 are thus arranged on the lower substrate 11 on which the first electrode 12 is formed, the second electrode 13 is formed so as to sandwich the microcapsules 21, 22, 23. The top substrate 14 is pasted.
Thereby, the display panel 10 having the structure as shown in FIG. 1 can be manufactured.
[0027]
Finally, a method of performing full color display on the display panel 10 together with the operation of the display panel 10 having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIG.
As described above, the display panel 10 displays one pixel by three types of three microcapsules containing three color dispersion media of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). The unit 20 is formed, and full color display for each pixel is performed by the subtractive color synthesis of these three colors.
[0028]
For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, when all of the white pigment particles in the three types of microcapsules are on the display surface side, that is, when all white display is performed, the pixel is displayed in white.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the white pigment particles in the magenta and yellow microcapsules 22 and 23 are moved to the display surface side, and the white pigment particles in the cyan microcouple 21 are moved to the display screen side. At some point, the dot displays red, which is a mixed color of magenta and yellow.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5C, when all of the white pigment particles in the three types of microcapsules are on the non-display screen side, the dot becomes a mixed color of all three primary colors, so that a black display is obtained.
[0029]
As described above, each microcapsule is shot at a desired position on the substrate by the ink jet method, so that the microcapsules can be accurately arranged at the position. As a result, the microcapsules can be arranged not only uniformly on the substrate but also accurately on the divided electrodes of the first electrode 12 formed on the lower substrate 11.
As a result, as shown in this embodiment, three types of microcapsules in which the dispersion medium is colored in three primary colors are arranged close to each other as a display unit for one pixel, and this is arranged over the entire screen. The high-definition display panel 10 capable of full color display for each pixel can be manufactured.
[0030]
Note that the display panel manufacturing method of the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment, and various suitable modifications can be made.
For example, in the present embodiment, the manufacturing method of the display panel 10 capable of full-color display has been exemplified, but the manufacturing method of the display panel of the present invention can also be applied to the manufacture of a monochrome display panel. In that case, since only one type of microcapsule is used, only one inkjet head is required. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, one type of microcapsule 29 is injected into an ink jet head having one nozzle so as to shoot at the first electrode 12 formed on the lower substrate 11. That's fine. Of course, one type of microcapsule may be shot out by a plurality of inkjet heads. Although this display panel is a monochrome display, it is a display panel with higher resolution and capable of high-definition display with no display unevenness. According to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture such a display panel.
[0031]
In addition, in the present embodiment, the method of fixing the microcapsule when the microcapsule is shot and arranged on the first electrode 12 by the inkjet method at the time of manufacturing the display panel 10 is the same as the binder material 15 together with the microcapsule. It was a method of injecting into the nozzles 31, 32 and 33 and shooting out the binder material 15 together with the microcapsules. However, for example, a method in which the binder material 15 is applied on the lower surface substrate 11 on which the first electrode 12 is formed in advance and a microcapsule is shot against the binder material 15 may be used.
[0032]
In this embodiment, an electrophoretic display panel is illustrated, but a magnetophoretic display panel can also be configured in a similar manner. In that case, the charged pigment particles may be made of magnetic powder, and the voltage applying means may be changed to magnetic field applying means.
At that time, any conventionally known means may be used as the magnetic field applying means to be provided in the display panel. For example, a magnetic head or various types of magnets may be used.
[0033]
In the above-described embodiment, the dispersion medium has three colors of cyan, magenta, and yellow, which are subtractive mixed three primary colors. However, three types of additive primary mixed colors, red, green, and blue, are used. May be. Also, any other color combination may be used.
Further, although the color of the charged pigment particles was white, for example, when the additive mixed three primary colors are used for the color of the dispersion medium, it is preferable to set the color of the charged pigment particles to black. Good. The color of the charged pigment particles may be arbitrarily determined.
[0034]
In the present embodiment, the two-dimensional arrangement of the three primary colors of the three types of microcapsules is exemplified as a stripe arrangement in which the same color is connected in a row in the column direction as shown in FIG. However, the arrangement of these three types of microcapsules is not limited to the present embodiment. For example, although the microcapsules are regularly arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions, a so-called mosaic arrangement may be employed in which the types change in order in the vertical and horizontal directions. Also, a so-called triangular arrangement may be employed in which the microcapsules themselves are staggered depending on the rows.
Also, the configuration of one pixel may be defined by three microcapsules arranged in a row as in the present embodiment, for example, four such that two microcapsules of any color are provided. The microcapsules may be defined in a configuration in which the microcapsules are arranged 2 × 2, or may be arbitrarily determined.
[0035]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, each microcapsule can be arranged at a desired position, whereby a display panel using electrophoresis or magnetophoresis capable of high-definition display or full-color display. It is possible to provide a method for manufacturing a display panel.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of a display panel, and FIG. It is a top view of a display panel for showing typically.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of three types of microcapsules, and (A) to (C) are diagrams showing microcapsules of cyan (C) and magenta (M) yellow (Y), respectively. is there.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state when an electric field is applied from the outside to the cyan (C) microcapsule shown in FIG. 2 (A), and FIGS. It is a figure which shows the internal state of the microcapsule according to the direction of the applied electric field, respectively.
4 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing the display panel shown in FIG. 1, and shows a state in which three types of microcapsules are arranged on the first electrode 12 in an ink jet system. is there.
5 is a diagram showing an operation state of three microcapsules constituting each pixel of the display panel shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 (A) shows a state when displaying white. It is a figure, (B) is a figure which shows the state at the time of displaying red, (C) is a figure which shows the state at the time of displaying black.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which one type of microcapsule is arranged in an ink jet system.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Display panel 11 ... Lower surface substrate 12 ... 1st electrode 13 ... 2nd electrode 14 ... Upper surface substrate 15 ... Binder material 20 ... Pixel display part 21, Cyan (C) microcapsule 22 ... Magenta (M) micro Capsule 23: Yellow (Y) microcapsules 24, 25, 26 ... Dispersion medium 27 ... White pigment particles 29 ... Microcapsule 31 ... Nozzle

Claims (6)

A microcapsule in which a dispersion medium colored in a predetermined color and electrophoretic or magnetophoretic particles are encapsulated is placed on a substrate, and an electric field or a magnetic field is applied to each microcapsule. A method of manufacturing a display panel that displays a desired image by changing a presentation color,
Each of the dispersion medium colored in a predetermined color and the electrophoretic or magnetophoretic particles are enclosed in a microcapsule,
Among the generated microcapsules, prepare microcapsules with a uniform diameter within a predetermined range passing through an inkjet nozzle,
Filling the prepared microcapsule into an inkjet type ejection head having the nozzle,
By the shooting head, the microcapsules filled in the head are sequentially shot to a desired position on the substrate one by one, and are arranged at the position.
A method for manufacturing a display panel using an inkjet method. By controlling the moving speed of the nozzle and the timing of shooting the microcapsule, the microcapsule is arranged at a desired position on the substrate.
The manufacturing method of the display panel of Claim 1. The microcapsule includes the electric or magnetophoretic particles as the dispersion medium, and the dispersion medium is an electric or magnetic material colored in a predetermined color different from the three primary colors. Each of which is carried out using electrophoretic particles to produce three types of microcapsules that are distinguished by the color of the dispersion medium,
Each of the three types of microcapsules is filled into each of the three inkjet type ejection heads,
By using the three shooting heads, each one of three types of microcapsules each containing a dispersion medium of a predetermined color is sequentially shot to each desired position on the substrate, and each is placed at that position.
Manufacturing display panels capable of color display,
The manufacturing method of the display panel of Claim 1 or 2. The microcapsules are sequentially shot one by one at a position where an electric field applying means or a magnetic field applying means for each microcapsule on the substrate is formed by the shooting head, and arranged at the position.
The manufacturing method of the display panel in any one of Claims 1-3. Filling the inkjet head with the microcapsule with an adhesive that fixes the microcapsule to the substrate,
The filled microcapsules and the adhesive material are sequentially shot to a desired position on the substrate at the same time by the shooting head, and fixed at the position.
The manufacturing method of the display panel in any one of Claims 1-4. An adhesive for fixing the microcapsule to the substrate is previously applied on the substrate,
By the shooting head, the filled microcapsules are sequentially fired at a desired position on the substrate coated with the adhesive, and the microcapsules are fixed at the position.
The manufacturing method of the display panel in any one of Claims 1-4.

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