KR20060067043A - Appartus and method for repairing liquid crystal display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a repair apparatus and a method of a liquid crystal display panel which can improve the yield by darkening the bright point.

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display panel comprising first and second substrates having a cell gap maintained by a spacer including an opaque pigment; And a laser irradiation device for melting the spacer adjacent to the foreign matter mixed in the liquid crystal display panel and darkening the region in which the foreign material exists.

Description

Repairing apparatus and method of liquid crystal display panel {Appartus And Method for Repairing Liquid Crystal Display Panel}             

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional liquid crystal display panel.

2 is a view for explaining the orientation misalignment caused by the foreign matter inserted in the process.

3 is a view showing a bright point appearing when the image is implemented by the foreign material.

4 is a view illustrating an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a view for explaining the operation of the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

    <Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

2, 102: upper substrate 4, 104: black matrix

6, 106: color filter 13,113: pattern spacer

18,118: common electrode 32,132: lower substrate                 

16,116 pixel electrode 55,155 foreign material

160: laser irradiation apparatus 170: liquid crystal display panel

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel, and more particularly, to a repair apparatus and a method of a liquid crystal display panel capable of darkening a bright point to improve image quality.

In general, a liquid crystal display (LCD) displays an image by adjusting the light transmittance of the liquid crystal according to a video signal. To this end, the liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel in which liquid crystal cells are arranged in a matrix, and a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal display panel.

The liquid crystal display is roughly classified into a twisted nematic (TN) mode using a vertical electric field and an in plan switch (IPS) mode using a horizontal electric field according to the electric field driving the liquid crystal.

The TN mode is a mode in which a liquid crystal is driven by a vertical electric field between a pixel electrode and a common electrode disposed to face the upper substrate. The TN mode has a large aperture ratio and a narrow viewing angle. On the other hand, the IPS mode is a mode for driving the liquid crystal by a horizontal electric field between the pixel electrode and the common electrode disposed side by side on the lower substrate has a large viewing angle has a disadvantage of small aperture ratio.                         

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional TN mode liquid crystal display panel.

The liquid crystal display panel illustrated in FIG. 1 includes an upper array substrate (or a black matrix 4, a color filter 6, a common electrode 18, and an upper alignment layer 8) sequentially formed on the upper substrate 2. A color filter array substrate), a TFT formed on the lower substrate 32, a lower array substrate composed of a pixel electrode 16 and a lower alignment layer 38, and an injection into an internal space between the upper array substrate and the lower array substrate. The liquid crystal 52 is provided.

Meanwhile, in the IPS mode liquid crystal display panel, the common electrode 18 is formed on the lower substrate 32 and the planarization layer (compensated) to compensate for the step difference of the color filter 6 on the color filter 6 on the upper substrate 2. Not shown) is formed.

In the upper array substrate, the black matrix 4 is formed on the upper substrate 2 in correspondence with the TFT region of the lower array substrate and the region of the gate lines and data lines not shown, and the color filter 6 is formed. Prepare a cell area to be used. The black matrix 4 prevents light leakage and absorbs external light to increase contrast. The color filter 6 is formed over the cell region separated by the black matrix 4 and the black matrix 4. The color filter 6 is formed for each of R, G, and B to implement R, G, and B colors. The common electrode 18 is supplied with a common voltage for controlling the movement of the liquid crystal. The spacer 13 serves to maintain a cell gap between the upper array substrate and the lower array substrate.

In the lower array substrate, the TFTs overlap with the gate electrode 9 formed on the lower substrate 32 together with the gate line, and the semiconductor layers 14 and 42 overlapping the gate electrode 9 and the gate insulating film 44 therebetween. ) And source / drain electrodes 40 and 47 formed together with data lines (not shown) with semiconductor layers 14 and 42 interposed therebetween. This TFT supplies the pixel signal from the data line to the pixel electrode 16 in response to the scan signal from the gate line. The pixel electrode 16 is a transparent conductive material having a high light transmittance and is in contact with the drain electrode 47 of the TFT with the passivation layer 50 interposed therebetween. The upper and lower alignment layers 8 and 38 for liquid crystal alignment are formed by applying an alignment material such as polyimide and then performing a rubbing process.

If a defect occurs in each of the thin films of the upper array substrate and the lower array substrate of the conventional liquid crystal display panel, it is repaired by using a rework or a laser. However, in the case where foreign matter is deposited between the thin film of the upper array substrate and the thin film of the lower array substrate, repair by a rework, a laser, or the like is impossible.

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining an orientation defect caused by a foreign material inserted during a process, and FIG. 3 is a view showing bright spots when an image is formed by a foreign material.

In general, when moving to a separate chamber or to a third place in the chamber to form a predetermined thin film or to form another thin film and the thin film, for example, as shown in Figure 2 and the common electrode 18 The foreign material 55 or the like may be frequently deposited between the upper alignment layers 8. The alignment layer positioned to correspond to the foreign material 55 is not uniformly rubbed during the rubbing process by the foreign material 55, so that an uneven alignment area A is formed in the liquid crystal display panel.

In the liquid crystal display panel, light leakage is generated by the non-uniform alignment region A, and the light leakage interferes with the light transmittance of the liquid crystal, thereby causing bright spots to appear on the liquid crystal display panel as shown in FIG. 3. In general, when a high gray is implemented, a dark point is seen as a dark area by light leakage, and when a low gray is implemented, it is called a bright spot where the sun is bright by a light leak. Here, the human eye is relatively sensitive to bright spots rather than dark spots, thereby giving a stricter criterion for the bright spots than the dark spots when the panel is judged as unfavorable. Accordingly, a method for minimizing the defective rate of the panel due to bright spots is required.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a repair apparatus and method for a liquid crystal display panel which can improve the yield by darkening the bright point.

In order to achieve the above object, a repair apparatus for a liquid crystal display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a liquid crystal display panel including first and second substrates on which a cell gap is maintained by a spacer including an opaque pigment; And a laser irradiation device for melting the spacer adjacent to the foreign matter mixed in the liquid crystal display panel and darkening the region in which the foreign material exists.

The opaque pigment is at least one of carbon or metal oxide is added to the acrylic material.                     

The laser irradiation apparatus irradiates a laser to the spacer and moves the laser toward the foreign material to guide the flow of the spacer dissolved by the laser toward the foreign material.

The laser is generated using at least one of Nd YAG, excimer, CO, CO ₂ , He-Ne, HF, and a diode.

The Nd YAG laser has a wavelength of 330 ~ 340nm, 530 ~ 540nm and 1060 ~ 1070nm, the excimer laser is 190 ~ 200nm wavelength, the CO laser is 4900 ~ 5100nm wavelength, the CO ₂ laser is 100 ~ 110nm Wavelength, the He-Ne laser has a wavelength of 630 ~ 640nm, the HF laser has a wavelength of 2700 ~ 2900nm and the diode laser has a wavelength of 100 ~ 1000nm.

The spacer is any one of a pattern spacer and a ball spacer.

In the method of repairing a liquid crystal display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, the liquid crystal display panel repairing method comprising a liquid crystal display panel including a first substrate and a second substrate in which a cell gap is maintained by a spacer including an opaque pigment. Sensing the position of the foreign material mixed in; Melting the spacer adjacent to the foreign material to darken the region where the foreign material exists.

The opaque pigment is at least one of carbon or metal oxide is added to the acrylic material.

The darkening may include irradiating a laser to the spacer; And moving the laser beam irradiated to the spacer toward the foreign material to guide the flow of the spacer dissolved by the laser toward the foreign material.

The laser is generated using at least one of Nd YAG, excimer, CO, CO ₂ , He-Ne, HF, and a diode.

The Nd YAG laser has a wavelength of 330 ~ 340nm, 530 ~ 540nm and 1060 ~ 1070nm, the excimer laser is 190 ~ 200nm wavelength, the CO laser is 4900 ~ 5100nm wavelength, the CO ₂ laser is 100 ~ 110nm Wavelength, the He-Ne laser has a wavelength of 630 ~ 640nm, the HF laser has a wavelength of 2700 ~ 2900nm and the diode laser has a wavelength of 100 ~ 1000nm.

The spacer is any one of a pattern spacer and a ball spacer.

Other objects and features of the present invention in addition to the above object will be apparent from the description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

4 is a diagram illustrating a repair apparatus for a liquid crystal display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the foreign material 155 is mixed in the liquid crystal display panel 170, the apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel of the present invention irradiates a laser on the pattern spacer 104 in a region adjacent to the mixed foreign material 155. The laser irradiation apparatus 160 which darkens the area | region by which the foreign material 155 was mixed is provided.

The liquid crystal display panel 170 includes a black matrix 104, a color filter 106, a common electrode 118, a pattern spacer 113, and an upper alignment layer 108 that are sequentially formed on the upper substrate 102. Between an array substrate (or color filter array substrate), a TFT formed on the lower substrate 132, a lower array substrate composed of a pixel electrode 116 and a lower alignment layer 138, and an upper array substrate and a lower array substrate. The liquid crystal 152 is injected into the inner space.

In the upper array substrate, the black matrix 104 is formed on the upper substrate 102 corresponding to the TFT region of the lower plate and the gate line and data line regions not shown, and the cell in which the color filter 106 is to be formed. Provide an area. The black matrix 104 prevents light leakage and absorbs external light to increase contrast. The color filter 106 is formed over the cell region separated by the black matrix 4 and the black matrix 4. The color filter 106 is formed for each of R, G, and B to implement R, G, and B colors. The common electrode 118 is supplied with a common voltage for controlling the movement of the liquid crystal. The pattern spacer 113 serves to maintain a cell gap between the upper array substrate and the lower array substrate.

Here, the pattern spacer 113 of the present invention is formed of an opaque material in which at least one of carbon or metal oxide is added to the acrylic material.

In the lower array substrate, the TFT includes a gate electrode 109 formed on the lower substrate 102 together with a gate line, and a semiconductor layer 114 overlapping the gate electrode 109 and the gate insulating layer 144 therebetween. 147 and source / drain electrodes 140 and 142 formed with a data line (not shown) with semiconductor layers 114 and 147 interposed therebetween. The TFT supplies a pixel signal from the data line to the pixel electrode 116 in response to a scan signal from the gate line.

The pixel electrode 116 is a transparent conductive material having a high light transmittance and contacts the drain electrode 142 of the TFT with the passivation layer 150 therebetween. The upper and lower alignment layers 108 and 138 for liquid crystal alignment are formed by applying an alignment material such as polyimide and then performing a rubbing process. Meanwhile, in the IPS mode liquid crystal display panel, the common electrode 118 is formed on the lower substrate 132 and the planarization layer (compensated) to compensate for the step difference of the color filter 106 on the color filter 106 on the upper substrate 102. Not shown) is formed.

The laser irradiation device 160 irradiates a laser to the pattern spacer 113 close to the region where the foreign material 155 is mixed when the mixed foreign material 155 is found after the upper array substrate and the lower array substrate are bonded together. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, when the foreign material 155 is mixed between the common electrode 118 and the upper alignment layer 108, the laser beam from the laser irradiation apparatus 160 may form a foreign material on the upper substrate 102. 155 is irradiated to the pattern spacer 113 closest to the mixed region.

The laser of the laser irradiation apparatus 160 is irradiated to the pattern spacer 113 with strong energy of about 0.1-2J / cm <2>. Accordingly, the pattern spacer 113 is fluid due to the change of its characteristics due to strong energy, that is, the pattern spacer 113 is melted by the strong energy. At this time, the foreign material 155 is mixed with the laser from the pattern spacer 113. If the moved to the area of the melted pattern spacer 113 is moved to the area where the foreign material 155 is mixed, the area where the foreign material 155 is mixed is darkened.

In order to darken the region where the melted pattern spacer 113 is moved, the pattern spacer 113 is formed of a material in which at least one of carbon or metal oxide is added to the acrylic material.

In this way, by darkening the bright point due to the misalignment, the defective rate of the panel is minimized, and the yield is always maintained.

Here, the laser irradiation device 160 is an Nd YAGNd YAG laser (yttrium aluminum garnet) (a laser oscillated using a neo- nium solid and refers to a laser using YAG crystals as an amplification medium), an excimer laser (an atom in an excited state) And excimers made by atoms in the ground state are lasers that use excited molecules to emit light and return to dissociated state.) And diode lasers (light generated during carrier movement or energy level transfer between N-type semiconductor and P-type semiconductor junction). Refers to a laser that oscillates using.

At this time, the Nd YAG laser has a wavelength of 330 ~ 340nm, 530 ~ 540nm and 1060 ~ 1070nm, excimer laser 190 ~ 200nm wavelength and diode laser 100 ~ 1000nm wavelength.

In addition, a laser generated using CO, CO ₂ , He-Ne, or HF may be used. At this time, CO laser has a wavelength of 4900 ~ 5100nm, CO ₂ laser has a wavelength of 100 ~ 110nm, He-Ne laser has a wavelength of 630 ~ 640nm, HF laser has a wavelength of 2700 ~ 2900nm.

As described above, when the foreign material 155 is mixed in the liquid crystal display panel 170, the repair apparatus of the liquid crystal display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention applies a laser to the pattern spacer 113 in a region close to the mixed foreign material 155. The light emitted from the backlight passes to the outside by darkening an area where the foreign material 155 is mixed in the liquid crystal display panel 170 by using the laser irradiation device 160 which irradiates and darkens the area where the foreign material 155 is mixed. This prevents the occurrence of bright spots. Accordingly, the yield is improved, such as the failure rate of the liquid crystal display panel is minimized.

In the description with reference to FIG. 5, only the case of the pattern spacer 113 is described, but the present invention is also possible in the case of the ball spacer.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a repair method of a liquid crystal display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, an upper array substrate on which the black matrix 104, the color filter 106, the common electrode 118, the pattern spacer 113, and the upper alignment layer 108 are sequentially formed on the upper substrate 102. Or a color filter array substrate) is formed (S2).

In addition, a thin film transistor, a pixel electrode 116 connected to the thin film transistor, and a lower alignment layer are formed on the lower substrate 132 at the intersection of the gate line and the data line 40, the gate line and the data line by a separate process. A lower array substrate (thin film transistor array substrate) on which 138 is formed is formed. (S4) Meanwhile, in the case of the liquid crystal display panel of the IPS mode, the common electrode 118 is formed on the lower substrate 132 and the upper substrate ( A planarization layer is formed on the color filter 106 of 102.

Thereafter, the upper substrate and the lower substrate are bonded to each other with the liquid crystal interposed therebetween, thereby forming the liquid crystal display panel (S6).

Subsequently, when a foreign material 155 or the like is inserted between the thin film and the thin film of the upper substrate 102, for example, between the common electrode 118 and the upper alignment layer 108, the laser irradiation apparatus 160 illustrated in FIG. 4. Using the laser to irradiate the pattern spacer 113 in the region adjacent to the foreign material 155 to melt the pattern spacer 113.

At this time, the laser irradiation apparatus 160 scans the laser of the laser irradiation apparatus 160 in order to move the melted pattern spacer 113 to the region in which the foreign substance 155 is mixed. Darkening.

Accordingly, the pattern spacer 113 formed by adding any one of carbon or metal oxides to the acrylic material and blocking the light in the region in which the foreign material 155 is mixed, darkens the region where the foreign material 155 is mixed. (S8) Accordingly, the failure rate of the panel is minimized by darkening the bright point due to the misalignment, so that the yield is always maintained.

As such, the method of irradiating a laser beam onto the pattern spacer 113 to darken the bright spots in an opaque area in which the foreign material 155 is mixed is not only an IPS mode liquid crystal panel and a TN mode liquid crystal display panel, but also an ECB (Electrical). The present invention can be easily applied to a liquid crystal display panel of Controlled Birefringence (VA), and also VA (Vertical Alignment) mode.

 As described above, the repairing apparatus and method for a liquid crystal display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be applied to a spacer in a region close to the foreign material when a bright point is generated by a foreign material inserted between the thin film and the thin film during the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display panel. The laser is irradiated to melt the spacers, and the melted spacers are used to darken the region in which the foreign material is mixed. Accordingly, the failure rate of the panel is minimized by darkening the bright point due to the misalignment, so that the yield is always maintained.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (12)

A liquid crystal display panel comprising first and second substrates having a cell gap maintained by a spacer including an opaque pigment; And a laser irradiation device for melting the spacer adjacent to the foreign matter mixed in the liquid crystal display panel and darkening the region in which the foreign material exists. The method of claim 1, The opaque pigment repair device for a liquid crystal display panel, characterized in that at least one of carbon or metal oxide is added to the acrylic material. The method of claim 1, And the laser irradiating apparatus irradiates the laser to the spacer and moves the laser toward the foreign material to induce a flow of the spacer dissolved by the laser toward the foreign material. The method of claim 3, wherein And the laser is generated using at least one of Nd YAG, excimer, CO, CO ₂ , He-Ne, HF, and a diode. The method of claim 4, wherein The Nd YAG laser has wavelengths of 330 to 340 nm, 530 to 540 nm, and 1060 to 1070 nm, the excimer laser is 190 to 200 nm, the CO laser is 4900 to 5100 nm, and the CO ₂ laser is 100 to 110 nm. Wavelength, wherein the He-Ne laser has a wavelength of 630 to 640 nm, the HF laser has a wavelength of 2700 to 2900 nm, and the diode laser has a wavelength of 100 to 1000 nm. The method of claim 1, And the spacer is one of a pattern spacer and a ball spacer. In the method of repairing a liquid crystal display panel comprising a first and a second substrate, the cell gap is maintained by a spacer containing an opaque pigment, Detecting a position of a foreign material mixed in the liquid crystal display panel; And melting the spacer close to the foreign material to darken the region in which the foreign material exists. The method of claim 7, wherein The opaque pigment repair method of a liquid crystal display panel, characterized in that at least one of carbon or metal oxide is added to the acrylic material. The method of claim 7, wherein The darkening step, Irradiating a laser on the spacer; And moving the laser beam irradiated to the spacer toward the foreign material to guide the flow of the spacer dissolved by the laser toward the foreign material. The method of claim 9, And the laser is generated using at least one of Nd YAG, excimer, CO, CO ₂ , He-Ne, HF, and a diode. The method of claim 10, The Nd YAG laser has wavelengths of 330 to 340 nm, 530 to 540 nm, and 1060 to 1070 nm, the excimer laser is 190 to 200 nm, the CO laser is 4900 to 5100 nm, and the CO ₂ laser is 100 to 110 nm. Wavelength, wherein the He-Ne laser has a wavelength of 630 to 640 nm, the HF laser has a wavelength of 2700 to 2900 nm, and the diode laser has a wavelength of 100 to 1000 nm. The method of claim 7, wherein The spacer is a repair method of a liquid crystal display panel, characterized in that any one of a pattern spacer and a ball spacer.

Images