The present invention relates to color filter fabrication technology and more specifically, to a color filter fabrication apparatus for making color filters by means of roller printing.
Please refer to
Step 100, where a metal layer 12, for example, a layer of chrome is covered on the surface of a substrate 10;
Step 101, where the metal layer 12 is etched to remove the undesired part, forming a pattern of a black matrix 121 on the surface of the substrate 10;
Step 102, where a layer of red photoresist 14 is coated on the substrate 10 over the black matrix 121:
Step 103, where a photomask 143 is covered on the layer of red photoresist 14 and then ultraviolet light 145 is employed to radiate the layer of red photoresist 14 through the photomask 143, curing the layer of red photoresist 14 partially subject to the configuration of the photomask 143;
Step 104, where the photomask 143 is taken away, and the red photoresist 14 that is not cured is removed from the substrate 10, leaving cured red photoresist 141 on the substrate 10; and
Step 105, where green photoresist 161 and blue photoresist 181 are respectively formed on the substrate 10 and cured in a same manner as the aforesaid Steps 102 through 104.
According to the aforesaid conventional color filter fabrication method, the investment cost of the etching equipment is high. Further, during cleaning after curing of applied red, green or blue photoresist, ⅔ of the applied photoresist is wasted. From the point of view of material utilization, the aforesaid fabrication process is resource-wasting method.
It is, therefore, the primary purpose of the present invention to provide a color filter fabrication equipment, which utilizes printing rollers having a respective microstructure pattern for printing the desired black matrix and photoresist patterns, achieving the fabrication of color filters rapidly and accurately.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a color filter fabrication equipment, which utilizes printing rollers to print black matrix and red, green and blue photoresist materials, accelerating the fabrication of color filters and lowering the related manufacturing cost.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a color filter fabrication equipment, which runs curing operation when printing photoresist materials onto the substrate, enhancing the effect of the adherence of the printed photoresist materials to the substrate.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a color filter fabrication equipment, which utilizes orderly arranged printing rollers to print the desired black matrix and photoresist patterns, achieving continuous fabrication and improving the productivity and yield rate.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a color filter fabrication equipment, which effectively utilizes applied materials, greatly reducing the consumption of photoresist materials during the manufacturing process.
To achieve these and other objects and according to a first embodiment of the present invention, the color filter fabrication apparatus comprises a platform carrying a substrate, a black matrix printing roller mounted on the platform in a first position and kept in contact with the substrate for printing a black matrix material on the substrate, a first photoresist printing roller mounted on the platform in a second position and kept in contact with the substrate for printing a first photoresist material on the substrate, a second photoresist printing roller mounted on the platform in a third position and kept in contact with the substrate for printing a second photoresist material on the substrate, and a third photoresist printing roller mounted on the platform in a fourth position and kept in contact with the substrate for printing a third photoresist material on the substrate, wherein the first photoresist printing roller, the second photoresist printing roller and the third photoresist printing roller are rotated to print a first photoresist, a second photoresist and a third photoresist onto the substrate in such a manner that the printed first photoresist, second photoresist and third photoresist fill up a respective area defined by the black matrix material being printed on the substrate by the black matrix printing roller.
To achieve these and other objects and according to a second embodiment of the present invention, the color filter fabrication apparatus comprises a platform carrying a substrate, a black matrix printing roller mounted on the platform in a first position and kept in contact with the substrate for printing a black matrix material on the substrate, a first transfer-printing roller mounted on the platform in a second position and kept in contact with the substrate for transfer-printing a first photoresist material on the substrate, a first photoresist printing roller disposed above the first transfer-printing roller for printing a first photoresist material onto the first transfer-printing roller, a second transfer-printing roller mounted on the platform in a third position and kept in contact with the substrate for printing a second photoresist material on the substrate, a second photoresist printing roller disposed above the second transfer-printing roller for printing a second photoresist material onto the second transfer-printing roller, a third transfer-printing roller mounted on the platform in a fourth position and kept in contact with the substrate for printing a third photoresist material on the substrate, and a third photoresist printing roller disposed above the third transfer-printing roller for printing a third photoresist material onto the third transfer-printing roller, wherein the first transfer-printing roller, the second transfer-printing roller and the third transfer-printing roller are rotated to print a first photoresist, a second photoresist and a third photoresist onto the substrate in such a manner that the printed first photoresist, second photoresist and third photoresist fill up a respective area defined by the black matrix material being printed on the substrate by the black matrix printing roller.
Please refer to
A color filter fabrication apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a platform 40 adapted for carrying a substrate 44 for processing, a black matrix printing roller 22, a red photoresist printing roller 32, a green photoresist printing roller 34 and a blue photoresist printing roller 36.
The black matrix printing roller 22 has a black matrix female mould 221 arranged on the cylindrical surface thereof, as shown in
The red photoresist printing roller 32 has a red photoresist female mould 321 arranged on the cylindrical surface thereof and a temperature control device 325 mounted therein, as shown in
According to this embodiment, the green photoresist printing roller 34 and the blue photoresist printing roller 36 have a structure similar to the red photoresist printing roller 32 with the exception that the green photoresist printing roller 34 has a green photoresist 485 filled in the green photoresist female mould thereof and the blue photoresist printing roller 36 has a blue photoresist 487 filled in the blue photoresist female mould thereof.
Referring to
The black matrix printing roller 22 is disposed at the frontmost side relative to the other printing rollers. A black matrix coater 421 is provided above the black matrix printing roller 22 for applying a black matrix material to the black matrix female mould 221 of the black matrix printing roller 22. The black matrix printing roller 22 touches the substrate 44, and is rotated to print the black matrix material onto the substrate 44, forming a black matrix 481 on the substrate 44. In the frame of printing pattern 480 shown in
The red photoresist printing roller 32, the green photoresist printing roller 34 and the blue photoresist printing roller 36 may be arranged above the platform 40 behind the black matrix printing roller 22 at any desired order. According to this embodiment, the red photoresist printing roller 32, the green photoresist printing roller 34 and the blue photoresist printing roller 36 are arranged one after another in a proper order in a parallel manner behind the black matrix printing roller 22.
Further, a red photoresist coater 423, a green photoresist coater 425 and a blue photoresist coater 427 are respectively arranged above the red photoresist printing roller 32, the green photoresist printing roller 34 and the blue photoresist printing roller 36 for applying a red photoresist, a green photoresist and a blue photoresist to the red photoresist female mould 321, the green photoresist female mould 341 and the blue photoresist female mould 361 respectively.
After application of the red, green and blue photoresist materials to the red photoresist female mould 321, the green photoresist female mould 341 and the blue photoresist female mould 361, the red photoresist printing roller 32, the green photoresist printing roller 34 and the blue photoresist printing roller 36 are rotated to print the red photoresist 483, the green photoresist 485 and the blue photoresist 487 onto the substrate 44 in a respective area defined by the black matrix 481.
When the substrate 44 is being moved through point B, pint C and point D in the fabrication apparatus, the printed patterns BB, CC, DD are shown in the frame of printing pattern 480 in
Further, curing apparatuses 46 are respectively provided below the platform 40 corresponding to the black matrix printing roller 22, the red photoresist printing roller 32, the green photoresist printing roller 34 and the blue photoresist printing roller 36 for curing the printed black matrix, red photoresist, green photoresist and blue photoresist and enhancing the effect of the adherence of the respective printed material to the substrate 44.
The curing apparatuses 46 are selected subject to the material properties of the black matrix 481, the red photoresist 483, the green photoresist 485 and the blue photoresist 487. In case the black matrix 481, the red photoresist 483, the green photoresist 485 and the blue photoresist 487 are respectively prepared from photo-curable materials, the curing apparatuses 46 can be ultraviolet light curing apparatus. If the black matrix 481, the red photoresist 483, the green photoresist 485 and the blue photoresist 487 are respectively prepared from thermoset materials, the curing apparatuses 46 can be thermosetting type curing apparatus for curing the black matrix 481, the red photoresist 483, the green photoresist 485 and the blue photoresist 487 respectively by heating.
The red photoresist printing roller 52 has a red photoresist female mould 521 arranged on the cylindrical surface thereof as shown in
This second embodiment employs a transfer-printing technique to transfer-print different photoresist materials to the substrate 44, avoiding damage to the black matrix 481. The red photoresist female mould 321 is directly formed on and curved inwards in the cylindrical surface of the red photoresist printing roller 52, facilitating filling of the red photoresist.
According to this second embodiment, the black matrix printing roller 22 is disposed at the frontmost side relative to the other printing rollers. A black matrix coater 421 is provided above the black matrix printing roller 22 for applying a black matrix material to the black matrix female mould 221 of the black matrix printing roller 22. The black matrix printing roller 22 touches the substrate 44, and is rotated to print the black matrix material onto the substrate 44.
The red transfer-printing roller 53, the green transfer-printing roller 55 and the blue transfer-printing roller 57 can be arranged above the platform 40 at predetermined locations in any desired order. Because these transfer-printing rollers are responsible for transfer printing only, they do not have any microstructure pattern on the respective cylindrical surface. The red transfer-printing roller 53, the green transfer-printing roller 55 and the blue transfer-printing roller 57 are arranged above the platform 40 for the contact of the respective photoresist materials and for transfer-printing the respective photoresist materials onto the substrate 44.
The red photoresist printing roller 52, the green photoresist printing roller 54 and the blue photoresist printing roller 56 are respectively arranged above the red transfer-printing roller 53, the green transfer-printing roller 55 and the blue transfer-printing roller 57. Further, a red photoresist coater 423, a green photoresist coater 425 and a blue photoresist coater 427 are respectively arranged above the red photoresist printing roller 52, the green photoresist printing roller 54 and the blue photoresist printing roller 56 for applying a red photoresist, a green photoresist and a blue photoresist to the red photoresist female mould 521 of the red photoresist printing roller 52, the green photoresist female mould 541 of the green photoresist printing roller 54 and the blue photoresist female mould 561 of the blue photoresist printing roller 56 respectively.
After application of the red, green and blue photoresist materials to the red photoresist female mould 521, the green photoresist female mould 541 and the blue photoresist female mould 561, the red photoresist printing roller 52, the green photoresist printing roller 54 and the blue photoresist printing roller 56 are rotated to transfer the red photoresist 483, the green photoresist 485 and the blue photoresist 487 to the red transfer-printing roller 53, the green transfer-printing roller 55 and the blue transfer-printing roller 57, and at the same time the red transfer-printing roller 53, the green transfer-printing roller 55 and the blue transfer-printing roller 57 are rotated to transfer-print the red photoresist 483, the green photoresist 485 and the blue photoresist 487 onto the substrate 44 in a respective area defined by the black matrix 481.
Further, curing apparatuses 46 are respectively provided below the platform 40 corresponding to the black matrix printing roller 22, the red transfer-printing roller 53, the green transfer-printing roller 55 and the blue transfer-printing roller 57 for curing the printed black matrix, red photoresist, green photoresist and blue photoresist and enhancing the effect of the adherence of the respective printed material to the substrate 44.
Further, in the aforesaid embodiments, the red photoresist 483, the green photoresist 485 and the blue photoresist 487 are negative photoresists; the substrate 44 can be a flexible substrate; the black matrix coater 421, the red photoresist coater 423, the green photoresist coater 425 and the blue photoresist coater 427 can be slit coaters, squeeze roll coaters or blade coaters.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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097101962 | Jan 2008 | TW | national |