This application claims the benefit of the Korean Application No. P2002-18968 filed on Apr. 8, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to device and method for fabricating a display panel, more particularly, to device and method for fabricating a display panel having ink-jet printing applied thereto for reducing a production cost and simplifying a fabrication process of a panel.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, cathode-ray tubes (CRT) have been used mostly as displays. However, following digitization of information, a new concept of displays is required. For an example, compact displays with low power consumption are required in an environment requiring mobility, such as cars, or airplanes, or portable computers, and large sized displays with high luminance, and width angle of view are required in an environment in which delivery of information to the mass of people is required.
Recently, researches and development for flat panel displays (FPD) are in progress actively as displays suitable for a variety of environments as explained above. As the flat panel displays, there are liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma display panels (PDP), field emitter displays (FED), and electroluminescent displays (ELD).
However, for putting the displays into practical use, it is required that the fabrication processes of the displays are simplified for dropping a fabrication cost. Particularly, cost reduction of the panel pattern fabrication process which requires expensive equipment and complicate fabrication steps is very keen.
In a related art patterning, photolithography and screen printing are used mostly. Though thin and even pattern is available, the photolithography has a high material cost, and complicated fabrication process, as many fabrication steps, such as deposition, masking, etching, and the like, are required. Though the fabrication process is simple, and fabrication equipment is not expensive compared to the photolithography, the thin and even pattern is available from the screen print.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to device and method for fabricating a display panel having ink-jet printing applied thereto that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide device and method for fabricating a display panel having ink-jet printing applied thereto, which can reduce fabrication cost and simplify process steps.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the device for fabricating a display panel having ink-jet printing applied thereto includes a stage for supporting a substrate, a base having one or more than one rail for transporting the stage, and one or more than one ink-jet head rotatable by an angel for spraying a pattern forming solution to the substrate.
The angle of rotation of the ink-jet head are controlled by head controlling means according to intervals of patterns intended to form.
The head control means includes head holders each for holding the ink-jet heads, and two support plates for supporting the head holders.
The head control means includes head holders each for holding the ink-jet heads, and gears each connected to a center shaft of one of the head holders and engaged with each other for rotating the head holders.
The device for fabricating a display panel having ink-jet printing applied thereto further includes cleaning means for cleaning and capping the ink-jet heads, a plurality of CCD cameras and monitors for monitoring positions of the substrate and the ink-jet heads and spraying action (state) of the ink-jet heads, and a head support having rails for transporting the ink-jet heads.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for fabricating a display panel having ink-jet printing applied thereto including a stage for supporting a substrate, a base having one or more than one rail for transporting the stage, and ink-jet heads each having a plurality of nozzles for spraying a pattern forming solution to the substrate, head controlling means for turning the ink-jet heads by a preset angle according to intervals of patterns intended to form, cleaning means for cleaning the ink-jet heads, and one or more than one camera for monitoring the substrate and the nozzles.
The stage includes an upper plate, a lower plate, and rails between the upper and lower plate running perpendicular to rails on the base.
The head controlling means turns the ink-jet heads by a preset angle with reference to a direction perpendicular to a length direction of the patterns intended to form, and the head controlling means turns the ink-jet heads the greater as the intervals between the patterns the smaller.
The head controlling means includes head holders for holding the ink-jet heads, two support plates for supporting the head holders.
The head control means includes head holders each for holding the ink-jet heads, and gears each connected to a center shaft of one of the head holders and engaged with each other for rotating the head holders.
The ink-jet head is movable in up/down directions.
The cleaning means is movable along the rails on the base for capping the nozzles when the ink-jet heads are not in use.
In further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for fabricating a display panel having an ink-jet printing applied thereto, including the steps of setting ink-jet heads with the ink-jet heads turned by a preset angle with reference to a direction perpendicular to a length direction of the patterns according to intervals of patterns intended to form, monitoring positions of the nozzles of the ink-jet heads, aligning a substrate on a stage, and spraying a pattern forming solution onto the substrate through nozzles in the ink-jet heads while moving the substrate.
The setting step includes the step of setting a number of the ink-jet heads according to a number of the patterns intended to form, and the setting step includes the step of setting the angle the greater as the intervals between the patterns intended to form are the smaller.
The step of monitoring includes the step of CCD cameras monitoring positions of a first nozzle and a last nozzle of each of the ink-jet heads.
The method for fabricating a display panel having an ink-jet printing applied thereto further includes the step of cleaning the nozzles after the step of setting, the step of patterning a dummy for testing nozzles before the step of spraying, and the step of heat treatment for hardening the pattern forming solution after the step of spraying.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention:
In the drawings:
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The substrate 3 may be a plastic substrate having a coat of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), and the solution of forming the pattern may be one of solutions for forming patterns of a display panel, such as a color filter layer, an alignment film, fluorescent material, electrodes, dielectric layer, and the like.
The stage 2 includes an upper plate 2a, and a lower plate 2b, and rails 4b running perpendicular to rails 4a on the base 1 between the upper and lower plates 2a and 2b. Since the rails 4a and 4b are running in perpendicular to each other, the upper plate 2a can be moved in left/right directions one the rails 4a and 4b. Therefore, the substrate 3 and the ink-jet heads 7 can be aligned, accurately.
The ink-jet head 7 is movable along a rail 4c attached to a head support 5 during patterning, as well as in up/down directions for adjusting a gap between the ink-jet head 7 and the substrate 3 according to the up/down movement of the head support 5. 1˜100 ink-jet heads may be fitted according to the pattern the user intends to form, and the pattern can be formed by one flow of process.
Referring to
Also, referring to
The first, or second embodiment head control means 200 can turn the ink-jet heads 7 at the same angle.
Also, referring to
A method for fabricating a pattern of a display panel by using the foregoing device for fabricating a display panel having an ink-jet printing applied thereto will be explained.
At first, a plurality of ink-jet heads 7 are set, and a solution for forming a pattern is loaded on ink-jet heads 7 from a tube (not shown) for storing the solution (S1). 1˜100 ink-jet heads 7 may be fitted according to a number of patterns 51 to be formed. For an example, if it is intended to form 320 patterns 51 by using ink-jet heads 7 each having 32 nozzles by one pass of flow, 10 ink-jet heads 7 are required.
Referring to
The oblique angle θ of the ink-jet heads 7 with reference to the direction ‘V’ perpendicular to a length direction of the patterns 51 intended to form is varied with the intervals ‘B’ of the patterns, i.e., a resolution of the display.
For an example, referring to
In a case of a display with a WXGA class resolution of a resolution higher than the display with a VGA class resolution, for bringing the nozzles 62 to relevant positions of the patterns, it is required that the ink-jet heads 67a, 67b, 67c are arranged oblique by approx. 62° with reference to a direction perpendicular to a length direction of the R, G, B patterns 61a, 61b, 61c. This is because the intervals of R, G, B patterns of the WXGA class are smaller than the intervals of the R, G, B patterns of the VGA class. That is, the higher the resolution of a display, the greater the oblique angle of the ink-jet heads 67a, 67b, and 67c.
Then, nozzles of the ink-jet heads 7 are cleaned S2, by bringing the cleaning means 6 under the ink-jet heads 7 along the rail, and wiping nozzle surfaces, for removing foreign matters stuck to the nozzles and improving meniscus of the nozzles 52.
In the cleaning, if the cleaning means 6 does not move, and, instead, the ink-jet heads 7 move, defective spraying of the ink-jet heads 7 may be caused by washing of the pattern forming solution in the ink-jet heads 7. Therefore, it is preferably that the cleaning means 6 is brought under the ink-jet head 7.
Then, referring to
Then, referring to
Then, referring to
Then, the nozzles 52 spray pattern forming solution onto the substrate 3 while the substrate 3 is moved along the rail 4a by the stage 2 (S6). In this instance, it is required that a viscosity of the pattern forming solution is adjusted taking step coverage of the patterns intended to form into account. That is, when it is intended to form a pattern having a good step coverage, the viscosity of the pattern forming solution is increased, and vice versa. Thus, the device for fabricating a display panel having an ink-jet printing applied thereto of the present invention can improve a pattern step coverage and can form uniform patterns.
Referring to
Referring to
As has been explained, the device and method for fabricating a display panel having ink-jet printing applied thereto of the present invention have the following advantages.
By turning the ink-jet heads by an angle according to intervals of patterns, display panels with different resolutions can be fabricated. Therefore, a fabrication cost can be saved.
The once through formation of the pattern by spraying the pattern forming solution, a fabrication time period can be reduced, and fabrication process can be simplified.
The spray of solution for forming a pattern permits to improve step coverage, to form uniform patterns.
The present invention is applicable, not only to the color filter process of a display panel, but to all processes, such as fluorescent material coating, formation of electrode and spacer, and the like.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the device and method for fabricating a display panel having ink-jet printing applied thereto of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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P2002-18968 | Apr 2002 | KR | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10322313 | Dec 2002 | US |
Child | 11286767 | Nov 2005 | US |