Manufacturing method of liquid crystal display device

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device includes forming an assembly by sealing a gap between outer circumferential regions of two glass substrates, which are positioned to face each other, with an outer circumferential sealing member. The assembly is dipped in an etching solution contained in an etching vessel, thereby etching the two glass substrates of the assembly for a time corresponding to a predetermind etching thickness of each of the two glass substrates, so as to decrease the thickness of each of the two glass substrates, while the temperature and the concentration of the etching solution contained in the etching vessel are maintained constant.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1A is a plan view exemplifying the construction of a liquid crystal display device manufactured by the manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view along the line 1B-1B shown in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device shown collectively in FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIG. 3 is a perspective plan view, partly broken away, showing the construction of the liquid crystal display device, and intended to explain the manufacturing steps S1 to S4 shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view for schematically showing an example of the construction of an etching apparatus;

FIG. 5 shows as an example the construction of a main portion of an electric circuit of a conductivity meter;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view for showing an example of a main portion of another conductivity meter;

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the thickness of the etched glass substrate and the etching time; and

FIG. 8 schematically shows as another example of the etching apparatus.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, comprising: forming at least one assembly by sealing a gap between outer circumferential regions of two glass substrates, which are positioned to face each other, with an outer circumferential sealing member;dipping said at least one assembly in an etching solution contained in an etching vessel; andetching the two glass substrates of the assembly for a time corresponding to a predetermind etching thickness of each of the two glass substrates, so as to decrease the thickness of each of the two glass substrates, while the temperature and the concentration of the etching solution contained in the etching vessel are maintained constant.

2. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the etching includes: detecting the temperature of the etching solution contained in the etching vessel by using a temperature detector; andcontrolling the temperature of the etching solution by heating with a heater or by the cooling with a cooler, based on the result of the temperature detection to maintain the temperature of the etching solution constant.

3. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein: the etching solution includes an aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid; andthe etching includes detecting the concentration of the hydrofluoric acid in the etching solution contained in the etching vessel by using a concentration detector; andsupplying hydrofluoric acid solution into the etching vessel based on the result of the concentration detection so as to control the hydrofluoric concentration of the etching solution contained in the etching vessel to maintain the concentration of the etching solution contained in the etching vessel constant.

4. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the etching includes rocking the etching vessel.

5. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the etching includes applying an ultrasonic vibration to the etching solution contained in the etching vessel.

6. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein forming said at least one assembly includes: bonding the outer circumferential regions of the glass substrates to each other with an outer circumferential sealing member interposed therebetween, the outer circumferential sealing member having at least one opening for allowing an inner region between the glass substrates to communicate with an outer side of the substrates; andsealing said at least one opening of the outer circumferential sealing member with a sealing member.

7. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising after the etching: removing the sealing member interposed between the glass substrates by cutting at least that portion of the outer circumferential regions of the two glass substrates in which the sealing member for sealing the air releasing port is arranged; andcutting the two glass substrates from which the sealing member has been removed into at least one individual liquid crystal display device.

8. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein each of the two glass substrates of the assembly has an area large enough to form therein a plurality of finished liquid crystal display devices, and the two glass substrates are bonded to each other with a plurality of frame sealing members and the outer circumferential sealing member interposed therebetween so as to form the assembly for forming a plurality of liquid crystal display devices.

9. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, comprising a batch processing in which a plurality of assemblies each used for forming a plurality of liquid crystal display devices are subjected simultaneously to the etching.