CN100380202C - Color filters and electro-optical devices - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a color filter and an electro-optical device. The color filter is a pixel composed of color elements formed by multi-color inks divided by partition walls (14) formed on a substrate (12) (13) In the color filter (200), dummy pixels (13') are formed outside the pixel (13) forming region. The amount of ink given to each of the pixels (13) is almost the same as the amount of ink given to each of the dummy pixels (13'). Moreover, the formed protective film (21) covering the pixel (13) also covers the dummy pixel (13') at the same time.

Description

Color filters and electro-optical devices

technical field

The present invention relates to a color filter and an electro-optical device, in particular to a color filter and an electro-optical device capable of improving the uniformity of light transmission characteristics of each pixel among pixels.

Background technique

As a color filter used in a display device such as a color liquid crystal display device, after forming a square array of refraction parts and a partition wall with a barrier function on a transparent substrate, the coloring material is coated in the partition wall by an inkjet method, It is obtained by drying and curing at a certain temperature.

In the conventional method of manufacturing a color filter described above, when the liquid is discharged, it is filled up to above the partition walls on the substrate. By drying and solidifying it at a certain temperature, its volume is reduced, so that the height of the colored layer is basically the same as that of the partition wall.

However, in such a color filter, if the liquid level of the ejected ink cannot be sufficiently controlled, the volume of the dried ink may be too large to exceed the upper part of the partition wall on the substrate, or the dried ink may The volume is too small to become a concave shape.

Even if the amount and concentration of ink are the same, the above-mentioned difference in the ink surface after drying will occur due to the difference in drying conditions. For example, if the ink is dried under high temperature conditions after being ejected, the drying proceeds rapidly, and the volume of the ink tends to become smaller. On the contrary, when the ink is dried under low temperature conditions, the drying proceeds slowly, and the volume of the ink almost does not decrease. tendency.

Such variations in the ink surface also occur between pixels on the same substrate. In particular, it occurs between the pixels at the edge and the pixels at the center of the pixel forming region, and the pixels at the center after the edge is removed are relatively uniform. This is considered to be because the drying speed of the edge portion of the pixel formation region is faster than that of the central portion. Such a difference in the ink surface on the same substrate is undesirable because it causes uneven chromaticity and poor color tone.

Such problems occur not only in color filters, but may also occur in other electro-optic devices. For example, in an electronic light-emitting device formed by ejecting a solution of an organic EL emitter by an inkjet method, it is also required to form a uniform light-emitting layer between pixels.

Furthermore, since the surfaces of the colored layer and the barrier layer are not necessarily flat, for example, when a protective layer is formed on the colored layer and the barrier layer and used as a color filter to form a liquid crystal display device, if the surface layer is not flat enough, the distribution of the liquid crystal layer will be uneven. It may not be flat.

Contents of the invention

In view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a liquid that can suppress the difference in quality (volume, surface height, and surface) of the liquid after drying and solidification, and does not have uneven color, uneven hue, and uneven brightness. Color filter and display device.

Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide a color filter and a display device thereof capable of flattening the surface of the color filter and forming a uniformly distributed liquid crystal layer thereon.

In order to solve the above problems, the color filter of the present invention is characterized by including: a plurality of pixels partitioned from each other by partition walls formed on the formation area of the substrate, the pixels include a first colored layer, the first colored layer has a certain number of and a plurality of dummy pixels partitioned from each other by partitions, the dummy pixels including a second coloring layer having a certain amount of coloring material substantially the same as that of the first coloring layer coloring material, the The pixels serve as display elements that function in image display, and the transmission characteristics of light in each of the pixels are made substantially uniform, and the dummy pixels serve as inactive elements in image display.

In the color filter, it is desirable that dummy pixels are formed outside the plurality of pixel regions, and that the amount of ink applied to each of the pixels is substantially the same as that of the ink applied to each of the dummy pixels.

Furthermore, it is desirable that dummy pixels be formed around the plurality of pixel regions, and that a protective film covering the pixels and the dummy pixels be formed.

In the color filter, it is desirable that the inks given to the pixels and the inks given to the dummy pixels have substantially the same amount of ink within a unit area of the substrate.

Furthermore, it is desirable that the protective film is formed to cover a region outside the region where the partition walls are formed. In addition, it is desired to be in close contact with the substrate exposed in the region outside the region where the partition wall is formed.

Furthermore, the color filter of the present invention is characterized in that it includes: pixels partitioned from each other by partition walls formed on the formation area of the substrate so as to include a plurality of color elements of ink, and make the light transmittance of each pixel in each of the above-described The pixels are substantially uniform, the partition wall includes an inorganic light-shielding layer and an organic barrier layer formed on the top of the light-shielding layer, the outermost part of the barrier layer extends to the outermost part of the light-shielding layer, and the barrier layer and the substrate contacts.

The electro-optical device of the present invention is characterized in that the color filter is provided. In the color filter, it is further desirable to provide a liquid crystal layer which selectively transmits light or a discharge display portion which selectively transmits light.

The electro-optical device of the present invention is further characterized in that it includes a plurality of pixels divided by partition walls formed on the substrate and has a light-emitting layer formed by ejecting liquid droplets, and that the light-emitting characteristics of each pixel are substantially uniform among the pixels.

An electronic device of the present invention is characterized in that the electro-optical device is provided.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a partially enlarged view of a color filter according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a part of the color filter of Fig. 1 modified example,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a liquid crystal display device of an electro-optical device in a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the manufacturing process of the color filter.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the manufacturing process of the color filter.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device.

Fig. 8 shows a display device in a first embodiment of the present invention. (a) is a schematic plan view of an EL display device, and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view along line AB in (a).

9 is an enlarged view of a cross-sectional structure of a display region in a display device.

FIG. 10 is a basic conceptual diagram of a display device in another embodiment of the present invention, that is, a plasma type display device.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a plasma display device.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing an example of electronic equipment in the present invention.

In the figure: 200-color filter; 12-substrate; 13-pixel; 13'-dummy pixel; 14-partition wall; 20-coloring pigment: 21-protective film;

Detailed ways

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(1. Structure of color filter)

(1-1 First Embodiment)

Fig. 1 is a partially enlarged view of a color filter in a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 (a) is a top view, and Fig. 1 (b) is a cross-sectional view along line B-B' in Fig. 1 (a).

As shown in FIG. 1( a ), the color filter 200 is provided with pixels 13 arranged in a square array on the substrate 12 , and the boundaries between pixels are divided by partition walls 14 . One of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) inks is introduced into each pixel 13 . In this example, the arrangement of red, green, and blue is a mosaic arrangement, but other arrangements such as a stripe arrangement and a triangle arrangement may also be used.

As shown in FIG. 1( b ), the color filter 200 is provided with a translucent substrate 12 and a translucent partition wall 14 . The pixel 13 is formed on a portion where the partition wall 14 is not formed. The colored layer 20 is composed of inks of various colors introduced into the pixel 13 . A protective film 21 is formed on the partition wall 14 and the colored layer 20 .

The partition wall 14 is provided with a light shielding layer 16 and a barrier layer 17 . The light-shielding layer 16 is formed on the substrate 12 in a prescribed matrix pattern. The light-shielding layer 16 only needs to have sufficient light-shielding properties to function as a black matrix, and materials such as metal and resin can be selected. According to the requirements of thin and sufficiently uniform light-shielding properties, it is desirable to use metal as the material of the light-shielding layer 16 . The metal used as the light-shielding layer 16 is not particularly limited, and can be selected in consideration of the effect in the entire process including film formation and photoetching. As such a metal, it is desirable to be able to use metals such as chromium, nickel, aluminum, etc. used in electronic device processing. When the light-shielding layer 16 is made of metal, sufficient light-shielding performance can be obtained when the film thickness is 0.1 μm or more, and further, the film thickness is preferably 0.5 μm or less in view of the adhesion and brittleness of the metal layer.

The barrier layer 17 is formed on the light shielding layer 16 and has a prescribed square matrix pattern. The barrier layer 17 can divide the part where the colored layers are formed, and prevent the color mixing (color mixing) of adjacent colored layers. Therefore, the film thickness of the barrier layer 17 should be set to have the same height as the ink layer so that the ink as the color material injected when forming the colored layer 20 does not overflow. From the above viewpoint, it is desirable that the film thickness of the barrier layer 17 is within a range of 1 to 5 μm.

In this way, the barrier layer 17 is formed slightly smaller than the light shielding layer 16 in the planar mode. That is, when the barrier layer 17 is formed, a predetermined width is left around the barrier layer 17 to expose the light shielding layer 16 .

The barrier layer 17 is composed of a resin layer capable of lithography. Such a photosensitive resin is not necessarily required to have a large contact angle with water and excellent water repellency, nor is it necessary to have light-shielding properties, so it can be selected from a wide range. For example, a photosensitive resin including urethane resin, acrylic resin, phenol resin, cationic resin, polyimide resin, polyhydroxystyrene, polyvinyl alcohol, etc. can be used.

The colored layer 20 is formed not only on the exposed surface of the substrate 20 but also on the exposed surface of the light-shielding layer. Furthermore, the portion (transmitting portion) formed on the exposed surface of the substrate 20 functions as a substantially colored layer. In contrast, the portion (non-transmitting portion) formed on the exposed surface of the light shielding layer 16 is shielded by the light shielding layer 16 so that the light from the upper side and the lower side of the substrate cannot be substantially transmitted.

In this way, the film thickness of the transmissive portion in the colored layer 20 can be made uniform by the non-transmissive portion formed around the colored layer 20 . As a result, it is possible to prevent color tone unevenness due to partial differences such as film thickness of the colored layer. The reason for this is described below. The peripheral edge portion of the colored layer 20 , that is, the portion in contact with the barrier layer 17 , has a smaller or larger film thickness than other portions depending on the degree of wettability of the ink to the surface of the barrier layer 17 . . Therefore, it is technically difficult to form a uniform film thickness over the entire colored layer. However, according to this embodiment, since the peripheral edge portion of the colored layer 20 whose film thickness is difficult to be uniformly formed overlaps with a part of the light-shielding layer 16, the peripheral edge portion whose film thickness is difficult to control can be made non-transmissive. As a result, it is possible to remove the non-uniform film thickness part causing the color tone non-uniformity from the transmissive part.

Therefore, the width of the exposed portion of the light-shielding layer 16 is expected to be able to consider the wettability of the ink to the barrier layer 17, the effective area of the permeable part, the relationship between the volume and thickness of the ink, the detail limit of the width of the barrier layer, It is designed in the case of ink landing accuracy, etc., for example, 1 to 10 μm, preferably 2 to 3 μm.

Moreover, since the exposed surface of the light-shielding layer 16 is desired to be able to be formed in the part where the colored layer 20 has a non-uniform film thickness as described above, it is desirable to be formed along the peripheral edge of the colored layer 20, that is, along the periphery of the light-shielding layer 16. The edge part forms a continuous ring.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the peripheral edge of the bottom surface of the barrier layer 17 is located inside the peripheral edge of the light-shielding layer 16, that is, because the side of the barrier layer 17 is retracted inwardly than the side of the light-shielding layer 16, the edge of the light-shielding layer 16 form steps. As will be described later, when the colored layer 20 is formed, this step has a function of preventing ink from flowing into the transmissive portion of the adjacent colored layer. As a result, the occurrence of color mixing in the colored layer can be prevented.

In the color filter 200, a dummy pixel 13' having a colored layer that does not function as a display element is formed in a peripheral region outside the pixel formation region where a plurality of pixels 13 functioning as pixels are formed. The dummy pixel 13' It is the part that does not form the active matrix element in the corresponding part of the opposite substrate 38 described later, in order to make the coloring material in the pixel 13 uniform in quality after drying and to make the light transmission characteristics in each pixel better between the pixels. Almost uniformly, the colored layer 20 ′ is provided with the same amount of colored material as the colored layer 20 in the pixel 13 .

As shown in the figure, since the exposed surface of the light-shielding layer 16 of the dummy pixel 13' is larger than that of other pixels 13, that is, the exposed surface (opening) of the glass substrate 12 is reduced, so it can be easily compared with a normal pixel. 13 distinctions. Since the barrier layer 17 surrounding the dummy pixel 13' has the same structure as the barrier layer 17 surrounding other pixels 13, the thickness of the light-shielding layer 16 is sufficiently thinner than that of the barrier layer 17, so that the pixels 13 and the dummy The volume of ink that the pixels 13' can receive is almost the same. Furthermore, the pixel density of the dummy pixels 13' is also the same as that of the normal pixels 13. The dummy pixels 13' can be formed, for example, by dividing pixels into 10 columns on the edge side of the substrate (the pixels are divided into 2 columns in the figure for simplicity).

The protective film 21 covers not only the pixels 13 but also the dummy pixels 13'. Thus, the protective layer can have a flat upper surface, the distribution of the liquid crystal layer can be made uniform, and the light transmission characteristics in each pixel can be made almost uniform among the pixels.

In addition, in the first embodiment described above, openings are also formed in the dummy pixels 13', but the openings may not be formed in the dummy pixels 13'.

(1-2, the second embodiment)

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a part of a color filter according to a modified example of Fig. 1 . In this color filter, there is provided a partition wall 14, which is the same as in the example of FIG. However, the cross-sectional shape of the portion 17' is different from the example in Fig. 1 .

In particular, the outermost part 17' of the barrier layer 17 is formed to have a larger width than the other barrier layers 17, and has the function of directly contacting the substrate 12 on the outside than the outermost part of the light shielding layer 16. part. As a result, there is a gap between the protective layer 21 and the light shielding layer 16, and they are in a state of not being in contact with each other.

In the case where the barrier layer 17 is made of resin, since the outermost portion 17' is formed to have a wider width, the heat capacity of the outer portion is also larger. Therefore, when the colored layer 20 is dried and baked, the rapid thermal change of the colored layer 20 located near the outside of the pixel formation region can be suppressed. As a result, the quality of the colored layer 20 after drying can be kept uniform between the outer vicinity and the central vicinity of the pixel formation region, and the optical characteristics of each pixel can be made uniform among the pixels.

In addition, in the example of FIG. 1, the edge part of the protective layer 21 tends to become a steep inclination, and it may become difficult to control a shape. This is considered to be because the light-shielding layer 16 is in contact with the outermost protective layer 21 of the partition wall 14 in FIG. However, in the example of FIG. 2 , since the protective layer 21 and the light-shielding layer 16 are in a non-contact state at the outermost periphery of the partition wall 14, such a problem does not occur, and the inclination of the protective layer 21 can be stabilized.

(2. Electro-optical device)

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an example of a liquid crystal display device of the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Here, a color liquid crystal display device will be described. This color liquid crystal display device 300 uses the above-mentioned color filter 200, so the drying and curing of the coloring material between pixels can be carried out under uniform conditions, so that the film of the coloring material after drying and curing of each pixel between pixels of uniform thickness. Moreover, since the color liquid crystal display device 300 uses the above-mentioned color filter 200, the protective layer 21 can be made flat and the distribution of the liquid crystal layer 37 can be uniform. As a result, in the color liquid crystal display device 300, the light emission characteristics of each pixel are uniform among pixels, and images with good image quality can be displayed.

The color liquid crystal display device 300 is composed of a combination of a color filter 200 and an opposing substrate 38, and a liquid crystal composition 37 is sealed between them. On the inner side of the counter substrate 38 of the color liquid crystal display device 300 , there are formed TFT (Thin Film Transistor) elements or TFD (Thin Film Diode) elements (not shown) and pixel electrodes 32 in a square array. Further, as the other substrate, a pixel electrode 22 and a color filter 200 in which red, green, and blue colored layers 20 are arranged are provided at a position facing the pixel electrode 32 .

Alignment films 26 and 36 are formed on the surfaces of the substrate 38 facing the color filter 200 . The alignment films 26 and 36 are rubbed so that the liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a certain direction. Further, polarizers 29 and 39 are bonded to the outer surfaces of the counter substrate 38 and the color filter 200 , respectively. Also, as a backlight, generally, a combination of a fluorescent lamp (not shown in the figure) and a scatter board is used. The change in the backlight transmittance of the liquid crystal composition 37 is expressed as a function of the optical shutter.

(3. Manufacturing method of color filter and electro-optical device)

4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of the manufacturing process of the color filter. Based on these figures, the method of manufacturing the color filter will be described in detail.

(3-1 Cleaning process)

A flat substrate made of alkali-free glass with a thickness of 0.7 mm, a length of 38 cm, and a width of 30 cm was prepared as the substrate 12 ( FIG. 4 : S1 ). The substrate 12 was ultrasonically cleaned in an alkaline solution, rinsed with pure water, and dried at 120° C. to obtain a clean surface. Moreover, it is also desired that the transparent substrate 12 can withstand a high temperature of 350° C., is not easily corroded by acid and alkali solutions, and can be mass-produced. As a material of the transparent substrate 12, a plastic film, a plastic thin plate, etc. can be used other than a glass substrate.

(3-2 black square pattern forming process)

(3-2a Chromium pattern forming process)

On the surface of the substrate 12, a metal layer 16' containing chromium is obtained by sputtering (FIG. 4: S2a). Specifically, reactive sputtering is performed using chromium as a target material to form a structure in which chromium is laminated on Cr ₂ O ₃ . The total average film thickness of Cr ₂ O ₃ and chromium was 150 nm. Due to the presence of the Cr ₂ O ₃ layer, the adhesion between the substrate and the chromium layer is improved. This metal layer 16' is patterned in a predetermined region in a step described later, and functions as a black square matrix in which openings are provided. In addition, as the material of the black square matrix, nickel, tungsten, tantalum, copper, aluminum, etc. can be used in addition to chrome.

(3-2b Photoprotective coating)

After performing hot-coating on the substrate, after drying at 80°C for 5 minutes, a positive-type optical protective layer R1 is formed on the surface of the metal layer 16' (Fig. 4: S2b). For example, an optical protective layer OFPR-800 (manufactured by Tokyo Ohka) is formed by a spin coating method at 2000 to 3000 rpm, and the film thickness of the protective layer is 1.7 μm. The optical protective layer formed on the substrate was subjected to hot-coating, and then dried at 80° C. for 5 minutes.

(3-2c exposure and development)

On the surface of this optical protective layer R1, the mask with which the pattern of a desired shape was drawn was adhere|attached closely, and it exposed to ultraviolet-ray. Next, it was dipped in an alkaline developing solution containing 8% by weight of potassium hydroxide to remove the unexposed portion of the optical protective film to pattern the optical protective layer R1 ( FIG. 4 : S2 c ). The formation pattern of the openings can be appropriately selected from mosaic arrangement, triangle arrangement, stripe arrangement and the like. The shape of the opening is not limited to the rectangle, and may be a circle matching the shape of the ink droplet.

(3-2d chrome erosion)

Next, the exposed metal layer 16' is removed by etching using an etching solution mainly composed of hydrochloric acid to form an opening of the image 13 (FIG. 4: S2d).

(3-2e optical protective layer peeling off)

Then, the protective layer pattern obtained by developing the protective layer is peeled from the chromium film by chemical solution treatment with an organic stripper or polishing treatment with oxygen plasma to expose the divided chromium pattern on the substrate. In this way, a light-shielding layer (black square matrix) 16 having a predetermined square matrix pattern can be obtained (FIG. 4: S2e). The width of the light-shielding layer 16 is about 20 μm.

Also, as described in FIG. 1, the dummy pixels 13' to which no pixel representation is given are formed in the peripheral area outside the pixel formation area with a width of about 10 pixels. Regarding the dummy pixel 13', the light-shielding layer 16 has a larger width, and the area of the opening is smaller.

(3-3 barrier pattern forming process)

(3-3a grid material coating)

Further, on this substrate, a negative-type transparent alkali-based photosensitive resin composition 18 was formed by a spin coating method at 2000 to 3000 rpm (FIG. 4: S3a).

(3-3b exposure and development)

The photosensitive resin composition 18 was pre-baked at 100° C. for 20 minutes, and then exposed to ultraviolet rays using a mask on which a predetermined matrix pattern was drawn. For the unexposed part of the resin, use an alkaline developer to develop, rinse with pure water, spin dry, and then dry at 100°C for 30 minutes

As the final drying, the resin is partially cured to form the barrier layer 17, and the partition wall 14 composed of the light shielding layer 16 and the barrier layer 17 is formed (FIG. 4: S3b). The barrier layer 17 functions as a barrier that separates the pixels 13 to which ink is to be applied, and prevents color mixing of inks in adjacent pixels 13 . The barrier layer 17 has an average thickness of 2.5 μm and a width of about 14 μm.

(3-3c surface treatment)

Furthermore, by subjecting the substrate 12 and the partition wall 14 to the following plasma treatment, the substrate 12 is provided with ink affinity, and the partition wall 14 is provided with ink repellency. Since the upper part of the partition wall 14 (barrier layer 17) is made of an insulating organic material, and the substrate 12 is made of an inorganic material such as glass, the above effect can be obtained by introducing a fluorine-containing gas to perform plasma treatment on the surface of the substrate. Specifically, in volume-combined plasma processing, the gas is introduced into the reaction chamber, one electrode is in contact with the substrate 12, and the other electrode faces the surface of the substrate 12, and a voltage is applied.

First, plasma treatment is performed for 10 to 30 seconds under the conditions of 500 SCCM flow rate of oxygen as the introduced gas, power of 0.1 W/cm ² to 1.0 W/cm ² , and pressure of ltorr. In this step, polishing is performed on the openings of the pixels 13 to activate the substrate 12 on the exposed surface to obtain ink affinity.

Next, plasma treatment is performed for 600 to 3600 seconds under the conditions of fluorinated carbon (CF ₄ ) as the introduced gas at a flow rate of 900 SCCM, a power of 0.1 W/cm ² to 1.0 W/cm ² , and a pressure of 1 torr. In this step, the surface energy of the barrier layer 17 can be lowered, so that ink can be easily repelled. Therefore, it is possible to make the barrier layer 17 semi-permanently ink-repellent while maintaining the ink affinity on the surface of the substrate 12 .

In addition, when plasma treatment is performed using fluoride gas, nitrogen fluoride (NF ₃ ), sulfur fluoride (SF ₄ ) or the like may be used instead of fluorinated carbon. Furthermore, after the barrier layer 17 is activated by oxygen plasma, it may be restored to its original water resistance by heat treatment.

Through the above-mentioned surface treatment process, the surface of the substrate can be modified. In particular, it is desirable to set the contact angle (wetting angle) between the ink and the barrier layer 17 at 30 to 60 degrees, so that the contact angle between the ink and the substrate 12 can be adjusted. The angle is set below 30 degrees.

(3-4 Colored layer formation process)

(Introduction of 3-4a ink)

Into each pixel 13 and dummy pixel 13' forming the opening, the ink of the coloring material is introduced by means of inkjet, and the pixel and dummy pixel are colored in R, G, B (FIG. 5: S4a, 4b, 4c) . Since the upper part of the partition wall 14 is subjected to a water-repellent treatment, it is possible to prevent the ink from flowing beyond the barrier and into the adjacent openings, or from mixing the ink.

In the inkjet recording head, a precision magnetic head having a piezoelectric effect is used to selectively sputter fine ink droplets of about 7.0 pico (pico, 10 ^-12 ) liters in each colored formation portion. The driving frequency is 14.4 kHz, that is, the ejection interval of each ink droplet is set at 9.5 milliseconds. The head-to-target distance was set at 0.3 mm. In order to prevent the flight speed bending from the head to the colored layer forming part as the target, that is, the occurrence of split vagus droplets called "satellites", the voltage and waveform of the piezoelectric element driving the head are more important than the physical properties of ink droplets. important. Therefore, the three colors of red, green, and blue are respectively coated with the program of setting the waveform according to the pre-conditions to form the prescribed color matching mode.

In this way, when various inks (red, green, blue) are introduced into separate pixels on the same substrate, the three kinds of inks can be applied at the same time, or the first ink can be introduced into the specified pixels of the substrate and then preliminarily performed. After drying, the second ink is introduced into the specified pixels other than the pixels where the first ink is introduced, followed by pre-drying, and then the third ink is introduced.

As the ink, for example, after dispersing the polyurethane resin pigment, add cyclohexylamine and butyl acetate synthetic rubber as a low boiling point solvent, and butyl carbitol acrylate as a high boiling point solvent, and then add A nonionic surfactant having a viscosity of 6 to 8 centipoise was used as 1% by weight of the dispersant.

In this embodiment, since the sides of the barrier layer 17 are retracted inwardly compared with the sides of the light shielding layer 16, steps are formed on the light shielding layer. Therefore, when the ink layer is formed in the colored forming portion, even if a part of the ink layer exceeds the barrier layer, the ink will stay on the step formed by the exposed surface of the light-shielding layer and the side surface of the barrier layer, preventing the Inflow on the exposed surface of the substrate in the adjacent coloring forming portion. As a result, it is possible to prevent color mixing of the colored layers from occurring due to mixing of touches.

Here, the same amount of ink as that of the normal pixels 13 is given to the dummy pixels 13' not given an image representation. Since the pixel density of the dummy pixels 13' is the same as that of the normal pixels 13, the amount of ink given per unit area of the substrate is also the same. This makes it possible to make the drying conditions of the ink given to the pixels 13 in the color filter uniform.

(3-4b drying process)

Next, the applied ink is dried. First, the colored layer 20 was left to stand for 3 hours in a natural atmosphere, and then heated on a hot plate at 60° C. for 40 minutes. In the case that the three colors of red, green and blue are not applied at the same time, but are applied sequentially (Fig. 5: S4a, 4b, 4c), the pre-drying process is carried out after each ink is applied.

Finally, heat to 200° C. in an oven for 30 minutes to cure the colored layer 20 to obtain a colored layer 20 with a thickness of 1.0 μm.

(3-5. Protective layer formation process)

(3-5a. Coating)

After drying, the protective layer 21 is formed on the ink film-forming color filter substrate (FIG. 5: S5a). The function of this protective layer 21 is to flatten the surface of the filter. The protective layer 21 can be formed by spin coating, roll coating, dip coating, inkjet method, or the like. For example, a protective layer covering the entire pixels 13 and partition walls 14 and having a height of 2 to 3 μm from the substrate 12 is formed by a spin coating method at 2000 to 3000 rpm. As the components of the protective layer 21, photocurable resins, thermosetting resins, photothermal combined resins, inorganic materials formed by deposition or sputtering methods, etc. can be used. Considering the transparency when used as a color filter, as long as it can Any material that has been subjected to the subsequent IT forming process and oriented film forming process can be used.

Since the protective layer 21 is also formed to cover the dummy pixels 13', the entire surface of the protective layer 21 is flat, and the distribution of the liquid crystal layer becomes uniform.

Furthermore, the protective layer 21 has low adhesion to the barrier layer 17 of the partition wall 14 after the waterproof treatment. Therefore, as shown in the figure, it is desirable to form a protective layer 21 extending to the exposed substrate 12 outside the pixel formation region. Thereby, the adhesiveness of the protective layer 21 and the board|substrate 12 can be strengthened, and peeling of the protective layer 21 can be prevented.

(3-5b exposure and development)

After the protective layer 21 is spin-coated, exposure and development are performed to remove the peripheral edge of the substrate in the protective layer 21 (FIG. 5: S5b). The removed portion forms a portion for taking out the rear connector.

(3-5c heat treatment)

Next, the protective layer 21 is heated at a certain temperature (for example, 220° C.) and for a certain period of time (for example, 60 minutes), and dried to form the color filter 200 .

(3-6ITO formation process)

6 and 7 are cross-sectional views of the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device.

On the protection layer 21 of color filter 200, form the ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) layer 22 ' as electrode layer with known methods such as sputtering or deposition, this ITO layer will cover protection layer 21 completely, and thickness is 300nm (Fig. 6: S6). Furthermore, an insulating film (not shown) made of SiO ₂ and having a thickness of 10 nm was formed on the ITO by reactive sputtering.

(3-7ITO erosion process)

(3-7a photoprotective coating)

Next, a photolithography process is performed on the ITO layer 22' and the insulating film. In this photolithography process, first, a protective coating R2 with a thickness of 1.7 μm is applied to the entire surface of the SiO ₂ /ITO film formed on the substrate by the spin coating method at 2000 to 3000 rpm (Fig. 6: S7a) .

(3-7b exposure and development)

Thereafter, exposure and development using a photo mask. are performed to form a resist mask (FIG. 6: S7b).

(3-7c erosion and peeling of protective coating)

Next, the _SiO2 /ITO film is etched using the protective coat R2 as a mask, and after patterning the pixel electrode 22, the protective mask is removed with an alkaline solution (FIG. 6: S7c).

(3-8 Orientation film formation process)

Next, an alignment film 26 is formed on the surface of the substrate. The alignment film 26 can be formed, for example, by coating polyimide with a thickness of 75 nm by flexographic printing, and then firing at 190° C. (FIG. 6: S8, 9). Not only the color filter 200 but also the substrate 38 are subjected to the same process to form an alignment film 36 (not shown).

(3-9 rubbing process)

Next, a one-axis alignment treatment (rubbing treatment) is performed on the alignment film, so that the liquid crystal molecules encapsulated later are arranged in a certain direction.

(3-10 spacer spreading process)

Next, the spacers 31 are scattered on the alignment film 26 (FIG. 7: S10). The particle size of the spacer was 3.5 μm.

(3-10 sealing material printing process)

Next, the sealing material 33 is printed on the peripheral edge portion on the protective layer 21 ( FIG. 7 : S11 ). In this sealing material printing step, a gap serving as a liquid crystal injection port is formed in a part of the sealing material 33 . In this sealing material printing step, a technique such as screen printing can be used, and after printing the sealing material 33, it is fired at a temperature of 160°C.

(3-12 assembly process)

Next, the color filter 200 is face-to-face bonded to the opposing substrate 38 ( FIG. 7 : S12 ).

The panels bonded together in this way are cut into rectangles. In this rectangular cutting process, the liquid crystal panel and the rectangular are in a continuous state in a row at the time of subsequent division.

(3-13 Liquid crystal injection process)

Next, liquid crystal is injected into the gap between the rectangular panel (the gap between the color filter 200 and the substrate 38) (FIG. 7: S13). In this injecting and sealing step, the panel is placed at a predetermined position in the processing chamber of the liquid crystal injecting apparatus. Next, the processing chamber is evacuated to vacuum the gap between the color filter 200 and the substrate 38 . Next, the container storing the liquid crystal is moved so that the liquid crystal injection port is immersed in the liquid crystal in the container. In this state, the processing chamber is opened to the atmosphere, and when the vacuum state is released, since the vacuum state is maintained in the gap between the color filter 200 and the substrate 38, the liquid crystal will be sucked in through the liquid crystal injection port.

After the injection of the liquid crystal 37 is completed, the liquid crystal injection port is sealed with a sealant made of ultraviolet curable resin. After the injection and sealing process is completed, the liquid crystal adhered on the rectangular panel is cleaned.

Next, the rectangular panel is cut into individual liquid crystal panels. Subsequently, a single liquid crystal panel is cleaned to remove glass dust and the like adhered thereon.

Next, polarizers 29 and 39 as shown in FIG. 3 are respectively pasted on the outer surfaces of the color filter 200 and the opposite substrate 38 .

Then, in the subsequent final inspection process, a predetermined inspection signal is supplied through the flexible wiring board, and an inspection is performed to turn on all or part of each pixel, and the liquid crystal display device 300 is completed.

(4.EL display device)

Next, another example of the electro-optical device in the present invention, an EL (Electro Luminescence) display device 301, will be described. Fig. 8 shows a display device in the first embodiment of the present invention.

The EL display device in this embodiment is provided with a transparent substrate 302 made of glass or the like, light emitting elements arranged in a square array, and a sealing substrate.

(4-1. Substrate)

The base 302 is divided into a display area 302 a located at the center of the base 302 and a non-display area 302 b located around the base 302 outside the display area 302 a.

The display area 302a is an area composed of light-emitting elements arranged on a substrate, and is also called an effective display area. On the other hand, in the non-display area 302b, a dummy area 302d adjacent to the display area 302a is formed.

According to this embodiment, since the functional layer is also formed in the dummy area, the thickness of the functional layer between pixels becomes uniform in each pixel. As a result, in the EL display device 301, the light emission characteristics of each pixel are uniform among pixels, and good image representation can be performed.

(4-2 circuit components)

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 8( b), a circuit element portion 314 is provided between the light emitting element portion 311 and the substrate 302 formed of the light emitting element and the barrier layer, and the circuit element portion 314 is provided with scanning lines, signal lines, holding capacitors, switching thin film transistors, driving thin film transistors 423, and the like.

(4-3 cathode)

Furthermore, one end of the cathode 312 is connected to the cathode wiring 312 a formed on the base body 302 , and one end of the wiring is connected to the wiring 305 a on the flexible substrate 305 . Furthermore, the wiring 305 a is connected to a driver IC (driver circuit) 306 provided on the flexible substrate 305 .

(4-4 power cord)

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 8a and 8b , power supply lines 403R, 403G, and 403B are arranged in the non-display area 302b of the circuit element portion 314 .

(4-5 drive circuit)

In addition, scanning-side driving circuits 405, 405 are disposed on both sides of the display region 302a. The scan-side drive circuits 405 and 405 are provided in the circuit element portion 314 below the dummy region 302d. Furthermore, in the circuit element part 314, the control signal wiring 405a for a drive circuit and the power supply wiring 405b for a drive circuit connected to the scanning side drive circuit 405, 405 are also provided.

(4-6 check circuit)

Furthermore, an inspection circuit (not shown in the figure) is provided in the non-display area 302b. With this inspection circuit, it is possible to inspect the quality, defects, etc. of the display device during the manufacturing process or at the time of shipment.

(4-7 sealing part)

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8 b , a sealing portion 303 is provided on the light emitting element portion 311 . The sealing portion 303 is composed of a sealing resin 603 coated on the base body 302 and a sealing substrate 604 . The sealing resin 603 is often made of a thermosetting resin or an ultraviolet curable resin, and is preferably made of an epoxy resin, which is one of the thermosetting resins.

The sealing substrate 604 is made of metal, glass, etc., is bonded to the base body 302 through the sealing resin 603 , and has a recess 604 a capable of housing the display element 310 inside. In the concave portion 604a, a getter 605 that absorbs water, oxygen, and the like is attached.

(Overall composition of 4-8 display area)

Fig. 9 shows an enlarged view of the cross-sectional structure of the display area in the device. Three pixels are shown in FIG. 9 . The display region 301 is formed by sequentially laminating a circuit element portion 314 in which a circuit such as a TFT is formed on a substrate, and a light emitting element portion 311 in which a functional layer 410 is formed.

In this display device, the light emitted from the functional layer 410 to the base 302 passes through the circuit element portion 314 and the base 302 , and is emitted from the lower side of the base 302 . Moreover, the light emitted from the functional layer 410 to the opposite side of the substrate 302 is reflected by the cathode 312 , passes through the circuit element portion 314 and the substrate 302 , and is emitted from the lower side of the substrate 302 .

(4-9 Circuit Components Department)

In the circuit element portion 314 , a base protection film 302 c made of a silicon oxide film on the base body 302 is formed. On the base protective film 302c, an island-shaped semiconductor film 441 made of polysilicon is formed. Further, on the semiconductor film 441, a source region 441a and a drain region 441b are formed by the injection of high-concentration phosphorus ions. In addition, the portion where phosphorus is not introduced becomes the channel region 441c.

Furthermore, in the circuit element portion 314, a transparent gate insulating film 442 covering the base protective film 302c and the semiconductor film 441 is formed, and a gate electrode 443 (scanning line) is formed on the gate insulating film 442. A transparent first interlayer insulating film 444 a and a second interlayer insulating film 444 b are formed on the gate electrode 443 and the gate insulating film 442 . The gate electrode 443 is provided at a position corresponding to the channel region 441c of the semiconductor film 441 .

Further, contact holes 445 and 446 are formed penetrating through the first and second interlayer insulating films 444a and 444b to be in contact with the source region 441a and the drain region 441b of the semiconductor film 441, respectively.

Thus, on the second interlayer insulating film 444b, a transparent pixel electrode 411 made of ITO or the like is formed in a predetermined shape pattern, and one contact hole 445 is continuous with the pixel electrode 411 .

Also, another contact hole 446 is continuous with the power line 403 .

In this way, in the circuit element portion 314 , the thin film transistor 423 is formed to be continuous with each pixel electrode 411 .

(4-10 light emitting element part)

The light-emitting element part 311 consists of functional layers 410 stacked on a plurality of pixel electrodes 411, a partition wall 412 that is adjacent to each pixel electrode 411 and the functional layer 410, and is divided by the pixel electrodes 411 and the functional layer 410, and a functional layer 410. The cathode 312 formed on layer 410 is formed by the body. A light-emitting element is constituted by these pixel electrodes (first electrodes) 411, functional layers 410, and cathodes 312 (counter electrodes).

Here, the pixel electrode 411 may be formed of, for example, ITO, and it is desirable to form a substantially rectangular pattern in plan view. The length of the pixel electrode 411 is preferably 50 to 200 nm, particularly 150 nm. Partition walls 412 are provided between the pixel electrodes 411 .

The partition wall 412 is formed by stacking an inorganic barrier layer 412 a (first barrier layer) located on the base 302 side and an organic barrier layer 412 b (second barrier layer) separated from the base 302 .

The inorganic material barrier layer 412a is preferably composed of inorganic materials such as SiO ₂ and TiO ₂ , for example. The thickness of the inorganic barrier layer 412a is preferably 50 to 200 nm, particularly 150 nm.

Furthermore, the organic barrier layer 412b is desirably made of, for example, a material having heat resistance and solvent resistance such as acrylic resin or polyimide resin. The thickness of the organic barrier layer 412b is preferably 0.1 to 3.5 μm, particularly preferably 2 μm.

(4-11 functional floor)

The functional layer 410 is composed of a hole injection/transport layer 410a laminated on the pixel electrode 411, and a light emitting layer 410b formed adjacent to the hole injection/transport layer 410a.

The hole injection/transport layer 410a not only has the function of injecting holes into the light-emitting layer 410b, but also has the function of transporting the holes in the hole injection/transport layer 410a. Since such a hole injection/transport layer 410a is provided between the pixel electrode 411 and the light emitting layer 410b, it is possible to improve device characteristics such as light emitting efficiency and lifetime of the light emitting layer 410b. Furthermore, in the light-emitting layer 410b, holes injected from the hole injection/transport layer 410a recombine with electrons injected from the cathode 312 in the light-emitting layer to emit light. Also, the hole injection/transport layer 410a may have a peripheral edge portion 410a ₂ formed along the partition wall 412 in addition to the flat portion 410a 1 on _the pixel electrode 411 .

The light emitting layer 410b has a red light emitting layer 410b ₁ emitting red light, a green light emitting layer 410b ₂ emitting green light, and a blue light emitting layer 410b ₃ emitting blue light. These light emitting layers may be arranged in stripes, for example.

(4-12 cathodes)

The cathode 312 is formed on the entire surface of the light emitting element portion 311 , and functions to flow current to the pixel electrode 411 and the functional layer 410 . The cathode 312 can be composed of, for example, a laminate of a calcium layer and an aluminum layer. In this case, it is desirable to set the work function of the cathode on the side closer to the light-emitting layer to be lower.

(4-13 modified example)

Also, in the above example, the light emitted by the functional layer 410 is emitted from the underside of the substrate 302 (ie, bottom emission). In contrast, the cathode 312 is made of a transparent material, and the emitted light can be emitted from the side of the cathode 312 (ie, top emission).

In this case, ITO, Pt, It, Ni, or Pd can be used as a transparent material. The thickness of the film is preferably about 75 nm, and it is more desirable to be thinner than this thickness. Moreover, it is not necessary to use a transparent material for the base body 302 . Furthermore, the pixel electrode 411 uses a highly reflective material. When the pixel electrode 411 is the same anode as above, a material having a large work function and high reflectance such as Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ta, W, Au, etc. can be used for the pixel electrode.

A protective film is formed on the cathode 312 . In the case of top emission, it is desirable that the protective film be uniform so that the emission characteristics of each pixel can be made uniform among pixels. In this embodiment, since the dummy pixels are provided, a uniform protective film can be formed in the pixel formation region. Therefore, there is an advantage that light emission characteristics between pixels are constant, and good display can be performed.

(plasma display device)

FIG. 10 is a basic conceptual diagram of a display device in another embodiment of the present invention, that is, a plasma display device. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a plasma display device.

The display device 500 of this embodiment is provided with a color filter similarly to the above-mentioned embodiments, and is constituted by the observation side where the color filter 31 is arranged. The display device 500 is roughly composed of a glass substrate 501 and a color filter 31 arranged to face each other, and a discharge display portion 510 formed between them. The color filter 31 is formed by forming a partition wall 503 and a colored layer 506 on a substrate 502, and further providing a protective layer 507 covering them.

In the discharge display unit 510, a plurality of discharge cells 516 are assembled, and among the plurality of discharge cells 516, three discharge cells 516 are arranged in pairs to constitute one pixel. Therefore, each discharge cell 516 is provided to correspond to each colored portion of the front color filter 31 .

Striped address electrodes 511 are formed at predetermined intervals on the upper surface of the substrate 501 , and a dielectric layer 519 covering the address electrodes 511 and the upper surface of the substrate 501 is formed. Further, on the dielectric layer 519 , a partition wall 515 is formed between the address electrodes 511 , 511 and along the respective address electrodes 511 . Also, at predetermined positions in the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 515, divisions are made at predetermined intervals in a direction perpendicular to the address electrodes 511 (not shown in the figure). Basically, it is divided into a rectangular region by partition walls adjacent to the left and right sides in the width direction of the address electrodes 511 and partition walls extending in the direction perpendicular to the address electrodes 511 . Corresponding to this rectangular area, discharge cells 516 are formed. Furthermore, phosphors 517 are formed inside the rectangular regions partitioned by the partition walls 515 .

Next, on the side of the color filter 31, in a direction perpendicular to the previous address electrodes 511 (in FIG. The stripes represent electrodes 512 . A dielectric layer 513 covering these display electrodes 512 is also formed, and a protective film 514 made of MgO or the like is further formed.

In this way, the substrate 501 and the substrate 502 of the color filter 31 are laminated with a plurality of address electrodes 511 and display electrodes 512 perpendicular to each other. Discharge cells 516 are formed by evacuating and introducing an inert gas into a space surrounded by the substrate 501, the partition wall 515, and the protective film 514 formed on the color filter 31 side. In addition, two display electrodes 512 formed on the side of the color filter 31 are arranged for each discharge cell.

The address electrodes 511 and the display electrodes 512 are connected to an AC power source (not shown in the figure), and by energizing the electrodes, phosphors in the discharge portion 510 at necessary positions are excited to emit white light. Observing this luminescence through a color filter 31 gives a color representation.

(6. Electronic equipment)

Next, a specific example of an electronic device provided with the display device will be described. Since these electronic devices use the display device in each of the above-mentioned embodiments as the display portion, the drying and curing of the coloring material between pixels can be carried out under uniform conditions, and the drying and curing of the coloring material in each pixel between pixels The thickness of the film is uniform, and a good-quality image can be expressed.

Fig. 12(a) is a perspective view showing an example of a mobile phone. Reference numeral 600 denotes a mobile phone body, and reference numeral 601 denotes a display unit using the display device.

Fig. 12(b) is a perspective view showing an example of a portable information processing device such as a word processor or a notebook computer.

As shown in the figure, a display unit 702 using the display device is provided in the information processing device 700 . Furthermore, the information processing device 700 is further provided with an input unit 701 such as a keyboard.

This information processing device 700 is provided with an information processing device main body 703, which includes various circuits such as a display information output source, a display information processing circuit, a clock generation circuit, and a display composed of a power supply circuit that supplies power to these circuits. Signal generation section. In the display device, for example, a display image is formed by supply of a display signal generated by a display signal generation unit based on information input from the input unit 701 .

Fig. 12(c) is a perspective view of an example of a wristwatch-type electronic device. Reference numeral 800 denotes a watch body, and 801 denotes a display unit using the display device.

In the manufacture of these electronic devices, display devices provided with driver ICs (driver circuits) may be constructed, and these display devices may be incorporated into mobile phones, portable information processing devices, wristwatch-type electronic devices, and the like.

As the electronic equipment assembled with electro-optical device in the present embodiment, it is not limited to the above, and examples that can also be enumerated include: electronic notebook, pager, POS terminal, IC card, miniature disk player, liquid crystal projector, and engineering workstation, Electronic devices such as televisions, viewer-type or monitor-type video tape recorders, small electronic computers, car navigation devices, devices with touch panels, and game consoles.

According to the present invention, it is possible to control the difference in quality (volume, surface height, and surface flatness) of liquid substances after drying and curing, thereby providing a color filter free from uneven color, uneven hue, and uneven brightness. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is also possible to provide a color filter in which the protective film is flat and the liquid crystal layer formed thereon is uniformly distributed.

Claims (13)

1. color filter comprises:

By a plurality of pixels that the partition on the zone is divided each other that form that are formed on substrate, described pixel comprises first dyed layer, and first dyed layer has the color material of some; With

A plurality of virtual pixels of dividing each other by partition, described virtual pixel comprises second dyed layer, second dyed layer has the color material of basic identical with the quantity of first dyed layer color material some, described pixel becomes the demonstration key element that works in the image demonstration, and make light in each described pixel to see through characteristic even substantially, described virtual pixel become image show in inoperative key element.

2. color filter according to claim 1, be formed with described virtual pixel in the exterior lateral area that forms described pixel region, give the color material of each described pixel some, the quantity of the color material of each described virtual pixel quantity basic and each described color of pixel material is basic identical.

3. color filter according to claim 2, each described virtual pixel is formed with the peristome littler than the peristome of each described pixel.

4. color filter according to claim 2, it is basic identical in each unit of described substrate with the quantity of the color material of giving described virtual pixel to give described color of pixel material.

5. color filter according to claim 1 is formed with described virtual pixel in the exterior lateral area that is formed with described pixel region, and is formed with the diaphragm that covers described pixel and described virtual pixel.

6. color filter according to claim 5, each described virtual pixel is formed with the peristome littler than the peristome of each described pixel.

7. color filter according to claim 5, the described diaphragm of formation also cover the zone in the outside, formation zone of described partition.

8. color filter according to claim 5, the described diaphragm of formation exposes regional intimate engagement mutually with the substrate in the outside, the formation zone of described partition.

9. electro-optical device that comprises the described color filter of claim 1.

10. electro-optical device according to claim 9 on described color filter, also includes the liquid crystal layer of alternative printing opacity.

11. electro-optical device according to claim 9 is characterized in that: on described color filter, also include the discharge display part of alternative printing opacity.

12. e-machine with the described electro-optical device of claim 9.

13. a color filter comprises:

By the pixel that the partition on the zone is divided each other that forms that is formed on substrate, so that comprise the color element of a plurality of China inks, make the photopermeability of each pixel even substantially between each described pixel, described partition comprises inorganic light shield layer and is formed on organic barrier layer at light shield layer top, the most external of described barrier layer extends to the most external of described light shield layer, and described barrier layer and described substrate contacts.

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