Method and apparatus for manufacturing liquid crystal display device using serial production processes

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device. The method includes the steps of providing at least a first substrate and a second substrate on a single production process line, passing the first and second substrates through a sealing material coating portion of the single production process line in serial order such that a sealing material is coated on the second substrate with the first substrate being passed through the sealing material coating portion without forming a sealing material thereon, passing the first and the second substrates through a liquid crystal dispensing portion of the single production process line in serial order such that liquid crystal is dispensed onto a pixel region of one of the first and second substrates with the other one of the first and second substrates being passed through the liquid crystal dispensing portion without dispensing liquid crystal thereon, and assembling the first substrate with the second substrate to form a liquid crystal panel of at least one liquid crystal display device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, comprising the steps of:
 providing at least a first substrate and a second substrate on a single production process line;   passing the first and second substrates through a sealing material coating portion of the single production process line in serial order, a sealing material being coated on the second substrate with the first substrate being passed through the sealing material coating portion without forming a sealing material thereon;   passing the first and the second substrates through a liquid crystal dispensing portion of the single production process line in serial order, liquid crystal being dispensed onto a pixel region of one of the first and second substrates with the other one of the first and second substrates being passed through the liquid crystal dispensing portion without dispensing liquid crystal thereon; and   assembling the first substrate with the second substrate to form a liquid crystal panel of at least one liquid crystal display device.   
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the sealing material coating portion is provided before the liquid crystal dispensing portion in the single production process line. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystal dispensing portion is provided before the sealing material coating portion in the single production process line. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystal is dispensed onto the first substrate. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 4 , A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, comprising the steps of:
 providing at least a first substrate and a second substrate on a single production process line; 
 passing the first and second substrates through a sealing material coating portion of the single production process line in serial order, a sealing material being coated on the second substrate with the first substrate being passed through the sealing material coating portion without forming a sealing material thereon; passing the first and the second substrates through a liquid crystal dispensing portion of the single production process line in serial order, liquid crystal being dispensed onto a pixel region of one of the first and second substrates with the other one of the first and second substrates being passed through the liquid crystal dispensing portion without dispensing liquid crystal thereon; and 
 assembling the first substrate with the second substrate to form a liquid crystal panel of at least one liquid crystal display device; 
 wherein the liquid crystal is dispensed onto the first substrate; 
 wherein the first substrate is disposed in the liquid crystal dispensing portion and the liquid crystal is dispensed onto the first substrate at the same time that the second substrate is disposed in the sealing material coating portion. 
 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the first substrate is a thin film transistor substrate and the second substrate is a color filter substrate. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the thin film transistor substrate includes:
 a plurality of gate lines running in a first direction at substantially fixed intervals, 
 a plurality of data lines running in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the gate lines at substantially fixed intervals, 
 a plurality of thin film transistors and pixel electrodes in a matrix pixel region defined by the gate lines and the data lines, and 
 an orientation film on the thin film transistors and the pixel electrodes. 
 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the color filter substrate includes:
 a black matrix layer, 
 a color filter layer between the black matrix layer for displaying three colors of red, green, and blue, 
 a common electrode to apply an electric field to the liquid crystal together with the pixel electrodes, and 
 an orientation film on the common electrode. 
 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystal is dispensed onto the first substrate, and wherein first substrate is a color filter substrate and the second substrate is a thin film transistor substrate. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of cleaning the first substrate and the second substrate in serial order in a same cleaning unit. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of cutting the liquid crystal panel into a plurality of unit liquid crystal panels to form a plurality of liquid crystal display devices. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising the step of inspecting defects of the unit liquid crystal panels. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, comprising the steps of:
 providing at least a first substrate and a second substrate on a single production process line; 
 passing the first and second substrates through a sealing material coating portion of the single production process line in serial order, a sealing material being coated on the second substrate with the first substrate being passed through the sealing material coating portion without forming a sealing material thereon; passing the first and the second substrates through a liquid crystal dispensing portion of the single production process line in serial order, liquid crystal being dispensed onto a pixel region of one of the first and second substrates with the other one of the first and second substrates being passed through the liquid crystal dispensing portion without dispensing liquid crystal thereon; and 
 assembling the first substrate with the second substrate to form a liquid crystal panel of at least one liquid crystal display device; 
 the method further comprising a step of passing the first and second substrates through a silver dot forming portion of the single production process line in serial order, silver dots being formed on the first substrate with the second substrate being passed without forming silver dots thereon. 
 
     
     
       14. An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device having first and second substrates, comprising:
 a sealing coating portion including a seal dispenser disposed to receive the first and second substrates in serial order, the sealing coating portion seal dispenser forming a sealing material on the second substrate and passing the first substrate without forming a sealing material thereon; 
 a liquid crystal dispensing portion, in series with the sealing coating portion, including a liquid crystal dispenser disposed to receive the first and second substrates in serial order, the liquid crystal dispensing portion dispenser dispensing liquid crystal onto one of the first and second substrates and passing the other one of the first and second substrates without dispensing liquid crystal thereon; and 
 an assembler operatively disposed after the sealing coating portion and the liquid crystal dispensing portion, the assembler receiving the first and second substrate and assembling the first substrate with the second substrate to form a liquid crystal panel of a liquid crystal display device. 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the sealing coating portion is operatively disposed before the liquid crystal dispensing portion. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the liquid crystal dispensing portion is operatively disposed before the sealing coating portion. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the liquid crystal dispensing portion dispenser dispenses liquid crystal onto the first substrate, and wherein the first substrate is a thin film transistor substrate and the second substrate is a color filter substrate. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the first substrate is disposed in the liquid crystal dispensing portion at the same time that the second substrate is disposed in the sealing coating portion. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a rubbing unit to mechanically rub, in serial order, the first and second substrates to provide an orientation layer; and 
 a cleaning unit to clean, in serial order, both the first and second substrates. 
 
     
     
       20. The apparatus according to  claim 14 , further comprising a cutting unit to cut the assembled first and second substrates into a plurality of unit liquid crystal panels. 
     
     
       21. An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, comprising:
 means for providing at least a first substrate and a second substrate on a single production process line;   means for passing the first and second substrates through a sealing material coating portion of the single production process line in serial order, a sealing material being coated on the second substrate with the first substrate being passed through the sealing material coating portion without forming a sealing material thereon;   means for passing the first and the second substrates through a liquid crystal dispensing portion of the single production process line in serial order, liquid crystal being dispensed onto a pixel region of one of the first and second substrates with the other one of the first and second substrates being passed through the liquid crystal dispensing portion without dispensing liquid crystal thereon; and   means for assembling the first substrate with the second substrate to form a liquid crystal panel of a liquid crystal display device.   
     
     
       22. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, comprising the steps of:
 providing at least a first substrate and a second substrate on a single production process line;   passing the first and second substrates through a sealing material coating portion of the single production process line in serial order, including passing the first and second substrates through a seal dispenser, a sealing material coating on the second substrate with the first substrate passing through the sealing material coating portion without forming a sealing material thereon;   passing the first and the second substrates through a liquid crystal dispensing portion of the single production process line in serial order, including passing the first and second substrates through a liquid crystal dispenser, liquid crystal dispensing onto a pixel region of one of the first and second substrates with the other one of the first and second substrates passing through the liquid crystal dispensing portion without dispensing liquid crystal thereon; and   assembling the first substrate with the second substrate to form a liquid crystal panel of at least one liquid crystal display device.   
     
     
       23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the sealing material coating portion is provided before the liquid crystal dispensing portion in the single production process line. 
     
     
       24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the liquid crystal dispensing portion is provided before the sealing material coating portion in the single production process line. 
     
     
       25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the liquid crystal is dispensed onto the first substrate. 
     
     
       26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the first substrate is disposed in the liquid crystal dispensing portion and the liquid crystal is dispensed onto the first substrate at the same time that the second substrate is disposed in the sealing material coating portion. 
     
     
       27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the first substrate is a thin film transistor substrate and the second substrate is a color filter substrate. 
     
     
       28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the thin film transistor substrate includes:
 a plurality of gate lines running in a first direction at substantially fixed intervals,   a plurality of data lines running in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the gate lines at substantially fixed intervals,   a plurality of thin film transistors and pixel electrodes in a matrix pixel region defined by the gate lines and the data lines, and   an orientation film on the thin film transistors and the pixel electrodes.   
     
     
       29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the thin film transistor substrate includes:
 a plurality of gate lines running in a first direction at substantially fixed intervals,   a plurality of data lines running in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the gate lines at substantially fixed intervals,   a plurality of thin film transistors on the first substrate,   a pixel electrode and a common electrode on the first substrate, and   an orientation film on the thin film transistors and the pixel and common electrodes.   
     
     
       30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the color filter substrate includes:
 a black matrix layer,   a color filter layer between the black matrix layer for displaying three colors of red, green, and blue, and   an orientation film on the color filter layer.   
     
     
       31. The method according to claim 27, wherein the color filter substrate includes:
 a black matrix layer,   a color filter layer between the black matrix layer for displaying three colors of red, green, and blue,   a common electrode to apply an electric field to the liquid crystal together with the pixel electrodes, and   an orientation film on the common electrode.   
     
     
       32. The method according to claim 27, wherein the color filter substrate includes:
 a black matrix layer,   a color filter layer between the black matrix layer for displaying three colors of red, green, and blue, and   an orientation film on the color filter layer.   
     
     
       33. The method according to claim 22, wherein the liquid crystal is dispensed onto the first substrate, and wherein first substrate is a color filter substrate and the second substrate is a thin film transistor substrate. 
     
     
       34. The method according to claim 22, further comprising a step of cleaning the first substrate and the second substrate in serial order in a same cleaning unit. 
     
     
       35. The method according to claim 22, further comprising a step of cutting the liquid crystal panel into a plurality of unit liquid crystal panels to form a plurality of liquid crystal display devices. 
     
     
       36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising a step of inspecting defects of the unit liquid crystal panels. 
     
     
       37. The method according to claim 22, further comprising a step of passing the first and second substrates through a silver dot forming portion of the single production process line in serial order, silver dots forming on the first substrate with the second substrate passing without forming silver dots thereon. 
     
     
       38. The method according to claim 22, further comprising passing the first and second substrates through each component of the single production process line. 
     
     
       39. The method according to claim 22, wherein the seal dispenser is distinct from the liquid crystal dispenser. 
     
     
       40. The method according to claim 22, wherein the seal dispenser does not overlap with the liquid crystal dispenser.