Method and device for coating alignment film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9375733-B2
Application number	US-201414348853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2014
Priority date	Dec 30, 2013
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a device for coating an alignment film. The method includes: (1) providing a substrate to which an alignment film is to be coated and placing the substrate to which an alignment film is to be coated on a working table that is reciprocally movable frontward and rearward and leftward and rightward; (2) providing a pressurization tank and depositing a predetermined amount of an alignment liquid in the pressurization tank; (3) providing a supply tank and using a liquid pump to convey the alignment liquid contained in the pressurization tank to the supply tank; (4) using a supply conduit to connect the supply tank to an alignment liquid jet nozzle and subjecting the supply conduit heating to reduce viscosity of the alignment liquid so as to allow the alignment liquid to smoothly move into the alignment liquid jet nozzle; and (5) operating the alignment liquid jet nozzle to apply the viscosity reduced alignment liquid to the substrate to which an alignment film is to be coated and, when necessary, reciprocally moving the working table during the process of application so as to have the alignment liquid uniformly coated on the substrate and complete the coating of the alignment film. The present invention improves surface uniformity of an alignment film so as to ensure product quality and enhance product yield rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for coating an alignment film, comprising the following steps:
(1) providing a substrate to which an alignment film is to be coated and placing the substrate to which an alignment film is to be coated on a working table that is reciprocally movable frontward and rearward and leftward and rightward;
(2) providing a pressurization tank and depositing a predetermined amount of an alignment liquid in the pressurization tank;
(3) providing a supply tank and using a liquid pump to convey the alignment liquid contained in the pressurization tank to the supply tank;
(4) using a supply conduit to connect the supply tank to an alignment liquid jet nozzle and subjecting the supply conduit to heating to reduce viscosity of the alignment liquid so as to allow the alignment liquid to smoothly move from the supply tank into the alignment liquid jet nozzle, wherein subjecting the supply conduit to heating is conducted in such a way that the supply conduit is heated to a predetermined temperature range and then heating is stopped to prevent evaporation of the alignment liquid in the supply conduit and wherein the supply conduit is provided with a layer of temperature-keeping material on an outside surface thereof to keep the supply conduit in the predetermined temperature range; and
(5) operating the alignment liquid jet nozzle to apply the viscosity reduced alignment liquid to the substrate to which an alignment film is to be coated and reciprocally moving the working table during the process of application so as to have the alignment liquid uniformly coated on the substrate and complete the coating of the alignment film.

2. The method for coating the alignment film as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the substrate to which an alignment film is to be coated is a thin-film transistor array substrate or a color filter substrate.

3. The method for coating the alignment film as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in step (4), a way of subjecting the supply conduit to heating comprises electrical heating or water heating.

4. The method for coating the alignment film as claimed in claim 3 , wherein in step (4), the predetermined temperature range is 30-60° C. and an internal temperature of the supply conduit is kept in the temperature range.

Assignees

• Shenzhen China Star Optoelect
• Shenzhen China Star Optoelect

Inventors

• Chen Jie

Classifications

• B05B9/0403

  with pumps for liquids or other fluent material (B05B9/043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/133723 Primary

  Polyimide, polyamide-imide · CPC title

• B05B13/0221

  characterised by the means for moving or conveying the objects or other work, e.g. conveyor belts (B05B13/0207 takes precedence; conveyors in general B65G) · CPC title

• B05B9/04

  with pressurised or compressible container (aerosol containers B65D83/14); with pump · CPC title

• B05B1/02 Primary

  designed to produce a jet, spray, or other discharge of particular shape or nature, e.g. in single drops, {or having an outlet of particular shape}(B05B1/26, B05B1/28, B05B1/34 take precedence) · CPC title