Method of inspecting pixel array substrate and apparatus for inspecting pixel array substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9489876-B2
Application number	US-201414178283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2014
Priority date	Apr 29, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

An inspection method including following steps is provided. A pixel array substrate including a plurality of pixel units is in contact with a photoelectric inspection device. A plurality of electrical signals is inputted to the pixel units of the pixel array substrate and the photoelectric inspection device. Based on an optical property of the photoelectric inspection device, the pixel units of the pixel array substrate are being examined on whether they are normal or not. Moreover, an inspection apparatus realizing the inspection method is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inspection method comprising:
providing a pixel array substrate, the pixel array substrate comprising a plurality of pixel units;
providing a photoelectric inspection device;
detachably contacting the photoelectric inspection device with the pixel array substrate, wherein the photoelectric inspection device comprises a base and a display medium layer located on the base;
inputting a plurality of electrical signals to the pixel units of the pixel array substrate and the photoelectric inspection device, wherein the display medium layer of the photoelectric inspection device contacting the pixel array substrate is driven by an electric field provided by the pixel array substrate to produce an optical property; and
detecting the optical property of the photoelectric inspection device by a photo detector and determining whether the pixel units of the pixel array substrate are normal or not based on the detected optical property of the photodetector.

2. The inspection method as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the pixel units comprises at least one active element and a pixel electrode electrically connected with the at least one active element, and the step of detachably contacting the photoelectric inspection device to be in contact with the pixel array substrate comprises:
disposing the photoelectric inspection device on the pixel array substrate, so that the photoelectric inspection device is in contact with the pixel electrodes of the pixel units.

3. The inspection method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric inspection device further comprises a conductive structure, a thickness of the conductive structure is greater than a thickness of the display medium layer, and the step of detachably contacting the photoelectric inspection device with the pixel array substrate is:
disposing the photoelectric inspection device on the pixel array substrate, so that the display medium layer of the photoelectric inspection device is in contact with the pixel array substrate.

4. The inspection method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric inspection device further comprises an anisotropic conductive film located on the base and the display medium layer is located between the anisotropic conductive film and the base, so that the step of detachably contacting the photoelectric inspection device with the pixel array substrate is:
disposing the photoelectric inspection device on the pixel array substrate, so that the anisotropic conductive film of the photoelectric inspection device is in contact with the pixel array substrate.

5. The inspection method as recited in claim 1 , after detachably contacting the photoelectric inspection device with the pixel array substrate, further comprising:
applying a pressure to fix the pixel array substrate and the photoelectric inspection device.

6. The inspection method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the display medium layer comprises an electronic ink layer or an organic light emitting diode layer.

7. The inspection method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric inspection device further comprises a common electrode layer disposed between the base and the display medium layer, and the step of inputting the electrical signals to the pixel units of the pixel array substrate and the photoelectric inspection device is:
inputting the electrical signals to the pixel units of the pixel array substrate and the common electrode layer of the photoelectric inspection device.

8. The inspection method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the pixel array substrate further comprises a common electrode terminal, and the step of inputting the electrical signals to the pixel units of the pixel array substrate and the photoelectric inspection device is:
inputting the electrical signals to the pixel units of the pixel array substrate and the common electrode terminal, wherein one of the electrical signals is transmitted to the common electrode layer of the photoelectric inspection device through the common electrode terminal.

9. The inspection method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric inspection device is divided into a plurality of inspection blocks, the pixel array substrate is divided into a plurality of to-be inspected blocks respectively comprising the pixel units, and the step of detachably contacting the photoelectric inspection device with the pixel array substrate is to detachably contacting the inspection blocks of the photoelectric inspection device with the to-be inspected blocks of the pixel array substrate, and the step of determining whether the pixel units of the pixel array substrate are normal or not based on the optical property of the photoelectric inspection device is:
comparing differences between an optical property of the inspection blocks and an expected optical property of the inspection blocks of the photoelectric inspection device when the electrical signals are inputted to the pixel units of the pixel array substrate and the photoelectric inspection device, if the optical property of one of the inspection blocks of the photoelectric inspection device is different from the expected optical property of one of the inspection blocks, then the pixel unit of the to-be inspected block in contact with the one of the inspection blocks is determined to be abnormal.

10. An inspection apparatus configured to inspect a pixel array substrate comprising a plurality of pixel units, the inspection apparatus comprising:
a photoelectric inspection device configured to be detachably in contact with the pixel array substrate, wherein the photoelectric inspection device comprises a base and a display medium layer located on the base, and the display medium layer is configured for producing an optical property under an electric field provided by the pixel array substrate;
a signal source configured to output a plurality of electrical signals to the pixel units of the pixel array substrate and the photoelectric inspection device;
an analysis unit configured to determine whether the pixel units of the pixel array substrate are normal or not based on the optical property of the photoelectric inspection device; and
a photodetector configured to detect the optical property of the photoelectric inspection device, and the optical property of the photoelectric inspection device detected by the photodetector being sent to the analysis unit.

11. The inspection apparatus as recited in claim 10 , being configured to inspect the pixel array substrate comprising the pixel units, and each of the pixel units comprising at least one active element and a pixel electrode electrically connected with the at least one active element, wherein the photoelectric inspection device is configured to be in contact with the pixel electrodes of the pixel units.

12. The inspection apparatus as recited in claim 10 , wherein the photoelectric inspection device further comprises a conductive structure and a common electrode layer located between the base and the display medium layer, and a thickness of the conductive structure is greater than a thickness of the display medium layer.

13. The inspection apparatus as recited in claim 12 , wherein the display medium layer of the photoelectric inspection device is configured to be in contact with the pixel array substrate, and the common electrode layer is configured to received one of the electrical signals.

14. The inspection apparatus as recited in claim 12 , wherein the photoelectric inspection device further comprises an anisotropic conductive film, the display medium layer is located between the anisotropic conductive film and the commo

Assignees

• E Ink Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Liu Chuan-Feng
• Huang Jen-Shiun
• Huang Pei-Lin
• Li Shi-Lin
• Tsai Chen-Fa
• Chang Yung-Sheng

Classifications

• G09G3/006 Primary

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