Method for manufacturing display panel

• US 20020067459A1
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sugano, Yukiyasu
• Granted Patent: US 6,646,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/187
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 15/00 Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by etching etching or surface-brightening compositions, in general C09K13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1333 Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methodsG02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133302 Rigid substrates, e.g. inorganic substrates

Abstract

The weight and thickness reduction of a display panel can be realized without reducing the substrate size and lowering the productivity. To produce a display panel, there are performed a panel producing step for manufacturing a display panel using substrates each having a predetermined wall thickness; and a chemical treatment step for immersing the display panel into a chemical solution and removing a fixed amount of the surface of the substrates by a chemical reaction so as to reduce the wall thickness. In the chemical treatment step, the temperature change of the chemical solution is controlled so as to be within the range from a predetermined temperature to ±5° C., thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of the substrates. In this case, a predetermined temperature of the chemical solution is between 30° C. and 60° C. The concentration change of the chemical solution is controlled so as to be within the range from a predetermined concentration to ±5 wt %, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of the substrates. In this case, a predetermined concentration of the chemical solution is between 10 wt % and 30 wt %. A substance precipitated by the chemical reaction is recovered from the chemical solution, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of the substrates. The display panel is immersed into the chemical solution while circulating the chemical solution filled in a vessel.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a display panel comprising:

a panel producing step for manufacturing a display panel using substrates each having a predetermined wall thickness; and

a chemical treatment step for immersing the display panel into a chemical solution and removing a fixed amount of the surface of the substrates by a chemical reaction so as to reduce the wall thickness.

2. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein in said chemical treatment step, the temperature change of the chemical solution is controlled so as to be within the range from a predetermined temperature to ±

5°

C., thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of the substrates.

3. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 2, wherein in said chemical treatment step, a predetermined temperature of the chemical solution is between 30°

C. and 60°

C.

4. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein in said chemical treatment step, the concentration change of the chemical solution is controlled so as to be within the range from a predetermined concentration to ±

5 wt %, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of the substrates.

5. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 4, wherein in said chemical treatment step, a predetermined concentration of the chemical solution is between 10 wt % and 30 wt %.

6. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein in said chemical treatment step, a substance precipitated by the chemical reaction is recovered from the chemical solution, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of the substrates.

7. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein in said chemical treatment step, the display panel is immersed into the chemical solution while circulating the chemical solution filled in a vessel, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of the substrates.

8. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein in said chemical treatment step, the display panel is immersed into the chemical solution while introducing bubbles into the chemical solution for stirring, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of the substrates.

9. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein in said chemical treatment step, the display panel is immersed into the chemical solution while swinging, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of the substrates.

10. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein between said panel producing step and said chemical treatment step, a foreign particle removing step for removing foreign particles deposited onto the substrates is performed.

11. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 10, wherein in said foreign particle removing step, ozone water is exerted on the substrates to remove foreign particles.

12. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein after said chemical treatment step, pure water heated to 40°

C. or higher is used to perform a chemical solution removing step for removing the chemical solution deposited onto the substrates.

13. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein said chemical treatment step includes a procedure for detecting whether a fixed amount of the surface of the substrates is removed or not.

14. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein in said chemical treatment step, the substrates made of glass are immersed into a chemical solution containing hydrofluoric acid and sulfuric acid, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface thereof.

15. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein said panel producing step produces a display panel by superposing two substrates each having a predetermined wall thickness together by a predetermined gap, and after said chemical treatment step, a liquid crystal implanting step for implanting liquid crystals into the gap of the display panel is performed.

16. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein in said panel producing step, a display panel is produced by forming an electroluminescence element on one substrate having a predetermined wall thickness, and in said chemical treatment step, the display panel is immersed into the chemical solution while the electroluminescence element is protected, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of the substrate.

18. The display panel according to claim 17, wherein the temperature change of the chemical solution is controlled so as to be within the range from a predetermined temperature to ±

5°

C., thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of said substrates.

19. The display panel according to claim 18, wherein a predetermined temperature of the chemical solution is between 30°

C. and 60°

C., thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of said substrates.

20. The display panel according to claim 17, wherein the concentration change of the chemical solution is controlled so as to be within the range from a predetermined concentration to ±

5 wt %, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of said substrates.

21. The display panel according to claim 20, wherein a predetermined concentration of the chemical solution is between 10 wt % and 30 wt %, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of said substrates.

22. The display panel according to claim 17, wherein a substance precipitated by the chemical reaction is recovered from the chemical solution, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of said substrates.

23. The display panel according to claim 17, wherein the display panel is immersed into the chemical solution while circulating the chemical solution filled in a vessel, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of said substrates.

24. The display panel according to claim 17, wherein the display panel is immersed into the chemical solution while introducing bubbles into the chemical solution for stirring, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of said substrates.

25. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 17, wherein the display panel is immersed into the chemical solution while swinging, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface of said substrates.

26. The display panel according to claim 17, wherein before immersing the display panel into the chemical solution to remove a fixed amount of the surface of said substrates by the chemical reaction, foreign particles deposited onto the surface thereof are removed previously.

27. The display panel according to claim 26, wherein ozone water is exerted to previously remove foreign particles deposited onto the surface of said substrates.

28. The display panel according to claim 17, wherein pure water heated to 40°

C. or higher is used to remove the chemical solution deposited onto the surface of said substrates.

29. The display panel according to claim 17, wherein the change of the wall thickness of said substrates is detected, thereby reducing a fixed amount of the surface of said substrates.

30. The display panel according to claim 17, wherein said substrates are made of glass and are immersed into a chemical solution containing hydrofluoric acid and sulfuric acid, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface thereof.

31. The display panel according to claim 17, wherein two substrates each having a predetermined wall thickness are superposed together by a predetermined gap, and then, are immersed into the chemical solution to remove a fixed amount of the surface of the respective substrates, thereby implanting liquid crystals into the gap.

32. The display panel according to claim 17, wherein an electroluminescence element is formed on one substrate having a predetermined wall thickness, and the substrate is immersed into the chemical solution while the electroluminescence element is protected, thereby removing a fixed amount of the surface thereof.

17. A display panel which is produced using substrates each having a predetermined wall thickness, wherein the display panel is immersed into a chemical solution to remove a fixed amount of the surface of the substrates by a chemical reaction so as to reduce the wall thickness of the substrates.