Method and apparatus for producing electro-optical device

• US 7,965,371 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Epson Corporation
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Tasaka, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu; Phu
• Application Number:
  US12/008,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20080180628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 349/187
• US Class Current: 349/187
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133351 Manufacturing of individual cells out of a plurality of cells, e.g. by dicing

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an electro-optical device by cutting up a pair of mother substrates that are joined to each other by means of a sealant with an electro-optical material being sandwiched therebetween into a plurality of panel formation regions. The method includes: forming a groove along each of at least two pre-work cut lines in either one of the pair of mother substrates; blowing air on one edge face of a region between the grooves formed in the one of the pair of mother substrates; and removing the region between the grooves formed in the one of the pair of mother substrates by vacuuming the region. Herein, the vacuuming is applied to the other edge face of the region.

Claims

1. A method for producing an electro-optical device that is manufactured by cutting panel formation regions of a pair of mother substrates that includes a first mother substrate and a second mother substrate that are joined to each other by a sealant with an electro-optical material being sandwiched therebetween, the method comprising:

forming two grooves in the second mother substrate;

blowing air on one edge face of a region between the grooves formed in the second mother substrate; and

removing the region between the grooves formed in the second mother substrate by a vacuum applied to another face of the region;

wherein, prior to the formation of each of the two grooves, the second mother substrate is subjected to a scribe-and-break process along a pre-work cut line that corresponds to one of the two grooves formed in the second mother substrate.

2. The method for producing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein each of the grooves is formed by dicing to form an incision that has a depth smaller than the thickness of the second mother substrate.

3. The method for producing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the edge face on which the air is blown comprises an end face that has been subjected to the scribe-and-break processing.

4. The method for producing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the electro-optical device has, as a pair of substrates, an element substrate that has a pixel electrode and a circuit element which is electrically connected to the pixel electrode, and a counter substrate that has a counter electrode provided opposite the pixel electrode;

one of the pair of mother substrates has a plurality of the counter substrates; and

the other of the pair of mother substrates has a plurality of the element substrates.

5. The method for producing an electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the second mother substrate is not subjected to a scribe-and-break process along a pre-work cut line that corresponds to the other of the two grooves.