Liquid crystal display and method for manufacturing the same

• US 20040032558A1
• Filed: 12/11/2002
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HannStar Display Corporation
• Original Assignee: HannStar Display Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Hsu Ho, Wu, Tai Kang, Liu, Hsiang Lung
• Granted Patent: US 6,862,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/153
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133388 with constructional differences between the display region and the peripheral region
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1339 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1341 Filling or closing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13415 Drop filling process

Abstract

An ODF liquid crystal display panel is formed of a pair of mutually spaced-apart substrates. A liquid crystal layer is contained between the substrates. A first sealing member joins the substrates and defines an enclosed non-peripheral region in which the liquid crystal is contained. A second sealing member also joins the substrates. The second sealing member has a plurality of breaks, and is positioned inside the non-peripheral region defined by the first sealing member and divides the non-peripheral region into a display region and a buffer region in fluid communication with the display region. The gap between the substrates in the buffer region is larger than the gap between the substrates in the display region. The panel is formed by forming drops of liquid crystal in the display region and then joining the substrates using the sealing members. Excess liquid crystal flows through the breaks of the second sealing member into the buffer region. Any vacuum bubbles are formed in the buffer region and not in the display region. A black matrix area is preferably provided in a peripheral area of one of the substrates and the buffer region is preferably positioned in the black matrix area.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display panel, comprising:

a pair of mutually spaced-apart substrates;

a liquid crystal layer contained between the substrates; and

a sealing member joining the substrates, the sealing member defining an enclosed non-peripheral region in which said liquid crystal is contained, and the sealing member dividing the non-peripheral region into a display region and a buffer region in fluid communication with the display region,

wherein a gap between the substrates in the buffer region is larger than a gap between the substrates in the display region.

2. A liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal layer is formed from a plurality of liquid crystal drops.

3. A liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein a volume of liquid crystal drops is greater than a volume of the display region, and excess liquid crystal flows into the buffer region.

4. A liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing member comprises:

a first sealing member defining the enclosed non-peripheral region, and

a second sealing member comprising a plurality of breaks, the second sealing member being positioned inside the non-peripheral region defined by the first sealing member and dividing the non-peripheral region into the display region and the buffer region.

5. A liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein a black matrix area is provided at a peripheral region of one of the substrates, and wherein the second sealing member and the buffer region are located inside the black matrix area.

6. A liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein a height of the second sealing member is greater than a height of the first sealing member.

7. A liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first sealing member and the second sealing member are made of glass fibers supported in a photo-curing type material.

8. A liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first sealing member defines a rectangular non-peripheral region and the second sealing member is parallel to one side of the first sealing member.

9. A liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first sealing member defines a rectangular non-peripheral region and the second sealing member is parallel to two sides of the first sealing member.

10. A liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first sealing member defines a rectangular non-peripheral region and the second sealing member is parallel to three sides of the first sealing member.

11. A liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first sealing member defines a rectangular non-peripheral region and the second sealing member encompasses a rectangular display region.

12. A liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal layer comprises liquid crystal material and spacers.

13. A liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein vacuum bubbles are formed in the buffer region and are not formed in the display region.

14. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, comprising:

providing a pair of substrates;

forming a sealing member on a surface of one of the substrates, the sealing member defining an enclosed non-peripheral region of the substrate, the sealing member further dividing the non-peripheral region into a display region and a buffer region in fluid communication with the display region;

forming a plurality of liquid crystal drops on the surface of the one of the substrates in the display region, wherein a total volume of said liquid crystal drops is greater than a volume of the display region; and

superposing the pair of substrates under reduced ambient air pressure such that the substrates are joined by the sealing member, wherein a gap between the substrates in the buffer region is larger than a gap between the substrates in the display region.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein excess liquid crystal flows through a plurality of breaks in the sealing member from the display region into the buffer region when the substrates are superposed.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein vacuum bubbles are formed in the buffer region and are not formed in the display region.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein forming the sealing member comprises:

forming a first sealing member on the surface of the one of the substrates, the first sealing member defining the enclosed non-peripheral region of the substrate; and

forming a second sealing member on the surface of the one of the substrates within said non-peripheral region, the second sealing member having a plurality of breaks therein, the second sealing member dividing the non-peripheral region into the display region and the buffer region.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein a black matrix area is provided at a peripheral region of one of the substrates, and wherein the second sealing member and the buffer region are located inside the black matrix area.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein a height of the second sealing member is greater than a height of the first sealing member.

20. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first sealing member and the second sealing member are made of glass fibers supported in a photo-curing type material.

21. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first sealing member defines a rectangular non-peripheral region and the second sealing member is parallel to one side of the first sealing member.

22. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first sealing member defines a rectangular non-peripheral region and the second sealing member is parallel to two sides of the first sealing member.

23. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first sealing member defines a rectangular non-peripheral region and the second sealing member is parallel to three sides of the first sealing member.

24. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first sealing member defines a rectangular non-peripheral region and the second sealing member encompasses a rectangular display region.

25. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the liquid crystal drops comprises liquid crystal material and spacers.

26. An one drop fill (ODF) liquid crystal display panel, comprising:

a pair of mutually spaced-apart substrates, a black matrix area being provided at a peripheral region of one of the substrates;

a liquid crystal layer contained between the substrates;

a sealing member joining the substrates, the sealing member defining an enclosed non-peripheral region in which said liquid crystal is contained, the sealing member dividing the non-peripheral region into a display region and a buffer region in fluid communication with the display region;

wherein the buffer region is located inside the black matrix area,

wherein a gap between the substrates in the buffer region is larger than a gap between the substrates in the display region, and

wherein a volume of said liquid crystal is greater than a volume of said display region, an excess amount of said liquid crystal flowing into the buffer region.

27. An ODF liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sealing member comprises:

a first sealing member joining the substrates, the first sealing member defining said enclosed non-peripheral region in which said liquid crystal is contained; and

a second sealing member joining the substrates, the second sealing member comprising a plurality of breaks, the second sealing member being positioned inside the non-peripheral region defined by the first sealing member and dividing the non-peripheral region into a display region and a buffer region, and

wherein a height of the second sealing member is greater than a height of the first sealing member.

28. An ODF liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 26, wherein vacuum bubbles are formed in the buffer region and are not formed in the display region.