Display apparatus and method of manufacturing display apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed are a display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same, the display apparatus including a display panel including a display area and a non-display area, a flexible printed circuit board overlapping the display panel and attached to the display panel, a pair of first alignment marks disposed in the non-display area, a pair of second alignment marks adjacent to the first alignment marks, and a pair of third alignment marks disposed on the flexible printed circuit board.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority and benefit to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0128764, filed on October 6, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, as if fully set forth herein. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention generally relates to display devices, and more specifically, to display devices comprising one or more printed circuit boards and methods for manufacturing display devices. Background Technology

[0004] Currently, various types of display devices are used as display devices, and representative examples include liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays.

[0005] A liquid crystal display (LCD) is a display device that includes a backlight unit, which blocks or transmits light emitted from the backlight unit to display an image. On the other hand, unlike LCDs, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are display devices that have recently gained attention for their self-emissive properties and do not require a separate light source.

[0006] Display devices are manufactured in various sizes, with mobile phones representing relatively small display devices and televisions and monitors representing relatively large display devices.

[0007] Large-size displays have become extremely large. The largest displays sold in the past were in the 50-inch range, but now many displays are sold in the 70-inch range, and there are also very large displays on the market in the 100-inch range. Furthermore, as display resolutions have gradually increased to higher resolutions, the size of the wiring within the displays has gradually decreased.

[0008] A display device includes multiple pixels and a driver for driving the multiple pixels. This driver receives external signals from an external source and converts them into driving signals suitable for application to the multiple pixels.

[0009] Signals generated by drivers and / or external sources are transmitted through a flexible printed circuit board to a display panel comprising multiple pixels.

[0010] The information disclosed in this background section is only for understanding the background technology of the inventive concept, and therefore may contain information that does not constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The applicant recognizes that problems with conventional alignment techniques used to attach flexible printed circuit boards to display panels during manufacturing, particularly in high-resolution displays, can adversely affect the performance of the manufactured display panels and introduce defects into them.

[0012] The display device and method of manufacturing the display device, constructed according to the principles and exemplary embodiments of the present invention, can align a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) to a display panel without producing significant defects. For example, a pair of first alignment marks adjacent to opposite sides of the PCB can be formed in the PCB, and at least a pair of second alignment marks can be formed in the display panel. The PCB and display panel can be aligned based on the distance between the first and second alignment marks at each of the opposite sides of the PCB. Because this distance is relatively short, alignment between the PCB and display panel based on this distance can ensure relatively high reliability of correct alignment to minimize defects such as disconnections between the PCB pads and the display panel.

[0013] In a display device comprising a relatively large display panel and multiple flexible printed circuit boards attached to the display panel, the multiple flexible printed circuit boards can each be aligned with the display panel with relatively high reliability by using the relatively short-distance technique disclosed herein. For example, multiple pressing portions can be used to attach the multiple flexible printed circuit boards to the display panel respectively, and each of the pressing portions can use a relatively short distance between a first alignment mark and a second alignment mark at each of the opposite sides of the respective flexible printed circuit board to align the respective flexible printed circuit board to the display panel. Assuming that the error and / or difference between the relatively short distances measured by the multiple pressing portions can be relatively low, the multiple pressing portions can align the multiple flexible printed circuit boards to the display panel with relatively high reliability, thereby eliminating or minimizing the occurrence of misalignment between the multiple flexible printed circuit boards and the display panel.

[0014] Other features of the inventive concept will be set forth in the following description and will be apparent in part from the description or may be learned by practice of the inventive concept.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present invention, a display device includes: a display panel including a display area and a non-display area; a flexible printed circuit board overlapping with and attached to the display panel; a pair of first alignment marks disposed in the non-display area; a pair of second alignment marks adjacent to the first alignment marks; and a pair of third alignment marks disposed on the flexible printed circuit board.

[0016] A pair of first alignment marks, a pair of second alignment marks, and a pair of third alignment marks each include a pair of first alignment marks, a pair of second alignment marks, and a pair of third alignment marks. The first of the first alignment marks, the first of the second alignment marks, and the first of the third alignment marks can be configured to be adjacent to the first side of the flexible printed circuit board. The second of the first alignment marks, the second of the second alignment marks, and the second of the third alignment marks can be configured to be adjacent to the second side of the flexible printed circuit board, with the second side opposite to the first side.

[0017] Each of the third alignment marks can be positioned in a first direction between one of the first alignment marks and one of the second alignment marks, the first direction being the X-axis direction, and the distance between a pair of first alignment marks in the X-axis direction can be longer than the distance between a pair of second alignment marks in the X-axis direction.

[0018] In the region corresponding to each of the first and second sides, the position of each of the third alignment marks can be positioned in the X-axis direction between the position of one of the first alignment marks and the position of one of the second alignment marks.

[0019] The positions of the third alignment mark, the first alignment mark, and the second alignment mark can each be defined as the center of each alignment mark in the X-axis direction.

[0020] The second alignment mark can be set in a non-display area, and the position of the pair of first alignment marks can be positioned closer to one side of the display panel than the position of the pair of second alignment marks, said side of the display panel overlapping the flexible printed circuit board.

[0021] The position of the first alignment mark and the position of the second alignment mark can each be defined as the distance from the aforementioned side of the display panel in the Y-axis direction, which is generally perpendicular to the X-axis direction.

[0022] The flexible printed circuit board can be aligned to the display panel in the X-axis direction based on the following formula 1: [Formula 1] (X5-X1) / [(X2-X1) / (DV)]+(X3-X6) / [(X3-X4) / (DV)], where X1 and X3 are the positions of the center of the first alignment mark in the X-axis direction, X2 and X4 are the positions of the center of the second alignment mark in the X-axis direction, X5 and X6 are the positions of the center of the third alignment mark in the X-axis direction, and DV is the designed value of the distance in the X-axis direction between the center of one of the first alignment marks and the center of one of the second alignment marks in the region corresponding to each of the first and second sides.

[0023] In Formula 1, (X5-X1) / [(X2-X1) / (DV)] can be calculated relative to the first of the first alignment marks adjacent to the first side of the flexible printed circuit board, the first of the second alignment marks adjacent to the first side of the flexible printed circuit board, and the first of the third alignment marks adjacent to the first side of the flexible printed circuit board, and (X3-X6) / [(X3-X4) / (DV)] can be calculated relative to the second of the first alignment marks adjacent to the second side of the flexible printed circuit board, the second of the second alignment marks adjacent to the second side of the flexible printed circuit board, and the second of the third alignment marks adjacent to the second side of the flexible printed circuit board.

[0024] In Formula 1, the design value can be in the range of approximately 5 μm to approximately 2000 μm.

[0025] The display panel may also include a plurality of first pads, which are inclined relative to the Y-axis direction which is generally perpendicular to the X-axis direction and face each other, and the flexible printed circuit board may also include a plurality of second pads, which are inclined relative to the Y-axis direction and face each other.

[0026] The multiple first pads of the display panel and the multiple second pads of the flexible printed circuit board can be tilted at an angle of about 1 degree to about 15 degrees relative to the Y-axis direction, respectively.

[0027] The portion of the flexible printed circuit board that overlaps with the display panel may have a first length in the Y-axis direction, the first length being determined based on a second length of the flexible printed circuit board in the X-axis direction.

[0028] According to another aspect of the present invention, a display device has a display panel and a flexible printed circuit board. A pair of first alignment marks and a pair of second alignment marks adjacent to the first alignment marks are formed in a non-display area of ​​the display panel, and a pair of third alignment marks are formed in the flexible printed circuit board. A method for manufacturing the display device includes the following steps: aligning the flexible printed circuit board to the display panel in the X-axis direction based on the value of Formula 1: [Formula 1](X5-X1) / [(X2-X1) / (DV)]+(X3-X6) / [(X3-X4) / (DV)], where X1 and X3 are the positions of the centers of the first alignment marks in the X-axis direction, X2 and X4 are the positions of the centers of the second alignment marks in the X-axis direction, X5 and X6 are the positions of the centers of the third alignment marks in the X-axis direction, and DV is a designed value of the distance between the center of one of the first alignment marks and the center of one of the second alignment marks in the X-axis direction.

[0029] In Formula 1, (X5-X1) / [(X2-X1) / (DV)] can be calculated relative to the first of the first alignment marks, the first of the second alignment marks, and the first of the third alignment marks, which are adjacent to the left side of the flexible printed circuit board, and (X3-X6) / [(X3-X4) / (DV)] can be calculated relative to the second of the first alignment marks, the second of the second alignment marks, and the second of the third alignment marks, which are adjacent to the right side of the flexible printed circuit board.

[0030] In Formula 1, the design value can be in the range of approximately 5 μm to approximately 2000 μm.

[0031] The method may further include the following steps: measuring a first length of the flexible printed circuit board in the X-axis direction; determining a second length of the portion of the flexible printed circuit board that overlaps with the display panel, which is substantially perpendicular to the X-axis direction in the Y-axis direction, based on the first length; and aligning the flexible printed circuit board to the display panel in the Y-axis direction by moving the flexible printed circuit board in the Y-axis direction based on the second length.

[0032] The display panel may also include a plurality of first pads that are tilted relative to the Y-axis and face each other, and the flexible printed circuit board may also include a plurality of second pads that are tilted relative to the Y-axis and face each other.

[0033] The multiple first pads of the display panel and the multiple second pads of the flexible printed circuit board can be tilted at an angle of about 1 degree to about 15 degrees relative to the Y-axis direction, respectively.

[0034] The method may also include the following steps: after aligning the flexible printed circuit board to the display panel in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, pressing the flexible printed circuit board and the display panel together.

[0035] It should be understood that both the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and illustrative, and are intended to provide further explanation of the claimed invention. Attached Figure Description

[0036] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with the specification, serve to explain the inventive concept.

[0037] Figure 1 This is a plan view of an embodiment of a display device constructed according to the principles of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of a portion of the display device.

[0039] Figure 3 It is set in Figure 2 A plan view of an implementation of the alignment marks in areas L and R of the display panel.

[0040] Figure 4 It is set in Figure 2 A plan view of an implementation of alignment marks in regions L and R of a flexible printed circuit board.

[0041] Figure 5 and Figure 6 When the flexible printed circuit board is aligned with the display panel in the X-axis direction Figure 3 and Figure 4 A view of the arrangement of the alignment marks.

[0042] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method for forming, aligning, and attaching a flexible printed circuit board on a display panel according to the principles of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 8 and Figure 9 This is a plan view of a portion of an embodiment of a display device constructed according to the principles of the present invention, illustrating some of the manufacturing processes for adjusting the overlap and attaching the flexible printed circuit board to the display panel in the correct position.

[0044] Figure 10 and Figure 11 This is a plan view of an implementation of alignment marks for flexible printed circuit boards and display panels.

[0045] Figure 12 This is a view of an embodiment of attaching a flexible printed circuit board to a display panel and aligning it with a compressor. Detailed Implementation

[0046] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth for purposes of explanation in order to provide a thorough understanding of various exemplary embodiments or implementations of the invention. As used herein, “implementation” and “method” are interchangeable terms and are non-limiting examples of apparatus or methods employing one or more of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. However, it will be apparent that various exemplary embodiments may be practiced without these specific details or with one or more equivalent arrangements. In other instances, well-known structures and apparatuses are shown in block diagram form to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the various exemplary embodiments. Furthermore, the various exemplary embodiments may be different, but are not necessarily exclusive. For example, a particular shape, configuration, and characteristic of one exemplary embodiment may be used or implemented in another exemplary embodiment without departing from the inventive concept.

[0047] Unless otherwise stated, the exemplary embodiments shown should be understood as exemplary features providing details of variations in some ways in which the inventive concept can be implemented in practice. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, features, components, modules, layers, films, panels, regions and / or aspects (hereinafter individually or collectively referred to as “elements”) of various embodiments may be combined, separated, interchanged and / or rearranged in other ways without departing from the inventive concept.

[0048] Crosshairs and / or shading are typically used in the accompanying drawings to clarify the boundaries between adjacent elements. Therefore, the presence or absence of crosshairs or shading does not convey or indicate any preference or requirement for particular materials, material properties, dimensions, scale, commonalities between illustrated elements, and / or any other characteristics, properties, etc., of the elements, unless otherwise stated. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the dimensions and relative dimensions of elements may be exaggerated for clarity and / or descriptive purposes. A particular process sequence may be performed differently than the described sequence when exemplary embodiments can be implemented differently. For example, two consecutively described processes may be performed substantially simultaneously, or in the reverse order of their description. Similarly, the same reference numerals denote the same elements.

[0049] When an element (such as a layer) is referred to as being on, "connected to," or "attached to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, directly connected to, or directly attached to that other element or layer, or there may be an intervening element or layer. However, when an element or layer is referred to as being "directly on," "directly connected to," or "directly attached to" another element or layer, there is no intervening element or layer. Therefore, the term "connection" can refer to a physical connection, electrical connection, and / or fluid connection, with or without an intervening element. Furthermore, the D1, D2, and D3 axes are not limited to the three axes of a rectangular coordinate system (such as the x, y, and z axes) and can be interpreted in a broader sense. For example, the D1, D2, and D3 axes may be perpendicular to each other, or they may represent different directions that are not perpendicular to each other. For the purposes of this disclosure, “at least one of X, Y, and Z” and “at least one selected from the group consisting of X, Y, and Z” can be interpreted as X only, Y only, Z only, or any combination of two or more of X, Y, and Z, such as XYZ, XYY, YZ, and ZZ. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0050] Although the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used herein to describe various types of elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of this disclosure, the first element discussed below may be referred to as the second element.

[0051] For descriptive purposes, spatial relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” “above,” “higher,” and “side” (e.g., as in “sidewall”) may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another(s) as shown in the accompanying drawings. In addition to the orientations depicted in the drawings, spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use, operation, and / or manufacture. For example, if the device in the drawings is flipped, an element described as “below” or “below” other elements or features would be oriented “above” those other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can include both above and below orientations. Furthermore, the device may be oriented in other ways (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and therefore, the spatial relative descriptive terms used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0052] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, when used in this specification, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including” specify the presence of stated features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. It should also be noted that, as used herein, the terms “substantially,” “about,” and other similar terms are used as approximations, not as terms of degree, and therefore to explain the inherent deviations in measurements, calculations, and / or provided values ​​that will be recognized by those skilled in the art.

[0053] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms such as those defined in common dictionaries shall be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant field and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.

[0054] Figure 1 This is a plan view of an embodiment of a display device constructed according to the principles of the present invention.

[0055] refer to Figure 1 The display device may include a display panel 100, at least one flexible printed circuit board 200, at least one printed circuit board 300, and at least one driver chip 250.

[0056] The display panel 100 includes a display area 110 on a substrate formed of glass or the like, on which a plurality of pixels PX are formed, and a non-display area 120 surrounding the display area 110.

[0057] The display panel 100 can be a liquid crystal display panel that includes liquid crystals, or a light-emitting display panel that includes light-emitting elements. Furthermore, the display panel 100 can be a medium-sized or large-sized display panel.

[0058] The multiple pixels PX included in the display panel 100 can be controlled by various control signals including scan signals and data voltages, and can receive a constant power voltage.

[0059] In a liquid crystal panel, multiple pixels PX receive data voltage and scan signals. The data voltage applied to the pixels PX, together with a common voltage, forms an electric field, and the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules is determined based on this electric field. In the case of a liquid crystal display panel, a backlight unit is also included, and the light provided from the backlight unit is configured to have a phase difference according to the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules, so that brightness is expressed while adjusting the blocking ratio of the polarizer.

[0060] The light-emitting display panel can be an organic light-emitting display panel including an organic emitting layer. In the organic light-emitting display panel, multiple pixels (PX) receive a data voltage and at least one scan signal, and can also receive a drive low voltage and a drive voltage as a power supply voltage. Furthermore, the pixels (PX) can additionally receive a light-emitting signal. The output current of the driving transistor is determined based on the data voltage in the organic light-emitting display panel, and light is emitted when the output current flows through the organic light-emitting diode (OLED). The brightness of the light emitted from the OLED is determined based on the intensity of the current flowing through the OLED.

[0061] Wiring (or signal lines) connected to the pixel PX and drivers (e.g., scan drivers) controlling the pixel PX via at least some of the wiring can be disposed in the non-display area 120. In an embodiment, the drivers can be formed in the same manufacturing process as that used to form the pixel PX. The non-display area 120 may have a width wider than the display area 110 and may also include pad areas 125 attached to the flexible printed circuit board 200.

[0062] The display panel 100 includes a scan driver that generates scan signals. The scan driver may be located in the non-display area 120 and may be formed using the same process as that used to form a plurality of pixels PX.

[0063] In the case that the display panel 100 is an organic light-emitting display panel, the display panel 100 may also include a separate driver to provide a light-emitting signal. The driver that provides the light-emitting signal may be formed in some areas of the non-display area 120 using the same process as that used to form a plurality of pixels PX.

[0064] A driver chip 250 that applies various signals, voltages, and / or currents (such as data voltages and drive signals) can be disposed on a flexible printed circuit board 200, and the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be attached to the pad area 125 of the display panel 100, so that signals, voltages, and / or currents are transmitted to the elements (such as pixels PX) of the display panel 100. Figure 1In this configuration, three driver chips 250 are attached to a flexible printed circuit board 200, and the size and position of the driver chips 250 can differ from each other. The number of driver chips 250 can be one or more, and they can be positioned on the flexible printed circuit board 200. The number of driver chips 250 is determined based on the number of wiring (or signal lines) controlled by a single driver chip 250. As the resolution of the display device increases, the number of driver chips 250 attached to a flexible printed circuit board 200 tends to increase.

[0065] The printed circuit board 300 is attached to the other side of the flexible printed circuit board 200. Drivers such as additional timing controllers can be formed in the printed circuit board 300.

[0066] The printed circuit board 300 is used to transmit external input image signals to the driver chip 250, and can also be used to transmit the basic voltage level used in the pixel PX.

[0067] exist Figure 1 In this configuration, two printed circuit boards 300 are formed, but depending on the specific application, more printed circuit boards 300 can be formed. Furthermore, additional flexible printed circuit boards may be included to connect adjacent printed circuit boards 300. These additional flexible printed circuit boards can be used to transmit externally input image signals from one printed circuit board 300 to another.

[0068] The number of flexible printed circuit boards 200 attached to the display panel 100 can increase with the increase of the resolution of the display panel 100, and depending on the specific application, 16 or 24 flexible printed circuit boards 200 can be attached to a single display panel 100.

[0069] The display panel 100, flexible printed circuit board 200, and printed circuit board 300 are attached to each other via anisotropic conductive film (ACF) and are therefore electrically connected to each other.

[0070] The following will be referenced Figure 2 Describes the attachment structure of the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200.

[0071] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of a portion of the display device.

[0072] The flexible printed circuit board 200 is attached to the pad area 125 in the non-display area 120 of the display panel 100 via an anisotropic conductive film (ACF). Therefore, the pads provided in the pad area 125 of the display panel 100 and the pads provided on the flexible printed circuit board 200 are attached to each other, making them electrically connected to each other.

[0073] As the display panel 100 is developed for high-resolution applications to increase the number of wirings and pads per unit area, the width and / or spacing of the wirings (or signal lines) and pads can be reduced. In this case, the flexible printed circuit board 200 needs to be aligned and attached to the pad area 125 with a relatively low tolerance range so that the pads of the flexible printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100 can be connected to each other as needed.

[0074] When each of the flexible printed circuit boards 200 is attached to the display panel 100, an alignment and compression machine is used to identify specific markings on the flexible printed circuit boards 200 and the display panel 100, which may be in the form of alignment marks, and the flexible printed circuit boards 200 are aligned to the display panel 100 based on the alignment marks. (Reference) Figure 12 The flexible printed circuit board 200 can be attached using the pressing portion 10. As the number of flexible printed circuit boards 200 increases, the alignment and compression mechanism can include multiple pressing portions, allowing multiple flexible printed circuit boards 200 to be attached to the display panel 100 simultaneously. However, the value of the alignment mark measured by each pressing portion may differ, meaning the measurement includes error. Due to this error, each of the flexible printed circuit boards 200 may not be correctly attached to the corresponding portion of the display panel 100. This error may occur between multiple pressing portions within a single alignment and compression mechanism, and may also occur between multiple alignment and compression mechanisms.

[0075] If such errors are within the permissible error range, there are no problems caused by misalignment. However, as the resolution of the display panel 100 increases, the permissible error range decreases, and errors may exceed the permissible error range, which may lead to defects such as disconnection between the pads of the flexible printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100.

[0076] When measuring relatively long distances (e.g., tens of millimeters in length) that are similar to the entire length of the flexible printed circuit board 200, the error can be relatively large. This is because the units used for aligning the flexible printed circuit board 200 have values ​​of tens or hundreds of micrometers, and therefore when measuring values ​​in millimeters, it is relatively inaccurate, and thus the measured value may include a relatively large error. A relatively large error can lead to misalignment between the flexible printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100.

[0077] To prevent this problem from occurring when the units used in measurement and alignment are relatively large compared to the units used in the alignment, one can use... Figure 3 and Figure 4 The alignment marks shown are as indicated by reference. Figure 6 Perform alignment as described.

[0078] refer to Figure 3 andFigure 4 Alignment marks formed in the first region L and the second region R of each flexible printed circuit board 200 and in the corresponding pad regions 125 of the display panel 100 will now be described. Figure 2 As shown, the first region L corresponds to the left side of the flexible printed circuit board 200, and the second region R corresponds to the right side of the flexible printed circuit board 200 opposite to the left side.

[0079] Figure 3 It is set in Figure 2 A plan view of an implementation of the alignment marks in areas L and R of the display panel. Figure 4 It is set in Figure 2 A plan view of an implementation of alignment marks in regions L and R of a flexible printed circuit board.

[0080] refer to Figures 1 to 4 The display device includes a display panel 100 (the display panel 100 includes a glass substrate, the glass substrate includes a display area 110 and a non-display area 120), a flexible printed circuit board 200 attached to the display panel 100, a pair of first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1 positioned in the non-display area 120, a pair of second alignment marks PAML2 and PAMR2 adjacent to the first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1, and a pair of third alignment marks FAML and FAMR positioned in the flexible printed circuit board 200. The pair of second alignment marks PAML2 and PAMR2 may be disposed in the non-display area 120.

[0081] One of a pair of first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1, one of a pair of second alignment marks PAML2 and PAMR2, and one of a pair of third alignment marks FAML and FAMR are adjacent to one side of the flexible printed circuit board 200 and disposed in one of the first region L and the second region R. The other of a pair of first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1, the other of a pair of second alignment marks PAML2 and PAMR2, and the other of the third alignment marks FAML and FAMR are adjacent to the other side of the flexible printed circuit board 200 and disposed in the other of the first region L and the second region R.

[0082] In each of the first region L and the second region R, the position of each of the pair of third alignment marks FAML and FAMR can be located in the X-axis direction (e.g., horizontal direction) between the position of one of the pair of first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1 and the position of one of the pair of second alignment marks PAML2 and PAMR2.

[0083] First, refer to Figure 3The alignment marks PAML1, PAMR1, PAML2 and PAMR2 formed in the pad area 125 of the display panel 100 will be described.

[0084] In the pad area 125 of the display panel 100, a pair of first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1 and a pair of second alignment marks PAML2 and PAMR2 are formed in the first area L and the second area R.

[0085] A pair of first alignment marks, PAML1 and PAMR1, are positioned outwards relative to each other, and a pair of second alignment marks, PAML2 and PAMR2, are positioned inwards relative to each other. The distance between the pair of first alignment marks, PAML1 and PAMR1, in the X-axis direction is greater than the distance between the pair of second alignment marks, PAML2 and PAMR2, in the X-axis direction.

[0086] An outwardly positioned first alignment mark PAML1 and an inwardly positioned second alignment mark PAML2 can form another pair of alignment marks PAML1 and PAML2 in the first region L. The first alignment mark PAML1 can be positioned closer to the edge EG of the display panel 100 than the second alignment mark PAML2 in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction, and the second alignment mark PAML2 can be positioned closer to the display area 110 in the Y-axis direction. The edge EG can correspond to one of the sides of the display panel 100 that overlaps with the flexible printed circuit board 200.

[0087] The center X1 and X2 of a pair of alignment marks PAML1 and PAML2 can be automatically identified based on the outer edge of each of the alignment marks PAML1 and PAML2, and the distance associated with the center X1 and X2 can be measured to align the flexible printed circuit board 200 to the display panel 100.

[0088] A pair of alignment marks PAML1 and PAML2 are formed in the glass substrate, and therefore the distance between the pair of alignment marks PAML1 and PAML2 remains unchanged. Furthermore, since the pair of alignment marks PAML1 and PAML2 are formed together when forming the pixel PX, each pattern is formed with very high precision. Therefore, the horizontal distance between the pair of alignment marks PAML1 and PAML2 can be substantially constant and unchanging. As described below, the designed horizontal distance (hereinafter referred to as the design value) can be used to align the flexible printed circuit board 200 to the display panel 100 to ensure relatively high reliability of alignment. The design value can be in the range of approximately 5 μm to approximately 2000 μm.

[0089] A first alignment mark PAMR1 positioned on the outer side and a second alignment mark PAMR2 positioned on the inner side can form another pair of alignment marks PAMR1 and PAMR2 in the second region R. The first alignment mark PAMR1 can be set to be closer to the edge EG of the display panel 100 in the Y-axis direction than the second alignment mark PAMR2, and the second alignment mark PAMR2 can be set to be closer to the display area 110 in the Y-axis direction.

[0090] The center X3 and X4 of a pair of alignment marks PAMR1 and PAMR2 can be automatically identified based on the outer edge of each of the alignment marks PAMR1 and PAMR2, and the distance associated with the center X3 and X4 can be measured to align the flexible printed circuit board 200 to the display panel 100.

[0091] The first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1, located on opposite sides, can have substantially the same shape, and the second alignment marks PAML2 and PAMR2 can also have substantially the same shape. In the case where the first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1 and the second alignment marks PAML2 and PAMR2 have different shapes, one of the first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1 and one of the second alignment marks PAML2 and PAMR2, positioned adjacent to each other, can be easily distinguished by, for example, by an alignment and compression machine.

[0092] exist Figure 3 In the diagram, a dashed line is shown between a pair of alignment marks PAML1 and PAML2 set in the first region L and a pair of alignment marks PAMR1 and PAMR2 set in the second region R, which makes it easier to see the position of the center line between them.

[0093] refer to Figure 4 The third alignment marks FAML and FAMR are formed in the first region L and the second region R of the flexible printed circuit board 200, respectively.

[0094] The flexible printed circuit board 200 can be formed of a deformable material such as plastic or polyimide (PI), and due to the properties of the material, the positions of the third alignment marks FAML and FAMR can be changed compared to the alignment marks PAML1, PAMR1, PAML2, and PAMR2 formed in the display panel 100. For example, the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be elongated in one direction (e.g., the X-axis direction).

[0095] The center X5 and X6 of the third alignment marks FAML and FAMR of the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be automatically identified based on the outer edges of the corresponding third alignment marks FAML and FAMR, and the distance associated with the center X5 and X6 can be measured to align the flexible printed circuit board 200 to the display panel 100.

[0096] exist Figure 4 In the diagram, a dashed line is shown between the third alignment marks FAML and FAMR, which are respectively set in the first region L and the second region R, and this makes it easier to see the position of the center line between them.

[0097] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The three types of alignment marks have an asymmetrical structure. Different alignment marks are formed in the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200. For example, two pairs of alignment marks PAML1, PAMR1, PAML2 and PAMR2 may be formed in the display panel 100, while a pair of alignment marks FAML and FAMR may be formed in the flexible printed circuit board 200.

[0098] Typically, alignment can be performed using the same number of alignment marks in each of the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200 in a one-to-one correspondence. However, in some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, alignment can be performed using a different number of alignment marks in each of the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200. For example, alignment can be performed using three alignment marks in each of the first region L and the second region R, which includes two (2) alignment marks in the display panel 100 and one (1) alignment mark in the flexible printed circuit board 200.

[0099] The three alignment marks in each of the first region L and the second region R can have different shapes. In this way, adjacent alignment marks can be easily distinguished from each other by the alignment and compression machine. However, the implementation is not limited to this. For example, at least two alignment marks can have the same shape, and a pair of alignment marks positioned in the first region L and the second region R can have different shapes. Examples of various shapes of alignment marks will be referenced. Figure 10 and Figure 11 Describe it.

[0100] The formation of such Figure 3 and Figure 4 The display panel 100 and flexible printed circuit board 200 with different alignment marks shown can be used with the following reference. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The methods described are aligned and attached to each other.

[0101] Figure 5 and Figure 6 When the flexible printed circuit board is aligned with the display panel in the X-axis direction Figure 3 and Figure 4 A view of the arrangement of the alignment marks.

[0102] First, refer to Figure 5 An example describing an alignment method.

[0103] refer to Figure 5 Based on the center of the alignment mark set in the first region L and the second region R of the display panel 100 and the center of the alignment mark set in the first region L and the second region R of the flexible printed circuit board 200, the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be aligned with each other.

[0104] First, the center of the display panel 100 in the X-axis direction is determined by using first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1 disposed in the first region L and the second region R of the display panel 100. For example, the horizontal distance PG (i.e., the distance in the X-axis direction) between the centers X1 and X3 of the first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1 is obtained, and the center between the first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1 is set as the center of the portion of the display panel 100 to be attached to the flexible printed circuit board 200.

[0105] In addition, the horizontal distance FG (i.e., the distance in the X-axis direction) between the centers X5 and X6 of the third alignment marks FAML and FAMR set in the first region L and the second region R of the flexible printed circuit board 200 is obtained, and then the center between the centers X5 and X6 is set as the center of the flexible printed circuit board 200 in the X-axis direction.

[0106] The center of the portion of the display panel 100 to be attached to the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be aligned with the center of the flexible printed circuit board 200 to match each other so as not to be biased to one side in the left-right (X-axis direction).

[0107] exist Figure 5 In this process, a pair of first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1 are used to determine the center of the portion of the display panel 100 to be attached to the flexible printed circuit board 200, but two pairs of first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1 and second alignment marks PAML2 and PAMR2 can be used to determine the center of the display panel 100 in the X-axis direction.

[0108] In this embodiment, the horizontal distance PG (distance in the X-axis direction) between the first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1 can be approximately 61,000 μm, which is approximately 61 mm. Furthermore, in each of the first region L and the second region R, the horizontal distance between the center of one of the first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1 and the center of one of the second alignment marks PAML2 and PAMR2 can be approximately 200 μm, and in each of the first region L and the second region R, the center of one of the third alignment marks FAML and FAMR can be positioned in the X-axis direction between the center of one of the first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1 and the center of one of the second alignment marks PAML2 and PAMR2.

[0109] Assuming that the flexible printed circuit board 200 can move relative to the display panel 100 in a relatively small amount (e.g., a few μm or a few hundred μm), this alignment method may introduce relatively very large errors compared to the relatively large horizontal distances PG and FG (which can be tens of mm).

[0110] More specifically, as referenced Figure 5 When the distance between alignment marks positioned far apart on the left and right, as described, is large, it is difficult to use measurements with a small permissible error range for the display panel because the measurements are relatively large (on the order of tens of millimeters) and therefore may include relatively large errors. Thus, although the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be aligned to the display panel 100 by identifying the center of the display panel 100 and the center of the flexible printed circuit board 200 in the X-axis direction based on the horizontal distances PG and FG, this method may result in misalignment of the flexible printed circuit board 200 due to relatively large errors. However, the above references... Figure 5 The described method does indeed have the advantage of not requiring many measurements, thus making distance determination easy. Therefore, if the display panel has a relatively large tolerance range, the above reference can be used. Figure 5 The method described.

[0111] If the allowable error value is less than the measurement error range and therefore cannot be used... Figure 5 The method can be achieved by using the following reference. Figure 6 A more precise alignment method is described to align the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200.

[0112] First, refer to Figure 6 The method for measuring the distance between alignment marks set in the first region L will be described.

[0113] Obtain the horizontal distance PGL (i.e., the distance in the X-axis direction) between the centers X1 and X2 of a pair of alignment marks PAML1 and PAML2 set in the pad area 125 of the display panel 100.

[0114] In addition, the horizontal distance PFGL (i.e., the distance in the X-axis direction) between the center X1 of the first alignment mark PAML1 in the display panel 100 and the center X5 of the third alignment mark FAML in the flexible printed circuit board 200 is obtained.

[0115] The relative position of the third alignment mark FAML in the flexible printed circuit board 200 with respect to a pair of alignment marks PAML1 and PAML2 formed in the display panel 100 in the X-axis direction can be determined by using two horizontal distances PGL and PFGL in the X-axis direction.

[0116] Similarly, in the second region R, the relative position of the third alignment mark FAMR in the flexible printed circuit board 200 with respect to a pair of alignment marks PAMR1 and PAMR2 in the X-axis direction is determined.

[0117] For example, the horizontal distance PGR (i.e., the distance in the X-axis direction) between the centers X3 and X4 of a pair of alignment marks PAMR1 and PAMR2 disposed in the pad area 125 of the display panel 100 is obtained. Furthermore, the horizontal distance PFGR (i.e., the distance in the X-axis direction) between the center X3 of the first alignment mark PAMR1 in the display panel 100 and the center X6 of the third alignment mark FAMR in the flexible printed circuit board 200 is obtained. The relative position of the third alignment mark FAMR in the flexible printed circuit board 200 with respect to the pair of alignment marks PAMR1 and PAMR2 formed in the display panel 100 in the X-axis direction can be determined by using the two horizontal distances PGR and PFGR in the X-axis direction.

[0118] The relative positions of the third alignment marks FAML and FAMR in the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be matched by moving the flexible printed circuit board 200 to align the flexible printed circuit board 200 with the display panel 100.

[0119] For example, when the flexible printed circuit board 200 moves horizontally (i.e., in the X-axis direction), the relative positions of the two third alignment marks FAML and FAMR in the flexible printed circuit board 200 change. The flexible printed circuit board 200 can be aligned with the display panel 100 when the horizontal distances PFGL and PFGR have substantially the same value and / or when the horizontal distances PGL and PGR have the same value.

[0120] Furthermore, since measurement errors may occur in the measured horizontal distances PGL, PFGL, PGR, and PFGR, design values ​​based on the horizontal distance between a pair of alignment marks PAML1 and PAML2 set in the first region L and design values ​​based on the horizontal distance between a pair of alignment marks PAMR1 and PAMR2 set in the second region R can be used to compensate for measurement errors.

[0121] Compensation can be achieved by aligning the flexible printed circuit board 200 to the display panel 100 based on the value of Formula 1.

[0122] [Formula 1]

[0123] (X5-X1) / [(X2-X1) / (DV)]+(X3-X6) / [(X3-X4) / (DV)]

[0124] Here, X1 and X3 represent the measured positions of the centers of a pair of first alignment marks PAML1 and PAMR1, X2 and X4 represent the measured positions of the centers of a pair of second alignment marks PAML2 and PAMR2, and X5 and X6 represent the measured positions of the centers of a pair of third alignment marks FAML and FAMR. DV represents the design value corresponding to the distance in the X-axis direction between the centers of the first and second alignment marks in each of the first region L and the second region R.

[0125] In Formula 1, (X5-X1) / [(X2-X1) / (DV)] is calculated based on the design value corresponding to the first alignment mark PAML1 and the second alignment mark PAML2 set in the first region L of the display panel 100, the third alignment mark FAML set in the first region L of the flexible printed circuit board 200, and the distance between the first alignment mark PAML1 and the second alignment mark PAML2 in the X-axis direction.

[0126] Furthermore, in Formula 1, (X3-X6) / [(X3-X4) / (DV)] is calculated based on the first alignment mark PAMR1, the second alignment mark PAMR2, the third alignment mark FAMR, and the design value that corresponds to the distance between the first alignment mark PAMR1 and the second alignment mark PAMR2 in the X-axis direction.

[0127] According to the implementation, the design values ​​between the first alignment mark PAML1 and the second alignment mark PAML2, as well as the design values ​​between the first alignment mark PAMR1 and the second alignment mark PAMR2, can have different values ​​or the same value.

[0128] Here, [(X2-X1) / (DV)] and [(X3-X4) / (DV)] mean correcting and / or compensating for the measured value based on the design value (e.g., X2-X1 or X3-X4). For example, if the design value is 200 μm and the measured value is 100 μm, the denominator becomes 1 / 2, and therefore the measured value is corrected by (X5-X1) / [(X2-X1) / (DV)] and (X3-X6) / [(X3-X4) / (DV)] (i.e., by multiplying (X5-X1) and (X3-X6) by a factor of two).

[0129] Depending on the size of the display panel 100, Formula 1, which adds the corrected left and right values, can have a value greater than 0 and less than or equal to 30 μm, and can have a value in the range of greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1 mm. Since a target value (which is the value of Formula 1 when the flexible printed circuit board 200 is aligned with the display panel 100) can be determined, the alignment marks PAML1, PAMR1, PAML2, PAMR2, FAML, and FAMR can be aligned by moving the flexible printed circuit board 200 in the X-axis and / or Y-axis directions based on the target value. More specifically, when the flexible printed circuit board 200 is aligned in the X-axis direction based on Formula 1, a target value can be determined for each specific display panel and / or display device, and therefore the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be moved such that the value of Formula 1 becomes the target value to align the flexible printed circuit board 200 with the display panel 100. Furthermore, as... Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, in order to align the flexible printed circuit board 200 in the Y-axis direction, the overlap distance OPF1 between the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200 in the Y-axis direction can be adjusted according to the gap between the pads FP of the flexible printed circuit board 200. This will refer to... Figure 8 and Figure 9 Provide a detailed description.

[0130] In Formula 1, the values ​​of X5-X1, X2-X1, X3-X6, and X3-X4 can range from a few μm to several hundred μm, and the design values ​​can range from about 5 μm to about 2000 μm.

[0131] According to the reference Figure 6 The described method measures the alignment mark set on the left and the alignment mark set on the right, respectively, and therefore the measurement values ​​have small errors because the actual distance to be measured is as small as a few μm to a few hundred μm.

[0132] Furthermore, according to the implementation method, Formula 1 can be modified as follows.

[0133] [Formula 2]

[0134] (X5-X1) / [(X2-X1) / (DV)]-(X3-X6) / [(X3-X4) / (DV)]

[0135] Formula 2 can be calculated by subtracting the value calculated based on the alignment marks (i.e., the first alignment mark PAML1, the second alignment mark PAML2, and the third alignment mark FAML) set in the first region L from the value calculated based on the alignment marks (i.e., the first alignment mark PAML1, the second alignment mark PAML2, and the third alignment mark FAML) set in the second region R. A target value (which is the value of Formula 2 when the flexible printed circuit board 200 is aligned with the display panel 100) can be determined for each specific display panel and / or display device, and the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be moved such that the value of Formula 2 becomes the target value (e.g., 0) to align the flexible printed circuit board 200 with the display panel 100.

[0136] Furthermore, unlike Formula 2, the value calculated based on the alignment mark set in the first region L can be subtracted from the value calculated based on the alignment mark set in the second region R.

[0137] The method for aligning the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200 by referring to the horizontal distance in the X-axis direction has been described above.

[0138] When the pads provided in the pad area 125 of the display panel 100 and the pads provided in the flexible printed circuit board 200 have a structure that extends in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction, alignment can be performed only in the X-axis direction before the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200 are attached to each other.

[0139] According to one embodiment, each pad may be tilted at a certain angle relative to the Y-axis direction, and in this case, the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200 need to be aligned with each other in the Y-axis direction. In one embodiment, each pad has an angle of about 1 degree to about 15 degrees about the Y-axis direction.

[0140] In the following text, reference will be made to Figures 7 to 9 This will be described.

[0141] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method for forming, aligning, and attaching a flexible printed circuit board on a display panel according to the principles of the present invention.

[0142] refer to Figure 7Alignment begins with cutting the flexible printed circuit board 200. That is, the flexible printed circuit board 200 is formed in the form of a roll, a portion of which is cut to form individual flexible printed circuit boards 200. The flexible printed circuit board 200 can form a chip on film (COF), and then alignment and attachment are performed therefrom. Therefore, COF cutting (S10) needs to be performed so that the flexible printed circuit board 200 can include wiring (or pads) to be used.

[0143] For example, in a display device that includes 24 flexible printed circuit boards 200 and whose display panel 100 includes 7680 × 4320 pixels (see...) Figure 1 In the case of PX), 24 flexible printed circuit boards 200 transmit data signals through 7680 data lines, and therefore each flexible printed circuit board 200 needs to include at least 320 wirings. Each flexible printed circuit board 200 is formed by cutting the entire roll to include the required number of wirings.

[0144] This single flexible printed circuit board 200 can include the required number of wirings, but the actual length can vary because the flexible printed circuit board 200 is formed on a plastic or polyimide (PI) substrate. Therefore, a COF length measurement (S20) is performed to measure the entire length of the cut flexible printed circuit board 200 in the X-axis direction. During the COF length measurement (S20), the driver chip 250 can be attached to the flexible printed circuit board 200.

[0145] Based on the entire length along the X-axis, the gap between traces in the X-axis direction can be predicted. For example, the gap between traces (or pads) can be determined by dividing the entire length by the number of traces (or pads) included. Based on the gap and / or length in the X-axis direction, the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be aligned with the display panel 100 in the Y-axis direction (S30) by moving the flexible printed circuit board 200. Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, by moving the flexible printed circuit board 200 in the Y-axis direction, the pads PP disposed in the display panel 100 and the pads FP disposed in the flexible printed circuit board 200 can correspond to and overlap each other. Furthermore, based on a reference... Figure 6 The described alignment method aligns the flexible printed circuit board 200 to the display panel 100 in the X-axis direction (S40). Step S40 can be performed before or after step S30.

[0146] Then, after alignment along the X-axis and Y-axis, compression (S50) is performed, so that the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200 are electrically attached to each other.

[0147] In the following text, see references Figure 8and Figure 9 The method for aligning the pads PP of the display panel 100 and the pads FP of the flexible printed circuit board 200 when moving in the Y-axis direction will be described in more detail.

[0148] Figure 8 and Figure 9 This is a plan view of a portion of an embodiment of a display device constructed according to the principles of the present invention, illustrating some of the manufacturing processes for adjusting the overlap and attaching the flexible printed circuit board to the display panel in the correct position.

[0149] refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 The pads PP of the display panel 100 and the pads FP of the flexible printed circuit board 200 are tilted at substantially the same angle about the Y-axis. Here, the tilt angle can be in the range of about 1 degree to about 15 degrees. In addition, the left pads and the right pads are formed to face each other about the center of the flexible printed circuit board 200.

[0150] When pads are formed at an angle while facing each other, the gap between facing pads FP in the flexible printed circuit board 200 (reference) Figure 8 and Figure 9 The horizontal arrow in the figure is proportional to the horizontal length (i.e., the length in the X-axis direction) of the flexible printed circuit board 200.

[0151] like Figure 8 As shown, when the horizontal length LF1 of the flexible printed circuit board 200 is relatively long, the gap between the facing pads FP can be relatively wide. In this case, the overlap distance OPF1 between the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be reduced, so that the pads PP of the display panel 100 and the pads FP of the flexible printed circuit board 200 can correspond to each other and / or overlap.

[0152] like Figure 9 As shown, the flexible printed circuit board 200 can have a greater than Figure 8 The horizontal length LF1 is shorter than the horizontal length LF2, and therefore the gap between the pads FP facing each other is reduced. In this case, the overlap distance OPF2 between the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be increased, so that the pads PP of the display panel 100 and the pads FP of the flexible printed circuit board 200 can correspond to each other and / or overlap.

[0153] In the following text, reference will be made to Figure 10 and Figure 11 Describe various examples of alignment marks.

[0154] Figure 10 and Figure 11This is a plan view of an implementation of alignment marks for flexible printed circuit boards and display panels.

[0155] refer to Figure 10 This shows alignment marks that can be formed in the display panel 100.

[0156] exist Figure 10 In the diagram, (A) and (D) respectively show... Figure 3 The pair of alignment marks shown in (B) can have a generally triangular shape where the vertices are connected to each other, as shown in (B), and can have a generally quadrilateral shape where the generally quadrilateral shape has a generally quadrilateral opening in the center, as shown in (C).

[0157] Figure 11 Alignment marks that can be formed in the flexible printed circuit board 200 are shown.

[0158] exist Figure 11 In the middle, not shown Figure 4 The alignment mark is shown in the image. Figure 11 In the diagram, (A) shows a generally quadrilateral shape in which the vertices are connected to each other, (B) shows a generally triangular shape in which the vertices are connected to each other, (C) shows a generally quadrilateral shape with a generally quadrilateral opening in the center, and (D) shows a circular shape.

[0159] Alignment marks with the various structures described above can be used in the display panel 100. Figure 11 The alignment mark shown can also be used. Figure 10 and Figure 11 Other alignment marks not shown.

[0160] The machine for aligning and compressing the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200 will be described below.

[0161] Figure 12 This is a view of an embodiment of attaching a flexible printed circuit board to a display panel and aligning it with a compressor.

[0162] refer to Figure 12 The alignment and compression device includes a pressing portion 10, and the pressing portion 10 may include a camera to identify alignment marks in the pad area 125 of the display panel 100 and alignment marks in the flexible printed circuit board 200.

[0163] After determining the horizontal distance between the alignment marks using a camera, the display panel 100 and the flexible printed circuit board 200 are aligned, and then the flexible printed circuit board 200 is pressed onto the display panel 100 using the pressing portion 10. In this case, an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) is provided between the flexible printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100, so that the flexible printed circuit board 200 and the display panel 100 are electrically connected.

[0164] Multiple pressing portions 10 can be formed in the alignment and compression mechanism, so that multiple flexible printed circuit boards 200 can be attached to the display panel 100 simultaneously.

[0165] The distance between the alignment marks measured by each pressing part 10 may have a relatively large error. To eliminate and / or reduce this machine-specific error, as per reference... Figure 6 As described, the relatively short distance between alignment marks set on the left side and the relatively short distance between alignment marks set on the right side are measured, and alignment is performed using measurements that can have reduced errors. Therefore, alignment can be performed with relatively high reliability.

[0166] While certain exemplary embodiments and implementations have been described herein, other embodiments and modifications will become apparent from this description. Therefore, the inventive concept is not limited to such embodiments, but is limited to the broader scope of the appended claims and various obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements that will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A display device, including: The display panel includes a display area and a non-display area; A flexible printed circuit board that overlaps with and is attached to the display panel; A pair of first alignment marks are set in the non-display area; A pair of second alignment marks, adjacent to the first alignment mark; as well as A pair of third alignment marks are provided on the flexible printed circuit board. Wherein, the pair of first alignment marks, the pair of second alignment marks, and the pair of third alignment marks each include a pair of first alignment markers, a pair of second alignment markers, and a pair of third alignment markers. Wherein, the first of the first alignment marks, the first of the second alignment marks, and the first of the third alignment marks are arranged adjacent to the first side of the flexible printed circuit board, and The second of the first alignment mark, the second of the second alignment mark, and the second of the third alignment mark are configured to be adjacent to the second side of the flexible printed circuit board, with the second side opposite to the first side. The flexible printed circuit board is aligned with the display panel in the X-axis direction based on the following formula 1: [Formula 1] (X5-X1) / [(X2-X1) / (DV)]+(X3-X6) / [(X3-X4) / (DV)], Wherein, X1 and X3 are the positions of the centers of the pair of first alignment marks in the X-axis direction, X2 and X4 are the positions of the centers of the pair of second alignment marks in the X-axis direction, X5 and X6 are the positions of the centers of the pair of third alignment marks in the X-axis direction, and DV is the designed value of the distance in the X-axis direction between the center of one of the first alignment marks and the center of one of the second alignment marks in the region corresponding to each of the first and second sides.

2. The display device according to claim 1, in, Each of the third alignment marks is positioned in a first direction between one of the first alignment marks and one of the second alignment marks, and The first direction is the X-axis direction, and the distance between the pair of first alignment marks in the X-axis direction is longer than the distance between the pair of second alignment marks in the X-axis direction.

3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein, In the region corresponding to each of the first and second sides, the position of each of the third alignment marks is positioned in the X-axis direction between the position of one of the first alignment marks and the position of one of the second alignment marks, and Wherein, the position of the third alignment mark, the position of the first alignment mark, and the position of the second alignment mark are each defined as the position of the center of each alignment mark in the X-axis direction.

4. The display device according to claim 2, wherein, The second alignment mark is disposed in the non-display area, and the pair of first alignment marks are positioned closer to the edge of the display panel overlapping the flexible printed circuit board than the pair of second alignment marks. Wherein, each of the positions of the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark is defined as the distance from the edge of the display panel in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction.

5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, In Formula 1, (X5-X1) / [(X2-X1) / (DV)] is calculated relative to the first of the first alignment marks adjacent to the first side of the flexible printed circuit board, the first of the second alignment marks adjacent to the first side of the flexible printed circuit board, and the first of the third alignment marks adjacent to the first side of the flexible printed circuit board. (X3-X6) / [(X3-X4) / (DV)] is calculated relative to the second one of the first alignment marks adjacent to the second side of the flexible printed circuit board, the second one of the second alignment marks adjacent to the second side of the flexible printed circuit board, and the second one of the third alignment marks adjacent to the second side of the flexible printed circuit board. In Formula 1, the design value is in the range of 5μm to 2000μm.

6. The display device according to claim 2, wherein, The display panel further includes a plurality of first pads, which are inclined relative to a Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction and face each other. The flexible printed circuit board also includes a plurality of second pads, which are inclined relative to the Y-axis direction and face each other. The plurality of first pads of the display panel and the plurality of second pads of the flexible printed circuit board are respectively tilted at an angle of 1 to 15 degrees relative to the Y-axis direction.

7. A method of manufacturing a display device, the display device having a display panel and a flexible printed circuit board, wherein a pair of first alignment marks and a pair of second alignment marks adjacent to the first alignment marks are formed in a non-display area of ​​the display panel, and a pair of third alignment marks are formed in the flexible printed circuit board, the method comprising the following steps: Based on the value of Formula 1, align the flexible printed circuit board to the display panel in the X-axis direction: [Formula 1] (X5-X1) / [(X2-X1) / (DV)]+(X3-X6) / [(X3-X4) / (DV)], Wherein, X1 and X3 are the positions of the centers of the pair of first alignment marks in the X-axis direction, X2 and X4 are the positions of the centers of the pair of second alignment marks in the X-axis direction, X5 and X6 are the positions of the centers of the pair of third alignment marks in the X-axis direction, and DV is the designed value of the distance between the center of one of the first alignment marks and the center of one of the second alignment marks in the X-axis direction.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, In Formula 1, (X5-X1) / [(X2-X1) / (DV)] is calculated relative to the first of the first alignment marks, the first of the second alignment marks, and the first of the third alignment marks, wherein the first of the first alignment marks, the first of the second alignment marks, and the first of the third alignment marks are adjacent to the left side of the flexible printed circuit board. (X3-X6) / [(X3-X4) / (DV)] is calculated relative to the second of the first alignment mark, the second of the second alignment mark, and the second of the third alignment mark, wherein the second of the first alignment mark, the second of the second alignment mark, and the second of the third alignment mark are adjacent to the right side of the flexible printed circuit board. In Formula 1, the design value is in the range of 5μm to 2000μm.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the following step: Measure the first length of the flexible printed circuit board in the X-axis direction; Based on the first length, a second length is determined for the portion of the flexible printed circuit board overlapping the display panel in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction, wherein the second length is inversely proportional to the first length; and Based on the second length, the flexible printed circuit board is aligned with the display panel in the Y-axis direction by moving the flexible printed circuit board in the Y-axis direction.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The display panel also includes a plurality of first pads, which are inclined relative to the Y-axis direction and face each other. The flexible printed circuit board also includes a plurality of second pads, which are inclined relative to the Y-axis direction and face each other. The plurality of first pads of the display panel and the plurality of second pads of the flexible printed circuit board are respectively tilted at an angle of 1 to 15 degrees relative to the Y-axis direction.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of: After aligning the flexible printed circuit board to the display panel in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, the flexible printed circuit board and the display panel are pressed together.

Images