Alignment Film Manufacturing Using Oblique Light to Prevent Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
The alignment process in liquid crystal display panel manufacturing, particularly during photo-alignment, results in non-uniform light accumulation due to interference between incident and reflected light, leading to reduced display quality.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for manufacturing an alignment film involving forming an alignment material layer on a substrate, measuring its thickness, and adjusting the irradiation angles and speeds of light sources to prevent interference between incident and reflected light, ensuring uniform light distribution across the substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If perpendicular irradiation is used during photo-alignment, then the alignment process is simple and efficient, but interference between incident and reflected light causes non-uniform light accumulation and reduced alignment uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the irradiation process into multiple stages with different incident angles. The first irradiation uses perpendicular light for efficient alignment, while the second irradiation uses oblique light at a specific angle to eliminate interference patterns. This segmentation of the irradiation process resolves the contradiction by combining the benefits of both perpendicular (efficiency) and oblique (uniformity) irradiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs a first irradiation with perpendicular light before performing the second irradiation with oblique light. This preliminary action establishes the initial alignment using efficient perpendicular irradiation, then corrects the uniformity issue with the second oblique irradiation. The preliminary alignment step ensures high productivity while the corrective step ensures manufacturing precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple irradiation angles are used to prevent light interference, then alignment uniformity is improved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of light incident angle from perpendicular (0 degrees) to a specific oblique angle (e.g., 45 degrees) for the second irradiation. This parameter change eliminates the interference between incident and reflected light, thereby improving alignment uniformity. The simplicity of only changing the angle parameter while keeping other conditions similar resolves the contradiction between precision improvement and process complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method improves the uniformity of alignment capacity and reduces non-uniformity in display image lightness by providing additional light to fringe areas, enhancing the overall display quality of liquid crystal display panels.
Implementation Method 1
photo-alignment is usually employed. Specifically, a prepared CF substrate and a prepared TFT substrate may be irradiated with a polarized light having a certain direction such that an alignment angle may be formed on the alignment material of the substrate
Implementation Method 2
because the incident light may interfere with the reflected light during photo-alignment, the light amount accumulated at different portions of the alignment material may be different
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for manufacturing an alignment film. The method may include: forming an alignment material layer on a substrate; moving the substrate at a first speed and irradiating perpendicularly the alignment material layer with a first light emitted by a light source; moving the substrate at a second speed and irradiating the alignment material layer with a second light emitted by the light source, wherein a first angle between an incident direction of the second light and the substrate may prevent interference of an incident light and a reflected light of the alignment material layer. Therefore, the implementation of the present disclosure may improve the uniformity of the alignment capacity of the alignment film.