Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Hitachi Plant Technologies, Ltd.

Hitachi Industries Co., Ltd.

Tatsuharu Yamamoto

Masaaki Ito

Satoshi Yawata

Kiyoshi Imaizumi

Hiroaki Imai

Yukinori Nakayama

Masatomo Endoh

A bonding apparatus, suitable for accurately bonding large substrates for a liquid crystal display, includes Z-axis drive mechanisms, and upper and lower chambers. The Z-axis drive mechanisms for moving an upper frame vertically are disposed at four corners of a mount. The upper chamber is supported by the upper frame and has an upper table inside. The lower chamber has a lower table inside and is supported on the mount. The upper and lower chambers are united through a seal ring to define a vacuum chamber. Moving the upper frame moves the upper chamber vertically to open or close the vacuum chamber. The lower table is supported via a free joint stage between the plurality of support legs and the table, and is moved horizontally by a side thrust mechanism disposed outside of the vacuum chamber.

Substrate assembly apparatus and substrate assembly method

One substrate is supported by an attracting and adsorbing operation and by an adhesive means provided inside a pressurizing plate; the other of substrate, on which a liquid crystal agent is dropped, is supported on a table by an attracting and adsorbing operation or by an adhesive means. Then, the pressure inside the chamber is reduced until a designated reduced pressure level is attained, and the pressure is increased after the substrates come firmly into contact with an adhesive agent that has been provided on the other of substrates, so that the individual substrates are attracted and adsorbed by the pressurizing plate and the table, whereby the substrates are laminated while positioning the substrates. Then, by retracting the adhesive means in the pressurizing plate or the table, the adhesive member is removed from the substrate surface, while or after twisting the adhesive member.

Manufacturing method of liquid crystal display apparatus and substrate assembling apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Ryugasaki, Japan

Tatsuharu Yamamoto