# US 7,072,016 B2 · Method for rubbing LCD substrate

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- Number: US 7,072,016 B2
- Document ID: US7072016B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/817,581
- Filed: 2004-04-02
- Published: 2004-10-07
- Granted: 2006-07-04
- Earliest claimed: 2002-12-05
- Assignees: United Microelectronics Corp.
- Inventors: Da-Shuang Kuan; Yi-Cheng Lan; Sheng-Lung Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7072016B2

## CPC

- G02F 1/133784: {by rubbing}
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS

## Abstract

The invention provides an apparatus and a method for rubbing the alignment layer in the LCD substrate. The rubbing apparatus of the present invention further includes a conditioning roller, in addition to the rubbing roller, to rejuvenate the rubbing roller in real time so as to lengthen the roller lifetime in the rubbing process and increase the rubbing rate. By employing the conditioning roller along with the rubbing roller, the rubbing process includes an extra conditioning step for conditioning the rubbing roller, thus shortening the production cycle time and increasing the throughput.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, said method comprising:
a first step of transporting a liquid crystal display substrate under a rubbing apparatus comprising a rotated rubbing roller and a rotating conditioning roller arranged aside to the rubbing roller, the liquid crystal display substrate having an alignment layer thereon, the rubbing roller having a rubbing cloth on a surface of the rubbing roller, wherein a surface of the rubbing cloth has a plurality of first pile fibers, so that the alignment layer is rubbed by the first pile fibers during rotation of the rubbing roller, the conditioning roller having a conditioning cloth on a surface of the conditioning roller, wherein a surface of the conditioning cloth has a plurality of second pile fibers, so that the second pile fibers of the conditioning cloth on the conditioning roller are in contact with the first pile fibers of the rubbing cloth on the rubbing roller, and wherein the rubbing roller rotates in a first rotating direction opposite to a second rotating direction in which the conditioning roller rotates;
a second step of binding a pair of substrates to each other, at least one of the pair of substrates having gone through rubbing in the first step; and
a third step of injecting liquid crystal between the substrates.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein if the conditioning roller rotates clockwise, the rubbing roller rotates counter-clockwise.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein if the conditioning roller rotates counter-clockwise, the rubbing roller rotates clockwise.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second rotating speed of the conditioning roller is faster than the first rotating speed of the rubbing roller.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the rubbing apparatus further comprises a cover plate under the conditioning roller and above the liquid crystal display substrate to prevent the conditioning roller in contact with the substrate.