Abstract:
A method and apparatus for producing a color filter is disclosed. It mainly uses an exposure apparatus which can produce a plurality of exposure light sources to do an exposure process. Through fast controlling the on/off time of the plurality of exposure light sources as well as making a relative moving between the plurality of exposure light sources and a substrate plane, a color photoresist layer on the substrate plane can be exposed to form a pattern thereon, wherein the on/off time of the exposure light sources are respectively controlled by a plurality of shutters of the exposure apparatus. Then, with a developing process to the exposed color photoresist layer, a color layer is formed on the substrate plane. The main advantage of the invention is that photo-mask is not needed in the exposure process and any size substrate plane can be handled by the present exposure apparatus.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for fabricating a color filter, and more particularly to a line scanning technology of a high-speed shutter controlling the exposing time for a method and apparatus for fabricating the color filter. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     The color filer plays an important role in a liquid crystal display which can display various color images. The color filter is a coloration layer with primary color such as red, green, and blue, or an arrangement corresponding to each pixel of a colored multiple dyeing elements. At present, the fabricating method for the color filter is except for the glue adhering, in addition to the coloration layer with different colors is formed on the substrate by the photolithography process. In the conventional technology, the color filter is formed by dye-dispersing process. As shown in  FIG. 1A , firstly, a substrate plane  102  is provided, and the substrate plane  102  has a black matrix  104  thereon, which used to block the light. Then, as shown in  FIG. 1B , a coloration photoresist layer is spun on the substrate plane  102  and the block matrix  104  to form a red coloration photoresist layer  106 . Next, a photolithography process used a mask  108  to expose the layer of red coloration photoresist  106 . Therefore, the required exposing portion is formed color area during the exposing process. Then, a development process is performed to the layer of red coloration photoresist  106  after the exposing process. The portion of unexposed red coloration photoresist layer is dissolved by etching solution, and a desired red color layer  1062  can be appeared as shown in  FIG. 1D . Next, another coloration layer is repeatedly formed on the substrate plane  102 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2A , another color photoresist, such as green coloration photoresist  110  is spun on the substrate plane  102 , the block matrix, and the red color layer  1062  which is formed before. Then, the mask  112  used to expose the green coloration photoresist layer  10 . Due to the green coloration photoresist layer  110  is a negative photoresist, thus, the exposing process utilized the exposed mask with the desired pattern of the coloration layer, as shown in  FIG. 2B . At this time, the unexposed portion layer of the green coloration photoresist layer  110  is dissolved by the etching solution, and the desired layer of the green coloration  1102  is formed on the substrate plane  102 , as shown in  FIG. 2C . According to abovementioned, the red coloration layer  1062  and the green coloration layer  1102  have the same fabricating processes. Similarly, referring to  FIG. 3  shows the blue coloration layer  114  that is also formed on the substrate plane  102  by using the same fabricating process as abovementioned. Thus, the formation of the primary coloration layer of the color filter is accomplished. 
     According to above fabricating process, the red, green, and the blue coloration photoresist layers required three processes, such as spinning on, exposing, and developing. Thus, the design and the maintenance for the mask are very important. However, there are many drawbacks for forming the color filter by using mask. The drawback such as the budget of the design and the new mask fabrication is very expansive, the mask would be damaged easily during the color filter process, and the maintenance is very difficult in subsequently production line, and a single mask only corresponds to a substrate plane, thus, the mask is to be re-designed to apply the new substrate plane. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention is that providing a method and an apparatus for fabricating color filter, wherein the exposing process of the fabricating method without using the mask to expose the coloration photoresist to form the desired pattern. 
     It is an object of the present invention is that the exposure scanner can generate a plurality of exposing lights, and the high speed controlling shutter used to control the ON/OFF time of the plurality of exposing lights to generate the relative motion between the plurality of exposing lights and a substrate plane to scan the one of the coloration photoresist layer on the substrate plane. Thus, the fabrication processes do not use the mask, and further the budget of the mask fabrication can be diminished, and the damage also can be prevented. 
     It is another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for fabricating color filter without using a mask to perform exposing process, and further, the substrate plane using appropriated program operating to fabricate the many different color filters size. 
     It is another object of the present invention is to provide a simple operating process and the process can be executed automatically for a method and apparatus for fabricating color filter. 
     According to abovementioned objects, the present invention provides a method and a apparatus for fabricating a color filter which utilize an exposing scanner to generate a plurality of exposing light, and control the ON/OFF time of the plurality of the light exposing lights in high speed to generate a relative motion between the plurality of exposing light and the substrate plane, such that an exposing operation is performed on the coloration photoresist layer over the substrate plane for forming a required patterns. Wherein the ON/OFF time of the plurality of exposing lights is controlled that corresponding to each plurality of shutter switches respectively. Then, the coloration photoresist layer is performed a development process to form a desired coloration layer on the substrate plane after exposing process, wherein the coloration layer can consist a set of the single color pixel. Similarly, above processes are repeated to obtain the various coloration layers. That is to say that the multiple color pixels are formed on the substrate plane. The advantage of the present invention is that the fabricating process without using mask during the exposing process. Furthermore, the different substrate plane size can be formed by exposure scanner in cooperated with the operating control 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The merits and advantages of the present invention compared with the prior art will be more easily presented by referring to the following diagrams and comparison of embodiments, in which: 
         FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3  is a flow diagram for fabricating a color filter in accordance with a conventional prior art; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram for showing an apparatus for fabricating a color filter in accordance with the present invention disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic for showing the exposing operation of the exposing scanner of the  FIG. 4  in accordance with the present invention disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 6  is a top view for showing the line scanning exposing operation and the exposure area in accordance with the present invention disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic for showing the exposure area of the  FIG. 6  corresponding to a high frequency ON/OFF controlling signal in accordance with the present invention disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic for showing the motion of Y axis of a platform in accordance with the present invention disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic representation a rotating motion of the exposing scanner in accordance with the present invention disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic representation the relationship diagram between the motion of Z axis of the platform and the exposing range of the exposing light source in accordance with the present invention disclosed herein; and 
         FIG. 11A  to  FIG. 11F  are schematic representation the steps for fabricating the color filters in accordance with the method disclosed herein. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for fabricating a color filter.  FIG. 4  is a diagram for showing an apparatus for fabricating the color filter of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus includes an exposure scanner  402  with a light source  404 , such as UV light (ultraviolet light), used to generate the exposing light source with a desired wavelength, a plurality of shutter switches  408  used to control the light source  404  to generate the plurality of light sources, and the plurality of lens  408  used to focus the plurality of light sources that passes through the exposure scanner  402 , so as to form a plurality of exposing light sources, wherein the plurality of exposure light sources arranged a row type within the exposure scanner  402 , and the distance between the each plurality of exposure light sources is constant as shown in  FIG. 4 . A rotating motor  410  used to drive the exposure scanner  402  to perform a rotating motion, and a rotating position sensor  412  used to sense the rotating displacement of the exposure scanner  402 . 
     Furthermore, the color filter fabricating apparatus  400  also includes a platform  414  which used to load a substrate plane for forming a color filter, an X axis motor  416  used to shift the platform  414  in X axis, an Y axis motor  418  used to shift the platform in Y axis, and an Z axis motor  420  used to shift the platform in Z axis. X axis position sensor  422 , Y axis position sensor  424 , and Z axis position sensor  426  sense the motion of platform  414  in X axis, Y axis, and Z axis respectively, wherein the direction of X axis, Y axis, and Z axis are perpendicular to each other, and the spread plane surfaces of X axis direction and Y axis direction are parallel to a load surface of the platform  414 . 
     Moreover, the row is consisted of the plurality of exposure light sources that is perpendicular to X axis direction, and a controller  428  received a position feedback signal from the each position sensors, wherein the controller  428  includes a motor controller  4282 , the light source controller  4284 , and a shutter controller  4286  which used to control the rotating motor  410 , X axis motor  416 , Y axis motor  418 , and Z axis motor  420 , light source  404 , and the shutter switch  406  respectively. The controller  428  can show as a controller card or IC controller chip, or show as software such as program code within a microprocessor. All motors of the present invention used to generate the relative motion such as rotation, and shift up and down, and left and right sides between the exposure scanner  402  and the platform  414 . 
     Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rotating motor  410  connected with the exposure scanner  402  to provide a rotating motion for the platform  414 . Therefore, the relative motion also can be generated between the exposure scanner  402  and the platform  414 . In another embodiment, the exposure scanner  402  also connected with X axis motor  416 , Y axis motor  418 , Z axis motor  420 , and the rotating motor  410  which used to provide the shift in X axis direction, Y axis direction, and X axis direction, and in rotating direction, so as to perform a relative motion between the exposure scanner  402  and the platform  414 . 
       FIG. 5  is a diagram of the  FIG. 4  for showing the operation of the exposure scanner. As shown in  FIG. 5 , a layer of coloration photoresist is spun on the color filter, for example, s substrate plane  440  having a red coloration photoresist layer  444  thereon, and is placed on the platform  414 . The substrate plane  440  has the black matrix (BM)  442  thereon. Then, an exposure process is performed on the red coloration photoresist layer  44 . Firstly, the controller  428  controlled X axis motor  416 , such that the platform  414  moved toward X axis, wherein X axis direction is a scanning direction for exposure scanner  402  to the platform  414 . At the same time, the controller  428  controlled the shutter switch  406  to perform high speed I/O action, and further the ON/OFF time of the plurality of exposure light sources is controlled to emit from the plurality of lens  408 . Accordingly, the plurality of exposure light sources of the exposure scanner  402  performed a line scan operation on the red coloration photoresist layer  444  which is over on the substrate plane  440 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the exposure light source that is located on the exposure area  430  (the shade section) of the red coloration photoresist layer  444  during the line scan operation. The high speed switch control of the shutter switch  406  can generate a high frequency ON/OFF controlling signal by controller  428  to drive the shutter switch  406 .  FIG. 7  shows the operation diagram for the exposure area of the  FIG. 6  that corresponds to the high frequency ON/OFF controlling signal waves. When the high frequency ON/OFF controlling signals is ON, and the shutter switching would be turned on, such that the UV light source can pass through the plurality of lens  408  to generate the exposure light source. At this time, the exposure light source is in the turn on status. Similarly, when the high frequency ON/OFF controlling signal is off, the shutter switch  406  would be turned off. Thus, the exposure light source is in the turn off status, when the UV light source cannot pass through the shutter switch  406 . 
     Accordingly, when the signal is on, the exposure scanner  402  would be generated the exposure light source to perform the exposing process to the red coloration photoresist layer  444 , so as to the exposure area  430  is generated as shown in  FIG. 7 . On the contrary, when the signal is off, the exposure scanner  402  stopped exposing the red coloration photoresist layer  444 , as shown a un-exposure area  446  in the figure. Therefore, the ON/OFF time of the exposure light source can be controlled through the controller  428  that design the wave of the control high frequency ON/OFF controlling signal. Moreover, the length k 1  of exposure area  430  per each exposure area unit and the width k 2  of the un-exposure area  446  can be adjusted by controlling the shift scanning speed on X axis of the platform  414 , or controlling the ON/OFF time of the high frequency ON/OFF control signal. After performing the line scanning for the red coloration photoresist layer  444 , the development process is performed to the red coloration photoresist layer  444  to form a red coloration layer on the substrate plane  440 . Then, a green coloration photoresist layer is spun over the substrate plane  440 , the black matrix  442 , and the red coloration layer to form a green coloration layer. 
     Next, a controlling signal is transferred to Y axis motor  418  from the controller  428 , such that the platform  414  performed a shit in Y axis direction, so as to change the relative position between the exposure scanner  402  and the platform  414  in Y axis direction. As shown in  FIG. 8 , Y axis motor  418  drives the platform  414  to perform a motion in Y axis direction, such that the platform  414  moved toward to the next Y axis direction A 2  (real line) from the original Y axis direction A 1 , wherein the original Y axis direction A 1  (dotted line) is a position that the red coloration photoresist layer  44  is scanned previously. Thus, the exposure scanner  402  starts to perform the line scan in X axis direction of the green coloration photoresist layer. Then, the exposure and the developing process for forming the red coloration layer are repeated, so that the green coloration layer can be obtained on the substrate plane  440 . Similarly, after the green coloration layer is finished, a blue coloration photoresist layer is spun on the substrate plane  440 , black matrix  442 , red coloration layer, and green coloration layer. Then, a blue coloration layer can be obtained by repeating the shift in Y axis direction of the green coloration layer, exposing and the developing process. Thus, a color filter having three coloration layers are accomplished. 
     Furthermore, the color filter fabricating apparatus of the present invention can process the different substrate plane size. Owing to the rotating motor  410  can make the exposure scanner  402  rotation. Thus, as shown in  FIG. 9 , when the controller  428  transmitted a controlling signal to drive the rotating motor  402 , such that the exposure scanner  402  rotated an angle θ from the position that is paralleled to the frame of the substrate plane  440 , at this time, a line scan exposing operation is performed on the coloration photoresist layer. So that, the interval width of the exposure area of the coloration photoresist layer is changed from the d to the d*sin θ, that is to say, the interval width is reduced. On the other hand, the rotating motor  402  can rotate the exposure scanner  402  to make the projection of the intervals d between the two exposure light source in Y axis direction is equal to the required distance of the each exposure area lines. By adjusting the rotating angle θ of the exposure scanner  402 , the intervals of the each line of the exposure area can be adjusted to apply the different substrate plane size. Due to the exposure scanner  402  is rotating, the projection intervals d*sin θ of the two exposure lights in Y axis is smaller than original intervals d which is not rotating. Thus, the intervals d can be designed as a maximum to cover the all substrate plane size. 
     On the other hand, as shown in  FIG. 10 , the exposure area size E of the exposure light source can be controlled by adjusting the vertical distance h between platform  414  and the lens of the exposure scanner  402 . In this embodiment, the vertical distance h between the platform  414  and the lens of the exposure scanner  402  is changed by the controller  428  drives the Z axis motor  420  to let the platform  414  move up and down in Z axis. If the vertical distance h between the platform  414  and lens  408  is large, the exposure area E of the exposure light source is become smaller, and the exposure energy is more and more small. At this time, the exposure energy can be maintained by the controller  428  to increase the UV light energy. Similarly, when the vertical h between the platform  414  and the lens  408  is small, the exposure area E of the exposure light source is become large, and the exposure energy is also become large. At this time, the exposure energy can be maintained by the controller  428  to decrease the UV light energy. According to abovementioned, the exposure range within the exposure light source per exposure area can be changed by the platform  414  which is shifted in Z axis direction. In one embodiment, the exposure range of the exposure light on the coloration photoresist layer can be changed by shifting the position which is lens  408  located in Z axis directly. In another embodiment, the exposure range is changed by the changing the lens with various focus distance. 
     The required size and shape of the exposure area for the coloration photoresist layer which can be designed through the appreciated exposure light path. The design of the exposure light path is accomplished through the normalized by each motor within the color filter fabricating apparatus. In this embodiment, the controlling operation of the each motor, the switch of the shutters, and the energy of the UV light source are controlled by the controller  428 . Thus, normalization of the exposure light path can be displayed as program code that built in the storage unit of the controller  428 . In one embodiment, the controller  428  can be a controller card, microprocessor, or hardware. Furthermore, the color filter fabricating apparatus  40  can integrate the present color filter fabrication equipment. 
     According to abovementioned, the  FIG. 11  shows the fabricating steps for fabricating color filter. Firstly, as shown in  FIG. 11A , a substrate plane  1102  includes a black matrix  1104  thereon, wherein the black matrix  1104  used to block the light. Then, as shown in  FIG. 11B , a coloration photoresist layer such as red coloration photoresist layer is spun on the substrate plane  1102  and the black matrix  1104  to form a red coloration photoresist layer  1106 . Next, as shown in  FIG. 11C , the ON/OFF time of the plurality of exposure light sources of the exposure scanner is controlled by the high speed controlling; meanwhile, the platform shifted in X axis direction to perform line scan, such that the red coloration photoresist layer is exposed by the exposure light to form a desired pattern on the red coloration photoresist layer  1106 , wherein the ON/OFF time of the plurality of exposure light source is controlled by the plurality of shutter switch  1110  of the exposure scanner. As shown in  FIG. 11D , a development process is performed on the exposed red coloration photoresist layer  1106  to form a red coloration layer  11062 . Then, another coloration photoresist layer such as green coloration photoresist layer is formed on the substrate plane  1102 , the black matrix  1104 , and the red coloration layer  11062 , and the platform shifted horizontally in Y axis to a fit distance to another scanning position. That is to say, the relative position in Y axis between the substrate plane and the exposure scanner is to be changed, so as to let the exposure scanner can perform the line scan on the green coloration photoresist layer. Thus, as abovementioned for fabricating the red coloration layer  11062 , the ON/OFF time of the exposure light source is controlled by the high speed exposure scanner, and the platform is driven to scan in X axis direction, such that the exposure light source can perform line scan on the green coloration photoresist layer to form a desired pattern. Then, a development process is performed on the exposed green coloration photoresist layer to form a green coloration layer  1114  on the substrate plane  1102  as shown in  FIG. 11E . Similarly, repeating the fabricating step for the green coloration layer as abovementioned, the blue coloration layer  1116  can be formed on the substrate plane  11102  as shown in  FIG. 11F . Thus, a color filter having three coloration layers can be obtained. 
     In conclusion, the present invention utilizes an exposure scanner to generate the plurality of exposure light source, and controls the ON/OFF time of the plurality of exposure light sources by high speed control shutter switch, so as to generate a relative motion between the plurality of exposure light sources and the substrate plane to perform an exposure scan the coloration photoresist layer which is on the substrate plane to form a desired pattern. Thus, the present invention did not utilize the cost for fabricating the mask can be diminished, and the damage of the mask can be prevented. Moreover, the rotating operation color filter fabricating apparatus can process the different size and the shape for the substrate plane. 
     What are described above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are not used to limit the claims of the present invention; as for the above description, professionals that are familiar with the present technical field are able to understand and put into practice, and therefore, the equivalent changes or modifications made within the spirit disclosed by the present invention should be included in the appended claims.