Abstract:
This invention relates to a scribing apparatus of a substrate that is adaptive for improving productivity as well as preventing the occurrence of substrate badness. A scribing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a wheel to scribe a substrate; a refrigerant supplier installed near one side of the wheel to spray a refrigerant to the substrate; and a hot steam supplier installed near the other side of the wheel to spray a hot steam to the substrate.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit of the Korean Patent Application No. P2004-32937 filed on May 11, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference.  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a scribing apparatus, and more particularly to a scribing apparatus and method of a substrate that is adaptive for improving productivity as well as preventing the occurrence of substrate badness.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART  
       [0003]     Generally, a liquid crystal display LCD device controls the light transmissivity of liquid crystal cells, which are arranged in a matrix shape on a liquid crystal display panel, as a video data signal supplied thereto, thereby displaying a picture corresponding to the data signal on the liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel includes a lower plate having electrodes to apply an electric field to a liquid crystal layer, a thin film transistor to switch the supply of data to liquid crystal cells, a signal line to supply data from the outside to the liquid crystal cells and a signal line to supply a control signal of the thin film transistor; an upper plate where a color filter and so on are formed; a spacer formed between the upper and lower plates to secure a fixed cell gap; and a liquid crystal filled in a space provided by the spacer between the upper and lower plates.  
         [0004]     In a fabricating method of the liquid crystal display device, a plurality of thin film arrays are independently formed on a large lower substrate. A gate line and a data line are formed to cross in each of the thin film transistor arrays, and a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode are formed in an intersection of the gate line and the data line. The large lower substrate is bonded together with a large upper substrate where a plurality of color filter arrays are independently formed, with a designated cell gap. After bonding the large upper substrate with the lower substrate, a vertical crack with a designated depth is formed in the substrate by use of a scribing apparatus shown in  FIG. 1  in order to separate it into individual display devices, and then the substrate is separated by applying impact to the substrate.  
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a diagram representing a scribing apparatus of the related art, and  FIG. 2  is a diagram representing a wheel head shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0006]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the scribing apparatus of the related art includes a wheel  2  to form a vertical crack in a substrate, a wheel holder  10  to fix the wheel  2 , and a wheel head  20  to mount the wheel holder  10 .  
         [0007]     The wheel  2  is in contact with the substrate (bonded or single substrate) and has a round disk shape of 2˜3 mm in diameter of which the edge is ground in a designated angle, to form a vertical crack with a designated depth in the substrate. The wheel  2  is classified into a penett wheel having a groove with a designated shape formed in a wheel blade part, and a scribing wheel with no groove formed.  
         [0008]     A wheel holder  10  transmits the pressure applied from the wheel head  20  to the wheel  2  and fixes to support the wheel  2 . For this, the wheel holder  10  includes a fixing pin  12  to fix the wheel, a wheel fixing jig  14  to support the fixed wheel  2 , and a bearing  16  to mount the wheel holder  10  in the wheel head  20 .  
         [0009]     The wheel head  20  has the wheel holder  10  descend and ascend in accordance with the air pressure of the compressed air supplied by a compressor (not shown). For this, the wheel head  20  includes a holder mounting part  22  on which the wheel holder  10  is mounted, a switching part  24  to control the contact between the wheel  2  and the substrate, and an air cylinder  26  to supply the air pressure of the compressed air supplied from the outside to the wheel holder  10 . The wheel head  20  is transferred along a drive shaft of a transporting apparatus such as a ball screw, a pulley belt and an LM guide.  
         [0010]     To describe this more specifically, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , if compressed air is supplied to the air cylinder part  26  by a compressor (not shown), a pressurization body  27  descends toward the upper substrate  32  by the air pressure (2 to 3 kgf/cm 2 ) of the compressed air. The air pressure causing the pressurization body to descend is transmitted to a bar  25  and the bar  25  is tilted at a designated angle (from a to b) with a fixed shaft  28  as its central axis to move down toward an upper substrate  32 . The descent of the bar  25  (from a to b) causes the air pressure to be transmitted to the wheel holder  10  and a pressurization projection  23 . At this moment, the wheel holder  10  causes the wheel  2  to penetrate into the upper substrate  32  by the transmitted air pressure. Further, the pressurization projection  23  notifies a detection part  29  of the transmission of the air pressure, whereby the detection part  29  recognizes an electric signal to be in an on-state, thus it controls the location of the wheel head  20 . At this moment, when the wheel head  20  is transferred along the drive shaft  38  of the transporting apparatus such as the ball screw, the pulley belt and the LM guide, the wheel  2  forms a vertical crack d 1  of a designated depth in the upper substrate  32  in a direction that the wheel head  20  moves. As shown in  FIG. 4 , if the vertical crack d 1  of the designated depth is formed in the upper substrate  32  as shown in  FIG. 4 , an impact is applied to a substrate  30  by use of a breaking bar (not shown) to form the vertical crack d 1  in a large scale. And then, the vertical crack d 1  is formed in a lower substrate  36  by the same method, and an impact is applied to the substrate  30  by use of the breaking bar (not shown) to form the vertical crack d 1  in a large scale, thereby separating the substrate  30 .  
         [0011]     However, in the scribing apparatus of the related art in this way, as shown in  FIG. 3 , particles (glass chip powder)  40  are sputtered in an area where the vertical crack d 1  is formed when the vertical crack d 1  is formed in the substrate  30  by use of the wheel  2 . The particles  40  result in deterioration of the substrate  30 . Further, the scribing apparatus of the related art applies an impact to the substrate  30  by use of the breaking bar (not shown) after forming the vertical crack d 1 , this further deteriorates the substrate and decreases productivity due to the impact.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     By way of introduction only, a scribing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a scribing wheel adapted to scribe a substrate; a refrigerant supplier disposed near one side of the wheel adapted to supply a refrigerant to the substrate; and a hot steam supplier disposed near an opposing side of the wheel adapted to supply a hot steam to the substrate.  
         [0013]     A scribing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention comprises a wheel adapted to scribe a substrate; a first temperature shifter disposed to alter a temperature of a first portion of the substrate; and a second temperature shifter disposed to alter a temperature of a second portion of the substrate. The second temperature shifter alters the temperature of the substrate in the opposite direction as the first temperature shifter.  
         [0014]     A scribing method according to still another aspect of the present invention comprises: causing a temperature difference on a substrate by cooling a first part of the substrate and heating a second part of the substrate at the same time; and scribing the substrate using scribing a wheel in contact with the substrate. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     The invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a diagram representing a scribing apparatus according to the related art;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a diagram representing a wheel head shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a diagram representing a scribing process of the scribing apparatus according to the related art;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is diagram representing a vertical crack formed in a substrate after the scribing process according to the related art;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a diagram representing a scribing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a diagram representing a scribing process by use of the scribing apparatus shown in  FIG. 5 ; and  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is a diagram representing a vertical crack formed in a substrate after the scribing process by the scribing apparatus shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
         [0024]     Hereinafter, the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.  5  to  7 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 5  is a diagram representing a scribing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the scribing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a wheel  52  to form a vertical crack in a substrate  80 , a wheel holder  60  to fix the wheel  52 , a wheel head  70  to mount the wheel holder  60 , a refrigerant supplier  92  to supply a refrigerant in front of a progress direction of the wheel  52 , and a hot steam supplier  94  to supply compressed air at the rear of the progress direction of the wheel  52 .  
         [0027]     The wheel  52  is directly in contact with the substrate. The wheel  52  has a round disk shape of 2˜3 mm in diameter of which the edge is ground in a designated angle, to form a vertical crack with a designated depth in the substrate.  
         [0028]     A wheel holder  60  transmits the pressure applied from the wheel head  70  to the wheel  52  and acts to fix and to support the wheel  52 . For this, the wheel holder  60  includes a fixing pin  62  to fix the wheel  52 , a wheel fixing jig  64  to support the fixed wheel  52 , and a bearing  66  to mount the wheel holder  60  in the wheel head  70 .  
         [0029]     The wheel head  70  has the wheel holder  60  descend and ascend in accordance with the air pressure of the compressed air supplied by a compressor (not shown). For this, the wheel head  70  includes a holder mounting part  22  on which the wheel holder  60  is mounted, a switching part  24  to control the contact between the wheel  52  and the substrate, and an air cylinder  26  to supply the air pressure of the compressed air supplied from the outside to the wheel holder  60 . The wheel head  70  is transferred along a drive shaft of a transporting apparatus such as a ball screw, a pulley belt and an LM guide.  
         [0030]     The refrigerant supplier  92  is installed in front of the direction in which the wheel  52  progresses to supply a refrigerant to a substrate  80  with a pressure of about 1 kgf/cm 2  to 1.5 kgf/cm 2  (desirably about 1.1 kgf/cm 2 ), wherein the refrigerant has a temperature of about 0° C.˜5° C. (desirably about 2° C.). At this moment, the refrigerant supplied to the substrate  80  is a compound of nitrogen N2, water H2O and isopropyl alcohol IPA. The refrigerant supplier  92  is installed to be separated from the substrate  80  by about 5 mm to 10 mm (desirably about 8 mm). Further, the refrigerant supplier  92  is installed in front of the wheel by about 5 mm to 10 mm (desirably about 8 mm).  
         [0031]     The hot steam supplier  94  is installed at the rear of the direction in which the wheel  52  progresses to supply a hot steam to a substrate  80 , where the vertical crack is formed, with a pressure of about 1 kgf/cm 2  to 1.5 kgf/cm 2  (desirably about 1.1 kgf/cm 2 ), wherein the hot steam has a temperature of about 120° C.˜150° C. (desirably about 125° C.).  
         [0032]     The hot steam supplier  94  prevents particles (glass chip powder)  90  from being sputtered on the substrate  80  as well as removing the particles  90  formed on the substrate  80  by the wheel  52 . Accordingly, deterioration of the substrate caused by the particles generated in the scribing apparatus of the related art can be prevented. The hot steam supplier  94  is installed to be separated from the substrate  80  by about 5 mm to 10 mm (desirably about 8 mm). Further, the hot steam supplier  94  is installed in the rear of the wheel  52  by about 5 mm to 10 mm (desirably about 8 mm).  
         [0033]     The scribing apparatus, as shown in  FIG. 6 , supplies the refrigerant having a temperature of about 2° C. with a pressure of about 1.1 kgf/cm 2 , from the refrigerant supplier  92  in front of the progress direction of the wheel  52  when the wheel  52  moves to form a vertical crack d 2  in an upper substrate  82 . And, it supplies the hot steam having a temperature of about 125° C. with a pressure of about 1.1 kgf/cm 2 , from the hot steam supplier  94  in the rear of the progress direction of the wheel  52 . Accordingly, a temperature difference is generated in front of and at the rear of the progress direction of the wheel  52 , thus the vertical crack d 2  is formed in the upper substrate  82  when the wheel head  70  is transferred along a drive shaft  88  in the same method as the scribing apparatus of the related art. This causes the vertical crack d 2  to be bigger than the vertical crack d 1  which is formed by the scribing apparatus of the related art. The particles  90  generated on the upper substrate  82  by the wheel  52  are removed by the hot steam supplied from the hot steam supplier  94 . Further, the hot steam supplied from the hot steam supplier  94  prevents the particles  90  from being sputtered on the substrate  80 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the substrate caused by the particles generated in the scribing apparatus of the related art. When the vertical crack d 2  is formed in the upper substrate  82 , the substrate  80  is turned over to form the vertical crack d 2  on a lower substrate  86  in the same manner, and then the substrate  80  is separated.  
         [0034]     The scribing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention supplies the refrigerant and the hot steam in front of and at the rear of the direction that the wheel  52  progresses, thereby generating a temperature difference on the single substrate or bonded substrate  80 . When the vertical crack is formed on the substrate  80  by use of the wheel  52 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , the temperature difference of the substrate  80  causes a vertical crack to form that is bigger than the vertical crack d 1  formed by the scribing apparatus of the related art. Accordingly, the separation of the substrate  80  can be performed with ease. Further, the particles  90  formed on the substrate  80  by the wheel  52  are removed by the hot steam supplied from the hot steam supplier  94 , thus deterioration of the substrate  80  caused by the particle  90  can be prevented upon the scribing process. Additionally, extending the vertical crack by use of a breaking bar may or may not be necessary, thus possibly removing another cause of deterioration of the substrate and improving productivity.  
         [0035]     As described above, the scribing apparatus and method of the substrate according to the present invention supplies the refrigerant and the hot steam in front of and at the rear of the progress direction of the wheel to generate a temperature difference on the substrate and to scribe the substrate, thus increasing the depth of the vertical crack. Additionally, the scribing apparatus and method of the substrate according to the present invention can easily separate the substrate. Further, the scribing apparatus and method of the substrate according to the present invention may eliminate the process of applying an impact to the substrate by use of the breaking bar, thus the substrate deterioration caused by an excessive impact may be prevented and productivity can be increased.  
         [0036]     Although the present invention has been explained by the embodiments shown in the drawings described above, it should be understood to the ordinary skilled person in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments, but rather that various changes or modifications thereof are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention shall be determined only by the appended claims and their equivalents.