JP7658155B2 - EVALUATION SYSTEM, EVALUATION BOARD, EVALUATION METHOD, AND EVALUATION PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an evaluation system, an evaluation board, an evaluation method, and an evaluation program.

Conventionally, when evaluating devices such as liquid crystal or semiconductors, evaluation samples are created for use in the manufacturing process in which the evaluation is performed, and then the evaluation is performed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for evaluating the performance of semiconductor adhesives.

JP 2011-116968 A

For example, in color filters for display devices, an overcoat layer is provided to flatten the unevenness of the liquid crystal pattern formed on the liquid crystal substrate in order to form electrodes (transparent conductive film) for liquid crystal display. When evaluating this overcoat layer, it is necessary to evaluate a large number of samples by changing the material of the overcoat layer, the formation conditions, and the uneven pattern conditions of the base, etc., and this has been difficult to evaluate efficiently using conventional evaluation methods.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide an evaluation system, evaluation substrate, evaluation method, and evaluation program that can efficiently evaluate a coating layer that covers the projections and recesses of a concave-convex pattern on a base substrate having a concave-convex pattern.

In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is an evaluation system comprising: a target formation device that forms a coating layer to be evaluated that covers the unevenness of an uneven pattern on an evaluation substrate, which is a base substrate on which a plurality of different types of uneven patterns are formed, the coating layer constituting a liquid crystal display device , using specified materials and formation conditions; a detection unit that detects three-dimensional information of the evaluation substrate on which the coating layer is formed; a formation process that causes the target formation device to form the coating layer on the evaluation substrate based on the set material and evaluation conditions of the coating layer; and a control unit that executes an evaluation process that evaluates the formation state of the coating layer based on the three-dimensional information detected by the detection unit, and stores the type of material of the coating layer, the evaluation conditions, and the evaluation results in an evaluation result memory unit in association with each other.

Moreover, one aspect of the present invention is an evaluation substrate having a plurality of different types of unevenness patterns arranged on a base substrate, and pseudo foreign matter of a predetermined size and shape arranged on the unevenness patterns , wherein the unevenness patterns are a coating layer to be evaluated that covers the unevenness of the unevenness patterns, and are arranged so that the coating layer can be formed using specified materials and formation conditions when evaluating a coating layer that constitutes a liquid crystal display device.

Moreover, one aspect of the present invention is an evaluation method in an evaluation system including a target forming device that forms a coating layer to be evaluated that covers the unevenness of an evaluation substrate, which is a base substrate on which a plurality of different types of uneven patterns are formed, using specified materials and formation conditions to form a coating layer constituting a liquid crystal display device, and a detection unit that detects three-dimensional information of the evaluation substrate on which the coating layer is formed, the evaluation method including a formation processing step in which a control unit causes the target forming device to form the coating layer on the evaluation substrate based on the set material and evaluation conditions for the coating layer, and an evaluation processing step in which the control unit evaluates a formation state of the coating layer based on the three-dimensional information detected by the detection unit, and stores the type of material of the coating layer, the evaluation conditions, and the evaluation results in an evaluation result memory unit in association with each other.

Moreover, one aspect of the present invention is an evaluation program for causing a computer of an evaluation system including a target forming device that forms a coating layer constituting a liquid crystal display device using specified materials and formation conditions on an evaluation substrate, which is a base substrate on which a plurality of different types of uneven patterns are formed, the coating layer being an evaluation target that covers the unevenness of the unevenness pattern, the computer executing the following steps: a formation processing step of causing the target forming device to form the coating layer on the evaluation substrate based on the set material and evaluation conditions of the coating layer; and an evaluation processing step of evaluating a formation state of the coating layer based on the three-dimensional information detected by the detection unit, and storing the type of material of the coating layer, the evaluation conditions, and the evaluation results in an evaluation result memory unit in association with each other.

According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently evaluate the coating layer that covers the unevenness of a concave-convex pattern on a base substrate having a concave-convex pattern.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an evaluation system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an evaluation board according to the first embodiment. 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating an example of formation of pseudo foreign matter on an evaluation substrate according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of an evaluation system according to a first embodiment. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of data in an evaluation result storage unit in the first embodiment. FIG. 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating an example of forming an overcoat layer in the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an evaluation process of the evaluation system according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a proposal process of the evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an evaluation system according to a second embodiment. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating an example of forming a color resist layer in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of an evaluation system according to a second embodiment.

The following describes an evaluation system, evaluation board, and evaluation method according to one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an evaluation system 1 according to this embodiment.
1, the evaluation system 1 includes a target forming device 20, a measurement unit 30, and a control device 40. In this embodiment, a coating layer to be evaluated is an overcoat layer (overcoat resist layer) of a liquid crystal display device, and an example will be described in which the evaluation system 1 evaluates the coverage of the overcoat layer of the liquid crystal display device (an example of a formation state of the coating layer).

In FIG. 1, an overcoat material OC is a material used in evaluating an overcoat layer, is designated by an evaluator, and is used in a target forming apparatus 20 described later.
The evaluation substrate 10 is a substrate used for evaluating the overcoat layer, and is a base substrate on which a plurality of different types of concave and convex patterns are formed. The configuration of the evaluation substrate 10 will now be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation board 10 according to the present embodiment.
As shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of evaluation patterns PT are arranged on the main surface (front surface) of the evaluation substrate 10, and a plurality of different types of concave-convex patterns are formed in each evaluation pattern PT. In the example shown in Fig. 2, each evaluation pattern PT is formed with a black matrix pattern PT1, which is a lattice pattern, and a pixel pattern PT2. The black matrix pattern PT1 and the pixel pattern PT2 are examples of concave-convex patterns.
Furthermore, the evaluation substrate 10 has a pseudo foreign matter formed on the evaluation pattern PT as shown in Fig. 2. Here, the formation of the pseudo foreign matter on the evaluation substrate 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of formation of pseudo foreign matter on the evaluation substrate 10 according to the present embodiment.
Fig. 3A shows a plan view of an evaluation substrate 10 having a protrusion/recess pattern PT3 formed on a substrate SUB. Fig. 3B shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AB in Fig. 3A. As shown in Fig. 3B, a protrusion/recess pattern PT3 is formed on the substrate SUB.

FIG. 3B shows an example of a method for forming pseudo foreign matter on the evaluation substrate 10. In FIG.
3B, the pseudo foreign matter on the evaluation substrate 10 is formed in a desired shape and size on the uneven pattern PT3 of the evaluation substrate 10 using, for example, a dispenser 51 or a manipulator 52. The dispenser 51 or the manipulator 52 is an example of a pseudo foreign matter forming device 50, and the pseudo foreign matter may be formed automatically, for example, under the control of the control device 40 described later.

Fig. 3D shows a plan view of an example of the evaluation substrate 10 after the formation of the pseudo foreign matter, and Fig. 3E shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AB in Fig. 3E.
3D and 3E, a pseudo foreign body FS1 and a pseudo foreign body FS2 are formed on a concave-convex pattern PT3 on the evaluation substrate 10. Here, the pseudo foreign body FS1 and the pseudo foreign body FS2 are different in shape, size, and the like.

In this way, the evaluation substrate 10 has a plurality of different types of uneven patterns (e.g., uneven pattern PT3, etc.) arranged on the base substrate SUB, and pseudo foreign bodies of a predetermined size and shape (e.g., pseudo foreign body FS1, pseudo foreign body FS2, etc.) arranged on the uneven patterns. The evaluation substrate 10 is capable of forming an overcoat layer of the overcoat material OC according to specified materials and formation conditions when evaluating the coating layer to be evaluated that covers the unevenness of the uneven pattern.

The evaluation substrate 10 may be configured to have multiple levels of variation in the shape and size of the uneven pattern and the shape, size, and location of the pseudo foreign matter within a single substrate. In addition, in order to observe statistical trends, the evaluation substrate 10 may have a predetermined number of substrates with the same pattern and pseudo foreign matter.

1, the object forming apparatus 20 is an apparatus that forms an overcoat layer, which is a coating layer to be evaluated that covers the concaves and convexes of the concave-convex pattern, on the evaluation substrate 10 using a specified material and forming conditions. The object forming apparatus 20 forms the overcoat layer, which is a coating layer to be evaluated, so as to cover the concaves and convexes of the concave-convex pattern of the evaluation substrate 10.
In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the target forming apparatus 20 includes a coating unit 21 and a drying unit 22 .

The coating unit 21 applies a specified overcoat material OC to the evaluation substrate 10. The coating unit 21 is controlled by the control device 40, and applies the overcoat material OC to a thickness specified by the control device 40, for example.
The drying unit 22 dries and hardens the overcoat layer of the overcoat material OC applied by the application unit 21. The drying unit 22 is controlled, for example, by a temperature, an airflow rate, a drying time (hardening time), and the like designated by the control device 40. Note that the formation conditions of the overcoat layer include the thickness of the application, the hardening temperature, the airflow rate, and the drying time (hardening time), and the like.

The measurement unit 30 (an example of a detection section) detects three-dimensional information of the evaluation substrate 10 on which an overcoat layer is formed. The measurement unit 30 includes an imaging section 31, and detects three-dimensional information at a predetermined position on the evaluation substrate 10 based on image data captured by the imaging section 31. The measurement unit 30 measures the three-dimensional information based on the control of the control device 40, and outputs the measured (detected) three-dimensional information to the control device 40.

The control device 40 is a computer device such as a personal computer, and controls the evaluation system 1. The control device 40 controls the target forming device 20 (the coating unit 21 and the drying unit 22) to form an overcoat layer on the evaluation substrate 10, and controls the measurement unit 30 to obtain three-dimensional information of the evaluation substrate 10 on which the overcoat layer has been formed. Here, the detailed configuration of the control device 40 will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment.
4, the evaluation system 1 includes an object forming device 20, a measurement unit 30, and a control device 40. The object forming device 20 includes a coating unit 21 and a drying unit 22. The measurement unit 30 includes an imaging section 31.
The control device 40 also includes an input unit 41 , a display unit 42 , a memory unit 43 , and a control unit 44 .

The input unit 41 is, for example, an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse, and receives various information used by the evaluation system 1. The input unit 41 is used, for example, to specify the overcoat material OC, the evaluation conditions, and the required conditions.

The display unit 42 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays various information used by the evaluation system 1. The display unit 42 displays, for example, various operation screens, specification screens, input screens, as well as evaluation results and recommended proposal information (for example, the type of overcoat material OC, product name, etc.).

The storage unit 43 stores various information used by the evaluation system 1. The storage unit 43 includes an evaluation condition storage unit 431, an evaluation result storage unit 432, and a proposal result storage unit 433.
The evaluation condition storage unit 431 stores evaluation conditions for performing evaluation of the overcoat layer. The evaluation conditions include the type of overcoat material OC, the thickness of the overcoat layer, the type of the concave-convex pattern of the evaluation substrate 10, the position of the concave-convex pattern, the size of the pseudo foreign matter, the shape of the pseudo foreign matter, the position of the pseudo foreign matter, etc.

The evaluation result storage unit 432 stores the evaluation results obtained by the evaluation system 1. The evaluation result storage unit 432 stores the type of overcoat material OC, the evaluation conditions, and the evaluation results in association with each other. Here, an example of data in the evaluation result storage unit 432 will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of data in the evaluation result storage unit 432 in this embodiment.
5, the evaluation result storage unit 432 stores "overcoat type", "evaluation conditions", and "evaluation results" in association with each other. Here, "overcoat type" refers to the type of overcoat material OC (type of material of the overcoat), such as the "product number" (product number) and "manufacturer" of the overcoat material OC. Note that "overcoat type" is an example of coating layer identification information that indicates the material of the overcoat layer.

"Evaluation conditions" indicate the evaluation conditions that were changed during the evaluation, and include, for example, "film thickness." Here, "film thickness" indicates the layer thickness (film thickness) of the overcoat layer. "Evaluation results" are the evaluation results of the formation state of the overcoat layer, and indicate, for example, the evaluation results of "coverage." In this case, the evaluation results of "coverage" are "◯" indicating good (OK) and "×" indicating poor (NG). "△" indicates, for example, a case in which a certain proportion of both good (OK) and poor (NG) results are included after multiple evaluations.

In the example shown in Figure 5, for an overcoat material OC with a "product number" of "XXXABC" and a "manufacturer" of "XXX Company", when the "film thickness" under "evaluation conditions" is "5" (μm (micrometers)), the "evaluation result" for "coverage" is "x" (bad). Also, for the same overcoat material OC, when the "film thickness" under "evaluation conditions" is "20" (μm), the "evaluation result" for "coverage" is "o" (good).

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 4, the proposal result storage unit 433 stores the proposal results of the overcoat material OC recommended for the specified evaluation conditions (required conditions) in the proposal process described below. The proposal result storage unit 433 stores, for example, the evaluation conditions (required conditions) and the proposal results in association with each other.

The control unit 44 is, for example, a processor including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the evaluation system 1. The control unit 44 includes a formation processing unit 441, an evaluation processing unit 442, and a proposal processing unit 443.

The formation processing unit 441 executes a formation process in which the target forming device 20 forms an overcoat layer on the evaluation substrate 10 based on the set overcoat material OC and evaluation conditions. The formation processing unit 441 performs control on the target forming device 20 (the application unit 21 and the drying unit 22) based on the type of overcoat material OC and the evaluation conditions specified, for example, via the input unit 41, to execute a process in which an overcoat layer is formed on the evaluation substrate 10. The formation processing unit 441 stores information such as the type of overcoat material OC specified and the evaluation conditions in the evaluation condition storage unit.

The evaluation processing unit 442 executes an evaluation process that evaluates the formation state (coverage) of the overcoat layer based on the three-dimensional information detected by the measurement unit 30, and associates the type of overcoat material OC, the evaluation conditions, and the evaluation results, and stores them in the evaluation result storage unit 432. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the evaluation processing unit 442 associates the "product number" and "manufacturer" of the "type of overcoat" with the "film thickness" and the "evaluation results," and stores them in the evaluation result storage unit 432.

Here, a specific example of the formation and evaluation of the overcoat layer will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of forming an overcoat layer in this embodiment.
Fig. 6A shows an example in which poor coverage of the overcoat layer OC1 occurs as a result of forming the overcoat layer OC1 on the evaluation substrate 10. Fig. 6B shows a cross-sectional view of the evaluation substrate 10 taken along line AB in Fig. 6A.

In the example shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), a defect called "cissing" occurs on the pseudo foreign matter FS1, in which the overcoat layer OC1 is not formed normally. In such a case, the evaluation processing unit 442 judges the evaluation result to be "x" (NG).

Figure 6 (c) shows an example in which the overcoat layer OC2 is normally formed on the evaluation substrate 10 and there is no problem with the coverage of the overcoat layer OC2. In such a case, the evaluation processing unit 442 judges the evaluation result to be "O" (OK).

The control unit 44 changes the overcoat material OC and the evaluation conditions, and repeatedly executes the formation process by the formation processing unit 441 and the evaluation process by the evaluation processing unit 442. In this case, the control unit 44 uses the target formation device 20 (the coating unit 21 and the drying unit 22) and the measurement unit 30 to form an overcoat layer to be evaluated on the evaluation substrate 10, and executes the evaluation process automatically without human intervention.

The proposal processing unit 443 executes a proposal process that proposes a recommended overcoat material OC for a specified evaluation condition (required condition) via the input unit 41 based on the evaluation results stored in the evaluation result storage unit 432. For example, in the proposal process, the proposal processing unit 443 proposes a type of overcoat material OC (e.g., "product number" and "manufacturer") that is recommended for a specified overcoat layer thickness or type of uneven pattern based on the evaluation results stored in the evaluation result storage unit 432. The proposal processing unit 443 stores the specified evaluation condition (required condition) and the proposal result in the proposal result storage unit.

The control unit 44 may cause the display unit 42 to display the evaluation results evaluated by the evaluation processing unit 442 (the evaluation results stored in the evaluation result storage unit 432) and the proposal information proposed by the proposal processing unit 443 (the proposal information stored in the proposal result storage unit) in response to the operation of the input unit 41.

Next, the operation of the evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the evaluation process of the evaluation system 1 according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 40 of the evaluation system 1 first sets the type of overcoat to be evaluated (step S101). The control unit 44 of the control device 40 stores the type of overcoat material OC set via the input unit 41 in the evaluation condition storage unit 431. The evaluator also sets the overcoat material OC in the application unit 21.

Next, the control unit 44 sets the evaluation conditions (step S102). The control unit 44 stores the evaluation conditions set, for example, via the input unit 41 in the evaluation condition storage unit 431. The evaluator also sets the evaluation substrate 10 so that it is transported to the coating unit 21 of the evaluation system 1.

Next, the control unit 44 applies an overcoat resist to the evaluation substrate 10 and dries it to form an overcoat layer (step S103). That is, the formation processing unit 441 of the control unit 44 executes a formation process to cause the target forming device 20 to form an overcoat layer on the evaluation substrate 10 based on the set overcoat material OC and evaluation conditions. The formation processing unit 441 causes the application unit 21 to apply the overcoat material OC on the evaluation substrate 10, and then controls the drying unit 22 to dry it, forming an overcoat layer according to the evaluation conditions.

Next, the control unit 44 acquires 3D information (three-dimensional information) of a predetermined location on the evaluation substrate 10 (step S104). That is, the evaluation processing unit 442 of the control unit 44 controls the measurement unit 30 to acquire 3D information of a predetermined location on the evaluation substrate 10.

Next, the evaluation processing unit 442 evaluates the overcoat layer based on the 3D information (step S105). Based on the 3D information acquired from the measurement unit 30, the evaluation processing unit 442 determines whether the overcoat layer has poor coverage (see FIG. 6(a) and FIG. 6(b)) or good coverage (see FIG. 6(c)) as shown in FIG. 6.

Next, the evaluation processing unit 442 stores the evaluation result in the evaluation result storage unit 432 (step S105). The evaluation processing unit 442 stores the evaluation result in the evaluation result storage unit 432, for example, as shown in FIG. 5.

Next, the evaluation processing unit 442 determines whether or not there is a next evaluation condition (step S107). If there is a next evaluation condition (step S107: YES), the evaluation processing unit 442 proceeds to step S108. If there is no next evaluation condition (step S107: NO), the evaluation processing unit 442 ends the evaluation process.

In step S108, the evaluation processing unit 442 changes the evaluation conditions. For example, the evaluation processing unit 442 changes the evaluation conditions to be evaluated next time based on the evaluation conditions stored in the evaluation condition storage unit 431. After processing in step S108, the evaluation processing unit 442 advances the process to step S103, changes the evaluation conditions, and repeatedly executes the formation process and the evaluation process.

Next, the proposal process of the evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a proposal process of the evaluation system 1 according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, the proposal processing unit 443 of the control device 40 first acquires the required conditions for the overcoat (step S201). The proposal processing unit 443 acquires the required conditions for the overcoat layer (e.g., the required film thickness of the overcoat layer) via the input unit 41.

Next, the proposal processing unit 443 proposes a type of overcoat for the required conditions based on the evaluation results (step S202). Based on the evaluation results stored in the evaluation result storage unit 432 as shown in FIG. 5, the proposal processing unit 443 extracts and proposes, for example, a type of overcoat for which the required condition of film thickness is "○". Specifically, when the required condition of film thickness is "10" (μm) or less, the proposal processing unit 443 extracts an overcoat material OC with a "product number" of "YY7000" and a "manufacturer" of "XX Company" from the evaluation results as shown in FIG. 5, and displays it on the display unit 42 as a proposal result. The proposal processing unit 443 ends the proposal processing after processing step S202.

In the proposal process shown in FIG. 8 above, the required condition (evaluation condition) is the film thickness. However, for example, the required condition (evaluation condition) may be the type of uneven pattern on the evaluation substrate 10 or the position of the uneven pattern, and the proposal processing unit 443 may propose the type of overcoat material OC recommended for these required conditions.

As described above, the evaluation system 1 according to this embodiment includes an object forming device 20, a measurement unit 30 (detection unit), and a control unit 44. The object forming device 20 forms a coating layer (e.g., an overcoat layer) of the evaluation object that covers the unevenness of the uneven pattern on the evaluation substrate 10 using a specified material and formation conditions. Here, the evaluation substrate 10 is a base substrate on which a plurality of different types of uneven patterns are formed. The measurement unit 30 detects three-dimensional information of the evaluation substrate 10 on which the coating layer (e.g., an overcoat layer) is formed. The control unit 44 executes a formation process and an evaluation process. As a formation process, the control unit 44 causes the object forming device 20 to form a coating layer (e.g., an overcoat layer) on the evaluation substrate 10 based on the set material of the coating layer (e.g., an overcoat material OC) and evaluation conditions. As an evaluation process, the control unit 44 evaluates the formation state (e.g., coverage) of the coating layer (e.g., overcoat layer) based on the three-dimensional information detected by the measurement unit 30, and stores the type of material of the coating layer (e.g., overcoat layer), the evaluation conditions, and the evaluation results in association with each other in the evaluation result storage unit 432.

As a result, the evaluation system 1 according to this embodiment can automate and execute a large amount of evaluation processing using the object forming device 20 and the measurement unit 30. Therefore, the evaluation system 1 according to this embodiment can efficiently evaluate a coating layer (e.g., an overcoat layer) that covers the unevenness of an uneven pattern on an underlying substrate having an uneven pattern. Furthermore, because the evaluation system 1 according to this embodiment can automate a large amount of evaluation processing, it can realize evaluation with reproducibility under the same conditions.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 44 changes the material of the coating layer (e.g., overcoat material OC) and the evaluation conditions, and repeatedly executes the formation process and the evaluation process. The control unit 44 also executes a proposal process that proposes a recommended material of the coating layer (e.g., overcoat material OC) for the specified evaluation conditions (required conditions) based on the evaluation results stored in the evaluation result storage unit 432.

As a result, the evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment can change the evaluation conditions and execute a large amount of evaluation processing in an automated manner. Therefore, the evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment can check the margin of the material of the coating layer (e.g., the overcoat material OC) whose evaluation conditions have been changed, and therefore, for example, it becomes possible to use the coating layer (e.g., the overcoat layer) with an appropriate thickness.
Furthermore, the evaluation system 1 according to this embodiment can appropriately suggest a coating layer material (e.g., an overcoat material OC) that is recommended for the specified evaluation conditions (required conditions) based on the evaluation results, thereby improving convenience when selecting a coating layer material (e.g., an overcoat material OC).

In addition, in this embodiment, the evaluation conditions include the thickness of the coating layer (e.g., overcoat layer), the type of uneven pattern, or the position of the uneven pattern. Furthermore, the formation state of the coating layer (e.g., overcoat layer) includes the coverage of the coating layer (e.g., overcoat layer). In the proposal process, the control unit 44 proposes a type of coating layer material (e.g., type of overcoat material OC) recommended for the specified thickness of the coating layer (e.g., overcoat layer) or type of uneven pattern based on the evaluation results stored in the evaluation result storage unit 432.

As a result, the evaluation system 1 according to this embodiment can appropriately and efficiently suggest the type of coating layer material (e.g., type of overcoat material OC) recommended for the specified coating layer (e.g., overcoat layer) thickness or type of uneven pattern.

In this embodiment, pseudo foreign matter of a given size and shape is formed on the uneven pattern of the evaluation substrate 10, and the evaluation conditions include the size and shape of the pseudo foreign matter.
As a result, the evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment can appropriately and efficiently evaluate a coating layer (e.g., an overcoat layer) against foreign matter. The evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment can evaluate the same conditions for foreign matter multiple times by using pseudo foreign matter, and can know the degree of response to the impurities.

In this embodiment, the covering layer is an overcoat layer formed on a color filter of a liquid crystal display device, and the target forming apparatus 20 forms the overcoat layer on the evaluation substrate 10 by applying and curing the overcoat layer.
As a result, the evaluation system 1 according to the present embodiment can efficiently evaluate the overcoat layer formed on the color filter of the liquid crystal display device.

The evaluation substrate 10 according to this embodiment has a plurality of different types of uneven patterns arranged on the base substrate, and pseudo foreign matter of a predetermined size and shape arranged on the uneven patterns, and when evaluating a coating layer (e.g., an overcoat layer) to be evaluated that covers the unevenness of the uneven patterns, it is possible to form a coating layer (e.g., an overcoat layer) using specified materials and formation conditions.

As a result, the evaluation substrate 10 according to this embodiment has the same effect as the evaluation system 1 described above, and can efficiently evaluate a coating layer (e.g., an overcoat layer) that covers the irregularities of an uneven pattern on a base substrate having an uneven pattern.

The evaluation method according to this embodiment is an evaluation method in the evaluation system 1 including the above-mentioned object forming device 20 and the measurement unit 30, and includes a formation process step and an evaluation process step. In the formation process step, the control unit 44 causes the object forming device 20 to form a coating layer on the evaluation substrate 10 based on the set coating layer material (e.g., overcoat material OC) and evaluation conditions. In the evaluation process step, the control unit 44 evaluates the formation state (e.g., coverage) of the coating layer (e.g., overcoat layer) based on the three-dimensional information detected by the measurement unit 30, and stores the type of coating layer material (e.g., overcoat material OC), the evaluation conditions, and the evaluation results in the evaluation result storage unit 432 in association with each other.

As a result, the evaluation method according to this embodiment has the same effect as the evaluation system 1 described above, and can efficiently evaluate a coating layer (e.g., an overcoat layer) that covers the irregularities of an uneven pattern on a base substrate having an uneven pattern.

Second Embodiment
Next, an evaluation system 1a according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
In this embodiment, a modified example will be described in which the coating layer to be evaluated is applied to a color resist layer of a liquid crystal display device instead of the above-mentioned overcoat layer.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an evaluation system 1a according to this embodiment.
9, the evaluation system 1a includes a target forming device 20a, a measurement unit 30, and a control device 40a. In this embodiment, the coating layer to be evaluated is an overcoat layer (overcoat resist layer) of a liquid crystal display device, and the evaluation system 1a evaluates the formation state of a color resist layer of the liquid crystal display device.
In FIG. 9, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In FIG. 9, a color resist material CR is a material used for evaluating a color resist layer, and is specified by an evaluator and used in a target forming apparatus 20a described later.
The evaluation substrate 10 is a substrate used for evaluating a color resist layer, and is a base substrate on which a plurality of different types of concave-convex patterns are formed.

The object forming device 20a is a device that forms a color resist layer to be evaluated, and forms the color resist layer on the evaluation substrate 10 by coating, exposing, curing, and developing the color resist layer. The object forming device 20a includes a coating unit 21, a transport robot 23, an exposure device 24, an oven 25, a developing device 26, and a substrate station 27.

The coating unit 21 coats the evaluation substrate 10 with the color resist material CR under the control of the control device 40 a. The transport robot 23 transports the evaluation substrate 10 placed in the substrate station 27 to the exposure device 24, the oven 25, and the developing device 26.
The exposure device 24 performs an exposure process on the evaluation substrate 10 on which the color resist material CR is applied.

The oven 25 sends air at a predetermined temperature to the exposed evaluation substrate 10 to harden the color resist material CR.
The developing device 26 performs a developing process on the exposed evaluation substrate 10 .

Here, the color resist layer to be evaluated will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of forming a color resist layer in this embodiment.
Fig. 10A is a plan view of the evaluation substrate 10 with color resist layers (RR, GR, BR) formed on the black matrix pattern BM. Fig. 10B is a cross-sectional view of the evaluation substrate 10 taken along line AB in Fig. 10A. The black matrix pattern BM is an example of a concave-convex pattern.

The color resist layer RR indicates a red color resist layer, the color resist layer GR indicates a green color resist layer, and the color resist layer BR indicates a blue color resist layer. In FIG. 10(b), the film thickness d1 indicates the film thickness of the color resist layer RR, and the horn step d2 indicates the thickness of the highest part.

Figure 10(c) is a plan view of the evaluation substrate 10 with color resist layers (RR, GR, BR) stacked on the uneven pattern PT4. Here, the stacked color resist layers are used as spacers (structures for securing space between the color filter substrate and the substrates for the light source and liquid crystal drive unit). Figure 10(d) shows a cross-sectional view of the evaluation substrate 10 taken along line AB in Figure 10(c). Stacking height d3 indicates the height of the portion formed by stacking the color resist layers (RR, GR, BR).

In this embodiment, the formation state of the coating layer to be evaluated includes the above-mentioned film thickness d1, horn step d2, and stacking height d3, etc.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 9, the control device 40a is a computer device such as a personal computer, and controls the evaluation system 1a. The control device 40a controls the object forming device 20a (the coating unit 21, the transport robot 23, the exposure device 24, the oven 25, the developing device 26, and the substrate station 27) to form a color resist layer on the evaluation substrate 10, and controls the measurement unit 30 to obtain three-dimensional information of the evaluation substrate 10 on which the color resist layer has been formed. Here, the detailed configuration of the control device 40a will be explained with reference to FIG. 11.

FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing an example of an evaluation system 1a according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 11, the evaluation system 1a includes an object forming apparatus 20a, a measurement unit 30, and a control device 40a, and the object forming apparatus 20a includes, as described above, a coating unit 21, a transport robot 23, an exposure device 24, an oven 25, a developing device 26, and a substrate station 27.

The control device 40a also includes an input unit 41, a display unit 42, a storage unit 43, and a control unit 44a.
The control unit 44a is, for example, a processor including a CPU, and controls the evaluation system 1a in an overall manner. The control unit 44a includes a formation processing unit 441a, an evaluation processing unit 442a, and a proposal processing unit 443a.

The formation processing unit 441a, evaluation processing unit 442a, and proposal processing unit 443a are similar to the formation processing unit 441, evaluation processing unit 442, and proposal processing unit 443 in the first embodiment, except that the formation processing, evaluation processing, and proposal processing of the overcoat layer described above are changed to the formation processing, evaluation processing, and proposal processing of a color resist layer, and therefore their description will be omitted here.

As described above, in the evaluation system 1a according to this embodiment, the coating layer is a color resist layer of a liquid crystal display device, and the target forming device 20a forms a color resist layer on the evaluation substrate 10 by applying, exposing, curing, and developing the color resist layer.
As a result, the evaluation system 1a according to this embodiment has the same effect as the above-mentioned evaluation system 1, and can efficiently evaluate a coating layer (e.g., an overcoat layer) that covers the concaves and convexes of a concave-convex pattern on a base substrate having a concave-convex pattern. Furthermore, the evaluation system 1a according to this embodiment can efficiently evaluate a color resist layer of a liquid crystal display device.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the coating layer to be evaluated was an overcoat layer or a color resist layer formed on a color filter of a liquid crystal display device, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be applied to other coating layers.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, a part or all of the memory unit 43 provided in the control device 40 (40a) may be provided outside the control device 40 (40a). For example, the memory unit 43 may be provided in a server device on the network.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the evaluation system 1 (1a) has been described as being configured not to include a pseudo-foreign matter forming device 50, but it may be configured to include a pseudo-foreign matter forming device 50. In this case, the pseudo-foreign matter forming device 50 may be configured to automatically form a pseudo-foreign matter according to set conditions.

Each of the components of the evaluation system 1 (1a) described above has a computer system inside. A program (e.g., an evaluation program) for realizing the function of each of the components of the evaluation system 1 (1a) described above may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed to perform processing in each of the components of the evaluation system 1 (1a) described above. Here, "reading a program recorded on a recording medium into a computer system and executing it" includes installing the program into a computer system. The "computer system" referred to here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices.
Furthermore, a "computer system" may include a plurality of computer devices connected via a network including the Internet or communication lines such as a WAN, LAN, or dedicated line. Furthermore, a "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, or a CD-ROM, or a storage device such as a hard disk built into a computer system. In this way, the recording medium storing the program may be a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

The recording medium also includes an internal or external recording medium accessible from a distribution server to distribute the program. The program may be divided into multiple parts, downloaded at different times, and then combined by each component of the evaluation system 1 (1a), or each divided program may be distributed by a different distribution server. Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" also includes a recording medium that holds a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory (RAM) inside a computer system that becomes a server or client when a program is transmitted over a network. The program may also be a recording medium for implementing part of the above-mentioned functions. Furthermore, the program may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

In addition, some or all of the above-mentioned functions may be realized as an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration). Each of the above-mentioned functions may be individually processed, or some or all of the functions may be integrated into a processor. The integrated circuit method is not limited to LSI, and may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI appears due to advances in semiconductor technology, an integrated circuit based on that technology may be used.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 1a Evaluation system 10 Evaluation substrate 20, 20a Target forming device 21 Coating unit 22 Drying unit 23 Transport robot 24 Exposure device 25 Oven 26 Developing device 27 Substrate station 30 Measurement unit 31 Imaging unit 40, 40a Control device 41 Input unit 42 Display unit 43 Storage unit 44 Control unit 50 Pseudo foreign matter forming device 51 Dispenser 52 Manipulator 431 Evaluation condition storage unit 432 Evaluation result storage unit 433 Proposal result storage unit 441, 441a Formation processing unit 442 Evaluation processing unit 443 Proposal processing unit

Claims (9)

a target forming device that forms a coating layer to be evaluated that covers the projections and recesses of the projections and recesses of an evaluation substrate, which is a base substrate on which a plurality of different types of projection and recess patterns are formed, and that constitutes a liquid crystal display device , using a specified material and forming conditions;
a detection unit that detects three-dimensional information of the evaluation substrate on which the coating layer is formed; and
and a control unit that executes a formation process that causes the target formation device to form the coating layer on the evaluation substrate based on the set material and evaluation conditions of the coating layer, and an evaluation process that evaluates a formation state of the coating layer based on three-dimensional information detected by the detection unit, and stores the type of material of the coating layer, the evaluation conditions, and the evaluation results in an evaluation result storage unit in association with each other. The control unit is
Repeating the formation process and the evaluation process by changing the material of the coating layer and the evaluation conditions;
The evaluation system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a proposal process for proposing a recommended material for the coating layer for the specified evaluation conditions based on the evaluation results stored in the evaluation result storage unit. the evaluation conditions include a thickness of the coating layer, a type of the concave-convex pattern, or a position of the concave-convex pattern;
The formation state of the coating layer includes the coating property of the coating layer,
The control unit is
The evaluation system according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the proposal process, a type of material of the coating layer recommended for a specified thickness of the coating layer or a type of the uneven pattern is proposed based on the evaluation results stored in the evaluation result storage unit. the evaluation substrate has a pseudo foreign matter of a predetermined size and shape formed on the concave-convex pattern;
The evaluation system according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation conditions include a size and a shape of the suspected foreign matter. the covering layer is an overcoat layer formed on a color filter of a liquid crystal display device,
5. The evaluation system according to claim 1, wherein the object forming device forms the overcoat layer on the evaluation substrate by applying and curing the overcoat layer. The coating layer is a color resist layer of a liquid crystal display device,
5. The evaluation system according to claim 1, wherein the object forming device forms the color resist layer on the evaluation substrate by applying, exposing, curing, and developing the color resist layer. A plurality of different types of concave-convex patterns are arranged on a base substrate;
and a pseudo foreign object of a predetermined size and shape arranged on the uneven pattern, wherein the uneven pattern is a coating layer to be evaluated that covers the unevenness of the uneven pattern, and is arranged so that the coating layer can be formed using specified materials and formation conditions when evaluating a coating layer that constitutes a liquid crystal display device. An evaluation method in an evaluation system including an evaluation substrate, which is a base substrate on which a plurality of different types of concave-convex patterns are formed, and an evaluation target coating layer that covers the concaves and convexes of the concave-convex patterns, the evaluation target coating layer constituting a liquid crystal display device being formed of a specified material under specified conditions, and a detection unit that detects three-dimensional information of the evaluation substrate on which the coating layer is formed, the evaluation method comprising:
a forming process step in which the control unit causes the object forming apparatus to form the coating layer on the evaluation substrate based on the set material and evaluation conditions of the coating layer;
the control unit evaluates a formation state of the coating layer based on the three-dimensional information detected by the detection unit, and stores the type of material of the coating layer, the evaluation conditions, and the evaluation results in an evaluation result storage unit in association with each other. a coating layer to be evaluated that covers the projections and recesses of an evaluation substrate, which is a base substrate on which a plurality of different types of projection and recess patterns are formed, the coating layer constituting a liquid crystal display device being formed of a specified material under specified conditions; and a detection unit that detects three-dimensional information of the evaluation substrate on which the coating layer is formed, the computer of an evaluation system including:
a forming process step of causing the object forming apparatus to form the coating layer on the evaluation substrate based on the set material and evaluation conditions of the coating layer;
and an evaluation processing step of evaluating the formation state of the coating layer based on the three-dimensional information detected by the detection unit, and storing the type of material of the coating layer, the evaluation conditions, and the evaluation results in an evaluation result storage unit in association with each other.

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