Printing apparatus, patterning method, and method of fabricating liquid crystal display device using the same
A printing apparatus includes a rail, a printing plate and a substrate on the rail, the printing plate and the substrate being movable along the rail, a printing roll to transcribe a pattern material onto the substrate after passing through the printing plate on the rail, and a cleaning device to clean the printing plate, the cleaning device including at least one of a chemical knife and an air knife.
1 . A printing apparatus, comprising:
a rail;
a printing plate and a substrate on the rail, the printing plate and the substrate being movable along the rail;
a printing roll to transcribe a pattern material onto the substrate after passing through the printing plate on the rail; and
a cleaning device to clean the printing plate, the cleaning device including at least one of a chemical knife and an air knife.
2 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device further includes a bar-shaped light irradiator.
3 . The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the light irradiator includes a UV-rays irradiator.
4 . The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the light irradiator is disposed at an outer side of the cleaning device.
5 . The printing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the light irradiator moves in upward and downward directions.
6 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device includes an organic-material discharger.
7 . The printing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the organic-material discharger includes a fan.
8 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the chemical knife includes a first slit nozzle to spray a cleaning solution, a first driver to drive the first slit nozzle, and a cleaning-solution supplier to supply the cleaning solution to the first slit nozzle.
9 . The printing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the air knife includes a second slit nozzle to spray air, a second driver to drive the second slit nozzle, and an air supplier to supply the air to the second slit nozzle.
10 . The printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first or second slit nozzle is maintained at an interval of about I to 2 mm from the upper surface of the printing plate when cleaning the printing plate.
11 . The printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first or second slit nozzle is inclined with respect to a vertical plane of the printing plate by a predetermined angle.
12 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein both the chemical knife and the air knife are driven at the same time.
13 . A patterning method, comprising the steps of:
coating a printing roll with a pattern material;
transcribing some of the pattern material onto projections of a printing plate by rotating the printing roll on the printing plate;
transcribing the remaining pattern material of the printing roll onto a substrate by rotating the printing roll on the substrate;
cleaning the printing plate; and
applying light to the printing plate.
14 . The patterning method according to claim 13 , wherein the step of cleaning the printing plate comprises the steps of:
moving a cleaning device to the printing plate;
spraying a cleaning solution onto the printing plate; and
drying the printing plate by spraying air on the printing plate.
15 . The patterning method according to claim 13 , wherein the step of applying light to the printing plate applies UV rays to the printing plate.
16 . The patterning method according to claim 13 , wherein the step of cleaning the printing plate is carried out after transcribing some of the pattern material on the projections.
17 . The patterning method according to claim 13 , wherein the step of applying light to the printing plate is carried out after the step of cleaning the printing plate.
18 . A method of fabricating an LCD device, comprising the steps of:
forming a light-shielding layer on a first substrate;
forming a color filter layer on the first substrate including the light-shielding layer;
preparing a second substrate; and
forming a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates,
wherein at least one of the forming a light-shielding layer on a first substrate and the forming a color filter layer on the first substrate uses the printing apparatus of claim 1 .
19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the step preparing a second substrate comprises the steps of:
forming gate and data lines crossing each other to define a pixel region on the second substrate by the printing apparatus of claim 1 ;
forming a thin film transistor adjacent to the crossing portion of the gate and data lines;
forming a passivation layer on the second substrate; and
forming a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode of the thin film transistor on the passivation layer.