Dual substrate inkjet printing

Abstract

Dual substrate inkjet printers, processing systems using such printers, and methods of processing substrates using such printers. The dual-substrate inkjet printer has: a substrate support; a print support extending across the substrate support and supporting a printhead assembly for dispensing material onto a substrate supported by the substrate support; a first substrate holder located on a first side of the substrate support and adjacent to a first substrate position of the substrate support so as to move a first substrate along the substrate support; and a second substrate holder located on a second side of the substrate support opposite the first substrate holder and adjacent to a second substrate position of the substrate support so as to move a second substrate along the substrate support.

Description

Cross-references

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 365,017, filed May 19, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0002] Industrial inkjet printers are used to apply materials onto large substrates to form a variety of devices. The substrates can be rigid or flexible, thick or thin, and made from a range of materials. The most common types of substrates used in this way are made from various types of glass, which are processed into electronic displays such as televisions and smartphone screens.

[0003] Normally, only one substrate is processed at a time in a printer. If two substrates can be processed simultaneously in one printer, production speed will be much faster. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments described herein provide an inkjet printer comprising: a substrate support; a print support extending across the substrate support and supporting a print head assembly for dispensing material onto a substrate supported on the substrate support; a first substrate holder located on a first side of the substrate support and adjacent to a first substrate position of the substrate support so as to move the first substrate along the substrate support; and a second substrate holder located on a second side of the substrate support opposite to the first substrate holder and adjacent to a second substrate position of the substrate support so as to move the second substrate along the substrate support.

[0005] Other embodiments described herein provide an inkjet printer comprising: a substrate support having a gas flotation system to provide an air cushion, the substrate support including a processing area having suction openings to control the pressure of the air cushion in the processing area, the suction openings being arranged in two groups defining a central gap in the processing area; a print support extending across the substrate support located in the processing area and supporting a print head assembly for dispensing material onto a substrate supported on the substrate support in the processing area; a first substrate holder located on a first side of the substrate support and adjacent to a first substrate position of the substrate support so as to move the first substrate along the substrate support; and a second substrate holder located on a second side of the substrate support opposite to the first substrate holder and adjacent to a second substrate position of the substrate support so as to move the second substrate along the substrate support.

[0006] Other embodiments described herein provide a processing system comprising: a processing portion, the processing portion including a dual substrate inkjet printing chamber, a dual substrate processing chamber, and a dual substrate transfer chamber coupling the dual substrate inkjet printing chamber with the dual substrate processing chamber; and a dual substrate interface chamber coupled to the processing portion to provide two substrates configured side by side for processing in the processing portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a dual-substrate inkjet printer according to one embodiment.

[0008] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a dual-substrate inkjet printer according to another embodiment.

[0009] Figure 3A is a schematic plan view of a dual-substrate inkjet printer according to another embodiment.

[0010] Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of a processing system according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 5 is a plan view of a processing system according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Inkjet printers and printing systems that can process dual substrates are described herein. The printers described herein can perform inkjet printing on two substrates at the same time, and the printing systems can use the dual substrate printers described herein and other dual substrate modules to process two substrates at the same time. One printing system described herein can accept a single substrate, perform dual processing on the substrate, and return the single substrate after processing. Another printing system described herein can accept dual substrates and return dual substrates.

[0013] Figure 1 1 is a schematic plan view of an inkjet printer 100 according to an embodiment. The inkjet printer 100 is a dual-substrate printer. The inkjet printer 100 has a base 102, which is made of a dense and solid material, such as granite. A substrate support 104 is supported on the base. The substrate support 104 can be directly placed on the base 102, or supported on the base 102 by a supporting member (not shown), wherein the supporting member can be a strong elastic member such as a rubber pad, or can be an air cushion support.

[0014] The substrate support 104 is an air cushion support having openings 106 to provide air flow to form an air cushion that supports substrates 107 above the surface of the substrate support 104. Here, two substrates 107 are placed on the substrate support 104 for processing by the inkjet printer 100. The substrate support 104 has a first temporary storage area 108 where the substrates 107 are placed to start processing. The first temporary storage area 108 has a plurality of openings 110 for allowing gas to flow to the substrate support 104 to form an air cushion so that the two substrates 107 float on the air cushion. Here, the openings 110 are evenly distributed across the first temporary storage area 108, including locations where the first temporary storage area 108 is not covered by the surface of the substrate. If the maximum size of the substrate to be processed on the printer 100 is known, the openings 110 can be omitted from the area of ​​the substrate support 104 that does not support any part of the substrate. In this case, for example, the opening 110 may be omitted along a central longitudinal strip between the two substrates 107 .

[0015] A print support 112 is also supported on the base 102. The print support 112 includes two brackets 114, each bracket 114 being disposed on the base 102 on opposite sides of the substrate support 104. Thus, a first bracket 114 is disposed on the base 102 on a first side 116 of the substrate support 104, and a second bracket 114 is disposed on the base 102 on a second side 118 of the substrate support 104 opposite the first side 116. A print head support 120 is disposed on the two brackets 114 and extends across the substrate support 104 from the first side 116 to the second side 118. The brackets 114 and the print head support 120 are typically made of a structurally strong material, which may be a dense material similar to the material of the base 102.

[0016] Two printhead assemblies 122 are coupled to the printhead support 120. The printhead assemblies 122 are movably coupled to the printhead support 120 so as to move in a lateral direction along the printhead support 120. Each printhead assembly 122 has a printhead unit 124 coupled to a carriage 126. The carriage 126 is coupled to the printhead support 120 so as to provide movement of the printhead assembly 122 along the printhead support 120. Each carriage 126 includes a linear actuator (not shown) to accomplish movement of the printhead assembly 122. The carriage 126 may have a gas bearing support so as to provide substantially frictionless movement of the printhead assembly 122 along the printhead support 120. Each printhead 124 may be coupled to the respective carriage 126 by a lifter that may position the printhead 124 at a desired height relative to the substrate support 104.

[0017] A utility tray 128 is coupled to the printhead support 120 along one side thereof. The utility tray 128 is positioned so as not to interrupt the movement of the carriage 126 along the printhead support 120. The utility tray 128 supports various wires, cables, conduits, and other utility components to provide materials and / or power to the printhead assemblies 122. Here, each printhead assembly 122 is coupled to a utility bundle 130 supported by the utility tray 128. Each utility bundle 130 couples a respective printhead assembly 122 to a supply unit 132. There are two supply units 132, namely, a first supply unit 132 located at the first side 116 of the substrate support 104 and a second supply unit 132 located at the second side 118 of the substrate support 104. The supply units 132 are not supported by the base 102 here, but the base 102 may support one or more of the supply units 132. The supply units 132 manage the supply of materials to the printhead assemblies 122. Instead of two supply units 132 , each print head unit 124 may use a single supply unit 132 with appropriate tubing and valves to supply material to both print head units 124 .

[0018] The substrate support 104 has substrate holders 134 on both sides. A first substrate holder 134 is disposed on the first side 116 of the substrate support 104, and a second substrate holder 134 is disposed on the second side 118 of the substrate support 104. Each substrate holder 134 has a contact member 136 coupled to a holder support 138 extending along the side of the substrate support 104 in the longitudinal direction of the substrate support 104. The contact member 136 of each substrate holder 134 is movably supported by a corresponding holder support 138, so that the contact member 136 can move along the holder support 138 beside the substrate support 104. The contact member 136 of each substrate holder 134 is configured to contact one of the substrates 107 at its edge, thereby moving and positioning the substrate 107 for processing. Each contact member 136 has a contact surface (not shown) that extends below the respective substrate 107 and contacts the substrate 107 using a vacuum. The contact member 136, when securely attached to the substrate 107, may be moved along the cage support 134 to position the substrate 107 relative to the printhead assembly 122 for processing.

[0019] The substrate support 104 has a second temporary storage area 139 at an end of the substrate support 104 opposite to the first temporary storage area 108. Similar to the first temporary storage area 108, the second temporary storage area 139 has a plurality of openings 110 for providing gas to form an air cushion. Just like the first temporary storage area 108, the openings 110 are omitted in the area of ​​the second temporary storage area 139 that does not support the substrate (such as the central longitudinal strip).

[0020] Between the first temporary storage area 108 and the second temporary storage area 139, the substrate support 104 has a processing area 140 in the central area of ​​the substrate support 104. In this example, the processing area 140 extends from the first side 116 of the substrate support 104 to the second side 118, but the width of the processing area 140 may be less than the width of the substrate support 104 from the first side 108 to the second side 118. The processing area 140 has a plurality of openings 110 for providing gas to form an air cushion to support the substrate 107. The processing area 140 also has a plurality of exhaust openings 142 for exhausting the gas of the air cushion. By allowing the gas to flow to the openings 110 and exhausting the gas through the exhaust openings 142, the pressure of the air cushion is controlled, and thereby the height of the substrate floating above the substrate support 104 in the processing area 140 is controlled.

[0021] The substrates 107 are usually moved together to avoid or minimize inertia and momentum moments that may reduce printing accuracy or need to be damped or settled before printing begins. Thus, the substrates 107 are moved together from the first temporary storage area 108 to the processing area 140 by operating the substrate holder 134. When the substrates 107 are positioned so that a portion of each substrate 107 is located at the processing area 140 of the substrate support 104, the gap between the substrates exposes a portion of the substrate support 104 during processing. During processing, tiny droplets of printing material are ejected from the printing nozzles of the two print head units 124 toward the respective substrates 107. During processing, suction is applied to the exhaust openings 142, and any exhaust opening 142 that is not covered by a substrate will generate an airflow from above one or both substrates 107 into the exposed exhaust openings 142. This airflow may disrupt the trajectory of the printing material ejected from the nozzles of the print head unit 124 toward the substrate 107, thereby reducing printing accuracy. In addition, printing material drawn into the exhaust openings can contaminate the openings, damage the air cushion device, and may disrupt control of the air cushion during processing. To avoid this, exhaust openings are omitted in portions of the processing area 140 that are exposed and not covered by any substrate. The airflow openings 110 may also be omitted in the exposed areas, but allowing gas to flow through the airflow openings 110 in the gaps between the substrates 107 can help thermally control the substrate support 104 and the substrates 107.

[0022] It should be noted that in some cases, the exhaust openings 142 may not be used as exhaust openings, but rather as airflow openings to provide airflow to the air pad so that all openings on the surface of the substrate support 104 are positive pressure airflow openings.

[0023] The substrate 107 is typically positioned on the first temporary storage area 108 of the substrate support 104 by a substrate handler (not shown) simultaneously, concurrently, sequentially or partially sequentially. The substrate handler typically positions the substrate above the first temporary storage area 108 and lowers the substrate 107 until the substrate 107 floats off the substrate handler. Then, the substrate handler withdraws, leaving the substrate 107 floating on the air cushion of the first temporary storage area 108. The substrate 107 is positioned by a positioning mechanism to contact the substrate holder 134. In this example, the positioning mechanism includes a plurality of pads 144, wherein each substrate 107 has two pads 144. The pads 144 are located at the ends of the first temporary storage area 108 of the substrate support 104 and on both sides of the substrate support 104. The pads 144 are driven to extend when positioning the substrate 107, and then retracted after the substrate 107 contacts the substrate holder 134. The pads 144 are typically retracted from underneath the substrate support 104 to avoid interrupting the movement of the substrate holder 134 along the sides of the substrate support 104. In this example, the pads 144 are located near the corners of the substrate 107 when the substrate 107 is placed on the first staging area 108. In this example, the pads 144 are shaped like corner features to capture the corners of the substrate 107, but in other cases, the pads 144 may have two curved or flat cushioning contacts for each corner.

[0024] Two sets of pads 144 are distributed in the left and right regions of the first staging area 108. Thus, two pads 144 are located at the end of the substrate support 104 adjacent to the first staging area 108 near the central longitudinal axis of the substrate support 104, and one pad 144 is located on each side 116, 118 of the substrate support 104 near the processing area 140. When a pair of substrates 107 are to be placed in the first staging area 108, the pads are extended above the surface of the substrate support 104 and moved to the substrate placement area slightly away from the first staging area 108 to facilitate the substrate handler to place the substrates 107. When the substrate handler approaches the substrates 107 and lowers them onto the air cushion, the pads 144 are moved to the substrates 107 to capture and substantially secure the substrates 107. Then, the substrate holder 134 is moved to a starting position, generally as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, the vacuum is activated so that the contact member 136 contacts the substrate 107. After the contact member 136 contacts the substrate 107 to firmly hold the substrate 107, the pad 144 is moved away from the substrate 107 and retracted to the inactive position. At this point, the substrate is in place for measurement and print planning.

[0025] An imaging device 146 is movably coupled to the printhead support 120. The imaging device is typically used to image features on the substrate 107 so that the print plan can be calibrated to the substrate 107 when the substrate 107 is actually placed on the substrate support 104. Features to be printed on such substrates can be several microns in size, so slight inaccuracies in substrate placement or orientation, or features previously created on the substrate, can affect printing accuracy. The imaging device 146 is typically coupled to the printhead support 120 by a carrier system (e.g., one or more rails) mounted on the bottom side of the printhead support 120 and driven by a linear actuator to move to a desired position along the printhead support 120. The imaging device 146 is configured in a position to image all areas of the substrate 107 while also facilitating movement of the printhead assembly 122 as needed to process the substrate. Thus, in this example, one imaging device 146 is located at each end of the printhead support 120, and one imaging device 146 is located between the two printhead assemblies 122. The imaging device 146 is typically moved during print planning to image features on the substrate 107. The image of the substrate features is used to determine the exact position and orientation of the substrate, and the print plan for each substrate is adjusted as necessary to correct for any errors in substrate position, rotation, or distortion resolved from the imaged features. After imaging, the imaging device 146 adjacent to one of the supports 114 can be moved as close as possible to the support 114 closest to it to avoid interrupting other processing. The imaging device 146 located between the two print head assemblies 122 can be moved during processing to provide uninterrupted access to the print head assemblies 122.

[0026] The printhead assembly 122 generally moves simultaneously and in the same direction to avoid unnecessary vibrations to components of the inkjet printer 100. A controller 150 is operably coupled to all adjustable components of the inkjet printer 100 to control all operations including substrate access and contact, substrate positioning, imaging and print planning, printhead assembly positioning, gas support, and printing material deposition. The controller 150 is configured to track the position of at least the substrate 107 (using a position indicator coupled to the contact member 136, not shown), the printhead assembly 122, and the imaging device 146, and is further configured to move any imaging device 146 that occupies a position of the printhead assembly 122, or occupies a position between the current position of the printhead assembly 122 and the position to which the printhead assembly 122 needs to be moved. Thus, if it is necessary to move the printhead assembly 122 in the +x direction and the imaging device 146 is currently located in a position that would interfere with the movement of one or more of the printhead assemblies 122, the imaging device 146 may move with the printhead assembly 122 in the +x direction, and the same is true if it is necessary to move the printhead assembly 122 in the -x direction.

[0027] A printhead management station 148 is provided for each printhead assembly 122. As shown, each printhead management station 148 may be supported on the base 102, or it may be supported off any support structure (e.g., that may couple the substrate support 104 to the base 102). Each printhead management station 148 is located between the support 114 and the corresponding holder support 138 so that the nearest printhead assembly 122 can be moved to a position close to the support 114 to contact the printhead management station 148. Each printhead management station 148 includes tools for managing printheads and / or printhead assemblies. The tools may include cleaning tools, calibration tools, diagnostic tools, and maintenance tools. Each printhead management station 148 may be driven along a linear trajectory perpendicular to or at least transverse to the direction of movement of the printhead assembly 122 so as to provide all of the tools of the printhead management station 148 in positional contact with the printhead 124.

[0028] As described above, the print head assembly 122 generally moves in the same direction at the same time. Likewise, the substrate 107 generally moves in the same direction at the same time to minimize the effect of unbalanced inertial reaction on the stability of the inkjet printer 100. Here, the substrate 107 is processed longitudinally so that the rotational inertia moment caused by the movement of the substrate 107 is minimized.

[0029] Printing material is typically provided to each print head assembly 122 in an amount sufficient to perform a print job without regard to the operation of other print head assemblies 122. Here, each print head assembly 122 has a dedicated supply unit 132 to provide printing material, gas, other fluids, and power to the print head assembly 122. Each print head assembly 122 has a local printing material supply component pre-dispensed from a supply component in the supply unit 132, and the supply unit 132 may also have a manipulator replenishment facility such as a bulk loading station.

[0030] In operation, two substrates 107 are placed in the first staging area 108. Before the substrates are separated from the substrate handler, the pads 144 are configured to limit substrate drift after the substrate handler is withdrawn. The substrate handler is then separated from the substrates 107, allowing the substrates 107 to contact the substrate support 104 (e.g., by floating on the air cushion). The substrate handler is withdrawn, and the pads 144 are moved into contact with the substrates 107. The contact members 136 are then moved to a starting position, if necessary, and contacted at the edges of the substrates 107. The substrates 107 are then ready to move along the substrate support 104 for processing.

[0031] The substrate 107 is scanned by the imaging device 146 for imaging. Features on each substrate 107 are detected and any positioning, alignment or distortion errors are detected. The print plan for each substrate is adjusted accordingly and printer control data is generated to execute the print plan. If necessary, the print head assembly 122 is brought into contact with the print head management station 148 to prepare and / or calibrate the inkjet printer 100 to process the substrate 107. The substrate 107 is then moved to provide a printing path for the print head assembly 122. The print head assembly 122 is also moved with the substrate 107 to execute the print plan. The substrate 107 may only move in one direction during execution, or the substrate 107 may move back and forth, but the substrate 107 moves only in the same direction at the same time as much as possible. The print head assembly 122 is moved back and forth and in the same direction at the same time as much as possible. Any imaging device 146 that may interfere with the movement of the print head assembly 122 is also moved.

[0032] After executing the print plan, the substrate 107 is moved to one of the first temporary storage area 108 and the second temporary storage area 139 so that it can be retrieved by the substrate handler. The substrate handler enters between the substrate 107 and the substrate support 104. The substrate handler moves upward to contact the substrate 107 and lift the substrate 107 from the air cushion. When the substrate handler contacts the substrate 107, the contact member 136 releases the substrate 107 to the custody of the substrate handler, and the substrate handler then withdraws with the substrate 107.

[0033] Figure 2 2 is a schematic plan view of a dual substrate inkjet printer 200 according to another embodiment. In this version, only one print head assembly is used to deposit printing material onto two substrates. The inkjet printer 200 has a print head assembly 202 coupled to the print support 112. The print head 204 of the print head assembly 202 is larger than any of the print heads 124 so as to provide the possibility of depositing printing material onto two substrates in a reasonable time. The print head assembly 202 includes a carriage 207, which is sized to fit the larger print head 204 and couples the print head 204 to the print support 112. The carriage 207 can be any suitable type of carriage, such as a gas floating carriage. Here, there is only one utility bundle 208 and a supply unit 210, which are appropriately scaled to accommodate the larger size of the print head assembly 202. The size of the utility bundle 208 is such that it can reach the print head assembly 202 across the entire print support 112 from one bracket 114 to the opposite bracket 114. Although additional print head management stations 148 may be placed between each support 114 and the adjacent holder supports 138 on either side of the substrate support, there is only one print head management station 148, such as Figure 1 As shown, it is located between the bracket 114 and the nearest cage support 138.

[0034] The imaging device 146 is coupled to the printing support 112, as described above. Figure 1As described, and here distributed on both sides of the print head assembly 202. In this example, each side of the print head assembly 202 has two imaging devices 146. Any number of imaging devices 146 can be used, and the imaging devices 146 can be configured to be coupled to the print support 112 in any suitable manner. For example, although the imaging devices 146 are here arranged on a support extending laterally away from the print support 112 toward the first staging area 108, some imaging devices 146 can be arranged on a support extending laterally away from the print support 112 toward the second staging area 139. For such imaging devices 146, the print support 112 will actually be located between the imaging devices 146 and the print head 204. Combinations of such imaging devices can also be used.

[0035] The inkjet printer 200 may provide advantages over the inkjet printer 100. With only one printhead assembly, there are fewer moving parts that can generate particles that may contaminate a substrate. The single printhead assembly also requires only one printhead management station, although redundant printhead management stations may be provided in some cases to ensure continuity of operation. The single printhead assembly in the inkjet printer 200 is larger than either printhead assembly of the inkjet printer 100 and therefore requires larger moving equipment such as gas supports. The single printhead assembly also uses a utility bundle to provide the printhead with all of the printing material required to perform a print job. Thus, the utility bundle and supply unit must have the capacity to move printing material to the printhead assembly in the amount required to complete the printing plan. In Figure 1 In the inkjet printer 100 shown, the capacities of the two supply units and the two utility bundles can be less than Figure 2 The capacity of the supply unit and utility bundle is shown. By using a single print head assembly, the chance of damaging uncoordinated movement of the two print head assemblies is eliminated.

[0036] The inkjet printer 200 has a baffle 206 in the gap between the substrates 107. In this example, the baffle 206 is a plate that is sized to fill the gap between the substrates 107 and is disposed on the substrate support 104 at a location that will fill the gap between the substrates 107 without interfering with processing. The baffle 206 is an optional feature that is used to prevent printing material from invading or being deposited on the substrate support 104 in the gap between the substrates. The baffle 206 prevents printing material from accumulating on the substrate support 104, which may need to be cleaned periodically. The baffle 206 is replaced periodically to maintain the substrate support surface. The baffle 206 can be made of the same material as the substrate support surface to maintain uniform thermal conditions in the processing area 140. Alternatively, the baffle 206 can be made of a material that prevents printing material from concentrating on its surface. In some cases, the baffle 206 can be provided with a chargeable or biasable surface to which a voltage can be applied to repel droplets of printing material.

[0037] Figure 3A 1 is a schematic plan view of a dual substrate inkjet printer 300 according to another embodiment. In this version, the substrate support has two unconnected substrate support surfaces 304A and 304B, so there are essentially two substrate supports that are extended across by a single printing support 112. Each substrate support surface 304 is sized to accommodate a substrate and support moving a substrate from a temporary storage area to a processing area. As described in other embodiments described herein, each substrate support surface 304 has a first temporary storage area 306 and a second temporary storage area 308, wherein there is a processing area 310 between the first temporary storage area 306 and the second temporary storage area 308. Each substrate support surface 304 has a longitudinal axis extending in a direction to transport a substrate from the first temporary storage area 306 to the processing area 310 and the second temporary storage area 308.

[0038] The two unconnected substrate support surfaces 304A and 304B may be two completely independent substrate supports, each with its own gas flow device, or the two unconnected substrate support surfaces 304A and 304B may be part of one substrate support, so the two surfaces 304A and 304B share the gas flow device. In this example, the gas flow duct 312 below the substrate support surfaces 304A and 304B is schematically shown to illustrate a single substrate support 304 with two unconnected support surfaces 304A and 304B. Such gas flow ducts use a single distribution system to distribute gas to the two unconnected support surfaces 304A and 304B. Flow control (not shown) can be used to independently adjust the flow to the two surfaces 304A and 304B.

[0039] In this example, the single print head assembly 202 is used to print on two substrates. Alternatively, two print head assemblies 122 may be used.

[0040] Figure 3B 3 is a schematic plan view of a dual substrate inkjet printer 350 according to another embodiment. The inkjet printer 350 is equipped to process two substrates in a lateral direction. Each of the substrate support surfaces 304A and 304B has two substrate holders 352, which are located on both sides of each substrate support surface 304A and 304B. The two opposing substrate holders 352 of one support surface can contact opposite sides of the substrate in a lateral direction and can be configured to move simultaneously under the control of a controller, wherein the controller is used to observe the position tolerance of the two substrate holders of one support surface. For the inkjet printer 350, the substrate holders 352 are the third substrate holder and the fourth substrate holder. The substrate is moved in a lateral direction by applying substantially equal forces to the two opposite sides of the substrate, thereby greatly reducing the vibration caused by the moment of inertia of the substrate. Although the inkjet printer 350 is more stable than other models, especially when working on lateral substrates, it still produces minimal vibration and unnecessary movement when the two substrates move in the same direction at the same time.

[0041] Each of the substrate holders 352 may be equipped with an internal pressure sensor disposed within an airflow channel coupling the substrate contact surface of each substrate holder to the vacuum or suction source to detect pressure changes in the airflow channel, thereby indicating when the substrate contact surface of the substrate holder 352 has successfully contacted the substrate. A controller (not shown) may be coupled to the internal pressure sensors of the substrate holders 352 and configured to begin processing and moving the substrate only after both substrate holders 352 for one substrate support surface 304A or 304B have contacted the substrate. In this way, premature movement of the substrate before contacting both substrate holders 352 may be prevented. It should be noted that other sensors may also be used to detect contact with the substrate. For example, a direct sensor (which may be a capacitive sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or an optical distance or interferometric sensor) may be disposed on the substrate contact surface of the substrate holder 352 to directly detect contact of the substrate with the substrate contact surface. In such cases, the direct sensor may be used alone to detect substrate contact, or the direct sensor may be used in conjunction with a flow sensor or other sensor to indicate that the vacuum or suction source is operating to apply suction to the substrate contact surface. Such a sensor system may also be used to detect and ensure complete disengagement of the substrate holder 352 during substrate retraction performed by a substrate handler.

[0042] Figure 4 4 is a schematic plan view of a processing system 400 according to one embodiment. The processing system 400 is an inkjet printing system using a dual substrate inkjet printer. This model has two dual substrate inkjet printing chambers 402, each coupled to a transfer chamber 404. Also coupled to the transfer chamber 404 are two processing chambers 406 for processing substrates after material is deposited in the dual substrate inkjet printing chambers 402. The processing chambers 406 can be either thermal processing chambers or radiation processing chambers.

[0043] The transfer chamber 404 uses a dual substrate robot 408 to transfer substrates in and out of the transfer chamber 404 and between the print chamber 402 and the process chamber 406. The robot 408 has two blades 410 that are configured to move synchronously. The two blades 410 are coupled to a rotating component 412, such as a turntable, which is in turn coupled to a linear motion component 414, represented here as a track system. In the case of using a track, the rotating component 412 can be coupled to the track by one or more carriages. The robot 408 rotates to position the blades 410 so as to interact with the print chamber 402, the process chamber 406, or other chambers coupled to the transfer chamber 404, as will be further described below.

[0044] In this example, the print chamber 402 and the process chamber 406 are coupled to the transfer chamber 404 along the long side of the transfer chamber 404, each print chamber 402 is positioned opposite the process chamber 406, and the two print chambers 402 are located on opposite sides of the transfer chamber 404. This configuration speeds up the overall processing by allowing the robot 408 to transfer the substrate from, for example, the print chamber 402 to the directly opposite process chamber 406 without linear motion. The robot 408 only retracts the blade 410 from the print chamber 402, rotates 180°, and extends the blade 410 into the directly opposite process chamber 406 to complete the substrate transfer. Avoiding linear motion during such a transfer process also reduces the chance of vibration caused by unbalanced linear motion of the substrate. In this example, the print chamber 402 can be, include, or accommodate a longitudinal printer such as the printers 100, 200, and 300.

[0045] Each printing chamber 402 has a housing 403 enclosing the printer so as to provide a controlled processing environment in which the printer operates. Each processing chamber 406 further has a housing 407 in which the processing equipment (e.g., radiation or thermal processing equipment) operates. The transfer chamber 404 further has a housing 405 in which the robot 408 operates. The housings 403, 405, and 407 are in direct contact and provide access between the printing chamber 402, transfer chamber 404, and processing chamber 406 by doors, gates, windows, or other movable or removable barriers (not shown) that provide openings through the housings of the various chambers to move substrates between the chambers 402, 404, and 406.

[0046] The printing chamber 402, the transfer chamber 404, and the processing chamber 406 constitute a processing portion 409 of the processing system 400. An input portion 413 is coupled to a first end 415 of the transfer chamber 404. An output portion 416 is coupled to a second end 418 of the transfer chamber 404 opposite the first end 415. The transfer chamber 404 is shown here as a rectangle, but any convenient form may be used.

[0047] The input section 413 includes an input load lock chamber 420 configured to receive one substrate. A substrate loader chamber 422 is coupled to the input load lock chamber 420 and has a substrate loader 424 configured with two blades 426 to process one or two substrates. A dual substrate interface chamber 428 is coupled between the substrate loader chamber 422 and the transfer chamber 404. The dual substrate interface chamber 428 has two substrate positions to provide two substrates to be processed by the robot 408 of the transfer chamber 404. The dual substrate interface chamber 428 may have one substrate support that can accommodate two substrates, or the dual substrate interface chamber 428 may have two substrate supports. One or more dual substrate buffer chambers 430 may be coupled to the substrate loader chamber 422 to provide idle time for overall flow optimization when needed. Here, the interface chamber 428 is arranged opposite the input load lock chamber 420 for a linear overall configuration, but other configurations may also be used. All chambers of the input section 413 except the input load lock chamber 420 are dual substrate chambers. The input load lock chamber 420 may be configured to rotate the substrate from the landscape orientation to the portrait orientation, such as by rotating the substrate holder of the input load lock chamber 420 , when the substrate is delivered to the processing system 400 in the landscape orientation.

[0048] The substrate is placed in the input load lock chamber 420 using any convenient means for processing in the system 400. If necessary, the substrate is rotated to a portrait orientation by the input load lock chamber 420 for processing. The input load lock chamber 420 is configured to have dimensions that enable the two blades 426 of the substrate loader 424 to be advanced into the input load lock chamber 420. The two blades 426 are advanced into the input load lock chamber 420 to retrieve the single substrate, and then the two blades 426 are withdrawn to bring the substrate into the substrate loading chamber 422.

[0049] The substrate may then be deposited into the buffer chamber 430, if a buffer chamber is used, or directly into the interface chamber 428. The interface chamber 428 may be configured to complete independent placement and retrieval of one substrate at a time, or only for serial placement and retrieval. In the case of only serial placement and retrieval, a buffer chamber 430 is provided to pair substrates so that they can be transferred to the interface chamber 428. The interface chamber 428 temporarily stores substrates to be retrieved by the robot 408 of the transfer chamber 404.

[0050] The substrate loader 424 is rotated to provide the substrate to the interface chamber 428 or the buffer chamber 430, and the blade 426 is advanced to the selected chamber. At least one of the interface chamber 428 and the buffer chamber 430 is configured to independently and side by side receive and temporarily store two substrates. Each of the interface chamber 428 and the buffer chamber 430, or both buffer chambers 430, has a substrate support equipped with a substrate elevator to provide a switching channel between the substrate support and the substrate loader 424. In the case where the substrate holder is configured to perform independent placement and retraction of two substrates positioned side by side, the substrate elevator is equipped with a linear distance to provide access to the chamber for the two blades 426 of the substrate loader 424 without interfering with the substrate on one of the substrate holders located in the chamber. In other words, in the case where one substrate elevator in the chamber is configured for substrate placement or retraction, the substrate elevator has an extended length that allows the two blades 426 to enter the chamber and move vertically to place or retract a substrate without interfering with another substrate in the chamber.

[0051] The buffer chamber 430 may be configured to prepare two substrates for processing (e.g., by bringing the two substrates to a target temperature). Each buffer chamber so configured may have one or more substrate sensors configured with each substrate holder to detect the presence of a substrate on the substrate holder. Such sensors may be used to delay activation of any thermal control features until two substrates are loaded into the chamber to ensure a uniform thermal history for the two substrates. Such sensors may be ultrasonic sensors, optical sensors, or capacitive sensors, or piezoelectric sensors when the substrates are in direct contact with a solid substrate support surface.

[0052] When the two substrates are temporarily stored in the interface chamber 428, the robot 408 can retrieve the two substrates and start processing the substrates. After processing, the robot 408 can retrieve the two substrates from either the printing chamber 402 or the processing chamber 406 and rotate to place the substrates in the output portion 416 of the processing system 400.

[0053] The output portion 416 includes a separation chamber 432 coupled to the transfer chamber 404, a substrate unloader chamber 434 coupled to the separation chamber 432, and an output load lock chamber 436 coupled to the substrate unloader chamber 434. It is noted that the separation chamber 432 is used in the case where substrates must be output one at a time from the processing system 400. If substrates are to be output in a row from the processing system 400, the separation chamber 432 may be a dual substrate load lock chamber, and the substrate unloader chamber 434 and the output load lock chamber 436 may be omitted.

[0054] It should be noted that any of the buffer chamber 430, the input load lock chamber 420, and the output load lock chamber 436 may have indexing capabilities. For example, any or all of such chambers may use a substrate support having multiple substrate positions distributed horizontally or vertically. A vertical indexer has a plurality of slots or brackets disposed in a vertical frame that can be driven vertically to provide access for an end effector to place and retrieve a substrate in a selected bracket. Each bracket may have a substrate support having a frame structure that may be interlaced with the structure of the end effector for substrate lifting and lowering of the substrate support and the end effector. The horizontal indexer may be a turntable indexer that rotates to facilitate access to the end effector.

[0055] Figure 4The chamber configuration shown in is an example of configuring such chambers in a processing system. The same overall layout of the processing system 400 can be achieved using slightly different configurations. For example, the interfaces between some chambers may have a certain angle to meet the space constraints. For example, when the printing chamber 402 needs to have an angle relative to the transfer chamber 404 to meet the spacing requirements, the robot 408 can be configured to interact with the printing chamber 402 at a certain angle. The same is true for the processing chamber 406. In some cases, the transfer chamber 404 may have a non-rectangular polygonal shape to accommodate the angled interface relative to the processing chamber. For example, when the processing system requires n interfaces (here, take 6 interfaces as an example), the transfer chamber can be configured as an n-gon. In such cases, the robot of the transfer chamber can be configured to reach the chamber connected to the transfer chamber by simple mechanical extension, or the robot can be coupled to a circular track to make it move in a circle around the transfer chamber. In such cases, the rotating component of the robot can be coupled to the circular track, or the rotating component may be omitted.

[0056] Figure 5 5 is a plan view of a processing system 500 according to another embodiment. The processing system 500 differs from the processing system 400 in the number of chambers used and the input-output format used. The processing system 500 has an input-output portion 502 coupled to a processing portion 504. The input / output portion 502 includes an input load lock chamber 506 and an output load lock chamber 508 coupled to a substrate I / O chamber 510. The processing system 500 is configured for dual substrate processing, so the input load lock chamber 506, the output load lock chamber 508 and the substrate I / O chamber 510 are all dual substrate chambers for processing two substrates side by side. The substrate I / O chamber 510 has a dual substrate robot 512, whose two blades 514 are coupled to a rotating assembly 516, which is in turn coupled to a linear motion member 518, which is a track system in this example. The robot 512 is housed in an enclosure 513 which, in this example, is in direct contact with the input load lock chamber 506 and the output load lock chamber 508 .

[0057] The input-output portion 502 also has a dual substrate interface chamber 520 configured with a rotating dual substrate support 522. The dual substrate support 522 may have a single substrate support surface that is sized to receive and hold two substrates side by side, or the dual substrate support 522 may have two separate substrate support surfaces. The dual substrate holder 522 is configured to rotate so that two substrates placed on the support 522 can be provided to the processing portion 504 in a desired orientation. For example, if the processing portion 504 processes substrates in a longitudinal direction and delivers the substrates to the input-output portion 502 in a transverse direction, the interface chamber 520 can rotate the substrates to the longitudinal direction for processing and then rotate the substrates back to the transverse direction for output.

[0058] Here, the processing section 504 uses a print chamber 524 and a process chamber 526 for processing substrates after and / or before printing. The print chamber 524 and the process chamber 526 are coupled to a transfer chamber 528, which is further coupled to the interface chamber 520 to couple the input-output section 502 and the processing section 504 together. Each of the print chamber 524 and the process chamber 526 is configured for dual substrate processing, and therefore, the print chamber 524 has any one of the printers 100-350 configured within a housing 530, and the housing 530 provides a controlled processing environment for the printer. Since the input-output section 502 has flexibility in terms of substrate orientation, the print chamber 524 can be configured to process longitudinal or transverse substrates. The processing chamber 526 may be configured to process substrates in the same orientation as the printing chamber 524, or if helpful, the processing chamber 526 may be configured to process substrates in a different orientation than the printing chamber 524 and the substrate interface chamber 520 may be used to change the orientation of the substrates.

[0059] The processing chamber 526 has a housing 532, and the transfer chamber 528 has a housing 534, so that the internal environment of each of the housings 530, 532, and 534 is controllable and can be the same or different. The housings 530 and 532 are in direct contact with the housing 534, and doors, windows or other suitable barriers that can be opened and closed provide passages between the housings 532 and 534 and between the housings 530 and 534. Here, the processing chamber 526 and the printing chamber 524 are located on opposite sides of the transfer chamber 528, but in other embodiments, the printing chamber 524 and the processing chamber 526 can be located on adjacent sides of the transfer chamber 528. It should be noted that a transfer chamber with more interfaces can also be used to provide stronger processing and / or processing capabilities.

[0060] The foregoing are examples of one or more inventions and other embodiments of such inventions not specifically described in this disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, which is determined by the following claims.

Claims

1. An inkjet printer, comprising: a substrate support; a print support extending across the substrate support and supporting a print head assembly for dispensing material onto a substrate supported on the substrate support; a first substrate holder located on a first side of the substrate support and adjacent a first substrate position of the substrate support for moving a first substrate along the substrate support; and A second substrate holder is located on a second side of the substrate support opposite the first substrate holder and adjacent a second substrate position of the substrate support for moving a second substrate along the substrate support.

2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein: The print head assembly is a first print head assembly and further includes a second print head assembly supported on the print support.

3. The inkjet printer according to claim 2 further includes a controller configured to control the first and second substrate holders and the first and second print head assemblies so as to simultaneously position two substrates on the substrate support for processing, and to move the first and second print head assemblies along the print support and distribute printing material onto the two substrates.

4. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, further comprising: A first printhead management station is located on the first side of the substrate support, and a second printhead management station is located on the second side of the substrate support.

5. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein: The print support includes a utility tray.

6. The inkjet printer according to claim 5, wherein: The printhead assembly is a first printhead assembly and further includes a second printhead assembly supported on the print support, a utility bundle is coupled to each of the first printhead assembly and the second printhead assembly, and each utility bundle is supported by the utility tray.

7. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate support has two unconnected substrate supporting surfaces.

8. The inkjet printer according to claim 7, wherein: The substrate supporting surface defines a gap and further includes a third substrate holder and a fourth substrate holder disposed within the gap.

9. The inkjet printer according to claim 8, wherein: Each substrate holder includes a substrate contact detector.

10. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, further comprising: An imaging device is movably coupled to the substrate support for capturing an image without interrupting movement of the printhead assembly.

11. An inkjet printer, comprising: a substrate support having a gas flotation system to provide a gas cushion, the substrate support including a process zone having suction openings to control the pressure of the gas cushion in the process zone, the suction openings being arranged in two groups defining a central gap in the process zone; a print support extending across the substrate support at the process zone and supporting a print head assembly for dispensing material onto a substrate supported on the substrate support in the process zone; a first substrate holder located on a first side of the substrate support and adjacent a first substrate position of the substrate support for moving a first substrate along the substrate support; and A second substrate holder is located on a second side of the substrate support opposite the first substrate holder and adjacent a second substrate position of the substrate support for moving a second substrate along the substrate support.

12. The inkjet printer according to claim 11, wherein: The print head assembly is a first print head assembly and further includes a second print head assembly supported on the print support.

13. The inkjet printer according to claim 12, further comprising: A controller configured to control the first and second substrate holders and the first and second print head assemblies so as to simultaneously position two substrates on the substrate support for processing and to move the first and second print head assemblies along the print support and dispense printing material onto the two substrates.

14. The inkjet printer according to claim 11, further comprising: A first printhead management station is located on the first side of the substrate support, and a second printhead management station is located on the second side of the substrate support.

15. The inkjet printer according to claim 11, further comprising: A partition is disposed in the gap.

16. The inkjet printer according to claim 11, wherein: The substrate support has two unconnected substrate supporting surfaces and further includes a third substrate holding frame and a fourth substrate holding frame disposed between the two substrate supporting surfaces.

17. The inkjet printer according to claim 16, wherein: The gas flotation system provides the air cushion to both support surfaces.

18. A processing system comprising: Processing part, including: Dual-substrate inkjet printing chamber; dual substrate processing chamber; and a dual substrate transfer chamber coupling the dual substrate inkjet printing chamber with the dual substrate processing chamber; and A dual substrate interface chamber is coupled to the processing section to provide two substrates in a side-by-side configuration for processing in the processing section.

19. The processing system according to claim 18, wherein: The dual substrate interface chamber is part of an input section having a load lock chamber for inputting a single substrate into the processing system.

20. The processing system of claim 19, wherein: The load lock chamber is an input chamber and further includes an output load lock chamber for outputting a single substrate from the processing system, wherein: the output section further includes a separation chamber coupled between the processing section and the output load lock chamber, the separation chamber having a movable substrate support that interacts with a substrate unloader for handling a single substrate.

21. The processing system of claim 18, wherein: The dual substrate interface chamber is part of an input-output section having a dual substrate input load lock chamber and a dual substrate output load lock chamber, and has a dual substrate I / O chamber for transferring substrates between the dual substrate interface chamber and the dual substrate input and output load lock chambers.

22. The processing system of claim 21, wherein: The dual substrate interface chamber has a rotatable substrate support.

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