Inkjet device, method for controlling inkjet device and method for manufacturing article

Abstract

The invention provides an inkjet apparatus, a method of controlling the inkjet apparatus, and a method of manufacturing an article. An ink jet apparatus, which is an aspect of the present invention, comprises: a substrate mounting table that holds a substrate; an ink jet unit that can be driven up and down and includes an ink jet head that jets ink onto the substrate held on the substrate mounting table; a carriage base that supports the ink jet unit and is provided with an opening through which the raised and lowered ink jet unit passes; and a maintenance unit disposed on the upper side with respect to the carriage base. Furthermore, in the inkjet device as one aspect of the present invention, the pressure of a first space above the opening in the inkjet device is lower than the pressure of a second space below the opening.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet device, a control method of the inkjet device and a method for manufacturing an article. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, when manufacturing various functional elements, attempts have been made to form patterns on substrates using an inkjet device (liquid supply device) that supplies (imparts) liquid that will become the material of the functional element as droplets onto the substrate by an inkjet method. Pattern formation using such an inkjet device has the following advantages: since it can be patterned on demand, the material usage efficiency is high; it is a non-vacuum process, so the manufacturing device becomes relatively small; and it can coat a large area at high speed. For example, the inkjet device can be used to manufacture display devices such as flat panel displays.

[0003] As a display device manufactured using an inkjet device, various display methods have been proposed. In recent years, there is the following method: using an inkjet device to generate a color conversion portion containing a quantum dot material on the upper part of a self-luminous portion generated by a vapor deposition method. There is also the following method, etc.: using an inkjet device to pattern a functional element on a thin film transistor (TFT) device to form a self-luminous element. Regarding the latter, as a self-luminous element, there are cases where organic EL materials are used and cases where quantum dot materials are used. It is recorded in Japanese Patent Gazette No. 2021-12815: In the manufacturing process of the display device, an organic EL element is produced by an inkjet method.

[0004] The inkjet device for patterning functional elements can include an inkjet head for ejecting ink, a patterned ejected medium (in most cases, a substrate), a mechanism for holding the ejected medium and scanning and conveying it, and a mechanism for maintaining the head. In Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-103764, by raising and lowering the head in the vertical direction, the head maintenance is performed at the position where the head is raised, thereby improving the space utilization rate in the upper direction of the device and seeking miniaturization of the device.

[0005] In addition, in recent years, the display has been developed to be highly refined, so the accuracy required for the position (landing position) where the ink droplets ejected from the head land on the substrate has become higher. As a result, it is believed that not only the accuracy of the ink jet head side such as the ink ejection angle, but also the position accuracy of the mechanism (substrate mounting table) that holds the substrate and positions it with the head has become stricter. In order to meet the strict requirements, there is a possibility that the mounting table device adopts air bearings as a guide method and position control adopts precise methods such as laser interferometers. In addition, in the case of manufacturing display elements such as organic EL displays by inkjet method, an appropriate amount is usually applied inside the partition wall called a bank that divides each pixel formed on the substrate. Since the size of the bank becomes smaller with the high precision, the total amount of liquid ejected also becomes smaller, so with the high precision, the size of the ejected ink droplets is also sought to be smaller.

[0006] In the device described in Japanese Patent Gazette No. 2003-103764, ink droplets ejected from the inkjet head and smaller ink droplets generated by separation of the main droplets (called mist) float in the device after being ejected for inspection purposes in the maintenance unit. Therefore, there is a possibility that they adhere to the air bearings in the device or the target reflector of the laser interferometer. When used for a long time in an environment where the ink adheres to the air bearings and reflectors, the adhesion of tiny ink droplets will hinder the drive of the stage, causing the accuracy to deteriorate or the device to stop. In addition, when the device is repeatedly used in an environment where tiny ink droplets continue to adhere to the stage device until the device stops, the device will be stopped for a long time in order to clean the precision parts of the stage and replace the parts, which may greatly damage the reliability of the device. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an exemplary object thereof is to provide an inkjet device having higher durability and reliability.

[0008] An inkjet device as one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the inkjet device comprises: a substrate stage that holds a substrate; an inkjet unit that can be driven to rise and fall and includes an inkjet head that sprays ink onto a substrate held on the substrate stage; a carriage base that supports the inkjet unit and is provided with an opening for the inkjet unit to pass through when being raised and lowered; and a maintenance unit that is arranged on the upper side relative to the carriage base, and the pressure of a first space that is above the opening is lower than the pressure of a second space that is below the opening.

[0009] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing a basic structural example of an inkjet device.

[0011] Figure 2 It is a schematic perspective view of a substrate on which a functional element is formed.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a diagram of the inkjet device when the inkjet head is in the ejection position as viewed from the X direction.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a diagram of the inkjet device when the inkjet head is in the ejection position as viewed from the Y direction.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a diagram of the inkjet device when the inkjet head is in the maintenance position as viewed from the X direction.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a diagram of the inkjet device when the inkjet head is in the maintenance position as viewed from the Y direction.

[0016] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B It is a diagram showing another configuration example of the carriage base and the stage base.

[0017] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing the operation sequence of the inkjet device according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an inkjet device according to a second embodiment.

[0019] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an inkjet device according to a third embodiment.

[0020] Fig.11A and Fig. 11B It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the switch unit according to the third embodiment.

[0021] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of an inkjet device according to a fourth embodiment.

[0022] Fig.13 This is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of an inkjet device according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the following embodiments do not limit the invention of the claims. In the embodiments, a plurality of features are described, but it is not limited to that all of these plurality of features are essential to the invention. In addition, a plurality of features can also be combined arbitrarily. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference figure numerals are marked for the same or similar structures, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0024] <Structure of inkjet device>

[0025] use Figure 1 The basic structure and operation principle of the inkjet device 100 (also referred to as a liquid supply device, a liquid ejection device, or an inkjet drawing device) will be described. Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram showing a basic structural example of an inkjet device 100. The inkjet device 100 is a device that supplies (imparts) a liquid that is a material of a functional element onto a substrate 200 to form a pattern, and functions as a substrate processing device that processes substrates such as display panels and semiconductors. For example, the inkjet device 100 can be used to manufacture display devices such as flat panel displays and organic light emitting diode (OLED) devices. In addition, the liquid supplied to the substrate 200 is used to form a pattern or a film on the substrate 200, and is sometimes referred to as ink. The composition of the liquid is not particularly limited, but for example, a liquid containing a solute and a solvent for forming an organic film can be used.

[0026] In the description and drawings, Figure 1 As shown, the direction is expressed in an XYZ coordinate system in which a surface parallel to the surface on which the substrate 200 is arranged is set as an XY plane. The inkjet device 100 includes a substrate mounting table 300 for holding and fixing the substrate 200 of the display panel. That is, the substrate mounting table 300 holds the substrate 200. The substrate 200 uses a substrate appropriately selected from a glass substrate or a plastic substrate, etc. according to the target product to be manufactured. The substrate 200 is typically a plate-shaped member, but as long as it can function as a base, there is no limitation on the form, for example, it can be a deformable film, or a circular substrate can be used.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of a substrate on which functional elements are formed. Since it is a schematic diagram, 7×5 functional elements 21 are illustrated. However, in reality, a very large number of functional elements can be formed. The substrate 200 is provided with a pixel area 23 for applying ink to form a large number of display pixels and an ejection evaluation area 22 in the substrate for experimentally ejecting ink in order to evaluate the state of the ink.

[0028] Back to Figure 1 The inkjet device 100 includes an inkjet head 501 (in Figure 3 The inkjet head 501 includes an inkjet unit 500 (shown in the figure), an ink supply system 6 for supplying ink to the inkjet head 501, and an ink cartridge 7 for storing ink. In addition, the inkjet head 501 includes a recovery unit 800 (shown in the figure) for performing a cleaning process on the ejection nozzle of the inkjet head 501 to restore the ejection characteristics. Figure 3 etc.), an inspection unit 900 for inspecting the ink ejection state (in Figure 3 In addition, in this specification, the restoration unit 800 and the inspection unit 900 are collectively referred to as a maintenance unit.

[0029] The inkjet head 501 ejects ink droplets 400 toward a predetermined position of the substrate 200. The inkjet heads 501 are arranged in the X direction and the Y direction, respectively, and by individually controlling the ejection of ink droplets of each inkjet head 501, it is possible to apply (eject) ink of a desired distribution to the pixel area 23 on the substrate 200. Each inkjet head 501 has an ejection surface opposite to the substrate 200 in the ejection process (drawing process) of ejecting liquid to the substrate 200, and ejects ink droplets 400 from a plurality of ejection holes (ejection nozzles) provided on the ejection surface. In the case of manufacturing a display element by inkjet method, a pixel area where ink is ejected is formed with a partition wall (called a dike) that divides each pixel area. The inkjet device 100 seeks to precisely position the ejection nozzles of the inkjet head 501 and the display element on the substrate so that the ink droplets do not exceed the outside of the dike. In addition, the inkjet device 100 also seeks to apply an appropriate amount so that the ink droplets do not overflow from the dike.

[0030] In a conventional inkjet device, a placement error occurs when a substrate is placed on a substrate stage. In addition, it is known that a shape strain is generated in the XY direction of the substrate due to the various manufacturing processes of the substrate. Therefore, the inkjet device 100 is provided with an alignment observer 11 for measuring the position of the substrate 200 and the strain of the substrate 200. In addition, since the substrate 200 has a thickness deviation during manufacturing, when the substrate stage 300 is scanned in the Y direction and the ink droplets 400 are ejected by the inkjet head 501, the landing position of the ink droplets on the substrate 200 is deviated due to the thickness deviation of the substrate 200. Therefore, a height sensor 10 is provided for measuring the position (height) of the substrate 200 in the Z direction.

[0031] In addition, the inkjet device 100 includes a control unit 12 as a control unit. The control unit 12 is composed of, for example, a computer having a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a storage unit such as a memory. The control unit 12 controls various parts of the inkjet device 100 such as the substrate mounting table 300 and the inkjet unit 500. The control unit 12 may also be composed of, for example, a programmable logic device (PLD) such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a general-purpose computer loaded with a program, or a combination of all or part of these devices.

[0032] <First embodiment>

[0033] Next, use Figure 3 to Figure 6 The detailed structure of the inkjet device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 3 This is a diagram of the inkjet device 1 when the inkjet head 501 is in the ejection position as viewed from the X direction. Figure 4 This is a diagram of the inkjet device 1 when the inkjet head 501 is in the ejection position as viewed from the Y direction. Figure 5 This is a diagram of the inkjet device 1 when the inkjet head 501 is in the maintenance position as viewed from the X direction. Figure 6 This is a diagram of the inkjet device 1 when the inkjet head 501 is in the maintenance position as viewed from the Y direction. The inkjet device 1 of this embodiment is, as an example, a device for manufacturing a high-definition display. The inkjet device 1 for manufacturing a high-definition display needs to position the ejection nozzle of the inkjet head 501 and the bank position on the substrate 200 mounted on the substrate stage 300 with high precision. Therefore, the substrate stage 300 is provided with an air bearing as a guide mechanism, and a laser interferometer 306 is provided for position measurement. Although not shown in the figure, as an example, a linear motor is used as an actuator of the substrate stage 300. An air bearing guide 302 is provided on the stage base 101, and an air bearing pad 301 and a direct-acting air bearing are formed to be installed at the lower part of the substrate stage 300, so that the substrate stage 300 slides (drives) on the stage base 101. Here, only the Y axis is described, but the X axis can also use an air bearing as needed.

[0034] A substrate chuck base 307 is provided on the upper part of the substrate stage 300, and a substrate chuck 304 for adsorbing and fixing the substrate 200 and an interferometer mirror 305 are provided on the substrate chuck base 307. The interferometer stage 303 is fixed relative to the carriage base 104, and a laser interferometer 306 is provided on the interferometer stage 303, and the stage position is measured by irradiating a laser to the interferometer mirror 305. The substrate stage 300 is a stage having at least two axes of XY, but may have three axes of XYZ and three axes of rotation (not shown in the figure except the Y axis).

[0035] The inkjet unit 500 that ejects ink droplets onto the substrate 200 is located at the center of the inkjet device 1 and on the upper side (+Z side) of the substrate mounting table 300. The inkjet unit 500 includes a carriage 502, a carriage guide base 503, a carriage guide rail 505, a carriage guide nut 504, and an inkjet head 501. The inkjet head 501 is guided at both ends by a carriage guide and driven in the up-and-down direction (lifting direction) of the Z axis by an actuator unit (not shown). The inkjet unit 500 ejects ink onto the substrate 200 held on the substrate mounting table 300. In addition, here, the carriage guide includes a carriage guide rail 505 and a carriage guide nut 504. In addition, the actuator unit includes a ball screw and a motor.

[0036] The lowermost position of the inkjet head 501 in the processing space of the inkjet device 1 is a discharge position for discharging ink onto the substrate 200. The uppermost position of the inkjet head 501 in the processing space of the inkjet device 1 is a maintenance position for processing the inkjet head 501 using the inspection unit 900 and the recovery unit 800. The carriage guide base 503 is provided on the carriage base 104, and is configured to pass through the opening 120 provided on the carriage base 104 when the inkjet unit 500 is moved up and down between the discharge position and the maintenance position. That is, the carriage base 104 supports the inkjet unit 500 and has the opening 120 through which the inkjet unit 500 passes. The space above the carriage base 104 is a maintenance space 1400 (first space) for performing maintenance processing on the inkjet head 501 using the inspection unit 900 and the recovery unit 800. On the other hand, the space below the carriage base 104 with the carriage base 104 as the boundary is a drawing space 1300 (second space) for the inkjet head 501 to perform drawing processing on the substrate 200. The recovery unit 800 and the inspection unit 900 are arranged in the maintenance space 1400, and the substrate stage 300 is arranged in the drawing space 1300. In this specification, the processing space is a concept that includes the drawing space 1300 and the maintenance space 1400.

[0037] The position (discharging position) at which ink is ejected onto the substrate 200 is set to provide a predetermined gap with respect to the substrate 200, but can be adjusted using the Z axis of the inkjet unit 500 or the Z axis of the substrate stage 300, or both. Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the inkjet device 1 is shown in a state where the inkjet unit 500 is in the ejection position. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The inkjet unit 500 is shown to move from the ejection position to the upper maintenance position, and the recovery unit 800 or the inspection unit 900 enters the lower part of the inkjet head 501. The recovery unit 800 or the inspection unit 900 enters the lower part of the inkjet head 501, so that the maintenance process is performed by the recovery unit 800 or the inspection unit 900.

[0038] exist Figure 3 to Figure 6 In the example, there are three types of inkjet heads 501 in the Y direction and the size in the X direction is the same as the width of the substrate. However, the type of inkjet head to be mounted and the width in the X direction are arbitrary. For example, if the width of the inkjet head is smaller than the width of the substrate, the inkjet head can be sprayed onto the entire surface of the substrate by scanning and spraying multiple times in the Y direction while the substrate mounting table 300 steps in the X direction.

[0039] Next, the maintenance unit will be described. The recovery unit 800 and the inspection unit 900 are both mounted (set) on the carriage base 104. The recovery unit 800 is arranged on one side of the maintenance space 1400. The recovery unit 800 includes a recovery unit base 801 that holds the entire recovery unit, a drive guide 802, and a recovery unit 803. The drive guide 802 is a guide for driving the recovery unit 800, and can include a guide rail and a nut.

[0040] The inspection unit 900 is disposed on the other side of the maintenance space 1400 relative to the recovery unit 800. When the inkjet head 501 is in the maintenance position, the inspection unit 900 moves to the lower side of the inkjet head 501 and performs various inspections using the inspection unit 903. The inspection unit 900 has an inspection unit base 901, a guide rail as a driving guide 902, and a nut, similarly to the recovery unit 800.

[0041] The recovery unit 803 may be, for example, a method in which a member of a thin plate-like material such as rubber is brought into physical contact with the surface (ejection surface) of the inkjet head 501 and scanned, thereby performing a physical wiping action to remove dirt from the ejection surface. In addition, as a physical wiping, a method of using a wiper having a roller shape or a method of scanning a cloth-like wiper such as a non-woven fabric to perform physical wiping may also be used. Alternatively, a method of performing a wiping action to suck out dirt from the ejection surface of the inkjet head 501 in a non-contact manner by scanning a suction nozzle close to the ejection surface of the inkjet head 501 may also be used. Alternatively, a method of performing non-contact wiping by scanning while blowing compressed air from a tiny slit to the ejection surface of the inkjet head 501 may also be used. Alternatively, a method of forcibly sucking out the ink inside the nozzle by various suction methods may also be used. In addition, in order to remove dirt from the ejection surface of the inkjet head 501, there is also a case where a chemical solution is used as an auxiliary. In this case, the recovery unit 803 may also be a method of physically wiping by allowing the chemical solution to penetrate into non-woven fabrics, porous wiping materials, etc. Alternatively, the recovery unit 803 may be a method of blowing the chemical solution using a sprayer, etc. Alternatively, the recovery unit 803 may be a method of imparting the chemical solution using a slit nozzle, etc. As the processing performed by the recovery unit 803, there are various processing such as combining multiple of the above-mentioned wiping methods and chemical solution imparting methods. In the operation of the recovery unit 803 during the recovery processing, there is a possibility that ink, cleaning chemical solution will fly, floating tiny droplets such as mist will be generated, and ink and chemical solution attached to the equipment will drip onto the lower part of the device, which may cause contamination inside the device.

[0042] The inspection unit 903 may be, for example, a flying droplet observation device that measures the speed and volume of ink droplets ejected from the inkjet head 501. Alternatively, the inspection unit 903 may be a microscope that observes the dirt generated by ink on the ejection surface of the inkjet head 501 from a macroscopic or microscopic perspective. Alternatively, the inspection unit 903 may be a mass measuring instrument that measures the total volume of ejected ink by total weight. Alternatively, the inspection unit 903 may be a detection mechanism that detects non-ejection of each nozzle. When the inspection unit 903 is used, there is a possibility that tiny droplets such as mist may float in the instrument.

[0043] The inkjet unit 500 is driven by the carriage 502 to travel between the drawing space 1300 and the maintenance space 1400 (moved or raised and lowered). In the maintenance space 1400, it is easy to cause internal contamination of the device such as ink mist, ink, scattered objects of cleaning chemical solution, ink attached to the unit, and dripping of chemical solution, which may cause contamination in the device as mentioned above. If such internal contamination occurs, the risk of contamination of the substrate stage 300 located at the lower part of the device increases. The substrate stage 300 has an interferometer mirror 305, an air bearing guide 302, a substrate chuck 304 for adsorbing the substrate, etc., which are used to ensure high positioning accuracy. In the case where one or more of these components are contaminated by ink mist, ink, dripping of cleaning chemical solution, etc., there is a possibility of causing a malfunction that stops the device. For example, if the interferometer mirror 305 is contaminated and the surface reflectivity is not restored or the reflective film is damaged, it cannot be restored by wiping or other measures. In such a case, the component itself needs to be replaced, and it may take a long time to restore. Therefore, the response to the above-mentioned contamination has a significant impact on the reliability and durability of the device.

[0044] In order to ensure the accuracy of the inkjet device 1, a gas (controlled gas) whose temperature is controlled by an air conditioner (not shown) flows into the device. In addition, in order to prevent particles (foreign matter) from adhering to the substrate 200, the temperature-controlled gas flows into the device in a state where particles are removed by filters such as a high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) and an ultra-low penetration air filter (ULPA). The inkjet device 1 includes a housing (cavity 102) covering the entire device, a blowout port 109, a blowout port 108, a suction port 110, and a suction port 106. The flow of air is generated in the device by balancing the blowout flow rate and the suction flow rate of the blowout ports 109, 108 and the suction ports 110, 106, and the blowout / suction flow rate from the external air connection port. This also generates a pressure difference.

[0045] Here, the opening 105 provided in the cavity 102 is an opening for conveying the substrate 200 to the substrate stage 300 by using a robot (not shown), but can be one of the external air connection ports. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which a blow-out port 109 is provided on the back side (+Y direction) of the laser interferometer 306 which is important for ensuring the accuracy of the stage, and a suction port 110 is provided in the direction (-Y direction) of the laser emitting laser of the laser interferometer 306. In this structure, in order to ensure the accuracy of the laser interferometer 306, a flow of air is generated in the drawing space 1300 from the +Y direction to the -Y direction. In addition, since there is a blow-out port 108 at the upper part of the cavity 102, a downward flow is formed in the entire cavity, which suppresses the inflow of particles into the processing space.

[0046] The inkjet device 1 includes an inkjet unit 500, a recovery unit 800, and a shielding portion 107 (cover) when located in the maintenance space, starting from the carriage base 104. The shielding portion 107 is configured to cover the entire inspection unit 900, that is, the entire maintenance space. That is, in the present embodiment, the maintenance space 1400 is a space surrounded by the carriage base 104 and the shielding portion 107. The shielding portion 107 is an enclosing member that surrounds the maintenance space 1400 together with the carriage base 104. A suction port 106 is formed on the upper part of the shielding portion 107, in other words, on the upper side of the inkjet unit 500 in the maintenance position. The suction port 106 is arranged on the upper part of the maintenance space 1400, and sucks in the gas in the maintenance space 1400. As a result, an airflow from the drawing space 1300 toward the maintenance space 1400 through the opening portion 120 of the carriage base 104 is generated. At this time, the maintenance space 1400 becomes a negative pressure relative to the drawing space 1300. This flow is a flow that washes away fine droplets (polluting factors) such as mist generated in the maintenance space 1400 toward the upper part of the device, thereby reducing the risk of mist floating in the drawing space 1300 and contaminating the main components such as the substrate mounting table 300.

[0047] In addition, since the recovery unit base 801 itself has a size that blocks the opening 120 of the carriage base 104, the recovery unit base 801 itself acts as a cover for the scattering and dripping of ink and cleaning chemical solutions, thereby reducing the risk of contamination, which is preferred. The same applies to the inspection unit base 901. In other words, it is preferred that the size (area) of the recovery unit base 801 and the inspection unit base 901, which are bases of the maintenance unit, is larger than the size (area) of the opening 120. By moving the recovery unit base 801 or the inspection unit base 901 to a position overlapping with the opening 120, the opening 120 can be covered, thereby reducing the risk of contamination such as the scattering and dripping of ink and cleaning chemical solutions.

[0048] In addition, in this embodiment, the carriage base 104 is described as an integral structure, but even if Fig. 7A The same effect can be obtained by a split structure as shown. Fig. 7A and Figure 7B It is a diagram showing another configuration example of the carriage base 104 and the stage base 101 . Fig. 7A 1 is a diagram showing another structural example of the carriage base 104. Fig. 7A As shown, the carriage base 104 may be formed by combining a first member 122 having a first notch 121 and a second member 124 having a second notch 123 . In this case, the opening 120 is formed by the first notch 121 and the second notch 123 .

[0049] In addition, the mounting table base 101 can also be composed of a split structure. Figure 7B Provide explanation. Figure 7B 1 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the stage base 101. For example, the stage base 101 may be similarly formed by combining the first base member 141, the second base member 142, and the third base member 143. This is an example of a split structure, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0050] Next, use Figure 8 The operation sequence of the inkjet device 1 will be described. Figure 8 1 is a flowchart showing the operation sequence of the inkjet device 1 according to the first embodiment. Each operation (step) shown in the flowchart can be executed under the control of the control unit 12 .

[0051] First, in S11, the control unit 12 adjusts the blowing flow rate or the suction flow rate of each blowing outlet and each suction port so that the maintenance space 1400 becomes a negative pressure relative to the drawing space 1300. The blowing outlets mentioned here refer to the blowing outlet 109 and the blowing outlet 108. And, each suction port refers to the suction port 110 and the suction port 106. Specifically, for example, the pressure of the drawing space 1300 and the maintenance space 1400 is measured in advance. Then, based on the measurement results, the parameters of the blowing flow rate or the suction flow rate of each of the blowing outlets 109, 108 and the suction ports 110, 106 are determined so that the maintenance space 1400 becomes a negative pressure relative to the drawing space 1300.

[0052] In S12, the control unit 12 feeds the substrate 200 onto the substrate mounting table 300 by controlling the conveying device (not shown) to hold the substrate 200 on the substrate mounting table 300. When the substrate 200 is fed into the inkjet device 1, in S13, the control unit 12 determines whether to perform a maintenance determination. For example, it is preferred that a maintenance determination is performed when the first substrate 200 of the batch is subjected to a drawing process. In addition, it may be determined that a maintenance determination is performed when a predetermined number of drawing processes have been performed or the device has been running for a predetermined time. In addition, here, the maintenance determination is a concept that includes the nozzle recovery determination and nozzle check described later. When the maintenance determination is not performed (No), the process is advanced to S17, and when the maintenance determination is performed (Yes), the process is advanced to S14. In addition, the maintenance determination is a concept that includes the nozzle recovery determination and nozzle check described later.

[0053] In S14, the control unit 12 uses the inspection unit 900 to determine whether the ejection nozzles of the inkjet head 501 need to be restored, that is, to determine whether the ejection nozzles need to be restored (nozzle restoration determination). Here, if the ejection nozzle restoration process is not required (good), the process is advanced to S17, and if the ejection nozzle restoration process is required (bad), the process is advanced to S15. In S15, the inkjet head 501 is restored using the recovery unit 800. In S16, the ejection nozzles of the inkjet head 501 are inspected (nozzle inspection) using the inspection unit 900. Specifically, the control unit 12 uses the inspection unit 900 to determine whether the ejection nozzles of the inkjet head 501 have been restored. Here, if the ejection nozzles have not been restored (bad), the process is returned to S15, and if the ejection nozzles have been restored (good), the process is advanced to S17.

[0054] In S17, the control unit 12 performs alignment (positioning) of the substrate 200. Specifically, the control unit 12 moves the substrate stage 300 so that the alignment mark of the substrate 200 is arranged below the alignment observer 11. Moreover, based on the image obtained by causing the alignment observer 11 to photograph the alignment mark, the position of the alignment mark is measured. For example, the measurement is performed for each of the plurality of alignment marks provided on the substrate 200. Then, based on the measurement results of the positions of the plurality of alignment marks, the control unit 12 drives the substrate 200 along the XY direction and the θZ direction using the substrate stage 300 so that the substrate 200 is in the target position and the target posture. Thus, the substrate 200 can be aligned.

[0055] In S18, the control unit 12 adjusts the height (position in the Z direction) of the substrate 200 using the substrate stage 300. Specifically, the control unit 12 moves the substrate stage 300 so that the substrate 200 (e.g., the center of the substrate 200) is disposed below the height sensor 10, and the height sensor 10 detects the surface height of the substrate 200. Then, based on the detection result of the height sensor 10, the control unit 12 adjusts the height of the substrate 200 using the substrate stage 300 so that the interval between the substrate 200 and the inkjet head 501 becomes the target interval.

[0056] In addition, the order of the alignment measurement ( S17 ) and the substrate height measurement ( S18 ) may be reversed. Information related to the measured position, strain amount, and height of the substrate 200 is stored in the control unit 12 .

[0057] In S19, the control unit 12 performs drawing processing. Specifically, the control unit 12 obtains ejection control information based on the pixel data including information such as the pixel arrangement and pixel size formed on the substrate. The ejection control information includes information indicating the pixel area 23 on the substrate 200 (in Figure 2 ), the ejection evaluation area 22 in the substrate (in Figure 2 ), the ejection evaluation area 30 outside the substrate (in Figure 1 The control unit 12 controls the ejection of ink droplets using the inkjet head 501 based on the target application distribution while synchronously driving the inkjet head 501 and the substrate mounting table 300, thereby performing a drawing process. That is, the drawing process can be referred to as an ejection process.

[0058] In S20, the control unit 12 determines whether the ejection for the target coating profile is completed and whether the drawing process is completed based on the ejection control information. If the drawing process is not completed (No), the process returns to S19, and if the drawing process is completed (Yes), the process advances to S21. Then, in S21, the control unit 12 sends the substrate 200 from the substrate mounting table 300 by controlling the conveying device (not shown).

[0059] In S22, the control unit 12 determines whether there is an unprocessed substrate 200. If there is an unprocessed substrate 200 (Yes), the process returns to S12. On the other hand, if there is no unprocessed substrate 200 (No), the process ends.

[0060] In addition, here, the example of performing the nozzle recovery determination (S14) and the nozzle recovery process (S15) immediately after the substrate is fed (S12) is described, but the nozzle recovery determination and the nozzle recovery process can be performed before the drawing process (S19). For example, they can also be performed immediately before the drawing process (S19).

[0061] In this description, the substrate stage 300 is driven, but the substrate stage 300 may be fixed and the inkjet head 501, the alignment viewer 11, etc. may be driven in the XY plane. Alternatively, the substrate stage 300, the inkjet head 501, the alignment viewer 11, etc. may be driven separately.

[0062] As long as the maintenance space 1400 is relatively negative pressure relative to the drawing space 1300, it is not limited to the above process. For example, a measuring device for measuring the pressure of the drawing space 1300 and the maintenance space 1400 may be provided in each space. Moreover, the blowing flow rate or the suction flow rate of each of the blowing outlets 109, 108 and the suction ports 110, 106 may be actively controlled based on the result of the measuring device.

[0063] In addition, as described above, the inside of the device is easily contaminated during maintenance processing, that is, nozzle recovery processing and nozzle inspection processing. Therefore, during maintenance processing, the blowing flow rate or suction flow rate of the blowing ports 109, 108 and the suction ports 110, 106 can be controlled so that the pressure of the maintenance space 1400 becomes lower. Specifically, during the maintenance processing, that is, Figure 8 In S14 to S16, the suction flow rate of the suction port 106 disposed in the maintenance space 1400 is controlled to be greater than that in the drawing process (S19). Thus, the pressure of the maintenance space 1400 can be lowered during the maintenance process.

[0064] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce contamination of the mounting table caused by minute ink droplets or the like generated during maintenance processing.

[0065] <Second embodiment>

[0066] Next, based on Fig. 9 An inkjet device 2 according to a second embodiment will be described. Fig. 91 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the inkjet device 2 of the second embodiment. In the first embodiment, an example in which a shielding portion 107 covering the entire maintenance space 1400 is provided and a suction port 106 is provided on the upper portion of the shielding portion 107 is described. According to the configuration of the first embodiment, suction of gas from the drawing space 1300 to the maintenance space 1400 occurs, and as a result, the maintenance space 1400 becomes relatively negative pressure. On the other hand, the inkjet device 2 of the second embodiment has a blowout port 112 and a suction port 113 in the cavity 102. The blowout port 112 blows gas into the maintenance space 1400, and the suction port 113 sucks gas in the maintenance space 1400. In the inkjet device 2, the shielding portion 107 covering the entire maintenance space 1400 is not provided, and in the maintenance space 1400, the blowout port 112 is provided in the +Y direction, and the suction port 113 is provided in the -Y direction, so that a flow from the +Y direction to the -Y direction is formed. That is, in the present embodiment, the maintenance space 1400 is a space surrounded by the carriage base 104 and the cavity 102. The cavity 102 is an enclosure member that surrounds the maintenance space 1400 together with the carriage base 104.

[0067] A pressure difference is generated at each location in accordance with the balance of the air volume of each of the blowing outlets 109, 112 and the suction ports 110, 113. For example, by making the flow rate of the blowing outlet 109 excessive relative to the flow rate of the suction port 110, and making the suction flow rate of the suction port 113 excessive relative to the flow rate of the blowing outlet 112, a flow from the blowing outlet 109 to the suction port 113 is generated. As a result, in the second embodiment, the maintenance space 1400 also becomes a negative pressure relative to the drawing space 1300. That is, the control unit 12 controls the blowing / suction flow rate of the blowing outlets 109, 112 and the suction ports 110, 113 so that the pressure of the maintenance space 1400 is lower than that of the drawing space 1300. Moreover, the flow of the airflow generated by this control reduces the risk of the pollutants scattering from the maintenance space 1400 to the drawing space 1300.

[0068] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce contamination of the mounting table caused by minute ink droplets or the like generated during maintenance processing.

[0069] <Third embodiment>

[0070] Next, based on Fig.10 An inkjet device 3 according to a third embodiment will be described. Fig.10 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an inkjet device 3 according to a third embodiment. In the third embodiment, compared to the first embodiment, a shutter unit 510 is formed to close the opening 120 of the carriage base 104. That is, the inkjet device 3 according to the third embodiment includes a shutter unit 510 for covering the opening 120.

[0071] The shutter unit 510 includes a shutter plate 511 (shutter), a shutter guide 512, and a shutter actuator (not shown). The shutter actuator includes, for example, a ball screw and a cylinder. When the inkjet unit 500 moves to the maintenance space 1400, the control unit 12 drives the shutter plate 511. Specifically, the shutter plate 511 can be driven between a closed position (first position) for closing the opening 120 and an open position (second position) for opening the opening 120. When the inkjet unit 500 moves to the maintenance space 1400, the control unit 12 moves the shutter plate 511 to the closed position. Thus, the shutter plate 511 plays a role in blocking (covering) the opening 120 of the carriage base 104.

[0072] Fig.11A and Fig. 11B 1 is a diagram for explaining the function of the shutter unit 510 of the third embodiment. In addition, the inkjet device 3 further includes an airflow adjustment member 520 at the lower part of the carriage base 104 and near the opening 120, and the airflow adjustment member 520 adjusts the airflow passing through the opening 120. The airflow adjustment member 520 can also be said to be an opening restriction member that restricts the opening. The shutter plate 511 acts as a shield against the scattering and dripping of ink and cleaning chemical solution from the maintenance space 1400, so it is more effective in reducing the contamination of the substrate mounting table 300. In addition, in the first embodiment, when the inkjet unit 500 is in the drawing space 1300, the opening 120 of the carriage base 104 is narrowed by the inkjet unit 500, and a flow is generated in the gap between the opening 120 and the inkjet unit 500. Fig.11A 1 is a diagram showing a state where the inkjet unit 500 is in the drawing space 1300. In contrast, when the inkjet unit 500 is in the maintenance position, the entire opening 120 becomes a flow path. Therefore, depending on the position of the inkjet unit 500, the conductivity of the fluid in the opening 120 of the carriage base 104 changes, and the pressure loss, flow rate, and flow velocity at the opening 120 change.

[0073] Furthermore, as the conductivity changes, the balance of pressure and flow rate in the entire device changes, which may adversely affect the air conditioning control of the entire device.

[0074] In the first embodiment, the size of the recovery unit base 801 and the inspection unit base 901 is made larger than the size of the opening 120 of the carriage base 104. Thus, the shutter plate 511 of the present embodiment can protect the substrate mounting table 300 from the scattering and dripping of ink and cleaning chemical solution. However, when the recovery unit base 801 and the inspection unit base 901 are made to cover the entire surface of the opening 120, there is a possibility that the conductivity becomes too small. Even in such a case, by making the shutter unit 510 function as a cover, the size of the recovery unit base 801 and the inspection unit base 901 can be made flexible.

[0075] Fig. 11B 1400 is a diagram for explaining the driving of the shutter unit 510 when the inkjet unit 500 is in the maintenance space 1400. The figure shows a state where the shutter plate 511 is in the closed position. As shown in the figure, even when the inkjet unit 500 is in the maintenance space 1400, the conductivity from the drawing space 1300 to the maintenance space 1400 can be adjusted by using the shutter plate 511 and the airflow adjustment member 520. Fig.11A The fluid conductivity formed by the airflow adjustment member 520 and the inkjet unit 500 shown in FIG. Fig. 11B The fluid conductivity formed by the airflow adjustment member 520 and the shutter plate 511 shown is designed to be substantially the same. Specifically, the shutter plate 511 and the airflow adjustment member 520 are configured and sized in such a manner that the interval between the airflow adjustment member 520 and the shutter plate 511 when the shutter plate 511 is in the closed position and the interval between the inkjet unit 500 and the airflow adjustment member 520 when the shutter plate 511 is in the open position are substantially the same. In addition, in the case where the size and configuration of the inkjet unit 500 can be flexibly changed, the size and configuration of the inkjet unit 500 can also be determined in such a manner that the aforementioned intervals are substantially the same. As a result, the amount of gas flowing from the drawing space 1300 to the maintenance space 1400 when the inkjet head 501 is in the drawing position and in the maintenance position is substantially the same. Moreover, a constant air volume flows regardless of the position of the inkjet head 501. Therefore, a stable effect of reducing the floating of pollutants such as mist can be expected.

[0076] In addition, in this case, it is preferred that the conductivity achieved by the recovery unit base 801 and the inspection unit base 901 is set to be sufficiently larger than the conductivity achieved by the shutter plate 511 and the airflow adjustment member 520, and the conductivity formed by the inkjet unit 500 and the airflow adjustment member 520. Roughly speaking, as long as the opening area is the same, the magnitude of the fluid conductivity can be considered to be roughly the same. However, in detail, it is preferred to use simulation software such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to calculate the conductivity that takes into account the influence of the structure in detail. In addition, it is also possible that by reducing the conductivity, the flow velocity at the gap increases, and the effect of pushing back the mist also becomes greater. Preferably, the conductivity of the airflow adjustment member 520 is determined in view of the overall balance of the device such as the pressure loss at the opening 120 and the suction / blowing flow rate.

[0077] In addition, Fig.11A and Fig. 11B In the figure, the airflow adjustment member 520 is fixed to the carriage base 104, but a punching metal, a slit structure, etc. may also be used. Alternatively, the conductivity can be adjusted by using a variable structure or a double punching metal / slit structure, which is more preferable.

[0078] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce contamination of the mounting table caused by minute ink droplets generated during maintenance processing while allowing flexibility in the sizes of the recovery unit base 801 and the inspection unit base 901 .

[0079] <Fourth embodiment>

[0080] use Fig.12 An inkjet device 4 according to a fourth embodiment will be described. Fig.12 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the inkjet device 4 according to the fourth embodiment. In the inkjet device 4, a blow-out port 114 is provided at the back (-Y direction) of the inspection unit 900, and a suction port 115 is provided at the back (+Y direction) of the recovery unit 800, inside the shielding portion 107. That is, the inkjet device 4 has the blow-out port 114 on the inspection unit 900 side of the maintenance space 1400, and has the suction port 115 on the recovery unit 800 side.

[0081] The space inside the shielding portion 107 becomes a space where ink and cleaning fluid are used in the recovery process, inspection process, etc., but in addition to ink mist, there is also local retention of evaporated organic solvents, etc., and there is a risk of increased solvent concentration. Although it also depends on the type of solvent, there are cases where a closed space with an increased organic solvent concentration requires safety considerations such as explosion-proof measures. Therefore, it is preferred to form a roughly horizontal flow of air from one side of the inside of the shielding portion 107 to the other side. It is generally believed that compared with the inspection unit 900, the recovery unit 800 uses cleaning fluid, etc., and therefore becomes a unit that generates severe pollution. In addition, when the inspection unit 900 is contaminated by ink mist, etc., there is a possibility that the function will be hindered, so the method of setting the inspection unit to the upstream side and the recovery unit to the downstream side is preferred in terms of considering the contamination of the entire device.

[0082] Therefore, the control unit 12 adjusts the blowing flow rate or the suction flow rate of each of the suction ports 106, 110, 115 and the blowing ports 109, 114 so that the maintenance space 1400 has a negative pressure relative to the drawing space 1300. Furthermore, the blowing flow rate or the suction flow rate is adjusted so that a substantially horizontal flow of air from one side to the other side of the shielding portion 107 is formed.

[0083] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce contamination of the mounting table caused by minute ink droplets generated during maintenance while taking safety considerations into account for the space inside the shielding portion 107 .

[0084] <Fifth embodiment>

[0085] use Fig.13 An inkjet device 5 according to a fifth embodiment will be described. Fig.13 1 is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of the inkjet device 5 according to the fifth embodiment. The inkjet device 5 has a structure in which the drawing space 1300 and the maintenance space 1400 are sealed. In other words, the drawing space 1300 and the maintenance space 1400 of the inkjet device 5 are closed spaces (enclosed spaces). The maintenance space 1400 has a structure in which the shielding portion 107 and the carriage base 104 are closed. The drawing space 1300 has a structure in which the carriage base 104, the stage base 101, and the column 111 (in the drawing space 1300 and the maintenance space 1400) are closed. Figure 4 and Figure 6 ), the front panel 131 and the rear panel 132 are closed. In the above description, a sealed structure is obtained by using multiple components, but a closed structure can also be obtained by using appropriately integrated components.

[0086] The blow-out port 109 and the suction port 110 are present inside the closed structure 700 (here, the drawing space 1300). By performing air conditioning control on the closed structure 700 and the inside thereof, it is beneficial to ensure the purity of the gas, for example, when the type of gas inside the structure 700 is nitrogen, dry air, etc. The blow-out port 109 and the suction port 110 are connected to an air conditioner not shown. Moreover, after the purity control and temperature control of the control gas are performed, the gas is circulated and introduced into the sealed structure 700 of the inkjet device 5. In addition, the space for the control gas to flow is only inside the structure 700, which is also beneficial to reduce the gas flow required for the circulation. Moreover, for example, when the controlled gas is nitrogen, the cavity 102 also functions as a safety measure in the event of leakage. By having the blow-out port 108 and the suction port 116 inside the cavity 102, an airflow flowing from top to bottom can be formed inside the cavity 102, limiting the inflow of particles into the processing space.

[0087] The sealed structure 700 has a gate valve 130 on the front panel 131. When the substrate 200 is fed to the inkjet device 5, the gate valve 130 is opened, and the substrate 200 is placed on the substrate chuck 304 by a substrate feeding robot (not shown). Although the connection between the sealed structure 700 and the substrate feeding robot is not shown, in order to maintain the environment during substrate transportation, the gate valve 130 is used to connect the devices and keep the substrate exposed to the control gas.

[0088] In the present embodiment, the control unit 12 also adjusts the configuration of the blowing outlet and the suction port inside the sealed structure 700 and the balance of the flow rate. Specifically, the control unit 12 adjusts the blowing flow rate or the suction flow rate of each of the suction ports 106, 110, 115 and the blowing outlets 109, 114 so that the maintenance space 1400 becomes a negative pressure relative to the drawing space 1300. Thus, a structure that generates a flow from the drawing space 1300 to the maintenance space 1400 can be obtained, and the risk of the scattering of pollutants can be reduced. In addition, here, as an example, the configuration of the blowing outlet and the suction port of the fourth embodiment is adopted, but it can also be applied to other embodiments.

[0089] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce contamination of the mounting table caused by minute ink droplets generated during maintenance while ensuring the purity of the gas inside the structure 700 .

[0090] <Embodiment of the method for producing an article>

[0091] The article manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as panels for displays such as organic EL, micro devices such as semiconductor devices, and components with fine structures. The article manufacturing method of the present embodiment includes a supply process of supplying liquid to a substrate using the above-mentioned liquid supply device (liquid supply method), a processing process of processing the substrate supplied with liquid in the supply process, and a process of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing process. In addition, the article manufacturing method also includes other well-known processes (baking, cooling, cleaning, oxidation, film formation, evaporation, doping, flattening, etching, resist stripping, cutting, bonding, packaging, etc.). The article manufacturing method of the present embodiment is advantageous over previous methods in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article.

[0092] <Other embodiments>

[0093] As mentioned above, although the preferred embodiment of the present invention was described, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various deformation|transformation and changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0094] The present invention can also be implemented by providing a program that implements one or more functions of the above-mentioned embodiments to a system or device via the Internet or a storage medium, and one or more processors of a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. In addition, it can also be implemented by using a circuit (such as an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0095] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The scope of the following claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

[0096] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-118761 filed on Jul. 21, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Claims

1. An inkjet device, characterized in that: The inkjet device has: a substrate mounting table that holds the substrate; an inkjet unit that can be driven to move up and down and includes an inkjet head that ejects ink onto a substrate held on the substrate mounting table; a carriage base, which supports the inkjet unit and is provided with an opening for the inkjet unit to pass through when being lifted; as well as a maintenance unit arranged on an upper side relative to the carriage base, The pressure of the first space above the opening is lower than the pressure of the second space below the opening.

2. The inkjet device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inkjet device includes a surrounding member that surrounds the first space together with the carriage base. The surrounding member has a suction port for sucking gas from the first space.

3. The inkjet device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The suction port is disposed at an upper portion of the surrounding member, and forms an airflow from the second space toward the first space.

4. The inkjet device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inkjet device further comprises a blowing port for blowing gas into the first space. The maintenance unit includes: a recovery unit, which is arranged at one side of the first space and performs recovery processing on the inkjet head; and an inspection unit, which is arranged at the other side of the first space and is used to inspect the inkjet head. The blow-out port is arranged on the side where the inspection unit is located, and the suction port is arranged on the side where the recovery unit is located, so that a substantially horizontal airflow is formed in the first space.

5. The inkjet device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inkjet device includes a control unit configured to control at least a suction flow rate of the suction port so that a pressure in the first space is lower than a pressure in the second space.

6. The inkjet device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The control unit controls the suction flow rate so that the suction flow rate through the suction port during a recovery process or an inspection process of the inkjet head is greater than the suction flow rate when the inkjet head performs a drawing process on the substrate.

7. The inkjet device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inkjet device includes a shutter for covering the opening.

8. The inkjet device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The inkjet device also has an adjustment member for adjusting the airflow at the bottom of the carriage base. The shutter is drivable between a first position for covering the opening and a second position for opening the opening. A distance between the adjustment member and the shutter when the shutter is at the first position and a distance between the ink ejection unit and the adjustment member when the shutter is at the second position are substantially the same.

9. The inkjet device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inkjet device further includes an adjustment member for adjusting an airflow passing through the opening at a lower portion of the carriage base.

10. The inkjet device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An area of ​​the base of the maintenance unit is larger than an area of ​​the opening.

11. The inkjet device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inkjet device further includes a cover that covers the inkjet unit and the maintenance unit when the inkjet unit and the maintenance unit are located in the first space.

12. The inkjet device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first space and the second space are closed spaces.

13. The inkjet device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The maintenance unit is disposed on the carriage base.

14. The inkjet device according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of the carriage base and the stage base of the substrate stage is formed of a split structure.

15. A control method for an inkjet device, the inkjet device comprising: a substrate stage for holding a substrate; an inkjet unit that can be driven up and down to eject ink onto the substrate held on the substrate stage; a carriage base that supports the inkjet unit and is provided with an opening for the inkjet unit to pass when being lifted; and a maintenance unit that is arranged on the upper side relative to the carriage base, the control method for the inkjet device being characterized in that: The pressure of the first space above the opening is lower than the pressure of the second space below the opening.

16. A method for manufacturing an article, characterized in that: The method of manufacturing the item includes: a supplying step of supplying liquid onto a substrate using the inkjet device according to any one of claims 1 to 14; and a processing step in which the substrate to which the liquid is supplied in the supplying step is processed, An article is manufactured from the substrate processed in the processing step.

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