Liquid discharge apparatus, control method, article manufacturing method, and computer program product

Abstract

The invention provides a liquid discharge apparatus, a control method, an article manufacturing method, and a computer program product. In order to suppress poor discharge due to residual droplets, a liquid discharge device is provided with: a discharge section having a plurality of discharge ports through which liquid is discharged on a discharge surface; a suction nozzle that sucks the liquid droplets adhering to the lower surface of the discharge part from the suction port; a drive control unit for controlling the drive of the suction nozzle and / or the discharge unit by disposing the suction surface and the lower surface of the suction nozzle so as not to come into contact with each other at a predetermined interval; and a suction control unit that controls the suction state of the suction nozzle on the basis of the relative position of the discharge port and the suction nozzle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid discharge device, a control method, an article manufacturing method, a computer program product, etc. Background Art

[0002] In a liquid discharge device such as an inkjet printer that has multiple liquid discharge ports for discharging printing ink or other liquids, the discharge ports may be clogged due to drying or mixing of foreign matter, resulting in a bad condition where the liquid cannot be discharged. In particular, in a liquid discharge device that discharges ink or a curable component (sometimes the uncured state is also referred to as a resin) mixed with a pigment or functional material in a volatile fluid, if the solidified material accumulates at the discharge port, there is a possibility that the printing operation will be hindered. Therefore, in an inkjet printer, it is necessary to efficiently clean the area around the discharge port.

[0003] As a cleaning technology for such a problem, the following method is described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-086936: After the negative pressure suction nozzle sucks the periphery of the discharge port, the absorber is brought into contact with the discharge port surface, thereby allowing the absorber to absorb the residual drops on the discharge port surface. In addition, the following cleaning device is described in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2015-0076861: the fine liquid crystal remaining on the head that discharges liquid in an inkjet manner through a double slit structure is removed.

[0004] However, the following problems exist in conventional liquid discharge devices. In Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-086936, since the absorbent is brought into contact with the surface of a discharge chip having a discharge port, physical contact and pressure are generated on the surface of the discharge chip, and damage to the functional film due to physical contact may occur. Here, a functional film such as a hydrophobic film is generally formed on the surface of the discharge chip. If damage to the functional film due to physical contact occurs, it may sometimes have a significant adverse effect on the discharge function.

[0005] In Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2015-0076861, a scheme is proposed to increase the suction force of negative pressure suction to add a strong suction force. However, in this case, even normal ink in the discharge port is sucked, and expensive discharge liquid may be wasted. Furthermore, since ink is sucked from the discharge port, there is a possibility that bubbles may invade the discharge port, causing the next discharge to fail to be performed normally. Summary of the invention

[0006] Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a technique which is advantageous in suppressing discharge failure caused by residual dripping.

[0007] Solutions to Solve Problems

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention is a liquid discharging device, characterized in that the liquid discharging device includes: a discharging unit having a plurality of discharge ports for discharging liquid on a discharge surface; a suction nozzle that sucks and adheres to droplets on the lower surface of the discharging unit through a suction port; a drive control unit that disposes the suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface so as not to contact each other at a predetermined interval and controls the drive of at least one of the suction nozzle and the discharging unit; and a suction control unit that controls the suction state of the suction nozzle based on the relative position between the discharge port and the suction nozzle.

[0009] Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, for example, a technique advantageous in suppressing discharge failure due to residual droplets can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the liquid discharging device according to the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 It is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the liquid discharge head and the cleaning unit and the drive of the cleaning unit.

[0013] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the cover.

[0014] Figure 4 (A) to (C) thereof are schematic diagrams for explaining the drive of the cleaning unit according to the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 It is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cleaning unit in the suction removal operation according to the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6 It is a flowchart showing an example of the cleaning operation of the liquid discharging device according to the first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 (A) and (B) thereof are schematic diagrams showing a configuration example of the suction nozzle according to the second embodiment.

[0018] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the suction nozzle according to the third embodiment.

[0019] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the suction nozzle according to the fourth embodiment.

[0020] Figure 10 (A) and (B) thereof are schematic diagrams showing a configuration example of a printing device equipped with the liquid discharging device.

[0021] Figure 11 Figures (A) to (C) are diagrams for explaining the cleaning operation in the printing apparatus. Detailed Embodiment

[0022] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the following embodiments do not limit the invention described in the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these features are essential components of the invention, and the plurality of features can also be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the drawings, the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0023] In this specification and the drawings, directions are represented in the XYZ coordinate system with the horizontal plane being the XY plane. The direction of liquid discharge (vertical direction) is set as the Z axis, and the directions orthogonal to each other in the plane perpendicular to the Z axis are set as the X axis and the Y axis. In addition, hereinafter, the directions parallel to the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis in the XYZ coordinate system are referred to as the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, respectively. <First Embodiment>

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the liquid discharge device 100 according to the first embodiment. The liquid discharge device 100 includes a liquid discharge head 7, a cleaning unit 8, and a control unit 50.

[0025] Figure 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the liquid discharge head 7 and the cleaning unit 8 and the driving of the cleaning unit 8. The liquid discharge head 7 (discharge unit) includes a discharge chip 1 and a shield 2 that protects the discharge chip 1. The lower surface of the shield 2 is disposed 10 to 50 μm below the lower surface of the discharge chip 1, that is, the discharge surface 3, and has a shape that surrounds the outer periphery of the discharge chip 1 as shown in Figure 2 shown. The discharge chip 1 has a plurality of discharge ports 18 for discharging liquid (discharge liquid) on the lower surface, that is, the discharge surface 3. Inside the discharge chip 1, a common flow path 4 for distributing the discharge liquid to the plurality of discharge ports 18, a supply flow path 5 for supplying the discharge liquid from the outside, and a circulation flow path 6 for circulating the discharge liquid are formed.

[0026] In addition, in the present embodiment, as an example, the discharge chip 1 has at least a part of the common flow path 4, the supply flow path 5, and the circulation flow path 6 inside, but the common flow path 4, the supply flow path 5, and the circulation flow path 6 may also be provided separately from the discharge chip 1.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1As shown, the cleaning unit 8 has a stage 21, on which a sensor 22, a cover 13, a suction nozzle 11, a suction pump 15, and a water supply and drainage system 16 are arranged. The stage 21 can be driven in the X direction and the Z direction. By driving the stage 21, the sensor 22, the cover 13, the suction nozzle 11, the suction pump 15, and the water supply and drainage system 16 also move in the X direction and the Z direction. The suction nozzle 11 has a suction port 12, and the suction port 12 sucks the droplets adhering to the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7.

[0028] The control unit 50 can be constituted by, for example, a computer device including a CPU and a memory (storage unit). By executing the control program stored in the memory, the CPU can control the liquid discharge operation and the cleaning operation described later. The control unit 50 has functions as a drive control unit 51 and as a suction control unit 52 (adjustment unit). Here, an example in which one computer device has functions as a drive control unit 51 and as a suction control unit 52 is used for explanation. However, the drive control unit 51 and the suction control unit 52 can also be respectively provided in separate computer devices. In addition, the control unit of the printing device in which the liquid discharge device 100 is assembled can also have the functions of the drive control unit 51 and / or the suction control unit 52.

[0029] The drive control unit 51 controls the relative position of the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid discharge head 7 by controlling the driving of the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid discharge head 7. Furthermore, the drive control unit 51 also controls the driving of the stage 21.

[0030] In the cleaning operation described later, the suction control unit 52 controls (adjusts) the suction state of the suction nozzle 11 based on the position of the discharge port 18. Specifically, for example, the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 is changed according to the relative position of the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid discharge head 7.

[0031] In a printing device that uses the liquid discharge device 100 for printing, a liquid discharge operation is performed in which a discharge liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge head 7 and the discharge liquid lands on a substrate. If such a discharge operation is repeated, the liquid in which the discharged liquid that has diffused and agglomerated into a mist, or the residual liquid of the cleaning liquid used when cleaning the surface of the liquid discharge head 7, becomes droplets 31, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, and adheres to the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7. Here, the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 includes the lower surface of the shield 2 and the discharge surface 3 that is the lower surface of the discharge chip 1. Among the lower surfaces of the liquid discharge head 7, the lower surface of the shield 2 is an area where the discharge port 18 is not arranged, and the discharge surface 3 is an area where the discharge port 18 is not arranged. In the printing operation, the liquid discharge head 7 and the substrate 41 ( Figure 10The interval (as shown in the figure) is 200 to 500 μm. If the droplet 31 becomes larger, the substrate comes into contact with the droplet 31, resulting in poor printing. In particular, since the hydrophobic treatment is applied to the discharge surface 3 and the lower surface of the shield 2, the droplet 31 assumes a shape close to a sphere, making it easy for contact with the substrate to occur. In addition, when the droplet is in a position overlapping the discharge port 18, since it obstructs the discharge of the discharged liquid from the discharge port 18, poor printing still occurs. To prevent such poor printing, it is necessary to frequently remove the droplet 31 formed on the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7.

[0032] Therefore, in the liquid discharge device 100 according to the present embodiment, the suction nozzle 11 having a suction port 12 connected to a negative pressure source is disposed in a non-contact manner with respect to the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7, and performs a cleaning operation of sucking and removing the droplet 31.

[0033] The operation timing of the cleaning operation is controlled by the drive control unit 51. The drive control unit 51 moves the stage 21 according to the start instruction of the cleaning operation so that Figure 1 the sensor 22 shown in the figure is located below the liquid discharge head 7. Then, the alignment mark (not shown) formed on the surface of the discharge surface 3 is read by the sensor 22, and the relative positional relationship between the liquid discharge head 7 and the stage 21 is corrected. The corrected relative positional relationship is stored in the drive control unit 51 as a reference for the operation of the stage 21. Through the above correction, relative alignment of the liquid discharge head 7 and the stage 21 is performed in at least one of the XY direction and the Z direction. The corrected relative positional relationship can be managed by the drive amount of the stage 21.

[0034] Next, the cover 13 is moved below the liquid discharge head 7, and the upper surface of the cover 13 is raised until it contacts the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the cover 13. As Figure 3 shown, the cover 13 has a seal 26 having an outer edge including the size of the discharge chip 1. By the seal 26 contacting the lower surface of the shield 2, the inside of the seal 26 becomes a sealed state. When the inside of the cover 13 is sealed, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply port 24, the cleaning liquid fills the inside of the cover 13, and the lower surface of the discharge chip 1 is immersed in the cleaning liquid. Sometimes the viscosity of the droplet 31 becomes high due to the progress of the volatilization of the volatile component of the discharged liquid, but by being immersed in the cleaning liquid, it becomes a state where it is easy to peel off from the lower surface of the discharge chip 1. Next, while opening the supply port 24 to the atmosphere, a negative pressure is applied to the discharge port 23 to discharge the cleaning liquid, and the cover 13 is separated from the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7. At this time, it becomes a state where the droplet 31 is scattered on the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 as Figure 2 shown.

[0035] Next, the suction removal operation of the droplet 31 starts by relying on the suction nozzle 11. The stage 21 moves the suction nozzle 11 below the liquid discharge head 7 according to the instruction of the drive control unit 51, and positions it so that the interval between the end portion 11a (suction surface) of the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 becomes a specified value between 100 and 300 μm in the Z direction. In addition, at this time, the interval in the Z direction between the end portion 11a (suction surface) of the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 can also be made the specified value by moving the liquid discharge head 7 or moving both the liquid discharge head 7 and the stage 21. By positioning the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid discharge head 7, as Figure 2 shown, the suction nozzle 11 is arranged at a position that is a specified distance away from the shield 2 in the X direction.

[0036] Figure 4 (A) to (C) of [] are schematic views for explaining the drive of the cleaning unit 8 according to the first embodiment. Specifically, Figure 4 The top view and the side view showing the relative positional relationship between the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid discharge head 7 are schematically shown in chronological order. As Figure 4 shown in (A) to (C) of [], after connecting the suction port 12 of the suction nozzle 11 to a negative pressure source not shown, the suction nozzle 11 moves in the X direction while maintaining the gap (specified interval) in the Z direction with the liquid discharge head 7.

[0037] Figure 4 (A) of [] shows the state where the suction nozzle 11 is at the start position of the suction removal operation. At the start of the suction removal operation, the suction nozzle 11 is positioned so that the interval between it and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 becomes a specified value between 100 and 300 μm in the Z direction, and is arranged at a position that is a specified distance away from the shield 2 in the X direction.

[0038] Next, the drive control unit 51 starts the movement of the suction nozzle 11 in the X direction. As Figure 4 shown in (B) of [], when the suction nozzle 11 moves until it contacts the droplet 31, the droplet 31 becomes a liquid mass 33 that spreads as a thin film between the minute gaps between the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 due to capillary action. Since the suction nozzle 11 has a suction port 12 connected to a negative pressure source, it travels in the X direction while sucking the liquid mass 33. That is, the droplet 31 attached to the discharge surface 3 having the discharge port 18 becomes the liquid mass 33 and is moved in the X direction on the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 by the suction nozzle 11, so that residual liquid is difficult to remain on the discharge surface 3. However, as Figure 4As shown in (C) thereof, the suction nozzle 11 moves until it is in a position away from the liquid discharge head 7. At this time, the residual liquid 32 that is smaller than the minute gap between the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 is not completely sucked by the suction nozzle 11, peels off from the liquid mass 33, and remains on the lower surface of the end 40 side of the liquid discharge head 7.

[0039] Here, Figure 2 is used to explain the cleaning operation according to the present embodiment in more detail. In the cleaning operation according to the present embodiment, when the suction nozzle 11 is moved in the X direction while sucking non - contact with the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7, for example, the X direction is divided into three regions: "region A1", "region B", and "region A2", and the suction state is managed by the suction control unit 52. Here, "region A1" and "region A2" are the lower surfaces of the shield 2 and are regions where the discharge ports 18 are not arranged. On the other hand, "region B" is a region including the discharge surface 3 of the discharge chip 1. As described above, the relative position between the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid discharge head 7 is grasped (managed) by the drive control unit 51. The suction control unit 52 changes the suction force applied to the suction nozzle 11 in the three divided regions. The suction force mentioned here more specifically refers to the negative pressure applied. Specifically, for example, in the intervals of "region A1" and "region A2", a negative pressure of - 90 kPa stronger than the specified value is applied to the suction nozzle 11, and in the interval of "region B", a negative pressure of - 10 kPa weaker than the specified value is applied.

[0040] In the cleaning unit 8 according to the present embodiment, the suction nozzle 11 has a stronger suction force in "region A2" than in the interval of "region B". Therefore, when the suction nozzle 11 moves away from the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7, a strong suction force is given, and there will be no residual liquid 32 remaining on the lower surface of the end 40 side as shown in (C) of Figure 4 , and the liquid droplets 31 can be sucked from the lower surface of the shield 2. In addition, as described above, when the suction nozzle 11 moves away from the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7, there is a tendency for minute residual liquid 32 to easily remain on the lower surface of the end 40 side of the liquid discharge head 7. Therefore, the suction force in the interval of "region A2" can also be set stronger than the suction force in the interval of "region A1". In addition, "region A2" can be further divided, and the suction force when sucking the region on the end 40 side of the liquid discharge head 7 can be set stronger. That is, the closer the region is to the end 40 of the liquid discharge head 7 in the moving direction of the suction nozzle 11 during the suction removal operation (in the case of moving the liquid discharge head 7, it is the direction opposite to the moving direction of the liquid discharge head 7), the stronger the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 is increased.

[0041] Here, Figure 5 is used to explain the suction removal operation of the cleaning unit 8 according to the present embodiment in detail.Figure 5 This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cleaning unit 8 in the suction and removal operation according to the first embodiment. Specifically, Figure 5 It shows in the X-Z cross-section Figure 4 of (B). A plurality of discharge ports 18 are formed on the discharge surface 3 of the discharge chip 1. The discharge ports 18 communicate with the common flow path 4 via the pressure chambers 27 respectively. On the wall surface of each pressure chamber 27, a piezoelectric element 28 capable of expansion and contraction is formed. By deforming the piezoelectric element 28, a change is applied to the volume of the pressure chamber 27, and the discharge liquid inside can be discharged from the discharge port 18.

[0042] At this time, in order to stably prevent the discharge liquid from leaking out of the discharge chip 1, a negative pressure of about -10 kPa is applied to the common flow path 4. However, as Figure 5 shown, in the state where the liquid mass 33 overlaps with the discharge port 18, if a strong negative pressure of -90 kPa is applied to the suction nozzle 11, even the discharge liquid in the pressure chamber 27 will be sucked out of the discharge chip 1 together with the liquid mass 33. In addition to the use of image printing on general paper, the liquid discharge device is also used for patterning a functional material of a semiconductor onto a substrate, and sometimes the discharge liquid is very expensive. The situation of accidentally sucking and discharging the liquid as described above and causing waste has become a major issue in operation. Furthermore, when the discharge liquid is sucked from the pressure chamber 27, sometimes air bubbles in the common flow path 4 or gas around the discharge surface 3 are sucked into the discharge port 18, and there is also a concern that it will have an adverse effect on the next discharge operation.

[0043] In Figure 2 the interval of the "Region B" shown, that is, the interval of the region where the discharge ports 18 are arranged, the suction nozzle 11 is near the discharge port 18, and the possibility of the above problem occurring is high. Therefore, in the liquid discharge device 100 of the present embodiment, in the interval of the "Region B", the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 is suppressed to be low.

[0044] Next, using Figure 6 , the cleaning operation of the liquid discharge device 100 will be described in detail. Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of the cleaning operation of the liquid discharge device 100 according to the first embodiment. Each operation (step) shown in this flowchart can be executed by relying on the control of the CPU of the control unit 50.

[0045] When the cleaning operation starts, first in S101, the drive control unit 51 drives the stage 21 to move so that the sensor 22 is located below the liquid discharge head 7, and the alignment mark formed on the surface of the discharge surface 3 is read by the sensor 22. And the relative positional relationship between the liquid discharge head 7 and the stage 21 is corrected. The corrected relative positional relationship is stored in the drive control unit 51 as a reference for the operation of the stage 21.

[0046] In S102, the drive control unit 51 moves the stage 21 so that the cover 13 is positioned below the liquid discharge head 7, and raises the upper surface of the cover 13 until it reaches the height at which it contacts the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7. Further, the seal 26 is brought into close contact with the lower surface of the shield 2, and the inside of the seal 26 is made into a sealed state.

[0047] In S103, a cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply port 24 and the cleaning liquid is filled into the cover 13. Thereby, the lower surface of the discharge chip 1 is immersed in the cleaning liquid, and the lower surface of the discharge chip 1 is subjected to a cleaning process. If the liquid droplets 31 are immersed in the cleaning liquid and thus become in a state where they are easily peeled off from the lower surface of the discharge chip 1, in other words, if the lower surface of the discharge chip 1 is immersed in the cleaning liquid for a predetermined time, then while the supply port 24 is opened to the atmosphere, a negative pressure is applied to the discharge port 23 to discharge the cleaning liquid.

[0048] In S104, the drive control unit 51 separates the cover 13 from the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7.

[0049] In S105, the drive control unit 51 moves the stage 21 so that the suction nozzle 11 is positioned below the liquid discharge head 7. Further, the position is set such that the distance between the tip portion 11a of the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 becomes a predetermined value within the range of 100 to 300 μm in the Z direction. The drive control unit 51 starts the movement of the suction nozzle 11 in the X direction while maintaining the gap in the Z direction between the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid discharge head 7.

[0050] In S106, the suction control unit 52 sets an attraction force corresponding to the area to be attracted. Specifically, for example, as Figure 2 shown, it is previously divided into three areas, namely, "area A1", "area B", and "area A2". And, when the drive control unit 51 obtains information that the suction nozzle 11 is within the range of "area A1", the suction control unit 52 sets a negative pressure of -90 kPa as the attraction force corresponding to the "area A1" to be attracted. Then, in S107, a suction process is performed with the set attraction force.

[0051] Then, in S108, when there is an area to be attracted where the suction process has not been performed (i.e.), in other words, when the suction process of the entire lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 has not been completed, S106 to S107 are repeated until there is no unprocessed area.

[0052] In addition, the division of the area can be either pre - performed by the user or performed by the suction control unit 52 using the design information of the discharge chip 1 and the shield 2. Additionally, it is also possible to use the sensor 22 to obtain information on the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 such as the position of the discharge port 18, and perform the division of the area using the information obtained by the sensor 22.

[0053] The setting of the suction force corresponding to the area to be suctioned in S106 can be performed, for example, by using a table that the suction control unit 52 has. This table has information on the divided areas and information on the suction force corresponding to each area. Additionally, the suction force can also be set according to the distance (relative position) in the X - direction between the suction nozzle 11 (especially the tip portion 11a) and the discharge port 18.

[0054] In addition, in the present embodiment, the negative pressure (suction pressure) applied to the suction nozzle 11 is described as the suction force, but it is not limited thereto. The suction flow rate can also be changed by changing the distance in the Z - direction (vertical direction) between the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 or the area of the suction port of the suction nozzle 11. Additionally, the suction force can be changed by combining these multiple factors. When changing the area of the suction port 12 of the suction nozzle 11, for example, a gate or throttle valve for changing the area of the suction port 12 can be provided on the suction nozzle 11.

[0055] In addition, in the present embodiment, it is described that the interval between the tip portion 11a of the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 is a specified value between 100 and 300 μm in the Z - direction. Here, for example, in the Figure 2 intervals of the "area A1" and "area A2" shown, the above - mentioned gap is set to 100 μm, and in the interval of the "area B", the above - mentioned gap is set to 300 μm. In this case, even when the negative pressure applied to the suction nozzle 11 is, for example, a constant - 30 kPa, the flow rate of the suction liquid block 33 changes, and the cleaning operation can be completed without residual liquid remaining in the interval of the "area A2".

[0056] Furthermore, here, an example of dividing the X - direction into three areas is described, but the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 can also be controlled according to the distance (relative position) in the X - direction between the suction nozzle 11 (especially the tip portion 11a) and the discharge port 18 without necessarily performing area division. Specifically, when the distance in the X - direction between the discharge port 18 on the discharge surface 3 and the tip portion 11a of the suction nozzle 11 is greater than or equal to a specified distance, the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 is increased.

[0057] In addition, the cleaning process relying on the cover 13 (specifically S102 - S104) does not necessarily need to be performed. When the viscosity of the liquid droplet 31 attached to the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 has not increased, the cleaning process relying on the cover 13 can also be omitted.

[0058] Furthermore, the shape of the suction port 12 may not be linear, but may be arc-shaped or V-shaped.

[0059] According to this embodiment, useless consumption of the discharged liquid can be reduced, the reliability of the discharging operation can be improved, and the cleaning operation can be performed without residual liquid remaining on the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7. Therefore, poor discharge of the liquid discharge head 7 caused by adhesion of residual droplets or the like can be suppressed. <Second Embodiment>

[0060] In the first embodiment, a method of controlling the suction force synchronously with the operation of driving the suction nozzle 11 in the X direction or the Z direction has been described. That is, in the first embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, the suction port 12 of the suction nozzle 11 is formed uniformly in the Y direction. In the second embodiment, the shape of the suction nozzle is different from that of the first embodiment.

[0061] Figure 7 (A) and (B) of are schematic views showing a configuration example of the suction nozzle 111 according to the second embodiment. Figure 7 (A) of shows the appearance of the suction nozzle 111 according to the second embodiment. Figure 7 (B) of shows the internal structure of the suction nozzle 111 according to the second embodiment in dotted lines. In the present embodiment, a plurality of suction ports 112 are formed in the suction nozzle 111 and communicate with any one of the decompression chambers 34 formed in the suction nozzle 111. A decompression port 35 is formed in each decompression chamber 34 so as to communicate with the outside, and a plurality of decompression chambers 34 can be connected to different negative pressure sources. If such a suction nozzle 11 is applied to Figure 2 the configuration shown, different suction forces can be set in the Y direction according to the number of the decompression chambers 34. That is, in the present embodiment, the suction control unit 52 can independently control the suction states of the plurality of suction ports 112. Of course, the pressure can also be changed synchronously with the movement in the X direction for each decompression chamber 34. For example, the suction control unit 52 controls the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 according to the distance in the plane direction (XY direction) between the discharge port 18 on the discharge surface 3 and the end portion 11a of the suction nozzle 11. Specifically, for example, when the distance (relative position) in the plane direction between the discharge port 18 on the discharge surface 3 and the end portion 11a of the suction nozzle 11 is equal to or more than a specified distance, the suction control unit 52 increases the suction force of the suction nozzle 11.

[0062] Therefore, the one-dimensional setting area division in the X direction in the first embodiment can be changed to two-dimensional setting in the XY direction. That is, in the liquid discharge device according to the present embodiment, regarding the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7, it is divided into the lower surface portion of the shield 2 and the lower surface portion of the discharge chip 1, and suction cleaning can be performed while changing the suction force.

[0063] According to the present embodiment, the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 for each area can be controlled more flexibly. <Third Embodiment>

[0064] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the suction nozzle 211 according to the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, as in Figure 8 the example shown, the suction ports are separated into a plurality of suction ports 12a to 12c. In the present embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the suction ports 12a to 12c are respectively communicated with different decompression chambers and connected to different negative pressure sources. Therefore, different suction forces can be set for the suction ports 12a to 12c, and in the present embodiment, the area division can also be two-dimensionally set in the XY direction. <Fourth Embodiment>

[0065] During the cleaning operation of the liquid discharge device 100, the suction nozzle is exposed to the discharged liquid or the cleaning liquid. Of course, stains will also adhere to the suction nozzle itself. It has been previously described that the surface of the discharge chip 1 or the shield 2 is subjected to a water-repellent treatment, but it is preferably also the surface of the suction nozzle is subjected to a water-repellent treatment. By also subjecting the surface of the suction nozzle to a water-repellent treatment, the situation where liquid remains on the surface of the suction nozzle can be reduced when attracting liquid by negative pressure suction. In addition, even when liquid such as discharged liquid or cleaning liquid adheres to the surface of the suction nozzle other than the suction port 12, the liquid flows downward by its own weight, and the state where stains are difficult to adhere to the suction nozzle can be maintained. That is, the suction nozzle itself can also maintain a clean state where residual liquid and the like do not adhere.

[0066] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the suction nozzle 311 according to the fourth embodiment. In the suction nozzle 311, cleaning of the suction nozzle 311 itself can be performed. In the suction nozzle 311, a slope is formed around the suction port 12, and a drain groove 14 is formed on the outer periphery of the slope, and a drain port 19 is provided in the drain groove 14.

[0067] In addition, the cleaning unit according to this embodiment has a cleaning nozzle (not shown). When the cleaning operation ends, cleaning liquid is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle onto the suction nozzle 311 and the cover 13 on the cleaning unit 8, and an operation of flushing away stains is performed. At this time, the flushing cleaning liquid is recovered by the drain trough 14 and discharged to the outside from the drain port 19. In addition, a negative pressure may be applied to the drain port 19 to facilitate the discharge of the cleaning liquid.

[0068] According to this embodiment, the cleaning state of the suction nozzle can also be maintained.

[0069] <Embodiment of printing device>

[0070] Figure 10 Figs. (A) and (B) are schematic views showing a configuration example of a printing device 400 equipped with a liquid discharge device. Figure 10 Fig. (A) is a view of the printing device 400 viewed from the Y direction. Figure 10 Fig. (B) is a view of the printing device 400 viewed from the X direction. In the printing device 400, the liquid discharge head 7 is held on the lower surface of the carriage 44, and the carriage 44 can move in the Z direction relative to the carriage support 46. A substrate 41 to be printed is adsorbed and fixed on a substrate stage 42 that can be driven in the Y direction.

[0071] When the printing operation starts, the carriage 44 descends and is positioned so that the gap between the liquid discharge head 7 and the substrate 41 becomes 500 μm. Then, the substrate stage 42 is driven to move the substrate 41 in the Y direction below the liquid discharge head 7. A plurality of discharge chips 1 are arranged in a range where the liquid discharge head 7 is larger than the size of the substrate 41 in the Y direction. By discharging the discharge liquid in synchronization with the movement of the substrate 41, a pattern is printed on the substrate 41. For example, the liquid discharge head 7 is controlled according to data of the discharge pattern (supply pattern) of the discharge liquid pre-stored in the memory of the control unit 49.

[0072] The cleaning unit 8 is fixed to the transfer unit 47, and the arm of the transfer unit 47 expands and contracts in the Y direction, whereby the cleaning unit 8 can move relative to the support 48. When the printing operation is repeated for a certain period of time, stains will be generated on the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7. Therefore, according to an instruction from the control unit 49, a cleaning operation is started. That is, here, the control unit 49 of the printing device 400 has functions as a drive control unit 51 and as a suction control unit 52. In addition, the control unit 49 may be constituted by a computer device including a CPU and a memory (storage unit), for example. The CPU can control the printing operation and the cleaning operation by executing the control program stored in the memory.

[0073] Figure 11 Figs. (A) to (C) are views for explaining the cleaning operation in the printing device 400. Figure 11The figure (A) shows the state before the start of the cleaning operation. First, as Figure 11 shown in figure (A), the carriage 45 moves upward to lift the liquid discharge head 7. Figure 11 Figure (B) shows the state where the liquid discharge head 7 has moved upward to a position where the cleaning operation can be performed.

[0074] Next, as Figure 11 shown in figure (C), the cleaning unit 8 is transported by the arm of the transport unit 47 below the liquid discharge head 7. Figure 11 Figure (C) shows the state where the cleaning unit 8 has been transported below the liquid discharge head 7. At this position, as described in the first embodiment Figure 4 the suction nozzle 11 sucks the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 in a non-contact manner to perform the suction removal operation.

[0075] Thus, by mounting the liquid discharge device according to the above-described first to fourth embodiments on a printing device, the above-described effects can also be achieved in the printing device.

[0076] <Embodiments of the article manufacturing method>

[0077] The article manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as display panels for organic ELs, semiconductor devices, and other micro-devices, or elements having a fine structure. The article manufacturing method according to this embodiment includes: a supply step of supplying a liquid to a substrate using the above-described liquid supply device (liquid supply method); a processing step of processing the substrate to which the liquid has been supplied in the supply step; and a step of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step. Further, the article manufacturing method includes other well-known steps (firing, cooling, cleaning, oxidation, film formation, evaporation, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The article manufacturing method according to this embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article as compared with conventional methods. <Other embodiments>

[0078] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of its concept. In addition, a part of the above-described embodiments can be combined.

[0079] The present invention can be implemented by the following process: providing a program for realizing one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and reading and executing the program by one or more processors in a computer of the system or device. In addition, it can also be implemented by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0080] (Cross-reference of related applications)

[0081] This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-002264, filed on January 11, 2024. In addition, the content of the above Japanese patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety in this specification.

Claims

1. A liquid discharging device, characterized in that, The liquid discharge device includes: a discharge unit having a plurality of discharge ports for discharging liquid on a discharge surface; a suction nozzle that sucks droplets adhering to the lower surface of the discharge unit through a suction port; a drive control unit that disposes the suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface so as not to contact each other at a predetermined interval and controls the drive of at least one of the suction nozzle and the discharge unit; and a suction control unit that controls the suction state of the suction nozzle based on the relative position between the discharge port and the suction nozzle.

2. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, characterized in that the suction control unit controls the suction force of the suction nozzle according to the relative position between the discharge port and the suction nozzle.

3. The liquid discharge device according to claim 2, characterized in that the suction control unit controls the suction force by changing at least one of the vertical distance between the suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface, the suction pressure of the suction nozzle, and the suction flow rate of the suction nozzle.

4. The liquid discharge device according to claim 2, characterized in that the lower surface includes a region where the discharge port is not disposed, and the suction control unit sets the suction force when sucking the region where the discharge port is not disposed stronger than the suction force when sucking the region where the discharge port is disposed during the drive.

5. The liquid discharge device according to claim 2, characterized in that when the planar direction distance between the discharge port on the discharge surface and the suction surface of the suction nozzle is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, the suction control unit increases the suction force of the suction nozzle.

6. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, characterized in that the suction nozzle has a plurality of the suction ports, and the suction control unit can individually control the suction state of each of the plurality of suction ports.

7. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, characterized in that the suction nozzle moves a liquid mass formed between the suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface on the lower surface as the drive progresses.

8. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface of the suction nozzle is subjected to a hydrophobic treatment.

9. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, characterized in that the suction nozzle has a drainage groove and a drainage port provided in the drainage groove.

10. A control method, which is a control method of a liquid discharge device having a discharge unit and a suction nozzle, the discharge unit having a plurality of discharge ports for discharging liquid on a discharge surface, and the suction nozzle sucking droplets adhering to the lower surface of the discharge unit through a suction port, characterized in that the suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface are disposed so as not to contact each other at a predetermined interval, and the drive of at least one of the suction nozzle and the discharge unit is controlled, and the suction state of the suction nozzle is controlled based on the relative position between the discharge port and the suction nozzle.

11. An article manufacturing method, characterized in that the article manufacturing method includes: A supply process that uses the liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 to supply the liquid onto a substrate; and A processing process that processes the substrate onto which the liquid has been supplied by the supply process, Manufacturing an article from the substrate processed by the processing process.

12. A computer program product for controlling a liquid ejection device having a discharge portion and a suction nozzle. The discharge portion has a plurality of discharge ports for discharging a liquid on a discharge surface, and the suction nozzle sucks and adheres droplets attached to the lower surface of the discharge portion through a suction port. The computer program product is characterized in that The suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface are arranged not to contact each other at a predetermined interval, and driving of at least one of the suction nozzle and the discharge portion is controlled, Based on the relative position between the discharge port and the suction nozzle, the suction state of the suction nozzle is controlled.

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