Liquid discharge head, liquid supply apparatus, and article manufacturing method

Abstract

This disclosure provides a liquid discharge head including a discharge surface, wherein an array of m discharge outlets is disposed on the discharge surface. Each array of discharge outlets is formed by arranging a plurality of discharge outlets at a spacing A in one direction. Each discharge outlet is configured to discharge a liquid droplet, and the m array of discharge outlets is arranged to be offset by a first distance d1 in said one direction and by a second distance d2 in a direction perpendicular to said one direction. In each of a first orientation in which said one direction is parallel to a predetermined direction and a second orientation in which said one direction is inclined at an angle θ relative to said predetermined direction, the discharge outlets on all m arrays are arranged at equal intervals in said predetermined direction. This disclosure also provides a liquid supply device and a method for manufacturing an article.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to liquid discharge heads, liquid supply equipment, and methods for manufacturing articles. Background Technology

[0002] Recently, in the manufacture of various functional components, attempts have been made to use liquid supply equipment to form patterns (i.e., patterning) on ​​substrates. This liquid supply equipment supplies (applies or arranges) liquid (which is the material of the functional component) as droplets onto the substrate using an inkjet method. This patterning using liquid supply equipment has the following advantages: high material utilization efficiency due to on-demand patterning; relatively small manufacturing equipment size due to the use of non-vacuum processes; and the ability to apply material over large areas at high speeds. For example, liquid supply equipment can be used to manufacture display devices such as flat panel displays. Various display methods for display devices have been proposed. In recent years, display devices using organic electroluminescent (EL) elements have been actively developed. Because the organic EL materials used to manufacture organic EL elements are expensive, liquid supply equipment, with its high material utilization efficiency and ability to apply material over large areas at high speeds, has been effectively used to manufacture organic EL elements.

[0003] A liquid supply device supplies liquid to a substrate by simultaneously scanning the substrate and a head in which multiple nozzles (discharge outlets) are arranged to discharge liquid droplets, controlling the discharge of droplets from each nozzle. At this time, the spacing (i.e., resolution) of the droplets supplied to the substrate can be adjusted by tilting the head relative to the scanning direction and changing the spacing of the nozzles in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction. Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 2021-194911 and 2006-289322 each discuss a configuration for changing the spacing of the multiple nozzles in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction.

[0004] In this head, multiple nozzle arrays can be arranged, offset from each other, with multiple nozzles in each array arranged at a predetermined spacing in one direction. In this case, without considering the tilt angle of the head relative to the scanning direction, it is impossible to arrange the nozzles at equal intervals in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction, and it may be difficult to arrange droplets at equal intervals on the substrate. That is, the supply of droplets on the substrate may be uneven. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a technique that facilitates the accurate supply of droplets onto a substrate.

[0006] One aspect of this disclosure provides a liquid discharge head comprising a discharge surface and an array of m discharge outlets disposed on the discharge surface. Each array of discharge outlets is formed by arranging a plurality of discharge outlets at a spacing A in one direction, each discharge outlet being configured to discharge liquid as a corresponding droplet. The array of m discharge outlets is arranged to be offset by a first distance d1 in the one direction and by a second distance d2 in a direction perpendicular to the one direction. In each of a first orientation in which the one direction is parallel to a predetermined direction and a second orientation in which the one direction is inclined at an angle θ relative to the predetermined direction, the discharge outlets on the array of m discharge outlets are arranged at equal intervals in the predetermined direction, d1 = A / m, and d2 = 2n·d1 / tanθ.

[0007] One aspect of this disclosure provides a liquid discharge head including a discharge surface, the liquid discharge head comprising: a first discharge outlet group; and a second discharge outlet group, wherein: each of the first discharge outlet group and the second discharge outlet group is formed by an array of m discharge outlets disposed on the discharge surface, each discharge outlet array being formed by arranging a plurality of discharge outlets at a spacing A in one direction, each discharge outlet being configured to discharge liquid as a corresponding droplet, the m discharge outlet arrays being arranged to be offset by a first distance d1 in the one direction and by a second distance d2 in a direction perpendicular to the one direction, the first discharge outlet group and the second discharge outlet group being inclined relative to each other at an angle θ, d1=A / m, and d2=2n·d1 / tanθ, where n is a natural number.

[0008] One aspect of this disclosure provides a liquid discharge head comprising: a plurality of outlet arrays, each outlet array configured to discharge liquid as droplets, wherein: the plurality of outlet arrays are formed at a certain spacing in a first direction, the plurality of outlet arrays are offset in the first direction by a first distance d1 and offset in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and in a first posture and a second posture, a predetermined number of outlet arrays are arranged at equal intervals in a predetermined direction.

[0009] The features of this disclosure will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following description of embodiments. The following description of embodiments is by way of example. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this disclosure, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments.

[0011] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating an example of the construction of a liquid supply device according to the first embodiment;

[0012] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the operating sequence of the liquid supply equipment;

[0013] Figure 3A and Figure 3B A view showing an example of the nozzle arrangement on the discharge surface of each liquid discharge head;

[0014] Figure 4 A view illustrating an example arrangement of multiple target regions on a substrate;

[0015] Figure 5 A view illustrating an example arrangement of multiple target regions on a substrate;

[0016] Figure 6A and Figure 6B To illustrate the use of liquid discharge heads for each pair Figure 4 A view of an example of performing an ejection process on the target area of ​​the R pixel on the substrate shown;

[0017] Figure 7A and Figure 7B To illustrate the use of liquid discharge heads for each pair Figure 5 A view showing an example of performing an ejection process on the target area of ​​the R pixel on the substrate; and

[0018] Figure 8A and Figure 8B To illustrate the use of liquid discharge heads for each pair Figure 5 This is a view of an example of performing an exhaust process on the target area of ​​a G pixel on a substrate shown. Detailed Implementation

[0019] In the following, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Several features are described in the embodiments, but not all such features are necessary, and multiple such features may be appropriately combined. Furthermore, in the drawings, the same or similar constructions are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0020] In this disclosure and the accompanying drawings, directions are generally indicated in an XYZ coordinate system, in which a surface parallel to a horizontal surface (the arrangement surface of a substrate or the discharge surface of a liquid discharge head) is defined as the XY plane. The directions of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis parallel to the XYZ coordinate system are the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, respectively. Rotation about the X-axis, rotation about the Y-axis, and rotation about the Z-axis are θX, θY, and θZ, respectively. Control or drive (movement) involving the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis refers to control or drive (movement) involving directions parallel to the X-axis, parallel to the Y-axis, and parallel to the Z-axis, respectively. Furthermore, control or drive involving the θX-axis, θY-axis, and θZ-axis refers to control or drive involving rotation about axes parallel to the X-axis, rotation about axes parallel to the Y-axis, and rotation about axes parallel to the Z-axis, respectively.

[0021] <First Embodiment>

[0022] A liquid supply apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The liquid supply apparatus 1 is an apparatus that forms a pattern on a substrate by discharging (supplying or applying) a liquid (which is a material of a functional element) as droplets onto the substrate. The liquid supply apparatus 1 is sometimes referred to as a liquid discharging apparatus or an inkjet apparatus, and is used as a substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates for semiconductors or display panels. For example, the liquid supply apparatus 1 can be used to manufacture display devices, such as flat panel displays or organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices. The liquid supplied to the substrate by the liquid supply apparatus 1 can be referred to herein as a liquid. The liquid is sometimes referred to as ink, and its composition is not particularly limited. However, for example, the liquid may contain, for example, solutes and solvents used to form an organic film on the substrate.

[0023] [Example of the construction of a liquid supply device]

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the construction of the liquid supply device 1 according to this embodiment, and can be used to explain the basic construction and operating principle of the liquid supply device 1. The liquid supply device 1 includes a liquid discharge head 5 having a plurality of discharge outlets 51, each discharge outlet 51 for discharging liquid as droplets 4. The liquid supply device performs the operation of discharging liquid from each discharge outlet 51 as a droplet 4 while simultaneously scanning the liquid discharge head 5 and the substrate 2 relative to each other along the scanning direction (Y direction). Figures 3A to 3B The discharge process of droplets 4 is performed. In this discharge process, the discharge of droplets 4 from the liquid discharge head 5 is repeated multiple times. This allows multiple droplets 4 to be supplied (applied or arranged) onto the substrate 2 in a desired distribution. The discharge process can be performed once or multiple times on a single substrate 2.

[0025] The liquid supply device 1 includes, for example, a substrate stage 3 that moves while holding the substrate 2 of the display panel. Depending on the target product to be manufactured, the substrate 2 can be selected from glass substrates, plastic substrates, etc. The substrate 2 is typically a plate-shaped component, but is not limited to a specific shape, as long as it can be used as a substrate. For example, the substrate 2 can be a deformable film or a disc-shaped substrate. On the substrate 2 on the substrate stage 3, a pixel region 201 and an evaluation region 202 can be provided. In the pixel region, an array of multiple display pixels is formed by supplying liquid (droplets), and in the evaluation region, liquid is supplied for testing purposes to evaluate the state of the liquid (droplets).

[0026] The liquid supply device 1 includes a liquid discharge head 5 that discharges liquid as droplets 4 toward a substrate 2, a liquid storage tank 7, and a liquid supply system 6 that supplies liquid from the tank 7 to the liquid discharge head 5. The liquid discharge head 5 includes a plurality of discharge outlets 51 on its discharge surface 5a (e.g., the lower surface facing the substrate 2), each outlet for discharging liquid as droplets 4 according to a drive signal, and the discharge of droplets 4 from each outlet 51 is individually controlled by a controller 11. This enables the droplets 4 to be supplied (applied) to the pixel region 201 on the substrate 2 in a desired distribution. Each outlet 51 can be formed, for example, as a nozzle discharging droplets 4. The outlet 51 may be referred to herein as a nozzle 51. A detailed construction of the liquid discharge head 5 will be described later. The tank 7 may be arranged inside or outside the liquid supply device 1. The liquid supply device 1 also includes a recovery unit 8 for restoring discharge characteristics by performing cleaning processes, etc., on the liquid discharge head 5.

[0027] The liquid supply device 1 includes a drive mechanism 12 for driving a liquid discharge head 5. The drive mechanism 12 can adjust the tilt amount of the liquid discharge head 5 relative to the scanning direction by rotating the liquid discharge head 5 in the θZ direction within a plane parallel to the discharge surface 5a (i.e., the surface of the substrate 2) of the liquid discharge head 5. Furthermore, the drive mechanism 12 can be configured to adjust the position of the liquid discharge head 5 in the X and Y directions by driving it in both the X and Y directions. In this embodiment, the tilt amount of the liquid discharge head 5 relative to the scanning direction can be adjusted by rotating the liquid discharge head 5 in the θZ direction using the drive mechanism 12, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The tilt amount of the liquid discharge head 5 can be adjusted by rotating the substrate 2 in the θZ direction using the substrate stage 3, or by rotating the liquid discharge head 5 and the substrate 2 relative to each other in the θZ direction using the drive mechanism 12 and the substrate stage 3.

[0028] When substrate 2 is mounted on substrate stage 3, placement errors may occur in liquid supply device 1. As substrate 2 undergoes various manufacturing processes, shape deformation may occur in substrate 2 in the X and Y directions. To address this, liquid supply device 1 includes an alignment observer 9 that measures the position and deformation of substrate 2. To perform alignment measurements on the entire surface of substrate 2, alignment observer 9 and substrate stage 3 are driven relative to each other in the X and Y directions. The thickness of substrate 2 mounted on substrate stage 3 varies. Therefore, if liquid discharge head 5 discharges droplets 4 while scanning liquid discharge head 5 and substrate 2 relative to each other along the scanning direction (Y direction), the attachment position (landing position) of droplets 4 on substrate 2 may vary due to the thickness fluctuation of substrate 2. To address this, liquid supply device 1 may include a height sensor 10 that measures the position (height) of substrate 2 in the Z direction. To perform height measurements on the entire surface of substrate 2, height sensor 10 and substrate stage 3 are driven relative to each other in the X and Y directions.

[0029] The controller 11 is formed of a computer (information processing device) including a processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)) and a storage unit (e.g., a memory), and comprehensively controls the patterning on the substrate 2 by controlling the various units of the liquid supply device 1. For example, the controller 11 may be formed of a programmable logic device (PLD) such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), a general-purpose computer with a program installed, or a combination of all or some of them.

[0030] [Operating sequence of liquid supply equipment]

[0031] Reference Figure 2 The operation sequence of the liquid supply device 1 according to this embodiment is described. In step S101, the controller 11 loads the substrate 2 into the liquid supply device 1 by controlling the substrate transport device. More specifically, the controller 11 loads the substrate 2 onto the substrate stage 3 by controlling the substrate transport device, thereby holding the substrate 2 on the substrate stage 3. Next, in step S102, the controller 11 performs a recovery determination for each nozzle 51 of the liquid discharge head 5. In the recovery determination, it is determined whether a discharge error has occurred in each nozzle 51 of the liquid discharge head 5, that is, whether a recovery process needs to be performed on each nozzle 51. If it is determined in the recovery determination that there is a nozzle 51 with a discharge error, the process proceeds to step S103, and the controller 11 performs a recovery process on the corresponding nozzle 51 of the liquid discharge head 5. The recovery process may include a process such as restoring the discharge characteristics of the liquid discharge head 5 by having the recovery unit 8 perform a cleaning process on the liquid discharge head 5 (discharge surface 5a).

[0032] In step S104, the controller 11 performs alignment measurements on the substrate 2 by controlling the substrate stage 3 and the alignment observation instrument 9. In step S105, the controller 11 performs height measurements on the substrate 2 by controlling the substrate stage 3 and the height sensor 10. Note that the order of the alignment measurement in step S104 and the height measurement in step S105 can be reversed. The information about the position, deformation, and height of the substrate 2 obtained through the alignment and height measurements is stored, for example, in the memory of the controller 11. The controller 11 obtains discharge control information based on pixel data, which includes information such as the arrangement and size of pixels formed on the substrate. The discharge control information includes information indicating the target supply distribution of droplets 4 in the pixel region 201 or evaluation region 202 on the substrate 2.

[0033] In step S106, the controller 11 performs a recovery determination for each nozzle 51 of the liquid discharge head 5. If the recovery determination determines that there is a nozzle 51 with a discharge error, the process proceeds to step S107, and the controller 11 performs a recovery process for each nozzle 51 of the liquid discharge head 5. Steps S106 and S107 are the same as steps S102 and S103 described above.

[0034] In step S108, the controller 11 controls the discharge process based on the target supply distribution to form multiple functional elements on the substrate 2 using the liquid supply device 1. As described above, the discharge process is a process in which liquid discharge heads 5 (each discharge outlet 51) discharge droplets 4 while scanning the liquid discharge heads 5 and the substrate 2 relative to each other along the scanning direction (Y direction). In this embodiment, the liquid discharge heads 5 and the substrate 2 can be scanned relative to each other by moving the substrate 2 by the substrate stage 3. However, the liquid discharge heads 5 and the substrate 2 can also be scanned relative to each other by moving the liquid discharge heads 5 by the drive mechanism 12 or by moving the liquid discharge heads 5 and the substrate 2 relative to each other by the drive mechanism 12 and the substrate stage 3.

[0035] In step S109, the controller 11 determines whether the discharge process for the substrate 2 has been completed. If the discharge process for the substrate 2 has not been completed, the process returns to step S106. If the discharge process for the substrate 2 has been completed, the process proceeds to step S110. In step S110, the controller 11 unloads the substrate 2 from the liquid supply device 1 (substrate stage 3) by controlling the substrate conveying device.

[0036] [Construction of the liquid discharge head]

[0037] Liquid supply device 1 is used to manufacture display devices of various resolutions. Therefore, liquid supply device 1 tilts the liquid discharge head 5 relative to the scanning direction and changes the spacing of the nozzles 51 in the non-scanning direction, thereby adjusting the spacing (i.e., resolution) of the droplets 4 supplied to the substrate 2 during the discharge process in the non-scanning direction. Note that without considering the tilt angle of the liquid discharge head 5 relative to the scanning direction, it is impossible to arrange the nozzles 51 at equal intervals in the non-scanning direction, and it may be difficult to arrange the droplets 4 at equal intervals on the substrate 2. That is, the supply of droplets 4 on the substrate 2 may be uneven. Therefore, in this embodiment, the liquid discharge head 5 is configured (designed) such that the nozzles 51 are arranged at equal intervals in the non-scanning direction according to each of a plurality of desired spacings based on the tilt angle (or orientation) of the liquid discharge head 5 relative to the scanning direction. Note that the non-scanning direction can be defined as a direction (predetermined direction or X direction) orthogonal to the scanning direction in a plane parallel to the discharge surface 5a of the liquid discharge head 5.

[0038] The following will refer to Figure 3A and Figure 3B An example describing the construction of the liquid discharge head 5 according to this embodiment. Figure 3A and Figure 3B This is a view of the discharge surface 5a of the liquid discharge head 5 as a transparent view when viewed from above, and each shows an example of the arrangement of the nozzles 51 on the discharge surface 5a.

[0039] In the liquid discharge head 5 according to this embodiment, m nozzle arrays 52 are disposed on the discharge surface 5a. Each nozzle array 52 is formed by arranging a plurality of nozzles 51 at a spacing A (distance A) in a direction D1 (linear), wherein each nozzle is used to discharge droplets 4. Furthermore, the m nozzle arrays 52 are arranged on the discharge surface 5a offset by a first distance d1 (d1=A / m) in a direction D1 and offset by a second distance d2 in a direction D2 perpendicular to said direction D1. (Refer to...) Figure 3A and Figure 3B An example is described where four (i.e., m=4) nozzle arrays 52a to 52d are arranged on the discharge surface 5a. However, the number of nozzle arrays 52 arranged on the discharge surface 5a is not limited to four, and only two or more are required. Furthermore, each nozzle array 52 can be understood as a discharge outlet array formed by arranging multiple discharge outlets at a spacing A in one direction D1, wherein each discharge outlet is used to discharge droplets 4.

[0040] Figure 3AAn example of the arrangement of nozzles 51 is shown when the liquid discharge head 5 is positioned in a first posture in the rotational direction (θZ direction) within a plane parallel to the discharge surface 5a. In the first posture, the array direction (a direction D1) of the nozzles 51 in each nozzle array 52 is parallel to the non-scanning direction (X direction). In this case, in all m nozzle arrays, the nozzles 51 are arranged at equal intervals in the non-scanning direction. The spacing p1 of the nozzles 51 arranged at equal intervals in the non-scanning direction in the first posture is equal to a first distance d1.

[0041] Figure 3B An example of the arrangement of nozzles 51 is shown when the posture of the liquid discharge head 5 in the rotational direction (θZ direction) in a plane parallel to the discharge surface 5a is set to a second posture. In the second posture, in the rotational direction in the plane parallel to the discharge surface 5a, the array direction (a direction D1) of nozzles 51 in each nozzle array 52 is tilted at an angle θ relative to the non-scanning direction (X direction). The angle θ is determined to satisfy the following equation (1). Also in this case, in all m nozzle arrays 52, nozzles 51 are arranged at equal intervals in the non-scanning direction. The spacing p2 of the nozzles 51 arranged at equal intervals in the non-scanning direction in the second posture is given by the following equation (2). In equation (1), “n” represents a natural number (n=1, 2, 3, ...) and “θ” is not zero or an integer multiple of π / 2.

[0042] d2=2n·d1 / tanθ (1)

[0043] p2=p1·cosθ (2)

[0044] An angle θ is chosen within the range of 5° to 10°, and a natural number n is chosen within the range of 2 to 4. As an example, assume a resolution of 600 dpi in the non-scanning direction, four nozzle arrays 52, and an angle θ of 10°. The resolution in the non-scanning direction can be understood as an indicator of the spacing of the droplets 4 to be supplied to the substrate 2 in the non-scanning direction. In this case, the spacing p1 of the nozzles 51 in the first posture can be set to 42.3 μm, and the spacing p2 of the nozzles 51 in the second posture can be set to 41.7 μm, which is smaller than the spacing p1 by cosθ. Additionally, the second distance d2 can be set to a distance n times larger than 480.2 μm. However, if "n" is too small, it will be difficult to form the liquid discharge head 5, while if "n" is too large, the size of the liquid discharge head 5 may become too large.

[0045] As described above, when the liquid discharge head 5 according to this embodiment is in a first posture (where the array direction of the nozzles 51 in each nozzle array 52 is parallel to the non-scanning direction), the nozzles 51 are arranged at equal intervals with a spacing p1 (p1=d1) in the non-scanning direction. That is, by performing the discharge process in the first posture, droplets 4 can be supplied to the substrate 2 at equal intervals with a spacing p1 in the non-scanning direction. When the liquid discharge head 5 according to this embodiment is in a second posture (where the array direction of the nozzles 51 in each nozzle array 52 is inclined at an angle θ relative to the non-scanning direction), the nozzles 51 are arranged at equal intervals with a spacing p2 (p2=p1·cosθ) in the non-scanning direction. That is, by performing the discharge process in the second posture, droplets 4 can be supplied to the substrate 2 at equal intervals with a spacing p2 in the non-scanning direction. Therefore, the liquid discharge head 5 according to this embodiment can accurately supply droplets 4 to the substrate 2 at equal intervals in the non-scanning direction with each of a plurality of desired spacings, thereby reducing the non-uniformity of the supply of droplets 4 on the substrate.

[0046] As for the posture in which the nozzles 51 of the liquid discharge head 5 are arranged at equal intervals in the non-scanning direction, the first posture and the second posture have been described above, but the posture is not limited to these two postures, and the number of postures can be more than three. The posture of the liquid discharge head 5 can be determined by the controller 11. The controller 11 can determine the angle θ, and the drive mechanism 12 drives the liquid discharge head 5 to rotate in the θZ direction at the angle θ to change the spacing of the nozzles 51 in the non-scanning direction to satisfy the above equation (1). For example, the angle θ can be determined based on resolution information representing the resolution in the non-scanning direction. The liquid supply device 1 is provided with a user interface (display unit and input unit), and multiple resolutions can be displayed in a selection form on the display unit. The multiple resolutions are each set to the resolution obtained by the liquid discharge head 5 in the posture that satisfies the above equation (1), and include the resolution obtained by the liquid discharge head 5 in the first posture and the resolution obtained by the liquid discharge head 5 in the second posture. Therefore, the controller 11 can obtain the resolution selected by the user from the multiple resolutions via the input unit as resolution information, and determine the posture of the liquid discharge head 5 to satisfy the above equation (1) based on the resolution information.

[0047] <Second Embodiment>

[0048] A second embodiment of this disclosure will be described. Since the discharge of droplets 4 causes vibration in each nozzle 51 of the liquid discharge head 5, if this vibration affects another nozzle 51, it may be difficult to accurately supply droplets 4 from that other nozzle 51 to the substrate 2. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as crosstalk. In this embodiment, the posture of the liquid discharge head 5 during the discharge process is determined based on arrangement information (e.g., design data) indicating the arrangement of multiple target areas on the substrate 2 to reduce the effect of crosstalk. An example of this will be described below, wherein the posture of the liquid discharge head 5 during the discharge process is selected from a first posture and a second posture based on the arrangement information to reduce the effect of crosstalk. For the sake of brevity, except as disclosed below, the description of the second embodiment includes, by reference, the description of the components and steps of the first embodiment.

[0049] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Examples of the arrangement of multiple target regions 21 on substrate 2 are shown. Each target region 21 is the region (pixel region) to which droplets 4 are supplied to form pixels on substrate 2. The multiple target regions 21 can be classified into pixel regions of three colors: R, G, and B (red, green, and blue). Figure 4 and Figure 5 In this context, each target region is assigned "R", "G" or "B" to indicate the type of pixels formed in that region.

[0050] Figure 4 An example is shown in which multiple target regions 21a extending in a non-scanning direction (X direction) as the longitudinal direction are arranged on a substrate 2 along a scanning direction (Y direction). Each target region 21a is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape, and the target regions 21a of R, G, and B are arranged repeatedly in the scanning direction. Figure 5 An example is shown where multiple target regions 21b are arranged on a substrate 2, wherein the pixel size and inter-pixel distance of the multiple target regions are different for R, G, and B. Each target region 21b can be formed, for example, in a circular shape. In this example, when it is necessary to supply droplets 4 of three colors R, G, and B to... Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the case of the corresponding target area 21 on the substrate 2 shown in each of the figures, the liquid supply device 1 can be provided with three types of liquid discharge heads 5 for discharging liquid droplets 4 (ink) of different colors. These three types of liquid discharge heads 5 can be arranged along, for example, a non-scanning direction (X direction).

[0051] about Figure 4 and Figure 5 The substrate 2 shown in each of the figures below will be referred to below. Figure 6A and Figure 6B , Figure 7A and Figure 7B as well as Figure 8A and Figure 8B Describe the effects of crosstalk when the discharge process is performed by the liquid discharge head 5 in the first position and when the discharge process is performed by the liquid discharge head 5 in the second position.

[0052] Figure 6A and Figure 6B Each of the five pairs of liquid discharge heads is shown. Figure 4 An example of performing an ejection process on the target region 21a of the R pixel on the substrate 2 shown. Figure 6A and Figure 6B Only one nozzle array 52 from each of the liquid discharge heads 5 is shown. This nozzle array 52 includes nozzles 51a to 51d.

[0053] Figure 6A The diagram illustrates a state where a liquid discharge head 5, in a first orientation, performs a discharge process on a target region 21a of an R-pixel on a substrate 2. As described above, the first orientation is the orientation of the liquid discharge head 5 when the array direction of the nozzles 51 in the nozzle array 52 is parallel to the non-scanning direction. In this case, since all nozzles 51a to 51d are arranged on the target region 21a of the R-pixel, droplets 4 are discharged from nozzles 51a to 51d at the same time during the discharge process. That is, nozzles 51a to 51d, especially adjacent nozzles 51, are significantly affected by crosstalk. As a result, it is difficult to accurately supply droplets 4 onto the substrate 2, leading to uneven supply of droplets 4 on the substrate 2.

[0054] Figure 6B The diagram illustrates a state where a liquid discharge head 5, in a second orientation, performs a discharge process on a target region 21a of an R-pixel on a substrate 2. As described above, the second orientation is the orientation of the liquid discharge head 5 when the array direction of the nozzles 51 in the nozzle array 52 is tilted at an angle θ relative to the non-scanning direction. In this case, among the nozzles 51a to 51d, only nozzles 51a and 51c are arranged on the target region 21a of the R-pixel. That is, the nozzles 51, which are adjacent to each other and are subject to significant crosstalk, will not discharge droplets 4 at the same time.

[0055] Therefore, in Figure 4 In the arrangement of the multiple target regions 21a shown, the array direction of the nozzles 51 is tilted relative to the non-scanning direction, as... Figure 6BAs shown, the distance between nozzles that discharge droplets 4 at the same time can be increased. That is, the effect of crosstalk can be reduced. Furthermore, as described in the first embodiment, by tilting the array direction of the nozzles 51 relative to the non-scanning direction by an angle θ, the nozzles 51 can be arranged at equal intervals in the non-scanning direction in all m nozzle arrays 52. That is, for each target region 21a on the substrate 2, droplets 4 can be supplied at equal intervals in the non-scanning direction, thereby reducing the non-uniformity of droplet 4 supply on the substrate 2. Note that in Figure 4 On the substrate 2 shown, the target region 21a of the G pixel and the target region 21a of the B pixel are similar to the target region 21a of the R pixel.

[0056] Figure 7A and Figure 7B Each of the five pairs of liquid discharge heads is shown. Figure 5 This example illustrates the removal process performed on the target region 21b of the R pixel on substrate 2. Similar to... Figure 6A and Figure 6B , Figure 7A and Figure 7B Only one nozzle array 52 from each of the liquid discharge heads 5 is shown. This nozzle array 52 includes nozzles 51a to 51d.

[0057] Figure 7A The diagram illustrates a state where a liquid discharge head 5 in a first orientation is used to perform a discharge process on a target region 21b of an R pixel on a substrate 2. In this case, among the nozzles 51a to 51d, only nozzles 51a and 51c are arranged on the target region 21b of the R pixel. That is, the nozzles 51, which are adjacent to each other and are greatly affected by crosstalk, will not discharge droplets 4 at the same time.

[0058] Figure 7B The diagram illustrates a state where a liquid discharge head 5 in a second orientation is used to perform a discharge process on a target region 21b of an R pixel on a substrate 2. In this case, the nozzles 51a and 51b, which are adjacent to each other, are significantly affected by crosstalk because the timing of the discharge of the liquid droplets 4 is close to each other.

[0059] Therefore, in Figure 5 In the arrangement of the target region 21b of the R pixel shown, the array direction of the nozzles 51 is parallel to the non-scanning direction, as... Figure 7A As shown, the distance between the nozzles that discharge droplets 4 at the same time can be increased. That is, the effects of crosstalk can be reduced. Note that in Figure 5 On the substrate 2 shown, the target region 21b of the B pixel is similar to the target region 21b of the R pixel.

[0060] On the other hand, depending on the arrangement of the target region 21 of pixels of a different color from the R pixel, the effect of crosstalk can be reduced to a greater extent when the array direction of the nozzle 51 is tilted relative to the non-scanning direction, compared to the case where the array direction of the nozzle 51 is parallel to the non-scanning direction. Figure 8A and Figure 8B Each of the five pairs of liquid discharge heads is shown. Figure 5 This example illustrates the removal process performed on the target region 21b of the G pixel on substrate 2. Similar to... Figure 6A and Figure 6B as well as Figure 7A and Figure 7B , Figure 8A and Figure 8B Only one nozzle array 52 from each of the liquid discharge heads 5 is shown. This nozzle array 52 includes nozzles 51a to 51d.

[0061] Figure 8A The diagram illustrates a state where a liquid discharge head 5 in a first orientation is used to perform a discharge process on a target region 21b of a G-pixel on a substrate 2. In this case, since all nozzles 51a to 51d are arranged on the target region 21b of the G-pixel, nozzles 51a to 51d discharge droplets 4 simultaneously during the discharge process. That is, nozzles 51a to 51d, especially adjacent nozzles 51, are significantly affected by crosstalk. As a result, it is difficult to accurately supply droplets 4 onto the substrate 2, leading to uneven supply of droplets 4 on the substrate 2.

[0062] Figure 8B The diagram illustrates a state where a liquid discharge head 5 in a second orientation is used to perform a discharge process on a target region 21b of a G-pixel on a substrate 2. In this case, among the nozzles 51a to 51d, only nozzles 51a and 51c are arranged on the target region 21b of the G-pixel. That is, the nozzles 51, which are adjacent to each other and are greatly affected by crosstalk, will not discharge droplets 4 at the same time.

[0063] Therefore, in Figure 5 In the arrangement of the target region 21b of the G pixel shown, the array direction of the nozzles 51 is tilted relative to the non-scanning direction, as... Figure 8B As shown, the distance between nozzles that discharge droplets 4 at the same time can be increased. That is, the effect of crosstalk can be reduced. In addition, as described in the first embodiment, by tilting the array direction of the nozzles 51 relative to the non-scanning direction by an angle θ, the nozzles 51 can be arranged at equal intervals in the non-scanning direction in all m nozzle arrays 52, thereby reducing the non-uniformity of the supply of droplets 4 on the substrate 2.

[0064] As described above, depending on the arrangement of the plurality of target regions 21 on the substrate 2, the posture of the liquid discharge head 5 that can reduce the influence of crosstalk during the discharge process can be either a first posture or a second posture. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the controller 11 determines the posture of the liquid discharge head 5 during the discharge process based on the arrangement information. For example, the controller 11 selects the posture of the liquid discharge head 5 during the discharge process from the first posture and the second posture based on the arrangement information, and controls the drive mechanism 12 to set the selected posture. This can reduce the influence of crosstalk generated during the discharge process and accurately supply the droplets onto the substrate 2.

[0065] <Third Embodiment>

[0066] A third embodiment of this disclosure will now be described. For the sake of brevity, except as disclosed below, the description of the third embodiment includes, by reference, descriptions of the components and steps of the first and second embodiments.

[0067] The first embodiment described above has already explained an example where, as Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the array orientation of the nozzles 51 relative to the non-scanning direction is changed by rotating the liquid discharge head 5 in the θZ direction via the drive mechanism 12. However, on the discharge surface 5a of the liquid discharge head 5, a [missing information - likely a device or structure] can be provided. Figure 3A The first nozzle group formed by the m nozzle arrays 52 shown and the nozzles formed by... Figure 3B The second nozzle group is formed by the array of m nozzles 52 shown. The first nozzle group and the second nozzle group are inclined relative to each other at an angle θ, and the angle θ satisfies the above equation (1). The first nozzle group and the second nozzle group can be disposed on the same integrated plate or different integrated plates on the discharge surface 5a of the liquid discharge head 5. Note that the first nozzle group can be understood as a first discharge outlet group formed by the array of m discharge outlets, and the second nozzle group can be understood as a second discharge outlet group formed by the array of m discharge outlets.

[0068] As described above, the liquid discharge head 5 is provided with a first nozzle group and a second nozzle group. The first nozzle group is a group in which the array direction of the nozzles 51 in each nozzle array 52 is parallel to the non-scanning direction, and the second nozzle group is a group in which the array direction of the nozzles 51 in each nozzle array 52 is inclined at an angle θ relative to the non-scanning direction. In this case, based on the arrangement information, the controller 11 selects the nozzle group to be used for discharge processing from the first nozzle group and the second nozzle group to reduce the effect of crosstalk. The method of selecting the nozzle group is the same as the method of selecting the orientation of the liquid discharge head 5 described in the second embodiment, and its description will be omitted.

[0069] <Product Manufacturing Method>

[0070] The article manufacturing method according to embodiments of this disclosure is applicable to the manufacture of articles, such as display panels for organic EL displays, microdevices for semiconductor devices, or components with fine structures. The article manufacturing method according to embodiments includes a supply step of supplying liquid to a substrate using the aforementioned liquid supply equipment (liquid supply method), a processing step of processing the substrate to which liquid has already been supplied in the supply step, and a step of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step. Additionally, the article manufacturing method includes other well-known steps (calcination, cooling, cleaning, oxidation, deposition, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist removal, dicing, bonding, encapsulation, etc.). The article manufacturing method according to this embodiment is more advantageous than conventional methods in at least one aspect of article performance, quality, productivity, and production cost.

[0071] <Other Embodiments>

[0072] Embodiments of this disclosure can also be implemented by a computer of a system or device that reads and executes computer-executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be more fully referred to as a "non-transitory computer-readable storage medium") to perform the functions of one or more of the above embodiments, and / or the computer of the system or device includes one or more circuits (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above embodiments; and by a method executed by the computer of the system or device, which performs the functions of one or more of the above embodiments, for example, by reading and executing computer-executable instructions from a storage medium and / or by controlling one or more circuits. The computer may include one or more processors (e.g., CPU, microprocessor unit (MPU)) and may include a network of individual computers or individual processors to read and execute computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable instructions may, for example, be provided to the computer from a network or storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), the memory of a distributed computing system, an optical disc (e.g., a compact optical disc (CD), a digital versatile optical disc (DVD), or a Blu-ray disc (BD)). TM One or more of the following: flash memory devices, memory cards, etc.

[0073] Other embodiments

[0074] Embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented by providing software (including computer program products of computer programs / instructions) that performs the functions of the above embodiments to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and the computer (central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor unit (MPU)) of the system or device reads out and executes the computer program / instructions.

[0075] While this disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to cover all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. A liquid discharge head including a discharge surface, the liquid discharge head comprising: An array of m discharge outlets is disposed on the discharge surface, wherein: each discharge outlet array is formed by arranging multiple discharge outlets at a spacing A in one direction, and each discharge outlet is configured to discharge liquid as a corresponding droplet. The m discharge outlet arrays are arranged to be offset by a first distance d1 in one direction and by a second distance d2 in a direction perpendicular to the one direction. In each of the first posture in which one direction is parallel to the predetermined direction and the second posture in which one direction is inclined at an angle θ relative to the predetermined direction, the discharge outlets on the m discharge outlet array are arranged at equal intervals in the predetermined direction. d1=A / m, and d2 = 2n·d1 / tanθ.

2. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein: In the process of supplying liquid to the substrate, while scanning the liquid discharge head and the substrate relative to each other along the scanning direction, the liquid discharge head is controlled to discharge droplets, and The predetermined direction is a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction.

3. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein: p2 = p1·cosθ Where p1 is the spacing of the discharge outlets arranged at equal intervals in the predetermined direction under the first posture, and p2 is the spacing of the discharge outlets arranged at equal intervals in the predetermined direction in the second posture.

4. The liquid discharge head according to claim 3, wherein: p1=d1.

5. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein, The angle θ is in the range of 5° to 10°.

6. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein, n is a natural number in the range of 2 to 4.

7. A liquid supply device for supplying liquid to each of a plurality of target regions on a substrate, the liquid supply device comprising: Liquid discharge head according to any one of claims 1 to 6; and The controller is configured to: While scanning the liquid discharge head and the substrate relative to each other along the scanning direction, the liquid discharge head is controlled to discharge corresponding droplets, and Based on information indicating the arrangement of the plurality of target regions on the substrate, one posture is selected from the first posture and the second posture.

8. The liquid supply device of claim 7, further comprising a drive mechanism configured to rotatably drive the liquid discharge head in a plane parallel to the discharge surface. in, The controller is further configured to control the drive mechanism based on the information to set the posture of the liquid discharge head to one of the postures selected from the first posture and the second posture.

9. A method for manufacturing an article, comprising: Liquid is supplied to the substrate using the liquid supply device according to claim 7; Processing a substrate that has already been supplied with liquid; as well as Products are manufactured from processed substrates.

10. A liquid discharge head including a discharge surface, the liquid discharge head comprising: First discharge outlet group; and The second discharge outlet group includes: Each of the first discharge outlet group and the second discharge outlet group is formed by an array of m discharge outlets disposed on the discharge surface. Each outlet array is formed by arranging multiple outlets at a spacing A in one direction, each outlet being configured to discharge liquid as a corresponding droplet. The m discharge outlet arrays are arranged to be offset by a first distance d1 in one direction and by a second distance d2 in a direction perpendicular to the one direction. The first discharge outlet group and the second discharge outlet group are inclined relative to each other at an angle θ. d1=A / m, and d2 = 2n·d1 / tanθ, where n is a natural number.

11. A liquid supply device for supplying liquid to each of a plurality of target regions on a substrate, the liquid supply device comprising: The liquid discharge head according to claim 10; and The controller is configured to: While scanning the liquid discharge head and the substrate relative to each other along the scanning direction, the liquid discharge head is controlled to discharge corresponding droplets, and Based on information indicating the arrangement of the plurality of target regions on the substrate, a discharge outlet group is selected from the first discharge outlet group and the second discharge outlet group.

12. A method for manufacturing an article of articles, the method comprising: Liquid is supplied to the substrate using the liquid supply device according to claim 11; Processing a substrate that has already been supplied with liquid; as well as Products are manufactured from processed substrates.

13. A liquid discharge head, comprising: Multiple outlet arrays, each configured to discharge liquid as droplets, wherein the multiple outlet arrays are formed at a certain spacing in a first direction. The plurality of outlet arrays are offset by a first distance d1 in the first direction and offset in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and In the first and second postures, a predetermined number of outlet arrays are arranged at equal intervals in a predetermined direction.

14. The liquid discharge head according to claim 13, wherein, The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction and offset by a second distance d2.

15. The liquid discharge head according to claim 13, wherein, In the first posture, the first direction is parallel to the predetermined direction.

16. The liquid discharge head according to claim 13, wherein, In the second posture, the first direction is tilted at an angle θ relative to the predetermined direction.

17. The liquid discharge head according to claim 16, wherein, d2 = 2n·d1 / tanθ.

18. The liquid discharge head according to claim 17, wherein, n is a natural number.

19. The liquid discharge head according to claim 13, wherein: d1=A / m, Where A corresponds to the spacing in the first direction and m corresponds to the number of outlet arrays.

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