Decision method, liquid supply method, article manufacturing method, storage medium, computer program product, information processing device, and liquid supply device

Abstract

This invention provides a technique for supplying droplets onto a substrate with high precision. The method determines the conditions for supplying droplets from each of the multiple discharge holes to multiple target regions arranged along the scanning direction on the substrate during a process in which a nozzle with multiple discharge holes arranged in one direction scans relative to the substrate and discharges droplets from each discharge hole. The method determines the tilt amount of the nozzle relative to the scanning direction as a condition based on various information, including: first information regarding the spacing of the multiple discharge holes; second information regarding the spacing of the multiple target regions; third information regarding the relative scanning speed of the nozzle and the substrate; fourth information regarding the time until the amplitude of the vibration caused by droplet discharge at one discharge hole reaches an acceptable range in adjacent discharge holes; and fifth information regarding the distance from that discharge hole to the amplitude of the vibration caused by droplet discharge at one discharge hole reaching an acceptable range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a decision method, a liquid supply method, a method for manufacturing articles, a storage medium, a computer program product, an information processing apparatus, and a liquid supply apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, liquid supply devices have been used to apply liquid droplets, which are the material for the functional components, to a substrate in the manufacture of various functional components, thereby forming patterns (i.e., pattern generation). This pattern generation using liquid supply devices has the following advantages: high material utilization efficiency due to on-demand pattern generation; it is a non-vacuum process, allowing for smaller manufacturing equipment; and it enables high-speed, large-area coating. For example, liquid supply devices can be used to manufacture display devices such as flat panel displays. Various display methods have been proposed for display devices, with the development of display devices using organic EL (Organic Electron) elements being particularly prevalent in recent years. Because organic EL materials used to manufacture organic EL elements are expensive, using liquid supply devices, which offer high material utilization efficiency and high-speed, large-area coating capabilities, is effective in manufacturing organic EL elements.

[0003] In a liquid supply device, liquid is supplied to the substrate by controlling the discharge of droplets from each nozzle while scanning (i.e., scanning movement) a nozzle with multiple nozzles (discharge holes) arranged to discharge droplets relative to the substrate. At this time, the spacing (i.e., resolution) of the droplets supplied to the substrate can be adjusted by tilting the nozzle relative to the scanning direction. However, since the discharge of droplets causes vibration in each nozzle, if this vibration affects other nozzles, it becomes difficult to supply droplets to the substrate with high precision from those other nozzles. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as crosstalk. Patent Document 1 describes a method of tilting the nozzle relative to the scanning direction to adjust the spacing (printing pitch) of the droplets supplied to the substrate. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 also describes providing multiple nozzle rows in the nozzle and suppressing crosstalk by alternately discharging droplets from different nozzle rows.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5857205 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] In a liquid supply apparatus, droplets are supplied from each nozzle while scanning the substrate relative to the nozzle head for multiple target areas (pixel areas) arranged along the scanning direction. At this time, in order to supply droplets to each target area of ​​the substrate with high precision and reduce crosstalk, it is desirable to determine the amount of tilt of the nozzle head relative to the scanning direction.

[0009] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a technique that facilitates the precise supply of droplets to a substrate.

[0010] Solution for solving the problem

[0011] To achieve the above objective, as one aspect of the present invention, a method for determining conditions for supplying droplets from each discharge hole to multiple target regions arranged along the scanning direction on the substrate during a process in which a nozzle and a substrate having multiple discharge holes arranged in one direction are scanned relative to each other in a scanning direction, is characterized in that the tilt amount of the nozzle relative to the scanning direction is determined as the condition based on multiple pieces of information, including: first information related to the spacing of the multiple discharge holes in the one direction; second information related to the spacing of the multiple target regions in the scanning direction; third information related to the relative scanning speed of the nozzle and the substrate in the process; fourth information related to the time until the amplitude of the vibration occurring in one discharge hole due to the discharge of droplets in the nozzle reaches an allowable range in adjacent discharge holes; and fifth information related to the distance from the discharge hole to the discharge hole when the amplitude of the vibration occurring in one discharge hole due to the discharge of droplets in the nozzle reaches the allowable range.

[0012] Furthermore, to achieve the above-mentioned objective, as one aspect of the present invention, a liquid supply device supplies liquid to a substrate. This liquid supply device is characterized by comprising: a nozzle having a plurality of discharge holes arranged in one direction for discharging liquid droplets; and a control unit that controls a process of discharging liquid droplets from each discharge hole while scanning the nozzle and the substrate relative to each other in a scanning direction. The control unit, as a condition for supplying liquid droplets from each discharge hole to a plurality of target areas arranged along the scanning direction on the substrate, determines the tilt amount of the nozzle relative to the scanning direction based on various parameter values. The aforementioned parameter values ​​include: first information related to the spacing of the plurality of discharge holes in the aforementioned one direction; second information related to the spacing of the plurality of target regions in the aforementioned scanning direction; third information related to the relative scanning speed of the aforementioned nozzle and the aforementioned substrate during the aforementioned processing; fourth information related to the time until the amplitude of the vibration occurring in one discharge hole due to the discharge of droplets in the aforementioned nozzle reaches an allowable range in adjacent discharge holes; and fifth information related to the distance from the aforementioned discharge hole to the aforementioned discharge hole when the amplitude of the vibration occurring in one discharge hole due to the discharge of droplets in the aforementioned nozzle reaches the aforementioned allowable range.

[0013] Other objects or aspects of the invention will become apparent from the preferred embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] The effects of the invention

[0015] According to the present invention, for example, a technique can be provided that facilitates the precise supply of droplets to a substrate. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a liquid supply device.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the discharge head.

[0018] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the effects of crosstalk in conventional liquid supply systems.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a nozzle array (multiple nozzles) and multiple target areas in the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a graph used to supplement the explanation of the convergence time of information 4.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a graph used to supplement the explanation of the convergence distance in information 5.

[0022] Figure 7This is a conceptual diagram illustrating the continuous discharge of three droplets into a target area.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a graph showing the relationship between the elapsed time from the moment the first droplet is ejected from the first nozzle and the crosstalk effect experienced by the second nozzle.

[0024] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing the set positions of the supply droplets within a target area.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the method for determining the timing of droplet discharge from each nozzle. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. Several features are described in the embodiments, but not all of these features are essential components of the invention; moreover, these features can be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same or identical components are labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0027] In this specification and accompanying drawings, directions are typically represented by an XYZ coordinate system that uses a plane parallel to the horizontal plane (e.g., the plane on which the substrate is disposed) as the XY plane. Directions parallel to the X, Y, and Z axes of the XYZ coordinate system are designated as the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, respectively. Rotations about the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are designated as θX, θY, and θZ, respectively. Control and drive (movement) of the X, Y, and Z axes refer to control or drive (movement) about directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively. Similarly, control or drive of the θX, θY, and θZ axes refer to control or drive of rotations about axes parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively.

[0028] <First Embodiment>

[0029] The liquid supply apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The liquid supply apparatus 1 is an apparatus that forms a pattern on a substrate by supplying (applying, distributing) a functional element material, i.e., a liquid, as droplets onto a substrate. The liquid supply apparatus 1 is sometimes referred to as a liquid dispensing apparatus or an inkjet apparatus, and can function as a substrate processing apparatus for processing display panels or semiconductor substrates. For example, the liquid supply apparatus 1 can be used to manufacture display devices such as flat panel displays or OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) devices. Furthermore, hereafter, the liquid supplied to the substrate by the liquid supply apparatus 1 will sometimes be simply referred to as "liquid." The liquid is sometimes referred to as ink, and its composition is not particularly limited; for example, it may contain a solute and a solvent for forming an organic film on the substrate.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the liquid supply device 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 1 (a) represents a side view of the liquid supply device 1. Figure 1 (b) shows a top view of the liquid supply device 1. The liquid supply device 1 includes: a substrate stage 3 that holds and moves the substrate 2; a discharge head 4 with a plurality of discharge holes 31 for discharging liquid as droplets 5; an adjustment mechanism 6; and a control unit 7. The liquid supply device 1 performs the following discharge process: while scanning the discharge head 4 and the substrate 2 relative to each other in the scanning direction (Y direction), the discharge head 4 (each discharge hole 31) discharges droplets 5. In this discharge process, the discharge of droplets 5 from the discharge head 4 is repeated multiple times. As a result, a plurality of droplets 5 can be supplied (applied, arranged) to the substrate 2 in a desired distribution. The discharge process can be performed once or multiple times on a single substrate 2.

[0031] The substrate stage 3 holds the substrate 2 using vacuum suction or the like, and moves (drives) the substrate 2 in the XY direction by moving it in the XY direction. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the discharge head 4 and the substrate 2 are scanned relative to each other by moving the substrate 2 relative to the discharge head 4 using the substrate stage 3. However, relative scanning of the discharge head 4 and the substrate 2 can be performed by moving the discharge head 4 relative to the substrate 2, or by moving the discharge head 4 and the substrate 2 relative to each other.

[0032] The substrate 2 can be appropriately selected from glass substrates or plastic substrates, depending on the object to be manufactured. The substrate 2 is typically a plate-shaped member, but it is not limited to a specific shape as long as it functions as a substrate. For example, the substrate 2 can be a deformable film or a disk-shaped substrate. Furthermore, multiple target regions 8 for supplying droplets 5 are arranged on the substrate 2 along the scanning direction (Y direction). Each target region 8 is a region in the substrate 2 where a pixel is formed (pixel region), and can be a region extending along a non-scanning direction (X direction) perpendicular to the scanning direction. Each target region 8 can, for example, be configured as a rectangle.

[0033] The discharge head 4 has a plurality of discharge holes 31 on its surface 4a (discharge surface) facing the substrate 2, and can be configured to discharge droplets 5 into the substrate 2 from the plurality of discharge holes 31 respectively. In the discharge head 4 of this embodiment, as shown... Figure 1 As shown in (b), a row of discharge holes 30 is provided, in which multiple discharge holes 31 are arranged in one direction. Here, each discharge hole 31 can be configured, for example, as a nozzle for discharging droplets 5. Hereinafter, the discharge hole 31 will sometimes be referred to as "nozzle 31" and the row of discharge holes 30 will sometimes be referred to as "nozzle row 30".

[0034] Figure 2 An example of the configuration of the discharge head 4 is shown. The discharge head 4 is provided with multiple nozzle rows 30, and each nozzle row 30 is provided with multiple nozzles 31 arranged in one direction. Figure 2 The following example is shown: The discharge head 4 is provided with two nozzle rows 30a~30b, and six nozzles 31 are arranged in one direction in each nozzle row 30a~30b. However, the number of nozzle rows 30 provided in the discharge head 4 and the number of nozzles 31 contained in each nozzle row 30 can be arbitrarily changed (increased or decreased).

[0035] Here, as an example, the spacing 33 of the plurality of nozzles 31 arranged in one direction in each nozzle row 30 is 169.3 μm, or 150 npi ("npi" represents the number of nozzles per inch). Furthermore, the tilt of the discharge head 4 is adjusted by the adjustment mechanism 6 in a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate 2 (and / or the discharge surface 4a). This allows for the variation of the spacing 32 of the plurality of nozzles 31 on the discharge head 4 in the non-scanning direction (X direction), i.e., the spacing of the plurality of droplets supplied to the substrate 2 in the non-scanning direction.

[0036] The adjustment mechanism 6 adjusts the position of the discharge head 4 (each nozzle row 30) in the XY direction by driving the discharge head 4 in the XY direction. The adjustment mechanism 6 can also be configured to adjust the tilt of the discharge head 4 (each nozzle row 30) relative to the scanning direction by driving the discharge head 4 to rotate in the θZ direction in a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate 2 (i.e., the discharge surface 4a).

[0037] The control unit 7, for example, is an information processing device (computer) having a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit such as a memory, and controls various parts of the liquid supply device 1 (substrate stage 3, discharge head 4, etc.). For example, the control unit 7 controls the discharge process by controlling the substrate stage 3 and the discharge head 4, which discharges droplets 5 by causing the discharge head 4 (each nozzle 31) to discharge while scanning the substrate 2 relative to each other in the scanning direction. In addition, the control unit 7 may be composed of, for example, a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a general-purpose computer with embedded programs, or a combination of all or part of them.

[0038] However, in conventional liquid supply devices, crosstalk sometimes occurs between multiple nozzles 31 when manufacturing display devices with specific resolutions. Crosstalk refers to the mutual influence between nozzles caused by vibrations generated in each nozzle due to droplet discharge. Since the liquid supply device 1 is required to manufacture display devices with multiple resolutions, it is difficult to supply droplets with high precision from each nozzle 31 to the substrate 2 due to such crosstalk.

[0039] Reference Figure 3 This is to illustrate the effects of crosstalk in conventional liquid supply devices. Figure 3 An example is shown where droplets are supplied to multiple target regions 10 arranged in the scanning direction (Y direction) on a substrate while scanning the substrate with multiple nozzle arrays 12 relative to it. Each target region 10 is a rectangular region extending along the non-scanning direction (X direction). Each nozzle array 12 has multiple nozzles 11 arranged along one direction.

[0040] In this scenario, if droplets are discharged approximately simultaneously from two or more nozzles 11 among a plurality of nozzles 11 in a single nozzle array 12, the nozzles will experience significant crosstalk between each other. Specifically, as... Figure 3 As shown in (a), when the spacing 13 of the nozzles 11 in the scanning direction is different from the spacing 14a of the target regions 10a~10b, in each nozzle row 12, droplets are not ejected from more than two nozzles 11 at approximately the same time. That is, the nozzles are less likely to be affected by crosstalk. On the other hand, as Figure 3As shown in (b), when the spacing 13 of the nozzles in the scanning direction is the same as the spacing 14b of the target areas 10c to 10e, droplets are sometimes ejected from two or more nozzles 11 at approximately the same time in each nozzle row 12. That is, the nozzles are easily affected by crosstalk.

[0041] For example, in the device described in Patent Document 1, it is envisioned that the spacing 13 of the nozzles 11 in the scanning direction is 169.3 μm. In this case, the manufacturing of a display device with a target area spacing of 169.3 μm around 150 ppi and a target area spacing of 84.6 μm around 300 ppi in the scanning direction is susceptible to crosstalk.

[0042] Therefore, in this embodiment, the tilt amount of the discharge head 4 is determined as a condition for discharge processing (hereinafter sometimes referred to as processing conditions) in a way that can reduce crosstalk and supply droplets 5 to each target area 8 with high precision. The tilt amount of the discharge head 4 refers to the amount by which the discharge head 4 tilts (rotates) relative to the scanning direction along the θZ direction in a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate 2 (and / or the discharge surface 4a). In addition, the processing conditions refer to the conditions for supplying droplets 5 from each nozzle 31 to each of the multiple target areas 8 arranged along the scanning direction on the substrate 2. Hereinafter, the method for determining the tilt amount of the discharge head 4 in this embodiment will be described. In the case of this embodiment, the determination of the tilt amount of the discharge head 4 can be performed by the control unit 7 of the liquid supply device 1, but it is not limited to this, and can also be performed by an information processing device provided as an external device of the liquid supply device 1.

[0043] Figure 4 An example is shown where a single nozzle array 30, containing multiple nozzles 31a-31f arranged in one direction, is used to perform discharge processing on target regions 8a and 8d arranged at a spacing of 43 along the scanning direction (Y direction) on substrate 2. Figure 4For simplicity, only two target regions 8a and 8d are shown in this embodiment, but in reality, a large number of target regions 8 are arranged along the scanning direction at a spacing of 43 on the substrate 2. Furthermore, target regions 8c to 8d are disposed between target regions 8a and 8d on the substrate 2, and multiple target regions 8a to 8d, including these, are arranged along the scanning direction at a spacing of 42. For example, multiple target regions 8 (pixel regions) for forming RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) pixels can be arranged along the scanning direction on the substrate 2. In this embodiment, the description focuses on target regions 8a and 8d, which are used to form one type of pixel (e.g., a pixel of R) using a single nozzle array 30. Target regions 8b to 8c, used to form other types of pixels (e.g., pixels of GB), can be supplied with droplets by other nozzle arrays 30, other discharge heads 4, or other liquid supply devices 1.

[0044] In this embodiment, the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4 is determined using various information (parameter values). The tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4 is defined as the angle formed by the non-scanning direction (X direction) and the arrangement direction (one direction) of the nozzles 31a~31f in a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate 2. In addition, the various information may include the following five types of information.

[0045] The first information indicates the spacing 33 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as nozzle spacing 33) of the multiple nozzles 31a~31f arranged in one direction in the discharge head 4.

[0046] The second piece of information indicates the spacing 43 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the area spacing 43) of the plurality of target areas 8 arranged on the substrate 2 along the scanning direction. The area spacing 43 can also be understood as an indicator of the resolution (highest resolution) of the display device manufactured by the liquid supply device 1.

[0047] The third piece of information indicates the speed at which the discharge head 4 and the substrate 2 are scanned relative to each other during the discharge process (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the scanning speed).

[0048] The fourth information indicates the time until the amplitude (effect) of the vibration that occurs in one nozzle 31 due to the discharge of droplets 5 in the discharge head reaches the allowable range in the adjacent nozzles 31 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the convergence time).

[0049] The fifth information indicates the distance from the nozzle 31 (sometimes referred to as the convergence distance) at which the amplitude (influence) of the vibration occurring in a nozzle 31 due to the discharge of droplet 5 within the discharge head reaches the allowable range.

[0050] Here, refer to Figure 5 Supplementary explanation of the convergence time of the fourth piece of information. Figure 5 The diagram illustrates the relationship between the elapsed time from the discharge of droplet 5 into the vibration of a nozzle 31 and the crosstalk effect (i.e., the amplitude of the vibration) experienced by the adjacent nozzle 31. The elapsed time can also be understood as the difference in the timing of droplet 5 discharge between the nozzle 31 and its adjacent nozzle. In nozzles 31 affected by crosstalk, the discharge velocity of droplet 5 may change, or the volume of the discharged droplet 5 may change; in this embodiment, the focus is on the discharge velocity.

[0051] The crosstalk effect experienced by adjacent nozzles 31 increases with shorter elapsed time and decreases with longer elapsed time. A very long elapsed time (e.g., exceeding 100 μs) is required before the crosstalk effect completely disappears in adjacent nozzles 31, but it only needs to converge to a level suitable for manufacturing a display device. For example, the allowable range of the amplitude of the vibration, which is a crosstalk effect, can be set to a range that allows for the high-precision supply of droplets 5 from adjacent nozzles 31 to a target location range on the substrate 2. In this embodiment, as... Figure 5 As shown, the time elapsed until the amplitude (e.g., peak value, maximum value) of the vibration occurring in one nozzle 31 due to the discharge of droplet 5 reaches the allowable range 50 in the adjacent nozzle 31 is set as the convergence time T. The allowable range 50 and the convergence time T can be preset by experiment or simulation.

[0052] Next, refer to Figure 6 Further explanation is provided regarding the convergence distance of information number 5. Figure 6 The relationship between the distance between the nozzles 31 that vibrate due to the discharge of droplets 5 and the maximum value of the crosstalk effect (i.e. the amplitude of the vibration) at that distance is shown. Figure 6 The spacing is expressed by a multiple (natural number) of the nozzle spacing 33, that is, an index indicating how many nozzles 31 are left from the first nozzle 31 that vibrates.

[0053] The crosstalk effect (maximum value) increases with decreasing spacing and decreases with increasing spacing. A very long separation distance (e.g., more than 10 nozzles) is required before the crosstalk effect completely disappears, but it only needs to converge to a level sufficient for manufacturing a display device. For example, the allowable range of the amplitude (maximum value) of the vibration, which is a crosstalk effect, can be set to a range that allows for the precise supply of droplets 5 from the nozzle 31 to the target position range on the substrate 2. In this embodiment, as... Figure 6 As shown, the interval distance until the amplitude (maximum value) of the vibration caused by the discharge of droplet 5 in one nozzle 31 reaches the allowable range 60 is set as the convergence distance. Figure 6In the example, when the multiple of the nozzle spacing 33 (i.e., the number of nozzles counting from the vibrating nozzle 31) is "3", the crosstalk effect is within the allowable range 60. Therefore, this value is set as the index L representing the convergence distance. The allowable range 60 and the convergence distance can be preset through experimentation or simulation. Alternatively, the allowable range 60 can be set to the same range as the allowable range 50 used to set the convergence time T of the fourth information.

[0054] In this embodiment, the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4 is determined within the range of the maximum angle θ1 obtained according to equation (1) and the minimum angle θ2 obtained according to equation (2). In equations (1) to (2), the nozzle spacing 33 of the first information is set to "Ph", the area spacing 43 of the second information is set to "Ps", the scanning speed of the third information is set to "V", the convergence time of the fourth information is set to "T", and the index representing the convergence distance of the fifth information is set to "L". By determining the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4 within the range of the maximum angle θ1 and the minimum angle θ2 obtained in this way, the discharge process is performed with the discharge head 4 tilted based on the tilt amount θ, thereby reducing the crosstalk effect between the multiple nozzles 31. Here, the index L representing the convergence distance of the fifth information can be set such that the maximum angle θ1 is not less than the minimum angle θ2.

[0055] θ1=asin(Ps / L / Ph)…(1)

[0056] θ2=asin(T×V / Ph)…(2)

[0057] As an example, the nozzle spacing Ph of the first information is set to 169.3 μm, the area spacing Ps (highest resolution) of the second information is set to 84.7 μm (300 ppi), and the scanning speed V of the third information is set to 300 mm / s. Furthermore, the convergence time T of the fourth information is set to 40 μs, and the index L representing the convergence distance of the fifth information is set to 3. In this case, if the values ​​are substituted into equation (1), the maximum angle θ1 is asin(84.7 / 3 / 169.3), becoming "9.60°", and the minimum angle θ2 is asin(0.00004×300000 / 169.3), becoming "4.06°". That is, in this example, the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4 is determined within the range of 4.06° to 9.60°. Furthermore, by performing the discharge process with the discharge head 4 tilted relative to the scanning direction by this tilt amount θ, crosstalk effects can be suppressed in the manufacture of display devices with various resolutions.

[0058] [Variation Example 1]

[0059] Modification 1 of this embodiment will be described. In Modification 1, a method is described that determines the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4 by also considering the maximum angular error of the liquid discharge direction of the droplets discharged from the plurality of nozzles 31. The maximum angular error can also be understood as the maximum error in the liquid discharge direction (angle) of the plurality of nozzles 31, that is, the maximum value among the plurality of nozzles 31 of the angular error between the angle (direction) of the liquid discharged from each nozzle 31 and the design angle. The angular error of the liquid discharge direction in each nozzle 31 is sometimes also referred to as discharge misalignment. In addition, except for the matters mentioned below, everything is as described above.

[0060] In Modification 1, the tilt θ of the discharge head 4 is determined using a variety of information, including the following sixth and seventh information.

[0061] Information 6 indicates the maximum angular error (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the maximum angular error) in the droplet discharge direction of the multiple nozzles 31. The maximum angular error is the maximum value of the angular error in the droplet discharge direction that can be generated in the multiple nozzles 31, and is obtained in advance through experiments or simulations.

[0062] Information 7 indicates the distance between the discharge head 4 and the substrate 2 during the discharge process (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the nozzle-substrate distance).

[0063] The angular error in the droplet discharge direction of each nozzle 31 will cause a shift in the attachment position (landing position) of the droplets on the substrate 2. Therefore, when manufacturing a high-resolution display device, it is necessary to take into account this angular error in the droplet discharge direction when determining the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4. In cases where the angular error in the droplet discharge direction is corrected according to the discharge timing of the droplets 5, the discharge timing of the droplets 5 from adjacent nozzles may be close. In such cases, there is a possibility of crosstalk between adjacent nozzles, and it is necessary to change the formula for determining the minimum angle of tilt θ of the discharge head 4.

[0064] In Modification 1, the tilt θ of the discharge head 4 is determined within the range of the maximum angle θ1 obtained according to Equation (1) above and the minimum angle θ3 obtained according to Equation (3) below. In Equation (3), the maximum angle error of the sixth information is set to "E", and the nozzle-substrate spacing of the seventh information is set to "G". By determining the tilt θ of the discharge head 4 within the range of the maximum angle θ1 and the minimum angle θ3 obtained in this way, the discharge process is performed with the discharge head 4 tilted based on this tilt θ, thereby reducing the crosstalk effect between the multiple nozzles 31. Here, the index L representing the convergence distance of the fifth information can be set such that the maximum angle θ1 is not less than the minimum angle θ3.

[0065] θ3=asin((T×V+tan(E)×G) / Ph)…(3)

[0066] As an example, the maximum angular error E of the 6th information is set to ±1.0°, and the nozzle-substrate spacing G is set to 400μm. The aforementioned values ​​are used for the 1st to 5th information. In this case, if the value is substituted into equation (3), the minimum angle θ3 is asin((0.00004×300000+tan(1.0°)×400) / 169.3), which becomes "6.44°". In this example, the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4 is determined within the range of 4.06° to 6.44°. Furthermore, by performing the discharge process with the discharge head 4 tilted by this tilt amount θ relative to the scanning direction, crosstalk effects can be suppressed in the manufacture of display devices with various resolutions.

[0067] [Modification Example 2]

[0068] Modification 2 of this embodiment will be described. In Modification 2, a method for determining the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4 will be described, taking into account the case where droplets are continuously discharged from each nozzle 31. In addition, in Modification 2, the angular error of the droplet discharge direction in each nozzle 31 described in Modification 1 will also be considered. In addition, except for the matters mentioned below, everything is as described above.

[0069] In Modification 2, the tilt θ of the discharge head 4 is determined using a variety of information, including the following 8th and 9th information.

[0070] Information 8 indicates the minimum time interval (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the minimum time interval) for the continuous discharge of droplets 5 from each nozzle 31. The minimum time interval can be obtained in advance by design data representing the configuration of droplets supplied to the substrate 2 by the discharge process, or by experiments or simulations.

[0071] The 9th information indicates the number of droplets 5 continuously discharged by each nozzle 31 to a target area 8 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the number of continuous discharges). The number of continuous discharges can also be understood as the number of droplets 5 continuously discharged by each nozzle 31 per unit time, which can be obtained in advance by design data representing the configuration of droplets supplied to the substrate 2 by the discharge process, or by experiments or simulations.

[0072] Depending on the resolution of the display device, a large number of droplets 5 need to be supplied to each target area 8 forming a pixel. Methods for supplying a large number of droplets 5 to each target area 8 include performing multiple discharge processes and continuously discharging droplets 5 from each nozzle 31 at a high frequency. The multiple discharge process is disadvantageous in terms of productivity because it requires a corresponding time for each number of discharge processes. Therefore, in terms of productivity, the method of continuously discharging droplets 5 from each nozzle 31 at a high frequency can be used. However, in this method, the discharge timing of droplets 5 from multiple nozzles 31 is close, increasing crosstalk between the multiple nozzles 31. Therefore, in Modification 2, the formula for determining the minimum angle of inclination θ of the discharge head 4 needs to be modified by considering the minimum time interval and the number of consecutive discharges.

[0073] In variation 2, the tilt θ of the discharge head 4 is determined within the range of the maximum angle θ1 obtained according to equation (1) above and the minimum angle θ4 obtained according to equation (4) below. In equation (4), the minimum time interval of the 8th information is set to "C", and the number of consecutive discharges of the 9th information is set to "N". The minimum time interval C of the 8th information can be obtained according to equation (5) below based on the frequency (continuous discharge frequency) of the continuously discharged droplets 5 and the scanning speed. By determining the tilt θ of the discharge head 4 within the range of the maximum angle θ1 and the minimum angle θ4 obtained in this way, the discharge process is performed with the discharge head 4 tilted based on the tilt θ, which can reduce the crosstalk effect between multiple nozzles 31. Here, the number of consecutive discharges N of the 9th information can be set such that the maximum angle θ1 is not less than the minimum angle θ4.

[0074] θ4=asin((T×V+tan(E)×G+C×V×N) / Ph)…(4)

[0075] Minimum time interval = scan rate / continuous discharge frequency... (5)

[0076] The 8th information can also replace the minimum time interval C and represent the minimum distance interval (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the minimum distance interval C') of continuously supplying droplets from each nozzle 31 to the substrate 2. In this case, the minimum angle θ4 can be obtained by the following equation (6).

[0077] θ4=asin((T×V+tan(E)×G+C'×N) / Ph)…(6)

[0078] As an example, if the scanning speed is set to 300 mm / s and the continuous discharge frequency is set to 50 kHz (20 μs period), then the minimum distance interval C' of the 8th information is 300 mm / s ÷ 50 kHz, which becomes "6.0 μm". Furthermore, the number of consecutive discharges N for the 9th information is set to 2, and the aforementioned values ​​are used for the 1st to 7th information. In this case, since the discharge timing of the 2nd discharge from a certain nozzle 31 and the 1st discharge from its adjacent nozzle 31 is close to 20 μs, it is necessary to increase the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4. The minimum angle θ4 is asin((0.00004 × 300000 + tan(1.0°) × 400 + (2 - 1) × 6.0) / 169.3), which becomes "8.49°". In this example, the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4 is determined within the range of 4.06° to 8.49°. Furthermore, by performing the discharge process with the discharge head 4 tilted by the tilt amount θ relative to the scanning direction, crosstalk effects can be reduced in the manufacturing of display devices with various resolutions.

[0079] As described above, in this embodiment, the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4 is determined as a processing condition to reduce crosstalk and accurately supply droplets 5 to each target region 8. In determining the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4, multiple pieces of information, including at least the first to fifth pieces of information, are used. The discharge head 4 is tilted according to this determined tilt amount θ, and discharge processing is performed in this state. This reduces the crosstalk effects between the multiple nozzles 31 and enables the accurate supply of droplets to the substrate.

[0080] <Second Implementation>

[0081] The second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Depending on the number of consecutive discharges from each nozzle 31 (e.g., 3 or more consecutive discharges), the maximum angle may be less than the minimum angle, potentially leading to a state where no solution can be found. Therefore, in this embodiment, an example is described where the discharge timing of the droplets 5 is staggered among the multiple nozzles 31 to reduce crosstalk between them. Furthermore, this embodiment essentially follows the first embodiment, except for the matters mentioned below.

[0082] In this embodiment, when the number of consecutive discharges from each nozzle 31 is 3 or more, the timing of droplet 5 discharge at each nozzle 31 is determined as a processing condition in order to reduce crosstalk between the multiple nozzles 31. Hereinafter, we envision a scenario where the multiple nozzles 31 have a first nozzle N1 (first discharge orifice) and a second nozzle N2 (second discharge orifice). The first nozzle N1 and the second nozzle N2 may also be arranged adjacent to each other. In this case, the timing of droplet 5 discharge from each of the first nozzle N1 and the second nozzle N2 is determined as a processing condition, such that the second nozzle N2 discharges the droplets when the amplitude of the vibration caused by droplet discharge at the first nozzle N1 is within an acceptable range.

[0083] As an example, the number of consecutive discharges from each nozzle 31 relative to each of the multiple target regions 8 is set to "3", and the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4 is set to "9.6°". In this case, by using the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4, crosstalk can be reduced before the discharge of the second droplet at each nozzle 31. However, if only the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4 is used, there is a possibility that crosstalk may occur between the discharge of the third droplet at the first nozzle N1 and the discharge of the first droplet at the second nozzle N2.

[0084] Figure 7 This is a conceptual diagram illustrating the continuous discharge of three droplets relative to a target area of ​​8. Figure 7 In this diagram, time t71 indicates the timing of the discharge of the first droplet from the second nozzle N2 relative to position p1 within a target area 8, time t72 indicates the timing of the discharge of the second droplet from the second nozzle N2 relative to position p2 within the same target area 8, and time t73 indicates the timing of the discharge of the third droplet from the second nozzle N2 relative to position p3 within the same target area 8. Furthermore, time t74 indicates the timing of the discharge of the first droplet from the first nozzle N1 relative to position p1 within the same target area 8. Because times t73 and t74 are close together, the discharge of the first droplet at the first nozzle N1 and the discharge of the third droplet at the second nozzle N2 will be mutually affected by vibration (crosstalk).

[0085] Next, the method of reducing crosstalk by staggering the timing of droplet discharge at each nozzle 31 will be explained. Figure 8 This shows the timing of the first droplet ejection from nozzle N1 (with...) Figure 7 The relationship between the elapsed time (corresponding to t74) and the crosstalk effect (i.e., the amplitude of vibration) experienced by the second nozzle N2. Figure 8 In the diagram, time t81 indicates the timing of the discharge of the third droplet from the second nozzle N2 (as opposed to...). Figure 7(corresponding to t73). That is, the elapsed time up to time t81 becomes the difference between the timing of the first droplet discharge at nozzle N1 and the timing of the third droplet discharge at nozzle N2 (sometimes expressed below as the difference between the discharge timings of nozzle N1 and nozzle N2). Figure 8 As shown, at time t81, the crosstalk effect from the first nozzle N1 in the second nozzle N2 exceeds the allowable range of 50.

[0086] Here, a specific example of the crosstalk effect is shown. For example, the droplet ejection velocity is set to 4.0 m / s, the effect of crosstalk on the ejection velocity is set to -0.6 m / s (that is, the ejection velocity decreases from 4.0 m / s to 3.4 m / s), the distance between the ejection head 4 and the substrate 2 is set to 400 μm, and the scanning speed is set to 300 mm / s. In this case, the offset of the attachment position (landing position) on the substrate 2 for the droplet ejected from the second nozzle N2 becomes 5.3 μm.

[0087] exist Figure 8 If we focus on time t82, the crosstalk effect from the first nozzle N1 in the second nozzle N2 is approximately zero. That is, by slightly increasing the difference in discharge timing between the first nozzle N1 and the second nozzle N2, changing the discharge timing of the third droplet at the second nozzle N2 from time t81 to time t82, the crosstalk effect can be significantly reduced. The maximum amount by which the droplet discharge timing is staggered is approximately 5 μs. For example, the droplet discharge timing in the second nozzle N2 can be changed based on the droplet discharge timing in the first nozzle N1.

[0088] Changing the droplet ejection timing refers to shifting the attachment position on substrate 2 from the target position (ideal position). For example, if the scanning speed is 300 mm / s and the droplet ejection timing is shifted by 5 μs, the attachment position on substrate 2 will shift by 1.5 μm. That is, without changing the ejection timing, the maximum shift of the attachment position due to crosstalk is 5.3 μm, while changing the ejection timing can reduce the shift of the attachment position to a maximum of about 1.5 μm. Here, at time t80, since the crosstalk effect from the first nozzle N1 in the second nozzle N2 is approximately zero, the ejection timing of the third droplet at the second nozzle N2 can also be changed from time t81 to time t80.

[0089] When manufacturing a display device with high resolution and a low number of consecutive drops, such as when only one or two droplets are ejected into each target area 8, the size of each target area 8 is small, and the required precision for the droplet attachment position is stringent. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to reduce crosstalk by staggering the ejection timing. That is, in manufacturing a high-resolution display device with small pixel size, crosstalk can be reduced by adjusting the tilt θ of the ejection head 4. On the other hand, in manufacturing a low-resolution display device with large pixel size, crosstalk can be reduced not only by adjusting the tilt θ of the ejection head 4 but also by changing the droplet ejection timing.

[0090] As described above, in this embodiment, in order to reduce crosstalk and supply droplets 5 to each target area 8 with high precision, in addition to adjusting the tilt amount θ of the discharge head 4, the timing of droplet discharge at each nozzle is also determined as a processing condition. Therefore, with the discharge head 4 tilted according to the determined tilt amount θ, discharge processing is performed according to the determined droplet discharge timing. This reduces the crosstalk between the multiple nozzles 31 and enables high-precision supply of droplets to the substrate. Here, the determination of the droplet discharge timing can be performed by the control unit 7 of the liquid supply device 1, but it is not limited to this; it can also be performed by an information processing device provided as an external device of the liquid supply device 1.

[0091] <Third Implementation>

[0092] The third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment described above, a method for changing the timing of droplet discharge with regard to two nozzles 31 was explained, but more nozzles 31 are provided in the discharge head 4. Therefore, in this embodiment, a method for changing the timing of droplet discharge in multiple nozzles 31 will be described. In addition, this embodiment basically follows the first and second embodiments, except for the matters mentioned below.

[0093] Figure 9 The setting position for supplying droplets is shown within a target area 8. Figure 9 (a) shows the set position before changing the timing of droplet discharge in each nozzle 31. Figure 9 (b) shows the set position after changing the timing of droplet discharge in each nozzle 31. Figure 9 In this diagram, focusing on six nozzles N1 to N6 among the multiple nozzles 31, the set position for supplying droplets to each nozzle N1 to N6 is indicated by a solid circle 91. Hereinafter, the six nozzles N1 to N6 will sometimes be referred to as nozzles 1 to 6.

[0094] In this embodiment, each nozzle N1 to N6 continuously discharges three droplets within a target area 8. Therefore, as described in the second embodiment, each nozzle N1 to N6 is affected by crosstalk caused by droplet discharge from other nozzles (e.g., adjacent nozzles). For example, crosstalk may occur between the first droplet discharge at a certain nozzle and the third droplet discharge at other nozzles. Figure 9 The dashed circle 92 in (a) indicates the following situation: due to crosstalk caused by the discharge of the third droplet from the third nozzle N3 relative to position p3, the first droplet discharged from the second nozzle N2 relative to position p1 is offset and attached to the substrate 2. Thus, if crosstalk occurs, there is a possibility that droplets may be attached to the outside of the target area 8.

[0095] Next, a specific method for changing the droplet discharge timing at each of the nozzles N1 to N6 will be described. Among the multiple nozzles N1 to N6, nozzles that are adjacent to each other, such as the first nozzle N1 and the second nozzle N2, the second nozzle N2 and the third nozzle N3, etc., are easily affected by crosstalk. For example, if the droplet discharge timing at the second nozzle N2 is changed, the crosstalk effect from the second nozzle N2 changes in both the first nozzle N1 and the third nozzle N3. Therefore, in this embodiment, the droplet discharge timing at each nozzle is changed sequentially towards the other end, based on the droplet discharge timing at the nozzle closest to one end of the discharge head 4. Alternatively, the droplet discharge timing at each nozzle is changed sequentially towards the ends, based on the droplet discharge timing at the nozzle located at the center of the discharge head 4.

[0096] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the method for determining the timing of droplet discharge from each of the multiple nozzles N1 to N6 in this embodiment. The determination of the droplet discharge timing can be performed by the control unit 7 of the liquid supply device 1, but is not limited to this; it can also be performed by an information processing device installed as an external device of the liquid supply device 1.

[0097] In step S101, the control unit 7 sets the first nozzle N1 as the reference nozzle for determining the droplet discharge timing, and sets "n" to 2 for the nozzle Nn to which the droplet discharge timing is determined. Next, in step S102, the control unit 7 calculates the difference Td between the first droplet discharge timing (Tm(Nn-1)) at nozzle N(n-1) and the third droplet discharge timing (Tm(Nn)) at nozzle Nn. Hereinafter, this difference Td will sometimes be expressed as the discharge timing difference Td.

[0098] In step S103, the control unit 7 calculates the crosstalk effect Xt on the nozzle Nn based on the discharge timing difference Td. For example, by measuring the crosstalk effect while staggering the droplet discharge timing at the nozzle Nn by a predetermined amount each time, the relationship between the discharge timing difference Td and the crosstalk effect Xt (e.g., the function Xt = Fx(Td)) is obtained in advance. Thus, the control unit 7 can use the information representing the relationship between the discharge timing difference Td and the crosstalk effect Xt to calculate the crosstalk effect Xt based on the discharge timing difference Td.

[0099] In step S104, the control unit 7 determines whether the crosstalk effect Xt is within the allowable range. If the crosstalk effect Xt is not within the allowable range, the process proceeds to step S105, where the control unit 7 changes the droplet discharge timing at nozzle Nn as described in the second embodiment above. For example, the control unit 7 corrects the droplet discharge timing (Tm(Nn)) at nozzle Nn using a correction value calculated based on the discharge timing difference Td using the function Ft(Td), thereby determining a new droplet discharge timing at nozzle Nn. Here, when changing the droplet discharge timing at the second nozzle N2, the changed value is used as the droplet discharge timing at the second nozzle N2 when calculating the discharge timing difference Td between the second nozzle N2 and the third nozzle N3 in the next step S102.

[0100] On the other hand, if the crosstalk effect Xt in step S104 is not within the allowable range, step S105 is skipped and the process proceeds to step S106. In step S106, the control unit 7 determines whether the droplet discharge timing has been determined for all nozzles. If there are nozzles for which the droplet discharge timing has not yet been determined, the process proceeds to step S107, increments the "n" of nozzle Nn, and then proceeds to step S102. On the other hand, if the droplet discharge timing has been determined for all nozzles, the flowchart ends. By determining the droplet discharge timing for each nozzle in this way, as... Figure 9 The design position of the droplets is determined as shown in (b). By controlling the droplet discharge at each nozzle according to the design position, the crosstalk between multiple nozzles can be reduced, and the droplets discharged from each nozzle can be collected into the target area 8.

[0101] As described above, in this embodiment, the timing of droplet discharge at each nozzle is determined in order to reduce crosstalk and supply droplets to the target area 8 with high precision. This reduces the crosstalk between the multiple nozzles 31 and enables the supply of droplets to the substrate with high precision.

[0102] Furthermore, the above-described implementation example is merely one example. It is hoped that if the resolution of the manufactured display device, or the crosstalk effect in the exhaust head 4, the scanning speed, etc., are changed, the tilt amount of the exhaust head 4 to be determined will be changed accordingly.

[0103] <Implementation Method of Article Manufacturing Method>

[0104] The article manufacturing method of this invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as panels for displays like organic EL displays or microdevices or components with fine structures, as well as semiconductor devices. The article manufacturing method of this embodiment includes: a supply step of supplying liquid to a substrate using the aforementioned liquid supply device (liquid supply method); a processing step of processing the substrate to which liquid has been supplied in the supply step; and a step of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step. Furthermore, this article manufacturing method includes other well-known steps (firing, cooling, cleaning, oxidation, film formation, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, slicing, bonding, encapsulation, etc.). Compared to conventional methods, the article manufacturing method of this embodiment is advantageous in at least one aspect of article performance, quality, productivity, and production cost.

[0105] <Other Embodiments>

[0106] This invention can also be implemented by providing a program that implements one or more functions of the above embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. Alternatively, it can be implemented by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit)) that implements one or more functions.

[0107] Other embodiments

[0108] Embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented by the following method: 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.

[0109] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, claims are appended to disclose the scope of the invention.

[0110] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0111] 1: Liquid supply device, 2: Substrate, 3: Substrate stage, 4: Discharge head, 5: Droplet, 6: Drive mechanism, 7: Control unit, 30: Nozzle array (discharge hole array), 31: Nozzle (discharge hole).

Claims

1. A method for determining conditions for supplying droplets from each discharge hole to multiple target regions arranged along the scanning direction on the substrate during a process in which droplets are discharged from each discharge hole while the nozzle and a substrate having a plurality of discharge holes arranged in one direction are scanned relative to each other in a scanning direction, the method being characterized in that, The tilt amount of the nozzle relative to the scanning direction is determined based on various pieces of information and used as the aforementioned condition. The above information includes: First information relating to the spacing of the plurality of discharge holes in the aforementioned direction; Second information related to the spacing of the plurality of target regions in the aforementioned scanning direction; The third piece of information is related to the relative scanning speed of the above-mentioned nozzle and the above-mentioned substrate in the above-mentioned process; The fourth piece of information relates to the time until the amplitude of the vibration occurring in one discharge orifice due to the discharge of droplets within the aforementioned nozzle reaches an acceptable range in adjacent discharge orifices; and The fifth piece of information relates to the distance from the discharge hole to which the amplitude of the vibration occurring in the discharge hole due to the discharge of droplets within the aforementioned nozzle reaches the aforementioned allowable range.

2. The determination method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The tilt amount is determined as the angle between the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction and one of the aforementioned directions, within the range of a maximum angle θ1 and a minimum angle θ2. When the spacing between the plurality of discharge holes in the first information is set to "Ph", the spacing between the plurality of target areas in the second information is set to "Ps", the scanning speed in the third information is set to "V", the time in the fourth information is set to "T", and the index representing the distance in the fifth information is set to "L", the maximum angle θ1 and the minimum angle θ2 are obtained by the following formula: θ1=asin(Ps / L / Ph), θ2 = asin(T×V / Ph).

3. The determination method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned information also includes: a sixth piece of information related to the maximum angular error of the droplet discharge direction in which droplets are discharged from the plurality of discharge holes; and a seventh piece of information related to the spacing between the nozzle and the substrate in the aforementioned process.

4. The determination method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The tilt amount is determined as the angle between the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction and one of the aforementioned directions, within the range of a maximum angle θ1 and a minimum angle θ3. When the spacing between the plurality of discharge holes in the first information is set to "Ph", the spacing between the plurality of target areas in the second information is set to "Ps", the scanning speed in the third information is set to "V", the time in the fourth information is set to "T", the index representing the distance in the fifth information is set to "L", the maximum angle error in the sixth information is set to "E", and the interval in the seventh information is set to "G", the maximum angle θ1 and the minimum angle θ3 are obtained by the following formula: θ1=asin(Ps / L / Ph), θ3=asin((T×V+tan(E)×G) / Ph).

5. The determination method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The aforementioned information also includes: an eighth piece of information related to the minimum time interval between continuous discharge of droplets from each discharge orifice; and a ninth piece of information related to the number of consecutive discharges of droplets from each discharge orifice into a target area.

6. The determination method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The tilt amount is determined as the angle between the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction and one of the aforementioned directions, within the range of a maximum angle θ1 and a minimum angle θ4. When the spacing between the plurality of discharge holes in the first information is set to "Ph", the spacing between the plurality of target areas in the second information is set to "Ps", the scanning speed in the third information is set to "V", the time in the fourth information is set to "T", the distance in the fifth information is set to "L", the maximum angle error in the sixth information is set to "E", the interval in the seventh information is set to "G", the minimum time interval in the eighth information is set to "C", and the number of consecutive discharges in the ninth information is set to "N", the maximum angle θ1 and the minimum angle θ4 are obtained by the following formula: θ1=asin(Ps / L / Ph), θ4=asin((T×V+tan(E)×G+C×V×N) / Ph).

7. The determination method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The number of consecutive discharges in the above-mentioned 9th information is set such that the maximum angle is not less than the minimum angle.

8. The determination method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The aforementioned information 5, representing the aforementioned distance, is expressed as a multiple of the spacing between the aforementioned plurality of discharge holes.

9. The determination method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The distance mentioned in the fifth piece of information is set such that the maximum angle is not less than the minimum angle.

10. The determination method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned multiple discharge holes include a first discharge hole and a second discharge hole. The condition is to determine the timing of droplet discharge from the first discharge hole and the second discharge hole respectively, in a manner where the amplitude of the vibration caused by the discharge of droplets in the first discharge hole is within the allowable range of the second discharge hole.

11. The determination method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, By using the timing of droplet discharge relying on the first discharge orifice as a benchmark, and changing the timing of droplet discharge relying on the second discharge orifice, the respective droplet discharge timings of the first discharge orifice and the second discharge orifice are determined.

12. A liquid supply method, wherein liquid is supplied to a substrate by performing a process in which a nozzle having a plurality of discharge holes arranged in one direction for discharging droplets is scanned relative to the substrate in a scanning direction while discharging droplets from each discharge hole, characterized in that, The above-mentioned liquid supply method includes: The determination process, using the determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, determines the conditions for supplying droplets from each discharge hole relative to a plurality of target regions arranged along the scanning direction on the substrate; and The processing step is carried out according to the conditions determined by the above-mentioned decision-making step.

13. A method for manufacturing an article, characterized in that, The methods for manufacturing the above-mentioned items include: In the supply process, liquid is supplied to the substrate using the liquid supply method of claim 12; The processing step involves processing the substrate that has been supplied with liquid through the aforementioned supply step; and The manufacturing process involves manufacturing an article from the substrate processed through the aforementioned processing steps.

14. A storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a program for causing the information processing device to execute the decision method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

15. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product is used to cause an information processing device to perform the decision method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

16. An information processing device, characterized in that, The information processing device performs the decision method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

17. A liquid supply device that supplies liquid to a substrate, characterized in that, The above-mentioned liquid supply device includes: The nozzle has multiple discharge holes arranged in one direction to discharge droplets; and The control unit controls the process of expelling droplets from each discharge hole while scanning the nozzle and the substrate relative to each other in the scanning direction. The control unit, as a condition for supplying droplets from each discharge hole to multiple target areas arranged along the scanning direction on the substrate, determines the tilt amount of the nozzle relative to the scanning direction based on various parameter values. The above-mentioned parameter values ​​include: First information relating to the spacing of the plurality of discharge holes in the aforementioned direction; Second information related to the spacing of the plurality of target regions in the aforementioned scanning direction; The third piece of information is related to the relative scanning speed of the above-mentioned nozzle and the above-mentioned substrate in the above-mentioned process; The fourth piece of information relates to the time until the amplitude of the vibration occurring in one discharge orifice due to the discharge of droplets within the aforementioned nozzle reaches an acceptable range in adjacent discharge orifices; and The fifth piece of information relates to the distance from the discharge hole to which the amplitude of the vibration occurring in the discharge hole due to the discharge of droplets within the aforementioned nozzle reaches the aforementioned allowable range.

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