Discharge device, substrate processing device, and method for manufacturing article

Abstract

To suppress productivity deterioration caused by a defective nozzle.SOLUTION: A discharge device includes: a processing part for performing discharge processing for arranging liquid in a target area of a substrate by using a combination of nozzles including at least two nozzles selected from a plurality of nozzles of a discharge head; and a driver circuit storing a plurality of pieces of waveform information different from each other for regulating a discharge amount and driving the plurality of nozzles according to the selected waveform information. The processing part drives the nozzles included in the combination to perform the operation of discharging the liquid to the target area a plurality of times to perform discharge processing by providing the driver circuit with first selection information for selecting first waveform information among the plurality of pieces of waveform information, and performs rewriting from the first selection information to second selection information for selecting second waveform information so as to perform an operation for driving a nozzle different from a defective nozzle according to the second waveform information for replenishing the discharge amount of the liquid that the defective nozzle should discharge to discharge the liquid in the case of detecting the defective nozzle from the nozzles included in the combination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a discharge apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, and a method for manufacturing an article. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, when manufacturing various functional elements, attempts have been made to form patterns (patterning) by applying the material of the functional element onto a substrate using an inkjet device (liquid ejection device).Patterning using an inkjet device has the advantages of being highly efficient in terms of material usage because it allows on-demand patterning, being a non-vacuum process that allows the manufacturing device to be relatively small, and being able to apply material to a large area at high speed.

[0003] It is considered to apply an inkjet device to the manufacturing process of a display device. In recent years, various display methods have been proposed for display devices, and in particular, development of display devices using organic EL elements has been progressing. Since the material of an organic EL element is expensive, an inkjet device that has high material usage efficiency and can quickly apply the material to a large area is suitable for manufacturing the organic EL element. Recently, a color conversion unit containing a quantum dot material or a display device having quantum dots as a light-emitting element has been attracting attention, and for example, an inkjet device is sometimes used for manufacturing a color conversion unit containing a quantum dot material.

[0004] In an inkjet device, for example, due to thickening caused by evaporation of the ink solvent or the intrusion of foreign matter (air bubbles, etc.) into the nozzle, it may not be possible to eject ink from the nozzle, or the ejection amount, ejection speed, or ejection angle of the ink ejected from the nozzle may change. If such a nozzle with an ejection defect (ejection-defective nozzle) exists, unevenness will occur in the ink (material) arranged on the substrate, leading to a deterioration in the quality of the display device manufactured from such a substrate.

[0005] Therefore, in inkjet devices, various techniques have been proposed to reduce the influence of defective nozzles (see Patent Documents 1 to 3). Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for detecting (inspecting) defective nozzles. When a defective nozzle is detected, recovery work is generally carried out to restore the nozzle. On the other hand, Patent Document 2 proposes a technique for complementing a defective nozzle using a normal nozzle other than the defective nozzle, without carrying out recovery work, when a defective nozzle is detected, based on information about the defective nozzle and the area on the substrate where ink is to be placed. Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for directly measuring the amount of ink droplets ejected from a nozzle and placed on a substrate, and complementing the shortage caused by the defective nozzle with other nozzles. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6106948 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6935225 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 4200810 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] For example, recovery procedures that are performed when a nozzle that is not properly ejecting is detected by the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 include capping the nozzle that is not properly ejecting ink, and performing a preliminary ejection on the nozzle that is not properly ejecting ink, which is undesirable from the viewpoint of productivity. Furthermore, even if recovery procedures are performed, there are cases where the nozzle that is not properly ejecting ink cannot be completely restored.

[0008] Moreover, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2 involves setting an alternative nozzle for a nozzle that is not properly ejecting, and ejecting ink from the alternative nozzle to the ejection position where the nozzle that is not properly ejecting should be ejected (changing the nozzle that is not properly ejecting to an alternative nozzle). However, in order to change the nozzle that is not properly ejecting to an alternative nozzle, it is necessary to rewrite the ejection control information required for drawing, but due to the large amount of information involved, it is difficult to calculate and rewrite the ejection control information while ink is being ejected onto the substrate, i.e., during work processing. Therefore, even if a nozzle that is not properly ejecting is detected, it is necessary to rewrite the ejection control information after the work processing is completed, and then add a new work processing, which reduces productivity.

[0009] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 3 compensates for the shortage of the total amount of ink droplets to be placed on the substrate due to the defective ejection nozzle by adjusting (changing) the ejection waveform given to the other nozzles. Therefore, it requires measurement time to measure the amount of ink droplets placed on the substrate, adjustment time to adjust the ejection waveform given to the other nozzles, and ejection time to eject additional ink from the other nozzles, which reduces productivity.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems with the conventional technology, and has an exemplary object to provide a technology that is advantageous in suppressing a decrease in productivity caused by defective nozzles that result in defective liquid ejection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, an ejection device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an ejection head including a plurality of nozzles that eject a liquid and that places the liquid on a substrate via the plurality of nozzles; a processing unit that performs an ejection process of placing the liquid in a target region of the substrate using a combination of nozzles including at least two nozzles selected from the plurality of nozzles; and a driver circuit that stores a plurality of mutually different waveform information that defines an ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the nozzles of the ejection head and drives each of the plurality of nozzles in accordance with waveform information selected from the plurality of waveform information, and the processing unit provides first selection information to the driver circuit that selects first waveform information from the plurality of waveform information, thereby driving the driver circuit. the ejection process is performed by having a driver circuit drive each of the nozzles included in the combination in accordance with the first waveform information to eject the liquid onto the target area multiple times, and if a defective nozzle that is defective in ejecting the liquid is detected from among the nozzles included in the combination during the ejection process, the selection information provided to the driver circuit is rewritten from the first selection information to second selection information that selects the second waveform information so that an operation is performed to drive a nozzle other than the defective nozzle among the nozzles included in the combination to eject the liquid onto the target area in accordance with second waveform information that replenishes the amount of liquid that the defective nozzle should eject.

[0012] Further objects or other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a technique that is advantageous in suppressing a decrease in productivity caused by a defective nozzle that causes a defect in the ejection of liquid. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a liquid ejection device according to one aspect of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation sequence of the liquid ejection device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a substrate on which materials for a functional element are disposed. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a part of a functional element formed on a surface of a substrate. [Diagram 5] 4 is a block diagram showing the relationship between a control unit and an ejection head. FIG. [Figure 6] 5A to 5C are diagrams conceptually showing various types of information included in the discharge control information. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of ejection waveforms. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic relationship between a discharge head and a substrate. [Figure 9] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing combinations of discharge nozzles for arrangement areas formed on a substrate and the discharge order of nozzles included in the combinations. [Figure 10] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating timings at which a detection unit detects a discharge-failed nozzle. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a replenishment pattern for an ejection pattern of a combination of ejection nozzles. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of ejection waveforms. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a replenishment pattern for an ejection pattern of a combination of ejection nozzles. [Figure 14] 13 is a diagram showing combinations of ejection nozzles for an object on which ink is to be placed, and the ejection order of the nozzles included in the combinations. FIG. [Figure 15] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating timings at which a detection unit detects a discharge-failed nozzle. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a replenishment pattern for an ejection pattern of a combination of ejection nozzles. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a replenishment pattern for an ejection pattern of a combination of ejection nozzles. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0016] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a liquid ejection device 1 according to one aspect of the present invention. The liquid ejection device 1 is embodied as an inkjet device that ejects a liquid (ejection liquid) such as ink. In this embodiment, "ink" refers to a liquid used to form a pattern or film on a substrate. The components of the ink are not particularly limited, but for example, a liquid containing a solute and a solvent for forming an organic film can be used.

[0017] In this specification and the attached drawings, directions are shown in an XYZ coordinate system in which the direction parallel to the discharge direction in which the discharge liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge device 1 is defined as the Z axis, and two mutually perpendicular directions in a plane perpendicular to the Z axis are defined as the X axis and the Y axis. In addition, the directions parallel to the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis in the XYZ coordinate system are defined as the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, respectively, and a plane parallel to a surface on which a substrate is placed is defined as the XY plane.

[0018] The liquid ejection device 1 has a substrate stage 3 that holds (fixes) and drives a substrate 2 such as a display panel. The substrate 2 is appropriately selected from a glass substrate, a plastic substrate, and the like depending on the target product to be manufactured as an article. The substrate 2 is typically a plate-shaped member, but is not limited to a specific form as long as it functions as a substrate. For example, the substrate 2 may be a deformable film or a circular substrate. The substrate 2 includes an element area 201 and an evaluation area 202. The element area 201 is an area where the ink 4 ejected from the liquid ejection device 1 is arranged (supplied) to form (arrange) a large number of functional elements (display pixels). The evaluation area 202 is an area where the ink 4 is experimentally ejected to evaluate the state of the ink 4 ejected from the liquid ejection device 1.

[0019] The liquid ejection device 1 has an ejection head 5 that ejects (droplets of) ink 4 toward a predetermined position on a substrate 2, an ink supply system 6 that supplies the ink 4 to the ejection head 5, and an ink tank 7 that stores the ink 4. The liquid ejection device 1 also has a recovery unit 8 that performs a cleaning process or the like on the ejection head 5 (the nozzles) to recover the ejection characteristics of the ejection head 5.

[0020] The ejection head 5 includes a plurality of nozzles (ejection elements) for ejecting (droplets of) the ink 4. For example, a plurality of ejection heads 5 are arranged in each of the X direction and the Y direction. By individually controlling the ejection of the ink 4 for each ejection head 5, it is possible to arrange (apply) the ink 4 in a target distribution on the element area 201 on the substrate.

[0021] When the substrate 2 is held by the substrate stage 3, a placement error of the substrate 2 (a positional deviation of the substrate 2 with respect to the substrate stage 3) may occur. In addition, as the substrate 2 goes through various manufacturing processes, distortion may occur in the X and Y directions of the substrate 2. Therefore, the liquid ejection device 1 has an alignment scope 9 for measuring the position of the substrate 2 and the distortion of the substrate 2.

[0022] Furthermore, the substrate 2 held by the substrate stage 3 has a variation in thickness due to manufacturing reasons. Therefore, when the ink 4 is discharged from the discharge head 5 while the substrate stage 3 is driven (scanned) in the Y direction, the variation in the thickness of the substrate 2 causes a variation in the landing position of the ink 4 (droplets) on the substrate 2. Therefore, the liquid discharge device 1 has a height sensor 10 that measures the position (height) of the substrate 2 in the Z direction.

[0023] The liquid ejection device 1 has a detection unit 15 that detects defective nozzles from among the multiple nozzles included in the ejection head 5. A defective nozzle refers to a nozzle that is unable to eject ink from the nozzle or a nozzle in which the ejection amount, ejection speed, or ejection angle of ink ejected from the nozzle has changed due to, for example, thickening caused by evaporation of the solvent of the ink 4 or the intrusion of foreign matter (such as air bubbles) into the nozzle. In this way, a defective nozzle is a nozzle that has transitioned from a state in which it is able to eject ink 4 normally (normal state) to a state in which it is unable to eject ink 4 normally (abnormal state) due to the nozzle becoming clogged, etc.

[0024] The detection unit 15 is provided, for example, at a position lower than the surface (upper surface) of the substrate 2 in order to avoid interference with the discharge head 5, alignment scope 9, height sensor 10, etc. However, the detection unit 15 may be provided at a position higher than the surface of the substrate 2 as long as interference with the discharge head 5, alignment scope 9, height sensor 10, etc. can be avoided.

[0025] The detection unit 15, for example, irradiates a laser light (light beam) toward the path of the ink 4 ejected from the nozzles of the ejection head 5, and detects a defective ejection nozzle based on whether or not the laser light is blocked by the ink 4 (droplets) ejected from the nozzles of the ejection head 5. The detection unit 15 can also capture an image of the ink 4 (distribution of droplets) ejected from the nozzles of the ejection head 5 and arranged on the substrate, and detect a defective ejection nozzle from the image. The detection unit 15 may be configured to detect residual vibrations when a voltage that does not eject the ink 4 is applied to a piezoelectric element provided in the ejection head 5, and detect a defective ejection nozzle from the residual vibrations.

[0026] The liquid ejection device 1 has a control unit 11. The control unit 11 is configured, for example, by a computer (information processing device) including a CPU, a memory, etc., and controls each part of the liquid ejection device 1 in accordance with a program stored in the memory to operate the liquid ejection device 1.

[0027] The operation sequence of the liquid ejection device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As described above, this operation is performed by the control unit 11 comprehensively controlling each part of the liquid ejection device 1.

[0028] In S202, the control unit 11 causes a substrate 2 to be carried into the liquid ejection device 1 via a substrate transport mechanism (not shown). The substrate 2 carried into the liquid ejection device 1 is held by a substrate stage 3.

[0029] In S204, the control unit 11 determines whether it is necessary to recover the ejection characteristics of the ejection head 5, that is, performs recovery determination of the ejection head 5. The recovery determination of the ejection head 5 is basically performed before ejecting the ink 4 from the ejection head 5. If it is determined that it is necessary to recover the ejection characteristics of the ejection head 5 (YES), the process proceeds to S206, and if it is determined that it is not necessary to recover the ejection characteristics of the ejection head 5 (NO), the process proceeds to S208.

[0030] In S206, the control unit 11 performs a recovery process (eg, a cleaning process for the ejection head 5) via the recovery unit 8 to recover the ejection characteristics of the ejection head 5.

[0031] In S208, the control unit 11 performs alignment measurement of the substrate 2 via the substrate stage 3 and the alignment scope 9. In S210, the control unit 11 performs height measurement of the substrate 2 via the substrate stage 3 and the height sensor 10. Substrate information relating to the position, distortion, and height of the substrate 2 obtained by the alignment measurement in S208 and the height measurement in S210 is stored, for example, in the control unit 11 (its memory). The control unit 11 generates ejection control information for controlling the ejection head 5 (ejection of ink 4) in consideration of the substrate information obtained by the alignment measurement in S208 and the height measurement in S210 and element data including information on the element arrangement and element size formed on the substrate 2. The ejection control information includes target distribution information indicating the target distribution of the ink 4 in the element area 201 and the evaluation area 202 of the substrate 2, i.e., the target distribution of the ink 4 to be placed on the substrate from the ejection head 5.

[0032] The order of the alignment measurement in S208 and the height measurement in S210 may be reversed. Also, the alignment measurement in S208 and the height measurement in S210 can be performed in parallel with the recovery process in S206. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the substrate stage 3 is driven within the XY plane relative to the alignment scope 9 and the height sensor 10 in the alignment measurement and height measurement. However, the substrate stage 3 may be fixed and the alignment scope 9 and the height sensor 10 may be driven within the XY plane.

[0033] In S212, the control unit 11 judges whether it is necessary to recover the ejection characteristics of the ejection head 5, that is, performs recovery judgment of the ejection head 5. If it is judged that it is necessary to recover the ejection characteristics of the ejection head 5 (YES), the process proceeds to S214, and if it is judged that it is not necessary to recover the ejection characteristics of the ejection head 5 (NO), the process proceeds to S216.

[0034] In S214, similarly to S206, the control unit 11 causes the recovery unit 8 to perform a recovery process for recovering the discharge characteristics of the discharge head 5 (for example, a cleaning process for the discharge head 5, etc.).

[0035] In S216, the control unit 11 performs ejection control of the ejection head 5. Specifically, the control unit 11 performs an ejection process of placing the ink 4 on the substrate 2 by controlling the ejection of the ink 4 (droplets) from the ejection head 5 based on the ejection control information while synchronously driving the substrate stage 3 and the ejection head 5. In this embodiment, in the ejection control of the ejection head 5, it is assumed that the substrate stage 3 is driven (scanned) in the XY plane relative to the ejection head 5, but the substrate stage 3 may be fixed and the ejection head 5 may be driven in the XY plane.

[0036] In this embodiment, in order to form a large number of functional elements on the substrate, the substrate 2 and the discharge head 5 are scanned (driven) relative to each other, and the material of the functional elements is discharged as ink 4 from the discharge head 5 to arrange (apply) the material of the functional elements on the element area 201 of the substrate 2. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the substrate 2 on which the material of the functional elements is arranged. In FIG. 3, the substrate surface 101 is the surface of the element area 201 on which the functional elements 102 are formed, among the surfaces of the substrate 2. Arrows 103, 104, 105, and 106 respectively indicate the relative scanning directions of the substrate 2 and the discharge head 5. In FIG. 3, 7×5 functional elements 102 are formed on the substrate, but in reality, a very large number of functional elements 102 will be formed.

[0037] 4(a) and 4(b) are enlarged views of a portion of a functional element 102 formed on a substrate surface 101, where FIG. 4(a) is a plan view of the substrate 2 and FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the substrate 2 taken along line AA in FIG. 4(a). As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), an arrangement region 32 in which a material for the functional element (ink 4) is arranged to form the functional element 102 is configured as a recess that is recessed, i.e., has a lower height, than its surroundings. The portion that defines the arrangement region 32 (recess), i.e., that surrounds the arrangement region 32, may constitute a bank 31. The arrangement region 32 is a target region in which (droplets of) ink 4, which is the material for the functional element, is arranged (applied).

[0038] 5 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the control unit 11 and the ejection head 5. The control unit 11 includes a calculation unit 12 that calculates the ejection control information 41 and stores (sets) the ejection control information 41 and the ejection waveform information 42, a control board 13 in which the ejection control information 41 is stored (set), and a driver circuit 14 in which the ejection waveform information 42 is stored (set).

[0039] The calculation unit 12 calculates (generates) the ejection control information 41, and transmits the ejection control information 41 to the control board 13 for storage before performing ejection control (S216) of the ejection head 5. The calculation unit 12 also transmits the ejection waveform information 42 to the driver circuit 14 via the control board 13 for storage. In this embodiment, the calculation unit 12 and the control board 13 function as a processing unit that performs an ejection process for placing ink 4 in an arrangement area 32 (target area) on the board using a combination of nozzles including at least two nozzles selected from the multiple nozzles of the ejection head 5.

[0040] The ejection waveform information 42 is information indicating an ejection waveform (voltage waveform) to be applied to each nozzle of the ejection head 5, and is information for defining the ejection speed and ejection volume, i.e., the ejection amount, of the ink 4 ejected from the nozzles of the ejection head 5. In this embodiment, a plurality of different ejection waveforms are registered in the ejection waveform information 42, and are stored in advance in the driver circuit 14 by the calculation unit 12. The driver circuit 14 drives each nozzle of the ejection head 5 in accordance with an ejection waveform selected from the plurality of ejection waveforms registered in the ejection waveform information 42 to eject the ink 4.

[0041] Fig. 6 is a diagram conceptually showing various types of information included in the ejection control information 41. The ejection control information 41 includes information for ejecting the ink 4 from the ejection head 5, i.e., information for controlling the ejection of the ejection head 5. Specifically, the ejection control information 41 includes, in addition to the target distribution information of the ink 4 described above, bank information 400, nozzle information 401, timing information 402, and waveform selection information 403, as shown in Fig. 6.

[0042] The bank information 400 is information indicating the position of the arrangement region 32 in which the ink 4 is arranged in the discharge control (S216), and is information determined from information (product information) on an article manufactured from the substrate 2 on which the ink 4 is arranged. The nozzle information 401 is information determined from the bank information 400, and is information indicating the nozzles to be used in the discharge control (S216) among the multiple nozzles of the discharge head 5, that is, the nozzles (combination) that discharge the ink 4 to the arrangement region 32. The timing information 402 is information determined from the discharge waveform information 42, the bank information 400, and the nozzle information 401. The timing information 402 is information indicating the timing at which the nozzles to be used in the discharge control (S216) (nozzles indicated by the nozzle information 401) among the multiple nozzles of the discharge head 5 discharge the ink 4. The waveform selection information 403 is information for selecting the discharge waveform to be used by the nozzles to be used in the discharge control (S216) from the multiple discharge waveforms set in the driver circuit 14 by the discharge waveform information 42 (information for specifying the discharge waveform to be provided to the nozzle from the driver circuit 14).

[0043] In the discharge control information 41, the bank information 400, nozzle information 401, and timing information 402 in particular are combined in a complex manner, and each information contains a large amount of information. Therefore, when rewriting (changing) one of the bank information 400, nozzle information 401, and timing information 402, it is necessary to perform (redo) the calculations of all of this information, which takes a lot of time for the calculations and transfer. On the other hand, the waveform selection information 403 is information that only selects the discharge waveform to be used by the nozzle from the multiple discharge waveforms registered in the discharge waveform information 42, so the time required for the calculations and transfer is very short.

[0044] Therefore, in this embodiment, when a faulty nozzle is detected by the detection unit 15 in the discharge control (S216), only the waveform selection information 403 is rewritten, without rewriting the bank information 400, the nozzle information 401, and the timing information 402. For example, the waveform selection information 403 corresponding to another nozzle in the discharge control information 41 stored in the control board 13 is rewritten so that a nozzle other than the faulty nozzle is driven according to a discharge waveform that replenishes (complements) the amount of ink 4 that should be discharged by the faulty nozzle.

[0045] First Embodiment 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c) are diagrams showing examples of a plurality of ejection waveforms registered in the ejection waveform information 42 stored in the driver circuit 14 in the first embodiment. In Fig. 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c), the vertical axis represents voltage (voltage value) V, and the horizontal axis represents time T.

[0046] FIG. 7(a) shows a standard voltage waveform 60 when the nozzle of the ejection head 5 ejects the standard amount of ink 4. The standard voltage waveform 60 is reference waveform information that defines the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzle of the ejection head 5 as a reference amount. FIG. 7(b) shows a double voltage waveform 61 when the nozzle of the ejection head 5 ejects ink 4 at twice the amount of the standard voltage waveform 60. The double voltage waveform 61 is double waveform information that defines the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzle of the ejection head 5 as twice the reference amount. FIG. 7(c) shows a non-ejection voltage waveform 63 when the nozzle of the ejection head 5 does not eject ink 4. The non-ejection voltage waveform 63 is non-ejection waveform information that does not eject ink 4 from the ejection head 5, that is, that defines the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzle of the ejection head 5 as zero.

[0047] As described above, the standard voltage waveform 60, the double voltage waveform 61, and the non-ejection voltage waveform 63 are included in the ejection waveform information 42 as information indicating the ejection waveform. In this embodiment, the selection of the ejection waveform to be applied to the nozzle of the ejection head 5, that is, the selection of any one of the standard voltage waveform 60, the double voltage waveform 61, and the non-ejection voltage waveform 63, is determined by the waveform selection information 403 included in the ejection control information 41.

[0048] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the relationship between the ejection head 5 and the substrate 2 in the ejection control (S216) in this embodiment. Fig. 8 shows the relative scanning direction between the ejection head 5 and the substrate 2 and a method of arranging the ink 4 on the substrate 2. In this embodiment, the substrate stage 3 is driven in the scanning direction relative to the ejection head 5 to achieve a relative scanning operation between the ejection head 5 and the substrate 2.

[0049] 8, in order to place (droplets of) ink 4 in an area surrounded by the bank 31 on the substrate, i.e., in a plurality of placement areas 32a, 32b, and 32c formed on the substrate 2, the ejection head 5 is provided with a plurality of nozzles 51 for ejecting the ink 4. The plurality of nozzles 51 of the ejection head 5 need to place (make the ink land) the ink 4 in the designated placement area 32a, 32b, or 32c in a relative scanning operation between the ejection head 5 and the substrate 2. Therefore, among the plurality of nozzles 51 of the ejection head 5, the combination of nozzles (combination of ejection nozzles) to be used for ejection control (S216) and the timing of ejecting the ink 4 from each nozzle are determined by the ejection control information 41.

[0050] 9 is a diagram showing combinations 302a and 302b of ejection nozzles for placement regions 32a and 32b formed on the substrate 2, respectively, and the ejection order of nozzles A to J included in the combination 302a and the ejection order of nozzles K to S included in the combination 302b. For placement region 32a, nozzles A to J eject ink 4 one nozzle at a time in that order for each scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, thereby placing a predetermined amount of ink 4 in placement region 32a. Similarly, for placement region 32b, nozzles K to S eject ink 4 one nozzle at a time in that order for each scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, thereby placing a predetermined amount of ink 4 in placement region 32b.

[0051] In this embodiment, the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is performed multiple times, and specifically, the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is performed 10 times. In addition, for each scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, the ink 4 is discharged from one nozzle included in the combination 302a or one nozzle included in the combination 302b to one placement area 32a or 32b. However, for each scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, the ink 4 may be discharged from two or more nozzles included in the combination 302a or two or more nozzles included in the combination 302b to one placement area 32a or 32b. In addition, the combination of discharge nozzles for each of the placement areas 32a and 32b is not limited to the combinations 302a and 302b.

[0052] In this embodiment, detection of nozzles with defective ejection by the detection unit 15 is performed periodically while ejection control (S216) is being performed, specifically, during the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 or between scanning operations of the substrate stage 3 (between scanning operations).

[0053] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the timing at which, during discharge control (S216), the detection unit 15 detects a discharge-faulty nozzle 304. Fig. 10 shows a case in which nozzle E is detected as a discharge-faulty nozzle 304 by the detection unit 15 at detection timing 303 between the fifth scanning operation and the sixth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3.

[0054] In this embodiment, when a discharge-failed nozzle 304 is detected, the calculation unit 12 acquires information about discharge control related to the discharge-failed nozzle 304 based on the discharge control information 41. Such information includes, for example, information about the arrangement area where discharge control (scanning operation of the substrate stage 3) was performed using the discharge-failed nozzle 304 and information about the arrangement area where discharge control will be performed using the discharge-failed nozzle 304. From this information about discharge control related to the discharge-failed nozzle 304, the calculation unit 12 identifies a combination of discharge nozzles, including the discharge-failed nozzle 304, to be used in discharge control for placing ink 4 in the arrangement area.

[0055] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, for the arrangement region 32a, normal ejection is performed by nozzles A, B, C, and D in the first five scanning operations of the substrate stage 3, but normal ejection is not performed by nozzle E, so nozzle E is detected as the ejection-failed nozzle 304. Also, for the arrangement region 32b, normal ejection is performed by all nozzles K, L, M, N, and O in the first five scanning operations of the substrate stage 3. However, for the arrangement region 32b, it is understood that nozzle E, which is detected as the ejection-failed nozzle 304, is to be used (scheduled to be used) in the eighth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3. Therefore, if the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is continued in this state, the predetermined amount of ink 4 to be placed in the arrangement regions 32a and 32b will not be placed, and the total amount of ink 4 required will be insufficient. This is because nozzle E, which is the ejection-failed nozzle 304, is to be used in the fifth scanning operation in the arrangement region 32a, and nozzle E, which is the ejection-failed nozzle 304, is to be used in the eighth scanning operation in the arrangement region 32b.

[0056] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 11(a) and 11(b), the amount of ink 4 that should be ejected by the non-ejecting nozzle 304, i.e., the shortfall from the total amount of ink 4 required, is replenished by ejecting ink 4 from a nozzle other than the non-ejecting nozzle 304.

[0057] 11A is a diagram showing replenishment patterns 310a and 310b for an ejection pattern 310 of a combination 302a of ejection nozzles in an arrangement area 32a in which an ejection-failure nozzle 304 was detected at detection timing 303. The replenishment pattern 310a is a pattern in which the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by nozzle E, the ejection-failure nozzle 304, is replenished by nozzle F included in the combination 302a. The replenishment pattern 310b is a pattern in which the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by nozzle E, the ejection-failure nozzle 304, is replenished by nozzle I included in the combination 302a.

[0058] In this embodiment, when nozzle E included in the combination 302a of ejection nozzles is detected as an ejection-failed nozzle 304, the calculation unit 12 determines the replenishment pattern 310a or 310b as shown in Fig. 11(a). Then, the calculation unit 12 rewrites (changes) the waveform selection information 403 included in the ejection control information 41 according to the replenishment pattern 310a or 310b, and transmits the ejection control information 41 with the rewritten waveform selection information 403 to the control board 13 for storage.

[0059] Specifically, in the replenishment pattern 310a, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 to drive the nozzle F scheduled to be used in the sixth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the double voltage waveform 61. In other words, for the nozzle F, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) that selects the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) that selects the double voltage waveform 61 (second waveform information). As a result, in the sixth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, twice the reference amount of ink 4 is ejected from the nozzle F, so that the amount of ink 4 that should be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-failure nozzle 304, can be replenished.

[0060] Furthermore, in the replenishment pattern 310b, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 to drive the nozzle I scheduled to be used in the ninth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the double voltage waveform 61. In other words, for the nozzle I, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) that selects the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) that selects the double voltage waveform 61 (second waveform information). As a result, in the ninth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, twice the reference amount of ink 4 is ejected from the nozzle I, so that the amount of ink 4 that should be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-failure nozzle 304, can be replenished.

[0061] For nozzle E detected as the ejection-failed nozzle 304, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the non-ejection voltage waveform 63. In other words, for nozzle E, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information selecting the standard voltage waveform 60 to information selecting the non-ejection voltage waveform 63. In this way, for nozzle E detected as the ejection-failed nozzle 304, ejection of ink 4 is not performed even if there is a possibility that the nozzle E has recovered to a normal state in which it can normally eject ink 4. As a result, even if the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is continued, ink 4 will not be ejected from the nozzle E that is the ejection-failed nozzle 304 (nozzle E will not eject ink). Therefore, the effect of nozzle E that is the ejection-failed nozzle 304 on the ejection control (S216) can be suppressed.

[0062] In this embodiment, a case has been described in which the amount of ink 4 to be discharged by nozzle E, the discharge-failure nozzle 304, in the discharge nozzle combination 302a is complemented by nozzle F or I, but the present invention is not limited to this. Any nozzle (nozzles F to J) that can be used in the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 after the discharge-failure nozzle 304 is detected can supplement the amount of ink 4 to be discharged by nozzle E, the discharge-failure nozzle 304. However, it is preferable to select a nozzle having discharge characteristics (e.g., discharge amount) close to those of the discharge-failure nozzle 304 as the nozzle to complement the discharge-failure nozzle 304.

[0063] 11(b) is a diagram showing replenishment patterns 311a and 311b for the ejection pattern 311 of a combination 302b of ejection nozzles in an arrangement region 32b in which a ejection-failure nozzle 304 was detected at detection timing 303. The replenishment pattern 311a is a pattern in which the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by nozzle E, the ejection-failure nozzle 304, is replenished by nozzle P included in the combination 302b. The replenishment pattern 311b is a pattern in which the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by nozzle E, the ejection-failure nozzle 304, is replenished by nozzle R included in the combination 302b.

[0064] In this embodiment, when nozzle E included in the combination 302b of ejection nozzles is detected as an ejection-failed nozzle 304, the calculation unit 12 determines the replenishment pattern 311a or 311b as shown in Fig. 11(b). Then, the calculation unit 12 rewrites (changes) the waveform selection information 403 included in the ejection control information 41 according to the replenishment pattern 311a or 311b, and transmits the ejection control information 41 with the rewritten waveform selection information 403 to the control board 13 for storage.

[0065] Specifically, in the replenishment pattern 311a, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 to drive the nozzle P scheduled to be used in the sixth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the double voltage waveform 61. In other words, for the nozzle P, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) that selects the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) that selects the double voltage waveform 61 (second waveform information). As a result, in the sixth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, twice the reference amount of ink 4 is ejected from the nozzle P, so that the amount of ink 4 that should be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-failure nozzle 304, can be replenished.

[0066] Furthermore, in the replenishment pattern 311b, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 to drive the nozzle R scheduled to be used in the ninth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the double voltage waveform 61. In other words, for the nozzle R, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) that selects the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) that selects the double voltage waveform 61 (second waveform information). As a result, in the ninth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, twice the reference amount of ink 4 is ejected from the nozzle R, so that the amount of ink 4 that should be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-failure nozzle 304, can be replenished.

[0067] Note that for nozzle E (the faulty ejection nozzle 304) scheduled to be used in the eighth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, the ejection waveform selected in the waveform selection information 403 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the non-ejection voltage waveform 63. In this way, for nozzle E detected as the faulty ejection nozzle 304, ejection of ink 4 is not performed even if there is a possibility that the nozzle has recovered to a normal state in which it can normally eject ink 4. As a result, in the eighth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, ink 4 will not be ejected from nozzle E, which is the faulty ejection nozzle 304 (nozzle E will fail to eject). Therefore, the effect that nozzle E, which is the faulty ejection nozzle 304, has on the ejection control (S216) can be suppressed.

[0068] In this embodiment, a case has been described in which the amount of ink 4 to be discharged by nozzle E, which is the discharge-failure nozzle 304, in the discharge nozzle combination 302b is complemented by nozzle P or R, but the present invention is not limited to this. Any nozzle (nozzles P to S) that can be used in the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 after the discharge-failure nozzle 304 is detected can supplement the amount of ink 4 to be discharged by nozzle E, which is the discharge-failure nozzle 304. However, it is preferable to select a nozzle having discharge characteristics (e.g., discharge amount) close to those of the discharge-failure nozzle 304 as the nozzle to complement the discharge-failure nozzle 304.

[0069] In this manner, in this embodiment, when a defective nozzle is detected, only the waveform selection information for selecting the ejection waveform for driving the defective nozzle is rewritten so that the amount of ink to be ejected by the defective nozzle is replenished by a nozzle (normal nozzle) other than the defective nozzle. Since the time required for calculating and transferring the waveform selection information is shorter than the time required for calculating and transferring the bank information, nozzle information, and timing information, the waveform selection information can be rewritten between scanning operations of the substrate stage 3 (between scanning operations). Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if a defective nozzle that is defective in ejecting ink 4 occurs in a nozzle of the ejection head 5, it is possible to complement the defective nozzle with a normal nozzle, and a decrease in productivity caused by the defective nozzle can be suppressed.

[0070] <Second embodiment> 12(a), 12(b), and 12(c) are diagrams showing examples of a plurality of ejection waveforms registered in the ejection waveform information 42 stored in the driver circuit 14 in the second embodiment. In Fig. 12(a), 12(b), and 12(c), the vertical axis indicates voltage (voltage value) V, and the horizontal axis indicates time T.

[0071] FIG. 12(a) shows a standard voltage waveform 60 when the nozzle of the ejection head 5 ejects the standard amount of ink 4. As described above, the standard voltage waveform 60 is reference waveform information that defines the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzle of the ejection head 5 as a reference amount. FIG. 12(b) shows a variable voltage waveform 62 when the nozzle of the ejection head 5 ejects the ink 4 at an amount that is 1 to 2 times the amount of the standard voltage waveform 60. The variable voltage waveform 62 is variable waveform information that defines the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzle of the ejection head 5 as 1 to 2 times the reference amount. FIG. 12(c) shows a non-ejection voltage waveform 63 when the ink 4 is not ejected from the nozzle of the ejection head 5. As described above, the non-ejection voltage waveform 63 is non-ejection waveform information that defines the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzle of the ejection head 5 as zero.

[0072] As described above, the standard voltage waveform 60, the variable voltage waveform 62, and the non-ejection voltage waveform 63 are included in the ejection waveform information 42 as information indicating the ejection waveform. The selection of the ejection waveform to be applied to the nozzles of the ejection head 5, in this embodiment, the selection of any one of the standard voltage waveform 60, the variable voltage waveform 62, and the non-ejection voltage waveform 63, is determined by the waveform selection information 403 included in the ejection control information 41.

[0073] As described above, the detection unit 15 detects the ejection-failed nozzle periodically during the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 or between scanning operations (between scanning operations) of the substrate stage 3. Here, as shown in Figures 13(a) and 13(b), it is assumed that nozzle E is detected as an ejection-failed nozzle 304 at detection timing 303 between the fifth and sixth scanning operations of the substrate stage 3. In this case, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 13(a) and 13(b), the amount of ink 4 that should be ejected by the ejection-failed nozzle 304, i.e., the shortage from the total amount of ink 4 required, is replenished by ejecting ink 4 from a nozzle other than the ejection-failed nozzle 304.

[0074] 13A is a diagram showing replenishment patterns 310c and 310d for the ejection pattern 310 of the combination 302a of ejection nozzles in the arrangement area 32a in which the ejection-failure nozzle 304 was detected at the detection timing 303. The replenishment pattern 310c is a pattern in which the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-failure nozzle 304, is replenished by the five nozzles F to J included in the combination 302a. The replenishment pattern 310d is a pattern in which the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-failure nozzle 304, is replenished by the three nozzles F to H included in the combination 302a.

[0075] In this embodiment, when nozzle E included in the combination 302a of ejection nozzles is detected as an ejection-failed nozzle 304, the calculation unit 12 determines the replenishment pattern 310c or 310d as shown in Fig. 13(a). Then, the calculation unit 12 rewrites (changes) the waveform selection information 403 included in the ejection control information 41 according to the replenishment pattern 310c or 310d, and transmits the ejection control information 41 with the rewritten waveform selection information 403 to the control board 13 for storage.

[0076] Specifically, in the replenishment pattern 310c, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 for driving the five nozzles F to J scheduled to be used in the sixth to tenth scanning operations of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the variable voltage waveform 62. In other words, for the nozzles F to J, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) that selects the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) that selects the variable voltage waveform 62 (second waveform information). Here, the variable voltage waveform 62 is set to a voltage waveform that provides 1.2 times the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzles of the ejection head 5 compared to the standard voltage waveform 60. In this way, the variable voltage waveform 62 is set to a voltage waveform that defines the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzles as the sum of a reference amount and an ejection amount obtained by dividing the reference amount by the number of nozzles (plurality of normal nozzles) that complement the ejection-defective nozzle 304. As a result, during the sixth to tenth scanning operations of the substrate stage 3, 1.2 times the standard amount of ink 4 is ejected from nozzles F to J, thereby replenishing the amount of ink 4 that should be ejected from nozzle E, which is the defective ejection nozzle 304.

[0077] In addition, in the replenishment pattern 310d, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 for driving the three nozzles F to H scheduled to be used in the sixth to eighth scanning operations of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the variable voltage waveform 62. In other words, for the nozzles F to H, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) that selects the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) that selects the variable voltage waveform 62 (second waveform information). Here, the variable voltage waveform 62 is a voltage waveform that makes the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzles of the ejection head 5 1.33 times that of the standard voltage waveform 60. As a result, in the sixth to eighth scanning operations of the substrate stage 3, 1.2 times the reference amount of ink 4 is ejected from the nozzles F to H, so that the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection defective nozzle 304, can be replenished.

[0078] For nozzle E detected as the discharge-failed nozzle 304, the discharge waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the non-discharge voltage waveform 63. In other words, for nozzle E, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information selecting the standard voltage waveform 60 to information selecting the non-discharge voltage waveform 63. As a result, even if the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 continues, ink 4 will no longer be discharged from nozzle E, which is the discharge-failed nozzle 304 (nozzle E will fail to discharge). Therefore, the effect that nozzle E, which is the discharge-failed nozzle 304, has on the discharge control (S216) can be suppressed.

[0079] In this embodiment, a case has been described in which the amount of ink 4 to be discharged by nozzle E, the discharge-failure nozzle 304, in the discharge nozzle combination 302a is supplemented by nozzles F to J or nozzles F to H, but the present invention is not limited to this. Any nozzle (nozzles F to J) that can be used in the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 after the discharge-failure nozzle 304 is detected can supplement the amount of ink 4 to be discharged by nozzle E, the discharge-failure nozzle 304. However, it is preferable to select a nozzle having discharge characteristics (e.g., discharge amount) close to those of the discharge-failure nozzle 304 as the nozzle to supplement the discharge-failure nozzle 304.

[0080] 13(b) is a diagram showing replenishment patterns 311c and 311d for the ejection pattern 311 of the combination 302b of ejection nozzles in the arrangement region 32b in which the ejection-failure nozzle 304 was detected at the detection timing 303. The replenishment pattern 311c is a pattern in which the ejection amount of ink 4 to be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-failure nozzle 304, is replenished by the four nozzles P to S included in the combination 302b. The replenishment pattern 311d is a pattern in which the ejection amount of ink 4 to be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-failure nozzle 304, is replenished by the three nozzles P to R included in the combination 302b.

[0081] Specifically, in the replenishment pattern 311c, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 for driving the four nozzles P to S to be used in the sixth, seventh, ninth, and tenth scanning operations of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the variable voltage waveform 62. In other words, for the nozzles P to S, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) that selects the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) that selects the variable voltage waveform 62 (second waveform information). Here, the variable voltage waveform 62 is a voltage waveform that causes the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzles of the ejection head 5 to be 1.25 times that of the standard voltage waveform 60. As a result, in the sixth, seventh, ninth, and tenth scanning operations of the substrate stage 3, the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzles P to S is 1.25 times the reference amount, so that the amount of ink 4 to be ejected from the nozzle E, which is the ejection defective nozzle 304, can be replenished.

[0082] In addition, in the replenishment pattern 311d, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 for driving the three nozzles P to R scheduled to be used in the sixth, seventh, and ninth scanning operations of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the variable voltage waveform 62. In other words, for the nozzles P to R, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) that selects the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) that selects the variable voltage waveform 62 (second waveform information). Here, the variable voltage waveform 62 is a voltage waveform that makes the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzles of the ejection head 5 1.33 times that of the standard voltage waveform 60. As a result, in the sixth, seventh, and ninth scanning operations of the substrate stage 3, the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzles P to R is 1.33 times the reference amount, so that the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection defective nozzle 304, can be replenished.

[0083] Note that for nozzle E (the faulty ejection nozzle 304) scheduled to be used in the eighth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, the ejection waveform selected in the waveform selection information 403 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the non-ejection voltage waveform 63. In this way, for nozzle E detected as the faulty ejection nozzle 304, ejection of ink 4 is not performed even if there is a possibility that the nozzle has recovered to a normal state in which it can normally eject ink 4. As a result, in the eighth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, ink 4 will not be ejected from nozzle E, which is the faulty ejection nozzle 304 (nozzle E will fail to eject). Therefore, the effect that nozzle E, which is the faulty ejection nozzle 304, has on the ejection control (S216) can be suppressed.

[0084] In this embodiment, a case has been described in which the amount of ink 4 to be discharged by nozzle E, which is the discharge-failure nozzle 304, in the discharge nozzle combination 302b is supplemented by nozzles P to S or nozzles P to R, but the present invention is not limited to this. Any nozzle (nozzles P to S) that can be used in the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 after the discharge-failure nozzle 304 is detected can supplement the amount of ink 4 to be discharged by nozzle E, which is the discharge-failure nozzle 304. However, it is preferable to select a nozzle having discharge characteristics close to those of the discharge-failure nozzle 304 (e.g., discharge amount) as the nozzle to supplement the discharge-failure nozzle 304.

[0085] In this manner, in this embodiment, when a defective nozzle is detected, only the waveform selection information for selecting the ejection waveform for driving the defective nozzle is rewritten so that the amount of ink to be ejected by the defective nozzle is replenished by a plurality of nozzles (normal nozzles) other than the defective nozzle. Since the time required for calculating and transferring the waveform selection information is shorter than the time required for calculating and transferring the bank information, nozzle information, and timing information, the waveform selection information can be rewritten between scanning operations of the substrate stage 3 (between operations). Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if a defective nozzle that is defective in ejecting ink 4 occurs in a nozzle of the ejection head 5, it is possible to complement the defective nozzle with a plurality of normal nozzles, and a decrease in productivity caused by the defective nozzle can be suppressed.

[0086] Hereinafter, as a third embodiment and a fourth embodiment, cases in which the ink 4 is placed on (a target area of) an object other than the placement area 32 formed on the substrate 2 will be described.

[0087] <Third embodiment> 14 is a diagram showing combinations 702a and 702b of ejection nozzles with respect to a target area 70 of an object on which ink 4 is to be placed, and the ejection order of nozzles A to J included in the combination 702a and the ejection order of nozzles K to S included in the combination 702b. FIG. 14 also shows placement positions 71 (landing positions) of ink 4 ejected from each of the nozzles A to J and nozzles K to S on the object. The object 70 includes, for example, a glass substrate, a deformable film, paper, etc. Furthermore, detection of defective ejection nozzles by the detection unit 15 is periodically performed while ejection control (S216), specifically, during the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 or between scanning operations of the substrate stage 3 (between scanning operations).

[0088] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing the timing at which, during discharge control (S216), the detection unit 15 detects a discharge-faulty nozzle 304. Fig. 15 shows a case in which nozzle E is detected as a discharge-faulty nozzle 304 by the detection unit 15 at detection timing 303 between the fifth scanning operation and the sixth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3.

[0089] In this embodiment, when the discharge-failed nozzle 304 is detected, the calculation unit 12 acquires information on discharge control related to the discharge-failed nozzle 304 based on the discharge control information 41. This information includes, for example, information on the arrangement position 71a on the target object of the ink 4 that was to be discharged from the discharge-failed nozzle 304 when discharge control (scanning operation of the substrate stage 3) was performed using the discharge-failed nozzle 304. This information also includes information on the arrangement position 71b on the target object of the ink 4 that the discharge-failed nozzle 304 is to discharge when discharge control is to be performed using the discharge-failed nozzle 304. Furthermore, this information also includes information on the nozzles used in these discharge controls. From such information on discharge control related to the discharge-failed nozzle 304, the calculation unit 12 specifies a combination of discharge nozzles including the discharge-failed nozzle 304 that is to be used in discharge control for disposing the ink 4 on the target object 70.

[0090] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 15, in the first five scanning operations of the substrate stage 3, normal ejection is performed from nozzles A to D and nozzles K to O, but normal ejection is not performed from nozzle E, so nozzle E is detected as the defective ejection nozzle 304. In this case, it is understood that nozzle E, which has been detected as the defective ejection nozzle 304, is to be used (scheduled to be used) in the eighth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3. Therefore, if the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is continued in this state, the necessary ink 4 will not be placed at the placement positions 71a and 71b on the target object, and uneven placement (uneven application) of the ink 4 will occur on the target object. This is because nozzle E, which is the defective ejection nozzle 304, is to be used in the fifth and eighth scanning operations for the target object 70.

[0091] 16(a) and 16(b), the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by the ejection-failed nozzle 304 is replenished by ejecting ink 4 from a nozzle other than the ejection-failed nozzle 304. This makes it possible to reduce uneven placement (uneven application) of the ink 4 on the target object caused by the ejection-failed nozzle 304.

[0092] 16A is a diagram showing a replenishment pattern 710a for an ejection pattern 710 of a combination 702a of ejection nozzles including a non-ejection nozzle 304. The replenishment pattern 710a is a pattern in which the amount of ink 4 that should be ejected by nozzle E, which is the non-ejection nozzle 304, is replenished by nozzle F included in the combination 702a.

[0093] In this embodiment, when nozzle E included in the combination 702a of ejection nozzles is detected as an ejection-failed nozzle 304, the calculation unit 12 determines a replenishment pattern 710a as shown in Fig. 16(a). Then, the calculation unit 12 rewrites (changes) the waveform selection information 403 included in the ejection control information 41 in accordance with the replenishment pattern 710a, and transmits the ejection control information 41 with the rewritten waveform selection information 403 to the control board 13 for storage.

[0094] Specifically, in the replenishment pattern 710a, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 for driving the nozzle F to be used in the sixth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the double voltage waveform 61. In other words, for the nozzle F, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) that selects the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) that selects the double voltage waveform 61 (second waveform information). As a result, in the sixth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, twice the amount of ink 4 as the reference amount is ejected from the nozzle F, so that the ejection amount of ink 4 to be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-defective nozzle 304, can be replenished. As a result, the uneven arrangement (uneven application) of the ink 4 on the target caused by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-defective nozzle 304, is reduced.

[0095] For nozzle E detected as the ejection-failed nozzle 304, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the non-ejection voltage waveform 63. In other words, for nozzle E, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information selecting the standard voltage waveform 60 to information selecting the non-ejection voltage waveform 63. As a result, even if the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 continues, ink 4 will no longer be ejected from nozzle E, which is the ejection-failed nozzle 304 (nozzle E will become non-ejecting).

[0096] 16(b) is a diagram showing replenishment patterns 711a and 711b for the ejection pattern 711 of a combination 702b of ejection nozzles including the ejection-failure nozzle 304. The replenishment pattern 711a is a pattern in which the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by nozzle E, the ejection-failure nozzle 304, is replenished by nozzle Q included in the combination 702b. The replenishment pattern 711b is a pattern in which the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by nozzle E, the ejection-failure nozzle 304, is replenished by nozzle R included in the combination 702b.

[0097] In this embodiment, when nozzle E included in the combination 702b of ejection nozzles is detected as the ejection-failed nozzle 304, the calculation unit 12 determines the replenishment pattern 711a or 711b as shown in Fig. 16(b). Then, the calculation unit 12 rewrites (changes) the waveform selection information 403 included in the ejection control information 41 according to the replenishment pattern 711a or 711b, and transmits the ejection control information 41 with the rewritten waveform selection information 403 to the control board 13 for storage.

[0098] Specifically, in the replenishment pattern 711a, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 for driving the nozzle Q to be used in the seventh scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the double voltage waveform 61. In other words, for the nozzle Q, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) that selects the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) that selects the double voltage waveform 61 (second waveform information). As a result, in the seventh scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, twice the amount of ink 4 as the reference amount is ejected from the nozzle Q, so that the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-defective nozzle 304, can be replenished. As a result, the uneven placement (uneven application) of the ink 4 on the target caused by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-defective nozzle 304, is reduced.

[0099] In addition, in the replenishment pattern 711b, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 for driving the nozzle R to be used in the ninth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the double voltage waveform 61. In other words, for the nozzle R, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) that selects the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) that selects the double voltage waveform 61 (second waveform information). As a result, in the ninth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, twice the amount of ink 4 as the reference amount is ejected from the nozzle R, so that the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-defective nozzle 304, can be replenished. As a result, the uneven placement (uneven application) of the ink 4 on the target caused by the nozzle E, which is the ejection-defective nozzle 304, is reduced.

[0100] Note that for nozzle E (the faulty ejection nozzle 304) scheduled to be used in the eighth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, the ejection waveform selected in the waveform selection information 403 has been switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the non-ejection voltage waveform 63. In this way, for nozzle E detected as the faulty ejection nozzle 304, ejection of ink 4 is not performed even if there is a possibility that the nozzle has recovered to a normal state in which it can normally eject ink 4. As a result, in the eighth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, ink 4 will not be ejected from nozzle E, which is the faulty ejection nozzle 304 (nozzle E will be non-ejecting).

[0101] In this manner, in this embodiment, when a defective nozzle is detected, only the waveform selection information for selecting the ejection waveform for driving the defective nozzle is rewritten so that the amount of ink to be ejected by the defective nozzle is replenished by a nozzle (normal nozzle) other than the defective nozzle. Since the time required for calculating and transferring the waveform selection information is shorter than the time required for calculating and transferring the bank information, nozzle information, and timing information, the waveform selection information can be rewritten between scanning operations of the substrate stage 3 (between operations). Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if a defective nozzle that is defective in ejecting the ink 4 occurs in a nozzle of the ejection head 5, it is possible to complement the defective nozzle with a normal nozzle. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in productivity caused by the defective nozzle.

[0102] In this embodiment, it is preferable to select a nozzle adjacent to the defective nozzle as the other nozzle that complements the defective nozzle. This makes it possible to place ink at a position adjacent to the position (position positions 71a and 71b) where ink could not be placed on the target object by the defective nozzle, which is advantageous in reducing uneven placement of ink (uneven application) on the target object.

[0103] <Fourth embodiment> 17A is a diagram showing a replenishment pattern 710b for an ejection pattern 710 of a combination 702a of ejection nozzles including a defective ejection nozzle 304. The replenishment pattern 710b is a pattern in which the amount of ink 4 that should be ejected by nozzle E, which is the defective ejection nozzle 304, is replenished by one nozzle F included in the combination 702a.

[0104] In this embodiment, when nozzle E included in the combination 702a of ejection nozzles is detected as an ejection-failed nozzle 304, the calculation unit 12 determines a replenishment pattern 710b as shown in Fig. 17(a). Then, the calculation unit 12 rewrites (changes) the waveform selection information 403 included in the ejection control information 41 in accordance with the replenishment pattern 710b, and transmits the ejection control information 41 with the rewritten waveform selection information 403 to the control board 13 for storage.

[0105] Specifically, in the replenishment pattern 710a, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 for driving one nozzle F to be used in the sixth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the variable voltage waveform 62. In other words, for the nozzle F, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) for selecting the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) for selecting the variable voltage waveform 62 (second waveform information). Here, the variable voltage waveform 62 is a voltage waveform that doubles the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzle of the ejection head 5 compared to the standard voltage waveform 60. As a result, in the sixth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, twice the amount of ink 4 is ejected from the nozzle F compared to the reference amount, so that the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection defective nozzle 304, can be replenished. As a result, the uneven placement (uneven application) of the ink 4 on the target caused by the nozzle E, which is the ejection defective nozzle 304, is reduced.

[0106] For nozzle E detected as the ejection-failed nozzle 304, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the non-ejection voltage waveform 63. In other words, for nozzle E, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information selecting the standard voltage waveform 60 to information selecting the non-ejection voltage waveform 63. As a result, even if the scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 continues, ink 4 will no longer be ejected from nozzle E, which is the ejection-failed nozzle 304 (nozzle E will become non-ejecting).

[0107] 17B is a diagram showing refill patterns 711c, 711d, and 711e for the ejection pattern 711 of a combination 702b of ejection nozzles including the ejection-failure nozzle 304. The refill pattern 711c is a pattern in which the ejection amount of ink 4 to be ejected by nozzle E, the ejection-failure nozzle 304, is replenished by one nozzle Q included in the combination 702b. The refill pattern 711d is a pattern in which the ejection amount of ink 4 to be ejected by nozzle E, the ejection-failure nozzle 304, is replenished by one nozzle R included in the combination 702b. The refill pattern 711e is a pattern in which the ejection amount of ink 4 to be ejected by nozzle E, the ejection-failure nozzle 304, is replenished by two nozzles Q and R included in the combination 702b.

[0108] In this embodiment, when nozzle E included in the combination 702b of ejection nozzles is detected as an ejection-failed nozzle 304, the calculation unit 12 determines a replenishment pattern 711c, 711d, or 711e as shown in Fig. 17(b). Then, the calculation unit 12 rewrites (changes) the waveform selection information 403 included in the ejection control information 41 according to the replenishment pattern 711c, 711d, or 711e, and transmits the ejection control information 41 with the rewritten waveform selection information 403 to the control board 13 for storage.

[0109] Specifically, in the replenishment pattern 711c, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 for driving one nozzle Q to be used in the seventh scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the variable voltage waveform 62. In other words, for the nozzle Q, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) for selecting the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) for selecting the variable voltage waveform 62 (second waveform information). Here, the variable voltage waveform 62 is a voltage waveform that doubles the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzle of the ejection head 5 compared to the standard voltage waveform 60. As a result, in the seventh scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, twice the amount of ink 4 is ejected from the nozzle Q as compared to the reference amount, so that the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection defective nozzle 304, can be replenished. As a result, the uneven arrangement (uneven application) of the ink 4 on the target caused by the nozzle E, which is the ejection defective nozzle 304, is reduced.

[0110] In addition, in the replenishment pattern 711d, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 for driving one nozzle R to be used in the ninth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the variable voltage waveform 62. In other words, for the nozzle R, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) for selecting the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) for selecting the variable voltage waveform 62 (second waveform information). Here, the variable voltage waveform 62 is a voltage waveform that doubles the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzle of the ejection head 5 compared to the standard voltage waveform 60. As a result, in the ninth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, twice the amount of ink 4 is ejected from the nozzle R as compared to the reference amount, so that the amount of ink 4 to be ejected by the nozzle E, which is the ejection defective nozzle 304, can be replenished. As a result, the uneven placement (uneven application) of the ink 4 on the target caused by the nozzle E, which is the ejection defective nozzle 304, is reduced.

[0111] In addition, in the replenishment pattern 711e, the ejection waveform selected by the waveform selection information 403 for driving the two nozzles Q and R scheduled to be used in the seventh and ninth scanning operations of the substrate stage 3 is switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the variable voltage waveform 62. In other words, for the nozzles Q and R, the waveform selection information 403 provided to the driver circuit 14 is rewritten from information (first waveform selection information) that selects the standard voltage waveform 60 (first waveform information) to information (second waveform selection information) that selects the variable voltage waveform 62 (second waveform information). Here, the variable voltage waveform 62 is a voltage waveform that causes the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzles of the ejection head 5 to be 1.5 times that of the standard voltage waveform 60. As a result, in the seventh and ninth scanning operations of the substrate stage 3, the amount of ink 4 ejected from the nozzles Q and R is 1.5 times the reference amount, so that the amount of ink 4 to be ejected from the nozzle E, which is the ejection defective nozzle 304, can be replenished. As a result, uneven placement (uneven application) of the ink 4 on the target object caused by the nozzle E which is the ejection defective nozzle 304 is reduced.

[0112] Note that for nozzle E (the faulty ejection nozzle 304) scheduled to be used in the eighth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, the ejection waveform selected in the waveform selection information 403 has been switched from the standard voltage waveform 60 to the non-ejection voltage waveform 63. In this way, for nozzle E detected as the faulty ejection nozzle 304, ejection of ink 4 is not performed even if there is a possibility that the nozzle has recovered to a normal state in which it can normally eject ink 4. As a result, in the eighth scanning operation of the substrate stage 3, ink 4 will not be ejected from nozzle E, which is the faulty ejection nozzle 304 (nozzle E will be non-ejecting).

[0113] In this manner, in this embodiment, when a defective nozzle is detected, only the waveform selection information for selecting the ejection waveform for driving the defective nozzle is rewritten so that the amount of ink to be ejected by the defective nozzle is replenished by one or more nozzles other than the defective nozzle. Since the time required for calculating and transferring the waveform selection information is shorter than the time required for calculating and transferring the bank information, nozzle information, and timing information, the waveform selection information can be rewritten between scanning operations of the substrate stage 3 (between operations). Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if a defective nozzle that is defective in ejecting the ink 4 occurs in a nozzle of the ejection head 5, it is possible to complement the defective nozzle with one or more normal nozzles. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in productivity caused by the defective nozzle.

[0114] In this embodiment, it is preferable to select a nozzle adjacent to the defective nozzle as the one or more nozzles that complement the defective nozzle. This makes it possible to place ink at a position adjacent to the position (position positions 71a and 71b) where ink could not be placed on the target object by the defective nozzle, which is advantageous in reducing uneven placement of ink (uneven application) on the target object.

[0115] The method for manufacturing an article according to the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing an article such as a display panel for organic EL or the like, a microdevice such as a semiconductor device, or an element having a fine structure. The method for manufacturing an article according to the embodiment includes a step of discharging a liquid onto a substrate using a liquid discharge device 1 (or a substrate processing device having the liquid discharge device 1) to form a liquid film, and a step of processing the substrate on which the liquid film has been formed in the step, specifically, drying the substrate to obtain a substrate on which a dry film has been formed. The method for manufacturing an article according to the embodiment further includes a step of manufacturing an article from the substrate on which the dry film has been formed. Furthermore, the method for manufacturing an article according to the embodiment includes other well-known steps (baking, cooling, cleaning, oxidation, film formation, deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The method for manufacturing an article according to the embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article, compared to conventional methods.

[0116] The disclosure of the present specification includes the following discharge apparatus, substrate processing apparatus, and method for manufacturing an article.

[0117] (Item 1) a discharge head including a plurality of nozzles for discharging a liquid and disposing the liquid on a substrate via the plurality of nozzles; a processing unit that performs a discharge process of disposing the liquid in a target area of ​​the substrate using a combination of nozzles including at least two nozzles selected from the plurality of nozzles; a driver circuit that stores a plurality of waveform information different from one another that defines the amount of the liquid discharged from the nozzles of the discharge head, and drives each of the plurality of nozzles in accordance with waveform information selected from the plurality of waveform information; The processing unit includes: providing first selection information for selecting first waveform information from the plurality of waveform information to the driver circuit, and causing the driver circuit to drive each of the nozzles included in the combination in accordance with the first waveform information to perform an operation of ejecting the liquid onto the target area a plurality of times, thereby performing the ejection process; during the discharge process, when a defective nozzle that is defective in discharging the liquid is detected from among the nozzles included in the combination, the selection information to be provided to the driver circuit is rewritten from the first selection information to second selection information that selects the second waveform information so that an operation is performed to drive a nozzle other than the defective nozzle among the nozzles included in the combination in accordance with second waveform information that replenishes the amount of the liquid to be discharged from the defective nozzle, thereby discharging the liquid onto the target area; A discharge device characterized by:

[0118] (Item 2) The ejection device described in item 1, characterized in that the processing unit rewrites the selection information to be provided to the driver circuit from the first selection information to second selection information that selects the second waveform information between the operations performed multiple times.

[0119] (Item 3) The ejection device described in item 1 or 2, characterized in that the processing unit selects the one normal nozzle as the other nozzle so that the amount of liquid to be ejected by the faulty nozzle is replenished by one normal nozzle among the nozzles included in the combination, excluding the faulty nozzle.

[0120] (Item 4) The ejection device described in any one of items 1 to 3, characterized in that the processing unit selects one normal nozzle as the other nozzle so that the amount of liquid to be ejected by the faulty nozzle is replenished by one normal nozzle adjacent to the faulty nozzle among the nozzles included in the combination.

[0121] (Item 5) the plurality of waveform information include reference waveform information that defines the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the nozzle as a reference amount, and double waveform information that defines the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the nozzle as twice the reference amount, the first waveform information is the reference waveform information, The second waveform information is the double waveform information. 5. The discharge device according to item 3 or 4,

[0122] (Item 6) The ejection device described in item 1 or 2, characterized in that the processing unit selects the multiple normal nozzles as the other nozzles so that the amount of liquid to be ejected by the faulty nozzle is replenished by multiple normal nozzles among the nozzles included in the combination, excluding the faulty nozzle.

[0123] (Item 7) The ejection device described in any one of items 1, 2, and 6, characterized in that the processing unit selects the multiple normal nozzles as the other nozzles so that the amount of liquid to be ejected by the faulty nozzle is replenished by multiple normal nozzles adjacent to the faulty nozzle among the nozzles included in the combination.

[0124] (Item 8) the plurality of waveform information include reference waveform information that defines the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the nozzle as a reference amount, and variable waveform information that defines the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the nozzle as an amount that is equal to or greater than one time and equal to or less than two times the reference amount, the first waveform information is the reference waveform information, the second waveform information is the variable waveform information that defines the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the nozzle to be an amount obtained by adding up the reference amount and an ejection amount obtained by dividing the reference amount by the number of the plurality of normal nozzles; 8. The discharge device according to item 6 or 7,

[0125] (Item 9) The ejection device described in any one of items 1 to 8, characterized in that the processing unit rewrites the selection information corresponding to the faulty nozzle, which is provided to the driver circuit, from the first selection information to selection information that selects the non-ejection waveform information so that the faulty nozzle is non-ejected in accordance with non-ejection waveform information that does not eject the liquid from the nozzle.

[0126] (Item 10) 10. The ejection device according to item 9, wherein the non-ejection waveform information is waveform information that specifies the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the nozzle to zero.

[0127] (Item 11) 11. The ejection device according to any one of items 1 to 10, further comprising a detection unit that detects the defective nozzle from among the nozzles included in the combination.

[0128] (Item 12) Item 12. The ejection device according to item 11, wherein the detection unit irradiates light toward a path of the liquid ejected from the nozzle and detects the defective nozzle based on whether the light is blocked by the liquid.

[0129] (Item 13) Item 12. The ejection device according to item 11, wherein the detection unit captures an image of the distribution of the liquid ejected from the nozzle and disposed on the substrate, and detects the defective nozzle from the image.

[0130] (Item 14) Item 12. The ejection device according to item 11, wherein the detection unit detects residual vibrations after the liquid is ejected from the nozzle, and detects the defective nozzle from the residual vibrations.

[0131] (Item 15) A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, a stage for holding the substrate; The ejection device according to any one of items 1 to 14, which ejects liquid onto the substrate held on the stage; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

[0132] (Item 16) Discharging a liquid onto a substrate using the substrate processing apparatus according to item 15; processing the substrate onto which the liquid has been discharged; producing an article from the processed substrate; A method for producing an article, comprising the steps of:

[0133] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0134] 1: Liquid ejection device 2: Substrate 4: Ink 5: Ejection nozzle 11: Control unit 12: Calculation unit 13: Control board 14: Driver circuit 15: Detection unit

Claims

1. A discharge head including a plurality of nozzles that discharge a liquid onto a substrate; a processing unit that performs a discharge process of discharging the liquid onto a target area of ​​the substrate using a combination of nozzles including at least two nozzles selected from the plurality of nozzles; a driver circuit that stores a plurality of waveform information different from one another that defines the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the plurality of nozzles, and that drives each of the plurality of nozzles in accordance with waveform information selected from the plurality of waveform information; The processing unit providing first selection information for selecting first waveform information from the plurality of waveform information to the driver circuit, and causing the driver circuit to drive each of the nozzles included in the combination in accordance with the first waveform information, thereby performing an operation of ejecting the liquid onto the target area a plurality of times, thereby performing the ejection process; during the discharge process, if a defective nozzle that is defective in discharge of the liquid is detected from the nozzles included in the combination, the selection information to be provided to the driver circuit is rewritten from the first selection information to second selection information that selects the second waveform information so that an operation is performed to drive a nozzle other than the defective nozzle among the nozzles included in the combination in accordance with second waveform information that replenishes the discharge amount of the liquid that should be discharged from the defective nozzle, thereby discharging the liquid toward the target area; A discharge device characterized by:

2. The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit rewrites the selection information to be provided to the driver circuit from the first selection information to the second selection information between the operations performed multiple times.

3. The ejection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit selects the one normal nozzle as the other nozzle so that the amount of liquid to be ejected by the defective nozzle is replenished by one normal nozzle among the nozzles included in the combination, excluding the defective nozzle.

4. The ejection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit selects one normal nozzle as the other nozzle so that the amount of liquid to be ejected by the defective nozzle is replenished by one normal nozzle adjacent to the defective nozzle among the nozzles included in the combination.

5. the plurality of waveform information include reference waveform information that defines the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the nozzle as a reference amount, and double waveform information that defines the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the nozzle as twice the reference amount, the first waveform information is the reference waveform information, the second waveform information is the double waveform information; 5. The ejection device according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The ejection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit selects the plurality of normal nozzles as the other nozzles so that the amount of liquid to be ejected by the defective nozzle is replenished by the plurality of normal nozzles included in the combination, excluding the defective nozzle.

7. The ejection device according to claim 6, characterized in that the processing unit selects the plurality of normal nozzles as the other nozzles so that the amount of liquid to be ejected by the defective nozzle is replenished by the plurality of normal nozzles adjacent to the defective nozzle among the nozzles included in the combination.

8. the plurality of waveform information include reference waveform information that defines the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the nozzle as a reference amount, and variable waveform information that defines the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the nozzle as an amount that is equal to or greater than one time and equal to or less than two times the reference amount, the first waveform information is the reference waveform information, the second waveform information is the variable waveform information that defines the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the nozzle as the sum of the reference amount and an ejection amount obtained by dividing the reference amount by the number of the plurality of normal nozzles; 8. The discharge device according to claim 6 or 7.

9. The ejection device described in claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit rewrites the selection information corresponding to the defective nozzle, which is provided to the driver circuit, from the first selection information to selection information that selects the non-ejection waveform information so that the defective nozzle does not eject the liquid according to non-ejection waveform information that does not eject the liquid from the nozzle.

10. The ejection device according to claim 9 , wherein the non-ejection waveform information is waveform information that specifies the ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the nozzle to be zero.

11. The ejection device according to claim 1 , further comprising a detection unit that detects the defective nozzle from among the nozzles included in the combination.

12. The ejection device according to claim 11, wherein the detection unit irradiates light toward a path of the liquid ejected from the nozzle, and detects the defective nozzle based on whether the light is blocked by the liquid.

13. The ejection device according to claim 11 , wherein the detection unit captures an image of the distribution of the liquid ejected from the nozzles and disposed on the substrate, and detects the defective nozzle from the image.

14. The ejection device according to claim 11 , wherein the detection unit detects residual vibrations after the liquid is ejected from the nozzle, and detects the defective nozzle from the residual vibrations.

15. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, a stage for holding the substrate; the ejection device according to claim 1 , which ejects a liquid onto the substrate held by the stage; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

16. Discharging a liquid onto a substrate using the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 15; processing the substrate onto which the liquid has been discharged; manufacturing an article from the processed substrate; A method for manufacturing an article, comprising:

Images