Droplet discharge device, adjustment method, and article manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a droplet discharge device that improves measurement accuracy of droplets discharged from a plurality of nozzles.SOLUTION: A droplet discharge device includes: a nozzle head having a plurality of nozzles; driving means for driving the plurality of nozzles to discharge a plurality of droplets; imaging means for imaging the plurality of droplets; image confirming means for confirming a focus state of the plurality of droplets imaged by the imaging means; and adjusting means for adjusting at least a partial angle of the imaging means relative to the plurality of droplets, on the basis of the focus state confirmed by the image confirming means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a droplet ejection device, an adjustment method, and a method for manufacturing an article. [Background technology]

[0002] A droplet observation device that captures flying droplets ejected from the nozzles of an inkjet device to measure droplet characteristics such as the velocity, volume, and ejection angle of the droplets usually captures flying droplets from a single nozzle to measure the droplet characteristics. In this case, if the inkjet device is large in scale and has a large number of nozzles, it takes a long time to measure the droplet characteristics.

[0003] In response to this, there is a method for simultaneously capturing images of flying droplets from multiple nozzles to measure the droplet characteristics, thereby shortening the measurement time.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 shows a method of measuring droplet characteristics by arranging an imaging means at a position perpendicular to the nozzle row direction and simultaneously imaging droplets flying from multiple nozzles. This example includes a rotation means that enables the droplet discharge head to rotate relatively to the imaging means, and a movement mechanism that enables the imaging means to move in the imaging direction relative to the droplet discharge head.

[0005] This rotation means aligns the nozzle row of the droplet ejection head perpendicular to the imaging means, and the movement mechanism adjusts the distance from the nozzle row in the imaging means to the flying droplets, adjusts the focus, and simultaneously images the flying droplets from multiple nozzles to measure the droplet characteristics. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-337771 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1, when simultaneously capturing images of flying droplets from multiple nozzles, the distance between the imaging means and the nozzle row was simply adjusted using a moving mechanism that could move in the imaging direction relative to the droplet ejection head.

[0008] Therefore, if the imaged surface of the flying droplets ejected from the multiple nozzles to be imaged is not parallel to the imaging surface focused by the depth of field of the imaging means, there will be places on the imaging surface where the flying droplets are not in focus, resulting in a problem that the captured image of the flying droplets will be blurred and accurate measurement cannot be performed.

[0009] In view of these points, an object of the present invention is to provide a droplet ejection device capable of improving the measurement accuracy of droplets ejected from a plurality of nozzles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, a droplet ejection device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: A nozzle head having a plurality of nozzles; a driving means for driving the plurality of nozzles to eject a plurality of droplets; An imaging means for imaging the plurality of droplets; an image confirmation means for confirming a focus state of the plurality of droplets captured by the imaging means; an adjustment means for adjusting an angle of at least a part of the imaging means with respect to the plurality of droplets based on the focusing state confirmed by the image confirmation means; The present invention is characterized by having the following. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a droplet ejection device capable of improving the measurement accuracy of droplets ejected from a plurality of nozzles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1]1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a droplet ejection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of an XY movable part and a nozzle head module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 2A to 2C are diagrams illustrating an example of a nozzle head and ejected droplets in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing examples of the positional relationship between a nozzle head and a droplet imaging unit in Example 1 of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a droplet ejection device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a nozzle head and a reference mark in a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a droplet ejection device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an XY movable part and a nozzle head module according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a droplet ejection device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10(A) to 10(C) are diagrams showing examples of a nozzle head and ejected droplets in a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a droplet ejection device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used for the same members or elements, and duplicated descriptions are omitted or simplified.

[0014] <Example 1> Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a droplet ejection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Some of the functional blocks shown in Fig. 1 are realized by causing a CPU or the like serving as a computer (not shown) included in the droplet ejection device to execute a computer program stored in a memory serving as a storage medium (not shown).

[0015] However, a part or all of these may be realized by hardware, which may be a dedicated circuit (ASIC) or a processor (a reconfigurable processor, DSP), etc.

[0016] In addition, the functional blocks shown in Fig. 1 do not have to be built in the same housing, and may be configured by separate devices connected to each other via signal paths. The above explanation regarding Fig. 1 also applies to Figs. 5, 7, 9, and 11.

[0017] In Fig. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a nozzle head of a droplet ejection device (inkjet device), and a droplet drive unit 20 is a droplet drive unit that drives the nozzle head 10 to eject ink as droplets. The droplet drive unit 20 functions as a drive means that drives a plurality of nozzles to eject a plurality of droplets.

[0018] 2A and 2B are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of an XY movable part and a nozzle head module in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2A, the nozzle head 10 has a plurality of nozzles 101.

[0019] Each nozzle is a minute hole of, for example, several tens of μm, and in the example shown in Fig. 2(A), a row is formed in the horizontal direction and four rows are arranged in the vertical direction. Each of the nozzles 101 has a droplet driving unit 20, which drives, for example, a piezoelectric element to eject ink as droplets from the nozzle 101. The piezoelectric element ejects droplets in response to an applied voltage.

[0020] Therefore, it is possible to control the volume and speed of droplets ejected from nozzle 101 by the voltage applied to droplet driving unit 20. Timing adjustment unit 30 adjusts the timing for driving droplet driving unit 20 according to a command from control unit 40.

[0021] 1 is the inspection unit 100, and the part surrounded by the dashed line is the flying droplet measurement unit 60. In the flying droplet measurement unit 60, the lighting unit 52 illuminates flying droplets discharged from a plurality of nozzles 101, the droplet image capturing unit 50 captures the images, the image processing unit 56 processes the images, and the speed, volume, discharge angle, etc. of the droplets discharged from each nozzle are calculated.

[0022] Here, the droplet imaging unit 50 functions as an imaging means for imaging a plurality of droplets, and the image processing unit 56 functions as an image processing means for calculating at least one of the velocity, volume, and ejection angle of the droplets ejected from the plurality of nozzles based on the image from the imaging means.

[0023] Here, as shown in FIG. 2(A), the droplet imaging unit 50 and the illumination unit 52 are fixed to a plate 55, and are mounted on an XY movable unit 140 that can move freely along the Xdrv axis and the Ydrv axis, where the horizontal axis is Xdrv and the vertical axis is Ydrv.

[0024] That is, the XY movable part 140 functions as a moving means for relatively moving the nozzle head and the imaging means, and has a drive axis X (first drive axis) in a predetermined direction and a drive axis Y (second drive axis) in a direction perpendicular to the drive axis X (first drive axis). As shown in Fig. 2(A), the drive axis X (first drive axis) and the drive axis Y (second drive axis) are parallel to the arrangement surface of the multiple nozzles.

[0025] 2A, a plurality of nozzle heads 10 are attached to a nozzle head module 200. In this example, six nozzle heads 10 are attached to the nozzle head module 200.

[0026] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a nozzle head and ejected droplets in the first embodiment of the present invention, in which the vertical axis is Zdrv and the horizontal axis is Xdrv, showing the state of the nozzle head 10 attached to the nozzle head module 200 as seen from the side. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of droplets 103 are ejected simultaneously from the nozzle 101.

[0027] In the flying droplet measuring section 60, the droplet imaging section 50 simultaneously captures multiple images of these droplets 103, and the image processing section 56 processes the images to calculate the speed, volume, and ejection angle of the droplets ejected from the multiple nozzles.

[0028] The XY movable part 140 can be moved to any position along the axes Xdrv and Ydrv shown in FIG.

[0029] 2B, a case will be described in which the mounting angle of the plate 55 to which the droplet imaging unit 50 and the illumination unit 52 are fixed is misaligned. There is a case in which the plate 55 to which the droplet imaging unit 50 and the illumination unit 52 are fixed is misaligned by θz with respect to the coordinate system Xdrv and Ydrv of the XY movable unit 140.

[0030] In reality, the mounting angle deviates due to various factors, such as misalignment between the droplet imaging unit 50 and the plate 55, misalignment between the plate 55 and the mounting plate (not shown) of the XY movable unit 140, and further misalignment between the mounting plate and the XY movable unit.

[0031] 4(A) to (C) are diagrams showing an example of the positional relationship between the nozzle head and the droplet imaging unit in Example 1 of the present invention, and as shown in Fig. 4(A), the vicinity of the nozzle head 10 is shown in an enlarged manner. For simplification, only the droplet imaging unit 50 and the nozzle are enlarged, and the angular deviation between the droplet imaging unit 50 and the plate 55 to which the illumination unit 52 is fixed, which occurs when multiple structures are stacked, is represented as θz.

[0032] In Fig. 4(A), six nozzles are indicated by circles. The nozzle on the left side is Nz-1, and the nozzle on the right side is Nz-6. The droplet imaging unit 50 simultaneously images droplets ejected from the six nozzles Nz-1 to Nz-6, and the image processing unit 56 processes the images to calculate the speed, volume, ejection angle, etc. of the droplets ejected from each nozzle.

[0033] Here, for example, the fourth nozzle from the left is taken as the reference nozzle. The focal plane on which the droplet imaging unit 50 focuses is shown by the dashed line, and on this plane the droplet from the reference nozzle is in focus, so that an image of the droplet with a clear outline can be obtained without any blurring.

[0034] This position is set as the first focusing position (X0, Y0). For example, at this position, Nz-1 and Nz-6 are out of focus because they are shifted from the focusing plane, and an accurate image of the droplet cannot be obtained, resulting in errors in the measurement results of the droplet speed, volume, ejection angle, etc. calculated by the image processing unit 56.

[0035] The focus state of the captured image of each droplet is confirmed by the image confirmation unit 70 in Fig. 1. The image confirmation unit 70 functions as an image confirmation means for confirming the focus state of a plurality of droplets captured by the imaging means. For example, the XY movable unit 140 is moved along the Xdrv axis so that the droplet imaging unit 50 can simultaneously capture images of the droplets from the measurement target nozzles Nz-1 to Nz-6.

[0036] Next, the droplet is imaged by stepping along the Ydrv axis, and the contrast of the captured image is confirmed by the image confirmation unit 70. The position on Ydrv where the contrast is highest with respect to the reference nozzle is determined as the first focusing position (X0, Y0).

[0037] Next, the second focusing position is obtained. For example, Nz-1 is the measurement nozzle to be measured. As shown in FIG. 4(B), the distance between the measurement nozzle and the reference nozzle is known, and this distance is ΔXnz. The selection of the reference nozzle and the measurement nozzle is not limited to this, and it is possible to arbitrarily select two or more nozzles whose distance between the nozzles is at least known.

[0038] The XY movable part 140 is driven stepwise along the Ydrv axis for the measurement nozzle Nz-1 to capture an image of the droplet, and the contrast of the captured image is confirmed by the image confirmation part 70, and the Ydrv position with the highest contrast is set as the second focusing position (X0, Y1). At this time, since there is no movement in the Xdrv axis direction relative to the first focusing position, the difference in position is only in the Ydrv axis direction.

[0039] As can be seen from FIG. 4B, the angular deviation θz can be calculated by the following formula 1. θz=tan-1{(Y1-Y0) / ΔXnz} (Formula 1)

[0040] This angle deviation is calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 80 in Fig. 1, and the angle is adjusted by the angle adjustment unit 90 so that θz becomes zero. In this manner, in this embodiment, the angle is adjusted by the angle adjustment unit 90 based on the results of measuring the focal positions of a predetermined reference nozzle and a measurement nozzle that is a predetermined distance away from the reference nozzle. Note that the angle adjustment unit 90 may be an electrical adjustment means using a motor or the like, or may be a manual adjustment means that manually adjusts the angle.

[0041] Here, the angle adjustment unit 90 functions as an adjustment unit that executes an adjustment step of adjusting the angle of at least a part of the imaging unit with respect to the multiple droplets based on the focusing state confirmed by the image confirmation unit. In this embodiment, the angle adjustment unit 90 is configured to adjust the angle by rotating the entire droplet imaging unit 50 around the Z axis.

[0042] However, the angle may be adjusted by rotating at least one of the lens or the image sensor of the droplet image-capturing unit 50 around an axis parallel to the Z axis. In other words, the depth of field may be changed by this, and an adjustment may be made so that multiple nozzles are included in the depth of field.

[0043] 4(C), the focal plane of the droplet imaging unit 50 becomes parallel to each nozzle row of the nozzle head 10, and the droplets from all nozzles in the imaging range are in focus. This allows images with clear contours of all droplets in the imaging range to be obtained without any blurring, making it possible for the image processing unit 56 to calculate the droplet speed, volume, and ejection angle with high accuracy.

[0044] Furthermore, when the angle adjustment unit 90 is an electrical adjustment means, the angle adjustment may be performed for each of the multiple nozzle heads attached to the nozzle head module 200. That is, a reference nozzle and a measurement nozzle may be selected for each nozzle head, the angle deviation may be calculated by the adjustment amount calculation unit 80, and the angle may be adjusted by the angle adjustment unit 90 so that each θz becomes zero.

[0045] In this case, even if there is a slightly different angle deviation θz for each nozzle head, it is possible to adjust the angle so that θz for each nozzle head is accurately set to zero. Therefore, captured images having clear contours without any blurring can be obtained for all droplets from the multiple nozzle heads attached to the nozzle head module 200, and the image processing unit 56 can accurately calculate the velocity, volume, and ejection angle of the droplets.

[0046] As described above, according to this embodiment, even if the angle between the focal plane of the droplet imaging unit 50 and the row of multiple nozzles is misaligned, the XY movable unit 140 is step-driven in the Ydrv axis direction to check the contrast of the captured images of the reference nozzle and the measurement nozzle with the image checking unit 70. Then, the first and second focal positions are calculated from the Ydrv position with the highest contrast.

[0047] By calculating the angle deviation with the adjustment amount calculation unit 80 and adjusting the angle deviation with the angle adjustment unit 90, the focal plane of the droplet imaging unit 50 becomes parallel to each nozzle row of the nozzle head 10, and the droplets from all nozzles in the imaging range are in focus. Therefore, captured images with clear contours without any blurring can be obtained for all droplets in the imaging range, making it possible for the image processing unit 56 to accurately calculate the velocity, volume, and ejection angle of the droplets.

[0048] In this way, according to this embodiment, the focus on the imaged surface can be optimized by adjusting the deviation between the imaged surface caused by flying droplets ejected from multiple nozzles and the imaged surface in focus caused by the depth of field of the image capturing means. Also, it is possible to improve the measurement accuracy when simultaneously capturing images of flying droplets from multiple nozzles to measure droplet characteristics.

[0049] <Example 2> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Note that a description of the same operations as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0050] 5 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a droplet discharge device according to Example 2 of the present invention. The difference from Example 1 is that a reference mark imaging unit 105, a position calculation unit 110, and a position correction unit 120 are provided in an inspection unit 100a, and other parts are the same as those in Example 1, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] That is, the inspection unit 100a of this embodiment is equipped with a reference mark imaging unit 105. Figures 6(A) and (B) are diagrams for explaining the nozzle head and reference marks in the second embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in Figure 6(A), the nozzle head 10 has a plurality of reference marks 102 provided on the lower side of the nozzle head 10. However, the plurality of reference marks 102 may also be provided on the upper side of the nozzle head 10.

[0052] When the above-mentioned multiple reference marks 102 are provided on the underside of the nozzle head 10, the reference mark imaging unit 105 images the reference marks 102 from the underside of the nozzle head 10. When the reference marks 102 are provided on the upper side of the nozzle head 10, the reference marks 102 are imaged from the upper side of the nozzle head 10. Here, the reference mark imaging unit 105 functions as a detection means for detecting the reference marks.

[0053] Position calculation section 110 calculates the position of each reference mark 102 based on image data from reference mark imaging section 105 and coordinate position data of the Xdrv axis and the Ydrv axis from drive control section 130 .

[0054] 6(B), consider a case where the nozzle head 10 is misaligned with respect to the coordinate system defined by the Xdrv and Ydrv axes. Xhd and Yhd are the coordinate axes of the nozzle head 10. The coordinate axes of the nozzle head 10 are misaligned by an angle of θhd with respect to the coordinate system Xdrv and Ydrv of the XY movable part 140, as shown in the figure.

[0055] Next, an example will be described in which the reference mark imaging unit 105 images the reference marks 102-a and 102-b out of the multiple reference marks 102 on the nozzle head 10.

[0056] The position calculation unit 110 calculates the position of each reference mark 102 from image data of the reference marks 102-a and 102-b and coordinate position data of the Xdrv and Ydrv axes from the drive control unit 130. Here, the position of the reference mark 102-a is (Xa, Ya), and the position of 102-b is (Xb, Yb). The distance Lab between the reference marks 102-a and 102-b is known.

[0057] Therefore, the angle deviation θhd of the coordinate axis of the nozzle head 10 with respect to the coordinate system of the XY movable part 140 is calculated by the following formulas 2 and 3. cos(θhd)=(Xb-Xa) / Lab...(Equation 2) θhd=cos-1{(Xb-Xa) / Lab} (Equation 3)

[0058] In addition, the positional relationship between the reference mark 102 and each nozzle 101 is known. Therefore, the position correction unit 120 calculates the coordinates of all nozzles 101 of the nozzle head 10 in the coordinate system of the XY movable part 140 based on, for example, the coordinates (Xa, Ya) of the reference mark 102-a in the coordinate system of the XY movable part 140 and the angle deviation θhd.

[0059] Then, the coordinates (positions) of all the nozzles 101 are corrected by the position correction unit 120, and the XY movable unit 140 is driven by the drive control unit 130 based on the corrected coordinates. In this way, the position correction unit 120 functions as a position correction unit that moves the moving unit to a predetermined position based on the detection result of the detection unit that detects the reference mark.

[0060] That is, the detection means detects two or more of the multiple reference marks, and the position correction means calculates the relative positional deviation between the multiple nozzles and the moving means based on the detection results of the detection means, and moves the moving means to a predetermined position based on the calculation results.

[0061] This makes it possible to accurately control the position of the inspection unit 100 even if there is an angle misalignment θhd between the nozzle head 10 and the XY movable part 140, and to illuminate flying droplets ejected from any of a number of nozzles 101 with the illumination part 52 and image them with the droplet imaging part 50.

[0062] In the above description, the case where the positional deviation is corrected by capturing images of 102-a and 102-b of the reference marks in Fig. 6(B) has been described as an example. However, the positional deviation can be corrected in the same way by using any reference mark as long as it is within the imaging range of the reference mark imaging unit 105. Therefore, it becomes possible for the droplet imaging unit 50 to accurately capture images of flying droplets ejected from the multiple nozzle heads 10 attached to the nozzle head module 200.

[0063] As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the inspection unit 100 mounted on the XY movable part 140 has the reference mark imaging part 105 that images the multiple reference marks 102 attached to the nozzle head 10.

[0064] Then, the reference mark imaging unit 105 and position calculation unit 110 calculate the coordinates and angular deviation of the reference mark 102 in the coordinate system of the XY movable part 140, and calculate the positions (coordinates) of all nozzles 101 of the nozzle head 10 in the coordinate system of the XY movable part 140.

[0065] This corrects the positions of all nozzles 101, and by driving the XY movable unit 140 by the drive control unit 130 based on the corrected coordinates, flying droplets ejected from any of multiple nozzles 101 can be illuminated by the illumination unit 52 and imaged by the droplet imaging unit 50.

[0066] Furthermore, when there are multiple nozzle heads, the detection means may detect multiple reference marks of the multiple nozzle heads, and the position correction means may control the moving means to move to a predetermined position for each nozzle head based on the detection results of the detection means.

[0067] <Example 3> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Note that a description of the same operations as those in the first and second embodiments will be omitted.

[0068] 7 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a droplet ejection device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The difference from the second embodiment is a position correction unit 120a and an angle adjustment unit 90a. The other parts are the same as those in the second embodiment, and therefore the description will be omitted.

[0069] In the third embodiment, the angle deviation θhd calculated by the position correction unit 120a based on the formula 3 in the second embodiment is sent to the angle adjustment unit 90a, and the angle is adjusted so that θhd becomes zero. In addition, the angle deviation θz of the droplet imaging unit 50 from the adjustment amount calculation unit 80 is also adjusted so that it becomes zero.

[0070] Therefore, the angle adjustment unit 90a can set both the angle deviation θhd of the nozzle head 10 and the angle deviation θz of the droplet imaging unit 50 to zero. Therefore, the focal plane of the droplet imaging unit 50 becomes parallel to each nozzle row of the nozzle head 10, and the droplets from all nozzles in the imaging range can be brought into focus.

[0071] This allows for an image having clear contours without blurring of all droplets in the imaging range, making it possible for the image processing unit 56 to accurately calculate the velocity, volume, and ejection angle of the droplets.

[0072] 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an XY movable part and a nozzle head module in Example 3 of the present invention, and as shown in Fig. 8, the mounting positions of the multiple nozzle heads 10 attached to the nozzle head module 200 may be misaligned. Even in such a case, the reference mark provided on each nozzle head 10 is imaged by the reference mark imaging unit 105, and the angle deviation θhd with respect to the XY movable part 140 is calculated for each nozzle head 10 by the position correction unit 120a.

[0073] Then, the angle of the droplet image-capturing unit 50 is adjusted by the angle adjusting unit 90a so that θhd becomes zero for each nozzle head. That is, the angle is adjusted by the adjusting means based on the detection result of the detecting means that detects the reference mark.

[0074] In addition, the inspection unit 100 has a plurality of nozzle heads, and calculates the angle deviation for each nozzle head based on the plurality of reference marks of the plurality of nozzle heads, and adjusts the angle for each nozzle head by the adjustment means. This makes it possible to accurately control the position of the inspection unit 100 even if there is an angle deviation θhd for each nozzle head.

[0075] In this way, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the angle deviation of the nozzle head and the angle deviation of the droplet imaging unit are both adjusted to zero, and the deviation between the imaged surface due to flying droplets ejected from multiple nozzles and the focused imaging surface due to the depth of field of the imaging means is adjusted. Therefore, it is possible to optimize the focus on the imaged surface and simultaneously image flying droplets from multiple nozzles, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of droplet characteristics.

[0076] <Example 4> Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Note that a description of the same operations as those in the first and second embodiments will be omitted.

[0077] 9 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a droplet discharge device according to Example 4. The difference from Example 2 is a droplet position confirmation unit 150 and a timing adjustment unit 30a, and other parts are the same as those in Example 2, so the description will be omitted.

[0078] The droplet position confirmation unit 150 receives the captured image data of the droplet from the droplet imaging unit 50 and confirms the position of the droplet.

[0079] Figures 10(A) to (C) are diagrams showing examples of a nozzle head and ejected droplets in Example 4 of the present invention. In Figures 10(A) to (C), with the vertical axis being Zdrv and the horizontal axis being Xdrv, droplets 103 are shown being ejected from nozzles 101 in a state in which the nozzle head 10 attached to the nozzle head module 200 is viewed from the side.

[0080] In Fig. 10(A), the position from the nozzle 101 to the droplet 103 on the Zdrv axis is Z0. When measuring flying droplets, it is necessary to image the droplets discharged from the nozzle 101 at a predetermined position. In general, the closer to the nozzle 101 the droplet is, the faster it is, and the further away it is, the slower it is. The position Z0 at which the droplet is imaged must be several mm or less, and it is preferable to set it to 1 mm or less.

[0081] The droplet 103 shown in Fig. 10(B) is imaged at the position Z1 with respect to the predetermined position Z0 for imaging the droplet. The droplet position confirmation unit 150 measures the position of the droplet imaged with reference to the position of the nozzle 101. In this example, Z1 is calculated as the droplet imaging position. In this case, since it is imaged in front of the predetermined position Z0, it becomes an inappropriate imaging position, and an error occurs in the speed of the droplet calculated by the image processing unit 56 of the flying droplet measurement unit 60.

[0082] Therefore, the timing adjustment unit 30a receives the droplet imaging position Z1 from the droplet position confirmation unit 150 and compares it with the predetermined position Z0 for imaging the droplet. In this case, since Z1 < Z0, the time interval between the droplet ejection timing by the droplet driving unit 20 and the imaging timing of the droplet imaging unit 50 is increased.

[0083] Specifically, the droplet ejection timing by the droplet driving unit 20 may be advanced, or the imaging timing of the droplet imaging unit 50 may be delayed. By this timing adjustment, it becomes possible to image the droplet ejected from the nozzle 101 at the predetermined position Z0 as shown in Fig. 10(A).

[0084] Also, in the case of the droplet 103 shown in Fig. 10(C), it is imaged at the position Z2 with respect to the predetermined position Z0 for imaging the droplet. In this case, since it is imaged after passing the predetermined position Z0, it becomes an inappropriate imaging position, and an error occurs in the speed of the droplet calculated by the image processing unit 56 of the flying droplet measurement unit 60.

[0085] Therefore, the timing adjustment unit 30a receives the droplet imaging position Z2 from the droplet position confirmation unit 150 and compares it with the predetermined position Z0 for imaging the droplet. In this case, since Z2 > Z0, the time interval between the droplet ejection timing by the droplet driving unit 20 and the imaging timing of the droplet imaging unit 50 is shortened.

[0086] Specifically, the timing of droplet ejection by the droplet driving unit 20 may be delayed, or the imaging timing of the droplet imaging unit 50 may be advanced. This timing adjustment makes it possible to image the droplet ejected from the nozzle 101 at a predetermined position Z0, as shown in FIG.

[0087] In this way, according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the droplet position confirmation unit confirms the imaging position of the droplets discharged from the nozzle head, and the timing adjustment unit 30a adjusts the time interval between the droplet discharge timing and the imaging timing.

[0088] Here, the timing adjustment unit 30a functions as a timing adjustment means for adjusting the interval between the drive timing of the drive means and the image capture timing of the image capture means. This timing adjustment makes it possible to capture an image of the droplet discharged from the nozzle head at a predetermined position Z0, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the droplet characteristics.

[0089] <Example 5> Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Note that a description of the same operations as those in the first and second embodiments will be omitted.

[0090] 11 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a droplet ejection device according to Example 5. The differences from Example 2 are a distance measurement unit 160 and a control unit 40a, and other parts are the same as those in Example 2, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0091] The distance measurement unit 160 is a distance measurement sensor attached near the droplet imaging unit 50 of the inspection unit 100, and measures the height in the Z-axis direction of the nozzle head 10 or the nozzle 101. Here, the distance measurement unit 160 functions as a distance measurement means for measuring the height of the nozzle head.

[0092] When measuring flying droplets as described in the fourth embodiment, it is necessary to capture an image of the droplets discharged from the nozzle 101 at a predetermined position Z0.

[0093] 2(A), when multiple nozzle heads 10 are attached to the nozzle head module 200, there may be some unevenness depending on the location of the nozzle head 10. Also, the relative height in the Z-axis direction of the nozzle head 10 with respect to the droplet imaging unit 50 mounted on the XY movable unit 140 may change depending on the position of the XY movable unit 140.

[0094] In this way, the relative height in the Z-axis direction of the nozzle head 10 and the imaging surface of the droplet imaging unit 50 may not be constant depending on the position of the nozzle head 10 or the XY movable unit 140. In such cases, in this embodiment, the height in the Z-axis direction of the nozzle head 10 of the nozzle head module 200 is measured in advance by the distance measurement unit 160.

[0095] This data on the height in the Z-axis direction of the nozzle head 10 is transmitted to the control unit 40a. Then, based on the received height data in the Z-axis direction, the control unit 40a adjusts the interval between the drive timing of the droplet driving unit 20 and the imaging timing of the droplet imaging unit 50 so that the droplets discharged from the nozzle 101 can be imaged at a predetermined position Z0.

[0096] For example, if the height of the nozzle head 10 in the Z-axis direction is lower than the reference height, the time interval between the timing of droplet ejection by the droplet driving unit 20 and the imaging timing of the droplet imaging unit 50 is lengthened.

[0097] Specifically, the timing of droplet ejection by the droplet driving unit 20 may be advanced, or the imaging timing of the droplet imaging unit 50 may be delayed. This timing adjustment makes it possible to image the droplet ejected from the nozzle 101 at a predetermined position Z0, as shown in FIG.

[0098] Furthermore, when the height of the nozzle head 10 in the Z-axis direction is higher than the reference height, the time interval between the timing of droplet ejection by the droplet driving unit 20 and the imaging timing of the droplet imaging unit 50 is shortened.

[0099] Specifically, the timing of droplet ejection by the droplet driving unit 20 may be delayed, or the imaging timing of the droplet imaging unit 50 may be advanced. This timing adjustment makes it possible to image the droplet ejected from the nozzle 101 at a predetermined position Z0, as shown in FIG.

[0100] Thus, according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the height of each nozzle head in the Z-axis direction is measured by the distance measurement unit 160 as a distance measurement means. Then, the time interval between the timing of droplet ejection and the timing of imaging is adjusted so that the droplets ejected from the nozzles can be imaged at a predetermined position according to the height of the nozzle head in the Z-axis direction measured by the distance measurement means.

[0101] That is, the timing adjustment unit 30 adjusts the interval between the drive timing of the drive means and the image capture timing of the image capture means in accordance with the height of the nozzle head. This timing adjustment makes it possible to capture an image of the droplets ejected from the nozzle head at a predetermined position Z0, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the droplet characteristics.

[0102] The droplet discharge device in the above embodiment can be used to apply droplets to the surface of a display, or to apply an imprint material to a substrate in a semiconductor manufacturing device that performs imprinting using a mold, and is not limited to the object to be applied.

[0103] Furthermore, the adjustment operation in the droplet ejection device according to the above embodiment is performed when the droplet ejection device is manufactured, but it may also be performed periodically, during maintenance, or as a calibration operation before actual operation.

[0104] <Embodiments of the method for manufacturing an article> The article manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as display panels for organic EL and the like, microdevices such as semiconductor devices, and elements having fine structures.

[0105] The article manufacturing method of this embodiment includes a supplying process of supplying liquid onto a substrate using the above-mentioned liquid ejection device, a processing process of processing the substrate to which liquid has been supplied in the supplying process, and a process of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing process.

[0106] Furthermore, the article manufacturing method includes other well-known processes (such as baking, cooling, cleaning, oxidation, film formation, deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.) The article manufacturing method of the present embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article compared to conventional methods.

[0107] Although the present invention has been described in detail based on the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and are not excluded from the scope of the present invention. The above embodiments include the following combinations.

[0108] (Configuration 1) A droplet ejection device comprising: a nozzle head having a plurality of nozzles; a driving means for driving the plurality of nozzles to eject a plurality of droplets; an imaging means for imaging the plurality of droplets; an image confirmation means for confirming a focus state of the plurality of droplets imaged by the imaging means; and an adjustment means for adjusting an angle of at least a portion of the imaging means relative to the plurality of droplets based on the focus state confirmed by the image confirmation means.

[0109] (Configuration 2) The droplet ejection device according to configuration 1, wherein the adjustment means adjusts an angle of at least one of a lens or an image pickup element of the image pickup means.

[0110] (Configuration 3) A droplet ejection device as described in configuration 1 or 2, further comprising a moving means for relatively moving the nozzle head and the imaging means, the moving means having a first drive axis in a predetermined direction and a second drive axis in a direction perpendicular to the first drive axis, the first drive axis and the second drive axis being axes parallel to the arrangement surface of the multiple nozzles.

[0111] (Configuration 4) The droplet ejection device described in Configuration 3, characterized in that the adjustment means adjusts the angle based on the results of measuring the focal positions of a predetermined reference nozzle and a measurement nozzle that is a predetermined distance away from the reference nozzle.

[0112] (Configuration 5) The droplet ejection device described in configuration 3 or 4, characterized in that the nozzle head has a plurality of reference marks, and has a position correction means for moving the moving means to a predetermined position based on the detection results of a detection means for detecting the reference marks.

[0113] (Configuration 6) The droplet ejection device described in Configuration 5, characterized in that the detection means detects two or more of the multiple reference marks, and the position correction means calculates a relative positional deviation between the multiple nozzles and the moving means based on the detection result of the detection means, and moves the moving means to a predetermined position based on the calculation result.

[0114] (Configuration 7) A droplet ejection device as described in Configuration 5 or 6, characterized in that the nozzle heads are provided in a plurality of positions, the detection means detects a plurality of reference marks of the plurality of nozzle heads, and the position correction means moves the moving means to a predetermined position for each nozzle head based on the detection result of the detection means.

[0115] (Configuration 8) The droplet ejection device according to any one of configurations 5 to 7, wherein the angle is adjusted by the adjustment means based on a detection result of the detection means.

[0116] (Configuration 9) A droplet ejection device according to any one of Configurations 5 to 8, comprising a plurality of nozzle heads, wherein the angle deviation for each nozzle head is calculated based on the plurality of reference marks of the plurality of nozzle heads, and the angle is adjusted for each nozzle head by the adjustment means.

[0117] (Configuration 10) The droplet ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, further comprising a timing adjustment means for adjusting an interval between a drive timing of the drive means and an image capture timing of the image capture means.

[0118] (Configuration 11) A droplet ejection device as described in Configuration 10, further comprising a distance measuring means for measuring the height of the nozzle head, and the timing adjustment means adjusts the interval between the drive timing of the drive means and the image capturing timing of the image capturing means in accordance with the height of the nozzle head measured by the distance measuring means.

[0119] (Configuration 12) A droplet ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, characterized in having an image processing means for calculating at least one of the speed, volume, and ejection angle of droplets ejected from the multiple nozzles based on an image from the imaging means.

[0120] (Adjustment method) An adjustment method for a droplet ejection device having a nozzle head having a plurality of nozzles, a driving means for driving the plurality of nozzles to eject a plurality of droplets, and an imaging means for imaging the plurality of droplets, the adjustment method comprising an adjustment step of adjusting the angle of at least a portion of the imaging means relative to the plurality of droplets based on the focus state of the plurality of droplets imaged by the imaging means.

[0121] (Method for manufacturing an article) A method for manufacturing an article, comprising: a supplying step of supplying a liquid onto a substrate using a droplet ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 12; and a processing step of processing the substrate onto which the liquid has been supplied in the supplying step, wherein the method is characterized in that an article is manufactured from the substrate processed in the processing step.

[0122] In order to realize a part or all of the control in the above-mentioned embodiment, a computer program that realizes the functions of the above-mentioned embodiment may be supplied to the droplet ejection device or the like via a network or various storage media. Then, a computer (or a CPU, MPU, etc.) in the droplet ejection device or the like may read and execute the program. In this case, the program and the storage medium storing the program constitute the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 10: Head 50: Droplet imaging unit 56: Image processing unit 70: Image confirmation section 80:Adjustment amount calculation section 90: Angle adjustment section 105: Reference mark imaging unit 110: Position calculation unit 120: Position correction section 130: Drive control unit 140:XY moving part

Claims

1. A nozzle head having a plurality of nozzles; a driving means for driving the plurality of nozzles to eject a plurality of droplets; An imaging means for imaging the plurality of droplets; an image confirmation means for confirming a focus state of the plurality of droplets captured by the imaging means; an adjustment means for adjusting an angle of at least a part of the imaging means with respect to the plurality of droplets based on the focusing state confirmed by the image confirmation means; A droplet ejection device comprising:

2. 2. The droplet ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment means adjusts an angle of at least one of a lens and an image pickup element of the image pickup means.

3. The droplet ejection device according to claim 1, further comprising a moving means for moving the nozzle head and the imaging means relative to one another, the moving means having a first drive axis in a predetermined direction and a second drive axis in a direction perpendicular to the first drive axis, the first drive axis and the second drive axis being axes parallel to an arrangement surface of the multiple nozzles.

4. 4. The droplet ejection device according to claim 3, wherein the adjustment means adjusts the angle based on a result of measuring the focal positions of a reference nozzle and a measurement nozzle that is a predetermined distance away from the reference nozzle.

5. 4. The droplet ejection device according to claim 3, wherein the nozzle head has a plurality of reference marks, and further comprises a position correction means for moving the moving means to a predetermined position based on a detection result of a detection means for detecting the reference marks.

6. The droplet ejection device described in claim 5, characterized in that the detection means detects two or more of the multiple reference marks, and the position correction means calculates a relative positional deviation between the multiple nozzles and the moving means based on the detection result of the detection means, and moves the moving means to a predetermined position based on the calculation result.

7. The droplet ejection device according to claim 5, characterized in that the device has a plurality of nozzle heads, the detection means detects a plurality of the reference marks of the plurality of nozzle heads, and the position correction means moves the moving means to a predetermined position for each nozzle head based on the detection result of the detection means.

8. 6. The liquid droplet ejection device according to claim 5, wherein the angle is adjusted by the adjustment means based on a detection result of the detection means.

9. 6. The droplet ejection device according to claim 5, further comprising: a plurality of nozzle heads; an angle deviation for each nozzle head is calculated based on the plurality of reference marks of the plurality of nozzle heads; and the angle is adjusted by the adjustment means for each nozzle head.

10. 2. The droplet ejection device according to claim 1, further comprising a timing adjustment means for adjusting an interval between a drive timing of the drive means and an image capture timing of the image capture means.

11. The droplet ejection device according to claim 10, further comprising a distance measuring means for measuring a height of the nozzle head, and the timing adjustment means adjusts the interval between the drive timing of the drive means and the image capturing timing of the image capturing means in accordance with the height of the nozzle head measured by the distance measuring means.

12. 2. The droplet ejection device according to claim 1, further comprising an image processing unit that calculates at least one of the velocity, volume, and ejection angle of droplets ejected from the plurality of nozzles based on the image from the imaging unit.

13. A nozzle head having a plurality of nozzles; a driving means for driving the plurality of nozzles to eject a plurality of droplets; an imaging means for imaging the plurality of droplets, An adjustment method comprising: an adjustment step of adjusting an angle of at least a part of the imaging means with respect to the plurality of droplets based on a focus state of the plurality of droplets imaged by the imaging means.

14. A supplying step of supplying a liquid onto a substrate using the droplet ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 12; a processing step of processing the substrate to which the liquid has been supplied in the supplying step, A method for manufacturing an article, comprising manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step.

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