Liquid discharge device, liquid discharge method, and manufacturing method of article

Abstract

To provide a liquid discharge device which can evaluate an amount (or droplet diameter) of discharged droplets with high accuracy.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device includes: a nozzle which can discharge droplets; a refractive index acquisition section which measures physical quantity of liquid supplied to the nozzle and acquires a refractive index of the liquid; a light source which irradiates the droplets discharged from the nozzle with a laser beam; a measurement section which measures an interference pattern of the laser beam generated by the droplets; and a control section. The control section executes phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing using a measurement result of the measurement section and an acquisition result of the refractive index acquisition section and calculates an amount of the droplets discharged from the nozzle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejection device, a liquid ejection method, and a method for manufacturing an article.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, when manufacturing various functional elements, attempts have been made to form a pattern by applying a liquid containing a material for the functional element using a liquid ejection device. The patterning method using a liquid ejection device has advantages such as high material use efficiency because on-demand coating is possible, a non-vacuum process and relatively small manufacturing equipment, and the ability to coat a large area at high speed. When manufacturing a display device such as an organic EL device, for example, a liquid ejection device may be used. In order to ensure the performance of the functional element to be manufactured, it is necessary to precisely control the liquid volume of the liquid droplets ejected from the liquid ejection device.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a method in which light is irradiated onto the ejected liquid droplets of printing ink, an interference pattern generated from the curvature of the liquid droplets is measured by an optical detector, and phase Doppler analysis is performed on the measurement result to calculate the liquid droplet volume. In phase Doppler analysis, the liquid droplet is regarded as a ball lens, and the liquid droplet diameter is evaluated based on the spread of the refracted light and the refractive index of the liquid droplet material. The phase Doppler analysis method can increase the sampling speed of optical measurement compared to the method of imaging the liquid droplet image using stroboscopic illumination and measuring the liquid droplet size from the image data, and is therefore suitable for measuring liquid droplets ejected at a high frequency and measuring a large number of liquid droplets.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes a method of irradiating light onto spray-like liquid particles (fuel), measuring the scattered light, and measuring the physical quantities of the liquid particles. First, the first scattering angle Φ1, at which the phase shift of the scattered light depends only on the particle size of the liquid particles, is measured to determine the particle size of the liquid particles. At the same time, the second scattering angle Φ2, at which the phase shift of the scattered light depends on the particle size and refractive index of the liquid particles, is measured to determine the refractive index of the particles. Then, the density and temperature of the particles are determined from the obtained particle size and refractive index.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] There has been a demand for a liquid ejection device capable of evaluating the amount (or droplet diameter) of ejected droplets with high accuracy.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention includes a nozzle capable of ejecting droplets, a refractive index acquisition unit that measures the physical quantity of the liquid supplied to the nozzle and acquires the refractive index of the liquid, a light source that irradiates laser light onto the droplets ejected from the nozzle, a measurement unit that measures the interference pattern of the laser light generated by the droplets, and a control unit. The control unit uses the measurement result of the measurement unit and the acquisition result of the refractive index acquisition unit to execute phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing to calculate the amount of the droplets ejected from the nozzle. The liquid ejection device is characterized by this.

[0008] Further, a second aspect of the present invention includes a first nozzle capable of discharging droplets, a first refractive index acquisition unit that measures a physical quantity of a liquid supplied to the first nozzle and acquires a refractive index of the liquid, a second nozzle capable of discharging droplets, a second refractive index acquisition unit that measures a physical quantity of a liquid supplied to the second nozzle and acquires a refractive index of the liquid, a light source that irradiates the droplets discharged from the first nozzle or the second nozzle with laser light, a measurement unit that measures an interference pattern of the laser light generated by the droplets, and a control unit. The control unit uses the measurement result of the measurement unit for the droplets discharged from the first nozzle and the acquisition result of the first refractive index acquisition unit to execute phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing to calculate the amount of the droplets discharged from the first nozzle, and uses the measurement result of the measurement unit for the droplets discharged from the second nozzle and the acquisition result of the second refractive index acquisition unit to execute phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing to calculate the amount of the droplets discharged from the second nozzle. A liquid ejection device characterized by that.

[0009] Further, a third aspect of the present invention is a liquid ejection method using a liquid ejection device including a first nozzle capable of discharging droplets, a second nozzle capable of discharging droplets, and a control unit. The control unit includes a first refractive index acquisition process that measures a physical quantity of a liquid supplied to the first nozzle and acquires a refractive index of the liquid, a second refractive index acquisition process that measures a physical quantity of a liquid supplied to the second nozzle and acquires a refractive index of the liquid, a measurement process that irradiates the droplets discharged from the first nozzle or the second nozzle with laser light and measures an interference pattern of the laser light generated by the droplets, a process that uses the result of the measurement process for the droplets discharged from the first nozzle and the result of the first refractive index acquisition process to execute phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing to calculate the amount of the droplets discharged from the first nozzle, and a process that uses the result of the measurement process for the droplets discharged from the second nozzle and the result of the second refractive index acquisition process to execute phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing to calculate the amount of the droplets discharged from the second nozzle. A liquid ejection method characterized by that. [Effect of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a liquid ejection device capable of evaluating the amount (or droplet diameter) of ejected droplets with high accuracy. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 8

Figure 9

[0012] Referring to the drawings, a liquid ejection device, a liquid ejection method, etc. according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the embodiments shown below are examples, and for example, regarding the detailed configuration, those skilled in the art can appropriately modify and implement it without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0013] In the drawings referred to in the following description of the embodiments and examples, unless otherwise specified, elements denoted by the same reference numerals have the same functions. In the drawings, when a plurality of the same elements are arranged, the assignment of reference numerals and their descriptions may be omitted.

[0014] Also, since the drawings may be schematically represented for convenience of illustration and description, the shapes, sizes, arrangements, etc. of the elements shown in the drawings may not necessarily exactly match the actual objects. Also, the description of "XX or more and YY or less" or "XX to YY" representing a numerical range means a numerical range including the endpoints XX (lower limit) and YY (upper limit) unless otherwise specified. When the numerical ranges are described stepwise, the upper and lower limits of each numerical range can be arbitrarily combined.

[0015] In this specification, the liquid handled by the liquid ejection device may be described as "ink", but the ink according to the embodiment is not limited to a liquid containing a recording material for forming characters and images. For example, it may be a liquid containing a functional material for forming functional thin films such as electrodes and optical filters, or functional elements such as organic EL elements. It may also be a liquid containing insoluble solid components. Also, when discharging a liquid and applying it to an object is described as "recording", the recording here is not necessarily limited to recording information such as characters and images. For example, it also includes applying a liquid to an object to manufacture articles such as functional thin films, functional elements, and three-dimensional shaped objects. Also, when the object to which the liquid is applied is described as a "recording medium", it is not limited to a medium for recording information such as characters and images, and includes components (for example, substrates) that serve as bases for manufacturing articles such as functional thin films, functional elements, and three-dimensional shaped objects.

[0016] [Embodiment 1] (Overall Configuration of Liquid Discharge Device) As an example of the liquid discharge device according to the present embodiment, the liquid discharge device 1 will be described. FIG. 1(a) is a schematic top view for showing the configuration of the liquid discharge device 1, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic side view of the liquid discharge device 1. For convenience of illustration, elements that have no direct relation to the present invention among the elements constituting the liquid discharge device (for example, a power source, a device cover, etc.) are not shown. The liquid discharge device 1 can be configured as a manufacturing device for manufacturing various articles including an organic EL display device.

[0017] In the method of Patent Document 1, if the value of the refractive index of the droplet material used when calculating the droplet diameter is not accurate, the calculated droplet diameter size will be inaccurate. The refractive index of the droplet material changes depending on the temperature, but the temperature of the droplets discharged from the liquid discharge device does not necessarily become constant depending on the driving conditions of the device. Further, the temperature of the droplets flying after being discharged from the liquid discharge device can change with the passage of the flight time (flight distance). In Patent Document 1, since such changes in the refractive index of the droplet material have not been studied, the accuracy of the evaluation value of the droplet diameter has not necessarily been stable.

[0018] Patent Document 2 describes that the particle size of liquid particles is obtained by measuring the first scattering angle Φ1 in which the phase shift of scattered light depends only on the particle size of the liquid particles. Even if this method can be applied in the field of devices that spray fuel in a mist form, it has been difficult to apply it to a liquid discharge device (for example, an inkjet device) for manufacturing functional elements. This is because, in such an inkjet device, in order to ensure patterning accuracy, the flight distance of the discharged droplets is set to be relatively short. Therefore, when trying to irradiate the droplets flying near the discharge head with the laser light for measuring the first scattering angle Φ1, the laser light or the scattered light may be irradiated on the discharge head and the function of the discharge head may be impaired.

[0019] The present invention provides a liquid ejection device capable of evaluating the amount (or droplet diameter) of ejected droplets with high accuracy.

[0020] The liquid ejection device 1 includes a base 9, and a stage 10 for setting a recording medium 6 (for example, a substrate for forming an organic EL element) is provided on the base 9. Further, a sub-scanning guide rail 7 extending in the X direction in a plan view is fixed to the base 9 via a support member 8. A main scanning guide rail 5 as a carriage movable along the X direction on the sub-scanning guide rail 7 is placed on the sub-scanning guide rail 7, and a main scanner 4 movable along the Y direction on the main scanning guide rail 5 is placed on the main scanning guide rail 5. A liquid ejection unit 2 capable of ejecting liquid toward the recording medium 6 is mounted on the main scanner 4. By moving the main scanning guide rail 5 in the X direction and the main scanner 4 in the Y direction respectively, the liquid ejection unit 2 can be freely scanned in the XY directions on the recording medium 6 set on the stage 10.

[0021] As described above, in the liquid ejection device 1, it is possible to move and scan the liquid ejection unit 2, but the scanning mechanism is not limited to the illustrated configuration, and any configuration may be used as long as the liquid ejection unit 2 can be relatively scanned with respect to the recording medium 6. For example, the recording medium 6 may be moved in one of the XY directions, and the liquid ejection unit 2 may be moved in the other direction. Alternatively, the liquid ejection unit 2 may be fixed, and the recording medium 6 may be configured to move in both the X and Y directions.

[0022] A liquid ejection head 3 capable of ejecting liquid (for example, ink for forming an organic EL element) toward the recording medium 6 is mounted on the liquid ejection unit 2. A liquid ejection element that applies pressure to the ink by using, for example, the deformation of a piezo element or the boiling of a heating element to eject the ink from the nozzle is mounted on the liquid ejection head 3.

[0023] A liquid tank 25 is installed on the base 9. The liquid tank 25 stores a liquid (ink) for supplying the liquid discharge unit 2. The liquid tank 25 is connected with a flow path 11 for supplying the ink to the liquid discharge unit 2 and a flow path 12 for refluxing the ink that has not been discharged by the liquid discharge unit 2 from the liquid discharge unit 2 to the liquid tank 25.

[0024] A recording medium 6, which is an object to which the liquid is applied, is set at a predetermined position above the stage 10, and the stage 10 is fixed to the base 9. A plurality of discharge nozzles (not shown) are arranged in the liquid discharge head 3 in a direction facing the recording medium 6. The liquid discharge head 3 is fixed to the main scanner 4 and can freely move in a plane parallel to the XY plane at a height separated from the recording medium 6 by a predetermined interval in the Z direction.

[0025] The base 9 is provided with an interferometer 30 for measuring the size of the droplets discharged from the liquid discharge head 3. The interferometer 30 is arranged within the range where the liquid discharge head 3 can move and at a position different from the position (coating stage) where the recording medium 6 (object) is set. The interferometer 30 is provided with a suction port 26 for collecting the droplets discharged during measurement. The interferometer 30 is configured to include a light source of laser light and a light receiving sensor (measurement unit), irradiate the droplets discharged from the liquid discharge head 3 with laser light, and receive the refracted light at the droplet by the light receiving sensor. The relative positioning in the Z direction between the liquid discharge head 3 and the interferometer 30 is adjusted by a height adjustment mechanism (not shown). The height adjustment may be performed by any one of a mechanism for adjusting the position of the liquid discharge head 3 in the Z direction, a mechanism for adjusting the position of the interferometer 30 in the Z direction, and a mechanism for adjusting the positions of both the liquid discharge head 3 and the interferometer 30 in the Z direction. The relative positioning in the X - Y direction between the liquid discharge head 3 and the interferometer 30 may be performed by any one of a mechanism for adjusting the position of the liquid discharge head 3, a mechanism for adjusting the position of the interferometer 30, and a mechanism for adjusting the positions of both the liquid discharge head 3 and the interferometer 30.

[0026] The liquid ejection device 1 includes a control unit 60 that can control each component within the device and communicate with the outside of the device. The control unit 60 is a computer including a CPU, a memory, an I / O control unit, an input unit (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse), an output unit (e.g., a display device), and the like. When the liquid ejection device 1 applies droplets to the recording medium 6 in order to manufacture a functional element (e.g., an organic EL display element), the control unit 60 controls, based on a control program stored in the memory, for example, the position of the liquid ejection unit 2 and the driving of the liquid ejection element.

[0027] Also, before manufacturing the functional element or the like, the control unit 60 measures the amount (volume) of the droplets ejected by the liquid ejection element based on a control program stored in the memory, and adjusts so that droplets suitable for manufacturing the functional element are ejected. At that time, the control unit 60 moves the liquid ejection unit 2 to the position of the interferometer 30.

[0028] Although it will be described in detail later, in the present embodiment, droplets are ejected from the nozzles of the respective liquid ejection elements, and when the flying droplets reach a predetermined position from the nozzles, a laser beam is irradiated from the interferometer 30 to measure an interference pattern. At that time, the temperature of the liquid supplied to the nozzles is measured, and the refractive index of the ejected liquid is identified based on the measured temperature. The control unit 60 performs phase Doppler analysis (PDA) based on the measured interference pattern and the identified refractive index, and calculates the droplet amount. The control unit 60 determines whether the calculated droplet amount is within a preset range (a range of droplet amounts suitable for manufacturing the functional element). If it is not within the range, the driving conditions of the liquid ejection element are changed to eject droplets, and the same measurement is performed again. Thus, the control unit 60 adjusts the driving conditions of the liquid ejection element so that the amount of droplets ejected from the nozzles is within a preset range (a droplet amount suitable for manufacturing the functional element).

[0029] (Configuration of the ejection head) Next, with reference to FIG. 2, an example of the configuration of the liquid ejection head 3 will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the liquid ejection head 3 as viewed from the ejection nozzle side. The liquid ejection head 3 includes four chips 40A to 40D arranged in a staggered pattern in a plan view. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and the number of chips included in the ejection head is not limited to four, and the arrangement method is not limited to this example. Each of the chips 40A to 40D includes a number of ejection nozzles 20 and a temperature measurement unit 50.

[0030] Inside each chip, the temperature measurement unit 50 is provided in or near the flow path of the liquid (ink), measures the temperature of the liquid using a temperature measurement sensor (not shown), and transmits the measurement result to the control unit 60. As the temperature measurement sensor, a contact type temperature sensor such as a resistance temperature detector or a thermocouple can be used, for example. It is preferable to use a temperature sensor that can accurately measure the temperature of the liquid supplied to the ejection nozzle during ejection. For example, if a platinum resistance body is used as the resistance temperature detector, it is possible to measure the temperature of the liquid with high accuracy.

[0031] In the example of FIG. 2, the temperature measurement unit 50 is provided at one location near the center of each chip. However, if a plurality of temperature measurement sensors are arranged in each chip, the temperature distribution within the chip can be measured. By doing so, it becomes possible to more accurately measure the temperature of the liquid ejected from each ejection nozzle 20.

[0032] (Method for Measuring Droplet Volume) Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the method for measuring the droplet volume according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration and method for measuring an interference pattern by irradiating the ejected liquid with laser light while measuring the temperature of the ejected liquid. The illustrated chip 40 is any one of the chips 40A to 40D. In other words, for any of the chips 40A to 40D, the droplet volume can be measured by the measurement method described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0033] The liquid supplied from the liquid tank 25 through the flow path 11 to the chip 40 (any one of chips 40A to 40D) of the liquid ejection head 3 is ejected from the ejection nozzles provided in the chip 40. For the convenience of illustration, ejection nozzles 20A to 20C are shown in FIG. 3. The liquid that has not been ejected from the ejection nozzles flows back to the liquid tank 25 through the flow path 12.

[0034] A temperature measurement unit 50 is provided in the chip 40. The temperature of the liquid supplied to the ejection nozzles is measured in the vicinity of the ejection nozzles 20A to 20C, and the measurement result is transmitted to the control unit 60. In the memory of the control unit 60, data on the temperature dependence of the refractive index of the liquid to be ejected is stored in advance, for example, in the form of a table or a mathematical formula. The control unit 60 can obtain the refractive index of the liquid near the ejection nozzles using the temperature measurement result and the data on the temperature dependence of the refractive index. In other words, the control unit 60 and the temperature measurement unit 50 constitute a refractive index acquisition unit. The control unit 60 executes a refractive index acquisition process of measuring the physical quantity (temperature) of the liquid supplied to the ejection nozzles and obtaining the refractive index of the liquid.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a situation where the liquid volume (droplet size) of the droplets 90 ejected from the ejection nozzle 20B is measured. The droplets 90 ejected from the ejection nozzle 20B are irradiated with the laser light 31 emitted from the interferometer 30. Then, the light 32 refracted and scattered by the droplets 90 is captured by the light receiving unit of the interferometer 30, the interference pattern is measured, and the measurement result is transmitted to the control unit 60. In other words, the control unit 60 executes a measurement process of irradiating the droplets ejected from the ejection nozzles with laser light and measuring the interference pattern of the laser light generated by the droplets.

[0036] The control unit 60 performs phase Doppler analysis (PDA) using the measured interference pattern and the refractive index obtained based on the temperature measurement result, and calculates the droplet amount (or droplet diameter). In other words, the control unit executes a phase Doppler analysis process using the measurement result of the measurement unit and the acquisition result of the refractive index acquisition unit to calculate the amount of droplets ejected from the ejection nozzle. Then, the control unit 60 associates and stores the calculated droplet amount (or droplet diameter) with the ejection nozzle.

[0037] The number of times of measuring droplets for one ejection nozzle is not limited to one time, and the droplets can be ejected multiple times to measure the size of the droplets. By measuring the sizes of a plurality of droplets and obtaining an average value, the influence of the measuring device and the variation in the ejection amount can be reduced, and the representative ejection amount of the ejection nozzle can be evaluated. Also, regarding the temperature measurement, during the measurement of the droplet amount with the interferometric measurement device, multiple temperature measurements can be performed, and by obtaining the average value, a representative temperature with reduced measurement error can be acquired, and the accuracy of the obtained refractive index can be improved. The control unit 60 may store not only the ejection nozzle and the calculated droplet amount (or droplet diameter), but also the measurement time and the temperature measurement value.

[0038] The control unit 60 controls the moving mechanism to change the relative position of the chip 40 with respect to the interferometric measurement device 30, and sequentially measures the droplet amount (droplet diameter) of the droplets ejected from each ejection nozzle.

[0039] The control unit 60 determines whether the droplet amount measured for each ejection nozzle is within a preset predetermined range (a range of droplet amounts suitable for manufacturing the functional element). For ejection nozzles not within the predetermined range, the driving conditions are changed (adjusted) to eject droplets, and the same measurement is performed again. The control unit 60 can automatically perform the adjustment until the droplet amounts ejected from all the ejection nozzles are within the predetermined range. The measurement of the droplet amount and the adjustment of the driving conditions of the ejection nozzle described above are performed not only for the plurality of ejection nozzles provided in one chip, but also for the plurality of ejection nozzles provided in a plurality of chips.

[0040] Next, in this embodiment, a configuration and method for improving the measurement accuracy of the droplet volume (droplet diameter) will be described. In FIG. 3, the distance from the discharge port of the discharge nozzle to the irradiation position of the laser beam 31 (i.e., the measurement position of the droplet volume) is illustrated as distance 100.

[0041] In this embodiment, the relative position of the interferometer 30 and the liquid discharge head 3 (or chip 40) is controlled so that the distance 100 is 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. In other words, the irradiation position for irradiating the droplets discharged from the discharge nozzle with the laser beam is a position separated from the discharge port of the discharge nozzle by a distance of 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less.

[0042] When the distance 100 is less than 0.1 mm, the discharged droplets trail on the discharge port side and have not yet become spherical. The method of measuring the droplet diameter by optical interference using a laser beam calculates the droplet diameter on the premise that the droplet is spherical. Therefore, in order to ensure the desired measurement accuracy as a liquid discharge device, it is desirable that the distance 100 is 0.1 mm or more.

[0043] On the other hand, when the distance 100 exceeds 1.5 mm, the flying speed of the droplets decreases due to air resistance. Therefore, the accuracy of the position of the droplets at the irradiation timing of the laser beam decreases, and there is a possibility that the laser beam is not correctly irradiated. In addition, the measurement of the droplet volume should drive the discharge head under the same driving conditions as when discharging the droplets to actually manufacture the functional elements. Generally, when manufacturing the functional elements, the discharge head is driven at a high driving frequency. When the distance 100 between the position for measuring the droplet volume and the discharge port exceeds 1.5 mm, when the droplets are continuously discharged at a high driving frequency, the droplets with reduced flying speed approach each other, and there is a possibility that a plurality of droplets stay at the irradiation position of the laser beam, hindering the measurement. Also, when the flying distance increases, heat exchange occurs between the air and the droplets, and the temperature of the droplets may change from the temperature measured by the temperature measurement unit 50 (i.e., the refractive index may change). Therefore, in order to ensure the desired measurement accuracy as a liquid discharge device, it is desirable that the distance 100 is 1.5 mm or less.

[0044] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, in order to ensure the uniformity of the measurement accuracy for each discharge nozzle 20 in the liquid discharge head 3, the difference in distance 100 for each nozzle from the discharge port of the discharge nozzle to the irradiation position of the laser beam 31 (i.e., the measurement position of the droplet volume) is set to 0.1 mm or less. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the discharge port and the irradiation position of the laser beam (i.e., the measurement position of the droplet volume) between the discharge nozzles belonging to different chips. In FIG. 4, a part of the chip 40A and a part of the chip 40C provided in the liquid discharge head 3 are schematically shown. Liquid 110 is supplied to the chip 40A and the chip 40C through a common flow path in the discharge head. A temperature measurement unit 50A for measuring the temperature of the liquid 110 near the discharge nozzle 111 is arranged in the chip 40A, and a temperature measurement unit 50B for measuring the temperature of the liquid 110 near the discharge nozzle 112 is arranged in the chip 40C.

[0045] The distance from the discharge port of the discharge nozzle 111 to the irradiation position where the droplet 114 discharged from the discharge nozzle 111 of the chip 40A is irradiated with the laser beam is defined as the distance 100A. The distance from the discharge port of the discharge nozzle 112 to the irradiation position where the droplet 115 discharged from the discharge nozzle 112 of the chip 40C is irradiated with the laser beam is defined as the distance 100B. In order to ensure the uniformity of the measurement accuracy of the discharge nozzles between different chips in the liquid discharge head 3, the difference between the distance 110A and the distance 110B is preferably 0.1 mm or less. By setting the difference in distance to 0.1 mm or less, the difference in flight time exposed to temperature changes can be reduced, and the difference in temperature (i.e., the difference in refractive index) for each droplet at the irradiation position of the laser beam (i.e., the measurement point) can be suppressed.

[0046] In the present embodiment, for any discharge nozzle provided in the liquid discharge head 3, the distance from the discharge port to the irradiation position of the laser beam (i.e., the measurement position of the droplet volume) is set to be 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less, and moreover, the difference in the distance from the discharge port of each discharge nozzle to the irradiation position of the laser beam (i.e., the measurement position of the droplet volume) is set to be 0.1 mm or less.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 5(a), the effect of setting the distance from the discharge port to the irradiation position of the laser beam (i.e., the measurement position of the droplet volume) as described above will be further described in detail. The horizontal axis in the figure indicates the temperature of the droplet, and the vertical axis indicates the flight distance of the droplet from the discharge port. Assuming that the temperature measurement value by the temperature measurement unit 50A installed near the discharge nozzle 111 in FIG. 4 is temperature A, the temperature of the droplet 114 when the droplet 114 is discharged from the discharge port (distance 100A = 0) is temperature A. Also, assuming that the temperature measurement value by the temperature measurement unit 50B installed near the discharge nozzle 112 is temperature B, the temperature of the droplet 115 when the droplet 115 is discharged from the discharge port (distance 100B = 0) is temperature B. Note that the case where temperature B is higher than temperature A is illustrated.

[0048] Regarding the position where the droplet volume is measured by irradiating the laser beam, the distance from the discharge port of the discharge nozzle 111 to the droplet 114 is defined as distance 100A, and the distance from the discharge port of the discharge nozzle 112 to the droplet 115 is defined as distance 100B. By setting distance 100A and distance 100B to be 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less, optical measurement of the droplet 114 and the droplet 115 can be performed in a state where the sphericity of the droplet is high.

[0049] In this example, although distance 100A < distance 100B, the temperature change of the droplet that occurs while the droplet is flying increases according to the flight distance. For this reason, the temperature B' of the droplet 115 at the time when the laser beam is irradiated changes significantly from the temperature B of the liquid measured by the temperature measurement unit 50B. On the other hand, the change amount of the temperature A' of the droplet 114 at the time when the droplet 114 is measured by irradiating the laser beam is small with respect to the temperature A of the liquid measured by the temperature measurement unit 50A. (Temperature B - Temperature B') > (Temperature A - Temperature A').

[0050] If the distance difference between distance 100A and distance 100B is large, the difference between the liquid temperature measurement result in the chip and the actual temperature of the droplet during optical measurement will vary for each ejection nozzle. In the example of FIG. 4, although the liquid supplied to ejection nozzle 112 has a higher temperature than the liquid supplied to ejection nozzle 111 (temperature B > temperature A), the temperature of the droplet at the time when the laser beam is irradiated may rather be lower (temperature A' > temperature B').

[0051] Therefore, by setting the distance difference between distance 100A and distance 100B to 0.1 mm or less, it is possible to suppress the variation of the measurement accuracy of the liquid temperature during optical measurement (that is, the accuracy of the refractive index used in phase Doppler analysis) for each ejection nozzle. In particular, when the liquid contains an organic solvent, since the temperature dependence of the refractive index is larger than that in the case of containing an aqueous solvent, the effect of improving the accuracy of liquid volume measurement by suppressing the distance variation is high.

[0052] Examples of the factors causing distance variation for each chip or each nozzle include, for example, the flatness of the chip, the variation in the surface position when assembling the chip to the ejection head, and the operation accuracy (straightness, parallelism) of the moving mechanism. To achieve the above-described distance conditions, it is effective to manage the positioning accuracy during the assembly of the liquid ejection head 3 and the mechanical positioning accuracy of the moving mechanism. Alternatively, a distance measuring sensor for measuring the distance between the interferometer 30 and the ejection nozzle, and an actuator (for example, a piezoelectric element) for finely adjusting the position and orientation of the interferometer 30 (or the liquid ejection head 3) may be provided. The control unit 60 may automatically adjust using the distance measuring sensor and the actuator so that the above-described distance conditions are satisfied.

[0053] According to this embodiment, a temperature measurement unit is provided near the discharge nozzle to measure the temperature of the liquid supplied to the discharge nozzle (i.e., the liquid discharged from the discharge nozzle), and the refractive index of the discharged liquid is identified based on the measured temperature. The control device performs phase Doppler analysis (PDA) based on the interference pattern measured by irradiating the droplet with laser light and the identified refractive index, and calculates the droplet amount. The control device determines whether the calculated droplet amount is within a preset range (a range of droplet amounts suitable for manufacturing functional elements). If it is not within the range, the drive conditions of the liquid discharge element are changed to discharge droplets, and the same measurement is performed again. In this way, the control device adjusts the droplet amount discharged from the nozzle to be within a preset range (a droplet amount suitable for manufacturing functional elements).

[0054] Also, according to this embodiment, by setting the distance from the discharge port of the discharge nozzle to the laser light irradiation position (i.e., the measurement position of the droplet amount) to be 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less, optical measurement of the droplet can be performed in a state with high sphericity. Further, in a discharge head including a plurality of discharge nozzles, the variation in the distance from the discharge port of each discharge nozzle to the laser light irradiation position (i.e., the measurement position of the droplet amount) is set to 0.1 mm or less. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the variation in the measurement accuracy of the liquid temperature (i.e., the measurement accuracy of the refractive index used for phase Doppler analysis) for each discharge nozzle during optical measurement.

[0055] [Embodiment 2] The liquid discharge device according to Embodiment 2 will be described. Matters common to Embodiment 1 will be described in a simplified or omitted manner. In the description of Embodiment 1, the overall configuration of the liquid discharge device described with reference to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), and the configuration of the discharge head described with reference to FIG. 2 are the same in this embodiment, so the description is omitted.

[0056] (Method for Measuring Droplet Amount) Referring to FIG. 6, a method for measuring the amount of liquid droplets according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration and method for measuring an interference pattern by irradiating laser light onto ejected liquid droplets while measuring the temperature of the ejected liquid. The difference from Embodiment 1 described with reference to FIG. 3 is that in this embodiment, a temperature adjuster 80 and a refractometer 70 are connected to a flow path 12 that refluxes the liquid that has not been ejected from the ejection nozzle from the chip 40 to the liquid tank 25. The temperature adjuster 80 is connected to the control unit 60 and adjusts the temperature of the liquid refluxed to the liquid tank 25 under the control of the control unit. The refractometer 70 can measure the refractive index of the liquid whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjuster 80 and transmit the measurement result to the control unit 60.

[0057] In Embodiment 1, the control unit 60 stores in advance data on the temperature dependence of the refractive index of the liquid to be ejected in the form of, for example, a table or a mathematical formula, and refers to the data on the temperature dependence of the refractive index using the temperature measurement result to obtain the refractive index of the liquid near the ejection nozzle. Also in this embodiment, although the basic configuration remains the same, in the case of this embodiment, the data on the temperature dependence of the refractive index of the liquid can be updated in a timely manner.

[0058] If ejection is continued while circulating the liquid between the liquid tank 25 and the liquid ejection head 3, the physical properties of the liquid, such as the concentration of the solute with respect to the solvent, may change. Alternatively, even when the liquid tank 25 is replenished with liquid from another production lot, the physical properties of the ejected liquid may change. In such cases, according to this embodiment, the control unit 60 can update the data on the temperature dependence of the refractive index in a timely manner by measuring the refractive index of the liquid with the refractometer 70 while changing the temperature of the liquid refluxed to the liquid tank 25 with the temperature adjuster 80.

[0059] In other words, this embodiment includes a temperature adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of a part of the liquid stored in the liquid ejection device, and a refractive index measurement unit that measures the refractive index of a part of the liquid whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjustment unit. The control unit can obtain information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid using the temperature adjustment unit and the refractive index measurement unit.

[0060] FIG. 5(b) is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the refractive index of a liquid and temperature. The temperature range in which the temperature of the liquid is changed by the temperature adjuster 80 is set to a lower limit temperature T1 and an upper limit temperature T2 so as to include, for example, the spatial temperature distribution and the temporal variation of temperature in the liquid ejection head 3. That is, it is preferable to set the range from the temperature T1 to the temperature T2 centering on the reference setting temperature Ts of the liquid when mass-producing the functional element.

[0061] According to the present embodiment, a temperature measurement unit is provided near the ejection nozzle, the temperature of the liquid supplied to the ejection nozzle (that is, the liquid ejected from the ejection nozzle) is measured, and the refractive index of the ejected droplet is identified based on the measured temperature. In the present embodiment, the control unit can appropriately measure the relationship between the temperature and the refractive index of the liquid stored in the liquid ejection device, and acquire and update the data on the temperature dependence of the refractive index.

[0062] The control device performs phase Doppler analysis (PDA) based on the interference pattern measured by irradiating the droplet with laser light and the identified refractive index, and calculates the droplet amount. The control device determines whether the calculated droplet amount is within a preset range (a range of droplet amounts suitable for manufacturing the functional element). If it is not within the range, the drive conditions of the liquid ejection element are changed to eject droplets, and the same measurement is performed again. In this way, the control device adjusts so that the droplet amount ejected from the nozzle falls within a preset range (a droplet amount suitable for manufacturing the functional element).

[0063] Further, according to the present embodiment, by setting the distance from the ejection port of the ejection nozzle to the laser light irradiation position (that is, the droplet amount measurement position) to be 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less, optical measurement of the droplet can be performed in a state with high sphericity. Further, in an ejection head including a plurality of ejection nozzles, the variation in the distance from the ejection port of each ejection nozzle to the laser light irradiation position (that is, the droplet amount measurement position) is set to 0.1 mm or less. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the variation in the measurement accuracy of the liquid temperature (that is, the accuracy of the refractive index used for phase Doppler analysis) for each ejection nozzle during optical measurement.

[0064] [Embodiment 3] The liquid ejecting apparatus according to Embodiment 3 will be described. For the matters common to Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2, the description will be simplified or omitted. In the description of Embodiment 1, the overall configuration of the liquid ejecting apparatus described with reference to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), and the configuration of the ejection head described with reference to FIG. 2 are the same in this embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

[0065] (Method for Measuring Droplet Volume) With reference to FIG. 7, the method for measuring the droplet volume according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration and method for measuring an interference pattern by irradiating the ejected liquid with laser light while measuring the temperature of the ejected liquid. In Embodiment 2 described with reference to FIG. 6, one set of a temperature adjuster 80 and a refractometer 70 was provided in the flow path 12, and the refractive index was measured while changing the temperature of the liquid with the temperature adjuster 80 over time. In this embodiment, in addition to the temperature adjuster 80 and the refractometer 70, another set of a temperature adjuster 81 and a refractometer 71 is connected to the flow path 12. In the example of FIG. 8, the set of the temperature adjuster 80 and the refractometer 70 and the set of the temperature adjuster 81 and the refractometer 71 are connected in series, but they may be connected in parallel. In this embodiment, the temperature of the liquid is adjusted to the temperature T1 shown in FIG. 5(b) with the temperature adjuster 80, the temperature of the liquid is adjusted to the temperature T2 with the temperature adjuster 81, and the refractive indices of the liquid at the respective temperatures are measured with the refractometer 70 and the refractometer 71. As illustrated in FIG. 5(b), when the linearity of the temperature dependence of the refractive index is high, the refractive index data therebetween can be easily interpolated by measuring the refractive indices at the temperature T1 and the temperature T2. That is, according to this embodiment, the control unit can measure the relationship between the temperature and the refractive index of the liquid stored in the liquid ejecting apparatus at a higher speed (with a shorter processing time) than in Embodiment 2, obtain the data of the temperature dependence of the refractive index, and update it in a timely manner.

[0066] [Embodiment 4] A liquid ejection apparatus according to Embodiment 4 will be described. Regarding matters common to Embodiment 1, the description will be simplified or omitted. In the description of Embodiment 4, since the overall configuration of the liquid ejection apparatus described with reference to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) is the same in this embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0067] (Method for measuring droplet volume) With reference to FIG. 8, a method for measuring the droplet volume according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration and method for measuring an interference pattern by irradiating a discharged liquid with a laser beam while measuring the refractive index of the discharged liquid. The illustrated chip 40 is any one of chips 40A to 40D. In other words, for any of chips 40A to 40D, the droplet volume can be measured by the measurement method described with reference to FIG. 8.

[0068] In Embodiment 1 described with reference to FIG. 3, the chip 40 is provided with a temperature measurement unit 50, which measures the temperature of the liquid in the vicinity of the discharge nozzles 20A to 20C and transmits the measurement result to the control unit 60. In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the chip 40 is provided with a refractometer 72, which measures the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the discharge nozzles in the vicinity of the discharge nozzles 20A to 20C and transmits the measurement result to the control unit 60.

[0069] The control unit 60 performs phase Doppler analysis (PDA) using the measured interference pattern and the refractive index measured by the refractometer 72, calculates the droplet amount (or droplet diameter), and associates and stores the ejection nozzle with the calculated droplet amount (or droplet diameter). The number of times of measuring droplets for one ejection nozzle is not limited to once, and the droplets can be ejected multiple times to measure the size of the droplets. By measuring the sizes of a plurality of droplets and obtaining an average value, the influence of the measuring device and the variation in the ejection amount can be reduced, and the representative ejection amount of the ejection nozzle can be evaluated. Also, regarding the measurement of the refractive index, during the measurement of the droplet amount with the interferometric measuring device, multiple refractive index measurements are executed, and a representative refractive index with reduced measurement error can be obtained by obtaining the average value, thereby improving the accuracy of the refractive index to be obtained. The control unit 60 may store not only the ejection nozzle and the calculated droplet amount (or droplet diameter), but also the measurement time and the measured value of the refractive index together.

[0070] The control unit 60 controls the moving mechanism to change the relative position of the chip 40 with respect to the interferometric measuring device 30, and sequentially measures the droplet amount (droplet diameter) of the droplets ejected from each ejection nozzle.

[0071] The control unit 60 determines whether the droplet amount measured for each ejection nozzle is within a preset predetermined range (the range of droplet amounts suitable for manufacturing the functional element). For ejection nozzles not within the predetermined range, the driving conditions are changed to eject droplets, and the same measurement is performed again. The control unit 60 can automatically perform adjustments until the droplet amounts ejected from all the ejection nozzles are within the predetermined range. The measurement of the droplet amount and the adjustment of the driving conditions of the ejection nozzle described above are performed not only for the plurality of ejection nozzles provided in one chip, but also for the plurality of ejection nozzles provided in a plurality of chips.

[0072] Next, in this embodiment, a configuration and method for improving the measurement accuracy of the droplet amount (droplet diameter) will be described. In FIG. 8, the distance from the ejection port of the ejection nozzle to the irradiation position of the laser beam 31 (that is, the measurement position of the droplet amount) is shown as the distance 100.

[0073] In this embodiment, the relative position of the interferometer 30 and the liquid ejection head 3 (or the chip 40) is controlled so that the distance 100 is 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. When the distance 100 is less than 0.1 mm, the ejected liquid trails on the ejection port side and has not yet become spherical. Since the method of measuring the droplet diameter by optical interference using a laser beam calculates the droplet diameter on the premise that the droplet is spherical, in order to ensure the desired measurement accuracy as a liquid ejection device, it is desirable that the distance 100 is 0.1 mm or more.

[0074] On the other hand, when the distance 100 exceeds 1.5 mm, the flying speed of the droplet decreases due to air resistance. Therefore, the accuracy of the position of the droplet at the irradiation timing of the laser beam decreases, and there is a possibility that the laser beam is not correctly irradiated. Also, when measuring the droplet volume, the ejection head should be driven under the same driving conditions as when actually ejecting droplets to manufacture a functional element. Generally, when manufacturing a functional element, the ejection head is driven at a high driving frequency. When the distance 100 between the position where the droplet volume is measured and the ejection port exceeds 1.5 mm, when droplets are continuously ejected at a high driving frequency, the droplets with reduced flying speed approach each other, and there is a possibility that a plurality of droplets stay at the irradiation position of the laser beam, hindering the measurement. Also, as the flying distance increases as the speed decreases due to air resistance, heat exchange may occur between the air and the droplet, and the temperature of the droplet may change, resulting in a change from the refractive index measured by the refractometer 72. Therefore, in order to ensure the desired measurement accuracy as a liquid ejection device, it is desirable that the distance 100 is 1.5 mm or less.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to ensure the uniformity of the measurement accuracy for each ejection nozzle 20 in the liquid ejection head 3, the difference between nozzles in the distance 100 from the ejection port of the ejection nozzle to the irradiation position of the laser beam 31 (that is, the position where the droplet volume is measured) is set to 0.1 mm or less. As described with reference to FIG. 4 for Embodiment 1, by setting the difference in distance to 0.1 mm or less, the difference in flight time exposed to temperature changes can be reduced, and the difference in refractive index for each droplet at the measurement point using the laser beam can be suppressed.

[0076] In this embodiment, for each discharge nozzle included in the liquid discharge head 3, the distance from the discharge port to the irradiation position of the laser beam (i.e., the measurement position of the droplet volume) is set to be 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less, and the difference in distance for each discharge nozzle is set to be 0.1 mm or less.

[0077] According to this embodiment, a refractometer is provided near the discharge nozzle to measure the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the discharge nozzle (i.e., the liquid discharged from the discharge nozzle), and to identify the refractive index of the discharged droplet. The control device performs phase Doppler analysis (PDA) based on the interference pattern measured by irradiating the droplet with a laser beam and the identified refractive index, and calculates the droplet volume. The control device determines whether the calculated droplet volume is within a preset range (a range of droplet volumes suitable for manufacturing the functional element). If it is not within the range, the drive conditions of the liquid discharge element are changed to discharge droplets, and the same measurement is performed again. In this way, the control device adjusts the droplet volume discharged from the nozzle to be within a preset range (a droplet volume suitable for manufacturing the functional element).

[0078] Further, according to this embodiment, by setting the distance from the discharge port of the discharge nozzle to the irradiation position of the laser beam (i.e., the measurement position of the droplet volume) to be 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less, optical measurement of the droplet can be performed in a state with high sphericity. Also, in a discharge head having a plurality of discharge nozzles, the variation in the distance from the discharge port of each discharge nozzle to the irradiation position of the laser beam (i.e., the measurement position of the droplet volume) is set to be 0.1 mm or less. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the variation in the accuracy of the refractive index used for phase Doppler analysis for each discharge nozzle.

Example

[0079] [Example 1] A specific example of Embodiment 1 is shown. For the ejection nozzles of different chips provided in the ejection head, the amount of liquid droplets is measured by phase Doppler analysis, and based on the measurement results, the drive waveform of each ejection nozzle is adjusted to equalize the amount of liquid droplets ejected from each ejection nozzle. As the liquid to be ejected, an organic solvent having a refractive index of 1.45 at 20°C is used. Regarding the distance from the ejection port of the ejection nozzle to the irradiation position of the laser beam (i.e., the measurement position of the amount of liquid droplets), the central value is set to 1.0 mm, and the variation in the distance for each ejection nozzle is configured to be within plus or minus 0.04 mm from the central value.

[0080] Also, in order to confirm the measurement accuracy of the amount of liquid droplets by phase Doppler analysis, the amount of liquid droplets was measured by an image measurement method using stroboscopic illumination that is less affected by the temperature and refractive index of the measurement target. As the drive conditions of the ejection nozzle, a drive frequency that can be measured by either the image measurement method using stroboscopic illumination or the phase Doppler analysis method of the embodiment was selected to eject liquid droplets.

[0081] When the liquid ejection head 3 shown in FIG. 2 was continuously driven for a predetermined time, the measurement results of the temperature measurement unit 50 provided in each chip were the values shown in the table of FIG. 9(a). That is, the temperature of the liquid near the ejection nozzle varied in the range of 29°C to 34°C for each chip.

[0082] FIG. 9(b) shows, as a table, the results of measuring the amount of liquid droplets by the image measurement method using stroboscopic illumination and the results of measuring the amount of liquid droplets by the phase Doppler analysis method described in Embodiment 1 with the liquid being ejected with the temperature varying for each chip in this way. In the table of FIG. 9(b), in order from the top, the ejection amount (volume of one liquid droplet) measured by the image measurement method using stroboscopic illumination and the ejection amount (volume of one liquid droplet) measured using the phase Doppler interference analysis method according to the embodiment are shown in [pl] units.

[0083] According to Embodiment 1, the refractive index referred to by the phase Doppler interference analysis method is adjusted according to the temperature change of the liquid droplets ejected from each ejection nozzle. Therefore, a high degree of agreement was shown with the measurement results by the image measurement method using stroboscopic illumination that is less affected by temperature and refractive index.

[0084] Shown at the bottom of the table in Fig. 9(b) are the results of measuring the discharge amount after adjusting the drive waveform so that the discharge amount of each chip is aligned to 10.0 pl based on the discharge amount measurement values by the phase Doppler analysis method. Even after the adjustment, the measurement results showed a high degree of agreement between the stroboscopic image measurement method and the phase Doppler analysis method. The variation, which was 33.1% among the four chips before adjustment, was significantly improved to 7.9% after adjustment.

[0085] [Example 2] A specific example of Embodiment 2 is shown. As the liquid to be discharged, an organic solvent with a refractive index of 1.45 at 20 °C was used. Regarding the distance from the discharge port of the discharge nozzle to the irradiation position of the laser beam (i.e., the measurement position of the droplet amount), the central value was set to 1.0 mm, and the variation in the distance was configured to be within plus or minus 0.04 mm from the central value. The operation of the temperature regulator 80 shown in Fig. 6 was set so that the temperature T1 shown in Fig. 5(b) was set to 27 °C, the temperature T2 was set to 36 °C, and the range from temperature T1 to temperature T2 was changed over 2 hours. The refractive index was measured at a rate of once every 10 minutes, and a table showing the relationship between temperature and refractive index was created or updated. When the same evaluation as in Example 1 was carried out using this table, even when the liquid in the liquid tank 25 was replenished or replaced, the droplet amount could be measured with high accuracy.

[0086] [Example 3] A specific example of Embodiment 3 is shown. As the liquid to be ejected, an organic solvent having a refractive index of 1.45 at 20 °C was used. Regarding the distance from the discharge port of the discharge nozzle to the irradiation position of the laser beam (i.e., the measurement position of the droplet amount), the central value was set to 1.0 mm, and the variation in the distance was configured to be within ±0.04 mm from the central value. The set temperature of the temperature regulator 80 shown in FIG. 7 was set to 27 °C as the temperature T1 shown in FIG. 5(b), and the set temperature of the temperature regulator 81 was set to 36 °C as the temperature T2 shown in FIG. 5(b). The refractive index was measured using the refractometer 70 and the refractometer 71, and a function for linearly interpolating between the two measured values was created. When the same evaluation as in Example 1 was performed using this function, even when the liquid in the liquid tank 25 was replenished or replaced, the droplet amount could be measured with high accuracy.

[0087] [Other Embodiments] Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and examples described above, and many modifications are possible within the technical idea of the present invention. For example, it is possible to implement by combining all or part of the different embodiments and examples described above.

[0088] In the embodiment, as a method for calculating the droplet amount, the phase Doppler method of irradiating the droplet with a laser beam for measurement was mentioned, but an interference image method (interference image analysis process) may be used instead of the phase Doppler method (phase Doppler analysis process).

[0089] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the embodiment to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0090] This specification discloses at least the following matters. [Matter 1] A nozzle capable of discharging droplets, A refractive index acquisition unit that measures a physical quantity of the liquid supplied to the nozzle and acquires the refractive index of the liquid; A light source that irradiates laser light onto the droplets ejected from the nozzle; A measurement unit that measures an interference pattern of the laser light generated by the droplets; A control unit, and is provided with, The control unit, Using the measurement result of the measurement unit and the acquisition result of the refractive index acquisition unit, executes phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing to calculate the amount of the droplets ejected from the nozzle. A liquid ejection device characterized by the above. [Item 2] The irradiation position where the laser light is irradiated onto the droplets ejected from the nozzle is a position separated from the discharge port of the nozzle by a distance of 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. The liquid ejection device according to Item 1, characterized by the above. [Item 3] The refractive index acquisition unit, Is provided with a temperature measurement unit that measures the temperature of the liquid supplied to the nozzle, Based on the measurement result of the temperature measurement unit and the information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid acquired in advance, acquires the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the nozzle. The liquid ejection device according to Item 1 or 2, characterized by the above. [Item 4] The refractive index acquisition unit, Is provided with a temperature adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of a part of the liquid stored in the liquid ejection device, and a refractive index measurement unit that measures the refractive index of a part of the liquid whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjustment unit, Using the temperature adjustment unit and the refractive index measurement unit, acquires in advance information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid. The liquid ejection device according to Item 3, characterized by the above. [Item 5] The refractive index acquisition unit, Is provided with a refractometer that measures the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the nozzle. The liquid ejection device according to Item 1, characterized by the above. [Item 6] comprising a suction port for sucking the droplet irradiated with the laser light The liquid ejection device according to any one of Items 1 to 5, characterized in that. [Item 7] The control unit adjusts the driving conditions of the nozzle based on the calculated amount of the droplets. The liquid ejection device according to any one of Items 1 to 6, characterized in that. [Item 8] comprising an application stage for ejecting droplets from the nozzle and applying them to an object The light source and the measurement unit are arranged at positions different from the application stage. The liquid ejection device according to any one of Items 1 to 7, characterized in that. [Item 9] a first nozzle capable of ejecting droplets a first refractive index acquisition unit that measures a physical quantity of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle and acquires the refractive index of the liquid a second nozzle capable of ejecting droplets a second refractive index acquisition unit that measures a physical quantity of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle and acquires the refractive index of the liquid a light source that irradiates the droplets ejected from the first nozzle or the second nozzle with laser light a measurement unit that measures an interference pattern of the laser light generated by the droplets and a control unit The control unit uses the measurement result of the measurement unit for the droplets ejected from the first nozzle and the acquisition result of the first refractive index acquisition unit to perform phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing to calculate the amount of the droplets ejected from the first nozzle uses the measurement result of the measurement unit for the droplets ejected from the second nozzle and the acquisition result of the second refractive index acquisition unit to perform phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing to calculate the amount of the droplets ejected from the second nozzle A liquid ejection device, characterized in that. [Item 10] The distance between the irradiation position where the laser beam irradiates the droplets ejected from the first nozzle and the ejection port of the first nozzle is defined as the first distance, when the distance between the irradiation position where the laser beam irradiates the droplets ejected from the second nozzle and the ejection port of the second nozzle is defined as the second distance, the first distance and the second distance are 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less, The liquid ejection apparatus according to item 9, characterized in that. [Item 11] The difference between the first distance and the second distance is 0.1 mm or less, The liquid ejection apparatus according to item 10, characterized in that. [Item 12] The first refractive index acquisition unit includes a first temperature measurement unit that measures the temperature of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle, and acquires the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle based on the measurement result of the first temperature measurement unit and information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid acquired in advance, The second refractive index acquisition unit includes a second temperature measurement unit that measures the temperature of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle, and acquires the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle based on the measurement result of the second temperature measurement unit and information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid acquired in advance. The liquid ejection apparatus according to any one of items 9 to 11, characterized in that. [Item 13] The liquid ejection apparatus includes a temperature adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of a part of the liquid stored in the liquid ejection apparatus, and a refractive index measurement unit that measures the refractive index of a part of the liquid whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjustment unit, and uses the temperature adjustment unit and the refractive index measurement unit to acquire in advance information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid. The liquid ejection apparatus according to item 12, characterized in that. [Item 14] a tank for storing the liquid, A first flow path for supplying the liquid from the tank to the first nozzle and the second nozzle; A second flow path for refluxing the liquid that has not been discharged from the first nozzle and the second nozzle to the tank, and the temperature adjustment unit and the refractive index measurement unit are connected to the second flow path. The liquid discharge device according to item 13, characterized in that. [Item 15] The first refractive index acquisition unit includes a refractometer that measures the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle, and the second refractive index acquisition unit includes a refractometer that measures the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle. The liquid discharge device according to any one of items 9 to 11, characterized in that. [Item 16] Comprising a suction port for sucking the droplets irradiated with the laser light. The liquid discharge device according to any one of items 9 to 15, characterized in that. [Item 17] The control unit adjusts the driving conditions of the first nozzle based on the result of calculating the amount of droplets discharged from the first nozzle, and adjusts the driving conditions of the second nozzle based on the result of calculating the amount of droplets discharged from the second nozzle. The liquid discharge device according to any one of items 9 to 16, characterized in that. [Item 18] Comprising a coating stage for discharging droplets from the first nozzle and the second nozzle and applying them to an object, wherein the light source and the measurement unit are arranged at positions different from the coating stage. The liquid discharge device according to any one of items 9 to 17, characterized in that. [Item 19] A liquid discharge method using a liquid discharge device including a first nozzle capable of discharging droplets, a second nozzle capable of discharging droplets, and a control unit, wherein the control unit A first refractive index acquisition process that measures a physical quantity of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle and acquires the refractive index of the liquid. A second refractive index acquisition process that measures a physical quantity of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle and acquires the refractive index of the liquid. A measurement process that irradiates laser light onto the droplets ejected from the first nozzle or the droplets ejected from the second nozzle, and measures the interference pattern of the laser light generated by the droplets. A process that uses the result of the measurement process for the droplets ejected from the first nozzle and the result of the first refractive index acquisition process to perform phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing to calculate the amount of the droplets ejected from the first nozzle. A process that uses the result of the measurement process for the droplets ejected from the second nozzle and the result of the second refractive index acquisition process to perform phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing to calculate the amount of the droplets ejected from the second nozzle, and executes the above. A liquid ejection method characterized by the above. [Item 20] When the distance between the irradiation position where the laser light is irradiated onto the droplets ejected from the first nozzle and the discharge port of the first nozzle is defined as a first distance, and the distance between the irradiation position where the laser light is irradiated onto the droplets ejected from the second nozzle and the discharge port of the second nozzle is defined as a second distance, the first distance and the second distance are 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. The liquid ejection method according to Item 19, characterized by the above. [Item 21] The difference between the first distance and the second distance is 0.1 mm or less. The liquid ejection method according to Item 20, characterized by the above. [Item 22] The control unit In the first refractive index acquisition process, measures the temperature of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle with a first temperature measurement unit, and based on the measurement result of the first temperature measurement unit and the information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid acquired in advance, acquires the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle. In the second refractive index acquisition process, the temperature of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle is measured by a second temperature measurement unit, and the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle is acquired based on the measurement result of the second temperature measurement unit and information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid acquired in advance. The liquid discharge method according to any one of Matters 19 to 21, characterized in that. [Matter 23] The liquid discharge device includes a temperature adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of a part of the stored liquid, and a refractive index measurement unit that measures the refractive index of a part of the liquid whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjustment unit. The control unit acquires in advance information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid by using the temperature adjustment unit and the refractive index measurement unit. The liquid discharge method according to Matter 22, characterized in that. [Matter 24] The liquid discharge device includes a tank that stores the liquid, a first flow path for supplying the liquid from the tank to the first nozzle and the second nozzle, and a second flow path for refluxing the liquid that has not been discharged from the first nozzle and the second nozzle to the tank. The temperature adjustment unit and the refractive index measurement unit are connected to the second flow path. The liquid discharge method according to Matter 23, characterized in that. [Matter 25] The control unit In the first refractive index acquisition process, the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle is acquired using a refractometer. In the second refractive index acquisition process, the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle is acquired using a refractometer. The liquid discharge method according to any one of Matters 19 to 21, characterized in that. [Matter 26] The droplet irradiated with the laser light is sucked using a suction port. The liquid discharge method according to any one of Matters 19 to 25, characterized in that. [Matter 27] The liquid ejection device includes a coating stage that ejects droplets from the first nozzle and the second nozzle and applies them to an object. The measurement process is performed using a light source that outputs the laser light disposed at a position different from the coating stage and a measurement unit that measures the interference pattern disposed at a position different from the coating stage. The liquid ejection method according to any one of Items 19 to 26, characterized in that. [Item 28] The control unit adjusts the driving conditions of the first nozzle based on the result of calculating the amount of droplets ejected from the first nozzle, and adjusts the driving conditions of the second nozzle based on the result of calculating the amount of droplets ejected from the second nozzle. The liquid ejection method according to any one of Items 19 to 27, characterized in that. [Item 29] After adjusting the driving conditions of the first nozzle and the second nozzle by the liquid ejection method according to Item 28, droplets are ejected from the first nozzle and the second nozzle and applied to an object. A method for manufacturing an article, characterized in that.

Explanation of Signs

[0091] 1 ··· Liquid ejection device / 2 ··· Liquid ejection unit / 3 ··· Liquid ejection head / 4 ··· Main scanner / 5 ··· Main scanning guide rail / 6 ··· Recording medium / 7 ··· Sub-scanning guide rail / 8 ··· Support member / 9 ··· Base / 10 ··· Stage / 11 ··· Flow path / 12 ··· Flow path / 20, 20A to 20C ··· Ejection nozzles / 25 ··· Liquid tank / 26 ··· Suction port / 30 ··· Interference measurement device / 31 ··· Laser light / 32 ··· Refracted and scattered light / 40, 40A to 40D ··· Chips / 50, 50A, 50B ··· Temperature measurement units / 60 ··· Control unit / 70, 71, 72 ··· Refractive index meters / 80, 81 ··· Temperature regulators / 90 ··· Droplets / 100, 100A, 100B ··· Distances / 110 ··· Liquid / 111, 112 ··· Ejection nozzles / 114, 115 ··· Droplets

Claims

1. A nozzle capable of discharging droplets, a refractive index acquisition unit that measures a physical quantity of a liquid supplied to the nozzle and acquires the refractive index of the liquid, a light source that irradiates laser light onto the droplets discharged from the nozzle, a measurement unit that measures an interference pattern of the laser light generated by the droplets, and a control unit, wherein the control unit uses the measurement result of the measurement unit and the acquisition result of the refractive index acquisition unit to execute phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing to calculate the amount of the droplets discharged from the nozzle. A liquid discharge device characterized by the above.

2. The irradiation position where the laser light is irradiated onto the droplets discharged from the nozzle is a position separated from the discharge port of the nozzle by a distance of 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The refractive index acquisition unit includes a temperature measurement unit that measures the temperature of the liquid supplied to the nozzle, and acquires the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the nozzle based on the measurement result of the temperature measurement unit and information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid acquired in advance. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

4. The refractive index acquisition unit includes a temperature adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of a part of the liquid stored in the liquid discharge device, and a refractive index measurement unit that measures the refractive index of a part of the liquid whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjustment unit, and uses the temperature adjustment unit and the refractive index measurement unit to acquire in advance information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid. The liquid discharge device according to claim 3, characterized by the above.

5. The refractive index acquisition unit includes a refractometer that measures the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the nozzle. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

6. A suction port for sucking the droplets irradiated with the laser light is provided. The liquid discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the above.

7. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ A first refractive index acquisition unit that measures a physical quantity of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle and acquires the refractive index of the liquid; A second nozzle capable of discharging droplets; A second refractive index acquisition unit that measures a physical quantity of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle and acquires the refractive index of the liquid; A light source that irradiates laser light onto the droplets discharged from the first nozzle or the second nozzle; A measurement unit that measures an interference pattern of the laser light generated by the droplets; A control unit, and is provided with, The control unit, Using the measurement result of the measurement unit for the droplets discharged from the first nozzle and the acquisition result of the first refractive index acquisition unit, executes phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing to calculate the amount of the droplets discharged from the first nozzle; Using the measurement result of the measurement unit for the droplets discharged from the second nozzle and the acquisition result of the second refractive index acquisition unit, executes phase Doppler analysis processing or interference image analysis processing to calculate the amount of the droplets discharged from the second nozzle. A liquid discharge device characterized by the above.

10. When the distance between the irradiation position where the laser light is irradiated onto the droplets discharged from the first nozzle and the discharge port of the first nozzle is defined as a first distance, And the distance between the irradiation position where the laser light is irradiated onto the droplets discharged from the second nozzle and the discharge port of the second nozzle is defined as a second distance, The first distance and the second distance are 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. The liquid discharge device according to claim 9, characterized by the above.

11. The difference between the first distance and the second distance is 0.1 mm or less. The liquid discharge device according to claim 10, characterized by the above.

12. The first refractive index acquisition unit, Comprises a first temperature measurement unit that measures the temperature of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle, Based on the measurement result of the first temperature measurement unit and information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid acquired in advance, acquires the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle, The second refractive index acquisition unit, Comprises a second temperature measurement unit that measures the temperature of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle, Based on the measurement result of the second temperature measurement unit and information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid acquired in advance, acquires the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle. The liquid discharge device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized by the above.

13. A temperature adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of a part of the liquid stored in the liquid ejection device, and a refractive index measurement unit that measures the refractive index of a part of the liquid whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjustment unit, and using the temperature adjustment unit and the refractive index measurement unit, obtaining in advance information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid, The liquid ejection device according to claim 12, characterized in that.

14. A tank for storing the liquid, A first flow path for supplying the liquid from the tank to the first nozzle and the second nozzle, A second flow path for refluxing the liquid that has not been ejected from the first nozzle and the second nozzle to the tank, and The temperature adjustment unit and the refractive index measurement unit are connected to the second flow path. The liquid ejection device according to claim 13, characterized in that.

15. The first refractive index acquisition unit includes a refractometer that measures the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle, The second refractive index acquisition unit includes a refractometer that measures the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that.

16. Comprising a suction port for sucking the droplets irradiated with the laser light. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that.

17. The control unit, Based on the result of calculating the amount of droplets ejected from the first nozzle, adjusting the driving conditions of the first nozzle, Based on the result of calculating the amount of droplets ejected from the second nozzle, adjusting the driving conditions of the second nozzle. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that.

18. Comprising a coating stage for ejecting droplets from the first nozzle and the second nozzle and applying them to an object, The light source and the measurement unit are arranged at positions different from the coating stage. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that.

19. A liquid ejection method using a liquid ejection device including a first nozzle capable of ejecting droplets, a second nozzle capable of ejecting droplets, and a control unit, The control unit, A first refractive index acquisition process of measuring a physical quantity of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle and acquiring the refractive index of the liquid, A second refractive index acquisition process of measuring a physical quantity of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle and acquiring the refractive index of the liquid. Irradiate the droplets ejected from the first nozzle or the droplets ejected from the second nozzle with a laser beam, and perform a measurement process of measuring an interference pattern of the laser beam generated by the droplets. Using the result of the measurement process for the droplets ejected from the first nozzle and the result of the first refractive index acquisition process, execute a phase Doppler analysis process or an interference image analysis process to calculate the amount of the droplets ejected from the first nozzle. Using the result of the measurement process for the droplets ejected from the second nozzle and the result of the second refractive index acquisition process, execute a phase Doppler analysis process or an interference image analysis process to calculate the amount of the droplets ejected from the second nozzle. A liquid ejection method characterized by the above.

20. When the distance between the irradiation position where the laser beam irradiates the droplets ejected from the first nozzle and the ejection port of the first nozzle is defined as a first distance, When the distance between the irradiation position where the laser beam irradiates the droplets ejected from the second nozzle and the ejection port of the second nozzle is defined as a second distance, The first distance and the second distance are 0.1 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. The liquid ejection method according to claim 19, characterized by the above.

21. The difference between the first distance and the second distance is 0.1 mm or less. The liquid ejection method according to claim 20, characterized by the above.

22. The control unit In the first refractive index acquisition process, measure the temperature of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle with a first temperature measurement unit, and based on the measurement result of the first temperature measurement unit and information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid acquired in advance, acquire the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle. In the second refractive index acquisition process, measure the temperature of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle with a second temperature measurement unit, and based on the measurement result of the second temperature measurement unit and information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid acquired in advance, acquire the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle. The liquid ejection method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized by the above.

23. The liquid ejection device includes a temperature adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of a part of the stored liquid, and a refractive index measurement unit that measures the refractive index of a part of the liquid whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjustment unit. The control unit uses the temperature adjustment unit and the refractive index measurement unit to acquire in advance information indicating the relationship between the refractive index and temperature of the liquid. The liquid ejection method according to claim 22, characterized in that

24. The liquid ejection device includes a tank for storing the liquid, a first flow path for supplying the liquid from the tank to the first nozzle and the second nozzle, and a second flow path for refluxing the liquid that has not been ejected from the first nozzle and the second nozzle to the tank. The temperature adjustment unit and the refractive index measurement unit are connected to the second flow path. The liquid ejection method according to claim 23, characterized in that

25. The control unit In the first refractive index acquisition process, uses a refractometer to acquire the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the first nozzle. In the second refractive index acquisition process, uses a refractometer to acquire the refractive index of the liquid supplied to the second nozzle. The liquid ejection method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that

26. Suctions the droplet irradiated with the laser light using a suction port. The liquid ejection method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that

27. The liquid ejection device includes a coating stage for ejecting droplets from the first nozzle and the second nozzle and applying them to an object. The measurement process is performed using a light source that outputs the laser light arranged at a position different from the coating stage and a measurement unit that measures the interference pattern arranged at a position different from the coating stage. The liquid ejection method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that

28. The control unit Adjusts the driving conditions of the first nozzle based on the result of calculating the amount of droplets ejected from the first nozzle. Adjusts the driving conditions of the second nozzle based on the result of calculating the amount of droplets ejected from the second nozzle. The liquid ejection method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that

29. After adjusting the driving conditions of the first nozzle and the second nozzle by the liquid ejection method according to claim 28, Ejects droplets from the first nozzle and the second nozzle and applies them to an object. A method for manufacturing an article, characterized in that

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