Liquid discharge apparatus, control method, and method for manufacturing article

Abstract

To provide a technique advantageous in suppressing discharge defects caused by residual droplets.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge apparatus comprises: a discharge unit which has a plurality of discharge ports for discharging liquid on a discharge surface; a suction nozzle which suctions droplets adhering to a lower surface of the discharge unit through a suction port; a drive control unit which arranges a suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface with a predetermined interval in a non-contact manner, and controls driving of at least one of the suction nozzle and the discharge unit; and a suction control unit which controls a suction state of the suction nozzle on the basis of a relative position between the discharge ports and the suction nozzle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In a liquid ejection device having a plurality of liquid ejection ports that ejects a liquid such as printing ink from the ejection ports, such as those used in inkjet printing devices, the ejection ports may dry out or become clogged due to the inclusion of foreign matter, resulting in a non-ejection state. In particular, in a liquid ejection device that ejects ink in which a pigment or functional material is mixed with a volatile fluid, or a curable composition (also called a resin in an uncured state), if the cured material accumulates in the ejection port, it may interfere with the printing operation. For this reason, in an inkjet printing device, it is necessary to efficiently clean the area around the ejection port.

[0003] As a cleaning technique for such a problem, Patent Document 1 describes a method in which the periphery of the discharge port is sucked with a negative pressure suction nozzle, and then an absorber is brought into contact with the discharge port face to absorb the remaining droplets on the discharge port face. Patent Document 2 describes a cleaning device that removes fine liquid crystal remaining on a head that discharges liquid by an inkjet method through a dual slit structure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-086936 [Patent Document 2] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2015-0076861 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, conventional liquid ejection devices have the following problems. In Patent Document 1, since the absorber is brought into contact with the surface of the ejection chip having an ejection port, physical contact and pressure are generated on the surface of the ejection chip, and damage to the functional film due to physical contact may occur. Here, generally, a functional film such as a water-repellent film is formed on the surface of the ejection chip. If damage to the functional film occurs due to physical contact, it may have a serious adverse effect on the ejection function.

[0006] In Patent Document 2, it is proposed that the suction force of negative pressure suction can be increased to apply a strong suction force. However, in this case, normal ink in the ejection port may be sucked, and expensive ejection liquid may be wasted. Furthermore, since ink is sucked from the ejection port, air bubbles may enter the ejection port, and there is a possibility that the next ejection cannot be executed normally.

[0007] Therefore, an exemplary object of the present invention is to provide an advantageous technique in terms of suppressing ejection failure due to residual droplets.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention includes an ejection unit having a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting a liquid on an ejection surface, a suction nozzle for sucking droplets attached to the lower surface of the ejection unit by a suction port, a suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface are arranged non-contact at a predetermined interval, a drive control unit for controlling the drive of at least one of the suction nozzle and the ejection unit, and a suction control unit for controlling the suction state of the suction nozzle based on the relative position between the ejection port and the suction nozzle.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, for example, an advantageous technique can be provided in terms of suppressing ejection failure due to residual droplets.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are essential for the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0012] In this specification and the drawings, directions are indicated in an XYZ coordinate system with the horizontal plane as the XY plane. The direction in which the liquid is ejected (vertical direction) is defined as the Z axis, and the directions orthogonal to each other in a plane perpendicular to the Z axis are defined as the X axis and the Y axis. Further, hereinafter, the directions parallel to the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis in the XYZ coordinate system are referred to as the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, respectively.

[0013] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a liquid ejection device 100 according to the first embodiment. The liquid ejection device 100 includes a liquid ejection head 7, a cleaning unit 8, and a control unit 50.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the liquid ejection head 7 and the cleaning unit 8 and the driving of the cleaning unit 8. The liquid ejection head 7 (ejection unit) includes an ejection chip 1 and a face guard 2 that protects the ejection chip 1. The lower surface of the face guard 2 is disposed 10 to 50 μm below the ejection surface 3 that is the lower surface of the ejection chip 1, and has a shape that surrounds the outer periphery of the ejection chip 1 as shown in FIG. 2. The ejection chip 1 has a plurality of ejection ports 18 for ejecting a liquid (ejection liquid) on the ejection surface 3 that is the lower surface. Inside the ejection chip 1, a common flow path 4 for distributing the ejection liquid to the plurality of ejection ports 18, a supply flow path 5 for supplying the ejection liquid from the outside, and a circulation flow path 6 for circulating the ejection liquid are formed.

[0015] In this embodiment, as an example, the ejection chip 1 has at least a part of the common flow path 4, the supply flow path 5, and the circulation flow path 6 inside, but the common flow path 4, the supply flow path 5, and the circulation flow path 6 may be provided separately from the ejection chip 1.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning unit 8 has a stage 21, and a sensor 22, a cap 13, a suction nozzle 11, a suction pump 15, and a water supply / drainage system 16 are disposed on the stage 21. The stage 21 is drivable in the X direction and the Z direction, and when the stage 21 is driven, the sensor 22, the cap 13, the suction nozzle 11, the suction pump 15, and the water supply / drainage system 16 are also moved in the X direction and the Z direction. The suction nozzle 11 has a suction port 12, and sucks the droplets adhering to the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7 by the suction port 12.

[0017] The control unit 50 can be configured by a computer device including, for example, a CPU and a memory (storage unit). By executing a control program stored in the memory, the CPU can control a liquid ejection operation and a cleaning operation, which will be described later. The control unit 50 has functions as a drive control unit 51 and a suction control unit 52 (adjustment unit). Here, an example will be described in which one computer device has functions as the drive control unit 51 and the suction control unit 52. However, the drive control unit 51 and the suction control unit 52 may be respectively provided in separate computer devices. Further, the control unit of a printing device in which the liquid ejection device 100 is incorporated may have functions of the drive control unit 51 and / or the suction control unit 52.

[0018] The drive control unit 51 controls the relative positions of the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid ejection head 7 by controlling the driving of the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid ejection head 7. The drive control unit 51 further controls the driving of the stage 21.

[0019] In a cleaning operation, which will be described later, the suction control unit 52 controls (adjusts) the suction state of the suction nozzle 11 based on the position of the discharge port 18. Specifically, for example, the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 is changed according to the relative position between the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid ejection head 7.

[0020] In a printing apparatus that performs printing using a liquid ejection device 100, a liquid ejection operation is performed in which ejection liquid is ejected from a liquid ejection head 7 and made to land on a substrate. When such an ejection operation is repeated, liquid formed by the aggregation of the ejection liquid that has diffused in a mist form, or residual liquid of a cleaning liquid used when cleaning the surface of the liquid ejection head 7, becomes liquid droplets 31 and adheres to the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Here, the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7 includes the lower surface of the face guard 2 and the ejection surface 3 which is the lower surface of the ejection chip 1. Of the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7, the lower surface of the face guard 2 is a region where the ejection port 18 is not disposed, and the ejection surface 3 is a region where the ejection port 18 is not disposed. In the printing operation, the distance between the liquid ejection head 7 and the substrate 41 (illustrated in FIG. 10) is 200 to 500 μm. When the liquid droplets 31 grow large, the substrate and the liquid droplets 31 come into contact, resulting in printing defects. In particular, since the ejection surface 3 and the lower surface of the face guard 2 are subjected to a water repellent treatment, the liquid droplets 31 have a shape close to a sphere, and the situation is such that contact with the substrate is likely to occur. Also, when the liquid droplets are in a position overlapping the ejection port 18, the ejection liquid is inhibited from being ejected from the ejection port 18, so that printing defects also occur. In order to prevent such printing defects, it is necessary to regularly remove the liquid droplets 31 formed on the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7.

[0021] Therefore, in the liquid ejection device 100 according to the present embodiment, a suction nozzle 11 having a suction port 12 connected to a negative pressure source is disposed in a non-contact manner with respect to the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7, and a cleaning operation for sucking and removing the liquid droplets 31 is executed.

[0022] The cleaning operation is controlled by the drive control unit 51 in terms of the timing of operation. According to the start instruction of the cleaning operation, the drive control unit 51 moves the stage 21 so that the sensor 22 shown in FIG. 1 is positioned below the liquid ejection head 7. Then, an alignment mark (not shown) formed on the surface of the ejection surface 3 is read by the sensor 22 to calibrate the relative positional relationship between the liquid ejection head 7 and the stage 21. The calibrated relative positional relationship is stored in the drive control unit 51 and serves as a reference for the operation of the stage 21. By the above calibration, relative alignment between the liquid ejection head 7 and the stage 21 is performed in at least one of the XY direction and the Z direction. The relative positional relationship after calibration can be managed by the driving amount of the stage 21.

[0023] Next, the cap 13 is moved below the liquid ejection head 7 and raised to a height where the upper surface of the cap 13 contacts the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the cap 13. The cap 13 has a sealing material 26 having an outer edge dimension that includes the ejection tip 1 as shown in FIG. 3. When the sealing material 26 contacts the lower surface of the face guard 2, the inside of the sealing material 26 becomes airtight. When the inside of the cap 13 is sealed, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply port 24, the cap 13 is filled with the cleaning liquid, and the lower surface of the ejection tip 1 is immersed in the cleaning liquid. Although the droplets 31 may have a high viscosity due to the progress of the volatilization of the volatile components of the ejected liquid, they are easily peeled off from the lower surface of the ejection tip 1 by being immersed in the cleaning liquid. Next, the supply port 24 is opened to the atmosphere and at the same time a negative pressure is applied to the discharge port 23 to discharge the cleaning liquid and separate the cap 13 from the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7. At this time, droplets 31 are dotted on the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0024] Subsequently, the suction removal operation of the liquid droplets 31 by the suction nozzle 11 is started. The stage 21 moves the suction nozzle 11 below the liquid discharge head 7 in accordance with an instruction from the drive control unit 51, and positions it such that the distance between the tip 11a (suction surface) of the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 becomes a specified value between 100 and 300 μm in the Z direction. At this time, by moving the liquid discharge head 7, or by moving both the liquid discharge head 7 and the stage 21, the distance in the Z direction between the tip 11a (suction surface) of the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 may be set to the specified value. When the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid discharge head 7 are positioned, as shown in FIG. 2, the suction nozzle 11 is arranged at a position deviated from the face guard 2 by a predetermined distance in the X direction.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the drive of the cleaning unit 8 according to the first embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 4 schematically shows, in time series, a plan view and a side view showing the relative positional relationship between the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid discharge head 7. As shown in FIGS. 4(A) to (C), after connecting the suction port 12 of the suction nozzle 11 to a negative pressure source (not shown), the suction nozzle 11 moves in the X direction while maintaining a gap (predetermined distance) in the Z direction with the liquid discharge head 7.

[0026] FIG. 4(A) shows a state where the suction nozzle 11 is at the start position of the suction removal operation. At the start of the suction removal operation, the suction nozzle 11 is positioned such that the distance between it and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 becomes a specified value between 100 and 300 μm in the Z direction, and is arranged at a position deviated from the face guard 2 by a predetermined distance in the X direction.

[0027] Next, the drive control unit 51 starts the movement of the suction nozzle 11 in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 4(B), when the suction nozzle 11 moves to the position where it contacts the droplet 31, the droplet 31 becomes a liquid mass 33 that spreads as a thin film between the minute gaps between the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 due to capillary action. Since the suction nozzle 11 has a suction port 12 connected to a negative pressure source, it advances in the X direction while sucking the liquid mass 33. That is, the droplet 31 attached to the discharge surface 3 having the discharge port 18 becomes the liquid mass 33 and is moved in the X direction on the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 by the suction nozzle 11, so it is difficult for the remaining liquid to remain on the discharge surface 3. However, as shown in FIG. 4(C), the suction nozzle 11 moves to a position separated from the liquid discharge head 7. At this time, a minute amount of remaining liquid 32 smaller than the minute gap between the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 cannot be completely sucked by the suction nozzle 11 and is peeled off from the liquid mass 33 and may remain on the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 on the end portion 40 side.

[0028] Here, with reference to FIG. 2, the cleaning operation according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail. In the cleaning operation according to the present embodiment, when the suction nozzle 11 moves in a direction while performing non-contact suction with respect to the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7, the X direction is divided into three regions, for example, 'Region A1', 'Region B', and 'Region A2', and the suction state is managed by the suction control unit 52. Here, 'Region A1' and 'Region A2' are the lower surfaces of the face guard 2 and are regions where the discharge port 18 is not arranged. On the other hand, 'Region B' is a region including the discharge surface 3 of the discharge chip 1. As described above, the relative position between the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid discharge head 7 is grasped (managed) by the drive control unit 51. The suction control unit 52 changes the suction force applied to the suction nozzle 11 in each of the three divided regions. The suction force mentioned here more specifically indicates the negative pressure applied. Specifically, for example, in the sections of 'Region A1' and 'Region A2', a negative pressure of -90 kPa stronger than a predetermined value is applied to the suction nozzle 11, and in the section of 'Region B', a negative pressure of -10 kPa weaker than a predetermined value is applied.

[0029] In the cleaning unit 8 according to the present embodiment, in the 'area A2', the suction nozzle 11 has a stronger suction force than the section of the 'area B'. Therefore, when the suction nozzle 11 deviates from the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7, a strong suction force is applied, and as shown in FIG. 4(C), the liquid droplets 31 can be sucked from the lower surface of the face guard 2 without leaving the residual liquid 32 on the lower surface of the end 40 side. As described above, when the suction nozzle 11 deviates from the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7, minute residual liquid 32 tends to remain on the lower surface of the end 40 side of the liquid discharge head 7. Therefore, the suction force in the section of the 'area A2' may be made stronger than the suction force in the section of the 'area A1'. Further, the 'area A2' may be further divided, and the suction force when sucking the area on the end 40 side of the liquid discharge head 7 may be made stronger. That is, the closer the area of the liquid discharge head 7 is to the end 40 in the moving direction of the suction nozzle 11 in the suction removal operation (when moving the liquid discharge head 7, the direction opposite to the moving direction of the liquid discharge head 7), the stronger the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 is.

[0030] Here, the suction removal operation of the cleaning unit 8 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cleaning unit 8 during the suction removal operation according to the first embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 5 shows the view of FIG. 3(B) in the X-Z cross-section. A plurality of discharge ports 18 are formed on the discharge surface 3 of the discharge tip 1. Each of the discharge ports 18 communicates with the common flow path 4 through the pressure chamber 27. On the wall surface of each pressure chamber 27, a stretchable piezoelectric element 28 is configured. By deforming the piezoelectric element 28 to change the volume of the pressure chamber 27, the internal discharge liquid can be discharged from the discharge port 18.

[0031] At this time, a negative pressure of about -10 kPa is applied to the common flow path 4 so that the discharged liquid does not leak steadily from the discharge tip 1. However, as shown in FIG. 5, if a strong negative pressure of -90 kPa is applied to the suction nozzle 11 with the liquid mass 33 overlapping the discharge port 18, the discharged liquid in the pressure chamber 27 together with the liquid mass 33 will be sucked out of the discharge tip 1. In addition to the use of printing an image on general paper, the liquid discharge device is also used for applications such as forming a pattern of a functional material for a semiconductor on a substrate, and the discharged liquid may be very expensive. Unintentionally sucking and wasting the discharged liquid as described above becomes a major operational issue. Furthermore, when the discharged liquid is sucked from the pressure chamber 27, air bubbles in the common flow path 4 or gas around the discharge surface 3 may be sucked into the discharge port 18, which may also have an adverse effect on the next discharge operation.

[0032] In the section of "Region B" shown in FIG. 2, that is, in the section of the region where the discharge port 18 is arranged, the suction nozzle 11 is near the discharge port 18, and the above problem is likely to occur. Therefore, in the liquid discharge device 100 of the present embodiment, in the section of "Region B", the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 is kept low.

[0033] Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the cleaning operation of the liquid discharge device 100 will be described in detail. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the cleaning operation of the liquid discharge device 100 according to the first embodiment. Each operation (step) shown in this flowchart can be executed under the control of the CPU of the control unit 50.

[0034] When the cleaning operation is started, first, in S101, the drive control unit 51 moves the stage 21 so that the sensor 22 is located below the liquid discharge head 7, and causes the sensor 22 to read the alignment mark formed on the surface of the discharge surface 3. Then, the relative positional relationship between the liquid discharge head 7 and the stage 21 is calibrated. The calibrated relative positional relationship is stored in the drive control unit 51 and serves as a reference for the operation of the stage 21.

[0035] In S102, the drive control unit 51 moves the stage 21 so that the cap 13 is positioned below the liquid ejection head 7, and raises it to a height at which the upper surface of the cap 13 contacts the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7. Then, the sealing material 26 is brought into close contact with the lower surface of the face guard 2, and the inside of the sealing material 26 is made airtight.

[0036] In S103, cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply port 24 and the cleaning liquid is filled into the cap 13, thereby immersing the lower surface of the ejection chip 1 in the cleaning liquid and performing a cleaning process on the lower surface of the ejection chip 1. When the droplets 31 are immersed in the cleaning liquid and become in a state where they are easily peeled off from the lower surface of the ejection chip 1, in other words, when the lower surface of the ejection chip 1 is immersed in the cleaning liquid and a predetermined time has elapsed, the supply port 24 is opened to the atmosphere and at the same time a negative pressure is applied to the discharge port 23 to discharge the cleaning liquid.

[0037] In S104, the drive control unit 51 separates the cap 13 from the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7.

[0038] In S105, the drive control unit 51 moves the stage 21 so that the suction nozzle 11 is positioned below the liquid ejection head 7. Then, it is positioned so that the distance between the tip 11a of the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7 becomes a specified value between 100 and 300 μm in the Z direction. The drive control unit 51 starts the movement of the suction nozzle 11 in the X direction while maintaining the gap in the Z direction between the suction nozzle 11 and the liquid ejection head 7.

[0039] In S106, the suction control unit 52 sets a suction force according to the region to be suctioned. Specifically, for example, it is assumed that, as shown in FIG. 2, it is divided into three regions of 'Region A1', 'Region B', and 'Region A2' in advance. Then, when information that the suction nozzle 11 is located within the range of 'Region A1' is obtained by the drive control unit 51, the suction control unit 52 sets a negative pressure of -90 kPa, which is the suction force corresponding to the suction target 'Region A1'. Then, in S107, a suction process is performed with the set suction force.

[0040] After that, if there is an area to be aspirated where the aspiration process is not being performed in S108 (Yes), in other words, if the aspiration process for the entire lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 is not completed, S106 to S107 are repeated until there is no unprocessed area.

[0041] Note that the area division may be performed by the user in advance, or the suction control unit 52 may perform it using the design information of the discharge tip 1 and the face guard 2. Also, using the sensor 22, information on the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 such as the position of the discharge port 18 may be acquired, and the area division may be performed using the information acquired by the sensor 22.

[0042] The setting of the suction force corresponding to the area to be aspirated in S106 may be performed, for example, by the suction control unit 52 having a table having information on the divided areas and information on the suction force corresponding to each area, and using this table. Also, the suction force may be set according to the X-direction distance (relative position) between the suction nozzle 11 (particularly, the tip portion 11a) and the discharge port 18.

[0043] Note that in this embodiment, it has been described that the suction force is the negative pressure (suction pressure) applied to the suction nozzle 11, but it is not limited to this. It may be the change in the suction flow rate by changing the Z-direction (vertical direction) distance between the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7, or the area of the suction port of the suction nozzle 11. Also, the suction force may be changed by combining a plurality of these elements. When changing the area of the suction port 12 of the suction nozzle 11, for example, a shutter or a throttle for changing the area of the suction port 12 may be provided in the suction nozzle 11.

[0044] Also, in this embodiment, it was explained that the distance between the tip portion 11a of the suction nozzle 11 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 is a specified value between 100 and 300 μm in the Z direction. Here, for example, in the sections of the 'Region A1' and 'Region A2' shown in FIG. 2, the gap may be set to 100 μm, and in the section of the 'Region B', the gap may be set to 300 μm. In this case, even when the negative pressure applied to the suction nozzle 11 is, for example, a constant -30 kPa, the flow rate for sucking the liquid mass 33 changes, and the cleaning operation can be completed without leaving any residual liquid in the section of the 'Region A2'.

[0045] Furthermore, although an example of dividing the X direction into three regions has been described here, the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 may be controlled according to the X-direction distance (relative position) between the suction nozzle 11 (particularly, the tip portion 11a) and the discharge port 18, and it is not always necessary to perform region division. Specifically, when the X-direction distance between the discharge port 18 on the discharge surface 3 and the tip portion 11a of the suction nozzle 11 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 is increased.

[0046] Also, the cleaning process (specifically, S102 to S104) by the cap 13 is not necessarily required. When the viscosity of the liquid droplets 31 adhering to the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 has not increased, the cleaning process by the cap 13 may be omitted.

[0047] Furthermore, the shape of the suction port 12 does not have to be linear, and it may be arc-shaped or V-shaped.

[0048] According to this embodiment, unnecessary consumption of the discharged liquid can be reduced, the reliability of the discharge operation can be improved, and the cleaning operation can be performed without leaving any residual liquid on the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7. Therefore, it is possible to suppress discharge failures of the liquid discharge head 7 due to the adhesion of residual droplets or the like.

[0049] <Second Embodiment> In the first embodiment, a method for controlling the suction force in synchronization with the operation of driving the suction nozzle 11 in the X direction or the Z direction was described. That is, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the suction port 12 of the suction nozzle 11 is uniformly formed with respect to the Y direction. In the second embodiment, the shape of the suction nozzle is different from that of the first embodiment.

[0050] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the suction nozzle 111 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7(A) shows the appearance of the suction nozzle 111 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7(B) shows the internal structure of the suction nozzle 111 according to the second embodiment with a broken line. In the present embodiment, a plurality of suction ports 112 are formed in the suction nozzle 111 and communicate with any one of the decompression chambers 34 formed in the suction nozzle 111. A decompression port 35 is formed in each decompression chamber 34 to communicate with the outside, and the plurality of decompression chambers 34 can be connected to different negative pressure sources. When such a suction nozzle 11 is applied to the configuration shown in FIG. 2, different suction forces can be set in the Y direction according to the number of decompression chambers 34. That is, in the present embodiment, the suction control unit 52 can individually control the suction state of each of the plurality of suction ports 112. Of course, it is also possible to change the pressure in synchronization with the movement in the X direction for each decompression chamber 34. For example, the suction control unit 52 controls the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 according to the distance in the plane direction (XY direction) between the discharge port 18 on the discharge surface 3 and the tip 11a of the suction nozzle 11. Specifically, for example, when the distance (relative position) in the plane direction between the discharge port 18 on the discharge surface 3 and the tip 11a of the suction nozzle 11 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, the suction control unit 52 increases the suction force of the suction nozzle 11.

[0051] Therefore, the region division set one-dimensionally in the X direction in the first embodiment can be set two-dimensionally in the XY direction. That is, in the liquid discharge device according to the present embodiment, it is possible to perform suction cleaning while changing the suction force by dividing the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 7 into the lower surface portion of the face guard 2 and the lower surface portion of the discharge chip 1.

[0052] According to this embodiment, it becomes possible to control the suction force of the suction nozzle 11 for each region more flexibly.

[0053] <Third Embodiment> FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the suction nozzle 211 according to the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, as shown in the example of FIG. 8, the suction port is separated into a plurality of suction ports 12a to 12c. Also in this embodiment, similar to the second embodiment, the suction ports 12a to 12c communicate with different decompression chambers and are connected to different negative pressure sources. Therefore, it becomes possible to set different suction forces for each of the suction ports 12a to 12c, and also in this embodiment, the region division can be set two-dimensionally in the XY direction.

[0054] <Fourth Embodiment> In the cleaning operation of the liquid ejection device 100, since the suction nozzle is exposed to the ejected liquid or the cleaning liquid, it is natural that dirt may adhere to the suction nozzle itself. Although it has been described above that the surfaces of the ejection chip 1 and the face guard 2 are subjected to a water repellent treatment, it is preferable that the surface of the suction nozzle is also subjected to a water repellent treatment. By also subjecting the surface of the suction nozzle to a water repellent treatment, it is possible to reduce the remaining of the liquid on the surface of the suction nozzle when sucking the liquid by negative pressure suction. Further, even when a liquid such as the ejected liquid or the cleaning liquid adheres to the surface of the suction nozzle other than the suction port 12, the liquid can flow downward by its own weight, and a state where dirt hardly adheres to the suction nozzle can be maintained. That is, it becomes possible to maintain the suction nozzle itself in a clean state without the adhesion of residual liquid or the like.

[0055] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the suction nozzle 311 according to the fourth embodiment. In the suction nozzle 311, it is possible to clean the suction nozzle 311 itself. In the suction nozzle 311, a slope is formed around the suction port 12, a drain groove 14 is formed on the outer periphery of the slope, and a drain port 19 is provided in the drain groove 14.

[0056] In addition, the manufacturing unit according to this embodiment has a cleaning nozzle (not shown). After the cleaning operation is completed, cleaning liquid is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle onto the suction nozzle 311 and the cap 13 on the cleaning unit 8, and an operation of washing away dirt is executed. The cleaning liquid washed away at this time is collected by the drain groove 14 and discharged to the outside from the drain port 19. Note that a negative pressure may be applied to the drain port 19 to facilitate the discharge of the cleaning liquid.

[0057] According to this embodiment, it is possible to maintain the suction nozzle in a clean state as well.

[0058] <Embodiment of Printing Device>

[0059] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a printing device 400 equipped with a liquid ejection device. FIG. 10(A) is a view of the printing device 400 as seen from the Y direction. FIG. 10(B) is a view of the printing device 400 as seen from the X direction. In the printing device 400, the liquid ejection head 7 is held on the lower surface of the carriage 44, and the carriage 44 is movable in the Z direction with respect to the carriage support 46. The substrate 41 to be printed is adsorbed and fixed on a substrate stage 42 that can be driven in the Y direction.

[0060] When the printing operation is started, the carriage 44 descends and is positioned so that the gap between the liquid ejection head 7 and the substrate 41 becomes 500 μm. Thereafter, the substrate stage 42 is driven and the substrate 41 moves in the Y direction below the liquid ejection head 7. A plurality of ejection chips 1 are arranged on the liquid ejection head 7 in a range not less than the dimension of the substrate 41 in the Y direction, and by ejecting the ejection liquid in synchronization with the movement of the substrate 41, a pattern is printed on the substrate 41. For example, the liquid ejection head 7 is controlled according to the data of the ejection pattern (supply pattern) of the ejection liquid stored in advance in the memory of the control unit 49.

[0061] The cleaning unit 8 is fixed on the conveying unit 47. When the arm of the conveying unit 47 expands and contracts in the Y direction, the cleaning unit 8 can move relative to the support column 48. When the printing operation is repeated for a certain period of time, dirt will occur on the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7. Therefore, according to the instruction of the control unit 49, the cleaning operation is activated. That is, here, the control unit 49 of the printing apparatus 400 has the functions as the drive control unit 51 and the suction control unit 52. Note that the control unit 49 can be constituted by a computer device including, for example, a CPU and a memory (storage unit). The CPU can control the printing operation and the cleaning operation by executing the control program stored in the memory.

[0062] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the cleaning operation in the printing apparatus 400. FIG. 11(A) is a diagram showing the state before the start of the cleaning operation. First, as shown in FIG. 11(A), the carriage 45 moves upward to lift the liquid ejection head 7. FIG. 11(B) shows the state where the liquid ejection head 7 has been lifted to a position where the cleaning operation is possible.

[0063] Next, as shown in FIG. 11(C), the cleaning unit 8 is conveyed below the liquid ejection head 7 by the arm of the conveying unit 47. FIG. 11(C) shows the state where the cleaning unit 8 has been conveyed below the liquid ejection head 7. At this position, as described with reference to FIG. 4 in the first embodiment, the suction nozzle 11 performs a non-contact suction on the lower surface of the liquid ejection head 7, and the suction removal operation is executed.

[0064] Thus, by mounting the liquid ejection apparatus according to the above-described first to fourth embodiments on the printing apparatus, the printing apparatus can also enjoy the above-described effects.

[0065] <Embodiment of the article manufacturing method> The article manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as display panels such as organic ELs, microdevices such as semiconductor devices, and elements having a fine structure. The article manufacturing method of the present embodiment includes a supply step of supplying a liquid onto a substrate using the above-described liquid supply device (liquid supply method), a processing step of processing the substrate onto which the liquid has been supplied in the supply step, and a step of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step. Further, such an article manufacturing method includes other well-known steps (firing, cooling, cleaning, oxidation, film formation, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The article manufacturing method of the present embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article as compared with the conventional method.

[0066] <Other Embodiments> As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist thereof.

[0067] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and causing one or more processors in a computer of the system or device to read and execute the program. Further, it can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0068] The disclosure of the present embodiment includes the following methods and configurations. (Configuration 1) A discharge unit having a plurality of discharge ports for discharging a liquid on a discharge surface; A suction nozzle that sucks droplets adhering to the lower surface of the discharge unit through a suction port; A drive control unit that non-contactly arranges the suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface at a predetermined interval and controls the drive of at least one of the suction nozzle and the discharge unit; A liquid discharge device, comprising: a suction control unit configured to control a suction state of the suction nozzle based on a relative position between the discharge port and the suction nozzle.

[0069] (Configuration 2) The liquid discharge device according to Configuration 1, wherein the suction control unit controls a suction force of the suction nozzle according to a relative position between the discharge port and the suction nozzle.

[0070] (Configuration 3) The liquid discharge device according to Configuration 2, wherein the suction control unit controls the suction force by changing at least one of a vertical distance between a suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface, a suction pressure of the suction nozzle, and a suction flow rate of the suction nozzle.

[0071] (Configuration 4) The lower surface includes a region where the discharge port is not disposed. The liquid discharge device according to Configuration 2 or 3, wherein the suction control unit makes a suction force stronger when sucking a region where the discharge port is not disposed than when sucking a region where the discharge port is disposed during the driving.

[0072] (Configuration 5) The liquid discharge device according to any one of Configurations 2 to 4, wherein the suction control unit strengthens a suction force of the suction nozzle when a planar distance between the discharge port on the discharge surface and the suction surface of the suction nozzle is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.

[0073] (Configuration 6) The suction nozzle has a plurality of suction ports. The liquid discharge device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, wherein the suction control unit can individually control a suction state of each of the plurality of suction ports.

[0074] (Configuration 7) The suction nozzle is characterized in that a liquid mass of the liquid formed between the suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface is moved on the lower surface along with the driving, and the liquid ejection device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 6.

[0075] (Configuration 8) The suction nozzle is characterized in that a water-repellent treatment is performed on the surface, and the liquid ejection device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 7.

[0076] (Configuration 9) The suction nozzle is characterized in that it has a drain groove and a drain port provided in the drain groove, and the liquid ejection device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 8.

[0077] (Method) A control method for a liquid ejection device having a ejection unit having a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting a liquid onto an ejection surface, and a suction nozzle for sucking droplets adhering to the lower surface of the ejection unit by a suction port, The suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface are arranged in non-contact at a predetermined interval, and at least one of the suction nozzle and the ejection unit is driven and controlled, Based on the relative position between the ejection port and the suction nozzle, the suction state of the suction nozzle is controlled, and the control method is characterized in that.

[0078] (Method for manufacturing an article) A supply step of supplying the liquid onto a substrate using the liquid ejection device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 9, A processing step of processing the substrate on which the liquid has been supplied in the supply step, Including, An article manufacturing method characterized in that an article is manufactured from the substrate processed in the processing step

Explanation of reference numerals

[0079] 3 Ejection surface 7 Liquid ejection head 8 Cleaning unit 11 Suction nozzle 11a Tip 12 Suction port 50 Control unit 51 Drive control unit 52 Suction control unit

Claims

1. A discharge unit having a plurality of discharge ports for discharging a liquid onto a discharge surface; A suction nozzle for sucking droplets adhering to the lower surface of the discharge unit through a suction port; A drive control unit that non - contactingly arranges the suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface at a predetermined interval and controls the drive of at least one of the suction nozzle and the discharge unit; A liquid discharge device comprising: a suction control unit that controls the suction state of the suction nozzle based on the relative position between the discharge port and the suction nozzle.

2. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the suction control unit controls the suction force of the suction nozzle according to the relative position between the discharge port and the suction nozzle.

3. The liquid discharge device according to claim 2, wherein the suction control unit controls the suction force by changing at least one of the vertical distance between the suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface, the suction pressure of the suction nozzle, and the suction flow rate of the suction nozzle.

4. The lower surface includes a region where the discharge port is not disposed, The liquid discharge device according to claim 2, wherein in the drive, the suction control unit makes the suction force when sucking the region where the discharge port is not disposed stronger than the suction force when sucking the region where the discharge port is disposed.

5. The liquid discharge device according to claim 2, wherein the suction control unit increases the suction force of the suction nozzle when the planar distance between the discharge port on the discharge surface and the suction surface of the suction nozzle is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.

6. The suction nozzle has a plurality of the suction ports, The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the suction control unit can individually control the suction state of each of the plurality of suction ports.

7. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the suction nozzle moves a liquid mass of the liquid formed between the suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface on the lower surface along with the drive.

8. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the suction nozzle has a water - repellent treatment on its surface.

9. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the suction nozzle has a drain groove and a drain port provided in the drain groove.

10. A control method for a liquid ejection device, comprising: a discharge unit having a plurality of discharge ports for discharging a liquid onto a discharge surface; and a suction nozzle for sucking droplets adhering to a lower surface of the discharge unit through a suction port. The suction surface of the suction nozzle and the lower surface are arranged non - contactingly at a predetermined interval, and at least one of the suction nozzle and the discharge unit is driven and controlled. A control method characterized in that a suction state of the suction nozzle is controlled based on a relative position between the discharge port and the suction nozzle.

11. A supply step of supplying the liquid onto a substrate using the liquid ejection device according to any one of Claims 1 to 9; A processing step of processing the substrate on which the liquid has been supplied in the supply step; Including An article manufacturing method characterized by manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step.

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