Liquid discharge device, discharge method, imprint apparatus, and article manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a technique advantageous for accurately supplying liquid droplets onto a substrate.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device comprises: a substrate stage that holds a substrate; a discharge head that has a plurality of discharge ports on a discharge surface and supplies liquid onto the substrate held by the substrate stage through the discharge ports; a measurement unit that measures a distance from the substrate stage to the liquid or a position of the liquid in a state where the liquid is in contact with the discharge ports and a meniscus is formed in the liquid; and a control unit that controls a relative position between the substrate stage and the discharge head on the basis of a measurement result from the measurement unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] There is a liquid ejection device that ejects a liquid or liquid-like ejection material stored in a storage container from an ejection head (supply device). Patent Document 1 describes an imprinting device that has an ejection head having an ejection port and a concave-convex structure provided separately from the ejection port on the ejection surface, and a distance measuring sensor that is disposed on a substrate stage and measures the distance to the concave-convex structure. Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which the height of the concave-convex structure on the ejection surface is measured by the distance measuring sensor, and the amount of deviation of the position of the ejection head relative to the position of the substrate stage is determined. The technology then describes a technology in which the determined amount of deviation is reflected as a correction amount in information on the supply position of the ejection material to the substrate, thereby controlling the ejection position.

[0003] In response to this, Patent Document 2 describes a configuration including a discharge head that discharges discharge material from a discharge port toward a substrate, a discharge port measurement means that measures the position of the discharge port provided with a reference mark that serves as a reference for measuring the discharge port position, and a substrate position measurement means that measures the substrate position.The patent document also describes a technology for controlling the discharge position on the substrate by calibrating the position of the substrate position measurement means using the reference mark for measuring the discharge port position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7289895 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-249195 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the imprint apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a distance measurement sensor measures the height of the uneven structure on the discharge surface of the supply device, rather than the position of the discharge port of the supply device, to determine the amount of deviation of the supply device position relative to the substrate stage position. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain information on the positional relationship between the discharge port position and the uneven structure for each supply device in advance.

[0006] On the other hand, the liquid ejection device disclosed in Patent Document 2 measures the position of the ejection port of the supply device using an alignment camera. In a liquid ejection device that requires highly accurate ejection position control, the diameter of the ejection port is about 10 to 30 micrometers, so a highly accurate imaging device is required to directly measure the position of the ejection port.

[0007] In view of these points, an exemplary object of the present invention is to provide an advantageous technique for accurately supplying droplets onto a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by comprising a substrate stage that holds a substrate, an ejection head having a plurality of ejection ports on its ejection surface and supplying liquid from the ejection ports onto the substrate held on the substrate stage, a measurement unit that measures the distance from the substrate stage to the liquid or the position of the liquid while the ejection ports are in contact with the liquid and a meniscus is formed in the liquid, and a control unit that controls the relative position of the substrate stage and the ejection head based on the measurement results of the measurement unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a technique that is advantageous for supplying droplets onto a substrate with high precision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of a liquid ejection device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the ejection port in the ejection head. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating measurement of an ejection surface according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating measurement of the position of an ejection port according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating a method for measuring the height of the surface of the discharge material according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a supply position correction processing operation according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a supply processing operation according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating measurement of the surface of a discharge material according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an imprint apparatus that includes a discharge device. [Figure 10] 1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining a method for manufacturing an article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are appropriate specific examples, and therefore various technically preferable limitations are attached. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments in this specification or other specific methods. Note that the same components will be described with the same reference numerals.

[0012] In this specification and 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 perpendicular to each other in a plane perpendicular to the Z axis are defined as the X axis and the Y axis. In the following, 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 <Configuration of Liquid Ejection Device> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a liquid ejection device (hereinafter simply referred to as "ejection device") according to a first embodiment. The ejection device 10 of this embodiment includes a main tank 34 that stores a working fluid 35 inside the main tank 34 and is connected to the atmosphere; a sub-tank 26 that stores the working fluid 35 inside the main tank 34 and is connected to the atmosphere; and a supply device 100 that communicates with the sub-tank 26. The supply device 100 includes a storage container 13 that stores a discharge material 8, and a discharge head 14 that is attached to the storage container 13. The storage container 13 and the discharge head 14 may be configured as separate bodies or as an integrated body. The storage container 13 may be a cartridge type. The discharge head 14 is capable of ejecting the discharge material 8 from discharge ports 15 that open on the outer surface (discharge surface) of the discharge head. The discharge ports 15 of this embodiment are arranged on the discharge surface of the discharge head 14 at a density of 500 to 1000 per inch.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the discharge device 10 includes a transport unit 62 mounted on a base plate 63 and facing the discharge surface of the discharge head 14. The base plate 63 also includes a transport unit measuring device 51 for measuring the position of the transport unit 62. The transport unit 62 also includes a measuring device 41 (measuring unit) for measuring the position of the discharge surface of the discharge head 14. The transport unit 62 can move on the base plate 63 while adsorbing and holding a medium 61, which is an object to which the discharge material 8 is applied (supplied), using an adsorption means (not shown). The transport unit 62 can move the medium 61 relative to the discharge head 14. The medium 61 is, for example, a substrate. Examples of the substrate include glass, ceramics, metal, semiconductor, and resin. If necessary, a member made of a material other than the substrate may be formed on the surface of the substrate. Specifically, examples of the substrate include silicon wafers, compound semiconductor wafers, and quartz glass. That is, the transport unit 62 functions as a substrate holder (substrate stage) for holding the substrate as the medium 61. The discharge device 10 may be configured so that the relative position of the transport unit 62 and the discharge head 14 is changeable, and may be configured so that the discharge head 14 or both the discharge head 14 and the transport unit 62 are movable. The measurement device 41 may be separate from the transport unit 62. In this case, it is preferable that the measurement device 41 is also configured so that the relative position of the measurement device 41 with respect to the discharge head 14 is changeable, for example, by being movable on the base plate 63.

[0015] The discharge device 10 also includes a control device 70. The control device 70 can be configured, for example, by a computer having a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit such as a memory. The control device 70 functions as a control unit that controls each unit of the discharge device 10 (such as the discharge head 14, pressure control device 28, measurement device 41, transport unit measurement device 51, and transport unit 62). The control device 70 may be configured, for example, by a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a general-purpose computer with an embedded program, or a combination of all or part of these.

[0016] The ejection material 8 contained in the container 13 is ejected from the ejection port 15 of the ejection head 14 onto an area on the medium 61, which has been transported to a position opposite the ejection port 15, where the ejection material 8 is to be applied. In this way, a desired ejection material 8 pattern (for example, a recorded image) is formed.

[0017] <Discharge material> The ejection material 8 is, for example, a liquid (including a liquid-like substance). Unlike a solid, the ejection material 8 has fluidity and does not have a fixed shape when it is inside the container 13 and when it is ejected from the ejection head 14, and its volume does not change as greatly as a gas. The ejection material 8 may be a paste-like substance, a polymer material, or other substance. Ink may also be used as the ejection material 8 of this embodiment. Non-limiting examples of ink include various inks such as ink for image recording, conductive ink for manufacturing electronic circuits, and UV-curable ink. An example of conductive ink is ink containing metal particles, particularly metal nanoink in which metal nanoparticles of several to several tens of nanometers are dispersed in a liquid. An example of metal nanoink is silver nanoink.

[0018] Another example of the dispensing material 8 is an imprint material. In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices and the like, a so-called imprinting technique is used in which a mold (die) with a concave-convex pattern is brought into contact with an imprint material on a substrate, and the shape of the mold is transferred to the imprint material to form a pattern. Resist such as a photocurable resin or a thermosetting resin is used as the imprint material. Such a dispensing material 8 is contained in the first containing space 5 in the containing container 13. The imprint material has a smaller allowable foreign particle size and a smaller allowable amount of contained metal ions than ordinary liquids, and is therefore required to be dispensed while maintaining a high level of cleanliness. Therefore, it is desirable that the imprint material initially managed and sealed in the containing container 13 be consumed without contact with the outside or with devices such as pressure sensors, and while suppressing the increase of foreign particles and metal ions.

[0019] <Hydraulic fluid> The working liquid 35 is an incompressible substance, and changes in density (volume) due to external temperature and pressure are negligible compared to gas. Therefore, even if the temperature or pressure around the discharge device 10 changes, the volume of the working liquid 35 hardly changes. For example, a substance selected from a liquid such as water and a gel-like substance can be used as the working liquid 35. Usually, the difference between the density of the discharge material 8 and the density of the working liquid 35 is smaller than the difference between the density of the discharge material 8 and the density of gas.

[0020] When the discharge device 10 is used as an ink discharge device for a printing device, ink is naturally used as the discharge material 8, but there is no need to use expensive ink as the working fluid 35; water, which has a specific gravity similar to that of ink, can be used. More specifically, water to which an antiseptic additive has been added can be used as the working fluid 35 to prevent the water from spoiling and the growth of bacteria. The working fluid 35 is contained in the second housing space 6 within the housing container 13.

[0021] <Configuration of the ejection head> 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the discharge ports 15 in the discharge head 14. A plurality of discharge ports 15 are formed in the discharge surface 1 of the discharge head 14. The surfaces of the discharge ports 15 and the discharge surface 1 are subjected to a liquid-repellent treatment so as to be liquid-repellent to the discharge material 8.

[0022] Each ejection port 15 is provided with a corresponding pressure chamber 19, and an actuator (not shown) is mounted within the pressure chamber 19. The actuator may be any device capable of generating energy sufficient to eject the ejection material 8 as fine droplets, such as droplets of 1 pL (picoliter). Specific examples include a piezoelectric element or a heating resistor element. Compared to a heating resistor element, a piezoelectric element has a smaller effect on the ejection characteristics due to temperature changes (temperature rise), making it possible to use the ejection material 8 at high temperatures. Therefore, a wide variety of ejection materials 8, such as highly viscous resins, can be used. Furthermore, a heating resistor element generally has a relatively low manufacturing cost. The actuator in this embodiment is a piezoelectric element. Driving and controlling the piezoelectric element changes the volume of the pressure chamber 19, causing the ejection material 8 in the pressure chamber 19 to be ejected from the ejection port 15. The piezoelectric element may be implemented using MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) technology.

[0023] Each pressure chamber 19 communicates with a common liquid chamber 20. The common liquid chamber 20 communicates with the first storage space 5 of the storage container 13. The ejection material 8 ejected from the ejection ports 15 is supplied to the pressure chambers 19 from the first storage space 5 via the common liquid chamber 20. The ejection head 14 does not have a control valve between it and the first storage space 5. Therefore, the internal pressure of the first storage space 5 is controlled to be slightly negative relative to the atmospheric pressure (outside air pressure) outside the ejection ports 15 of the ejection head 14. This negative pressure control causes the ejection material 8 in the ejection ports 15 to form a meniscus 17 at the interface with the outside air, preventing the ejection material 8 from leaking (dripping) from the ejection ports at unintended times. In this embodiment, the internal pressure of the first storage space 5 is controlled to be negative by 0.40±0.04 kPa relative to the outside air pressure.

[0024] <Configuration of the storage container> As shown in Fig. 1, the outer shell and internal volume of storage container 13 are defined by housing 11 and housing 12. A flexible member (flexible film) 7 is disposed between housing 11 and housing 12 as a partition member that horizontally divides the internal space of storage container 13 into a first storage space 5 and a second storage space 6. The flexible member has a multilayer structure including a film layer configuration. Each film is a thin film having a thickness of 10 to 100 micrometers.

[0025] The housing 11 has a first opening that opens to the side facing the housing 12, and a second opening that opens to the side facing the ejection head 14. The first opening that opens to the housing side is completely covered and sealed by a film 7, and a first storage space 5 is formed between the inner surface of the housing 11 and the film 7. The second opening communicates with a common liquid chamber 20 of the ejection head 14, and this allows the first storage space 5 to communicate with the external space via the ejection head 14. The first storage space 5 is filled with a ejection material 8, and the interface between the ejection material 8 and the outside air is located within the ejection port 15 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0026] Housing 12 has an opening that opens on the side facing housing 11. This opening is completely covered and sealed with film 7, and a second storage space 6 is formed between the inner surface of housing 12 and film 7. Second storage space 6 is filled with hydraulic fluid 35. Second storage space 6 is also configured to communicate with the interior of sub-tank 26 via pipe 24, and can also communicate with the interior of sub-tank 26 via pipe 23 that includes control valve 21 and pump 22.

[0027] The sub-tank 26 is a liquid storage section that stores the hydraulic fluid 35. The hydraulic fluid 35 functions as a liquid filler in the second storage space 6. The films 7 function as partitions between the first storage space 5 and the second storage space 6.

[0028] <Film material> The material of the film 7 may be any material that is resistant to the discharge material 8 and the working fluid, from the viewpoint of liquid contact, etc. For example, Teflon (registered trademark)-based fluororesins such as PFA (tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer), ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene), and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) can be used. Other examples include polyamide synthetic resins such as PE (polyethylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PVAL (polyvinyl alcohol), PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride), and nylon. When the film 7 is made up of multiple sheets, the films on the first storage space 5 side and the second storage space 6 side may be made of the same material (material, thickness) or different materials. For example, the film on the first storage space 5 side may be made of a material resistant to the discharge material 8, such as PFA, and the film on the second storage space 6 side may be made of a nylon-based material resistant to the working fluid.

[0029] <Pressure relationship between the first storage space and the second storage space> When a difference in internal pressure occurs between the first storage space 5 and the second storage space 6, the flexible film 7 moves to the side with the lower internal pressure, ideally stopping its movement when the internal pressure difference disappears, thereby keeping the internal pressures of the first storage space 5 and the second storage space 6 equal to each other.

[0030] A more specific explanation will be given. When the discharge material 8 is discharged from the discharge head 14, the volume of the discharge material 8 in the first housing space 5 decreases by the amount of the discharged discharge material 8, and the internal pressure of the first housing space 5 decreases. At this time, the internal pressure of the second housing space 6 becomes relatively higher than the internal pressure of the first housing space 5. As the internal pressure of the first housing space 5 decreases, the flexible film 7 moves integrally toward the first housing space 5. At the same time, the working fluid 35 is sucked up from the sub-tank 26 through the pipe 24 into the second housing space 6. Ideally, this causes the internal pressures of the first housing space 5 and the second housing space 6 to become equal again and reach a state of equilibrium.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the sub-tank 26 is connected to the outside space via a pipe 25 equipped with a control valve 27. Because the control valve 27 is open when the supply device 100 is in a discharging operation or standby state, the internal pressure of the sub-tank 26 is equal to atmospheric pressure. The pipe 24 connecting the sub-tank 26 to the second storage space 6 is filled with a hydraulic liquid 35, and the liquid level 38 (hereinafter also referred to as the "liquid level") of the hydraulic liquid 35 in the sub-tank 26 in the vertical direction is set to a position lower than the discharge port 15 of the discharge head 14. The difference in height (vertical distance) between the liquid level of the hydraulic liquid 35 in the sub-tank 26 and the position of the discharge surface where the discharge port 15 opens is defined as ΔH. In this embodiment, the difference ΔH is set so as to maintain a state in which a meniscus 17 is formed on the discharge material 8 in the discharge port 15 (the state shown in FIG. 2). That is, the difference ΔH is set so that the discharge material 8 does not leak or drip from the discharge port 15 to the outside, and the meniscus 17 does not recede excessively deep inside (for example, near the common liquid chamber). Specifically, the height difference ΔH is set to 40±4 mm so that the internal pressure of the first containing space 5 is controlled to a value that is 0.40±0.04 kPa lower than the external atmospheric pressure.

[0032] The height difference ΔH can be set as appropriate. As described above, this embodiment is an ejection device applicable to a printing device capable of ejecting a liquid volume of approximately 1 pL or less. For example, when the ejection material 8 is ink for image recording, the diameter of the ejection port 15 is approximately 10 micrometers (μm). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ejection material 8 and the working liquid 35 each have a density approximately equal to that of water. In this embodiment, under these conditions, in order to form a meniscus 17 on the ejection material 8 within the ejection port 15, the height difference ΔH is set within the aforementioned range of 40 mm ± 4 mm. For example, the diameter of the ejection port 15 in a low-resolution printing device is several tens of μm, while the diameter of the ejection port in a 3D printer using a resin or the like as the ejection material 8 is several hundred μm. As described above, the diameter of the ejection port 15 varies depending on the model of the ejection device, and the physical properties (e.g., density, viscosity, etc.) of the ejection material 8 also vary. Therefore, the height difference ΔH is appropriately set depending on the application of the ejection device due to the influences of gravity, capillary force, surface tension, etc.

[0033] <Liquid level correction operation> In this embodiment, a corrective operation is performed when the level of the hydraulic fluid in the sub-tank 26 deviates from a predetermined range with respect to a reference level. Explaining using the above example, the corrective operation is performed when the level of the hydraulic fluid in the sub-tank 26 deviates from a predetermined range (a range of ±4 mm from the reference level) with respect to the reference level (a height 40 mm lower than the discharge port 15). The corrective operation is a "liquid level adjustment" operation that moves the hydraulic fluid between the main tank 34 and the sub-tank 26 to keep the level of the hydraulic fluid in the sub-tank 26 within a predetermined range.

[0034] A liquid level sensor 37 is installed in the sub-tank 26. In this embodiment, the liquid level sensor 37 is a sensor that can detect the liquid level of the hydraulic fluid in the sub-tank 26 and changes (displacements) thereof. The main tank 34 and the sub-tank 26 are able to communicate with each other via a pipe 33 that includes a control valve 31 and a pump 32. The discharge device 10 controls (adjusts the liquid level) the liquid level of the hydraulic fluid in the sub-tank 26 within a desired range by driving the control valve 31 and the pump 32 using a control unit 36. Specifically, when the liquid level sensor 37 detects that the liquid level of the hydraulic fluid 35 in the sub-tank 26 has dropped below a predetermined range, the control unit 36 ​​opens the control valve 31 and drives the pump 32 to supply the hydraulic fluid from the main tank 34 to the sub-tank 26. Furthermore, when the liquid level sensor 37 detects that the liquid level of the hydraulic fluid 35 in the sub-tank 26 is within a predetermined range, the operation of the pump 32 is stopped and the control valve 31 is closed to stop the supply of hydraulic fluid from the main tank 34 to the sub-tank 26. Furthermore, by controlling the control valve 31 and the pump 32, it is also possible to return hydraulic fluid from the sub-tank 26 to the main tank 34. In this way, the liquid level in the sub-tank 26 is maintained within a predetermined range.

[0035] However, the liquid ejection device to which the present invention is applicable is not limited to such a configuration and can be widely applied. It is not necessary to limit the pressure control to the hydraulic fluid as described above. In the field of inkjet recording devices, in order to stabilize the meniscus shape at the ejection port of the ejection member, efforts have been made to maintain a certain range of negative pressure inside the ejection member. For example, a method is known in which a porous body is formed inside the container to hold the liquid and negative pressure is created by utilizing the capillary force inside the porous body. Other methods include creating negative pressure inside the container by combining a mechanical element such as a spring with a balloon-shaped membrane, and controlling negative pressure using a control valve and air pressure. In the present invention, the negative pressure in the container may also be controlled by these methods.

[0036] <Subtank> The subtank 26 is preferably positioned so that its internal ceiling surface (vertical uppermost point) is vertically lower than the discharge port 15 of the discharge head 14. By positioning it in this manner, even if hydraulic fluid is supplied from the main tank 34 until the subtank 26 is filled with hydraulic fluid by the above-described liquid level adjustment, the liquid level of the hydraulic fluid 35 in the subtank 26 will not be higher than the discharge surface, which is flush with the discharge port 15. In other words, the liquid level of the hydraulic fluid 35 in the subtank 26 is limited by the ceiling surface of the subtank 26, so the relative positional relationship (height relationship) between the liquid level of the hydraulic fluid 35 and the discharge port 15 in the vertical direction is maintained, and the height difference ΔH does not reach 0 (zero). This makes it possible to maintain negative internal pressure in the first storage space 5 and the second storage space 6 relative to the external atmospheric pressure, thereby preventing leakage and dripping of the discharge material 8 from the discharge port 15.

[0037] <Circulatory system> The second storage space 6 and the sub-tank 26 are in communication with each other via a pipe 24, and can also be in communication with each other via a pipe 23 equipped with a control valve 21 and a pump 22. When the storage container 13 is removed from the discharge device 10 and then reattached, bubbles may enter the pipe 24. In this case, the control valve 21 is opened to operate the pump 22, circulating the hydraulic fluid 35 through the pipe 24, the second storage space 6, and the pipe 23, and sending the hydraulic fluid to the sub-tank 26, thereby removing the bubbles from the pipe 24. The control valve 21 closes when the pump 22 is not in use and opens when the pump 22 is in use.

[0038] <Pump> Examples of the pump 22 and the pump 32 include a syringe pump, a tube pump, a diaphragm pump, a gear pump, etc. However, the pump 22 and the pump 32 are not limited to pumps as long as they have the function of a liquid delivery means, and it is possible to select a liquid delivery means suitable for the discharge device of the discharge material 8.

[0039] <Pressure action> The sub-tank 26 is also in communication with a pressure control device 28 via a pipe 25. When forcibly discharging the discharge material 8 in the first storage space 5 or when forming a meniscus of the discharge material 8 below the discharge surface 1 (in the -Z direction), in other words, when forming a convex meniscus, it is necessary to temporarily change the pressure in the pressure chamber 19 to a positive pressure. For this reason, the sub-tank 26 is pressurized by a control valve 27 and a pressure control device 28.

[0040] The pressure control device 28 includes piping, a pressure sensor, a pump, a valve, etc., and functions as a pressure control section. The pressure control device 28 can control the pressure inside the sub-tank 26 by fully closing the control valve 27. By controlling the pressure of the working fluid inside the sub-tank 26 with the pressure control device 28, the pressure inside the second storage space 6 can be controlled, and as a result, the pressure of the discharge material 8 inside the first storage space 5 can be controlled via the film 7. In other words, the pressure control device 28 controls the pressure inside the discharge head, specifically the pressure inside the first storage space 5, and causes the discharge material 8 to be discharged from the discharge port 15.

[0041] <Measuring means of supply device> Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating measurement of the ejection surface 1 according to the first embodiment. Specifically, this diagram schematically illustrates a state in which the ejection surface 1 is being measured by a measurement device 41. As shown in Fig. 3, a plurality of ejection ports 15 are formed on the ejection surface 1 and arranged in one direction (Y direction). As shown in Fig. 3, the ejection ports 15 may be formed in a plurality of rows (three rows in the X direction in the case of Fig. 3).

[0042] The measuring device 41 measures the position of the ejection surface 1 on which the ejection ports 15 of the ejection head 14 are formed. Here, the position of the ejection surface 1 refers to the height position in the direction (Z direction) from the medium 61 toward the ejection surface 1 in this embodiment. Measuring the position of the ejection surface 1 by the measuring device 41 means measuring the height positions of the ejection ports 15 and the flat portion 16 on the ejection surface in each direction (X and Y directions).

[0043] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating position measurement of the discharge ports 15 according to the first embodiment. Specifically, this diagram schematically illustrates a state in which a measurement device 41 is measuring the positions of the discharge ports 15 arranged on the discharge surface 1. When measuring the positions of the discharge ports 15, the pressure control device 28 sets the pressure inside the discharge ports 15 to a pressure (positive pressure state) higher than the normal pressure (negative pressure state). The positive pressure state here refers to a state in which the meniscus surface of the discharge material 8 inside the discharge port 15 (the gas-liquid interface of the discharge material 8 at the tip of the discharge port) protrudes (is formed downwardly convexly) downward (in the -Z direction) from the discharge surface 1 and does not come into contact with the discharge material 8 formed from the adjacent discharge ports 15. The pressure value is set so that the meniscus surface returns to its original position inside the discharge port 15 when the normal negative pressure is restored.

[0044] Specifically, the internal pressure of the first storage space 5 is controlled to a value 3.0±1.0 kPa higher than the external atmospheric pressure. The ejection material 8 is then treated to render the ejection surface 1 and the ejection port 15 liquid-repellent. By setting the inside of the ejection port 15 at a positive pressure that maintains the meniscus surface, spherical droplets of the ejection material 8 can be formed on the ejection surface 1 in a downward convex direction, with a diameter larger than the diameter of the ejection port 15 and concentric with the ejection port 15. At a pressure value that does not destroy the meniscus surface, the diameter of the droplets of the ejection material 8 that can be formed downward concentrically with the ejection port 15 need only be equal to or less than the distance between adjacent ejection ports. Specifically, in this embodiment, the diameter of the droplets should be 150 μm or less. While the droplets formed at the ejection port 15 are preferably concentric with the ejection port 15, they may be approximately concentric, for example, when a small amount of solidified ejection material adheres to the ejection port 15 to an extent that does not affect the ejection material supply process.

[0045] The measuring device 41 measures the position of the discharge material surface 18 (also called a droplet of the discharge material 8 or a convex meniscus) that is formed convex downward from the discharge port 15. In other words, the measuring device 41 measures the distance from the conveying unit 62 to the discharge material 8 (liquid) in a state where the discharge port 15 and the liquid that is the discharge material 8 are in contact with each other and a meniscus is formed in the liquid. In this embodiment, measuring the position of the discharge port by the measuring device 41 means measuring the height position of the discharge material surface 18 that is formed approximately concentric with the discharge port 15 by setting the pressure inside the discharge port 15 to a positive pressure using the pressure control device 28.

[0046] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method for measuring the height of the discharge material surface 18 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the measurement point of the measuring device 41 is moved along detection loci 6X and 6Y. The discharge material surface 18, which is approximately concentric with each discharge port, is formed in a downward convex shape. Therefore, when the measuring device 41 is scanned along the detection locus 6X as shown in FIG. 5, the detection result is as shown in detection signal 7X. Specifically, the detection result is height signal 7Xa at the flat portion 6Xa of the discharge surface 1, but changes to height signal 7Xb at the lowest point 6Xb of the discharge material surface 18. In this way, the position of the lowest point of the discharge material surface 18 in the X direction can be detected.

[0047] Similarly, when scanning is performed along the detection locus 6Y, the detection result is a height signal 7Ya at the flat portion 6Ya of the discharge surface 1, but the height signal changes to 7Yb at the lowest point 6Yb of the discharge material surface 18, as shown in detection signal 7Y. In this way, the position of the lowest point of the discharge material surface in the Y direction can be detected. By measuring in this manner, the lowest point of the discharge material surface 18 at each discharge port can be determined.

[0048] In this embodiment, the measuring device 41 uses, as an example, a distance sensor capable of measuring the distance to the measurement target. The distance sensor may include, for example, a spectroscopic interferometer (distance sensor) having a diffraction grating and a light-receiving element such as a CCD sensor. The spectroscopic interferometer irradiates a relatively broadband light onto the measurement surface (ejection surface 1) and a reference surface. The interference light between the reflected light from the measurement surface and the reference light reflected from the reference surface is separated by a diffraction grating and incident on a light-receiving element. Since light with longer wavelengths travels without being refracted, the light separated by the diffraction grating travels at different angles for each wavelength and is detected by different portions of the light-receiving element for each wavelength. For example, a certain portion of the light-receiving element receives light of a specific wavelength, while an adjacent portion receives light of a wavelength longer or shorter than the specific wavelength. In other words, the coordinates on the light-receiving element correspond to the wavelengths of the separated light. Therefore, in the spectroscopic interferometer, the light intensity of each wavelength detected by the light-receiving element can determine which wavelengths are constructively interacting with each other. Therefore, the measuring device 41 calculates the optical path length between the reference surface and the light-irradiated area (area irradiated with light) of the measured surface from the least common multiple, i.e., the distance from the reference surface to the light-irradiated area of ​​the measured surface, and can then calculate the height of the discharge surface 1 (the distance from the surface of the transport unit 62 to the discharge surface) from the calculated distance.

[0049] When the conveying part 62 is scanned in the X-axis direction, the detection signal 7X, which is the output signal of the measuring device 41, provides detection signal peaks 7Xb corresponding to the position of the discharged material surface 18. By synchronizing (associating) the positions of these detection signal peaks 7Xb with the position information of the conveying part 62 on which the measuring device 41 is mounted, the position of the conveying part 62 of the discharge head 14 (supply device 100) in the X-axis direction can be determined.

[0050] Similarly, when the transport unit 62 is scanned in the Y-axis direction, the detection signal 7Y, which is the output signal of the measuring device 41, detects a detection signal peak 7Yb corresponding to the position of the discharge material surface 18. Therefore, the position of the transport unit 62 of the discharge head 14 in the Y-axis direction can be obtained.

[0051] The control device 70 causes the measuring device 41 to measure the height position in the X and Y directions of the discharge material surface 18, and calculates the lowest point of the droplet of the discharge material 8 formed at the discharge port 15 based on the measurement results of the measuring device 41. This makes it possible to calculate the center position of the discharge material surface 18, i.e., the center position of the droplet formed at the discharge port 15. Since the center position of the discharge port 15 and the droplet formed at the discharge port 15 are approximately concentric, the calculated center position of the droplet can be set as the center position of the discharge port 15, thereby obtaining the center position of the discharge port 15.

[0052] For example, if the diameter of the droplets of the discharge material 8 formed at the discharge port 15 is 150 μm and the contact angle between the discharge surface 1 and the discharge port 15 is 70 degrees, the maximum height difference of the discharge material surface 18 relative to the discharge surface 1 is approximately 50 μm. In this case, it is easier to measure the position of the droplets formed at the discharge port 15 than to directly measure the position of the discharge port 15, which has a diameter of 10 μm and is located on the same plane as the discharge surface 1, because the diameter of the measurement target is larger. When a distance measurement sensor is used as the measurement device 41, if the measurement target is too small, accurate distance measurement may not be possible. In this embodiment, the position of the discharge port 15 is obtained by forming droplets at the discharge port 15 with a diameter larger than that of the discharge port 15 and measuring the height position of the droplets. This makes it possible to obtain the position of the discharge port 15 without using a high-precision measurement device.

[0053] When a high-precision distance measuring sensor is used as the measuring device 41, it is also possible to obtain the position of the discharge port 15 by measuring the concave meniscus 17 formed in the discharge port 15 as shown in Figure 2. In this case, the center position of the discharge port 15 can be obtained by detecting the highest point of the discharge material surface 18.

[0054] <Calculation of supply position correction amount> Before supplying the discharge material 8 from the supply device 100 to the medium 61, the control device 70 moves the measuring device 41 shown in FIG. 1 in the XY directions below the supply device 100. This allows the measuring device 41 to measure the distance to the flat portion of the discharge surface 1. The measuring device 41 scans the discharge surface 1 and measures the distance to the discharge surface 1, thereby collecting information on the relative distance (height) between the discharge surface 1 and the medium 61 (transport unit 62) and tilt in the XY directions. From the collected height and tilt information, the amount of deviation of the discharge surface 1 from a reference position set in the discharge device 10 can be calculated.

[0055] Furthermore, the measuring device 41 measures, while scanning, the distance to the plurality of discharge material surfaces 18 formed by the pressure control device 28 in a downward convex shape and substantially concentric with the discharge ports 15. The control device 70 acquires position information of the center coordinates of the discharge ports 15 based on the measurement results of the measuring device 41. From the acquired position information of the plurality of discharge ports 15, the control device 70 can calculate the amount of deviation in the X and Y directions of the discharge port positions relative to a reference position set in the discharge device 10. Furthermore, from the position information of the plurality of discharge ports 15, the control device 70 can also calculate the amount of deviation in the rotational direction around the Z axis relative to the row direction of the discharge ports.

[0056] The deviation amount obtained here is stored in the control device 70 and fed back to the supply position information of the discharged material 8 supplied from the discharge port 15. As the supply position information, correction amounts for the relative position between the supply device 100 and the conveying unit 62 in the X and Y directions, position correction in the rotational direction around the Z axis, discharge timing from each discharge port in the supply device, and scanning speed in the X direction of the conveying unit during discharge are calculated.

[0057] <Flow of supply position correction processing operation> In the discharge device 10 of the first embodiment, the position of the supply device 100 (the discharge surface 1 and the discharge port 15) is determined using a measurement device 41. The supply position correction processing operation in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing an example of the supply position correction processing operation according to the first embodiment. Each operation (step) shown in this flow chart can be executed under the control of the control device 70.

[0058] When the discharge device 10 starts operating and the supply position correction process start step S100 begins, in step S101 the control device 70 determines the surface condition of the discharge surface 1. There is a possibility that foreign matter such as solidified discharge material or particles may be attached around the discharge port 15. In step S101, the control device 70 determines whether or not there is any adhesion of discharge material or particles on the discharge surface 1. If it is determined here that there is no adhesion (normal) (Yes), the process proceeds to step S102.

[0059] In step S102, the control device 70 causes the measurement device 41 to measure the position of the ejection surface. Specifically, the measurement device 41 measures the distance to the flat portion of the ejection surface 1, thereby collecting information on the relative distance (height) between the ejection surface 1 and the medium 61 (transport unit 62) and tilt in the X and Y directions. After measuring the height position of the ejection surface, the measurement device 41 transmits the measured height position and tilt information of the ejection surface 1 in the X and Y directions to the control device 70.

[0060] In step S103, a pressurizing operation is performed by the pressure control device 28, the inside of the discharge head 14 is pressurized, and the discharge ports 15 come into contact with the liquid as the discharge material, and the discharge material surface 18 is formed on the liquid so that the discharge surface has a downward convex shape from the discharge ports 15. After the discharge material surface 18 is formed, the process proceeds to step S104.

[0061] Step S104 is a process (measurement process) for measuring the discharge material surface 18, and the control device 70 causes the measurement device 41 to measure the height position of a discharge material surface 18 arbitrarily selected from the discharge material surfaces 18 formed at the discharge ports 15 in the discharge surface 1. Specifically, the measurement device 41 measures the height of the discharge material surface 18 using the method shown in FIG. 5. The discharge material surfaces 18 selected as the measurement targets here do not need to be all of the discharge material surfaces 18 formed on the discharge surface 1, but may be only a portion. For example, to correct the amount of deviation in the rotational direction around the Z axis relative to the row direction of the discharge ports, it is necessary to select two or more discharge material surfaces 18. To calculate the amount of deviation in the XY directions of the discharge port position relative to a reference position set in the discharge device 10, it is necessary to select one or more discharge material surfaces 18. The measurement results are sent to the control device 70. After the measurement of the discharge material surface 18 is completed, the pressure control device 28 stops pressurizing the material, and returns the pressure to a normal value (negative pressure) at which the meniscus surface in the discharge port 15 returns to its original position.

[0062] In step S105, the control device 70 calculates the center position of the discharge port based on the height position information (measurement result) of the discharge material surface in the X and Y directions measured in step S104. Specifically, the control device 70 calculates the lowest point of the droplet of the discharge material 8 formed in the discharge port 15 based on the measurement result of the measurement device 41, calculates the center position of the discharge material surface 18, and obtains the center position of the discharge port 15.

[0063] Step S106 is a process of calculating the supply position correction amount. Specifically, as described above, the control device 70 calculates the amount of deviation of the discharge surface 1 from the reference position set in the discharge device 10 based on the relative distance (height) between the discharge surface 1 and the medium 61 (transport unit 62) and the tilt information in the X and Y directions collected in S102. Then, based on the position information of the multiple discharge ports 15 collected in S105, the control device 70 calculates the amount of deviation in the X and Y directions of the discharge port positions from the reference position set in the discharge device 10. The control device 70 also calculates the amount of deviation in the rotational direction around the Z axis relative to the row direction of the discharge ports based on the position information of the multiple discharge ports 15. Then, based on the various deviation amounts calculated, the control device 70 calculates corrections for the relative position between the supply device 100 and the transport unit 62 in the X and Y directions, the position correction in the rotational direction around the Z axis, the discharge timing from each discharge port in the supply device 100, and the X direction scanning speed of the transport unit 62 during discharge.

[0064] Then, in step S107, the control device 70 determines the surface condition of the ejection surface in the same manner as in step S101, and if it determines that the surface condition is normal (Yes), the process proceeds to step S108.

[0065] In step S108, the control device 70 determines whether to end the supply position correction amount process. Specifically, the control device 70 reflects the correction amount calculated in step S106 in the relative positions of the supply device 100 and the conveyance unit 62 in the X and Y directions, the rotational position around the Z axis, the discharge timing from each discharge port in the supply device 100, and the scanning speed in the X direction of the conveyance unit 62 during discharge. The control device 70 then determines whether the supply position correction amount process has ended normally. If the determination is normal (Yes), the process proceeds to step S109, where the supply position correction process ends. On the other hand, if, for example, the calculated correction amount is outside the correction range in step S108 (No), the process returns to step S102, where the height position of the discharge surface is measured. Steps S102 to S108 are then performed again. If the calculated correction amount is again outside the correction range in step S108 (No), the process proceeds to step S112, where the supply device 100 is replaced.

[0066] In steps S101 and S107, if it is determined that the surface of the ejection surface 1 is abnormal due to the presence of solidified ejection material or foreign matter (No), the process proceeds to step S110. In step S110, a recovery process for the ejection surface is performed. Specifically, the pressure control device 28 pressurizes the first storage space 5, and the ejection material 8 is forcibly discharged from the ejection port 15. Thereafter, the ejection material 8 and foreign matter adhering to the ejection surface 1 are removed using a suction nozzle (not shown).

[0067] After step S110 is completed, in step S111, the surface condition of the ejection surface 1 is determined in the same manner as in steps S101 and S107. If the surface condition of the ejection surface 1 is determined to be normal (Yes), the process proceeds to step S108. On the other hand, if the ejection surface condition is determined to be abnormal in step S111 (No), the process returns to step S110 again, and a recovery process for the ejection surface is performed. Note that if the ejection surface condition does not return to normal even after performing the recovery process for the ejection surface a predetermined number of times, the process proceeds to step S112, and the supply device 100 may be replaced.

[0068] In the above flow, measurement of the ejection surface position (step S102) and measurement of the ejection material surface 18 (step S104) are separate processes, but measurement of the ejection surface position and measurement of the ejection material surface 18 may be performed in the same process. Specifically, height signal 7Xa and height signal 7Ya in Fig. 5 are height signals of the flat portion of the ejection surface 1, and therefore these can be used as height position information of the ejection surface. In this case, it is possible to shorten the processing time.

[0069] By measuring the position of the ejection surface using the measuring device 41 and measuring the position of the droplets of the ejection material 8 formed at the ejection port using the pressure control device 28, the amount of positional deviation of the supply device 100 relative to the ejection target can be calculated.

[0070] <Supply processing operation flow> Next, a supply processing operation performed using corrected supply position information based on the correction amount calculated in the flow of the supply position correction processing operation described above will be described. This will be explained using Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flow diagram showing an example of the supply processing operation according to the first embodiment. Each operation (step) shown in this flow chart can be executed under the control of the control device 70.

[0071] When the supply process start step S300 starts, in step S301, the medium 61 is carried into the discharge device 10. Specifically, using a conveying mechanism (not shown), the medium 61 is conveyed from a position (not shown) outside or inside the discharge device 10 to the conveying unit 62, and the medium 61 is held by the conveying unit 62.

[0072] In step S302, the control device 70 controls the supply device 100 and the transport unit 62 based on the correction amount calculated in step S106 to perform a liquid supply process (position control step (also referred to as a supply step)). Specifically, the control device 70 controls the relative positions of the supply device 100 and the transport unit 62 so that the relative positions of the supply device 100 and the transport unit 62 in the X and Y directions and the position in the rotational direction about the Z axis reflect the calculated correction amount. The control device 70 also controls the supply device 100 and the transport unit 62 to supply the liquid onto the medium 61 so that the ejection timing from each ejection port in the supply device 100 and the scanning speed in the X direction of the transport unit 62 during ejection reflect the calculated correction amount.

[0073] Then, in step S203, the supply processing operation ends. In this way, droplets of the discharge material 8 are supplied onto the medium 61. According to this embodiment, by correcting the deviation amount calculated in the supply position correction processing operation, it is possible to precisely control the discharge position of the discharge material 8 supplied to the medium 61.

[0074] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8. In the first embodiment, a distance sensor serving as a measuring device 41 was used to measure the position of the discharge surface and the positions of the discharge port 15 and discharge material surface 18, and the central coordinates in the X and Y directions of the discharge material surface 18 were calculated. In the second embodiment, a camera unit capable of image processing is used to detect the central coordinates in the X and Y directions of the discharge material surface 18. That is, the measuring device of the second embodiment includes a distance sensor and a camera unit.

[0075] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating measurement of the surface of the discharged material according to the second embodiment. Specifically, this diagram shows the process of measuring the surface of the discharged material in step S104 of the flowchart in Fig. 6, and uses a camera unit 50 as part of the measurement device, which can capture an image of the detection target portion of the discharged surface and process the image.

[0076] The camera unit 50 includes an imaging section 42, a lens barrel 43, an illumination section 44, and a control device 70. The camera unit 50 acquires images of the discharge port 15 and the discharge material surface 18 that is formed convex downward from the discharge port 15. The imaging section 42 is a camera equipped with a CCD or CMOS sensor or the like. The lens barrel 43 includes a lens (not shown). The illumination section 44 includes an LED or a halogen lamp or the like, and when UV-curable ink or an imprint material is used as the discharge material 8, illumination with a wavelength that is not photosensitive is selected. The illumination amount of the illumination section 44 and the optical magnification of the lens (not shown) are controlled by the control device 70 according to the image pickup target.

[0077] Here, the camera unit 50 captures images of the discharge surface 1 of the discharge head 14 and all of the discharge ports 15 formed within the discharge surface 1. The image capture unit 42 receives the image of the target as a monochrome or color image and can capture the target at a predetermined magnification under the control of the control device 70. The image capture unit 42 can also enlarge a detailed portion of the target or reduce the image so that the entire target can be seen. For example, by adjusting the magnification of the image capture unit 42, the number of discharge ports 15 that can be imaged at one time can be set to 200 to 300 or 20 to 50 out of the multiple discharge ports 15 within the discharge surface 1. The number of discharge ports to be imaged at one time may be set based on the diameter of the discharge material surface 18 that is convex downward from the discharge port 15 when the pressure control device 28 sets the pressure within the discharge port 15 to a positive pressure state in the process of measuring the discharge material surface 18 in step S104.

[0078] The image data captured by the imaging unit 42 is sent to the control device 70. The control device 70 then detects the contour of the discharge material surface 18, which is formed approximately concentrically with the discharge ports 15, from the image data and calculates the center coordinates of the discharge ports 15. The control device 70 may calculate the center coordinates of the discharge ports 15 for all discharge ports detected in the image data, or may calculate the center coordinates of only a randomly selected portion of the discharge ports included in the image data. From the calculated position information of the center coordinates of the multiple discharge ports 15, the amount of deviation in the X and Y directions of the discharge port positions relative to the reference position set in the discharge device 10 can be calculated. Furthermore, from the position information of the multiple discharge ports 15, the amount of deviation in the rotational direction around the Z axis relative to the row direction of the discharge ports can also be calculated. The obtained deviation amount is fed back to the supply device information as in the first embodiment, and can be calculated as the amount of deviation in the position of the supply device 100 relative to the discharge target portion.

[0079] 6 for the discharge port 15 based on the diameter and roundness of the contour of the discharge material surface 18. As a specific example, the pressure to be set by the pressure control device 28 and data on the diameter and shape of the discharge material surface 18 are acquired and registered in advance in the control device 70. This makes it possible to determine, from the detected contour shape, whether an abnormality has occurred in or near the discharge port 15 due to a foreign object or the like, or whether there is an abnormality in the liquid repellent treatment.

[0080] As in the present embodiment, a camera unit capable of image processing is used to measure the surface of the discharged material formed at the discharge port, and the amount of positional deviation of the supply device 100 is calculated, thereby enabling precise control of the discharge position of the discharged material 8 supplied to the medium 61. Furthermore, in order to measure the position of the discharge port 15 with a diameter of 10 μm using the camera unit 50, a high-magnification lens or microscope is required. However, in the case of the present embodiment, droplets of the discharged material 8 are formed that are approximately concentric with the discharge port 15 and have a diameter larger than the diameter of the discharge port 15, and these droplets are used as the measurement target, so there is no need to provide a high-magnification lens or microscope in the camera unit 50.

[0081] <Embodiments of Imprint Apparatus> An embodiment of an imprinting apparatus 200 that constitutes the discharge apparatus 10 according to the above-described embodiment will be described using Figure 9. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the imprinting apparatus 200 that constitutes the discharge apparatus 10. Here, as an example, an example will be described in which the discharge apparatus 10 according to the above-described embodiment is applied to a UV light curing imprinting apparatus that cures resin by irradiating it with UV light (ultraviolet light). However, the discharge apparatus 10 according to the above-described embodiment can also be applied to imprinting apparatuses that cure resin by irradiating it with light in other wavelength ranges, or imprinting apparatuses that cure resin by other energy sources (for example, heat).

[0082] The imprint apparatus 200 of this embodiment is configured to form patterns in multiple shot areas of a substrate by repeating imprint cycles. Here, one imprint cycle is a cycle in which an original is pressed against the resin and the resin is cured to form a pattern in the resin on one shot area of ​​the substrate. In FIG. 9 , the Z axis is taken parallel to the irradiation axis of UV light on the mold (original), the X axis is taken in the direction in which the substrate moves in a plane perpendicular to the Z axis, and the Y axis is taken perpendicular to the X axis.

[0083] The imprint apparatus 200 includes a substrate stage 72 that moves a substrate 71, a mold holding device 73 that holds a mold 75, an ultraviolet light generating device 76, an ejection head 77, an ejection control device 82, other mechanisms, and a control device not shown.

[0084] The ultraviolet light generator 76 is a means for irradiating ultraviolet light onto the mold 75 during the imprint process. The ultraviolet light generator 76 includes a light source and a plurality of optical elements for adjusting the ultraviolet light emitted from the light source to light suitable for the imprint process.

[0085] The mold 75 is a mold having a predetermined three-dimensional concave-convex pattern formed on the surface facing the substrate 71. The mold holding device 73 is a holding device for holding and fixing the mold 75. The mold holding device 73 also includes a magnification correction mechanism that applies pressure to the mold 75 to correct the concave-convex pattern formed on the mold 75 to a desired shape, and a mold holding mechanism that attracts and holds the mold 75 using suction force or static electricity. The mold holding device 73 also includes a mechanism that drives the held mold 75 in the Z direction, and has the function of imprinting (bringing into contact) the mold 75 with an appropriate force onto the substrate 71 to which resin has been applied (supplied), and then releasing the mold. The imprinting and releasing operations may be achieved by driving the mold 75 in the Z direction as described above, or by driving the substrate stage 72 (substrate 71) in the Z direction.

[0086] Substrate 71, transported from a substrate transport system (not shown), is held by suction on a substrate chuck (wafer chuck) (not shown) mounted on substrate stage 72, and moves together with the wafer chuck on the XY plane on substrate stage surface plate 74 by substrate stage 72. At this time, the position of substrate stage 72 is measured and controlled by substrate stage position measurement device 84 and position measurement system. Also, alignment marks are formed on substrate 71 and mold 75, and the alignment between substrate 71 and mold 75 is performed by measuring the overlapping of the alignment marks on substrate 71 and mold 75 with microscope 81.

[0087] The discharge head 77 is a coating means (supply means) that coats (supplies) a liquid resin (liquid) at any position on the substrate 71. The resin is a photocurable resin that hardens when exposed to ultraviolet light, and is selected appropriately depending on the type of semiconductor device to be manufactured. Note that a plurality of discharge heads 77 may be installed to improve device productivity. The discharge head 77 discharges imprint resin 85 onto the substrate 71 through a discharge nozzle.

[0088] The position of the discharge head 77 is measured by a measuring device 83 mounted on the substrate stage 72, and the relative position (amount of deviation) with respect to the substrate stage 72 (substrate 71) can be calculated by the discharge control device 82. When discharging the imprint resin 85 onto the substrate 71, the amount of deviation is corrected before the imprint resin 85 is discharged onto the shot area of ​​the substrate 71. Furthermore, in a discharge position adjustment process, after correcting the amount of deviation between the substrate stage 72 and the discharge head 77, the landing position of the imprint resin 85 discharged onto the shot area of ​​the substrate is measured by a microscope 81. Then, by further correcting the amount of deviation, the discharge position of the discharge material (resin) supplied to the substrate 71 can be precisely controlled.

[0089] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the ejection device 10 according to the above-described embodiment is configured in an imprint device, but the ejection device 10 according to the above-described embodiment may also be used in an inkjet device used in the manufacturing process of an organic EL display panel.

[0090] <Embodiment of an article manufacturing method> A cured product pattern formed by an imprinting apparatus using the droplet arrangement pattern generated by the above-described method is used permanently on at least a portion of various articles, or temporarily when manufacturing various articles. Examples of articles include electrical circuit elements, optical elements, MEMS, recording elements, sensors, and molds. Examples of electrical circuit elements include volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memories such as DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, and MRAM, and semiconductor elements such as LSI, CCD, image sensors, and FPGAs. Examples of molds include molds for imprinting.

[0091] The pattern of the cured product may be used as it is as at least a part of a component of the article, or may be used temporarily as a resist mask, which is removed after etching or ion implantation in a substrate processing step.

[0092] Next, a specific method for manufacturing the article will be described. As shown in Figure 10(A), a substrate 1z such as a silicon wafer is prepared, on the surface of which a workpiece 2z such as an insulator is formed. Then, a composition 3z is applied to the surface of the workpiece 2z by an inkjet method or the like. Here, the state in which multiple droplets of the composition 3z are applied to the substrate is shown.

[0093] As shown in Figure 10(B), the imprinting mold 4z is placed with its side having the concave-convex pattern facing the composition 3z on the substrate. As shown in Figure 10(C), the substrate 1z to which the composition 3z has been applied is brought into contact with the mold 4z, and pressure is applied. The composition 3z fills the gap between the mold 4z and the workpiece 2z. In this state, when light is irradiated through the mold 4z as curing energy, the composition 3z is cured.

[0094] 10(D), after the composition 3z is cured, the mold 4z is separated from the substrate 1z, forming a pattern of the cured product of the composition 3z on the substrate 1z. In this cured product pattern, the recesses of the mold correspond to the protrusions of the cured product, and the protrusions of the mold correspond to the recesses of the cured product, i.e., the recess-protrusion pattern of the mold 4z is transferred to the composition 3z.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 10(E), etching is performed using the cured product pattern as an etching-resistant mask, removing the surface of the workpiece 2z where the cured product is absent or where only a thin layer remains, forming grooves 5z. As shown in FIG. 10(F), removing the cured product pattern results in an article with grooves 5z formed on the surface of the workpiece 2z. Here, the cured product pattern is removed, but it may also be used as an interlayer insulating film included in semiconductor devices, i.e., a component of an article, without being removed after processing. While the example described above uses a mold for transferring a circuit pattern with a concave-convex pattern as the mold 4z, a mold with a flat surface without a concave-convex pattern (flat template) may also be used.

[0096] <Other embodiments> Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0097] 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 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 (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0098] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following methods and configurations. (Configuration 1) a substrate stage for holding the substrate; a discharge head having a plurality of discharge ports on a discharge surface thereof, the discharge head supplying liquid from the discharge ports onto the substrate held by the substrate stage; a measuring unit that measures the distance from the substrate stage to the liquid or the position of the liquid in a state where the discharge port and the liquid are in contact with each other and a meniscus is formed in the liquid; a control unit that controls the relative position of the substrate stage and the discharge head based on the measurement results of the measurement unit.

[0099] (Configuration 2) The liquid ejection device according to configuration 1, wherein the measurement unit further measures the distance from the substrate stage to a flat portion of the ejection surface.

[0100] (Configuration 3) a pressure control unit that controls the pressure inside the ejection head to eject the liquid from the ejection port; The liquid ejection device described in configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the measurement by the measurement unit is performed in a state where the inside of the ejection head is pressurized under the control of the pressure control unit and a convex meniscus is formed in the liquid.

[0101] (Configuration 4) 4. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the measurement by the measurement unit is performed in a state where the diameter of the droplet of the liquid is larger than the diameter of the ejection port.

[0102] (Configuration 5) The liquid ejection device according to configuration 4, wherein the measurement by the measurement unit is performed in a state where the diameter of the liquid droplet is equal to or less than the distance between adjacent ejection ports.

[0103] (Configuration 6) The liquid ejection device described in any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that the control unit determines the height of the liquid droplet from the ejection surface based on the measurement results of the measurement unit, and calculates the center position of the liquid droplet.

[0104] (Configuration 7) The liquid ejection device described in configuration 6, characterized in that the control unit determines the position of the ejection head by correlating the center position of the droplet with the position of the substrate stage, and controls the position of the droplet on the substrate based on the determination.

[0105] (Configuration 8) The liquid ejection device according to configuration 3, wherein the pressure control unit applies pressure at a pressure that does not destroy the meniscus while the measurement unit is performing the measurement.

[0106] (Configuration 9) 2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measurement unit is a distance measurement sensor that measures the distance from the substrate stage to the liquid and the flat portion of the ejection surface.

[0107] (Configuration 10) 10. The liquid ejection apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the measurement unit is disposed on the substrate stage.

[0108] (Configuration 11) The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the measurement unit includes a camera that captures an image of the ejection port, and measures the position of the liquid from the captured image.

[0109] (Configuration 12) 12. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, wherein the ejection surface is subjected to a liquid-repellent treatment.

[0110] (Imprinting device) a liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 12; an imprinting apparatus comprising: a molding means for bringing the liquid supplied onto the substrate by the liquid ejection device into contact with a mold having a concave-convex pattern, molding and hardening the liquid, and then releasing the mold.

[0111] (Liquid discharge method) a measuring step of measuring a distance from the substrate stage to the liquid or a position of the liquid in a state where the liquid is in contact with a plurality of discharge ports formed in a discharge surface of a discharge head that supplies liquid onto a substrate held on a substrate stage and a meniscus is formed in the liquid; a position control step of controlling the relative position between the substrate stage and a discharge head having the discharge surface based on the measurement result in the measurement step; A liquid ejection method comprising:

[0112] (Article manufacturing method) a supplying step of supplying the liquid onto a substrate using the liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 12; a processing step of processing the substrate to which the liquid has been supplied in the supplying step; a manufacturing step of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1 Discharge surface 16 Plane part 8 Discharge material 10 Discharge device 14 Discharge head 15 Outlet 18 Discharge material surface 41 Measuring equipment 50 Camera Unit 70 Control device 100 Feeding device

Claims

1. a substrate stage for holding the substrate; a discharge head having a plurality of discharge ports on a discharge surface thereof, the discharge head supplying liquid from the discharge ports onto the substrate held by the substrate stage; a measuring unit that measures the distance from the substrate stage to the liquid or the position of the liquid in a state where the discharge port and the liquid are in contact with each other and a meniscus is formed in the liquid; a control unit that controls the relative position of the substrate stage and the discharge head based on the measurement results of the measurement unit.

2. 2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring unit further measures the distance from the substrate stage to a flat portion of the ejection surface.

3. a pressure control unit that controls the pressure inside the ejection head to eject the liquid from the ejection port; 2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement by the measurement unit is performed in a state where the inside of the ejection head is pressurized under the control of the pressure control unit, and a convex meniscus is formed in the liquid.

4. 2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement by the measurement unit is performed in a state where the diameter of the liquid droplet is larger than the diameter of the ejection port.

5. 5. The liquid ejection device according to claim 4, wherein the measurement by the measurement unit is performed in a state where the diameter of the liquid droplet is equal to or less than the distance between adjacent ejection ports.

6. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines the height of the liquid droplet from the ejection surface based on the measurement result of the measurement unit, and calculates the center position of the liquid droplet.

7. The liquid ejection device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit determines the position of the ejection head by correlating the center position of the droplet with the position of the substrate stage, and controls the position of the droplet on the substrate based on the determination.

8. 4. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pressure control unit applies pressure at a pressure that does not destroy the meniscus while the measurement unit is performing the measurement.

9. 2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measurement unit is a distance measurement sensor that measures the distance from the substrate stage to the liquid and the flat portion of the ejection surface.

10. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement unit is disposed on the substrate stage.

11. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement unit includes a camera that captures an image of the ejection port, and measures the position of the liquid from the captured image.

12. 2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the ejection surface is subjected to a liquid-repellent treatment.

13. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 12; an imprinting apparatus comprising: a molding means for bringing the liquid supplied onto the substrate by the liquid ejection device into contact with a mold having a concave-convex pattern, molding and hardening the liquid, and then releasing the mold.

14. a measuring step of measuring a distance from the substrate stage to the liquid or a position of the liquid in a state where the liquid is in contact with a plurality of discharge ports formed in a discharge surface of a discharge head that supplies liquid onto a substrate held on a substrate stage and a meniscus is formed in the liquid; a position control step of controlling the relative position between the substrate stage and a discharge head having the discharge surface based on the measurement result in the measurement step; A liquid ejection method comprising:

15. a supplying step of supplying the liquid onto a substrate using the liquid ejection device according to claim 1; a processing step of processing the substrate to which the liquid has been supplied in the supplying step; a manufacturing step of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step.

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