Substrate, liquid discharge device, inspection method, and manufacturing method of article

Abstract

To provide a technique advantageous for controlling discharge of a liquid droplet with high accuracy.SOLUTION: A substrate used for measuring a landed droplet includes a glass base material, a metal film disposed on the glass base material, and a liquid repellent film disposed on the metal film. A thickness of the liquid repellent film is 5 [nm] or more, and the liquid repellent film contains a fluorine-containing resin. The fluorine-containing resin has, in a side chain, at least one selected from a group consisting of an alkyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms in which all hydrogen atoms are substituted with fluorine atoms, an alkylene group having 4 or more carbon atoms in which all hydrogen atoms are substituted with fluorine atoms, and a polyethylene oxide group having 4 or more carbon atoms in which all hydrogen atoms are substituted with fluorine atoms.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] When manufacturing products such as panels (organic EL panels) that have OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes), which are organic EL (electroluminescence) elements, a method is known in which a solution (ink) is applied to a desired location on a substrate using a liquid ejection device. By applying the solution to the substrate, a solution film is formed on the substrate. A solution film made of a solution is a film that contains a solute and a solvent. By drying the solution film applied to the substrate and baking the dried film as necessary, a film (layer) such as a functional film is formed on the substrate.

[0003] In order to fabricate functional elements such as organic EL elements using a liquid ejection device, it is necessary to control the amount of solution applied with high precision. One known method for controlling the amount of solution applied with high precision is to feed back information about droplets ejected from an inkjet nozzle and landing on a substrate to a control device, and determine the ejection conditions based on the droplet information. The control device then controls the ejection of droplets under the determined ejection conditions.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for determining the volume of a droplet from the diameter and brightness information of the droplet mark obtained by drying the droplet that has landed on a glass substrate. Patent Document 2 also discloses a method for measuring the landing position of a droplet, in which a droplet is landed on a substrate having a light-reflecting layer and a monomolecular water-repellent film formed on the base material, and the positional relationship with a reference mark is measured using an image taken by a camera to determine the landing position of the droplet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-13000 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-117441 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, for example, in an apparatus for manufacturing a large-screen display, there are a large number of nozzles and a large number of droplets applied to a substrate, so it can take a long time to complete measurement of all droplets. If it takes a long time from when the droplets land on the substrate to when the droplet measurement is completed, or from when the droplets land on the substrate to when the pre-processing before measuring the droplets is completed, the droplets that land on the substrate may wet and spread on the substrate, causing the droplet diameter to change over time, making it difficult to measure the state of the droplets with high accuracy.

[0007] The present disclosure provides a technique that is advantageous for controlling droplet ejection with high precision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate used for measuring deposited droplets, the substrate comprising: a glass substrate; a metal film disposed on the glass substrate; and a liquid-repellent film disposed on the metal film, wherein the liquid-repellent film has a thickness of 5 nm or more; the liquid-repellent film contains a fluorine-containing resin, and the fluorine-containing resin has at least one group selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms and all of the hydrogen atoms being substituted with fluorine atoms, an alkylene group having 4 or more carbon atoms and all of the hydrogen atoms being substituted with fluorine atoms, and a polyethylene oxide group having 4 or more carbon atoms and all of the hydrogen atoms being substituted with fluorine atoms, in a side chain.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate used to measure landed droplets, characterized in that it comprises a glass substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface, a metal film disposed on the first main surface side of the glass substrate, and a liquid-repellent film disposed on the second main surface side of the glass substrate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, a technique is provided that is advantageous for controlling droplet ejection with high precision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1A is a top view schematically illustrating the configuration of a liquid ejection device according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a side view schematically illustrating the configuration of a liquid ejection device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the ejection surface of the liquid ejection head according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing an article according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the test board according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the general formula of a perfluorohexyl group in Example 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a test board according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] With reference to the drawings, a substrate, a liquid ejection device, a liquid ejection method, a method for manufacturing an article using a liquid ejection device, etc. according to embodiments will be described. Note that the embodiments shown below are merely examples, and those skilled in the art can appropriately modify and implement the detailed configurations, for example, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

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

[0014] Furthermore, the drawings may be represented schematically for the convenience of illustration and explanation, and the shape, size, arrangement, etc. of elements depicted in the drawings may not necessarily strictly correspond to the actual objects.

[0015] In the following description, directions are indicated by an XYZ coordinate system, which is a Cartesian coordinate system. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are perpendicular to one another. The direction of the X-axis is also called the X-direction, the direction of the Y-axis the Y-direction, and the direction of the Z-axis the Z-direction. For example, the positive direction of the X-axis refers to the same direction as the X-axis arrow in the coordinate system shown in the figure, and the negative direction of the X-axis refers to the direction 180° opposite to the direction of the X-axis arrow in the coordinate system shown in the figure. Furthermore, simply referring to the X-direction refers to a direction parallel to the X-axis, regardless of whether it is in the direction indicated by the X-axis arrow in the figure. The same applies to the Y-axis and Z-axis other than the X-axis. For example, a plane including the X-axis and Y-axis is referred to as an XY plane.

[0016] In addition, in this specification, the term "main component" refers to the component that is the largest in weight when the target object is made up of multiple components (materials), meaning that the component in question accounts for 50% by weight or more. In the following explanation, weight % may also be expressed as wt%.

[0017] Furthermore, in this specification, the liquid handled by the liquid ejection head may be referred to as "ink," but the ink according to the embodiment is not limited to a liquid containing a recording material for forming characters or images. For example, the ink may be a liquid containing a functional material for forming a functional thin film such as an electrode or an optical filter, or a functional element such as an organic EL element. It may also be a liquid containing an insoluble solid component.

[0018] Furthermore, the act of ejecting a liquid onto an object may be referred to as "recording," but the recording referred to here is not necessarily limited to recording information such as characters or images. For example, this also includes applying a liquid to an object in order to manufacture an article such as a functional thin film, a functional element, a three-dimensional object, etc. Also, the object to which the liquid is applied may be described as a "recording medium," but this is not limited to a medium for recording information such as characters or images, and includes components (e.g., substrates) that serve as base materials for manufacturing an article such as a functional thin film, a functional element, a three-dimensional object, etc.

[0019] [First embodiment] FIG. 1(a) is a top view schematically showing the configuration of a liquid ejection device 1 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 1(b) is a side view schematically showing the configuration of the liquid ejection device 1 according to the first embodiment. Note that for convenience of illustration, only a portion of the configuration of the liquid ejection device 1 is shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b). The liquid ejection device 1 is, for example, a recording device. The liquid ejection device 1 includes a liquid ejection head 3 and a control device 90, which is an example of a control unit. The control device 90 is configured to control the entire liquid ejection device 1. For example, the control device 90 controls the liquid ejection head 3. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the ejection surface of the liquid ejection head 3 according to the first embodiment.

[0020] A substrate 10, which is an object onto which the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection head 3 is applied, is set at a predetermined position on a stage 9, which serves as a substrate holder for holding the substrate. The stage 9 is arranged on a base 11 so as to be scannable in the Y direction. A test substrate 100 may be set at the predetermined position where the substrate 10 is set. The liquid ejection head 3 has a plurality of nozzles 20. The plurality of nozzles 20 are arranged to face the substrate 10. Droplets are ejected from each nozzle 20. A main scanning guide rail 7 extends in the X direction, which is the main scanning direction, and is supported by a support member 8. A main scanner 4 is mounted on the main scanning guide rail 7, and is movable along the X direction on the main scanning guide rail 7. A liquid ejection unit 2 is attached to the main scanner 4. A liquid ejection head 3 is attached to the liquid ejection unit 2. The liquid ejection head 3 is positioned at a height spaced a predetermined distance from the substrate 10 in the Z direction and can freely scan in the X direction along the main scanning guide rail 7.

[0021] Liquid is supplied from the liquid tank 12 to the liquid ejection head 3 through a liquid supply path 13, and the liquid not used for ejection is returned to the liquid tank 12 through a liquid discharge path .

[0022] The substrate 10 is a glass substrate. The liquid is, for example, ink for forming an organic EL element. The liquid ejection head 3 is equipped with a liquid ejection element that applies pressure to the ink by, for example, using deformation of a piezoelectric element or boiling caused by a heating element, thereby ejecting ink droplets (droplets) from the nozzles 20. When the substrate 10 is set in a predetermined position on the stage 9, the stage 9 scans in the Y direction, and the liquid ejection head 3 scans in the X direction along the main scanning guide rail 7, moving the stage 9 and the liquid ejection head 3 until the liquid ejection head 3 reaches a droplet landing area on the substrate 10. When the liquid ejection head 3 reaches the droplet landing area on the substrate 10, ink droplets (droplets) are ejected from the liquid ejection head 3 toward the substrate 10.

[0023] The liquid ejection device 1 includes a camera 5 and a calculation unit 15 as examples of a measurement unit. The calculation unit 15 is an information processing device, such as a computer with a processor. When inspecting (measuring) the ejection state of droplets ejected from each nozzle 20 of the liquid ejection head 3, an inspection substrate 100 is set at a predetermined position on the stage 9. The control device 90 controls the liquid ejection head 3 to eject droplets onto the surface of the inspection substrate 100 and causes the camera 5 to capture images of the droplets that land on the surface of the inspection substrate 100. The calculation unit 15 acquires the captured images from the camera 5 via the communication unit 16 and measures the state of the droplets based on the captured images. The control device 90 acquires the droplet measurement results from the calculation unit 15, determines droplet ejection conditions based on the measurement results, and stores the ejection conditions in memory. When ejecting droplets onto the substrate 10 to form a solution film on the substrate 10, the control device 90 controls the ejection of droplets from each nozzle 20 of the liquid ejection head 3 according to the ejection conditions stored in memory. Specifically, the control device 90 controls the ejection of droplets by signals applied to the liquid ejection elements.

[0024] When droplets are to be landed in predetermined droplet landing areas on the inspection substrate 100, the control device 90 adjusts the relative position between the inspection substrate 100 and the camera 5 using the main scanning guide rail 7 and the stage 9, and causes droplets to be ejected a specified number of times from each nozzle 20. If all of the landed droplets cannot be captured in a single image, the control device 90 changes the relative position between the inspection substrate 100 and the camera 5, and causes the camera 5 to capture images at multiple different relative positions.

[0025] When the camera 5 is made to capture an image, light is irradiated onto the surface of the test substrate 100 by an illumination device 6 such as a coaxial epi-illuminator or diffused illuminator. When the camera 5 is made to capture an image of the surface of the test substrate 100 using light irradiated by coaxial epi-illuminator, an image in which the landed droplets are dark and the test substrate 100 is bright is obtained. When the camera 5 is made to capture an image of the surface of the test substrate 100 using light irradiated by diffused illuminator, an image in which the landed droplets are bright and the test substrate 100 is dark is obtained. The droplets are identified based on the brightness information in the captured image, and the state of the identified droplets, such as their shape, position, and volume (size), is analyzed.

[0026] When capturing images using the camera 5, it is preferable to capture images while scanning, since stopping the main scanning guide rail 7 and stage 9 at each capture position takes time. To obtain images with reduced blurring due to scanning and capturing, it is preferable to use a strobe light with a short emission time. It is preferable to synchronize the emission timing of the strobe light with the timing at which the camera 5 captures images in response to a trigger signal. Furthermore, to shorten the capture time, multiple cameras 5 may be arranged side by side.

[0027] The volume of the droplets ejected from the liquid ejection head 3 is preferably 0.5 [pl] or more and 10.0 [pl] or less.

[0028] The ink ejected from the liquid ejection head 3 may be either aqueous or non-aqueous. Non-aqueous inks are particularly suitable for the manufacture of organic EL elements. Examples of non-aqueous inks include UV-curable resins in which various pigments used in the formation of color filters are dispersed, and solutions of various polymers and organic materials, such as organic EL materials.

[0029] 2, the liquid ejection head 3 has a plurality of chips 40 with similar configurations. Each of the plurality of chips 40 has two or more nozzles 20 and a temperature measuring unit 50. In each chip 40, two or more nozzles 20 form one or more nozzle rows (two rows in FIG. 2).

[0030] The temperature measuring unit 50 has a temperature sensor (not shown) located near the ink inside the corresponding chip. The temperature sensor can be a variety of contact-type temperature sensors, such as a resistance temperature detector or a thermocouple, and is preferably capable of accurately measuring the set temperature under the ejection conditions. By using a temperature sensor to adjust the temperature of the liquid ejection head 3, even when non-aqueous ink is used, changes in ink viscosity according to temperature can be suppressed, allowing for a stable supply of ink to the liquid ejection head 3 and stable ejection of ink from the liquid ejection head 3.

[0031] If the temperature sensor is a resistance thermometer, a platinum resistor can measure temperature with high accuracy. The nozzles 20 of each chip 40 are arranged so that there is an overlapping portion in the X direction between the chips. In FIG. 2, the temperature measuring unit 50 is arranged in only one location on each chip 40, but it may be arranged in multiple locations on each chip 40. If each chip 40 includes multiple temperature measuring units 50, it becomes possible to measure the temperature distribution within each chip 40. When measuring the temperature distribution, it is preferable that the multiple temperature measuring units 50 are arranged in the X direction.

[0032] 3 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing an article according to the first embodiment. The method for manufacturing an article includes an inspection step, a pre-process, and a manufacturing step. First, the inspection step will be described. The inspection step is an example of an inspection method (measurement method).

[0033] In step S1, the control device 90 controls a transport mechanism (not shown) to place the test substrate 100 at a predetermined position on the stage 9 on the transport mechanism.

[0034] In step S2, the control device 90 adjusts the relative position between the inspection substrate 100 and the camera 5 using the main scanning guide rails 7 and the stage 9. When the liquid ejection head 3 reaches a predetermined droplet landing area on the inspection substrate 100, the control device 90 causes the liquid ejection head 3 to eject droplets from each nozzle 20 of the liquid ejection head 3 while scanning the liquid ejection head 3 along the main scanning guide rails 7. The control device 90 causes each nozzle 20 to eject droplets a specified number of times.

[0035] In step S3, the control device 90 causes the camera 5 to capture an image of the droplets that have landed on the inspection substrate 100. The camera 5 captures images of the droplets that have landed on the surface of the inspection substrate 100, which is being scanned in the Y direction, while being scanned in the X direction along the main scanning guide rail 7 together with the liquid ejection head 3.

[0036] In step S4, calculation unit 15 acquires the captured image from camera 5 via communication unit 16 and performs image analysis of the captured image to measure the state of the droplet. The measurement result of the droplet is droplet information that indicates the state of the droplet. The droplet information includes at least one piece of information such as the volume (size) of the droplet, the position of the droplet, and the shape of the droplet. Steps S1 to S4 above constitute the inspection process.

[0037] Next, the pre-processing will be described. First, in step S5, the control device 90 acquires droplet information, which is the measurement result, from the calculation unit 15. The control device 90 determines the ejection conditions for the liquid ejection head 3 based on the measurement results. The ejection conditions may be the optimal nozzle combination from all of the nozzles 20, or the ejection waveform and ejection timing of the signal applied to the liquid ejection elements of each nozzle 20. Next, in step S6, the control device 90 controls the transport mechanism (not shown) to remove the test substrate 100 set in a predetermined position on the stage 9, and set the substrate 10 in a predetermined position on the stage 9. The above steps S5 and S6 constitute the pre-processing.

[0038] Next, the manufacturing process will be described. Step S7 is the manufacturing process. In step S7, the control device 90 causes each nozzle 20 to eject droplets toward the bank on the substrate 10.

[0039] The inspection substrate 100 will be described below. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inspection substrate 100 according to the first embodiment. The inspection substrate 100 is a substrate for inspection (measurement). The inspection substrate 100 has a different configuration from the substrate 10. The inspection substrate 100 is used to inspect the liquid ejection device 1. That is, the inspection substrate 100 is a substrate on which droplets ejected from the liquid ejection head 3 land and are imaged by the camera 5.

[0040] The test substrate 100 has a base material 101, a metal film 102, and a liquid-repellent film 103. The metal film 102 is arranged so as to overlap a part or all (all in the first embodiment) of the main surface 111 of the base material 101 in a direction D1 perpendicular to the main surface 111 of the base material 101. The test substrate 100 has a rectangular shape in a plan view (as viewed in the direction D1). The liquid-repellent film 103 is arranged on the metal film 102. In the first embodiment, the base material 101 and the metal film 102 are directly stacked, and the metal film 102 and the liquid-repellent film 103 are directly stacked. The liquid-repellent film 103 is a surface layer of the test substrate 100.

[0041] The surface of the test substrate 100 is the surface 110 of the liquid-repellent film 103. Note that another layer such as an adhesive film may be disposed between the substrate 101 and the metal film 102. The adhesive film is disposed to enhance adhesion between the substrate 101 and the metal film 102, and is made of a material different from that of the substrate 101 and the metal film 102. The liquid-repellent film 103 is a film that has liquid-repellent properties.

[0042] The substrate 101 is a glass substrate made of a glass material. The glass material used for the substrate 101 preferably has a low linear expansion coefficient and is less susceptible to shape changes due to temperature changes. Examples of glass materials include quartz glass, borosilicate glass, and alkali-free glass. The thickness T1 of the substrate 101 is preferably 1 mm or less.

[0043] The metal film 102 preferably contains, for example, one of chromium, aluminum, and silver as a main component, and more preferably contains chromium as a main component among chromium, aluminum, and silver.

[0044] The metal film 102 can be formed on the main surface 111 of the substrate 101 by vapor deposition, sputtering, or other methods using a metal material such as those exemplified above. The metal film 102 may have a portion of its surface oxidized or a portion of its surface roughened. The thickness T2 of the metal film 102 is preferably 10 nm or greater. If the thickness of the metal film 102 is less than 10 nm, the opposite side of the substrate may be visible through the metal film 102 and reflected in the captured image, potentially resulting in a blurred image.

[0045] The liquid-repellent film 103 is formed directly on the metal film 102. The liquid-repellent film 103 contains a fluorine-containing resin, which is an organic substance. The fluorine-containing resin has at least one type of resin in its side chain selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group having four or more carbon atoms in which all hydrogen atoms have been substituted with fluorine atoms, an alkylene group having four or more carbon atoms in which all hydrogen atoms have been substituted with fluorine atoms, and a polyethylene oxide group having four or more carbon atoms in which all hydrogen atoms have been substituted with fluorine atoms. If the number of carbon atoms is three or less, the fluorine in the side chain does not collect on the surface of the test substrate, resulting in insufficient liquid repellency.

[0046] The side chain of the fluorine-containing resin is preferably an alkyl group among alkyl groups, alkylene groups, and polyethylene oxide groups. The alkyl group tends to gather on the surface 110 of the liquid-repellent film 103, and can increase the fluorine / carbon atomic ratio on the surface 110 of the liquid-repellent film 103, which will be described later.

[0047] The number of carbon atoms is preferably in the range of 6 or more and 8 or less. When the number of carbon atoms is in the range of 6 or more and 8 or less, the liquid-repellent film 103 has sufficient water repellency and adhesion. When the number of carbon atoms is 5 or less, if a highly hydrophobic solvent is used in the ink, the liquid-repellent film 103 may not have sufficient liquid repellency. On the other hand, when the number of carbon atoms is 9 or more, the hydrophobicity becomes too high, and depending on the type of the underlying metal film 102, the adhesion of the liquid-repellent film 103 may be insufficient.

[0048] The main chain of the fluorine-containing resin is not particularly limited as long as it has an organic structure, but is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polyvinyl ether, and polyolefin. The fluorine-containing group in the side chain has the effect of increasing the liquid repellency of surface 110, and the flexible organic structure of the main chain makes it easier for the fluorine-containing group to gather on surface 110 of liquid-repellent film 103 during film formation, thereby further increasing the liquid repellency of surface 110.

[0049] The main chain of the fluorine-containing resin is preferably either polyacrylate or polymethacrylate among the above-mentioned polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polyvinyl ether, and polyolefin, because fluorine-containing groups are densely provided in the side chain and oxygen atoms in the main chain contribute to improving adhesion to the underlying metal layer.

[0050] When the weight of the liquid-repellent film 103 is taken as 100%, the content of the fluorine-containing resin in the liquid-repellent film 103 is preferably 70% by weight or more. If the content of the fluorine-containing resin is less than 70% by weight, the liquid repellency of the fluorine-containing groups in the side chains may not be sufficiently obtained. The content of the fluorine-containing resin in the liquid-repellent film 103 is more preferably 90% by weight or more.

[0051] The liquid-repellent film 103 is coated on the metal film 102 using a liquid-repellent resin solution by a known method such as spray coating, dip coating, or coating with a dispenser.

[0052] The thickness T3 of the liquid-repellent film 103 is 5 nm or more. If the thickness T3 of the liquid-repellent film 103 is less than 5 nm, there will be areas where the surface of the metal film 102 is not covered with a sufficient thickness of the liquid-repellent film 103, and the wetting and spreading of the droplets will not be suppressed.

[0053] The thickness T3 of the liquid-repellent film 103 is preferably 7.5 nm or more. If the thickness T3 is 7.5 nm or more, the surface of the metal film 102 can be covered with the liquid-repellent film 103 to a sufficient thickness, and the fluorine-containing groups in the side chains tend to gather on the surface 110 of the liquid-repellent film 103, improving the effect of suppressing the wetting and spreading of the droplets.

[0054] The thickness T3 of the liquid-repellent film 103 is preferably less than 100 nm. When the thickness T3 of the liquid-repellent film 103 is less than 100 nm, there is little focus deviation, brightness unevenness can be reduced, an image with clear droplet contours can be obtained, and image measurement can be performed with high precision.

[0055] It is preferable that the thickness T3 of the liquid-repellent film 103 is 50 nm or less. If the thickness T3 is 50 nm or less, unevenness in the thickness of the liquid-repellent film 103 can be reduced even when the size of the test substrate 100 is large.

[0056] The fluorine / carbon atomic ratio of surface 110 of liquid-repellent film 103 is preferably equal to or greater than 2. If the fluorine / carbon atomic ratio of surface 110 of liquid-repellent film 103 is equal to or greater than 2, the fluorine-containing groups in the side chains concentrated on surface 110 can further enhance the liquid repellency and its stability.

[0057] The contact angle of the droplet on the surface 110 of the liquid-repellent film 103 is preferably 70° or more. If the contact angle is 70° or more, the thickness around the outline of the droplet increases, thereby effectively suppressing the wetting and spreading of the droplet.

[0058] It is preferable that the average reflectance of light is 10% or more when light having a wavelength in the range of 380 nm to 780 nm is irradiated onto the test substrate 100 from the side of the liquid-repellent film 103. If the average reflectance of the test substrate 100 is 10% or more, the contrast between the droplets on the test substrate 100 and their surroundings is increased, enabling highly accurate image measurement.

[0059] In order to allow all droplets ejected from the plurality of nozzles 20 of the liquid ejection head 3 to land on the test substrate 100, it is preferable that the length of one side of the test substrate 100 is 1 m or more.

[0060] As described above, with the inspection substrate 100 described above, in the inspection process of FIG. 3, it is possible to prevent droplets that have landed on the inspection substrate 100 from spreading on the inspection substrate 100, and to prevent the diameter of the droplets from changing over time. Therefore, in the inspection process of FIG. 3, the calculation unit 15 can measure the state of the droplets from the captured image with high accuracy. As a result, in the pre-process of FIG. 3, it is possible to determine the discharge conditions with high accuracy, and in the manufacturing process of FIG. 3, the control device 90 can perform high-accuracy control of droplet discharge based on the discharge conditions. In this way, the first embodiment provides a technology that is advantageous for performing high-accuracy control of droplet discharge.

[0061] [Example] Hereinafter, Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example 1 showing the experimental results will be described. (1) Thickness measurement Using a spectroscopic ellipsometer (VASE manufactured by J.A. Woollam Japan Co., Ltd.), measurements were taken at wavelengths from 380 nm to 800 nm in 1 nm increments, and the thickness was determined by analyzing the measurement results. (2) Reflectance measurement The absolute reflectance was measured at wavelengths from 380 nm to 780 nm using a reflectance measuring device (USPM-RU manufactured by Olympus Corporation), and the average reflectance was calculated. (3) Contact angle evaluation Using a fully automatic contact angle meter (DM-701 manufactured by Kyowa Interface Co., Ltd.), the contact angle of a 2 μl droplet of ink was measured in an environment of 23° C. and 40% RH when the droplet was brought into contact with the substrate surface. (4) Measurement of the fluorine / metal element ratio on the substrate surface Using an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (Quantera II, manufactured by ULVAC-PHI, Inc.), the fluorine and carbon atom amounts on the substrate surface were measured from the detection intensity under beam conditions of 100 μm, 25 W, and 15 kV, and the fluorine / carbon elemental ratio was calculated.

[0062] [Example 1] A non-alkali glass substrate with a thickness of 0.5 mm and dimensions of 6 cm × 6 cm was prepared as the substrate 101. A chromium film with a thickness of 50 nm and an oxidation treatment was formed on the main surface 111 of the substrate 101 as the metal film 102.

[0063] A 1 wt% solution of hydrofluoroether (HFE) was prepared, which has a polymethacrylate main chain and perfluorohexyl side chains. The HFE solution was applied to a chromium film using a slit coater (MIKASA Corporation 1H-DV2) to form a 10 nm-thick liquid-repellent film 103, thereby producing a test substrate 100.

[0064] The film formation was carried out at room temperature of 25° C. The rotation conditions of the slit coater were a rotation speed of 3000 rpm and a rotation time of 20 seconds.

[0065] 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the general formula of a perfluorohexyl group in Example 1. The contact angle of the test substrate 100 measured with a contact angle meter using a UV-curable resin ink containing a white pigment was 80°. The average reflectance of the test substrate 100 was 20%. The fluorine / metal element ratio of the surface 110 of the liquid-repellent film 103 was 8.

[0066] 5 [pl] of UV-curable resin ink was ejected onto the droplet landing area on the test substrate 100, and the droplets that landed on the test substrate 100 were measured using coaxial epi-illumination and camera 5, and the diameter of the droplets upon landing was found to be 30.2 [μm]. One minute after landing, the wet spread of the droplet diameter was within an effective measurement precision of 0.1 [μm], and the change in volume was less than 1%.

[0067] [Example 2] In Example 2, the test substrate 100 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the concentration of the hydrofluoroether (HFE) solution of polymethacrylate having perfluorohexyl groups was set to 0.8 [wt %].

[0068] The thickness of the liquid-repellent film 103 was 8 nm. The contact angle of the test substrate 100 measured with a contact angle meter using a UV-curable resin ink containing a white pigment was 79°. The average reflectance of the test substrate 100 was 20%. The fluorine / metal element ratio of the surface 110 of the liquid-repellent film 103 was 6.

[0069] 5 [pl] of UV-curable resin ink was ejected onto the droplet landing area on the test substrate 100, and the droplets that landed on the test substrate 100 were measured using coaxial epi-illumination and camera 5, and the diameter of the droplets upon landing was found to be 30.5 [μm]. One minute after landing, the droplet diameter had spread to 0.3 [μm], which was a change of 3% in terms of volume.

[0070] [Comparative Example 1] In Comparative Example 1, a test substrate was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the concentration of the hydrofluoroether (HFE) solution of polymethacrylate having perfluorohexyl groups was set to 0.1 [wt %].

[0071] The thickness of the liquid-repellent film was 2 nm. The contact angle of the test substrate, measured with a contact angle meter using a UV-curable resin ink containing a white pigment, was 69°. The average reflectance of the test substrate was 20%. The fluorine / metal element ratio on the surface of the liquid-repellent film was 0.8.

[0072] When 5 pl of UV-curable resin ink was ejected onto the droplet landing area on the test substrate of Comparative Example 1 and the droplets that landed on the test substrate were measured using coaxial epi-illumination and a camera, the diameter of the droplets upon landing was 32.7 μm. One minute after landing, the droplet diameter had spread to over 1 μm, and the change in volume exceeded 10%.

[0073] On the test substrates 100 produced in Examples 1 and 2, the change in size of the droplets that spread from immediately after landing to one minute was less than 1 μm, and the resulting change in volume was only a few percent, so the impact on measurement accuracy was small. On the other hand, on the test substrate produced in Comparative Example 1, the change in size of the droplets exceeded 1 μm, and the change in volume also exceeded 10%, confirming that the test substrates 100 produced in Examples 1 and 2 were superior to the test substrate of Comparative Example 1.

[0074] [Second embodiment] The second embodiment will be described. Below, elements with the same reference symbols as those in the first embodiment will have substantially the same configurations and functions as those described in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified, and differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0075] The inspection substrate 100B will be described below. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inspection substrate 100B according to the second embodiment. The inspection substrate 100B is a substrate for inspection (measurement). The inspection substrate B100 is a substrate having a different configuration from the substrate 10. The inspection substrate 100B is used for inspecting the liquid ejection device 1. In other words, the inspection substrate 100B is a substrate on which droplets ejected from the liquid ejection head 3 land and are imaged by the camera 5.

[0076] The test substrate 100B has a substrate 101, a metal film 102, and a liquid-repellent film 103B. The metal film 102 is arranged so as to overlap a part or all (all in the second embodiment) of the main surface 112 of the substrate 101 in a direction D2 perpendicular to the main surface 112 of the substrate 101. The main surface 111 is an example of a first main surface, and the main surface 112 is an example of a second main surface. The main surface 112 is the main surface opposite to the main surface 111. The liquid-repellent film 103B is arranged on the main surface 111 side of the substrate 101, and the metal film 102 is arranged on the main surface 112 side of the substrate 101. The test substrate 100B is rectangular in plan view (as viewed in the direction D1). The liquid-repellent film 103B is arranged so as to overlap a part or all (all in the second embodiment) of the main surface 111 of the substrate 101 in a direction D1 perpendicular to the main surface 111 of the substrate 101. In the second embodiment, the substrate 101 and the metal film 102 are directly laminated, and the substrate 101 and the liquid-repellent film 103B are directly laminated. The liquid-repellent film 103B is a surface layer of the test substrate 100B.

[0077] The surface of the test substrate 100B is the surface 110 of the liquid-repellent film 103B. Note that another layer such as an adhesive film may be disposed between the substrate 101 and the metal film 102 and between the substrate 101 and the liquid-repellent film 103B. The adhesive film is disposed to improve the adhesion between the substrate 101 and the metal film 102 or between the substrate 101 and the liquid-repellent film 103B, and is made of a different material from the substrate 101 and the metal film 102. The liquid-repellent film 103B is a film that has liquid repellency.

[0078] The substrate 101 is a glass substrate made of a glass material. The glass material used for the substrate 101 preferably has a low linear expansion coefficient and is less susceptible to shape changes due to temperature changes. Examples of glass materials include quartz glass, borosilicate glass, and alkali-free glass. The thickness T1 of the substrate 101 is preferably 1 mm or less.

[0079] The metal film 102 preferably contains, for example, one of chromium, aluminum, and silver as a main component, and more preferably contains chromium as a main component among chromium, aluminum, and silver.

[0080] The metal film 102 can be formed on the main surface 112 of the substrate 101 by vapor deposition, sputtering, or other methods of using a metal material such as those exemplified above. The metal film 102 may have a portion of its surface oxidized or a portion of its surface roughened. The thickness T2 of the metal film 102 is preferably 10 nm or greater. If the thickness of the metal film 102 is less than 10 nm, the opposite side of the substrate may be visible through the metal film 102 and reflected in the captured image, potentially resulting in a blurred image.

[0081] Liquid-repellent film 103B is formed directly on main surface 111 of substrate 101. Liquid-repellent film 103B is preferably a polymer film or monomolecular film containing fluororesin, which is an organic material.

[0082] When liquid-repellent film 103B is a polymer film containing a fluororesin, it is coated on main surface 111 of substrate 101 by a known method such as spray coating, dip coating, or coating with a dispenser using a solution of the liquid-repellent resin. Examples of polymer films include acrylic fluoropolymers and fluorine-containing silane coupling agents.

[0083] When liquid-repellent film 103B is a monolayer containing a fluororesin, it is coated on main surface 111 of substrate 101 by a known method. The monolayer preferably contains fluorine atoms in the side chain. Examples of monolayers include 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane and trimethoxy(1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl)silane.

[0084] Although there are no particular limitations on the thickness T3 of the liquid-repellent film 103B, it is preferably 5 nm or greater. If the thickness T3 of the liquid-repellent film 103B is less than 5 nm, there will be portions of the main surface 111 of the substrate 101 that are not sufficiently covered with the liquid-repellent film 103B, which may make it impossible to prevent the wetting and spreading of droplets.

[0085] The thickness T3 of the liquid-repellent film 103B is preferably 7.5 nm or more. If the thickness T3 is 7.5 nm or more, the liquid-repellent film 103B can cover the main surface 111 of the substrate 101 with a sufficient thickness, and the fluorine-containing groups in the side chains of the liquid-repellent film 103B tend to gather on the surface 110 of the liquid-repellent film 103B, improving the effect of suppressing the wetting and spreading of the droplets.

[0086] The thickness T3 of the liquid-repellent film 103B is preferably less than 100 nm. When the thickness T3 of the liquid-repellent film 103B is less than 100 nm, the focus shift is small, brightness unevenness can be reduced, an image with clear droplet contours can be obtained, and image measurement can be performed with high precision.

[0087] It is preferable that the thickness T3 of the liquid-repellent film 103B be 50 nm or less. If the thickness T3 is 50 nm or less, unevenness in the thickness of the liquid-repellent film 103B can be reduced even when the size of the test substrate 100B is large.

[0088] The fluorine / carbon atomic ratio of surface 110 of liquid-repellent film 103B is preferably equal to or greater than 2. If the fluorine / carbon atomic ratio of surface 110 of liquid-repellent film 103B is equal to or greater than 2, the fluorine-containing groups in the side chains concentrated on surface 110 can further enhance the liquid repellency and its stability.

[0089] The contact angle of the droplet on surface 110 of liquid-repellent film 103B is preferably 70° or more. If the contact angle is 70° or more, the thickness around the outline of the droplet increases, thereby effectively suppressing wetting and spreading.

[0090] It is preferable that the average reflectance of light when light having a wavelength in the range of 380 nm to 780 nm is irradiated onto the test substrate 100B from the liquid-repellent film 103B side is 10% or more. If the average reflectance of the test substrate 100B is 10% or more, the contrast between the droplets on the test substrate 100B and their surrounding areas is increased, enabling highly accurate image measurement.

[0091] In order to ensure that all droplets ejected from the plurality of nozzles 20 of the liquid ejection head 3 land on the test substrate 100B, it is preferable that the length of one side of the test substrate 100B is 1 m or more.

[0092] As described above, the inspection substrate 100B described above can prevent droplets landing on the inspection substrate 100B from spreading over the inspection substrate 100B during the inspection process shown in FIG. 3, thereby preventing the droplet diameter from changing over time. Furthermore, because the metal film 102 is disposed on the main surface 112 of the substrate 101, the brightness of the periphery of the droplets ejected onto the surface layer 110 of the liquid-repellent film 103B is improved. The improved brightness of the periphery of the droplets enhances the contrast between the droplets and their surroundings. Therefore, during the inspection process shown in FIG. 3, the calculation unit 15 can accurately measure the state of the droplets from the captured image. This allows the ejection conditions to be determined with high accuracy during the pre-processing step shown in FIG. 3, and the control device 90 can accurately control the ejection of droplets based on the ejection conditions during the manufacturing process shown in FIG. 3. Thus, the second embodiment provides a technology advantageous for accurately controlling the ejection of droplets.

[0093] [Example] Hereinafter, Examples 3 to 5 and Comparative Examples 2 and 3 showing the experimental results will be described. (1) Thickness measurement Using a spectroscopic ellipsometer (VASE manufactured by J.A. Woollam Japan Co., Ltd.), measurements were taken at wavelengths from 380 nm to 800 nm in 1 nm increments, and the thickness was determined by analyzing the measurement results. (2) Reflectance measurement The absolute reflectance was measured at wavelengths from 380 nm to 780 nm using a reflectance measuring device (USPM-RU manufactured by Olympus Corporation), and the average reflectance was calculated. (3) Contact angle evaluation Using a fully automatic contact angle meter (DM-701 manufactured by Kyowa Interface Co., Ltd.), the contact angle of a 2 μl droplet of ink was measured in an environment of 23° C. and 40% RH when the droplet was brought into contact with the substrate surface. (4) Measurement of the fluorine / metal element ratio on the substrate surface Using an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (Quantera II, manufactured by ULVAC-PHI, Inc.), the fluorine and carbon atom amounts on the substrate surface were measured from the detection intensity under beam conditions of 100 μm, 25 W, and 15 kV, and the fluorine / carbon elemental ratio was calculated. (5) Droplet diameter measurement Using a telecentric lens (magnification: 4x) and a camera (resolution: 2560 x 1920 pixels, 0.638 μm / pixel), the droplets that landed on the substrate were photographed with coaxial epi-illumination. The droplet diameter was measured by image processing.

[0094] [Example 3] A non-alkali glass substrate having a thickness of 0.5 mm and a size of 6 cm×6 cm was prepared as the substrate 101. An aluminum film having a thickness of 100 nm was formed on the main surface 112 of the substrate 101.

[0095] A hydrofluoroether (HFE) solution with a concentration of 1 wt% was prepared, which has a polymethacrylate main chain and perfluorohexyl side chains. The HFE solution was applied to the main surface 111 of the substrate 101 using a slit coater to form a liquid-repellent film 103B with a thickness of 5 nm, thereby producing the test substrate 100B.

[0096] The film formation was carried out at room temperature of 25° C. The rotation conditions of the slit coater were a rotation speed of 3000 rpm and a rotation time of 20 seconds.

[0097] The contact angle of the test substrate 100B measured with a contact angle meter using a UV-curable resin ink containing a white pigment was 80°. The average reflectance of the test substrate 100B was 20%. The fluorine / carbon element ratio of the surface 110 of the liquid-repellent film 103B was 10.

[0098] 5 [pl] of UV-curable resin ink was ejected onto the droplet landing area on the test substrate 100B, and the droplets that landed on the test substrate 100B were measured using coaxial epi-illumination and camera 5, and the diameter of the droplets upon landing was found to be 30.2 [μm]. One minute after landing, the wet spread of the droplet diameter was within an effective measurement precision of 0.1 [μm], and the change in volume was less than 1%.

[0099] [Example 4] A non-alkali glass substrate having a thickness of 0.5 mm and a size of 6 cm×6 cm was prepared as the substrate 101. A chromium film having a thickness of 100 nm was formed on the main surface 112 of the substrate 101.

[0100] The test substrate 100B was produced by exposing the main surface 111 of the substrate 101 to vapor of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane to form a monomolecular film, a liquid-repellent film 103B, with a thickness of 5 nm and having liquid-repellent properties.

[0101] Substrate 101 and a vial containing 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane were placed in a sealable container. The lid of the container was closed, and the container was heated in an oven at 180°C for 1 hour. By exposing main surface 111 of substrate 101 to the vapor of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane, a monomolecular film was formed as liquid-repellent film 103B.

[0102] The contact angle of the test substrate 100B measured with a contact angle meter using a UV-curable resin ink containing a white pigment was 100°. The average reflectance of the test substrate 100B was 20%. The fluorine / carbon element ratio of the surface 110 of the liquid-repellent film 103B was 6.

[0103] 5 [pl] of UV-curable resin ink was ejected onto the droplet landing area on the test substrate 100B, and the droplets that landed on the test substrate 100B were measured using coaxial epi-illumination and camera 5, and the diameter of the droplets upon landing was found to be 30.5 [μm]. One minute after landing, the wet spread of the droplet diameter was within an effective measurement precision of 0.1 [μm], and the change in volume was less than 1%.

[0104] [Example 5] A non-alkali glass substrate having a thickness of 0.5 mm and a size of 6 cm×6 cm was prepared as the substrate 101. A chromium film having a thickness of 100 nm was formed on the main surface 112 of the substrate 101.

[0105] A hydrofluoroether (HFE) solution with a concentration of 1 wt% was prepared, which has a polymethacrylate main chain and perfluorohexyl side chains. The HFE solution was applied to the main surface 111 of the substrate 101 using a slit coater to form a liquid-repellent film 103B with a thickness of 5 nm, thereby producing the test substrate 100B.

[0106] The film formation was carried out at room temperature of 25° C. The rotation conditions of the slit coater were a rotation speed of 3000 rpm and a rotation time of 20 seconds.

[0107] The contact angle of the test substrate 100B measured with a contact angle meter using a UV-curable resin ink containing a white pigment was 80°. The average reflectance of the test substrate 100B was 20%. The fluorine / carbon element ratio of the surface 110 of the liquid-repellent film 103B was 10.

[0108] 5 [pl] of UV-curable resin ink was ejected onto the droplet landing area on the test substrate 100B, and the droplets that landed on the test substrate 100B were measured using coaxial epi-illumination and camera 5, and the diameter of the droplets upon landing was found to be 30.2 [μm]. One minute after landing, the wet spread of the droplet diameter was within an effective measurement precision of 0.2 [μm], and the change in volume was less than 1%.

[0109] Comparative Example 2 A test substrate was prepared in the same manner as in Example 3, except that an aluminum film having a thickness of 100 nm was formed on the surface of a non-alkali glass plate.

[0110] The contact angle of the test substrate measured with a contact angle meter using a UV-curable resin ink containing a white pigment was 60°. The average reflectance of the test substrate was 20%. The fluorine / metal element ratio of the liquid-repellent film 103B was 1.0.

[0111] 5 [pl] of UV-curable resin ink was ejected onto the droplet landing area on the test substrate, and when the droplets were measured using a coaxial epi-illuminator and camera 5, the diameter of the droplets at the time of landing was 32.7 [μm]. One minute after landing, the droplet diameter had spread by more than 1 [μm], and when converted to volume, the change was more than 10%. The maximum error in the landing position was more than 1 [μm].

[0112] On the test substrate 100B produced in Examples 3 to 5, the size of the droplets that spread within one minute after landing was less than 1 μm, and the resulting volume change and maximum landing position error were only a few percent, so the impact on measurement accuracy was small. On the other hand, on the test substrate produced in Comparative Example 2, the droplet size change exceeded 1 μm, and the volume change and maximum landing position error also exceeded 10%, confirming that the test substrates produced in Examples 3 to 5 were superior.

[0113] Comparative Example 3 A non-alkali glass substrate with a thickness of 0.5 mm and dimensions of 6 cm x 6 cm was prepared as the substrate.

[0114] A hydrofluoroether (HFE) solution with a concentration of 1 wt% was prepared, which has a polymethacrylate main chain and perfluorohexyl side chains. The HFE solution was applied to the main surface 111 of the substrate 101 using a slit coater to form a liquid-repellent film 103B with a thickness of 5 nm, thereby producing a test substrate.

[0115] The contact angle of the test substrate measured with a contact angle meter using a UV-curable resin ink containing a white pigment was 80°. The average reflectance of the test substrate was 10%. The fluorine / carbon element ratio of surface 110 of liquid-repellent film 103B was 1.0.

[0116] 5 [pl] of UV-curable resin ink was ejected onto the droplet landing area on the test substrate, and when the droplets were measured using a coaxial epi-illuminator and camera 5, the diameter of the droplets at the time of landing was 30.2 [μm]. One minute after landing, the wet spread of the droplet diameter was 0.9 [μm] or more with an effective measurement accuracy of 0.9 [μm] or more, and the change in volume was over 10%. The maximum error in the landing position was 1 [μm] or more.

[0117] On the test substrates 100B produced in Examples 3 to 5, the measurement accuracy of the landing position and landing diameter was 1% or less, whereas on the test substrate produced in Comparative Example 2, the measurement accuracy of the landing position and landing diameter exceeded 1%. It was confirmed that the test substrates produced in Examples 3 to 5 were superior.

[0118] [Embodiment of manufacturing method of article] In the first and second embodiments, an article is manufactured using the liquid ejection device described above. The article may be an intermediate product or a final product. The article manufacturing methods according to the first and second embodiments are suitable for manufacturing articles such as organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels using a liquid ejection device. The article manufacturing methods according to the first and second embodiments include a step (coating step) of depositing or applying a solution film (a solution containing a solute and a solvent for forming an organic film) on a substrate by a printing method or the like using a liquid ejection device to obtain a coated substrate. The method also includes a step (drying step) of drying the solution film on the coated substrate to obtain a dry substrate on which a dry film has been formed. Furthermore, such manufacturing methods include other well-known steps (such as baking, cooling, dehumidification, dry cleaning, electrode formation, and sealing film formation). The article manufacturing methods according to the first and second embodiments are advantageous over conventional methods in at least one of article performance, quality, productivity, and production cost.

[0119] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and many modifications of the embodiments are possible within the technical concept of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the effects described in the present embodiments are merely a list of the most preferable effects resulting from the embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not limited to those described in the present embodiments.

[0120] In the above-described embodiment, the inspection process is performed using the inspection substrate 100 in which the entire surface 110 is a droplet landing area. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the inspection substrate 100 may have an area in which the metal film 102 and the liquid-repellent film 103 are formed on a portion of the main surface 111 of the substrate 101, and the inspection process may be performed using this area. Alternatively, the substrate 10, which is the object, may have an area in which the metal film 102 and the liquid-repellent film 103 are formed, and the inspection process may be performed using this area. Alternatively, the inspection substrate 100B may have an area in which the metal film 102 is formed on a portion of the main surface 112 of the substrate 101 and the liquid-repellent film 103B is formed on a portion of the main surface 111, and the inspection process may be performed using this area.

[0121] The disclosure of the above embodiments includes the following sections.

[0122] (Section 1) A substrate used to measure landed droplets, A glass substrate; a metal film disposed on the glass substrate; a liquid-repellent film disposed on the metal film, The thickness of the liquid-repellent film is 5 nm or more, the liquid-repellent film contains a fluorine-containing resin, The fluorine-containing resin has at least one selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms in which all hydrogen atoms have been substituted with fluorine atoms, an alkylene group having 4 or more carbon atoms in which all hydrogen atoms have been substituted with fluorine atoms, and a polyethylene oxide group having 4 or more carbon atoms in which all hydrogen atoms have been substituted with fluorine atoms, in a side chain. A substrate characterized by:

[0123] (Section 2) The thickness of the liquid-repellent film is 7.5 nm or more. Item 1. The substrate according to item 1.

[0124] (Section 3) The thickness of the liquid-repellent film is less than 100 nm. Item 3. The substrate according to item 1 or 2.

[0125] (Section 4) The thickness of the liquid-repellent film is 50 nm or less. Item 4. The substrate according to item 3,

[0126] (Section 5) The number of carbon atoms is 6 or more and 8 or less. Item 5. The substrate according to any one of items 1 to 4.

[0127] (Section 6) The main chain of the fluorine-containing resin is at least one selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polyvinyl ether, and polyolefin. 6. The substrate according to any one of items 1 to 5, characterized in that

[0128] (Section 7) the main chain of the fluorine-containing resin is the polyacrylate or the polymethacrylate; Item 7. The substrate according to item 6, characterized in that

[0129] (Section 8) The content of the fluorine-containing resin in the liquid-repellent film is 70% by weight or more. 8. The substrate according to any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that

[0130] (Section 9) A substrate used to measure landed droplets, a glass substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface; a metal film disposed on a first main surface side of the glass substrate; a liquid-repellent film disposed on the second main surface side of the glass substrate, A substrate characterized by:

[0131] (Section 10) the liquid-repellent film is a polymer film or a monomolecular film containing a fluororesin; Item 10. The substrate according to item 9, characterized in that:

[0132] (Section 11) The metal film contains one of chromium, aluminum, and silver as a main component. Item 11. The substrate according to any one of items 1 to 10.

[0133] (Section 12) the metal film contains chromium as a main component; Item 12. The substrate according to item 11, characterized in that

[0134] (Section 13) the average reflectance of light when the substrate is irradiated with light having a wavelength in the range of 380 nm to 780 nm from the liquid-repellent film side is 10% or more; Item 13. The substrate according to any one of items 1 to 12.

[0135] (Section 14) the contact angle of the droplet on the surface of the liquid-repellent film is 70° or more; Item 14. The substrate according to any one of items 1 to 13,

[0136] (Section 15) the fluorine / carbon element ratio on the surface of the liquid-repellent film is 2 or more; Item 15. The substrate according to any one of items 1 to 14,

[0137] (Section 16) the droplets are ink droplets ejected from the nozzles of a liquid ejection head; Item 16. The substrate according to any one of items 1 to 15,

[0138] (Section 17) The substrate has a rectangular shape in a plan view, The length of one side of the substrate is 1 m or more. Item 17. The substrate according to any one of items 1 to 16,

[0139] (Section 18) the substrate has an adhesion film; the glass substrate, the adhesion film, the metal film, and the liquid-repellent film are directly laminated in this order; Item 9. The substrate according to any one of items 1 to 8, characterized in that

[0140] (Section 19) a liquid ejection head having nozzles for ejecting droplets; a substrate holder for holding the substrate according to any one of items 1 to 18 on which droplets ejected from the nozzle land; a measuring unit that measures droplets that have landed on the substrate; a control unit that determines ejection conditions for the liquid ejection head based on the measurement results of the measurement unit and controls the liquid ejection head in accordance with the ejection conditions, A liquid ejection device characterized by:

[0141] (Section 20) The volume of the droplets ejected from the nozzle is 0.5 [pl] or more and 10.0 [pl] or less. 20. A liquid ejection device according to item 19, characterized in that:

[0142] (Section 21) Item 19. Measuring droplets that have landed on the substrate according to any one of items 1 to 18. An inspection method characterized by:

[0143] (Section 22) Discharging droplets onto a target object using the liquid discharge device according to item 19 or 20, manufacturing an article by processing the liquid formed from the droplets that landed on the target; A method for manufacturing an article. [Explanation of symbols]

[0144] 1...liquid ejection device, 3...liquid ejection head, 5...camera (measurement unit), 10...substrate (object), 15...calculation unit (measurement unit), 90...control device (control unit), 100...inspection substrate (substrate), 101...base material (glass base material), 102...metal film, 103...liquid-repellent film

Claims

1. A substrate used to measure landed droplets, A glass substrate; a metal film disposed on the glass substrate; a liquid-repellent film disposed on the metal film, The thickness of the liquid-repellent film is 5 nm or more, the liquid-repellent film contains a fluorine-containing resin, The fluorine-containing resin has at least one selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms in which all hydrogen atoms have been substituted with fluorine atoms, an alkylene group having 4 or more carbon atoms in which all hydrogen atoms have been substituted with fluorine atoms, and a polyethylene oxide group having 4 or more carbon atoms in which all hydrogen atoms have been substituted with fluorine atoms, in a side chain. A substrate characterized by:

2. The thickness of the liquid-repellent film is 7.5 nm or more. The substrate according to claim 1 .

3. The thickness of the liquid-repellent film is less than 100 nm. The substrate according to claim 1 .

4. The thickness of the liquid-repellent film is 50 nm or less. The substrate according to claim 3 .

5. the number of carbon atoms is 6 or more and 8 or less; The substrate according to claim 1 .

6. the main chain of the fluorine-containing resin is at least one selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polyvinyl ether, and polyolefin; The substrate according to claim 1 .

7. the main chain of the fluorine-containing resin is the polyacrylate or the polymethacrylate; The substrate according to claim 6 .

8. the content of the fluorine-containing resin in the liquid-repellent film is 70% by weight or more; The substrate according to claim 1 .

9. A substrate used to measure landed droplets, a glass substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface; a metal film disposed on a first main surface side of the glass substrate; a liquid-repellent film disposed on the second main surface side of the glass substrate, A substrate characterized by:

10. the liquid-repellent film is a polymer film or a monomolecular film containing a fluororesin; The substrate according to claim 9 .

11. the metal film contains one of chromium, aluminum, and silver as a main component; The substrate according to claim 1 .

12. the metal film contains chromium as a main component; The substrate of claim 11 .

13. the average reflectance of light when the substrate is irradiated with light having a wavelength in the range of 380 nm to 780 nm from the liquid-repellent film side is 10% or more; The substrate according to claim 1 .

14. the contact angle of the droplet on the surface of the liquid-repellent film is 70° or more; The substrate according to claim 1 .

15. the fluorine / carbon element ratio on the surface of the liquid-repellent film is 2 or more; The substrate according to claim 1 .

16. the droplets are ink droplets ejected from the nozzles of a liquid ejection head; The substrate according to claim 1 .

17. The substrate has a rectangular shape in a plan view, The length of one side of the substrate is 1 m or more. The substrate according to claim 1 .

18. the substrate has an adhesion film; the glass substrate, the adhesive film, the metal film, and the liquid-repellent film are directly laminated in this order; The substrate according to claim 1 .

19. a liquid ejection head having nozzles for ejecting droplets; a substrate holder for holding the substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 18 on which droplets ejected from the nozzle land; a measuring unit that measures droplets that have landed on the substrate; a control unit that determines ejection conditions for the liquid ejection head based on the measurement results of the measurement unit and controls the liquid ejection head in accordance with the ejection conditions, A liquid ejection device characterized by:

20. The volume of the droplets ejected from the nozzle is 0.5 [pl] or more and 10.0 [pl] or less.

20. The liquid ejection device according to claim 19.

21. A method for measuring droplets that have landed on a substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 18. An inspection method characterized by:

22. Discharging droplets onto a target object using the liquid discharge device according to claim 19, manufacturing an article by processing the liquid formed from the droplets that landed on the target; A method for manufacturing an article.

Images