Film forming apparatus, electrode element, electrochemical element, secondary battery, and film forming method

Abstract

To provide a film formation device capable of forming a film having controlled thickness and excellent quality.SOLUTION: A film formation device in an embodiment, which is a film formation device for forming a film on a substrate by applying liquid on the substrate based on application data, has a control part for generating the application data by aligning repeatedly prescribed liquid arrangement data for showing an application position of the liquid in a prescribed area on the substrate, and a head for discharging the liquid based on the application data generated by the control part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus, an electrode element, an electrochemical element, a secondary battery, and a film forming method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a film forming technique for forming a film on a substrate has been known. This film forming technique is used for film forming in the manufacture of an electrode element, an electrochemical element, or a secondary battery.

[0003] In the film forming technique, there is disclosed a method in which a plurality of liquid discharge heads are provided in the conveyance direction of a substrate, and liquid discharged from the liquid discharge heads is applied onto the substrate by performing liquid discharge in multiple stages (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a film forming apparatus, it is required to form a film with a controlled film thickness and excellent quality.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a film forming apparatus capable of forming a film with a controlled film thickness and excellent quality.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A film forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is a film forming apparatus that forms a film on a substrate by applying a liquid onto the substrate based on coating data, and includes a control unit that generates the coating data by repeatedly arranging predetermined liquid arrangement data representing the application position of the liquid within a predetermined region on the substrate, and a head that discharges the liquid based on the coating data generated by the control unit. The control unit selects the liquid arrangement data based on the film formation conditions, and the film formation conditions are information for determining the amount of liquid composition. .

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, a film forming apparatus is available that can form films with controlled film thickness and superior quality. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This diagram illustrates the overall configuration of the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure illustrates the detailed configuration of the liquid coating section according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the control unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating the processing performed by the control unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates liquid arrangement data according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a plan view illustrating an example of coating the liquid composition according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7(a) shows a schematic diagram of an electrode including a first coating region and a second coating region, with Figure 7(b) showing the first example and Figure 7(b) showing the second example. [Figure 8] This figure shows a method for forming an electrode including a first coating region and a second coating region. Figure 8(a) shows a method using a binarized image, and Figure 8(b) shows a method using the measurement results of the film thickness. [Figure 9] This figure illustrates the target region according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure illustrates coating data according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of application of the liquid composition according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] This figure illustrates coating data according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of coating based on the coating data in Figure 13. [Figure 15] This figure shows an example of application of a liquid composition related to a comparative example. [Figure 16]It is a figure showing an example of application of the liquid composition according to the fourth embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0010] Also, the embodiments shown below exemplify a film forming apparatus, an electrode element, an electrochemical element, a secondary battery, and a film forming method for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below. The dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described below are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to those, but are intended to be exemplary unless otherwise specified. Also, the sizes and positional relationships of the members shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation.

[0011] [Embodiment] The film forming apparatus according to the embodiment forms a film on a substrate by applying a liquid on the substrate based on coating data. There is no particular limitation on the thickness of the formed film, and any film formed in layers on the substrate may be used.

[0012] In the embodiment, an electrode manufacturing apparatus will be described as an example of the film forming apparatus. This electrode manufacturing apparatus forms a resin layer or an inorganic layer in a position-selective manner so as to cover the surface of an electrode mixture layer formed on the surface of an electrode substrate using a liquid composition for forming a resin layer or an inorganic layer. The electrode substrate is an example of a substrate, and the liquid composition is an example of a liquid.

[0013] First, the electrode substrate, electrode mixture layer, resin layer, inorganic layer, and liquid composition used in the electrode manufacturing apparatus will be described.

[0014] <Electrode Substrate> The electrode substrate according to the embodiment is a conductive foil as a current collector having flatness. This electrode substrate can generally be suitably used in a secondary battery, a capacitor, which are energy storage devices, and particularly in a lithium-ion secondary battery.

[0015] As the conductive foil, aluminum foil, copper foil, stainless steel foil, titanium foil, and etched foils obtained by etching them to form fine holes, and perforated electrode substrates used in lithium-ion capacitors are used. For this electrode substrate, carbon paper fibrous electrodes used in power generation devices such as fuel cells, which are made non-woven or woven into a flat shape, or those having fine holes among the above perforated electrode substrates can be used.

[0016] <Electrode composite layer> In the embodiment, the electrode composite layer is a layer containing an active material provided on the electrode substrate. The electrode composite layer is formed by dispersing and / or dissolving a powdery active material or a catalyst composition in a liquid, and applying, fixing, and drying this liquid on the electrode substrate. To form the electrode composite layer, spraying, dispensing, die coating, pull-up coating, etc. are used, and after coating, it is dried to form the electrode composite layer.

[0017] The electrode composite layer is formed by dispersing and / or dissolving a powdery active material or a catalyst composition in a liquid, and applying, fixing, and drying such a liquid on the electrode substrate. To form the electrode composite layer, usually, printing using spraying, dispensing, die coating, or pull-up coating is used, and after coating, it is dried to form the electrode composite layer.

[0018] Furthermore, when the electrode composite layer is formed by on-demand printing such as an electrophotographic method or liquid-developing electrophotography, for example, in addition to the electrode shape being freely changed, when the electrode substrate is a thin conductive foil such as aluminum foil, since a specific pattern can be printed with position control non-contact, it is preferable to print by a liquid ejection method (inkjet method) using a liquid ejection head, or a liquid ejection system technique such as a dispenser or a jet nozzle, and particularly the liquid ejection method is preferable.

[0019] The positive electrode active material is not particularly limited as long as it is a material capable of reversibly intercalating and releasing alkali metal ions. Typically, alkali metal-containing transition metal compounds can be used as positive electrode active materials. For example, lithium-containing transition metal compounds include composite oxides containing lithium and at least one element selected from the group consisting of cobalt, manganese, nickel, chromium, iron, and vanadium. Examples include lithium-containing transition metal oxides such as lithium cobaltate, lithium nickelate, and lithium manganate; olivine-type lithium salts such as LiFePO4; chalcogen compounds such as titanium disulfide and molybdenum disulfide; and manganese dioxide.

[0020] Lithium-containing transition metal oxides are metal oxides containing lithium and a transition metal, or metal oxides in which a portion of the transition metal in the metal oxide is substituted with a heterogeneous element. Examples of heterogeneous elements include Na, Mg, Se, Y, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Al, Cr, Pb, Sb, and B, with Mn, Al, Co, Ni, and Mg being particularly preferred. The heterogeneous element may be one or two or more. These positive electrode active materials can be used individually or in combination of two or more. Examples of the above active materials in nickel-metal hydride batteries include nickel hydroxide.

[0021] The negative electrode active material is not particularly limited as long as it is a material capable of reversibly intercalating and releasing alkali metal ions. Typically, carbon materials containing graphite having a graphite-type crystal structure can be used as the negative electrode active material. Examples of such carbon materials include natural graphite, spherical or fibrous artificial graphite, non-graphitizable carbon (hard carbon), and easily graphitizable carbon (soft carbon). Lithium titanate is an example of a material other than carbon. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of increasing the energy density of lithium-ion batteries, high-capacity materials such as silicon, tin, silicon alloys, tin alloys, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and tin oxide can also be suitably used as negative electrode active materials.

[0022] Examples of hydrogen storage alloys used as active materials in nickel-metal hydride batteries include AB2 or A2B series hydrogen storage alloys, such as Zr-Ti-Mn-Fe-Ag-V-Al-W and Ti15Zr21V15Ni29Cr5Co5Fe1Mn8.

[0023] For the positive or negative electrode binder, for example, PVDF, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyethylene, polypropylene, aramid resin, polyamide, polyimide, polyamide-imide, polyacrylonitrile, polyacrylic acid, polymethyl polyacrylate, polyethyl polyacrylate, polyhexyl polyacrylate, polymethacrylic acid, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethyl methacrylate, polyhexyl methacrylate, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyether, polyethersulfone, hexafluoropolypropylene, styrene-butadiene rubber, carboxymethylcellulose, etc. may be used. Alternatively, copolymers of two or more materials selected from tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether, vinylidene fluoride, chlorotrifluoroethylene, ethylene, propylene, pentafluoropropylene, fluoromethyl vinyl ether, acrylic acid, and hexadiene may be used. Alternatively, two or more selected materials may be mixed and used.

[0024] Examples of conductive materials used in electrodes include graphites such as natural graphite and artificial graphite, carbon blacks such as acetylene black, Ketjen black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black, and thermal black, conductive fibers such as carbon fibers and metal fibers, metal powders such as carbon fluoride and aluminum, conductive whiskers such as zinc oxide and potassium titanate, conductive metal oxides such as titanium oxide, and organic conductive materials such as phenylene derivatives and graphene derivatives.

[0025] In fuel cells, the active material generally used as a catalyst for the cathode or anode electrode is a metal nanoparticle such as platinum, ruthenium, or platinum alloy supported on a catalyst support such as carbon. To support catalyst particles on the surface of the catalyst support, for example, the catalyst support is suspended in water, and a precursor of the catalyst particles is added (using alloy components such as platinum chlorophosphate, dinitrodiaminoplatinum, platinum dic chloride, platinum monochloride, platinum bisacetylacetonate, dichlorodiammineplatinum, dichlorotetramineplatinum, platinum dic sulfate ruthenium chloride, iridium chloride, rhodium chloride, ferric chloride, cobalt chloride, chromium chloride, gold chloride, silver nitrate, rhodium nitrate, palladium chloride, nickel nitrate, iron sulfate, copper chloride, etc.) and dissolved in the suspension. An alkali is then added to generate metal hydroxides, and a catalyst support is obtained that is supported on the surface of the catalyst support. This catalyst support is then coated onto an electrode and reduced under a hydrogen atmosphere to obtain an electrode with catalyst particles (active material) coated on its surface.

[0026] <Resin layer or inorganic layer> The resin or inorganic layer is formed by first creating a pattern of a desired electrode shape, such as an insulating frame, on the electrode substrate using a coating method with relatively high precision, such as screen printing, gravure coating, liquid discharge coating, or dispenser drawing. In this embodiment, in particular, the resin or inorganic layer is formed by discharging a liquid composition onto the electrode composite layer formed on the electrode substrate using a liquid discharge head. After this, the active material is made into a slurry and applied to the pattern, and then dried. This is preferable because, even when the formation speed of the electrode composite layer is drastically increased, or when forming a relatively thick film from a slurry with limited viscosity, the active material of the desired size and width is always in contact with the electrode substrate during the subsequent drying process, thereby ensuring that the desired coating dimensions are always achieved.

[0027] Therefore, the performance required of such resin or inorganic layers is preferably that they can be accurately coated and dried on the electrode substrate and that they do not dissolve in the active material or the electrolyte used when the device is finally assembled. In other words, the resin or inorganic layer on the periphery of the electrode composite layer is characterized by being an insulating film. The insulating properties referred to here are preferably megaohms [ / cm] or more in the thickness direction. Furthermore, since it is necessary to maintain insulating properties for a long time within the device, it is necessary that it does not dissolve easily in the electrolyte. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve these properties with resins dissolved in ordinary organic solvents alone, and it is preferable to use a group of resins that have properties such as the ability to eliminate the need for crosslinking after coating by heat or ionizing radiation. Alternatively, it is preferable that the inorganic material is insulating fine particles, and that the fine particles are dispersed in a solvent and dry to form an insulating film after coating. Furthermore, since there is a pressing process with a linear pressure of up to about 250 [kN] during the electrode processing process, it is preferable that this resin layer and / or inorganic layer have resistance to the above-mentioned linear pressure.

[0028] <Liquid composition> Next, a liquid composition for producing a resin layer will be described. This liquid composition is formed by dissolving at least one of a resin and / or a precursor of the resin (the resin or the precursor of the resin) in a liquid.

[0029] Preferably, the resin and its precursor are resins or oligomers that have a crosslinkable structure within the molecule due to ionizing radiation or infrared radiation (heat), dissolved in a liquid organic solvent (organic solvent). Preferably, the resin and its precursor are low molecular weight oligomer precursors among polyimide resins, polyester resins, polyamide resins, polyolefin resins, and acrylic resins, or those modified in part with hydrocarbon groups having aliphatic unsaturated bonds, for example. Preferably, the acrylic copolymer has unsaturated bonds such as allyl groups, allyloxy groups, acryloyl groups, butenyl groups, cinnamyl groups, cinnamoyl groups, crotomail groups, cyclohexagenyl groups, impropenyl groups, methacryloyl groups, pentenyl groups, propenyl groups, styryl groups, vinyl groups, butagenyl groups, etc., in the side chains of part of the acrylic copolymer.

[0030] Furthermore, for materials such as polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyether ketone, polyethylene naphthalate, polysulfone, polyimide, polyester, polypropylene, polyoxymethylene, polyamide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and cellulose, relatively low molecular weight dispersion precursors or cellulose nanofibers with a molecular weight of 10,000 or less can be used, and their insolubility and crosslinkability after fixation can be enhanced by heating them with ionizing radiation or infrared radiation.

[0031] Furthermore, these precursors may contain up to 30 parts by weight of an azide compound to enhance crosslinking. For example, 3,3′-dichloro-4,4′-diazidediphenylmethane, 4,4′-diazidediphenyl ether, 4,4′-diazidediphenyl disulfide, 4,4′-diazidediphenyl sulfide, 4,4′-diazidediphenyl sulfone, 4-azidocalcone, 4-azido-4′-hydroxychalcone, 4-azido-4′-methoxychalcone, 4-azido-4′-morpholinochalcone, 4-dimethylamino-4′-azidocalcone, 2,6-bis(4′-azidobenzal)-4-methylcyclohexano 2,6-bis(4′-azidobenzal)-cyclohexanone, cinnamyridene-4-azidoacetophenone, 4-azidocinnamyrideneacetophenone, 4-azido-4′-dimethylaminocinnamyrideneacetophenone, cinnamyridene-4-azidocinnamyrideneacetone, 2,6-bis(4′-azidocinnamyridene)-4-methylcyclohexanone, 2,6-bis(4′-azidocinnamyridene)-cyclohexanone, 1,4′-azidobenzylideneindene, 1,4′-azidobenzylideneindene 1,4′-azidobenzylidene-3-α-hydroxy-4″-azidobenzylindene, 9,4′-azidobenzylidenefluorene, 9,4′-azidocinnamyridenefluorene, 4,4′-diazidostilbene-2,2′-disulfonyl-N-(p-methoxyphenyl)amide, 4,4′-diazidostilbene-2,2′-disulfonyl-N-(p-hydroxyethylphenyl)amide, 4,4′-diazidostilbene-2,2′-disulfonyl-N-(p-hydroxyphenyl)amide, 4,4′-di Examples include azidostilbene-2,2′-disulfonylamide, 4,4′-diazidobenzophenone, 4,4′-diazidostilbene, 4,4′-diazidochalcone, 4,4′-diazidobenzalacetone, 6-azido-2-(4'-azidostyryl)benzimidazole, 3-azidobenzylidenaniline-N-oxyp~(4-azidobenzylidenamid)benzoic acid, 1,4-bis(3′-azi1ζstyryl)benzene, 3,3′-diazidodiphenylsulfone, and 4,4′-diazidodiphenylmethane.

[0032] In particular, 2,6-bis-(4′azidobenzal)-4-methylcyclohexanone can be preferably used. The solvent in which these materials are dissolved is not specifically defined, but a solvent that can dissolve the above compounds and has a boiling point and surface tension suitable for subsequent coating and drying processes can be prepared and used, either alone or in mixtures.

[0033] Alternatively, a resin layer or inorganic layer may be formed first around the area (frame region) where the electrode composite layer is to be formed on the electrode substrate. Then, a slurry of the active material may be applied to the electrode substrate with the resin or inorganic layer formed in the frame region, and dried. This allows for an extremely high formation rate of the electrode composite layer, or the formation of a relatively thick film from a slurry with limited viscosity, while ensuring that the active material of the desired size and width is always in contact with the electrode substrate during the subsequent drying process. As a result, the desired coating dimensions can always be achieved, which is preferable. Therefore, the performance required of the resin or inorganic layer is preferably that it can be accurately applied and dried on the electrode substrate and that it does not dissolve in the active material or the electrolyte used when the device is finally assembled. In other words, the resin or inorganic layer around the electrode composite layer is an insulating film.

[0034] <Example of overall configuration of electrode manufacturing apparatus 100> Next, the overall configuration of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100. Figure 1 shows the inside of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 viewed from a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction 10 of the electrode substrate 102.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 includes an unwinding section 101, a liquid coating section 103, a platen 104, a transport roller 105, a drying section 106, and a winding section 107. These are arranged in order from upstream to downstream along the transport direction 10 of the electrode substrate 102.

[0036] The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 conveys the electrode substrate 102 using the unwinding section 101, the transport roller 105, and the winding section 107, etc., while applying the liquid composition discharged from the liquid coating section 103 onto the electrode substrate 102, thereby forming a film of the liquid composition on the electrode substrate 102.

[0037] The electrode substrate 102 is a continuous substrate along the transport direction 10. The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 transports the electrode substrate 102 along the transport path between the unwinding section 101 and the winding section 107. The length of the electrode substrate 102 along the transport direction 10 is at least longer than the transport path between the unwinding section 101 and the winding section 107. The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 can continuously form a film on the electrode substrate 102 that is continuous along the transport direction 10.

[0038] The unwinding unit 101 rotates the electrode substrate 102, which is stored in a roll shape, to supply the electrode substrate 102 to the transport path of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100.

[0039] The liquid application unit 103 has head units 103A, 103B, 103C, and 103D along the transport direction 10 of the electrode substrate 102. The liquid application unit 103 dispenses a liquid composition from the head units 103A, 103B, 103C, and 103D and applies it to the electrode substrate 102.

[0040] Head units 103A, 103B, 103C, and 103D are positioned to face the platen 104 with the transported electrode substrate 102 in between, and dispense the liquid composition toward the electrode substrate 102 using a liquid dispensing method. The number of head units is not limited to four, and the liquid coating section 103 may have any number of head units along the transport direction 10.

[0041] The platen 104 is a component that guides the electrode base 102 so that it is transported along the transport path.

[0042] The conveying roller 105 supports the electrode base 102 and conveys the electrode base 102 in the conveying direction 10 by rotating itself. In addition to the conveying roller 105, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 also has other conveying means such as rollers not indicated by reference numerals.

[0043] The coating speed in the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 is related to other processes, but is preferably 30 m / min to 100 m / min in order to perform film formation at high speed. The coating speed refers to the speed at which the liquid composition is applied to the electrode substrate 102 while transporting the electrode substrate 102.

[0044] The drying unit 106 includes a heat drum 108 and a hot air drying unit 109. The drying unit 106 dries the liquid composition applied to the electrode substrate 102 using the heat drum 108 and the hot air drying unit 109.

[0045] The heat drum 108 is a rotatable drum that adjusts the temperature of the electrode substrate 102 while transporting the electrode substrate 102 that is in contact with its outer surface.

[0046] The heat drum 108 contains a liquid or gas as a heat exchange medium. The heat drum 108 has valves at both ends in the width direction of the electrode base 102 intersecting the transport direction 10. The heat drum 108 circulates the liquid or gas with an external device such as a chiller by drawing the liquid or gas into the heat drum 108 and discharging it to the outside through the valves, thereby maintaining the heat exchange medium at a predetermined temperature.

[0047] The heat drum 108 heats or cools the electrode substrate 102, which is in contact with the outer surface of the heat exchange medium contained inside the heat drum 108, by exchanging heat between them, thereby adjusting the temperature of the electrode substrate 102 to a predetermined temperature.

[0048] The liquid flowing inside the heat drum 108 is not particularly limited as long as it is a fluid substance such as water or oil, but water is preferable because it is easy to handle. For the gas flowing inside the heat drum 108, heated air is preferable from the standpoint of cost and safety.

[0049] In addition to using a heat exchange medium, other methods can be applied to the temperature control of the electrode substrate 102 using the heat drum 108, such as installing a heat source device inside the heat drum 108 and heating the electrode substrate 102 with the heat generated by the heat source device. The heat source device installed inside the heat drum 108 can be a halogen heater, an infrared heater, a nichrome heater, or the like.

[0050] The hot air drying unit 109 is provided facing the outer circumferential surface of the heat drum 108 and has a nozzle with an opening that extends in the width direction of the electrode base 102. The hot air drying unit 109 heats the electrode base 102 by blowing hot air from the nozzle onto the electrode base 102 wrapped around the heat drum 108, thereby drying the liquid composition on the electrode base 102.

[0051] The drying unit 106 may further include an infrared heater that irradiates the surface of the electrode substrate 102 with infrared rays to dry the liquid composition on the electrode substrate 102. Alternatively, the drying unit 106 may have an infrared heater instead of the hot air drying unit 109.

[0052] The temperature controlled by the heat drum 108, as well as the temperature and airflow velocity of the hot air in the hot air drying section 109, are preferably set to an appropriate range depending on the drying properties of the solvent contained in the liquid composition and the potential damage to the electrode substrate 102. This setting reduces the power consumption required for drying.

[0053] The winding section 107 winds up the electrode substrate 102, which has a film formed on it by the application of the liquid composition, and stores it in a roll shape.

[0054] <Detailed configuration example of liquid coating section 103> Figure 2 illustrates the detailed configuration of the liquid coating unit 103 and is a plan view of the liquid coating unit 103 as seen from the direction of discharge of the liquid composition by the head units 103A, 103B, 103C, and 103D.

[0055] Each of the head units 103A, 103B, 103C, and 103D has four heads 130 along the width direction 20 of the electrode base 102. Each head 130 has multiple nozzle rows 131, each of which has multiple nozzles arranged along the width direction 20 of the electrode base 102. The head 130 dispenses a liquid composition from each of the multiple nozzles.

[0056] The heads 130 in each of the head units 103A, 103B, 103C, and 103D may all have the same configuration, or they may have partially different configurations.

[0057] The liquid coating section 103 is composed of line-type liquid discharge head units 103A, 103B, 103C, and 103D. A line-type liquid discharge head is one in which multiple nozzles, each discharging a liquid composition, are arranged over almost the entire width of the electrode base 102 in the width direction 20. However, the width of the liquid coating section 103 in the width direction 20 does not necessarily have to be the entire width of the electrode base 102, and can be appropriately determined according to the specifications of the electrodes manufactured by the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100. The number of head units in the liquid coating section 103 and the number of heads in each head unit can also be appropriately selected according to the width of the liquid coating section 103 in the width direction 20.

[0058] In the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100, it is preferable to discharge the liquid composition using a liquid discharge method with a line-type liquid discharge head unit in order to rapidly form a film on the electrode substrate 102.

[0059] On the other hand, since the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 performs film formation continuously for a long period of time, when a line-type liquid discharge head unit is used, depending on the shape of the film, some nozzles may not discharge the liquid composition for a long period of time. In nozzles that do not discharge, the liquid composition exposed to the outside through the nozzle may dry out, or particulate components in the liquid composition may settle, resulting in an uneven distribution of the liquid composition components and potentially causing discharge failure. For this reason, in the liquid coating process, it is preferable to vibrate the liquid composition interface in nozzles that do not discharge, or to constantly circulate the liquid composition in the head 130. The interface of the liquid composition refers to the interface of the liquid composition that is exposed to the atmosphere or gas through the nozzle.

[0060] The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 can make the liquid composition exposed to the outside through the nozzle, as well as the liquid composition components in the flow path within the head 130, substantially uniform through interfacial vibration of the liquid composition and continuous circulation of the liquid composition. By making the liquid composition components substantially uniform, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 can suppress non-uniformity of the liquid composition within the head 130 and reduce abnormal film formation due to discharge failure.

[0061] In the head 130, the means for applying stimulation to the liquid composition to discharge the liquid composition can be appropriately selected according to the purpose, and for example, a pressurizing device, a piezoelectric element, a vibration generator, an ultrasonic oscillator, or a light can be used. Specifically, examples include piezoelectric actuators such as piezoelectric elements, shape memory alloy actuators that use metal phase changes due to temperature changes, and electrostatic actuators that use electrostatic force.

[0062] Among the above, it is particularly preferable to apply a voltage to a piezoelectric element bonded to a position called a pressure chamber (also referred to as a liquid chamber, etc.) within the flow path of the liquid composition in the head 130. When a voltage is applied to the head 130 including the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element bends, reducing the volume of the pressure chamber, thereby pressurizing the liquid composition in the pressure chamber and discharging the liquid composition as droplets from the nozzle.

[0063] The head 130 may also be equipped with a liquid dispensing module. A liquid dispensing module refers to an assembly of functional components or mechanisms related to the dispensing of a liquid composition from the head 130. Examples of liquid dispensing modules include a supply mechanism, a maintenance and recovery mechanism, or a head movement mechanism.

[0064] <Example configuration of control unit 400> Next, with reference to Figure 3, the configuration of the control unit 400 of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 will be described. Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the control unit 400.

[0065] The control unit 400 is a component for controlling the operation of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100, and is constructed using a control board or a computer. The control board and computer have at least one electrical circuit, memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory), or a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0066] There are no particular restrictions on the placement of the control unit 400, and it can be placed at any location on the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100. Furthermore, the control unit 400 may be remotely located away from the main body of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100, which includes the liquid coating unit 103, etc.

[0067] As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 400 includes an input / output unit 401, a transport control unit 402, a selection unit 403, a storage unit 404, a generation unit 405, and a discharge control unit 406.

[0068] The control unit 400 implements the functions of the input / output unit 401, transport control unit 402, selection unit 403, generation unit 405, and discharge control unit 406 using electrical circuits, and some of these functions can also be implemented by software (CPU). The control unit 400 may implement these functions using multiple circuits or multiple software programs. Furthermore, the control unit 400 can implement the functions of the storage unit 404 using memory such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0069] Some of the above-mentioned functional components may be implemented by components other than the control unit 400. Furthermore, some of the functional components may be implemented by distributed processing between the control unit 400 and components other than the control unit 400. Examples of components other than the control unit 400 include the liquid coating unit 103, an external PC (Personal Computer), and an external server via a network.

[0070] The input / output unit 401 has an interface function for communication between an external device and the control unit 400. In this embodiment, the input / output unit 401 receives film formation conditions C from an external device such as an external PC.

[0071] The film formation conditions refer to information used to determine the amount of liquid composition discharged from the head 130. For example, film formation conditions C may include, but are not limited to, information such as the thickness of the film formed by the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100, or the volume or weight of the liquid composition per unit area on the electrode substrate 102.

[0072] The transport control unit 402 controls the transport of the electrode substrate 102 based on the film formation conditions C input via the input / output unit 401. By controlling the unwinding operation of the electrode substrate 102 by the unwinding unit 101 and the winding operation of the electrode substrate 102 by the winding unit 107, the transport control unit 402 can control the start timing of transport, the end timing of transport, the transport speed, etc. of the electrode substrate 102.

[0073] The selection unit 403 selects liquid arrangement data P by referring to the correspondence information 407 based on the film formation conditions C input via the input / output unit 401.

[0074] Correspondence relationship information 407 is information indicating the correspondence between film formation conditions C and liquid arrangement data P, or information related to said correspondence. Correspondence relationship information 407 is predetermined and stored in storage unit 404. The selection unit 403 can acquire it by selecting liquid arrangement data P corresponding to film formation conditions C.

[0075] The generation unit 405 generates coating data A by repeatedly arranging predetermined liquid arrangement data P, which represents the coating position of the liquid composition within a predetermined region on the electrode substrate 102.

[0076] Coating data A is the source data for coating the entire target area, which is the region to be coated by the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 with the liquid composition. Liquid placement data P is the source data for coating a predetermined area, which is a part of the target area. Both coating data A and liquid placement data P can also be described as data representing the placement pattern of the liquid composition on the electrode substrate 102.

[0077] In this embodiment, the generation unit 405 generates coating data A by repeatedly arranging liquid placement data P through tiling. Tiling refers to the process of arranging and joining multiple liquid placement data P so that they do not overlap with each other.

[0078] The discharge control unit 406 controls the discharge of the liquid composition by the head 130 included in the liquid coating unit 103 based on the coating data A generated by the generation unit 405. For example, by transferring the coating data A to the liquid coating unit 103, the discharge control unit 406 can control the selection of the nozzle from which to discharge the liquid composition among the multiple nozzles included in the liquid coating unit 103, the timing of the discharge of the liquid composition from the nozzle, the amount of liquid composition discharged from the nozzle, and so on.

[0079] <Example of processing by the control unit 400> Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the processing performed by the control unit 400 according to the embodiment. The control unit 400 starts the processing shown in Figure 4 when triggered by the timing of input of film formation conditions from an external device such as an external PC. Alternatively, the control unit 400 may start the processing shown in Figure 4 when triggered by the timing of receiving an operation from the user of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as "user") to instruct the start of film formation using the operation unit of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100.

[0080] First, in step S41, the control unit 400 starts transporting the electrode substrate 102 based on the film formation condition C input via the input / output unit 401 by the transport control unit 402. Unless there is a transport stop instruction based on the film formation condition C, the transport control unit 402 continues to transport the electrode substrate 102 without stopping until the film formation operation by the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 is completed.

[0081] Next, in step S42, the control unit 400 selects liquid arrangement data P by referring to the correspondence information 407 stored in the storage unit 404, based on the film formation conditions C input via the input / output unit 401 by the selection unit 403. Note that the order of the processes in steps S41 and S42 may be changed as appropriate, and they may be performed in parallel.

[0082] Next, in step S43, the control unit 400 generates coating data A by having the generation unit 405 repeatedly arrange the liquid arrangement data P selected by the selection unit 403.

[0083] Next, in step S44, the control unit 400 controls the discharge of the liquid composition by the multiple heads 130 contained in the liquid coating unit 103 via the discharge control unit 406, based on the coating data A generated by the generation unit 405. The liquid composition discharged from the multiple heads 130 is applied to desired positions on the electrode substrate 102.

[0084] Next, in step S45, the control unit 400 determines whether or not the application of the liquid composition to the entire target area is complete. The control unit 400 can determine whether or not the application of the liquid composition is complete based on the film formation condition C or in response to a user instruction to end film formation.

[0085] If it is determined in step S45 that the application of the liquid composition has been completed (step S45, Yes), the control unit 400 stops the operation of each component of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 and then terminates the process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the application of the liquid composition has not been completed (step S45, No), the control unit 400 repeats the process from step S44 onwards.

[0086] As described above, the control unit 400 can control the film formation by the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100.

[0087] <Example of liquid placement data P> Figure 5 illustrates liquid arrangement data P in the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100. Figure 5 shows liquid arrangement data P1 as the first example, liquid arrangement data P2 as the second example, and liquid arrangement data P3 as the third example.

[0088] As shown in Figure 5, the liquid arrangement data P is represented as an image pattern consisting of a total of M × N pixels, with M pixels arranged vertically and N pixels arranged horizontally. The vertical direction corresponds to the transport direction 10, and the horizontal direction corresponds to the width direction 20. Figure 5 illustrates an image pattern with M=4 and N=4, totaling 16 pixels, but is not limited to this, and the number of pixels in the vertical and horizontal directions can be arbitrarily determined.

[0089] Pixels 51, shown by dot hatching, correspond to positions on the electrode substrate 102 where the liquid composition is applied, and pixels 52, shown in white, correspond to positions on the electrode substrate 102 where the liquid composition is not applied. In Figure 5, the liquid placement data P is represented by two pixel values ​​corresponding to the application or non-application of the liquid composition, but is not limited to this, and the liquid placement data P may be represented by three or more multi-level pixel values. For example, in the case of a ternary representation, the liquid placement data P is represented by three types of pixel values: application of large droplets with a large volume of liquid composition discharged from the head 130, application of small droplets with a small volume of liquid composition, and non-application.

[0090] Liquid arrangement data P1 is liquid arrangement data with a coating ratio of 25%, where the liquid composition is applied to 25% of the area on the electrode substrate 102 corresponding to one liquid arrangement data P. The coating ratio refers to the area ratio of the liquid composition applied per unit area. Similarly, liquid arrangement data P2 is liquid arrangement data with a coating ratio of 50%, and liquid arrangement data P3 is liquid arrangement data with a coating ratio of 100%. However, since the film thickness is controlled by having areas that are not coated, setting the coating ratio to 100% is not an objective of the present invention.

[0091] The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 can control the thickness of the film formed on the electrode substrate 102 according to the coating ratio. For example, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 can form a thinner film on the electrode substrate 102 when the coating ratio is low.

[0092] [First Embodiment] <Example of coating according to the first embodiment> Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of coating the liquid composition according to the first embodiment, and is a plan view of the coated object 110 viewed from its normal direction. The coated object 110 includes an electrode substrate 102 on which a film is formed by the coating of the liquid composition. Since the electrode substrate 102 is included in the coated object 110, in Figure 6, the reference numerals of the electrode substrate 102 are shown in parentheses in relation to the reference numerals of the coated object 110.

[0093] The coating 110 can constitute part of an electrode element. Here, an electrode element refers to an element in which electrodes are not stacked and are not packaged. Electrode elements are used in electrochemical elements such as capacitors and secondary batteries.

[0094] The coated object 110 has a width Wx in the width direction 20 and a length Wy in the transport direction 10. The predetermined region 120 shown by the dashed line is the region to which the liquid composition is applied based on one liquid arrangement data P. The predetermined region 120 includes a first coated region 121 to which the liquid composition is applied and a second coated region 122 to which the liquid composition is not applied. Note that since the liquid composition applied to the first coated region 121 spreads on the electrode substrate 102, the second coated region 122 is not necessarily devoid of the liquid composition.

[0095] Based on coating data A generated by tiling multiple liquid placement data P, multiple predetermined regions 120 are tiled in both the transport direction 10 and the width direction 20, thereby forming a film over the entire target area. Figure 6 illustrates a film formed based on liquid placement data P2 with a coating ratio of 50%, but the same applies when forming a film based on liquid placement data P with a coating ratio other than 50%. In this way, since the predetermined regions 120 are formed by repeatedly arranging the liquid placement data P, the first coating region 121 and the second coating region 122 on the formed film become alternating and periodic. The period of the first coating region 121 and the second coating region 122 varies depending on the coating ratio, but is less than or equal to the length of one side of the liquid placement data P. For example, if the size of the liquid placement data P, which consists of 4 × 4 pixels as shown in Figure 5, is 85 μm × 85 μm, then the period of the pattern consisting of the first coating region 121 and the second coating region 122 will be 85 μm or less.

[0096] Furthermore, if the width Wy is not an integer multiple of the length of the predetermined region 120 in the transport direction 10, a portion of the predetermined region 120 will not be formed to match the width Wy. Similarly, if the width Wx is not an integer multiple of the length of the predetermined region 120 in the width direction 20, a portion of the predetermined region 120 will not be formed to match the width Wx.

[0097] Here, a coated object 110 having a first coated area 121 and a second coated area 122 on an electrode substrate 102 will be described. The coated object 110 is an example of an electrode. The first coated area 121 and the second coated area 122 are arranged alternately and periodically along a predetermined direction. The predetermined direction is preferably the transport direction 10 of the coated object 110 or the width direction 20 of the coated object 110.

[0098] The first coating region 121 and the second coating region 122 can be distinguished by observing the coating surface of the coated object 110 using a microscope, but more preferably by either binarizing an image of the coating surface of the coated object 110 or measuring the thickness of the coating from a cross-section of the coated object 110.

[0099] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an electrode including a first coating region and a second coating region, where Figure 7(a) is the diagram of the first example and Figure 7(b) is the diagram of the second example.

[0100] As shown in Figure 7(a), in the first example, the coated object 110a has a continuous sequence of droplet-coated pixels (coated pixels) in the Y direction on the electrode substrate 102, with droplet-coated pixel positions and uncoated pixel positions alternating in the X direction. As shown in Figure 10(b), in the second example, the coated object 110b has a sequence of droplet-coated pixel positions and uncoated pixel positions alternating in both the X and Y directions on the electrode substrate 102. The first coated area 121, indicated by the solid arrow, corresponds to the droplet-coated pixel positions. The second coated area 122, indicated by the dashed arrow, corresponds to the uncoated pixel positions. Although the second coated area 122 is an uncoated pixel area, there are droplets that have extended beyond the first coated area 121.

[0101] Figure 8 shows a method for forming a coated object 110 including a first coated area and a second coated area. Figure 8(a) shows a method using a binarized image, and Figure 8(b) shows a method using measurement results of the cross-sectional shape.

[0102] Figure 8(a) shows an example of a binarized image obtained by imaging a coated object 110 from above with a microscope or the like (imaging the coated surface). In this method, in the binarized image data, data corresponding to white is assigned to the second coated region 122, and data corresponding to black is assigned to the first coated region 121. This divides the coated region into two. The assignment of coated regions to each white or black data is just an example, and the colors may be inverted. The captured data is either color data or grayscale data, and it is common for each plate to have 256 gradations. When binarizing, it is desirable to use either the median or mean value of the distribution of a measure representing brightness (e.g., lightness or luminance) as the threshold.

[0103] Figure 8(b) shows the cross-sectional shape of the coated object 110. In this method, the region of the coated object 110 that exceeds a predetermined height in the height distribution, for example, the region that is higher than the electrode base 102, is defined as the first coated region 121, and the region that is below the predetermined height, for example, the region that is about the same height as the electrode base 102, is defined as the second coated region 122. In Figure 8(b), the predetermined height is, as an example, the maximum value of the height distribution within the electrode base 102, but the median or average value may also be used. Furthermore, the direction and range for acquiring the height position are set to include multiple first coated region 121 and second coated region 122, respectively.

[0104] Here, a method for confirming the presence or absence of periodicity in the first coating region 121 and the second coating region 122 will be described. The presence or absence of periodicity in the arrangement of the first coating region 121 and the second coating region 122 can be determined, for example, by observing the coating surface of the coated object 110 using a microscope. More preferably, it can be determined by analyzing the frequency components obtained by performing a Fourier transform on an image of the coating surface of the coated object 110, or by analyzing the frequency components obtained by performing a Fourier transform on the cross-sectional shape measurement results of the coated object 110.

[0105] When using an image of the coated surface of the coated object 110, a Fourier transform is performed on the intensity of the image data (color data, grayscale data, or data obtained by binarizing either of the above).

[0106] When using the cross-sectional shape measurement results of the coated object 110, the transition of the height data is treated as waveform data and subjected to a Fourier transform. Either the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) or the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) may be used, but the Fast Fourier Transform is preferred from the viewpoint of speeding up processing.

[0107] <Effects and Effects of Electrode Manufacturing Apparatus 100> As described above, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 forms a film on the electrode substrate 102 (substrate) by applying a liquid composition (liquid) to the electrode substrate 102 (substrate) based on the application data A. The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a control unit 400 that generates application data A by repeatedly arranging predetermined liquid placement data P that represents the application position of the liquid composition within a predetermined region 120 on the electrode substrate 102, and a head 130 that discharges the liquid composition based on the application data A generated by the control unit 400.

[0108] In this embodiment, by forming a film on the electrode substrate 102 that includes a first coating region 121 and a second coating region 122 based on coating data A, the thickness of the film can be controlled according to the coating ratio of the liquid composition. Therefore, a film forming apparatus is provided that can control the film thickness and form a film of excellent quality. A particularly significant effect is obtained when forming a film of uniform thickness on a large area electrode substrate 102. The formed film includes a second coating region 122 where the liquid composition is not applied, but since the area of ​​the second coating region 122 is very small, it does not affect the function of the film or the function of the coated object 110 on which the film is formed.

[0109] In this embodiment, the control unit 400 selects liquid arrangement data P based on the film formation condition C using the selection unit 403.

[0110] For example, if liquid placement data is selected for each pixel in the coating data, the number of times the selection process is repeated increases as the number of pixels increases, resulting in longer processing time and increased processing load. The processing time and processing load also increase as the overall area of ​​the target region increases.

[0111] In this embodiment, the number of types of film formation conditions C is very small compared to the number of pixels included in the coating data A. Therefore, the number of selection processes for liquid placement data P can be reduced, shortening the processing time and reducing the processing load.

[0112] Furthermore, in this embodiment, there is a storage unit 404 that stores correspondence information 407 between the film formation conditions C and the liquid arrangement data P. The control unit 400 selects the liquid arrangement data P by referring to the storage unit 404 based on the film formation conditions C.

[0113] For example, if liquid placement data is selected for each pixel included in the coating data, it is necessary to store a number of liquid placement data corresponding to the type of pixel value. For example, if the pixel value has 256 gradations, at least 256 liquid placement data can be stored in memory. The storage capacity of the storage unit increases with the number of liquid placement data to be stored, which increases the cost and size of the electrode manufacturing equipment.

[0114] In this embodiment, the number of types of film formation conditions C is very small compared to the number of types of pixel values, so the number of liquid arrangement data stored in the storage unit 404 can be reduced, and the storage capacity of the storage unit can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to prevent an increase in the cost of the electrode manufacturing apparatus and the size of the storage unit.

[0115] [Second Embodiment] Next, an example of applying the liquid composition according to the second embodiment will be described. Note that components identical to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted as appropriate. This also applies to other embodiments described later.

[0116] <An example of a target area 140> Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating a target region 140 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, the target region 140 includes a first target region 141 and a second target region 142 that is different from the first target region 141.

[0117] The first target region 141 includes a portion of the electrode substrate 102. The second target region 142 includes the substrate region 142a on the electrode substrate 102 other than the first target region 141, and the platen region 142b on the platen 104 where the electrode substrate 102 is not placed.

[0118] <Example of coating data Aa> Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating coating data Aa according to the second embodiment. Coating data Aa is generated by including a plurality of first liquid arrangement data Pa1 and a plurality of second liquid arrangement data Pa2. Figure 10 shows one of the plurality of first liquid arrangement data Pa1 and one of the plurality of second liquid arrangement data Pa2.

[0119] The first liquid arrangement data Pa1 is data for applying the liquid composition to the first target region 141. The second liquid arrangement data Pa2 is data for applying the liquid composition to the second target region 142.

[0120] The first liquid arrangement data Pa1 has 16 pixels in total, 4 in the vertical direction and 4 in the horizontal direction. The second liquid arrangement data Pa2 has 40 pixels in total, 10 in the vertical direction and 4 in the horizontal direction. The data size of the first liquid arrangement data Pa1 is different from that of the second liquid arrangement data Pa2; the data size of the second liquid arrangement data Pa2 is larger than that of the first liquid arrangement data Pa1.

[0121] Figure 11 shows an example of applying a liquid composition to a target region 140. One first predetermined region 120a1 is a region to which the liquid composition is applied based on one first liquid arrangement data Pa1. One second predetermined region 120a2 is a region to which the liquid composition is applied based on one second liquid arrangement data Pa2. Multiple first predetermined regions 120a1 are formed in the first target region 141 based on multiple first liquid arrangement data Pa1, and multiple second predetermined regions 120a2 are formed in the second target region 142 based on multiple second liquid arrangement data Pa2.

[0122] The area of ​​the first predetermined region 120a1 corresponding to one first liquid configuration data Pa1 is different from the area of ​​the second predetermined region 120a2 corresponding to one second liquid configuration data Pa2. Furthermore, the area of ​​the second predetermined region 120a2 corresponding to one second liquid configuration data Pa2 is larger than the area of ​​the first predetermined region 120a1 corresponding to one first liquid configuration data Pa1. Note that the region corresponding to one liquid configuration data refers to the region where a film is formed based on one first liquid configuration data.

[0123] Here, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 discharges the liquid composition into the second target region 142 in order to discharge the thickened liquid composition in the head 130, as well as any bubbles or foreign matter mixed into the head 130. Such discharge of the liquid composition does not contribute to the formation of the target film and is called empty discharge or flushing. In this embodiment, during the film formation operation by the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100, the target film is formed in the first target region 141, and empty discharge is performed into the second target region 142.

[0124] The liquid composition applied to the second target area 142 does not contribute to the formation of the target film, so the application method of the liquid composition does not matter. However, since the second target area 142 is visible to the user, the user may mistakenly believe that the electrode substrate 102 is contaminated by the liquid composition applied to the second target area 142.

[0125] To reduce the user's misinterpretation, it is preferable that the empty discharge onto the second target area 142 is a star flushing, in which the applied liquid composition is not visually noticeable.

[0126] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the area of ​​the second predetermined region 120a2 is made larger than the area of ​​the first predetermined region 120a1, thereby increasing the positional dispersion of the liquid composition applied to the second target region 142. By increasing the positional dispersion of the liquid composition, the liquid composition applied to the second target region 142 becomes even less visually noticeable.

[0127] Furthermore, it is even more preferable that the film formed by applying the liquid composition to the second target region 142 has blue noise characteristics. Here, blue noise refers to noise that has few spatial frequency components on the low-frequency side and a spatial frequency peak on the high-frequency side. Since human vision has relatively low spatial resolution on the high-frequency side, forming a film with blue noise characteristics on the second target region 142 can further reduce the user's misperception that the electrode substrate 102 is contaminated.

[0128] The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 can impart blue noise characteristics to the film formed in the second target region 142 by pre-creating an image pattern of the second liquid arrangement data Pa2 having blue noise characteristics.

[0129] <Effects and Effects According to the Second Embodiment> As described above, the target region 140 according to this embodiment includes a first target region 141 and a second target region 142, and the coating data Aa includes a plurality of first liquid arrangement data Pa1 and a plurality of second liquid arrangement data Pa2. The first liquid arrangement data Pa1 can be created to form a target film, and the second liquid arrangement data Pa2 can be created to be suitable for dry dispensing, so both target film formation and dry dispensing can be performed during the film formation operation. As a result, the viscosity of the liquid composition in the head 130 and the incorporation of air bubbles and foreign matter into the head 130 can be suppressed, thereby suppressing abnormalities in the dispensing of the liquid composition by the head 130 and enabling the formation of a high-quality film.

[0130] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the area of ​​one first predetermined region 120a1 is different from the area of ​​one second predetermined region 120a2. For example, the area of ​​the second predetermined region is larger than the area of ​​the first predetermined region. This makes it possible to make the positional dispersion of the liquid composition applied to the first target region 141 different from the positional dispersion of the liquid composition applied to the second target region 142, thereby making the liquid composition applied to the second predetermined region 120a2 less noticeable visually. This also helps to prevent the user from mistakenly perceiving the electrode substrate 102 as contaminated.

[0131] Furthermore, it is even more preferable that the film formed in the second target region 142 has blue noise characteristics. This characteristic further suppresses the user from mistakenly believing that the electrode substrate 102 is contaminated.

[0132] Furthermore, the effects and benefits of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 other than those described above are the same as those described in the first embodiment.

[0133] [Third Embodiment] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment. The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 starts the operation shown in Figure 12 when it receives a film formation start instruction from the user using the operation unit of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100.

[0134] First, in step S101, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 starts unwinding the electrode base 102 in the unwinding section 101 and starts winding the electrode base 102 in the winding section 107, thereby starting the transport of the electrode base 102.

[0135] Next, in step S102, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 uses the head unit 103A to discharge liquid composition from all nozzles in parallel toward the conveyed electrode substrate 102, and after the electrode substrate 102 has been conveyed a predetermined distance, the discharge of liquid composition from all nozzles is stopped. As a result, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 applies the liquid composition discharged from the head unit 103A to the area on the electrode substrate 102 corresponding to a predetermined distance in the conveying direction 10 and the entire width in the width direction, respectively.

[0136] Next, in step S103, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 determines whether or not to terminate film formation. For example, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 determines whether or not to terminate film formation by determining whether or not predetermined termination conditions are met, or by determining whether or not the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 has received a termination instruction from the user via the operation unit. The same applies to the determination of termination.

[0137] If it is determined in step S103 that film formation should be terminated (step S103, Yes), the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 proceeds to step S110. On the other hand, if it is determined that film formation should not be terminated (step S103, No), the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 proceeds to step S104.

[0138] Next, in step S104, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 uses the head unit 103B to discharge liquid composition from all nozzles in parallel toward the conveyed electrode substrate 102, and after the electrode substrate 102 has been conveyed a predetermined distance, it stops discharging liquid composition from all nozzles. As a result, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 applies the liquid composition discharged from the head unit 103B to an area on the electrode substrate 102 corresponding to a predetermined distance in the conveying direction 10 and the entire width in the width direction, respectively, downstream of the area coated with liquid composition by the head unit 103A in the conveying direction 10.

[0139] The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 applies the liquid composition discharged from the head unit 103B to a different position in the transport direction 10 from the head unit 103A, so it can apply the liquid composition to the electrode substrate 102 intermittently rather than continuously.

[0140] When a liquid composition is applied to an electrode substrate 102 having a layer mainly composed of particles on its outermost surface, a more easily formed, approximately circular defects where the liquid composition does not exist are more likely to occur compared to an electrode substrate 102 with a layer mainly composed of resin. This phenomenon is thought to occur because, when the liquid composition is applied to the electrode substrate 102, the air inside the particle-based layer on the electrode substrate 102 is replaced by the liquid and expelled from within the layer, hindering the spread of the liquid composition on the electrode substrate 102. If an electrode substrate 102 with approximately circular defects is used as an electrode, a short circuit may occur.

[0141] In this embodiment, the liquid composition is applied to the electrode substrate 102 intermittently, rather than continuously, at regular intervals. This ensures sufficient time for the air inside the particle-based layer to be replaced by the liquid composition and expelled. As a result, in this embodiment, the liquid composition spreads and covers the electrode substrate 102, suppressing defects such as approximately circular shapes on the electrode substrate 102, controlling the film thickness, and forming a high-quality film. In addition, similar effects can be obtained in the first and second embodiments, as air is expelled from the pixel 52 area, i.e., the uncoated area 122.

[0142] On the other hand, when dispensing a high-viscosity liquid composition at a high frequency in head 130, dispensing failures may occur. Factors contributing to this include the fact that the supply rate of the liquid composition to head 130 slows down at high-frequency dispensing, resulting in increased pressure loss in the supply path.

[0143] In this embodiment, instead of continuously applying and dispensing at a high frequency with a single head 130, the coating is applied intermittently by multiple heads 130 arranged in the transport direction 10, thus allowing the dispensing frequency per head 130 to be lowered. As a result, poor dispensing of the liquid composition by the heads 130 can be suppressed.

[0144] The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 applies the liquid composition by head unit 103B to the area coated with the liquid composition by head unit 103A without leaving any gaps. The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 also applies the liquid composition by head unit 103B to the electrode substrate 102 such that the area coated with the liquid composition by head unit 103B is approximately equal to the area coated with the liquid composition by head unit 103A.

[0145] Next, in step S105, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 determines whether or not to terminate film formation. If it is determined in step S105 to terminate film formation (step S105, Yes), the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 proceeds to step S110. On the other hand, if it is determined not to terminate film formation (step S105, No), the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 proceeds to step S106.

[0146] Next, in step S106, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 uses the head unit 103C to discharge liquid composition from all nozzles in parallel toward the conveyed electrode substrate 102, and after the electrode substrate 102 has been conveyed a predetermined distance, it stops discharging liquid composition from all nozzles. As a result, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 applies the liquid composition discharged from the head unit 103C to an area on the electrode substrate 102 corresponding to a predetermined distance in the conveying direction 10 and the entire width in the width direction, respectively, downstream of the area coated with liquid composition by the head unit 103B in the conveying direction 10.

[0147] The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 applies the liquid composition discharged from the head unit 103C to a different position in the transport direction 10 from the head unit 103B, thus enabling intermittent rather than continuous application of the liquid composition onto the electrode substrate 102. Furthermore, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 applies the liquid composition discharged from the head unit 103C to the area where the liquid composition has been applied by the head unit 103B without any gaps. Additionally, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 applies the liquid composition discharged from the head unit 103C onto the electrode substrate 102 such that the area where the liquid composition has been applied by the head unit 103C is approximately equal to the area where the liquid composition has been applied by the head unit 103B.

[0148] Next, in step S107, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 determines whether or not to terminate film formation. If it is determined in step S107 to terminate film formation (step S107, Yes), the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 proceeds to step S110. On the other hand, if it is determined not to terminate film formation (step S107, No), the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 proceeds to step S108.

[0149] Next, in step S108, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 uses the head unit 103D to discharge liquid composition from all nozzles in parallel toward the conveyed electrode substrate 102, and after the electrode substrate 102 has been conveyed a predetermined distance, it stops discharging liquid composition from all nozzles. As a result, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 applies the liquid composition discharged from the head unit 103D to an area on the electrode substrate 102 corresponding to a predetermined distance in the conveying direction 10 and the entire width in the width direction, respectively, downstream of the area coated with liquid composition by the head unit 103C in the conveying direction 10.

[0150] The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 applies the liquid composition discharged from the head unit 103D to a different position in the transport direction 10 from the head unit 103C, thus enabling the liquid composition to be applied to the electrode substrate 102 intermittently rather than continuously. The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 applies the liquid composition discharged from the head unit 103D to the area where the liquid composition has been applied by the head unit 103C without any gaps.

[0151] Furthermore, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 applies the liquid composition discharged from the head unit 103D onto the electrode substrate 102 such that the area of ​​the region to which the liquid composition is applied by the head unit 103D is approximately equal to the area of ​​the region to which the liquid composition is applied by the head unit 103C.

[0152] Next, in step S109, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 determines whether or not to terminate film formation. If it is determined in step S109 to terminate film formation (step S109, Yes), the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 proceeds to step S110. On the other hand, if it is determined not to terminate film formation (step S109, No), the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 returns to step S102 and repeats the operations from step S102 onward.

[0153] Next, in step S110, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 stops unwinding the electrode base 102 at the unwinding section 101 and stops winding the electrode base 102 at the winding section 107, thereby stopping the transport of the electrode base 102.

[0154] In this way, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 can coat the electrode substrate 102 with a liquid composition and form a film on the electrode substrate 102.

[0155] In this case, when the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 repeatedly applies a pattern, the application position of the liquid composition on the electrode substrate 102 is fixed in the width direction 20. For this reason, if, for example, a discharge bend occurs in a predetermined nozzle in the head unit 103A, a region in the transport direction 10 where the liquid composition is not continuously applied, i.e., white streaks extending in the transport direction 10, are likely to occur.

[0156] In this embodiment, by intermittently applying the liquid composition using both head units 103A and 103B, even if areas are not coated with the liquid composition due to the liquid composition discharged from head unit 103A, the liquid composition discharged from head unit 103B can fill these areas, thereby further suppressing the occurrence of white streaks.

[0157] Figures 13 and 14 illustrate an example of white streak suppression according to this embodiment. Figure 13 is an example of coating data according to this embodiment, and Figure 14 is a coating example based on the coating data in Figure 13.

[0158] Figure 13 shows three coating data sets: A1, A2, and A3. In Figure 13, pixels indicated by dot hatching are pixels to which the liquid composition is applied, while pixels other than those indicated by dot hatching are pixels to which the liquid composition is not applied. Coating data sets A1 and A3 contain repeating patterns, while coating data set A2 contains a non-repeating pattern.

[0159] Figure 14 shows patterns formed by the liquid composition. Pattern 151 is a comparative example pattern formed by a liquid composition discharged from only one head 130 based on the coating data A1 in Figure 13. Pattern 152 is a comparative example pattern formed by a liquid composition discharged from only one head 130 based on the coating data A2 in Figure 13. Pattern 153 is a pattern formed by a liquid composition discharged from two heads 130 aligned along the transport direction 10, based on the coating data A3 in Figure 13.

[0160] In Figure 14, the areas indicated by dot hatching are areas coated with the liquid composition discharged from a predetermined head 130. The areas indicated by diagonal hatching are areas coated with the liquid composition discharged from the other head 130, which is one of two heads 130 aligned along the transport direction 10, and is different from the predetermined head 130. Areas without hatching are areas where the liquid composition was not applied.

[0161] In pattern 151, in region 151a, the area where the liquid composition is not applied extends in the transport direction 10, resulting in white streaks. In pattern 152, in region 152a, which corresponds to region 151a in pattern 151, the liquid composition is applied to a portion of the area, making the white streaks less noticeable. In pattern 153, in region 153a, which corresponds to region 151a in pattern 151, the liquid composition discharged from the other head is applied, making the white streaks less noticeable.

[0162] In the comparative example, if a repeating pattern is included in coating data A1, white streaks appear. In contrast, in this embodiment, even if a repeating pattern is included in coating data A3, the liquid composition discharged from the other head can be applied to the white streak area, making the white streaks less noticeable.

[0163] Furthermore, the effects and advantages of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 other than those described in this practical embodiment are the same as those described in the first embodiment.

[0164] [Fourth Embodiment] An example of coating the liquid composition according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 15 and 16. Figure 15 shows a comparative example, and Figure 14 shows this embodiment. Figures 15 and 16 also show the positions where the liquid composition discharged from head unit 103A and head unit 103B is coated onto the electrode substrate 102.

[0165] The square-shaped cells shown in Figures 15 and 16 represent pixel regions 61 on the electrode substrate 102, where one drop of the liquid composition is applied at a time. Multiple pixel regions 61 are arranged in the transport direction 10 and the width direction 20, forming a matrix with the transport direction 10 as columns and the width direction 20 as rows. In Figures 15 and 16, square-shaped pixel regions 61 are shown as examples, but the shape of the pixel regions 61 can be arbitrary.

[0166] The "A" shown within pixel region 61 indicates a pixel region to which the liquid composition has been applied by head unit 103A, and the "B" shown within pixel region 61 indicates a pixel region to which the liquid composition has been applied by head unit 103B. This principle will continue to be applied hereafter.

[0167] As shown in Figure 15, in the comparative example, starting from the downstream side (upper side in the figure) of the transport direction 10, the liquid composition discharged from head unit 103A is applied to the first row, head unit 103B to the second row, head unit 103A to the third row, and head unit 103B to the fourth row. In other words, the head unit that applies the liquid composition differs from row to row. The same applies to head units 103C and 103D.

[0168] As shown in Figure 16, in this embodiment, head units 103A and 103B are coated with the liquid composition in a staggered pattern. The application of the liquid composition in a staggered pattern will be described in more detail. As shown in Figure 16, head unit 103A is coated with the first liquid composition 611, the second liquid composition 612, and the third liquid composition 613.

[0169] The first liquid composition 611, the second liquid composition 612, and the third liquid composition 613 each represent liquid compositions applied to the pixel region 61. The second liquid composition 612 is applied at the same position as the first liquid composition 611 in the width direction 20. In other words, the pixel region to which the second liquid composition 612 is applied and the pixel region to which the first liquid composition 611 is applied have the same coordinates in the width direction 20.

[0170] The third liquid composition 613 is applied to a position intermediate between the first liquid composition 611 and the second liquid composition 612 in the transport direction 10, and at a different position from the first liquid composition 611 in the width direction 20. In other words, the pixel region to which the third liquid composition 613 is applied and the pixel region intermediate between the first liquid composition 611 and the second liquid composition 612 in the transport direction 10 have the same coordinates in the transport direction 10. The pixel region to which the third liquid composition 613 is applied and the pixel region to which the first liquid composition 611 is applied have different coordinates in the width direction 20.

[0171] "Applying the liquid compositions in a staggered pattern" means applying the first liquid composition 611, the second liquid composition 612, and the third liquid composition 613 to the positions described above.

[0172] Here, only the first liquid composition 611, the second liquid composition 612, and the third liquid composition 613 of the liquid compositions applied by the head unit 103A have been described. However, the head unit 103A can similarly apply liquid compositions other than the first liquid composition 611, the second liquid composition 612, and the third liquid composition 613 to the electrode substrate 102 in a staggered pattern. The head unit 103B can similarly apply liquid compositions to the electrode substrate 102 in a staggered pattern. However, the head unit 103B applies the liquid composition in such a way that the pixel area does not overlap with the liquid composition applied by the head unit 103A.

[0173] Head units 103C and 103D similarly apply the liquid composition in a staggered pattern so as not to overlap with the pixel areas to which the liquid composition dispensed from the other head unit is applied.

[0174] Although an example is shown where the pixel region to which the first liquid composition 611 is applied and the pixel region to which the third liquid composition is applied are adjacent in the width direction 20, one or more pixel regions may be included between the two pixel regions along the width direction 20. Also, although Figure 16 shows an example where one pixel region is interposed between the pixel region to which the first liquid composition 611 is applied and the pixel region to which the second liquid composition 612 is applied in the transport direction 10, the example is not limited to this, and two or more pixel regions may be included between the two pixel regions.

[0175] If, in the transport direction 10, an odd number of pixel regions are included between the pixel region to which the first liquid composition 611 is applied and the pixel region to which the second liquid composition 612 is applied, the third liquid composition 613 is applied to the pixel region located between the two pixel regions.

[0176] In the example shown in Figure 16, between the pixel region to which the first liquid composition 611 is applied and the pixel region to which the second liquid composition 612 is applied in the transport direction 10, there is an odd number of pixel regions, and the third liquid composition 613 is applied to this pixel region. However, if there is an even number of pixel regions between the pixel region to which the first liquid composition 611 is applied and the pixel region to which the second liquid composition 612 is applied in the transport direction 10, there is no pixel region centered at the midpoint between the two pixel regions. In this case, the third liquid composition 613 is applied to a pixel region centered at a position shifted by 0.5 pixel regions upstream or downstream in the transport direction 10 from the midpoint between the two pixel regions. The application method according to this embodiment has the same effects as the application method of the third embodiment.

[0177] Although embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments specifically disclosed above, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0178] Furthermore, the ordinal numbers, quantities, and other figures used in the description of the embodiments are all illustrative examples used to specifically illustrate the technology of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated figures.

[0179] Furthermore, the embodiment includes a film formation method. For example, the film formation method is a film formation method using a film forming apparatus that applies a liquid onto a substrate based on application data and forms a film on the substrate, wherein the film forming apparatus generates the application data by repeatedly arranging predetermined liquid placement data representing the application position of the liquid within a predetermined area on the substrate using a control unit, and the head discharges the liquid based on the application data generated by the control unit. With such a film formation method, the same effects and advantages as the electrode manufacturing apparatus described above can be obtained. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0180] 10 Conveying direction 20 Width direction 51, 52 pixels 61 pixel area 611 First liquid composition 612 Second liquid composition 613 Third liquid composition 100 Electrode Manufacturing Equipment (An example of a film formation apparatus) 101 Outlet 102 Electrode substrate (an example of a substrate) 103 Liquid coating section 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D Head Unit 104 Platen 105 Conveyor rollers 106 Drying section 107 Winding section 108 Heat Drum 109 Hot air drying section 110, 110a Coated film (Example of electrode element, Example of electrode) 113 1st coating area 114 2nd coating area 120 Predetermined area 120a1 First predetermined area 120a2 Second predetermined area 121 1st coating area 122 2nd coating area 130 heads 131 Nozzle Rows 140 Target Areas 141 First Target Area 142 Second Target Area 142a Base area 142b Platen region Patterns 151, 152, and 153 151a, 152a, 153a area 400 Control Unit 401 Input / output section 402 Transport Control Unit 403 Selection Section 404 Storage Unit 405 Generator 406 Discharge Control Unit 407 Correspondence Information A, A1, A2, A3 Coating data C Film formation conditions P, P1, P2, P3, Pa, Liquid configuration data Pa1 First liquid configuration data Pa2 Second Liquid Configuration Data Wx, Wy width [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0181] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-275663

Claims

1. A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a substrate by applying a liquid onto the substrate based on coating data, A control unit that generates the coating data by repeatedly arranging predetermined liquid placement data representing the coating position of the liquid within a predetermined region on the substrate, Based on the coating data generated by the control unit, a head for dispensing the liquid is provided. It has, The control unit selects the liquid arrangement data based on the film formation conditions, The aforementioned film formation conditions are information for determining the amount of liquid composition in a film formation apparatus.

2. Having a storage unit for storing correspondence information between the film formation conditions and the liquid arrangement data, The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects the liquid arrangement data by referring to the storage unit based on the film formation conditions.

3. The target region, which is the area to be coated with the liquid by the film forming apparatus, includes a first target region and a second target region different from the first target region. The coating data comprises a plurality of first liquid arrangement data for coating the liquid into the first target region, and a plurality of second liquid arrangement data for coating the liquid into the second target region. A film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising:

4. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the area of ​​a first predetermined region corresponding to one of the first liquid arrangement data is different from the area of ​​a second predetermined region corresponding to one of the second liquid arrangement data.

5. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the area of ​​the second predetermined region is larger than the area of ​​the first predetermined region.

6. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 5, wherein the film formed in the second target region has blue noise characteristics.

7. The substrate is transported along the transport direction, The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plurality of heads apply the liquid to different positions on the substrate along the transport direction.

8. Each of the heads has multiple nozzles arranged in a width direction intersecting the conveying direction. Each of the multiple heads is coated with at least a first liquid, a second liquid, and a third liquid onto the substrate. The second liquid is applied in the width direction at a position approximately equal to the application position of the first liquid. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the third liquid is applied at a position between the application position of the first liquid and the application position of the second liquid in the transport direction, and at a position different from the application position of the first liquid in a direction intersecting the transport direction.

9. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the film forming condition is the thickness of the film to be formed.

10. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the film forming condition is the volume of the liquid composition per unit area on the substrate.

11. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the film forming condition is the weight of the liquid composition per unit area on the substrate.

12. An electrode comprising a substrate on which a film is formed, The electrode has a first coating region and a second coating region. The first and second coating regions are electrodes arranged alternately and periodically along a predetermined direction.

13. The electrode according to claim 12, wherein the first and second coating regions are arranged alternately and periodically along a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

14. The electrode according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the substrate is a current collector.

15. The electrode according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the substrate is an active material provided on a current collector.

16. An electrode element having the electrode according to any one of claims 12 to 15.

17. An electrochemical element having the electrode element according to claim 16.

18. A secondary battery having the electrode element according to claim 16.

19. A film forming method using a film forming apparatus that applies a liquid onto a substrate based on coating data and forms a film on the substrate, wherein the film forming apparatus is The control unit generates the coating data by repeatedly arranging predetermined liquid placement data that represents the coating position of the liquid within a predetermined area on the substrate. The head dispenses the liquid based on the coating data generated by the control unit. The control unit selects the liquid arrangement data based on the film formation conditions, A film formation method wherein the aforementioned film formation conditions are information for determining the amount of liquid composition.

20. The substrate is supplied to the transport path by rotating the roll-shaped substrate, The film-forming method according to claim 19, wherein the liquid is applied to the substrate in the transport path.

21. The film forming method according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the substrate to which the liquid has been applied is wound into a roll shape.

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