Discharging apparatus, control method, substrate processing apparatus, and method for manufacturing article

Abstract

A dispensing device is provided, comprising: a dispensing head that includes a plurality of discharge ports for dispensing a discharge liquid and places the discharge liquid on a substrate through the plurality of discharge ports; a cleaning unit that cleans a discharge surface exposed by the plurality of discharge ports using a cleaning liquid having a viscosity different from that of the discharge liquid; a specifying unit that, after the cleaning unit cleans the discharge surface, specifies a first discharge port from the plurality of discharge ports where the cleaning liquid remains within the discharge port; and a control unit that performs a preliminary discharge to the dispensing head so that a first discharge amount of the discharge liquid is discharged from the first discharge port specified by the specific unit among the plurality of discharge ports.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a discharge device, a control method, a substrate processing device, and a method for manufacturing an article. Background Technology

[0002] Recently, when manufacturing various functional devices, attempts have been made to form patterns by applying (placing) the material of the functional device onto a substrate using an inkjet device (liquid ejection device). Patterning using an inkjet device has advantages such as high material utilization efficiency due to the ability to perform on-demand patterning, relatively compact manufacturing equipment because it is a non-vacuum process, and the ability to apply material over a large area at high speed.

[0003] In inkjet devices, if foreign matter adheres to the surface or interior of the nozzle while liquids such as ink are being ejected (during patterning) or while the device is idle, defects such as ejection failures or unevenness in the ink placed on the substrate may occur. To resolve these defects, one might consider dipping the surface or interior of the nozzle in a cleaning solution to remove the foreign matter; however, there is a possibility that the cleaning solution may penetrate into the nozzle and remain inside. If ink is ejected while cleaning solution remains inside the nozzle, ink containing impurities is ejected, leading to a degradation in the quality of the products manufactured on the substrate where such ink is placed.

[0004] Accordingly, a technology for suppressing the retention of cleaning liquid inside the discharge port is proposed in Patent Publication No. 6796498 and Korean Published Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0012730. Patent Publication No. 6796498 discloses a technology in which a wiper soaked in cleaning liquid (wiping liquid) is wiped along the surface of the discharge port at a speed such that the cleaning liquid does not come into contact with the surface of the discharge port and the cleaning liquid does not enter the discharge port. In addition, Korean Published Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0012730 discloses a technology in which a discharge head including a plurality of discharge ports is immersed in a cleaning liquid under a negative pressure to introduce the cleaning liquid into the interior of the discharge port, and then the discharge head is set to a positive pressure to discharge the cleaning liquid from the discharge port. The problem to be solved

[0005] However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Publication No. 6796498, after wiping the wiper along the surface of the discharge port, it is not detected (guaranteed) whether the cleaning liquid has entered the interior of the discharge port, so there is a possibility that the cleaning liquid remains inside the discharge port.

[0006] Furthermore, in the technology disclosed in Korean Published Patent Application No. 10-2011-0012730, a cleaning solution flows into the interior of each discharge port by applying negative pressure to each discharge port included in the discharge head; however, if the negative pressure applied to all discharge ports is not uniform, the amount of cleaning solution flowing into each discharge port (inflow amount) will differ. In such a case, when the cleaning solution is discharged from each discharge port, ink is discharged along with the cleaning solution from discharge ports with a small inflow amount of cleaning solution, or from discharge ports where no cleaning solution is flowing, resulting in unnecessary consumption of ink.

[0007] The present invention provides a technology advantageous for pre-discharge in a discharge head comprising a plurality of discharge ports for discharging a discharge liquid. means of solving the problem

[0008] A dispensing device as one aspect of the present invention comprises: a dispensing head that includes a plurality of discharge ports for dispensing a discharge liquid and places the discharge liquid on a substrate through the plurality of discharge ports; a cleaning unit that cleans a discharge surface exposed by the plurality of discharge ports using a cleaning liquid having a viscosity different from that of the discharge liquid; a specifying unit that, after the cleaning unit cleans the discharge surface, specifies a first discharge port from the plurality of discharge ports where the cleaning liquid remains within the discharge port; and a control unit that performs a preliminary discharge to the dispensing head so that a first discharge amount of the discharge liquid is discharged from the first discharge port specified by the specific unit among the plurality of discharge ports.

[0009] Another object or other aspect of the present invention will be revealed by the embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Effects of the invention

[0010] According to the present invention, for example, a technique advantageous for pre-discharging in a discharge head comprising a plurality of discharge ports for discharging a discharge liquid can be provided. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a liquid discharge device as one aspect of the present invention. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating that cleaning liquid remains in multiple discharge ports of a discharge head. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a detection unit. FIGS. 4a and FIGS. 4b are drawings for explaining a specific method for identifying a residual discharge port from a plurality of discharge ports of a discharge head. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the preliminary discharge of the discharge head in the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a method for classifying residual discharge outlets, where cleaning liquid remains, into multiple groups. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the preliminary discharge of the discharge head in the present embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the overall operation sequence of a liquid dispensing device. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate on which the material of a functional element is arranged. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0012] Embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Meanwhile, the following embodiments are not intended to limit the invention covered by the patent claims. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined at will. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference number is assigned to identical components, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a liquid dispensing device (1) as one aspect of the present invention. The liquid dispensing device (1) is embodied as an inkjet device that dispenses a liquid (dispensing liquid), such as ink, for example. Meanwhile, in this embodiment, "ink" refers to a liquid used to form a pattern or film on a substrate. In addition, regarding the components of the ink, although not particularly limited, a liquid containing a solute and a solvent for forming an organic film may be used, for example.

[0014] In the present specification and the accompanying drawings, directions are indicated in an XYZ coordinate system in which the direction parallel to the discharge direction of the liquid discharge from the liquid discharge device (1) is the Z-axis, and two directions perpendicular to each other as directions of a plane perpendicular to the Z-axis are the X-axis and the Y-axis. In addition, directions parallel to each of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system are called the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, respectively, and a plane parallel to the plane on which the substrate is placed is called the XY plane.

[0015] The liquid dispensing device (1) has a substrate stage (3) that holds and supports (fixes) a substrate (2), such as a display panel, and drives it. The substrate (2) is appropriately selected, such as a glass substrate or a plastic substrate, depending on the target product being manufactured as an article. The substrate (2) is typically a plate-shaped member, but is not limited to a specific shape as long as it functions as a substrate. For example, the substrate (2) may be a deformable film or a circular substrate. The substrate (2) includes an element area (201) and an evaluation area (202). The element area (201) is an area for forming (arranging) a plurality of functional elements (display pixels) by placing (supplying) ink (4) discharged from the liquid dispensing device (1). The evaluation area (202) is an area where ink (4) is discharged experimentally to evaluate the condition of the ink (4) discharged from the liquid dispensing device (1).

[0016] The liquid dispensing device (1) has a dispensing head (5) that discharges ink (4) (droplets) toward a predetermined position on a substrate (2), an ink supply system (6) that supplies ink (4) to the dispensing head (5), and an ink tank (7) that stores ink (4). Additionally, the liquid dispensing device (1) has a recovery unit (8) that restores the dispensing characteristics of the dispensing head (5) by performing cleaning treatment, etc., on the dispensing head (5).

[0017] The discharge head (5) includes a plurality of discharge ports (19) (nozzles) for discharging ink (4) (droplets). The discharge heads (5) are arranged in a plurality, for example, in the X direction and the Y direction, respectively. By individually controlling the discharge of ink (4) from the discharge ports (19) for each of the discharge heads (5), the ink (4) can be distributed (applied) to the element area (201) on the substrate in a target distribution.

[0018] When the substrate (2) is supported (placed) on the substrate stage (3), there is a possibility that a placement error of the substrate (2) (positional misalignment of the substrate (2) relative to the substrate stage (3)) may occur. Additionally, as the substrate (2) undergoes various manufacturing processes, there is a possibility that the substrate (2) may be twisted in the X direction or Y direction. Accordingly, the liquid dispensing device (1) has an alignment scope (9) for measuring the position of the substrate (2) and the distortion of the substrate (2).

[0019] Additionally, the substrate (2) held and supported on the substrate stage (3) has a thickness variation due to manufacturing. Therefore, when the ink (4) is ejected from the discharge head (5) while driving (scanning) the substrate stage (3) in the Y direction, a variation in the landing position of the ink (4) (droplet) on the substrate (2) occurs due to the thickness variation of the substrate (2). Accordingly, the liquid discharge device (1) has a height sensor (10) that measures the position (height) of the substrate (2) in the Z direction.

[0020] The liquid dispensing device (1) has a control unit (11). The control unit (11) is composed of a computer (information processing device) including, for example, a CPU or memory, and operates the liquid dispensing device (1) by comprehensively controlling each part of the liquid dispensing device (1) according to a program stored in memory.

[0021] As described above, the discharge head (5) includes a plurality of discharge ports (19) for discharging ink (4). However, while discharging ink (4) from the discharge ports (19) or while waiting, foreign matter may adhere to the surface of the discharge ports (19), that is, the discharge surface exposed by the discharge ports (19) or the interior (inside the flow path). Additionally, there may be cases where thickening of the ink (4) discharged from the discharge ports (19), sedimentation of ink components, or electrophoretic phenomena occur. In such cases, defects may occur, such as discharge failure of the discharge ports (19) or unevenness in the ink (4) placed on the substrate.

[0022] In the event that such a defect occurs, in this embodiment, the recovery unit (8) cleans the discharge surface exposed by the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5) by using a cleaning solution with a viscosity different from that of the ink (4), specifically, a cleaning solution with a lower viscosity than that of the ink (4). For example, the recovery unit (8) cleans the discharge surface of the discharge head (5) by immersing the discharge head (5), which includes the plurality of discharge ports (19), in the cleaning solution under negative pressure and introducing the cleaning solution into the interior of the discharge ports (19). In this way, the recovery unit (8) performs cleaning of the discharge surface of the discharge head (5) as one of the cleaning treatments for the discharge head (5) (functioning as a cleaning unit). Meanwhile, in this embodiment, a cleaning solution with a lower viscosity than that of the ink (4) is used as the cleaning solution, but a cleaning solution with a higher viscosity than that of the ink (4) may also be used.

[0023] When cleaning the discharge surface of the discharge head (5), as shown in FIG. 2, cleaning liquid (CL) that has flowed into the interior of the discharge port (19) (inside the discharge port) may remain. The cleaning liquid (CL) remaining inside the discharge port is, for example, mixed with the ink (4) inside the discharge port, and the viscosity of the liquid inside the discharge port (mixture of ink (4) and cleaning liquid) becomes lower than the viscosity of the ink (4). Furthermore, when cleaning the discharge surface of the discharge head (5), if the negative pressure applied to all discharge ports (19) is not uniform, the amount of cleaning liquid (CL) remaining (flowing) in each discharge port (19) (remaining amount) will be different. FIG. 2 shows that among the multiple discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5), a small amount of cleaning liquid (CL) remains in discharge port (19b), a medium amount of cleaning liquid (CL) remains in discharge port (19c), and a large amount of cleaning liquid (CL) remains in discharge port (19d). Meanwhile, it shows that no cleaning liquid (CL) remains in discharge ports (19a and 19e).

[0024] If ink (4) is discharged while cleaning liquid (CL) remains in the discharge port of the discharge head (5), ink (4) containing impurities (cleaning liquid (CL)) is discharged, causing a deterioration in the quality of the product manufactured from the substrate (2) on which the ink (4) is placed. Accordingly, after cleaning the discharge surface of the discharge head (5) by the recovery unit (8), the control unit (11) performs a preliminary discharge on the discharge head (5) to discharge the cleaning liquid (CL) remaining in the discharge port from the discharge port (19). However, in the preliminary discharge, if the same amount of liquid is discharged from all discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5), the ink (4) is discharged along with the cleaning liquid (CL) from the discharge port (19b) where the amount of cleaning liquid (CL) remaining is small, or from the discharge ports (19a and 19e) where no cleaning liquid (CL) remains. This leads to the unnecessary consumption of ink (4) during the pre-dispensing.

[0025] In this embodiment, the liquid discharge device (1) has a specific part (230) that specifies a residual discharge port (first discharge port) in which cleaning liquid (CL) remains in the discharge port from a plurality of discharge ports (19) after the recovery unit (8) cleans the discharge surface of the discharge head (5) as shown in FIG. 2. The specific part (230) includes a detection part (21) and a judgment part (22).

[0026] The detection unit (21) is configured as a unit for detecting information regarding the residual state of the cleaning liquid (CL) in each discharge port of the discharge head (5). The detection unit (21) detects a signal according to the residual state of the cleaning liquid (CL) in each of the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5), for example, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, each of the plurality of discharge ports (19) comprises a discharge element including a piezoelectric element (191), such as a piezo element. Each of the plurality of discharge ports (19) is connected to a driver (D) that drives the piezoelectric element (191) via a flexible cable (F). The driver (D) is connected to a control unit (11) and a detection unit (21). The residual state of the cleaning liquid (CL) inside the discharge port of the discharge head (5) can be detected using a related signal (waveform) obtained after the generation of a specific pressure wave. Specifically, the control unit (11) operates the piezoelectric element (191) by giving a specific pulse signal to the piezoelectric element (191) through the driver (D). As a specific pressure wave is generated in the piezoelectric element (191) in conjunction with the operation of the piezoelectric element (191), ink (4) is discharged from the discharge port (19). At this time, a twist occurs in the piezoelectric element (191) due to the pressure wave generated by the piezoelectric element (191), thereby generating an electrical signal according to the twist of the piezoelectric element (191). Meanwhile, the twist occurring in the piezoelectric element (191) depends on the residual state (residual amount) of the liquid (ink (4) or cleaning liquid (CL), etc.) inside the discharge port. Therefore, the electrical signal according to the twist of the piezoelectric element (191) is also a signal according to the residual state of the cleaning liquid (CL) inside the discharge port of the discharge head (5) (hereinafter referred to as the "residual signal"). The detection unit (21) detects the residual signal generated according to the twist of the piezoelectric element (191) for each of the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5).

[0028] The judgment unit (22) determines, for each of the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5), the residual state of the cleaning liquid (CL) within the discharge port based on the residual signal detected by the detection unit (21), that is, whether or not the cleaning liquid (CL) remains within the discharge port. Based on the judgment result from the judgment unit (22), the residual discharge port in which the cleaning liquid (CL) remains within the discharge port is identified from the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5).

[0029] In this embodiment, when a residual discharge port is specified by the specific part (230), the control part (11) causes the discharge head (5) to perform a preliminary discharge so that the liquid inside the discharge port is discharged from the residual discharge port among the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5). Here, the liquid inside the discharge port in the residual discharge port is a cleaning liquid (CL) or a mixture of ink (4) and cleaning liquid (CL). Meanwhile, regarding the non-residual discharge port (second discharge port) excluding the residual discharge port among the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5), the control part (11) controls the discharge so that the liquid inside the discharge port is not discharged during the preliminary discharge. Here, the liquid inside the discharge port in the non-residual discharge port is ink (4).

[0030] By performing such preliminary discharge, the cleaning liquid (CL) remaining in the discharge port is discharged from the residual discharge port among the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5), thereby suppressing (preventing) the discharge of ink (4) containing impurities (cleaning liquid (CL)) onto the substrate (2). Furthermore, in the preliminary discharge of the present embodiment, the cleaning liquid (CL) or the mixture of ink (4) and cleaning liquid (CL) within the discharge port is discharged only from the residual discharge port among the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5), and the ink (4) within the discharge port is not discharged from the non-residual discharge port. Therefore, unnecessary consumption of ink (4) can be avoided during the preliminary discharge.

[0031] Referring to FIGS. 4a and 4b, a specific method is described in which a specific part (230) specifies a residual discharge port (a judgment part (22) determines whether or not there is residual cleaning liquid (CL) in the discharge port). FIGS. 4a and 4b show a residual signal (waveform) detected by a detection part (21), the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents potential.

[0032] FIG. 4a shows a reference residual signal detected from a non-residual discharge port where the cleaning solution (CL) is not remaining in the discharge port. When a residual signal equivalent to the reference residual signal shown in FIG. 4a is detected, the discharge port (19) is identified as a non-residual discharge port because it can be considered to be in a normal state where the cleaning solution (CL) is not remaining. On the other hand, if the cleaning solution (CL) remains in the discharge port, the residual signal (waveform) detected by the detection unit (21) changes from the reference residual signal shown in FIG. 4a to the residual signal shown in FIG. 4b.

[0033] FIG. 4b shows a residual signal detected from a residual discharge port where the cleaning liquid (CL) remains within the discharge port. As the amount of residual cleaning liquid (CL) within the discharge port increases, the residual signal detected by the detection unit (21) changes from the residual signal (SG1) shown as a solid line in FIG. 4b to the residual signals (SG2 and SG3) shown as dashed lines in FIG. 4b. The residual signal (SG1) is a reference residual signal shown in FIG. 4a and has a waveform with an amplitude (V0), a decay rate (W0), and the position of the first peak (the position where the amplitude becomes a peak) (T0). The residual signal (SG2) is a residual signal detected from a residual discharge port where the amount of residual cleaning liquid (CL) remaining within the discharge port is the first residual amount, and has a waveform with an amplitude (V1), a decay rate (W1), and the position of the first peak (T1). The residual signal (SG3) is a residual signal detected from a residual discharge port in which the residual amount of cleaning liquid (CL) remaining in the discharge port is greater than the first residual amount, and has a waveform with an amplitude (V2), a decay rate (W2), and the position of the first peak (T2).

[0034] Referring to FIG. 4b, when the amount of residual cleaning liquid (CL) in the discharge port increases, the residual signal shifts in the order of T0, T1, T2 (in the faster direction in time) with respect to the position of the first peak, and the signal period also becomes shorter. In addition, the amplitude expands in the order of V0, V1, V2, and the decay rate shifts in the order of W0, W1, W2 (in the slower direction in time).

[0035] In this way, when the amount of residual cleaning liquid (CL) in the discharge port increases, the residual signal detected by the detection unit (21) transitions from the residual signal (SG1) (the reference residual signal shown in FIG. 4a) to the residual signals (SG2 and SG3). Accordingly, it is possible to identify the residual discharge port where the cleaning liquid (CL) remains from the waveform of the residual signal detected by the detection unit (21), specifically, at least one of attenuation, period, and amplitude. For example, by comparing the residual signal detected by the detection unit (21) with the residual signal (SG1), if the residual signal detected by the detection unit (21) is not a residual signal equivalent to the residual signal (SG1), that is, if it is a residual signal (SG2 or SG3), the discharge port (19) can be identified as a residual discharge port. On the other hand, if the residual signal detected by the detection unit (21) is a residual signal equivalent to the residual signal (SG1), the discharge port (19) can be identified as a non-residual discharge port. Meanwhile, when a preliminary discharge is performed on the residual discharge port, the residual signal detected by the detection unit (21) returns from the residual signal (SG2 or SG3) to the residual signal (SG1).

[0036] Referring to FIG. 5, the flow of the preliminary discharge of the discharge head (5) in the present embodiment is described. Here, the preliminary discharge performed at the discharge head (5) under the control of the control unit (11) after the recovery unit (8) cleans the discharge surface of the discharge head (5) is described.

[0037] First, in S401, a detection unit (21) detects a residual signal, which is a signal according to the residual state of the cleaning liquid (CL) inside the discharge port, for each of the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5).

[0038] In S402, the determination unit (22) determines whether or not cleaning liquid (CL) remains in each of the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5) based on the residual signal detected in S401. In other words, in S402, a residual discharge port in which cleaning liquid (CL) remains in the discharge port is identified from the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5) (or a non-residual discharge port in which cleaning liquid (CL) does not remain in the discharge port is identified). Among the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5), for the discharge port identified as a residual discharge port in S402, the process indicated by S403 is performed, and for the discharge port not identified as a residual discharge port in S402, that is, the non-residual discharge port is identified, the process indicated by S404 is performed.

[0039] In S403 and S404, the control unit (11) causes the discharge head (5) to perform a preliminary discharge. Specifically, in S403, during the preliminary discharge, the liquid (cleaning liquid (CL) or a mixture of cleaning liquid (CL) and ink (4)) inside the discharge port is discharged for the residual discharge port among the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5). On the other hand, in S404, during the preliminary discharge, the liquid (ink (4)) inside the discharge port is not discharged for the non-residual discharge port among the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5).

[0040] Thus, according to the present embodiment, in the pre-discharge, the liquid inside the discharge port (cleaning liquid (CL) or a mixture of ink (4) and cleaning liquid (CL)) is discharged only from the residual discharge port, and the liquid inside the discharge port (ink (4)) is not discharged from the non-residual discharge port. Therefore, in the residual discharge port, the cleaning liquid (CL) remaining inside the discharge port is reliably discharged, and in the non-residual discharge port, the discharge of unnecessary ink (4) is reduced, thereby realizing a pre-discharge.

[0041] Meanwhile, in the preliminary discharge shown in FIG. 5, it is assumed that the same amount of liquid is discharged from all residual discharge ports. However, as shown in FIG. 2, the residual amount of cleaning liquid (CL) remaining in the residual discharge ports generally differs from each discharge port. In this way, when there are multiple residual discharge ports with different residual amounts of cleaning liquid (CL), the amount of liquid discharged from the residual discharge ports (discharge amount) is changed (determined) according to the residual amount of cleaning liquid (CL), thereby further reducing the amount of ink (4) consumed in the preliminary discharge (consumption amount).

[0042] For example, consider a discharge port A (non-residual discharge port) in which no cleaning liquid (CL) remains in the discharge port, a discharge port B (residual discharge port) in which cleaning liquid (CL) remains in the discharge port in a first residual amount, and a discharge port C in which cleaning liquid (CL) remains in the discharge port in a second residual amount greater than the first residual amount. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, a residual signal (SG1) is detected from discharge port A, a residual signal (SG2) is detected from discharge port B, and a residual signal (SG3) is detected from discharge port C. Meanwhile, the residual signals (SG1, SG2, and SG3) shown in FIG. 6 are each equivalent to the residual signals (SG1, SG2, and SG3) shown in FIG. 4.

[0043] When there are multiple residual discharge ports with different residual amounts of cleaning liquid (CL), the control unit (11) classifies the residual discharge ports into multiple groups based on the residual amount of cleaning liquid (CL) according to the waveform of the residual signal detected by the detection unit (21). For example, as shown in FIG. 6, residual discharge ports in which a residual signal similar to the residual signal (SG3), where the first peak position exists in Area I, is detected are classified into a group in which the residual amount of cleaning liquid (CL) is maximized. Additionally, residual discharge ports in which a residual signal similar to the residual signal (SG1), where the first peak position exists in Area III, is detected are classified into a group in which the residual amount of cleaning liquid (CL) is minimized. In addition, residual discharge outlets in which a residual signal similar to the residual signal (SG2) is detected, i.e., where the position of the first peak exists in Area II, are classified into a group in which the residual amount of cleaning liquid (CL) is an amount between the maximum amount and the minimum amount (intermediate amount).

[0044] For residual discharge ports belonging to the group with the maximum residual amount of cleaning solution (CL), it is necessary to discharge a large amount of liquid from the residual discharge port during pre-discharge in order to discharge the remaining cleaning solution (CL). On the other hand, for residual discharge ports belonging to the group with the minimum residual amount of cleaning solution (CL), a small amount of liquid discharged from the residual discharge port during pre-discharge is sufficient. Furthermore, for residual discharge ports belonging to the group with the intermediate residual amount of cleaning solution (CL), an intermediate amount of liquid discharged from the residual discharge port during pre-discharge is sufficient. Accordingly, in this embodiment, pre-discharge is performed on the discharge head (5) such that the amount of liquid discharged from the corresponding residual discharge port increases as the residual discharge port belongs to the group with the largest residual amount of cleaning solution (CL) among the plurality of groups.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 7, the flow of pre-discharge of the discharge head (5) is explained when the residual discharge port, where the cleaning liquid (CL) remains, is classified into multiple groups according to the amount of residual cleaning liquid (CL). Here, pre-discharge performed at the discharge head (5) under the control of the control unit (11) after the recovery unit (8) cleans the discharge surface of the discharge head (5) is explained.

[0046] First, in S501, a detection unit (21) detects a residual signal, which is a signal according to the residual state of the cleaning liquid (CL) inside the discharge port, for each of the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5).

[0047] In S502, the determination unit (22) determines whether or not cleaning liquid (CL) remains in each of the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5) based on the residual signal detected in S501. In other words, in S502, a residual discharge port in which cleaning liquid (CL) remains in the discharge port is identified from the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5) (or a non-residual discharge port in which cleaning liquid (CL) does not remain in the discharge port is identified). Among the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5), for the discharge port identified as a residual discharge port in S502, the process shown in S503 is performed, and for the discharge port not identified as a residual discharge port in S502, that is, the non-residual discharge port is identified, the process shown in S507 is performed.

[0048] In S503, the residual discharge port specified in S502 is classified into multiple groups according to the residual amount of cleaning solution (CL). Here, as described above, the residual discharge port specified in S502 is classified into three groups: a first group with a maximum residual amount of cleaning solution (CL), a second group with an intermediate residual amount of cleaning solution (CL), and a third group with a minimum residual amount of cleaning solution (CL). For the residual discharge port classified into the first group, the process shown in S504 is performed; for the residual discharge port classified into the second group, the process shown in S505 is performed; and for the residual discharge port classified into the third group, the process shown in S506 is performed.

[0049] In S504, S505, S506, and S507, the control unit (11) causes the discharge head (5) to perform a preliminary discharge. Specifically, in S504, during the preliminary discharge, a large amount of liquid (cleaning liquid (CL) or a mixture of cleaning liquid (CL) and ink (4)) is discharged from a residual discharge port belonging to the first group. In S505, during the preliminary discharge, an intermediate amount of liquid (cleaning liquid (CL) or a mixture of cleaning liquid (CL) and ink (4)) is discharged from a residual discharge port belonging to the second group. In S506, during the preliminary discharge, a small amount of liquid (cleaning liquid (CL) or a mixture of cleaning liquid (CL) and ink (4)) is discharged from a residual discharge port belonging to the third group. Meanwhile, in S507, during the preliminary discharge, the liquid (ink (4)) inside the discharge port is not discharged for the non-residual discharge port among the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5).

[0050] Thus, according to the present embodiment, in the pre-discharge, a liquid (a mixture of the cleaning liquid (CL) or ink (4) and the cleaning liquid (CL)) is discharged only from the residual discharge port in an amount suitable for the residual amount of cleaning liquid (CL) in the discharge port, and no liquid (ink (4)) is discharged from the non-residual discharge port. Therefore, it is possible to realize a pre-discharge that further reduces the discharge of unnecessary ink (4).

[0051] In addition, from the perspective of reducing the amount of ink (4) consumed in the pre-discharge, it is not necessary to classify the residual discharge ports containing the cleaning solution (CL) into multiple groups according to the amount of the cleaning solution (CL) remaining. For example, the control unit (11) may estimate the amount of the cleaning solution (CL) remaining in the discharge port for each residual discharge port, and determine the amount of liquid to be discharged in the pre-discharge based on the estimated amount of the cleaning solution (CL) remaining in the discharge port. By doing so, the amount of ink (4) consumed in the pre-discharge can be reduced without classifying the residual discharge ports containing the cleaning solution (CL) into multiple groups according to the amount of the cleaning solution (CL) remaining. In this case, for example, it is possible to determine the amount of liquid to be discharged during the preliminary discharge by obtaining a table in advance that shows the relationship between the residual amount of cleaning liquid (CL) remaining in the discharge port and the discharge amount required to discharge the cleaning liquid (CL), and by referring to this table.

[0052] In addition, in this embodiment, during the pre-discharge, liquid (ink (4)) is not discharged from the non-residual discharge port among the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5), but this is not limited thereto. For example, consider the case where, during the pre-discharge, a first discharge amount of liquid (cleaning liquid (CL) or a mixture of ink (4) and cleaning liquid (CL)) is discharged from the residual discharge port among the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5). In this case, during the pre-discharge, a second discharge amount of liquid (ink (4)) that is less than the first discharge amount may be discharged from the non-residual discharge port among the plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5). Specifically, in the pre-discharge shown in FIG. 5, in S404, a discharge amount of liquid that is less than the discharge amount of liquid discharged from the residual discharge port in S403 is discharged from the non-residual discharge port. In addition, in the preliminary discharge shown in FIG. 7, in S507, a discharge amount of liquid that is less than the discharge amount (small amount) of liquid discharged from the residual discharge port in S506 is discharged from the non-residual discharge port. By doing so, compared to the conventional technology in which the same amount of liquid is discharged from all discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5) in the preliminary discharge, the amount of ink (4) consumed in the preliminary discharge (consumption amount) can be reduced.

[0053] In addition, in this embodiment, the detection unit (21) detects a residual signal as information regarding the residual state of the cleaning liquid (CL) within each discharge port of the discharge head (5), but is not limited to this. For example, the detection unit (21) may detect the behavior of the meniscus indicating the residual state of the cleaning liquid (CL) within each discharge port. Here, the behavior of the meniscus refers to, for example, the change in height (time change) of the meniscus when the piezoelectric element (191) of the discharge port (19) of the discharge head (5) is activated. The greater the amount of residual cleaning liquid (CL) within the discharge port, the lower the viscosity of the liquid (mixture of cleaning liquid (CL) and ink (4)) within the discharge port, and the greater the change in height of the meniscus. Therefore, by detecting the change in height of the meniscus, it becomes possible to determine the residual state of the cleaning liquid (CL) within each discharge port of the discharge head (5) and to identify the residual discharge port. Meanwhile, when detecting the behavior of the meniscus indicating the residual state of the cleaning liquid (CL) in each discharge port of the discharge head (5), a camera or the like that captures the vicinity of the discharge port (19) and acquires an image can be used as the detection unit (21).

[0054] Referring to FIG. 8, the overall operation sequence of the liquid discharge device (1) is described. As described above, the operation is performed by the control unit (11) collectively controlling each part of the liquid discharge device (1).

[0055] In S802, the control unit (11) introduces a substrate (2) into a liquid discharge device (1) through a substrate transport mechanism (not shown). The substrate (2) introduced into the liquid discharge device (1) is held and supported on a substrate stage (3).

[0056] In S804, the control unit (11) determines whether it is necessary to restore the discharge characteristics of the discharge head (5), that is, performs a recovery determination of the discharge head (5). The recovery determination of the discharge head (5) is basically performed before discharging ink (4) from the discharge head (5). If it is determined that it is necessary to restore the discharge characteristics of the discharge head (5) (YES), the process proceeds to S806, and if it is determined that it is not necessary to restore the discharge characteristics of the discharge head (5) (NO), the process proceeds to S808.

[0057] In S806, the control unit (11) performs a recovery process to restore the discharge characteristics of the discharge head (5) through the recovery unit (8). Here, the recovery process includes a cleaning process that cleans the discharge surface exposed by a plurality of discharge ports (19) of the discharge head (5) using a cleaning solution having a lower viscosity than the ink (4) as described above, and a process regarding the preliminary discharge shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 7.

[0058] In S808, the control unit (11) performs alignment measurement of the substrate (2) through the substrate stage (3) and the alignment scope (9). In S810, the control unit (11) performs height measurement of the substrate (2) through the substrate stage (3) and the height sensor (10). The substrate information regarding the position, distortion, and height of the substrate (2) obtained through the alignment measurement of S808 or the height measurement of S810 is stored, for example, in the memory of the control unit (11). The substrate information regarding the position, distortion, and height of the substrate (2) obtained through the alignment measurement of S808 or the height measurement of S810 is stored, for example, in the memory of the control unit (11). The control unit (11) generates discharge control information for controlling the discharge head (5) (discharge of ink (4)) based on substrate information obtained from alignment measurement of S808 or height measurement of S810, and element data including information such as the arrangement of elements formed on the substrate (2) or the size of elements. The discharge control information includes information indicating the target distribution of ink (4) in the element area (201) or evaluation area (202) of the substrate (2).

[0059] Meanwhile, the order of alignment measurement of S808 and height measurement of S810 may be reversed. Additionally, alignment measurement of S808 or height measurement of S810 can be performed in parallel with recovery processing of S806. In this embodiment, for alignment measurement or height measurement, it is assumed that the substrate stage (3) is driven in the XY plane relative to the alignment scope (9) or height sensor (10). However, the substrate stage (3) may be fixed and the alignment scope (9) or height sensor (10) may be driven in the XY plane.

[0060] In S812, the control unit (11) determines whether it is necessary to restore the discharge characteristics of the discharge head (5), that is, performs a determination of the restoration of the discharge head (5). If it is determined that it is necessary to restore the discharge characteristics of the discharge head (5) (YES), the process proceeds to S814, and if it is determined that it is not necessary to restore the discharge characteristics of the discharge head (5) (NO), the process proceeds to S816.

[0061] In S814, the control unit (11), like S806, performs a recovery process to restore the discharge characteristics of the discharge head (5) through the recovery unit (8).

[0062] In S816, the control unit (11) performs discharge control of the discharge head (5). Specifically, the control unit (11) drives the substrate stage (3) and the discharge head (5) in synchronization and controls the discharge of ink (4) (droplet) from the discharge head (5) based on discharge control information. In this embodiment, regarding the discharge control of the discharge head (5), it is assumed that the substrate stage (3) is driven in the XY plane relative to the discharge head (5), but the substrate stage (3) may be fixed and the discharge head (5) may be driven in the XY plane.

[0063] In this embodiment, in order to form a plurality of functional elements on a substrate, the substrate (2) and the discharge head (5) are scanned relatively, and at the same time, the material of the functional element is discharged as ink (4) from the discharge head (5) to place (apply) the material of the functional element on the element area (201) of the substrate (2). FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate (2) on which the material of the functional element is placed. In FIG. 9, the substrate surface (101) is the surface of the element area (201) where the functional element (102) is formed among the surfaces of the substrate (2). The arrow markings (103, 104, 105, and 106) each indicate the relative scanning direction of the substrate (2) and the discharge head (5). In FIG. 9, 7 × 5 functional elements (102) are formed on the substrate, but in reality, a very large number of functional elements are formed.

[0064] In S818, the control unit (11) determines whether the discharge control of the discharge head (5) is completed. If it is determined that the discharge control of the discharge head (5) is not completed (NO), the process proceeds to S812, and if it is determined that the discharge control of the discharge head (5) is completed (YES), the process proceeds to S820.

[0065] In S820, the control unit (11) removes the substrate (2) from the liquid discharge device (1) through a substrate return mechanism (not shown).

[0066] The method for manufacturing an article according to an embodiment of the present invention is preferably used to manufacture articles such as display panels for organic EL, microdevices such as semiconductor devices, or devices having a microstructure. The method for manufacturing an article according to the present embodiment comprises a process of forming a liquid film by discharging a liquid onto a substrate using a liquid discharging device (1) (a substrate processing device having the liquid discharging device), and a process of processing the substrate on which the liquid film is formed by the said process, specifically, drying it to obtain a substrate on which a dry film is formed. Furthermore, the method for manufacturing an article according to the present embodiment further comprises a process of manufacturing an article from the substrate on which the dry film is formed. In addition, the method for manufacturing an article includes other well-known processes (sintering, cooling, cleaning, oxidation, film formation, deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The method for manufacturing an article according to the present embodiment is advantageous compared to conventional methods in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article.

[0067] The invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to clarify the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claim 1 A dispensing device characterized by comprising: a dispensing head that includes a plurality of discharge ports for dispensing a discharge liquid and places the discharge liquid on a substrate through the plurality of discharge ports; a cleaning unit that cleans a discharge surface exposed by the plurality of discharge ports using a cleaning liquid having a viscosity different from that of the discharge liquid; a specifying unit that, after the cleaning unit cleans the discharge surface, specifies a first discharge port from the plurality of discharge ports where the cleaning liquid remains within the discharge port; and a control unit that performs a preliminary discharge to the dispensing head so that a first discharge amount of the discharge liquid is discharged from the first discharge port specified by the specific unit among the plurality of discharge ports. Claim 2 A dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the discharge liquid to be discharged from the second discharge port, excluding the first discharge port among the plurality of discharge ports, by performing the preliminary discharge on the discharge head. Claim 3 A dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the discharge head to perform the preliminary discharge so that the discharge liquid in a second discharge amount less than the first discharge amount is discharged from the second discharge port, excluding the first discharge port among the plurality of discharge ports. Claim 4 A discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit estimates the residual amount of the cleaning liquid within the first discharge port and, based on the estimated residual amount, determines the first discharge amount so that the cleaning liquid remaining within the first discharge port is discharged. Claim 5 A discharge device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit determines the first discharge amount by referring to a table showing the relationship between the residual amount of the cleaning liquid remaining in the discharge port and the discharge amount of the discharge liquid required to discharge the cleaning liquid remaining in the discharge port. Claim 6 A discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge head comprises a piezoelectric element and a driver for driving the piezoelectric element, and the specific part comprises a detection part for each of the plurality of discharge ports, which detects a signal according to the residual state of the cleaning liquid within the discharge port generated in the piezoelectric element by the operation of the piezoelectric element, and the first discharge port is specified from the plurality of discharge ports based on the waveform of the signal detected by the detection part. Claim 7 A discharge device according to claim 6, wherein the specific part specifies the first discharge port from at least one of the attenuation, period, and amplitude of the signal detected by the detection part. Claim 8 A dispensing device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit classifies the first discharge port into a plurality of groups based on the residual amount of the cleaning liquid within the discharge port according to the waveform of the signal detected by the detection unit, and causes the discharge head to perform the preliminary discharge so that the discharge amount of the discharge liquid discharged from the corresponding discharge port increases as the discharge port belongs to the group with the higher residual amount of the cleaning liquid within the discharge port among the plurality of groups. Claim 9 A discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the specific part includes a detection part that detects the behavior of a meniscus indicating the residual state of the cleaning liquid within the discharge port for each of the plurality of discharge ports, and specifies the first discharge port from the plurality of discharge ports based on the behavior of the meniscus detected by the detection part. Claim 10 A discharge device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning solution has a viscosity lower than the viscosity of the discharge solution. Claim 11 A control method for a discharge device having a discharge head that includes a plurality of discharge ports for discharging a discharge liquid and discharging the discharge liquid on a substrate through the plurality of discharge ports, the control method comprising: a process of cleaning a discharge surface exposed by the plurality of discharge ports using a cleaning liquid having a viscosity different from that of the discharge liquid, and then identifying a first discharge port from the plurality of discharge ports in which the cleaning liquid remains within the discharge port, and a process of performing a preliminary discharge on the discharge head so that the discharge liquid is discharged from the first discharge port identified in the process among the plurality of discharge ports. Claim 12 A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, characterized by having a stage that holds and supports the substrate, and a discharge device described in claim 1 that discharges a discharge liquid onto the substrate held and supported on the stage. Claim 13 A method for manufacturing an article characterized by having a process of discharging a discharge solution onto a substrate using a substrate processing device described in claim 12, a process of processing the substrate on which the discharge solution has been discharged, and a process of manufacturing an article from the processed substrate.

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