Multi-nozzle head, droplet ejecting device, and droplet ejecting method

Abstract

This multi-nozzle head includes: a plate portion that extends in a first direction and is provided flat; a first droplet ejecting nozzle group that includes a first electrostatic ejection type droplet ejecting nozzle and a second electrostatic ejection type droplet ejecting nozzle provided in predetermined positions on a lower surface side of the plate portion; a second droplet ejecting nozzle group that is provided on the plate portion in a position separated from the first droplet ejecting nozzle group in the first direction, and that includes a third electrostatic ejection type droplet ejecting nozzle provided in a position corresponding to the first electrostatic ejection type droplet ejecting nozzle and a fourth electrostatic ejection type droplet ejecting nozzle provided in a position corresponding to the second electrostatic ejection type droplet ejecting nozzle; and a separating wall provided between the first droplet ejecting nozzle group and the second droplet ejecting nozzle group.

Description

Multi-nozzle head, droplet ejection device, and droplet ejection method

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-nozzle head, a droplet ejection device, and a droplet ejection method.

[0002] In recent years, inkjet printing technology has been applied to industrial processes. One example is the manufacturing process of color filters for liquid crystal displays. Conventionally, so-called piezo-type heads, which eject droplets using mechanical pressure or vibration, have been widely used in inkjet printing technology. However, electrostatic ejection inkjet heads, which can eject finer droplets, are attracting attention. Patent Document 1 discloses an electrostatic ejection inkjet recording device.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-34967

[0004] Recently, the development of multi-nozzle heads for electrostatic ejection inkjet heads has been progressing from the viewpoint of improving productivity. When a multi-nozzle head is provided in the shape of a plate, the thickness of the plate portion is extremely thin, at only a few tens of micrometers. This can result in insufficient flatness and strength of the multi-nozzle head, leading to an unstable shape of the multi-nozzle head. Furthermore, if the multi-nozzle head is connected to a mount (or attachment) in this state, there is a risk that it will not be able to eject droplets uniformly.

[0005] Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to stabilize the shape of a multi-nozzle head, to eject droplets uniformly, and to reduce the cost of pattern formation while improving productivity.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a multi-nozzle head including: a plate portion extending in a first direction and provided flat; a first droplet discharge nozzle group including a first electrostatic discharge type droplet discharge nozzle and a second electrostatic discharge type droplet discharge nozzle provided at a predetermined position on the underside of the plate portion; a second droplet discharge nozzle group provided on the plate portion at a distance from the first droplet discharge nozzle group in the first direction, the second droplet discharge nozzle group including a third electrostatic discharge type droplet discharge nozzle provided at a position corresponding to the first electrostatic discharge type droplet discharge nozzle, and a fourth electrostatic discharge type droplet discharge nozzle provided at a position corresponding to the second electrostatic discharge type droplet discharge nozzle; and a partition wall provided between the first droplet discharge nozzle group and the second droplet discharge nozzle group.

[0007] In the multi-nozzle head, the partition wall may be provided on an upper surface side of the plate portion.

[0008] In the multi-nozzle head, the partition wall may extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

[0009] In the multi-nozzle head, the partition wall may include a resin material.

[0010] In the above multi-nozzle head, the partition wall may be provided on the lower surface side of the plate portion, and the height of the partition wall may be greater than the height of the first electrostatic droplet ejection nozzle.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a droplet ejection device including a droplet ejection section having the nozzle head described above.

[0012] The droplet ejection device may include a mounting portion connected to the multi-nozzle head and having an opening, wherein the upper surface of the plate portion is connected to the bottom of the opening, and both sides of the partition wall are connected to the sides of the opening.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a droplet ejection method for ejecting droplets onto a target object using the multi-nozzle head.

[0014] In the droplet ejection method, the viscosity of the droplets may be 0.1 cps or more and 10,000 cps or less.

[0015] In the droplet ejection method, the droplets may contain an organic material.

[0016] In the droplet ejection method, the droplets may contain polyimide resin.

[0017] In the above multi-nozzle head, the target object may be a substrate on which a pattern is formed, and the droplets may be ejected onto the pattern.

[0018] By using one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to stabilize the shape of the multi-nozzle head. Also, by using one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to eject droplets uniformly. Also, by using one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the cost of pattern formation while improving productivity.

[0019] 1 is a schematic diagram of a droplet ejection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of a multi-nozzle head according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-nozzle head according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a droplet ejection nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a droplet ejection nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a droplet ejection nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a droplet ejection nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a manufacturing method of a multi-nozzle head according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a manufacturing method of a multi-nozzle head according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a manufacturing method of a multi-nozzle head according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a manufacturing method of a multi-nozzle head according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a manufacturing method of a multi-nozzle head according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-nozzle head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the invention disclosed in this application will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention, and should not be construed as being limited to the description of the embodiments exemplified below.

[0021] In the drawings referred to in this embodiment, identical parts or parts having similar functions are designated by the same or similar reference numerals (reference numerals simply suffixed with A, B, -1, -2, etc.), and repeated explanations thereof may be omitted. Also, for convenience of explanation, the dimensional ratios of the drawings may differ from the actual ratios, and some components may be omitted from the drawings.

[0022] Furthermore, in the detailed description of the present invention, when defining the positional relationship between a certain component and another component, "above" and "below" do not only mean being located directly above or directly below a certain component, but also include cases where there are other components interposed between them, unless otherwise specified.

[0023] First Embodiment (1-1. Configuration of Droplet Discharge Device 100) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a droplet discharge device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] The droplet ejection device 100 includes a control unit 110 , a storage unit 115 , a power supply unit 120 , a drive unit 130 , a droplet ejection unit 140 , an imaging unit 180 , and a target object holder 190 .

[0025] The control unit 110 is a computer and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or other arithmetic processing circuit. The control unit 110 controls the ejection process of the droplet ejection unit 140 using a preset droplet ejection program.

[0026] The storage unit 115 functions as a database that stores a droplet ejection program and various information used in the droplet ejection program. The storage unit 115 is implemented by a memory, an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a memory-capable element.

[0027] The power supply unit 120 is connected to the control unit 110, the drive unit 130, and the droplet ejection unit 140. The power supply unit 120 applies a voltage to the droplet ejection unit 140 based on a signal input from the control unit 110. In this example, the power supply unit 120 applies a pulsed voltage (1000 V in this example) to the droplet ejection unit 140. Note that the voltage is not limited to a pulsed voltage, and a constant voltage may be applied constantly. The voltage applied from the power supply unit 120 to the multi-nozzle head 150 causes the liquid held in the ink tank 145 to be ejected as droplets from the tip 153 a (see FIG. 4B ) of the droplet ejection nozzle 153 (described later) of the multi-nozzle head 150 in the direction of the target object 200 (third direction D3).

[0028] The drive unit 130 is composed of drive members such as a motor, a belt, and gears. Based on instructions from the control unit 110, the drive unit 130 moves the droplet discharge unit 140 (more specifically, the multi-nozzle head 150 described later) in one direction (in this example, the second direction D2) relative to the target object holder 190. Note that the drive unit 130 may move the target object while fixing the droplet discharge unit 140. The drive unit 130 may also be used in combination with a goniostage to fine-tune the position of the multi-nozzle head 150. The drive unit 130 can move the multi-nozzle head 150 not only in one direction but also in multiple directions.

[0029] The droplet ejection unit 140 includes an ink tank 145 and a multi-nozzle head 150. The multi-nozzle head 150 uses an electrostatic ejection type inkjet nozzle. The multi-nozzle head 150 is used by being attached to a mount unit 160 and further to an attachment (not shown), as will be described later. The multi-nozzle head 150 will be described in detail later.

[0030] The imaging unit 180 may be a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor. The imaging unit 180 captures an image of the droplet ejection position in advance. If the droplet ejection position is misaligned, the position of the multi-nozzle head 150 can be corrected via the driving unit 130. The imaging unit 180 is attached to an attachment and can move together with the multi-nozzle head 150.

[0031] The object holder 190 has a function of holding the object 200. In this example, a stage is used as the object holder 190. There are no particular restrictions on the mechanism by which the object holder 190 holds the object 200, and a general holding mechanism is used. In this example, the object 200 is vacuum-sucked to the object holder 190. However, this is not limiting, and the object holder 190 may hold the object 200 using a fixture.

[0032] (1-2. Configuration of the Multi-Nozzle Head 150) The configuration of the multi-nozzle head 150 will be described in detail below.

[0033] Fig. 2A is a plan view of the multi-nozzle head 150. Fig. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the multi-nozzle head 150 between A1 and A2. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the droplet discharge nozzle 153. Fig. 4A is a plan view of the droplet discharge nozzle 153. Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the droplet discharge nozzle 153 between B1 and B2.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the multi-nozzle head 150 includes a plate portion 151, a plurality of droplet ejection nozzle groups 152, and partition walls 159.

[0035] The plate portion 151 has a plate shape and is provided flat. The plate portion 151 extends in the first direction D1. The plate portion 151 is made of a metal material such as nickel. The thickness of the plate portion 151 is set appropriately. In this example, the thickness of the plate portion is 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

[0036] 3, 4A, and 4B, a plurality of droplet discharge nozzle groups 152 are provided to protrude from one surface side (the lower surface side in this example) of the plate portion 151. In this example, three droplet discharge nozzle groups 152 (152-1, 152-2, 152-3) are included. The droplet discharge nozzle groups 152 are arranged side by side in the first direction D1. There is no particular limit to the number of droplet discharge nozzle groups 152. The distance between adjacent droplet discharge nozzle groups 152 is constant.

[0037] Each droplet discharge nozzle group 152 includes a plurality of droplet discharge nozzles 153. In the droplet discharge nozzle group 152, each droplet discharge nozzle 153 is arranged at a predetermined position. In this example, droplet discharge nozzle group 152-1 (also referred to as the "first droplet discharge nozzle group") of the droplet discharge nozzle groups 152 includes droplet discharge nozzle 153-1-1 (also referred to as the "first droplet discharge nozzle"), droplet discharge nozzle 153-1-2 (also referred to as the "second droplet discharge nozzle"), and droplet discharge nozzles 153-1-3 to 153-5. Droplet discharge nozzle group 152-2 (also referred to as the "second droplet discharge nozzle group") of the droplet discharge nozzle group 152 includes droplet discharge nozzle 153-2-1 (also referred to as the "third droplet discharge nozzle"), droplet discharge nozzle 153-2-2 (also referred to as the "fourth droplet discharge nozzle"), and droplet discharge nozzles 153-2-3 to 153-5. Of the droplet discharge nozzle groups 152, the droplet discharge nozzle group 152-3 includes droplet discharge nozzles 153-3-1 to 153-3-5.

[0038] In this embodiment, the droplet discharge nozzle 153-1-1 of the first droplet discharge nozzle group 152-1 and the droplet discharge nozzle 153-2-1 of the second droplet discharge nozzle group 152-2 are provided at corresponding positions. Similarly, the droplet discharge nozzle 153-1-2 of the first droplet discharge nozzle group 152-1 and the droplet discharge nozzle 153-2-2 of the second droplet discharge nozzle group 152-2 are provided at corresponding positions. In other words, each droplet discharge nozzle of one droplet discharge nozzle group is provided at a position corresponding to each droplet discharge nozzle of another droplet discharge nozzle group. This makes it possible to form a pattern on an object that matches the elements, similar to a photolithography process.

[0039] In one droplet discharge nozzle group 152, the distance between adjacent droplet discharge nozzles 153 may be the same or different. The number of droplet discharge nozzles may be set as appropriate. When there is no need to separately describe the droplet discharge nozzles as 153-1-1, 153-1-2, ..., 153-1-5, they will be described as droplet discharge nozzles 153. A metal material such as nickel is used for the droplet discharge nozzles 153. The droplet discharge nozzles 153 have a tapered shape.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B , the plate portion 151 has a through-hole 151o in a portion corresponding to (overlapping with) the droplet ejection nozzle 153, the through-hole 151o having an inner diameter r151o larger than the inner diameter r153a of the ejection port of the droplet ejection nozzle 153 (the opening 153ao of the tip portion 153a of the droplet ejection nozzle 153). The inner diameter of the through-hole 151o in the plate portion 151 may be 1 μm or more and 100 μm or less. The inner diameter r153a of the tip portion 153a of the droplet ejection nozzle 153 may be several hundred nanometers or more and 50 μm or less, preferably 1 μm or more and 30 μm or less, and more preferably 5 μm or more and 20 μm or less. In this embodiment, a voltage may be applied to the droplet ejection nozzle 153, a voltage may be applied to the plate portion 151 (or the ink tank 145), or a voltage may be applied to the liquid (ink). When a voltage is applied to the plate portion 151 and the droplet discharge nozzles 153, electrodes may be provided. The electrodes may be made of tungsten, nickel, molybdenum, titanium, gold, silver, copper, platinum, or the like. In this case, multiple electrodes may be provided so that the voltage is applied uniformly to the entire plate portion 151. Furthermore, although the present embodiment shows an example in which a voltage is applied to the droplet discharge nozzles 153, the plate portion 151, or the ink, a voltage may also be applied to a jig (for example, the mount portion 160) that holds the multi-nozzle head 150.

[0041] Partition walls (ribs) 159 are provided between adjacent droplet discharge nozzle groups 152. The regions where the partition walls 159 are provided correspond to regions where droplets are not discharged onto the target object 200. Therefore, the partition walls 159 are provided on the side of the plate portion 151 opposite to the side on which the droplet discharge nozzles 153 are provided (in this example, the upper surface side). The partition walls 159 are provided to extend in a direction (in this example, the second direction D2) that intersects with the direction in which the droplet discharge nozzle groups 152 are arranged (in this example, the first direction D1). Note that, due to the connection between the mount portion 160 and the multi-nozzle head 150, it is desirable that the partition walls 159 not be provided to the end of the plate portion 151.

[0042] The height H159 of the partition wall 159 may be set appropriately. In this example, the height H159 of the partition wall 159 is 10 μm or more and 1 mm or less.

[0043] The partition wall 159 may be formed of the same material as the plate portion 151 and the droplet discharge nozzle 153, or may be formed of a different material. In this example, the partition wall 159 is formed of a resin material so as to have elasticity.

[0044] (1-3. Manufacturing Method of Multi-Nozzle Head 150) A manufacturing method of the multi-nozzle head 150 will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 5A to 5C and 6A to 6C are cross-sectional views showing an example of a manufacturing flow for the multi-nozzle head 150. It should be noted that the multi-nozzle head 150 can be manufactured without being limited to this method.

[0045] First, as shown in Fig. 5B, a matrix 2000 for forming the droplet discharge nozzles 153 is prepared. In this embodiment, the concave matrix 2000 has a first surface 2000A and a second surface 2000B opposite the first surface 2000A. The matrix 2000 includes a first matrix 2001 and a second matrix 2005. In addition, a recess group 2006 having a plurality of recesses 2007 for forming the droplet discharge nozzles is provided on the first surface 2000A side.

[0046] The master die 2000 is formed by film formation, photolithography, and etching. Specifically, a plate-shaped first master die 2001 is prepared. The first master die 2001 may be a metal substrate, or an insulating substrate or semiconductor substrate with a conductive film formed on its upper surface. As shown in FIG. 5A , an insulating layer 2003 is formed on the upper surface of the first master die 2001 in a portion where the droplet discharge nozzles 153 are to be formed. Next, as shown in FIG. 5B , a second master die 2005 made of a metal material is formed on the first master die 2001 (insulating layer 2003). The second master die 2005 may be formed by forming a metal layer and then processing it using photolithography, etching, or the like. At this time, the first master die 2001 (insulating layer 2003) is exposed at the bottom 2007b of the recess 2007.

[0047] The second master mold 2005 may be bonded to the first master mold 2001 .

[0048] 5C , a plurality of structures 1531 are formed in the recess 2007 by electrolytic casting (plating), and a planar structure 1511 is formed on the first surface 2000A. The structures 1531 and 1511 are formed at the same time. The structures 1511 are formed around the structures 1531.

[0049] 5B, the insulating layer 2003 is exposed at the bottom 2007b of the recess 2007. Therefore, the presence of the insulating layer 2003 prevents electrolytic casting from being performed at the tip of the structure 1531. Therefore, the tip 1531a of the structure 1531 is opened. As a result, the droplet discharge nozzle 153 having the opening 153ao at the tip 153a is formed.

[0050] Next, a resist mask 2011 is formed in a portion corresponding to the tip 153a of the droplet discharge nozzle 153. At this time, as shown in Fig. 6A, a structure 1513 is formed by electrolytic casting on the exposed portion of the structure 1511. After the structure 1513 is formed, the resist mask 2011 is removed (Fig. 6B).

[0051] Next, a structure 1590 that will become the partition wall 159 is formed on the structure 1513. The structure 1590 is formed by forming a resin film and then processing it by a lithography process. The thickness of the structure 1590 is 10 μm or more and 1 mm or less. When the thickness is greater than the above range, a film material may be used.

[0052] Finally, the structures 1511 and 1531 are removed (released) from the matrix 2000 (insulating layer 2003). An etching process may be performed at this time. As a result, the plate portion 151 is formed from the structures 1511 and 1513. The droplet discharge nozzle 153 is formed from the structure 1531. In this manner, the multi-nozzle head 150 can be manufactured.

[0053] When electroforming is used to form the droplet ejection nozzles 153, stress may distort the multi-nozzle head 150. However, by forming the partition walls 159 as in this embodiment, the multi-nozzle head 150 is reinforced, and the shape of the multi-nozzle head 150 can be stabilized.

[0054] 7 is a schematic perspective view of the mount unit 160 and the multi-nozzle head 150 when connected. FIG. 8A is a schematic plan view of the mount unit 160 and the multi-nozzle head 150 when connected. FIG. 8B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the mount unit 160 and the multi-nozzle head 150 when connected, taken along line C1-C2. The mount unit 160 has an opening 161 (or groove) in a portion corresponding to the droplet ejection nozzles 153, which can temporarily store ink supplied from the ink tank 145. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B , the multi-nozzle head 150 (top surface 151 a of the plate portion 151) is connected to the bottom 161 b of the opening 161 of the mount unit 160. In this example, the multi-nozzle head 150 and the bottom 161 b of the opening 161 of the mount unit 160 are connected with an adhesive. The connection is not limited to being made with an adhesive, and the mount portion 160 and the multi-nozzle head 150 may be connected by welding. The mount portion 160 is connected to an attachment of the droplet discharge device 100.

[0055] 8A , in this embodiment, the side surface 161 s of the opening 161 of the mount portion 160 can come into contact with the side surfaces 159 s on both sides of the partition wall 159 of the multi-nozzle head 150. This strengthens the connection between the multi-nozzle head 150 and the mount portion 160, and stabilizes the position and shape of the multi-nozzle head 150.

[0056] (1-5. Droplet Discharge Method) Next, a droplet discharge method according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 9 is a flow diagram showing the droplet discharge method. Figs. 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views showing the droplet discharge method.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 9 , the control unit 110 of the droplet ejection device 100 acquires ejection position information previously stored in the storage unit 115 (step S110). Next, the control unit 110 drives the drive unit 130 to move the multi-nozzle head 150 to the ejection position (step S110). At this time, the control unit 110 aligns the ejection position via the drive unit 130 based on the image captured by the image capture unit 180 (step S120). In this embodiment, a substrate on which a pattern 210 is formed in advance is used as the target 200 onto which droplets are ejected. At this time, alignment can be performed according to the pattern on the target 200 (e.g., substrate). Next, the control unit 110 applies a voltage to the power supply unit 120 to eject droplets 157 from the multi-nozzle head 150 (step S130, FIG. 10A ). The viscosity of the droplets (liquid) 157 is 0.1 cps or more and 10,000 cps or less, preferably 0.5 cps or more and 1000 cps or less. In this example, an organic material (more specifically, polyimide resin (polyimide varnish), solder resist, photosensitive resin, etc.) is dropped as the droplets 157. As a result, the droplets 157 are dropped onto the target object 200 (pattern 210), and a new pattern 220 is formed on the target object 200 (FIG. 10B). The control unit 110 determines whether there is a next droplet to be discharged (step S170). If there is a next droplet to be discharged (step S170; Yes), the process returns to step S110. If there is no next droplet to be discharged (step S170; No), the process ends.

[0058] By using the droplet ejection method of this embodiment, a pattern can be formed at a predetermined position via multiple droplet ejection nozzles. In this case, the number of steps and material costs can be significantly reduced compared to when a material is applied to the entire surface of the target object 200 and a pattern is formed via a lithography process. Furthermore, when comparing the method of this embodiment with screen printing, this embodiment can form a high-resolution pattern without contact. Furthermore, unlike piezo-type inkjet printing, which ejects ink using mechanical energy, this embodiment is an electrostatic ejection method in which an ejection force acts on the ink itself, and therefore can dispense highly viscous materials.

[0059] Second Embodiment In this embodiment, a multi-nozzle head 150A having pseudo-nozzles 155 will be described.

[0060] Fig. 11A is a plan view of the multi-nozzle head 150 A. Fig. 11B is a cross-sectional view of the multi-nozzle head 150 A. As shown in Fig. 11A and Fig. 11B, the multi-nozzle head 150 A includes pseudo-nozzles 155 in addition to a plate portion 151, a plurality of droplet ejection nozzle groups 152, and partition walls 159.

[0061] The pseudo-nozzles 155 are provided to protrude from the same surface (lower surface) of the plate portion 151 as the droplet discharge nozzles 153. The pseudo-nozzles 155 are provided around (outside) the droplet discharge nozzles 153.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B , the tip 155 a of the pseudo-nozzle 155 does not have an opening and is closed. Therefore, the pseudo-nozzle 155 does not eject droplets. In this example, the pseudo-nozzle 155 is filled to the same height as the top of the plate portion 151, but this is not particularly limited. The pseudo-nozzle 155 is made of the same material as the droplet ejection nozzle 153. The pseudo-nozzle 155 may have the same shape as the droplet ejection nozzle 153. In this case, the height H155 of the pseudo-nozzle 155 (specifically, the height from the lower surface 151 a of the plate portion 151 to the tip 155 a of the pseudo-nozzle 155) may be the same as or lower than the height H153 of the droplet ejection nozzle 153 (specifically, the height from the lower surface 151 a of the plate portion 151 to the tip 153 a of the droplet ejection nozzle 153).

[0063] When droplets are discharged by an electrostatic discharge method using a multi-nozzle head including multiple droplet discharge nozzles, the electric field may be stronger in the peripheral region of the plate than in the center of the plate. In the case of the multi-nozzle head 150 of this embodiment, pseudo-nozzles 155 are arranged around the droplet discharge nozzle group. In other words, multiple pseudo-nozzles 155 are arranged in the region where the electric field is stronger. Since the tips 155a of the multiple pseudo-nozzles 155 are blocked, droplets are not discharged. On the other hand, the electric field in the region where the droplet discharge nozzles 153 are arranged is uniform. This makes it possible to uniform the size of droplets discharged from each droplet discharge nozzle 153.

[0064] Third Embodiment In the first embodiment of the present invention, an example in which the droplet ejection nozzle groups 152 are arranged in one direction is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. In this embodiment, a multi-nozzle head different from the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view of a multi-nozzle head 150B. As shown in FIG. 12, the partition walls 159B may be arranged in the same direction (first direction D1) as the direction in which the droplet ejection nozzle groups 152 are arranged, and in a direction intersecting the direction (second direction D2). In this case, the partition walls 159B have a lattice shape. This can further increase the strength of the multi-nozzle head 150B.

[0065] Fourth Embodiment In this embodiment, a droplet ejection device different from that in the first embodiment will be described. Specifically, an example having a second droplet ejection unit and an inspection unit will be described.

[0066] Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of the droplet ejection device 100C. As shown in Fig. 13, the droplet ejection device 100C includes a control unit 110, a memory unit 115, a power supply unit 120, a drive unit 130, a droplet ejection unit 140 (also referred to as a "first droplet ejection unit"), an imaging unit 180, and a target object holding unit 190, as well as a second droplet ejection unit 170 and an inspection unit 185.

[0067] A single-type electrostatic discharge inkjet nozzle is used for the second droplet discharge unit 170. The second droplet discharge unit 170 includes a droplet discharge nozzle 171 and an electrode 175. The droplet discharge nozzle 171 has a glass tube, and the electrode 175 is provided inside the glass tube. In this example, a thin tungsten wire is used for the electrode 175. Note that the electrode 175 is not limited to tungsten, and nickel, molybdenum, titanium, gold, silver, copper, platinum, etc. may also be used. The second droplet discharge unit 170 discharges droplets 177 through the droplet discharge nozzle 171.

[0068] The inspection unit 185 inspects the ejection results of the target object 200 after droplet ejection. Image analysis may be used as an inspection method. The inspection unit 185 may be provided integrally with the imaging unit 180. If there is an ejection defect, the second droplet ejection unit 170 ejects droplets onto the defective ejection location.

[0069] Next, a droplet ejection method according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to a flow chart shown in FIG.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 14 , the control unit 110 of the droplet ejection device 100 acquires ejection position information previously stored in the storage unit 115 (step S110). Next, the control unit 110 drives the drive unit 130 to move the multi-nozzle head 150 to the ejection position (step S120). At this time, the control unit 110 aligns the ejection position via the drive unit 130 based on the image captured by the image capture unit 180. Next, the control unit 110 applies voltage to the power supply unit 120 to eject droplets 157 from the multi-nozzle head 150 (step S130). In this example, a resin material (more specifically, polyimide resin) is dispensed as the droplets. As a result, the droplets 157 are dispensed onto the target object 200, forming a new pattern on the target object 200.

[0071] Next, the control unit 110 instructs the inspection unit 185 to perform an inspection (step S140). In this case, the inspection unit 185 may make a judgment based on the results of imaging by the imaging unit 180. Next, the control unit 110 determines whether there is a discharge defect based on the inspection results (step S150). If it is determined that there is a discharge defect (step S150; Yes), the control unit 110 instructs the second droplet ejection unit 170 to eject a droplet 177 onto the discharge defect location (step S160). If there is no discharge defect (step S150; No), the process proceeds to step S170.

[0072] The control unit 110 determines whether there is a next droplet to be discharged (step S170). If there is a next droplet to be discharged (step S170; Yes), the process returns to step S110. If there is no next droplet to be discharged (step S170; No), the process ends.

[0073] By using the droplet discharge method of this embodiment, it is possible to form a pattern at a predetermined position via a plurality of droplet discharge nozzles, and also possible to discharge droplets onto a location where discharge is poor.

[0074] In this embodiment, the inspection process may be performed in synchronization with the timing of ejecting the first droplet for the next droplet ejection (the timing of returning to step S110). This allows the next droplet ejection process and the inspection process to be performed dynamically and simultaneously, allowing the droplet ejection process to proceed quickly.

[0075] Fifth Embodiment In the first embodiment of the present invention, the partition wall 159 is provided on the side of the plate portion 151 opposite to the side on which the droplet discharge nozzles 153 are provided (in this example, the upper surface side). However, the present invention is not limited to this. In this embodiment, a multi-nozzle head 150D different from the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the multi-nozzle head 150D. As shown in FIG. 15, in the multi-nozzle head 150D, the partition wall 159D may be provided on the same side of the plate portion 151 on which the droplet discharge nozzles 153 are provided (the lower surface side of the plate portion 151). In this case, the vertical distance (height) H159D of the partition wall 159D relative to the target 200 is greater than the vertical distance (height) H153 of the droplet discharge nozzles 153 relative to the target 200. The presence of the partition wall 159D can stabilize the distance between the target 200 and the multi-nozzle head 150D. Therefore, by using this embodiment, droplets can be more easily discharged uniformly.

[0076] In one embodiment of the present invention, the partition wall 159D may be provided on the same side of the plate portion 151 as the side on which the droplet discharge nozzle 153 is provided and on the opposite side.

[0077] (Modifications) Within the scope of the concept of the present invention, a person skilled in the art may conceive of various modifications and alterations, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, to the above-described embodiments, a person skilled in the art may appropriately add or delete components, combine or modify the designs of the embodiments, or add or omit processing or change conditions, all of which are included within the scope of the present invention as long as they maintain the gist of the present invention.

[0078] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the multi-nozzle head 150 and the mount portion 160 are described separately, but the multi-nozzle head 150 and the mount portion 160 may be combined to form a multi-nozzle head.

[0079] In one embodiment of the present invention, the partition wall 159 may be formed of a metal material other than a resin material. In this case, the voltage in the periphery can be controlled and droplets can be uniformly ejected without forming the pseudo nozzle 155.

[0080] 100... droplet ejection device, 100C... droplet ejection device, 110... control unit, 115... memory unit, 120... power supply unit, 130... drive unit, 140... droplet ejection unit, 145... ink tank, 150... multi-nozzle head, 150A to D... multi-nozzle head, 151... plate portion, 151a... lower surface, 151o... through hole, 152... droplet ejection nozzle group, 152-1 to 3... droplet ejection nozzle group, 153... droplet ejection nozzle, 153-1-1 to 5... droplet ejection nozzle, 153-2-1 to 5... droplet ejection nozzle, 153-3-1 to 5... droplet ejection nozzle, 153a... tip portion, 153ao... opening, 155... pseudo nozzle 155a...tip portion, 157...droplet, 159...partition (rib), 159B...partition, 159D...partition, 160...mount portion, 161...opening, 161b...bottom, 161s...side, 170...second droplet ejection portion, 171...droplet ejection nozzle, 175...electrode, 177...droplet, 180...imaging portion, 185...inspection portion, 190...object holding portion, 200...object, 210...pattern, 220...pattern, 1511...structure, 1513...structure, 1531...structure, 1531a...tip portion, 1590...structure, 2000...mold, 2000A...first surface, 2000B...second surface, 200 1...first mold, 2003...insulating layer, 2005...second mold, 2006...recess group, 2007...recess, 2007b...bottom, 2011...resist mask

Claims

1. A multi-nozzle head comprising: a plate portion extending in a first direction and provided flat; a first droplet discharge nozzle group including a first electrostatic discharge type droplet discharge nozzle and a second electrostatic discharge type droplet discharge nozzle provided at a predetermined position on the underside of the plate portion; a second droplet discharge nozzle group provided on the plate portion at a distance from the first droplet discharge nozzle group in the first direction, the second droplet discharge nozzle group including a third electrostatic discharge type droplet discharge nozzle provided at a position corresponding to the first electrostatic discharge type droplet discharge nozzle, and a fourth electrostatic discharge type droplet discharge nozzle provided at a position corresponding to the second electrostatic discharge type droplet discharge nozzle; and a partition provided between the first droplet discharge nozzle group and the second droplet discharge nozzle group.

2. The multi-nozzle head according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall is provided on the upper surface side of the plate portion.

3. The multi-nozzle head according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

4. The multi-nozzle head according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall contains a resin material.

5. The multi-nozzle head according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall is provided on the lower surface side of the plate portion, and the height of the partition wall is greater than the height of the first electrostatic discharge type droplet discharge nozzle.

6. A droplet ejection device comprising a droplet ejection section having the multi-nozzle head according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The droplet ejection device according to claim 6, further comprising a mount portion connected to the multi-nozzle head and having an opening, wherein the top surface of the plate portion is connected to the bottom of the opening, and both sides of the partition wall are connected to the sides of the opening.

8. A droplet ejection method, comprising ejecting droplets onto an object using the multi-nozzle head according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

9. The droplet ejection method according to claim 8, wherein the viscosity of the droplets is 0.1 cps or more and 10,000 cps or less.

10. The droplet ejection method according to claim 8, wherein the droplets contain an organic material.

11. The droplet ejection method according to claim 8, wherein the droplets contain polyimide resin.

12. The droplet ejection method according to claim 8, wherein the target object is a substrate on which a pattern is formed, and the droplets are ejected onto the pattern.

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