Inkjet Nozzle Group Uniformity Correction for Color Filter Grayscale
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional droplet discharge methods for manufacturing color filters using inkjet technology face challenges in achieving uniform liquid discharge, leading to linear grayscale nonuniformity due to variability in discharge amounts from nozzles, which complicates the production of high-quality images.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dividing nozzles into groups to ensure that the average discharge amount is uniform across all groups, allowing for finer control of liquid levels in drawing regions by adjusting the discharge amounts of individual nozzles in a stepwise manner, using a droplet discharge device with a correction unit to manage the discharge signals and movement of the droplet discharge head relative to the substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the discharge amount of liquid is adjusted in a stepwise manner using drive signals, then the discharge amount can be corrected to reduce nonuniformity, but the variability of discharge amount cannot be reduced to one-fourth or less of the original variability
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzles are divided into multiple nozzle groups, where nozzles in one group face the same drawing region. By segmenting the correction task into group-level adjustments rather than individual nozzle adjustments, the patent achieves finer control of discharge amount uniformity while maintaining stepwise correction simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If the discharge amount is corrected to make average values uniform among nozzle groups, then linear grayscale nonuniformity is reduced, but the correction process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial correction by adjusting only the average discharge amount of each nozzle group rather than correcting every individual nozzle. This partial action approach achieves sufficient uniformity for the drawing region while keeping the correction unit's complexity manageable.
3Manufacturing precision
If more steps are used in stepwise correction, then discharge amount uniformity improves, but the correction time and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new dimension of correction by organizing nozzles into groups and correcting at the group level rather than individually. This dimensional shift from individual nozzle correction to group-level correction enables finer uniformity control without proportionally increasing the number of correction steps or time required.
Data Source
AI summary
A droplet discharge method is for discharging a liquid into a plurality of drawing regions partitioned on a substrate from a plurality of nozzles formed in a droplet discharge head while moving the droplet discharge head relative to the substrate. The droplet discharge method includes dividing the nozzles into a plurality of nozzle groups so that the nozzles in one of the nozzles groups face the same drawing region, correcting an amount of the liquid discharged from the nozzles so that an average value of an amount of the liquid discharged from the nozzles constituting the nozzle groups is substantially uniform among the nozzle groups, and discharging the liquid from the nozzles while the droplet discharge head is moved relative to the substrate.