JP2004177671A - Film forming apparatus and film forming method, and device manufacturing apparatus and device manufacturing method, and device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To carry out work to a head without exerting a high load thereon. <P>SOLUTION: The film forming apparatus has: a droplet discharge head 20 provided with a vibration applicator for applying vibrations to a liquid body; a chamber for housing the head 20; a first cover body and second cover body freely openably and closably disposed in the chamber; a detecting means 5 for detecting the opened and closed state of the first cover body and the second cover body; and a control means 6 for controlling driving of the vibration applicator on the basis of the result of the detection by the detecting means 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus, a film forming method, a device manufacturing apparatus, a device manufacturing method, and a device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When a device such as a liquid crystal display device is manufactured, when a film forming apparatus of a droplet discharging method is adopted as a method of supplying a functional liquid to a substrate, a predetermined amount of liquid is discharged from a droplet discharging head in the film forming apparatus. Droplets are ejected and supplied to the substrate. In this case, the droplet is discharged from the droplet discharge head to a predetermined position on the substrate by discharging the droplet while relatively moving the substrate and the droplet discharge head. As described above, since the droplet discharge head and the substrate move in the film forming apparatus, the liquid ejecting head and the substrate are housed in a case called a chamber to ensure the safety of an operator or the like, and provided in the case for the inside of the film forming apparatus. It can be operated by opening the cover (door).
[0003]
Further, for example, a technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is provided as a countermeasure for a case where the cover is accidentally opened during operation of the apparatus. According to this technology, when an abnormality such as opening of the cover occurs during operation of the apparatus, the operation of the apparatus is interrupted, and the formation of the color elements is resumed after the abnormality is resolved. By terminating the operation of the apparatus after the formation of the middle color element is completed, a change in the density of the ink droplet due to the interruption of the formation of the color element is prevented, and the variation in the color and the density of the color element is suppressed.
[0004]
However, if the operation of the device is interrupted, the functional liquid in the droplet discharge head may thicken or its physical properties may deteriorate. And there is a problem that the film forming quality is deteriorated. In order to avoid such a problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-163873 discloses that a liquid is stirred by vibrating a meniscus in the vicinity of a nozzle orifice at the time of waiting for droplet discharge to prevent the functional liquid from thickening or deteriorating physical properties. There is disclosed a technique of performing the above.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-9-43423 (paragraphs 0034 to 0040)
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-9-30007 (paragraphs 0052 to 0068)
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the above-described related art has the following problems.
When performing a maintenance operation on the droplet discharge head by opening the cover body of the film forming apparatus, for example, when performing a recovery operation due to clogging of a nozzle of the droplet discharge head, the suction pad is used to perform a recovery operation. If a piezoelectric element such as a piezo element is driven while a liquid is being sucked, a large load is applied to the head (piezoelectric element) when the liquid in the head is sucked, and the head may be damaged. Further, for example, when replacing the droplet discharge head, if the drive voltage is supplied while disconnecting the cable that supplies the drive voltage to the droplet discharge head, there is a possibility that the substrate element of the head is short-circuited and the element is damaged. In addition, there is a possibility that the worker may get an electric shock and die.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is capable of performing a maintenance operation on a head without applying a large load, a film forming apparatus and a film forming method, a device manufacturing apparatus and a device manufacturing method, and the device. An object is to provide a device manufactured by a manufacturing apparatus.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following configuration.
A film forming apparatus of the present invention is a film forming apparatus that applies a liquid droplet to a predetermined position on a substrate to perform a film forming process on the substrate, and includes a vibration applying apparatus that applies vibration to a liquid material. Detecting a chamber accommodating the droplet discharge head, a first cover body and a second cover body openably and closably provided in the chamber, and an open / closed state of the first and second cover bodies. And a control means for controlling the driving of the vibration applying device based on the detection result of the detection means.
[0009]
According to the present invention, when no liquid droplets are ejected from the liquid droplet ejection head, a vibration (fine vibration) that causes the vibration applying device to not eject the liquid material from the liquid droplet ejection head is applied to the liquid material. Therefore, in the film forming apparatus of the present invention, when the first or second cover body is opened and a maintenance operation such as ink suction or head replacement is performed on the droplet discharge head in the chamber, the liquid material is not discharged. Vibration (fine vibration) can be stopped. For this reason, the maintenance work for the droplet discharge head is performed in a state where vibration is not applied, so that a large load can be prevented from being applied to the droplet discharge head. Further, when it is detected that the maintenance work on the liquid droplet ejection head cannot be performed by closing the first or second cover body, a slight vibration is applied to the liquid material to prevent the liquid material from thickening or deteriorating in physical properties. can do.
[0010]
The first cover body is mainly used for carrying the substrate into and out of the chamber, and the second cover body is mainly used for maintenance of the film forming apparatus. One or a plurality of are provided, and the detecting means may be a detecting means capable of detecting the open / close state of each of the first and second cover bodies.
Further, it is preferable that the control unit stops the drive source of the droplet discharge head when the detection unit detects that at least one of the second cover members is opened. As a result, it is possible to avoid an unexpected situation caused by driving the droplet discharge head and to enhance safety.
[0011]
Preferably, the control means applies the vibration to the liquid based on a detection result when the detection means detects that the second cover body is completely closed. Thus, when the cover is closed, it is possible to immediately apply fine vibration to the liquid material, and it is possible to shorten the stop time of the fine vibration accompanying the maintenance work. When the time for applying the micro-vibration exceeds a predetermined time, it is preferable to discharge a predetermined number of droplets in a flushing area or the like to discharge a liquid material whose viscosity or physical properties may have changed.
[0012]
The device manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is a device manufacturing method including a film forming process of applying a liquid material discharged from a droplet discharge head to a substrate and performing a film forming process on the substrate. The present invention is characterized in that the above-described film forming apparatus is used. Thus, in the present invention, the maintenance work for the droplet discharge head can be performed in a state in which no vibration is applied, so that a large load can be prevented from being applied to the droplet discharge head.
[0013]
Further, a device of the present invention is characterized by being manufactured by the device manufacturing apparatus described above. Thus, according to the present invention, since the device is manufactured without causing any damage to the device, it is possible to prevent a decrease in productivity during the manufacturing.
[0014]
On the other hand, the film forming method of the present invention is a film forming method including a discharging step of performing a discharging operation of a liquid material from a droplet discharging head, wherein a vibration that does not discharge the liquid material from the droplet discharging head is caused by the liquid material. And controlling the vibration to be applied to the liquid material based on the detection result of the detection means for detecting the open / closed state of the cover of the film forming apparatus.
[0015]
Therefore, in the film forming method of the present invention, when performing the maintenance work on the droplet discharge head, when the detecting means detects that the cover is opened, the vibration (fine vibration) that does not discharge the liquid is stopped. Can be done. For this reason, the maintenance work for the droplet discharge head is performed in a state where vibration is not applied, so that a large load can be prevented from being applied to the droplet discharge head. In addition, when it is detected that the maintenance operation for the droplet discharge head is not performed with the cover closed, the liquid material is subjected to micro-vibration to prevent the liquid material from thickening or deteriorating in physical properties.
[0016]
The device manufacturing method of the present invention is a device manufacturing method including a film forming process of applying a liquid material discharged from a droplet discharge head to a substrate and performing a film forming process on the substrate. The method is characterized in that the film forming process is performed using a method. Thus, in the present invention, the maintenance work for the droplet discharge head can be performed in a state in which no vibration is applied, so that a large load can be prevented from being applied to the droplet discharge head.
[0017]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of a film forming apparatus, a film forming method, a device manufacturing apparatus, a device manufacturing method, and a device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, it is assumed that the film forming apparatus of the present invention is applied to a filter manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing, for example, a color filter used for a liquid crystal display device using ink as a functional liquid (liquid). explain.
[0018]
FIG. 1 is a schematic external perspective view of a film forming apparatus (droplet discharging apparatus) 10 constituting a filter manufacturing apparatus (device manufacturing apparatus). This filter manufacturing apparatus includes three film forming apparatuses 10 having substantially the same structure, and each of the film forming apparatuses 10 has an ink of each color of R (red), G (green), and B (blue). Is discharged onto the filter substrate.
[0019]
The film forming apparatus 10 includes a base 12, a first moving device 14, a second moving device 16, an electronic balance (weight measuring device) (not shown), a droplet discharging head 20, a capping unit 22, a cleaning unit 24, and the like as a discharging device. The main body of the film forming apparatus is housed in a case (chamber) 3 for preventing access to the running film forming apparatus main body.
[0020]
The case 3 has a first cover body 4 for loading (or unloading) the substrate 48 mainly from the front side to the main body of the film forming apparatus, and a maintenance mainly for inspection and maintenance of the film forming apparatus from the side side. And the second cover body 9 are provided to be openable and closable, respectively. In the vicinity of the first cover body 4, a cover detection means (detection means) 5 composed of a sensor or the like for detecting an open state and a closed state of the first cover body 4 is attached. A cover detecting means (detecting means) 5 including a sensor or the like for detecting the open state and the closed state of the second cover body 9 is attached near the cover body 9. The cover detecting means 5 outputs a signal corresponding to opening and closing of the first cover body 4 and the second cover body 9 to a control means 6 (see a block diagram in FIG. 2) described later.
In the above-described embodiment (FIG. 1), the case in which the number of the second cover body is one has been described. However, for example, a plurality of second cover bodies may be provided for the purpose of various maintenance work related to the film forming apparatus ( See FIG. 6). The detecting means 5 is provided for each one of the cover bodies so that the open / close state of each of the cover bodies can be detected.
In the above-described embodiment, the first cover is provided on the front side and the second cover is provided on the side with respect to the case 3, but the positions of the first cover and the second cover are It may be any one of the front side, the side, the back, and the top. This installation position is appropriately determined from the viewpoint of the specifications of the film forming apparatus, work efficiency, and the like.
[0021]
Referring back to FIG. 1, a first moving device 14, an electronic balance, a capping unit 22, a cleaning unit 24, and a second moving device 16 are provided on a base 12 of the film forming apparatus main body. The first moving device 14 is preferably installed directly on the base 12, and the first moving device 14 is positioned along the Y-axis direction. On the other hand, the second moving device 16 is mounted upright on the base 12 using the columns 16A, 16A, and the second moving device 16 is mounted on the rear portion 12A of the base 12. The X-axis direction of the second moving device 16 is a direction orthogonal to the Y-axis direction of the first moving device 14. The Y axis is an axis along the direction of the front part 12B and the rear part 12A of the base 12. On the other hand, the X-axis is an axis along the left-right direction of the base 12, and each is horizontal.
[0022]
The first moving device 14 has guide rails 40, 40, and the first moving device 14 can employ, for example, a linear motor. The slider 42 of the first moving device 14 of the linear motor type can be positioned by moving in the Y-axis direction along the guide rail 40. The slider 42 includes a motor 44 for the θ axis. The motor 44 is, for example, a direct drive motor, and the rotor of the motor 44 is fixed to a table 46. Thus, when the motor 44 is energized, the rotor and the table 46 can rotate along the θ direction to index the rotation of the table 46.
[0023]
The table 46 positions and holds the substrate 48. Further, the table 46 has a suction holding device 50, and by operating the suction holding device 50, the substrate 48 can be sucked and held on the table 46 through the hole 46 </ b> A of the table 46. The table 46 is provided with a preliminary ejection area 52 for the droplet ejection head 20 to discard or test eject (preliminary ejection) droplets.
[0024]
The second moving device 16 has a column 16B fixed to the columns 16A, 16A. The column 16B has a second moving device 16 of a linear motor type. The slider 60 can be positioned by moving in the X-axis direction along the guide rail 62A, and the slider 60 includes the droplet discharge head 20 as a discharge device.
[0025]
The droplet discharge head 20 has motors 62, 64, 66, and 68 as swing positioning devices. By operating the motor 62, the droplet discharge head 20 can be moved up and down along the Z axis to be positioned. The Z axis is a direction (vertical direction) orthogonal to the X axis and the Y axis. When the motor 64 is operated, the droplet discharge head 20 can be positioned by swinging along the β direction around the Y axis. When the motor 66 is operated, the droplet discharge head 20 can be positioned by swinging in the γ direction around the X axis.
When the motor 68 is operated, the droplet discharge head 20 can be positioned by swinging in the α direction around the Z axis.
[0026]
As described above, the droplet discharge head 20 shown in FIG. 1 can be positioned by linearly moving in the Z-axis direction on the slider 60 and can be positioned by swinging along α, β, and γ. The position or orientation of the ink ejection surface 20P of the head 20 with respect to the substrate 48 on the table 46 side can be accurately controlled. The ink discharge surface 20P of the droplet discharge head 20 is provided with a plurality of nozzles (discharge ports) (not shown) for discharging ink, respectively.
[0027]
The droplet discharge head 20 is, for example, a head using a piezo element (piezoelectric element) as a pressure generating device, and the piezo element is provided for each of a plurality of nozzles. Then, a drive signal is applied to each piezo element under the control of the control means 6 to enlarge or reduce the ink chamber for each nozzle, so that ink ejection from the nozzle can be controlled.
[0028]
FIG. 2 shows a control system relating to the droplet discharge of the droplet discharge head 20.
The control means 6 is connected to a discharge waveform generating means 7 and a micro-vibration waveform generating means 8. The control means 6 responds to the output of the cover detecting means 5 when the second cover body is closed. The driving waveform generated by the waveform generating means 7 or the micro-vibration waveform generating means 8 is applied to each piezo element of the droplet discharge head 20, and when the second cover body is opened, the piezo element is applied to each piezo element. The configuration is such that the application is stopped, and the power supply to each piezo element is cut off as necessary to protect the head.
The overall operation will be described below. First, in a state where a discharge waveform described later is supplied to the droplet discharge head 20 and a film forming operation is being performed, a signal for locking all the cover bodies is output from the control means 6 to the cover body lock means 11, The first cover body and the second cover body cannot be opened. Next, the film forming operation is completed, or the film forming operation is ended by the operation of the control means 6 by the operator, and in a state where a minute vibration waveform described later is supplied to the droplet discharge head 20, the control means 6 A signal for unlocking all the cover members is output to the cover member locking means 11 so that both the first cover member and the second cover member can be opened. However, if the first cover is opened while the droplet discharge head 20 is slightly vibrating, the fine vibration is continued as it is, but if the second cover is opened, the cover detecting means 5 is opened. The micro-vibration is stopped by the signal input to the control means 6 from. Next, when the second cover body is closed, the micro-vibration is restarted by a signal input from the cover detection means 5 to the control means 6.
[0029]
FIG. 3A shows an example of a drive waveform (hereinafter, referred to as an ejection waveform) generated by the ejection waveform generation means 7, and FIG. 3B shows a drive waveform (hereinafter, referred to as the ejection waveform) generated by the fine vibration waveform generation means 8. , Micro vibration waveform). In the ejection waveform, the ink chamber expands at the waveform section a1 having a positive gradient, and the ink chamber is contracted and pressurized by applying the applied voltage Vh at the waveform section a2 having a negative gradient, so that a predetermined amount of ink is ejected. . Similarly, in the fine vibration waveform, the ink chamber expands at the waveform section b1 having a positive gradient, and the ink chamber is reduced and pressurized by applying the applied voltage Vl at the waveform section b2 having a negative gradient. Vl is set to a size such that ink is not ejected from the nozzles. That is, as a vibration characteristic, the meniscus is finely vibrated by applying a voltage having this fine vibration waveform to the piezo element. Here, the piezo element of the pressure generating device is used as a vibration applying device.
[0030]
Returning to FIG. 1, the electronic balance measures, for example, the weight of one ink droplet ejected from the nozzle of the droplet ejection head 20 by using, for example, 5000 droplets from the nozzle of the droplet ejection head 20. Receive ink drops. The electronic balance can measure the weight of one ink drop almost exactly by dividing the weight of the 5000 ink drops by 5000. Based on the measured amount of the ink droplet, the amount of the ink droplet ejected from the droplet ejection head 20 can be optimally controlled.
[0031]
The cleaning unit 24 can perform cleaning of the nozzles and the like of the droplet discharge head 20 regularly or at any time during the filter manufacturing process or during standby. The capping unit 22 is for preventing the ink in the nozzles of the droplet discharge head 20 from drying out, so that the ink discharge surface 20P does not come into contact with the outside air when the filter is not manufactured.
[0032]
The operation of the film forming apparatus 10 having the above configuration will be described below.
After the operator opens the first cover body 4 and feeds the substrate 48 onto the table 46 of the first moving device 14 from the front end side of the table 46, the first cover body 4 is closed. 48 is positioned by being sucked and held with respect to the table 46. Then, the motor 44 is operated to set the end faces of the substrate 48 so as to be parallel to the Y-axis direction.
[0033]
Subsequently, the droplet discharge head 20 moves along the X-axis direction and is positioned above the electronic balance. Then, the designated number of drops (the number of designated ink drops) is ejected. Thus, the electronic balance measures, for example, the weight of 5000 ink drops, and calculates the weight per ink drop. Then, it is determined whether or not the weight of each ink droplet falls within a predetermined appropriate range. If the weight is outside the appropriate range, the voltage applied to the piezo element is adjusted, and the like, so that one ink droplet is obtained. Keep the weight per hit properly.
[0034]
When the weight per ink droplet is proper, the substrate 48 is appropriately moved and positioned in the Y-axis direction from the first moving device 14, and the droplet discharging head 20 is moved by the second moving device 16. It is moved and positioned appropriately in the X-axis direction. Then, the droplet discharge head 20 relatively moves in the Y-axis direction with respect to the substrate 48 after the preliminary discharge of ink from all the nozzles to the preliminary discharge area 52 (absorbing material 54) (actually, the substrate 48 moves in the Y direction with respect to the droplet discharge head 20), and discharges ink from a predetermined nozzle to a predetermined area on the substrate 48 with a predetermined width. When the one-time relative movement between the droplet discharge head 20 and the substrate 48 is completed, the droplet discharge head 20 moves by a predetermined amount in the X-axis direction with respect to the substrate 48, and thereafter, the substrate 48 moves The ink is ejected while moving with respect to. By repeating this operation a plurality of times, ink can be ejected to the entire film forming region to form a film.
[0035]
Here, the control unit 6 applies the piezo element with the voltage of the ejection waveform generated by the ejection waveform generation unit 7 during the ink ejection process on the substrate 48, but otherwise applies the drive waveform applied to the piezo element. Is switched to the micro-vibration waveform generated by the micro-vibration waveform generating means 8. As a result, the ink discharge from the droplet discharge head 20 is stopped, but the ink in the droplet discharge head 20 is agitated by vibrating from the piezo element to vibrate the meniscus, thereby increasing the viscosity and deteriorating the physical properties. Is suppressed.
[0036]
On the other hand, when the maintenance work is performed on the droplet discharge head 20, the second cover body 9 is opened. However, the second cover body 9 is opened and the work on the droplet discharge head 20, for example, the ink suction operation can be performed. In such a state, a signal indicating that the second cover body 9 has been opened is output from the cover detection means 5. When this signal is input, the control means 6 can stop the micro-vibration by the piezo element and shut off the drive source for driving the piezo element as required. As described above, the ink suction operation can be performed without applying a load to the droplet discharge head 20 by stopping the driving of the piezo element.
[0037]
When the maintenance work on the droplet discharge head 20 is completed and the second cover 9 is closed, a signal indicating that the second cover 9 is closed is output from the cover detecting means 5. When this signal is input, the control means 6 activates the driving source of the piezo element as needed, and immediately applies the piezo element with a slight vibration waveform. As a result, the meniscus vibrates finely due to the vibration from the piezo element, whereby the ink in the droplet discharge head 20 is agitated, and the increase in viscosity and deterioration in physical properties until the ink discharge is restarted is suppressed.
[0038]
In addition, in the case where the time during which the ink in the nozzle portion is finely vibrated is long, there is a high possibility that the viscosity increases even when the ink is stirred. Therefore, in such a case, it is preferable to set a threshold value for the time during which the micro-vibration is applied to the ink, and to perform flushing periodically (periodic ejection) when the micro-vibration time exceeds the threshold value. . In addition, if the viscosity of the ink increases due to continuing the micro-vibration even if the threshold value is not exceeded, a step of heating the ink in the head and lowering the viscosity of the ink before discharging the droplet is separately performed. It may be provided.
[0039]
Next, an example of manufacturing a color filter by a film forming process will be described with reference to FIGS.
The substrate 48 shown in FIG. 4 is a transparent substrate that has high mechanical transparency and high light transmittance. As the substrate 48, for example, a transparent glass substrate, acrylic glass, a plastic substrate, a plastic film, and a surface-treated product thereof can be used.
[0040]
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of color filter regions 105 are formed in a matrix on a rectangular substrate 48 from the viewpoint of increasing productivity. These color filter regions 105 can be used as color filters suitable for a liquid crystal display device by cutting the glass 48 later. In the color filter region 105, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, each filter element is formed in a predetermined pattern using R ink, G ink, and B ink. As the formation pattern, there are a mosaic type, a delta type, a square type and the like in addition to a conventionally known stripe type as shown in the figure.
[0041]
FIG. 4 shows an example of a process for forming the color filter region 105 on the substrate 48.
In FIG. 4A, a black matrix 110 is formed on one surface of a transparent substrate 48. A resin having no light transmission property (preferably black) is applied to a predetermined thickness (for example, about 2 μm) on a substrate 48 serving as a base of the color filter by a method such as spin coating, and is subjected to photolithography. The black matrix 110 is provided in the form of a matrix by the above method. The smallest display element surrounded by the lattice of the black matrix 110 is a filter element, for example, a window having a width of about 30 μm in the X-axis direction and a length of about 100 μm in the Y-axis direction. After the formation of the black matrix 110, the resin on the substrate 48 is baked by, for example, applying heat with a heater.
[0042]
As shown in FIG. 4B, the ink droplet 99 is supplied to the filter element 112. The amount of the ink droplet 99 is a sufficient amount in consideration of a decrease in the volume of the ink in the heating step. In the heating step of FIG. 4C, when all the filter elements 112 on the color filter are filled with the ink droplets 99, a heating process is performed using a heater. The substrate 48 is heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, about 70 ° C.). As the solvent in the ink evaporates, the volume of the ink decreases. When the volume decreases sharply, the ink discharging step and the heating step are repeated until a sufficient ink film thickness as a color filter is obtained. By this processing, the solvent of the ink evaporates, and finally, only the solid content of the ink remains to form a film.
[0043]
In the protective film forming step of FIG. 4D, heating is performed at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time in order to completely dry the ink droplet 99. When the drying is completed, a protective film 120 is formed to protect the color filter substrate 48 on which the ink film is formed and to flatten the filter surface. For forming the protective film 120, for example, a method such as a spin coating method, a roll coating method, and a ripping method can be adopted.
[0044]
In the transparent electrode forming step of FIG. 4E, the transparent electrode 130 is formed over the entire surface of the protective film 120 using a recipe such as a sputtering method or a vacuum deposition method. In the patterning step of FIG. 4F, the transparent electrode 130 is further patterned into a pixel electrode corresponding to the opening of the filter element 112. This patterning is unnecessary when a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) or the like is used for driving the liquid crystal. In addition, during the film forming process, it is desirable to wipe the ink ejection surface 20P of the droplet ejection head 20 using the cleaning unit 24 periodically or as needed.
[0045]
As described above, in the present embodiment, when the opening of the second cover body 9 is detected, the driving of the piezo element is controlled to stop applying the fine vibration. In contrast, even when the method is performed, it is possible to prevent a large load from being applied to the droplet discharge head 20. In this case, it is possible to shut off the driving source of the piezo element instead of simply stopping the application of the micro-vibration, so that an unexpected situation due to the driving of the droplet discharge head 20 is avoided and the safety is improved. It becomes possible.
[0046]
In the above-described embodiment, the procedure in which the application of the fine vibration to the ink is restarted when it is detected that the second cover body 9 is closed is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. When the ink suction operation is performed by the capping unit 22 by driving the driving device, the driving device outputs to the control unit 6 an end signal indicating that the suction operation by the capping unit 22 is completed. Is also good. In this case, it is possible to start applying the micro-vibration to the ink at the same time as the end of the suction operation, and it is possible to shorten the stop time of the micro-vibration accompanying the operation. In FIG. 2, the drive waveforms from the ejection waveform generating means 7 and the fine vibration waveform generating means 8 are selected and output by the control means 6, but the discharge waveform and the fine vibration waveform are made continuous and selected in a time-division manner. It is good.
[0047]
Further, in the above embodiment, the film forming apparatus is configured to be applied to the filter manufacturing apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the film forming apparatus can be applied to a printer (plotter) for printing and forming films on paper or the like. is there. In this case, the present invention is not limited to a configuration in which ink is ejected by driving a piezo element, but is also applicable to a printer of a system in which ink is ejected using bubbles generated by heating.
[0048]
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, in the above embodiment, an R (red) pattern is formed first. Then, the G (green) pattern is formed, and finally the B (blue) pattern is formed. However, the pattern is not limited to this, and the patterns may be formed in another order as needed.
[0049]
Further, the device manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to manufacturing a color filter for a liquid crystal display device, for example, and can be applied to, for example, an EL (electroluminescence) display device. An EL display device has a configuration in which a thin film containing a fluorescent inorganic or organic compound is sandwiched between a cathode and an anode. Electrons and holes are injected into the thin film and recombined, thereby forming excitons. (Exciton), and emits light by utilizing light emission (fluorescence / phosphorescence) when the exciton is deactivated. Among the fluorescent materials used in such EL display elements, materials that emit red, green, and blue light, that is, a material that forms a light emitting layer and a material that forms a hole injection / electron transport layer are used as inks, and each of the present invention is used as an ink. By patterning on an element substrate such as a TFT using the device manufacturing apparatus described above, a self-luminous full-color EL device can be manufactured. The scope of the device in the present invention includes such an EL device.
[0050]
In this case, for example, similar to the above-described black matrix of the color filter, a resin partition is formed using a resin resist so as to partition each pixel, and the discharged droplets are easily attached to the surface of the lower layer. In addition, in order to prevent the partition from repelling the discharged droplet and mixing with the droplet in the adjacent section, the surface of the substrate is subjected to plasma, UV treatment, coupling, etc. as a process prior to the discharge of the droplet. Perform processing. Thereafter, the film is manufactured through a first film forming step in which a material for forming the hole injection / electron transport layer is supplied as droplets to form a film, and a second film forming step in which a light emitting layer is similarly formed. .
[0051]
The EL device manufactured in this way can be used for segment display and still image display with simultaneous simultaneous light emission, for example, in the low information field such as pictures, characters, and labels, or as a light source having a point, line, or surface shape. Can be. Further, a full-color display device having high luminance and excellent responsiveness can be obtained by using an active element such as a TFT as well as a passively driven display element for driving. Further, if a metal material or an insulating material is provided to the film forming apparatus of the present invention, direct fine patterning of a metal wiring, an insulating film, or the like can be performed, and the present invention can be applied to the production of a novel high-performance device.
[0052]
In the above-described embodiment, for convenience, the droplet ejected head is referred to as a “droplet ejection head”, and the ejected matter is described as “ink”. There is no limitation, and any material may be used as long as it is adjusted so that it can be ejected as droplets from the head. For example, various materials such as the above-described EL device material, metal material, insulating material, and semiconductor material are included. Not even.
[0053]
Further, the film forming apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the use of forming a specific pattern on an object, but is also applicable to the use of covering the entire object such as forming a resist film in a semiconductor device manufacturing process. .
[0054]
Further, the droplet discharge head 20 of the illustrated film forming apparatus has an R (red). G (green). One type of ink of B (blue) can be ejected. Of course, two or three types of ink can be simultaneously ejected.
Although the first moving device 14 and the second moving device 16 of the film forming apparatus 10 use linear motors, the present invention is not limited to this, and other types of motors and actuators can be used.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic external perspective view of a film forming apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram related to ink ejection of a droplet ejection head.
3A is a diagram showing a discharge waveform, and FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a micro-vibration waveform.
FIGS. 4A to 4F are diagrams showing an example of a procedure for manufacturing a color filter using a substrate.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a substrate and a part of a color filter region on the substrate.
FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of a film forming apparatus having a plurality of second cover bodies.
[Explanation of symbols]
3 case (chamber), 4 first cover body, 5 cover detecting means (detecting means), 6 control means, 9 second cover body, 10 film forming apparatus (droplet discharging apparatus), 11 cover body locking means, 20 droplet discharge heads (discharge devices), 48 substrates

Claims (9)

A film forming apparatus that performs a film forming process on a substrate by applying droplets to a predetermined position of the substrate,
A droplet discharge head including a vibration applying device that applies vibration to the liquid material,
A chamber containing the droplet discharge head;
A first cover body and a second cover body provided in the chamber so as to be openable and closable,
Detecting means for detecting an open / closed state of the first and second cover bodies;
Control means for controlling driving of the vibration applying device based on a detection result of the detection means. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The first cover body is mainly used for carrying the substrate in and out of the chamber,
The second cover body is mainly used for maintenance of the film forming apparatus, and one or a plurality of the second cover bodies are provided,
The film forming apparatus, wherein the detection means is a detection means capable of detecting an open / close state of each of the first and second cover bodies. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
A film forming apparatus characterized in that when no liquid droplets are ejected from the liquid droplet ejection head, the vibration applying device imparts vibration to the liquid material so as not to eject the liquid material from the liquid droplet ejection head. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The control unit stops driving the vibration applying device and stops a driving source of the vibration applying device when the detecting unit detects that one or more of the second cover bodies are opened. A film forming apparatus characterized in that the film forming apparatus is capable of causing the film formation. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The control means can actuate a drive source of the vibration applying device when the detecting means detects that the second cover body is completely closed, and activates the drive of the vibration applying device. A film forming apparatus characterized by performing the following. A device manufacturing apparatus provided with a film forming apparatus that applies a liquid material discharged from a droplet discharge head to a substrate and performs a film forming process on the substrate,
A device manufacturing apparatus, wherein the film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is used as the film forming apparatus. A device manufactured by the device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6. A film forming method including a discharge step of performing a liquid material discharge operation from a droplet discharge head,
Applying vibration to the liquid material not to discharge the liquid material from the droplet discharge head,
Controlling a vibration applied to the liquid material based on a detection result of a detection unit that detects an open / closed state of a cover body of the film forming apparatus. A device manufacturing method including a film forming process of applying a liquid material discharged from a droplet discharge head to a substrate and performing a film forming process on the substrate,
A device manufacturing method, wherein the film forming process is performed using the film forming method according to claim 8.

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