JP2005270763A - Method for forming liquid repellent film and apparatus for forming liquid repellent film - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a batch processing of a plurality of nozzles to be easily performed by easily forming a liquid repellent film at a desired position even in a fine pore of a nozzle or the like with any shape and any diameter. <P>SOLUTION: In a forming method of the liquid repellent film, top end parts 12c of a plurality of nozzles 12 are immersed in a solution 13 for giving liquid repellency and further the solution 13 is applied onto inner peripheral parts and outer peripheral parts of the top end parts 12c of the plurality of nozzles 12 while controlling air pressure at the inside or the outside of the plurality of nozzles 12 by using a manometer 2, a valve 3, a controller 4, an ejector 5, a pressurized air source 6 and pipes 8 to 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention provides a liquid repellent film forming a liquid repellent film (liquid repellent film) in a fine hole such as a nozzle constituting a dispenser for ejecting a liquid agent and a nozzle constituting a liquid droplet ejection head for ejecting a liquid droplet. The present invention relates to a method and a liquid repellent film forming apparatus.

  The conventional liquid repellent film forming method is a method in which a nozzle of a predetermined size is attached to the rear end side of the nozzle so that the volume in the nozzle pore is a predetermined fixed volume, and then immersed in a coating liquid and pulled up. A protective film such as a liquid repellent film is formed in the pores (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-217670 (Claim 2, [0007], [0012], [0013], FIG. 2)

  The conventional liquid repellent film forming method described above has a problem that it cannot be applied when the nozzle diameter is small (for example, a diameter of 0.1 mm or less) because a stopper is attached to the rear end side of the nozzle. . In this regard, for example, it is conceivable to insert an adhesive from the rear end side of the nozzle instead of the stopper. However, in this case, if the nozzle is bent or the shape is complicated, it is difficult to remove the adhesive after forming the liquid repellent film. There are various problems that the liquid-repellent film formed when the object is removed is accidentally peeled off. As described above, the conventional liquid repellent film forming method and the modified examples have a problem that the applicable fine holes are limited. Furthermore, there is a problem that it is difficult to process a plurality of nozzles at once because a process of mounting / inserting / removing a plug or adhesive on the rear end side of the nozzles is required.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and its purpose is to easily form a liquid-repellent film at a desired position regardless of the shape and diameter of a fine hole such as a nozzle. In addition, a liquid repellent film forming method and a liquid repellent film forming apparatus capable of batch processing a plurality of nozzles easily can be obtained.

  In the liquid repellent film forming method according to the present invention, the tip portions of a plurality of nozzles are immersed in a liquid agent for imparting liquid repellency, and the air pressure inside or outside the plurality of nozzles is controlled to control the plurality of nozzles. The liquid agent is applied to the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion of the tip portion. According to the present invention, the length from the tip opening of the liquid repellent film formed on the inner peripheral portion of the nozzle tip, that is, the position of the boundary line between the liquid repellent part and the lyophilic part of the nozzle (interface position) ) Can be controlled on the order of microns in the length direction of the nozzle. In addition, since it is not necessary to attach a plug to the rear end of the nozzle or to insert an adhesive from the rear end of the nozzle, it is also applicable when the nozzle diameter is small (for example, a diameter of 0.1 mm or less). It can be applied to a nozzle having a complicated shape such as being bent. The maximum diameter of the nozzle capable of forming the liquid repellent film is about 2 mm at which capillary action can occur. Further, since the capillary phenomenon is used, it is not affected by the shape of the tip of the nozzle. In addition, a plurality of nozzles can be easily collectively processed.

Further, in the above method, after the tip portions of the plurality of nozzles are pulled up from the liquid agent, the air pressure inside the plurality of nozzles is increased to remove the liquid agent remaining at the tip portions of the plurality of nozzles. Thereby, clogging of the nozzle can be prevented.
Moreover, in said method, the liquid agent apply | coated to the inner peripheral part and outer peripheral part of the front-end | tip part of a some nozzle is dried. Thereby, the property of the formed liquid repellent film can be stabilized, and peeling and quality change of a liquid repellent film can be prevented.
Moreover, in said method, the liquid agent apply | coated to the inner peripheral part and outer peripheral part of the front-end | tip part of a some nozzle is sintered. Thereby, the property of the formed liquid repellent film can be stabilized, and peeling and quality change of a liquid repellent film can be prevented.

  In addition, the liquid repellent film forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a hollow portion, a plurality of first openings that are in communication with the hollow portion and the rear end outer peripheral portions of the plurality of nozzles are fitted to the lower surface, and the hollow portion. An adsorbing jig having a second opening communicating therewith, a liquid tank provided below the adsorbing jig and filled with a liquid agent for imparting liquid repellency, and attached to the second opening; Move the suction control jig or the liquid tank to control the pressure inside the multiple nozzles when the tip of multiple nozzles are immersed in the liquid, and immerse the multiple nozzle tips in the liquid. And a moving mechanism. According to the present invention, the length from the tip opening of the liquid repellent film formed on the inner peripheral portion of the nozzle tip, that is, the position of the boundary line between the liquid repellent part and the lyophilic part of the nozzle (interface position) ) Can be controlled on the order of microns in the length direction of the nozzle. In addition, since it is not necessary to attach a plug to the rear end of the nozzle or to insert an adhesive from the rear end of the nozzle, it is also applicable when the nozzle diameter is small (for example, a diameter of 0.1 mm or less). It can be applied to a nozzle having a complicated shape such as being bent. The maximum diameter of the nozzle capable of forming the liquid repellent film is about 2 mm at which capillary action can occur. Further, since the capillary phenomenon is used, it is not affected by the shape of the tip of the nozzle. In addition, a plurality of nozzles can be easily collectively processed.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a liquid repellent film forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
The liquid repellent film forming apparatus of this example includes an adsorption jig 1, a pressure gauge 2, a valve 3, a controller 4, an ejector 5, a pressurized air source 6, a liquid tank 7, and pipes 8 to 11. It is roughly composed. As shown in FIG. 2, the suction jig 1 is configured by integrally forming a substantially rectangular parallelepiped body portion 1 a and a substantially cylindrical pipe portion 1 b. The main body portion 1a has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped hollow portion 1c formed therein, and a plurality of substantially cylindrical openings 1d in a matrix shape at predetermined intervals on the lower surface thereof (in the example of FIG. 2, three rows). 9 in 3 rows.) The hollow part 1c and each opening part 1d are connected.

  The inner peripheral portion of each opening 1d is not shown, but has a highly airtight packing structure. As shown in FIG. 1, the outer periphery of the rear ends of a plurality of nozzles 12 that are objects for forming a liquid repellent film The part 12a is fitted. As the packing structure, for example, (a) a structure in which an O-ring or a silicon seal material is fitted, (b) a structure in which an inner peripheral portion of each opening 1d is engraved, or (c) each nozzle 12 is chucked. A structure in which the rear end opening of each nozzle 12 is pressed against the lower surface of the suction jig 1 by holding with a king mechanism and utilizing the elastic force of a spring may be used. Further, the structure (a) or (b) and the structure (c) may be used in combination. If a chucking mechanism is used, each nozzle 12 can be fixed vertically to the lower surface of the suction jig 1. Each nozzle 12 is made of metal, glass, resin, or the like. Each nozzle 12 is substantially cylindrical, and a cross section is shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, a substantially cylindrical communication hole 1e communicating with the hollow portion 1c and the pipe portion 1b is formed on one side surface of the main body portion 1a. That is, the rear end outer peripheral portion 12a of the plurality of nozzles 12 is fitted into the opening 1d, so that the tip opening 12b of each nozzle 12 and the opening 1f of the pipe portion 1b are advanced as shown in FIG. Keeping the air tightness of communication. The pipe portion 1b may not be formed integrally with the main body portion 1a, but may be configured to be fitted into the communication hole 1e, and the communication hole 1e may be provided in any of the main body portions 1a. In this case, the opening of the communication hole 1e is the second opening referred to in claim 5.

  The pressure gauge 2 has one end attached to the opening 1 f of the suction jig 1 and the other end attached to one end of the cylindrical pipe 8. The pressure gauge 2 measures the atmospheric pressure inside each nozzle 12 via the hollow portion 1 c of the suction jig 1 and supplies a pressure signal to the controller 4. One end of the valve 3 is attached to the other end of the pipe 8 and the other end is attached to one end of the pipe 9. The valve 3 opens and closes based on a control signal supplied from the controller 4.

  The controller 4 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a sequencer, and the like, and forms a liquid repellent film based on a liquid repellent film formation program stored in a built-in storage unit (not shown). Each part of the apparatus is controlled by executing processing and the like. In the liquid repellent film forming process, a jack mechanism (moving mechanism) (not shown) is controlled to raise and lower the liquid tank 7 or to adjust the opening of the valve 3 based on a pressure signal supplied from the pressure gauge 2. By doing so, it is the process which forms a liquid repellent film in the inner peripheral part and outer peripheral part of the front-end | tip part 12c of each nozzle 12. FIG.

  The ejector 5 generates pressure at the other end of the valve 3 via the pipe 9 by injecting compressed air supplied from the pressurized air source 6 via the pipe 11 via the pipe 10. That is, the pressure gauge 2, the valve 3, some functions of the controller 4, the ejector 5, the pressurized air source 6, and the pipes 8 to 11 constitute a pressure control unit, and the controller 4 is supplied from the pressure gauge 2. By adjusting the opening degree of the valve 3 based on the pressure signal, the pressure inside the plurality of nozzles 12 fitted in the opening 1d of the suction jig 1 is controlled with an accuracy of the order of several Torr.

  The liquid tank 7 is filled with the liquid agent 13, and is configured to be movable in the vertical direction (y + direction and y− direction shown in FIG. 1) by a jack mechanism (not shown). Examples of the liquid agent 13 include fluororesins, specifically, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer (ETFE), and Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polybarfluoroalkoxybutadiene, polyfluorovinylidene, polyfluorovinyl, polydiperfluoroalkyl fumarate and the like are used alone or in a mixed state.

  Next, the operation of the liquid repellent film forming apparatus having the above configuration will be described with reference to a flowchart showing the liquid repellent film forming process of the controller 4 shown in FIG. First, when the power is turned on, the controller 4 of the liquid repellent film forming device clears all stored contents of the RAM built in itself, or moves the liquid tank 7 to the home position (in the y-direction) shown in FIG. After executing a predetermined initialization process such as moving to the lowest position), the process proceeds to the process of step SP1 shown in FIG. 2 to determine whether or not the operation switch is turned on. When this determination result is “NO”, the controller 4 repeats the same determination.

  The straight line connecting the rear end outer peripheral portion 12a of the plurality of nozzles 12 to the inner peripheral portion of each opening 1d of the suction jig 1 and the front end opening 12b of each nozzle 12 is connected to the liquid surface 13a of the liquid agent 13. When the operation switch is pressed after the fitting so as to be parallel, the determination result in step SP1 is “YES”, and the controller 4 proceeds to step SP2. In step SP2, the controller 4 controls a jack mechanism (not shown) to raise the liquid tank 7 in the y + direction, as shown in FIG. After being immersed in 13, proceed to step SP3. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the liquid level of the liquid agent 13 in each nozzle 12 rises from the liquid level of the liquid agent 13 outside the nozzle 12 due to capillary action.

  In step SP3, the controller 4 adjusts the opening of the valve 3 based on the pressure signal supplied from the pressure gauge 2, thereby adjusting the pressure inside each nozzle 12 fitted in the opening 1d of the suction jig 1. After the control, the process proceeds to step SP4. Although the pressure inside each nozzle 12 varies depending on the specific gravity of the liquid agent 13, in the experiment, when the tip portion 12c of each nozzle 12 was immersed in the liquid agent 13 by about 5 mm, about +5 pa was good. In this case, if the pressure inside each nozzle 12 is not controlled, the liquid level of the liquid 13 in each nozzle 12 rises to 13 mm from the tip opening 12b of the nozzle 12, but the pressure inside each nozzle 12 is increased to around + 5pa. When controlled, the rise of the liquid level of the liquid 13 in each nozzle 12 can be suppressed to about 8 mm from the tip opening 12b of the nozzle 12. In addition, the liquid level of the liquid agent 13 in the outer peripheral part of the tip part 12c of each nozzle 12 is a length in which the tip part 12c of each nozzle 12 is immersed in the liquid agent 13, that is, about 5 mm from the tip opening part 12b of each nozzle 12. Be controlled.

  In step SP4, the controller 4 controls a jack mechanism (not shown) after about 10 seconds to 10 minutes have elapsed since the tip 12c of each nozzle 12 is immersed in the liquid agent 13 in the process of step SP2. As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid tank 7 is lowered in the y-direction, immersed in the liquid agent 13, and the tip portion 12c of each nozzle 12 in which the liquid agent 13 is applied to the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion of each tip portion 12c is applied to the liquid agent. After pulling out from 13, proceed to step SP5. The reason why the tip portion 12 c of each nozzle 12 is immersed in the liquid agent 13 and held for about 10 seconds to 10 minutes is to sufficiently adsorb the components contained in the liquid agent 13 on the surface of each nozzle 12.

  In step SP5, the controller 4 controls the pressure inside each nozzle 12 fitted in the opening 1d of the suction jig 1 by adjusting the opening of the valve 3 based on the pressure signal supplied from the pressure gauge 2. Thus, after the liquid agent 13 remaining in each nozzle 12 is discharged and removed from the tip opening portion 12b of each nozzle 12, a series of processing ends. The process of step SP5 may or may not be performed according to the relationship between the viscosity of the liquid agent 13 and the contact angle of the liquid agent 13 with respect to the inner wall of each nozzle 12 (pressure application by the pressure control unit). Unit opening). If pressure is applied by the pressure control unit, nozzle clogging can be prevented.

  Next, the operator removes each nozzle 12 fitted to the inner peripheral portion of each opening 1d of the suction jig 1, and performs either a drying process or a firing process on each nozzle 12 as necessary. By applying these or both, as shown in FIG. 7, the liquid-repellent films 21 and 22 are formed on the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion of the tip portion 12c of each nozzle 12. The film thickness of the liquid repellent film 21 is, for example, about 20 nm. Examples of the drying process include humidification drying in an 80% humidity atmosphere. On the other hand, as the baking treatment, for example, the nozzle 12 in which the liquid agent 13 is applied to the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion of each tip portion 12c is put in a clean oven in which the temperature in the processing chamber is set to 60 ° C. For example, it may be placed on a hot plate or placed in a baking furnace in which the temperature in the processing chamber is set to 150 ° C. The necessity and conditions of the drying process and the necessity and conditions of the baking process vary depending on the material of the type of the liquid agent 13, the application of the nozzle, and the type of liquid for which liquid repellency is required. By performing the drying process or the baking process, the properties of the liquid-repellent film 21 can be stabilized, and peeling or alteration of the liquid-repellent film 21 can be prevented.

  Thus, according to this embodiment, the atmospheric pressure in the nozzle is controlled, and the liquid level rise length of the liquid agent in the nozzle due to capillary action is controlled. As a result, the length from the tip opening of the liquid repellent film formed on the inner peripheral portion of the nozzle tip, that is, the position of the boundary line (interface position) between the liquid repellent part and the lyophilic part of the nozzle Can be controlled in the micron order in the length direction. Further, according to this embodiment, since it is not necessary to attach a stopper to the rear end side of the nozzle or to insert an adhesive from the rear end side of the nozzle, the nozzle diameter is small (for example, the diameter 0.1 mm or less), and can also be applied to nozzles with complicated shapes such as bent. The maximum diameter of the nozzle to which this embodiment can be applied is about 2 mm where capillary action can occur. In this embodiment, since the capillary phenomenon is used, it is not affected by the shape of the tip of the nozzle. Further, since a plurality of nozzles can be attached to the suction jig 1 at a time, the plurality of nozzles can be easily processed collectively.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment described above, an example in which the jack mechanism (not shown) is controlled to raise and lower the liquid tank 7 has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the present invention, the suction jig 1 in which each nozzle 12 is fitted to the inner peripheral portion of each opening 1d may be raised and lowered. The moving mechanism for moving the suction jig 1 may be a known mechanism such as a mechanism using hydraulic pressure or pneumatic pressure, a mechanism using gears, crunches, or the like. In this case, if the pipe part 1b is made into a bellows shape, the pressure gauge 2, the controller 4, etc. can be fixed. According to this configuration, since the liquid tank 7 does not move, the liquid surface 13a does not wave, and a good liquid repellent film 21 can be formed.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the first embodiment described above, the liquid repellent film 21 having a length of 8 mm from the tip opening 12b is formed on the inner periphery of the tip 12c of the nozzle 12, and from the tip opening 12b to the outer periphery of the tip 12c. In order to form the liquid repellent film 21 having a length of 5 mm, the tip 12c of the nozzle 12 is immersed in the liquid 13 by 5 mm, and the pressure inside the nozzle 12 is controlled to around +5 pa. Is not limited to this. In short, the present invention controls the difference in the length of the liquid repellent film 21 formed on the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion of the tip portion 12c of the nozzle 12 more than the difference in length caused by capillary action. The pressure inside the nozzle 12 and the length at which the tip 12c of the nozzle 12 is immersed in the liquid 13 may be any. For example, when the length of the liquid repellent film 21 formed on the inner peripheral portion of the tip portion 12c of the nozzle 12 is extremely shorter than the length of the liquid repellent film 21 formed on the outer peripheral portion, For example, the pressure is set high to about +40 pa to suppress the rise of the liquid level due to capillary action. On the other hand, when the length of the liquid repellent film 21 formed on the inner peripheral portion of the tip end portion 12 c of the nozzle 12 is extremely longer than the length of the liquid repellent film 21 formed on the outer peripheral portion, the tip of the nozzle 12 is formed. While shortening the length which immerses the part 12c in the liquid agent 13, the pressure inside a nozzle 12 is made into a negative pressure, and the raise of the liquid level by a capillary phenomenon is promoted. According to this configuration, various needs can be met.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
In the first embodiment described above, an example in which only the pressure inside the nozzle 12 is controlled has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the present invention, the temperature and humidity in the processing chamber may be controlled in addition to the pressure control inside the nozzle 12. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the liquid agent 13 from evaporating or deteriorating, and as a result, it is possible to form a good liquid repellent film 21.

Embodiment 5 FIG.
In Embodiment 1 described above, the example in which the liquid repellent film 21 is formed on the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion of the tip portion 12c of the plurality of nozzles 12 having the same shape has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. . For example, in the present invention, if the inner diameter and the finishing roughness of the nozzle surface are the same, the outer peripheral portion of each rear end can be fitted into the opening 1d of the suction jig 1, and the lower end positions of the nozzles can be aligned. Can be applied. According to this configuration, the liquid repellent film can be simultaneously formed on the tip portions of a plurality of types of nozzles having different tip shapes.

The embodiment has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiment, and there are design changes and the like without departing from the scope of the invention. Are also included in the present invention.
For example, in the above-described first embodiment, the example in which the process of step SP3 is performed after the process of step SP2 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the present invention, the processing of step SP4 is performed after the processing of step SP3, that is, even if the tip opening portion 12b is immersed in the liquid agent 13 in a state where air leaks from the tip opening portion 12b of each nozzle 12. good.

In the first embodiment described above, an example in which the tip 12c of the nozzle 12 is immersed in the liquid agent 13 only once has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the present invention, the tip 12c of the nozzle 12 may be immersed in the liquid 13 twice or more. In this case, the length of the tip 12c of the nozzle 12 immersed in the liquid 13 and the pressure applied to the inside of the nozzle 12 may be changed from the first time.
Further, in the above-described first embodiment, the example in which the pressure inside the nozzle 12 is controlled has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the present invention, the pressure of the entire atmosphere in the processing chamber may be controlled.
In the first embodiment described above, the example in which the object on which the liquid repellent film is formed is the thin tubular nozzle 12 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a member such as an ink jet nozzle or the like provided with a number of fine holes.
In the first embodiment, the pressure control unit is configured by the pressure gauge 2, the valve 3, a partial function of the controller 4, the ejector 5, the pressurized air source 6, and the pipes 8 to 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In short, any configuration of the pressure control unit that can control the air pressure of the plurality of nozzles 12 fitted in the opening 1d of the suction jig 1 with an accuracy of several torr (Torr) order is acceptable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Schematic of the liquid repellent film forming apparatus which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. The perspective view which shows the structure of a suction jig. The flowchart for demonstrating the liquid repellent film formation process of a controller. Schematic for demonstrating the liquid repellent film formation process of a controller. Schematic for demonstrating the liquid repellent film formation process of a controller. Schematic for demonstrating the liquid repellent film formation process of a controller. Sectional drawing of the nozzle in which the liquid repellent film was formed.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Adsorption jig, 1a Main body part, 1b Pipe part, 1c Hollow part, 1d Opening part (1st opening part), 1e Communication hole, 1f Opening part (2nd opening part), 2 Pressure gauge, 3 Valve, 4 Controller, 5 Ejector, 6 Pressurized air source, 7 Liquid tank, 8-11 Pipe, 12 Nozzle, 12a Rear end outer peripheral part, 12b Front end opening part, 12c Front end part, 13 Liquid agent, 13a Liquid surface, 21, 22 Liquid film.

Claims (5)

  A plurality of nozzle tips are immersed in a liquid agent for imparting liquid repellency, and the internal or external pressure of the nozzles is controlled by controlling the pressure inside or outside the nozzles. A liquid repellent film forming method, wherein the liquid agent is applied to the liquid repellent film.   2. The liquid agent remaining at the tip portions of the plurality of nozzles is removed by raising the air pressure inside the plurality of nozzles after lifting the tip portions of the plurality of nozzles from the liquid agent. Liquid repellent film forming method.   3. The liquid repellent film forming method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid agent applied to the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion of the tip portions of the plurality of nozzles is dried.   4. The liquid repellent film forming method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid agent applied to the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion of the tip portions of the plurality of nozzles is sintered. 5. Adsorption having a hollow portion, a plurality of first openings communicating with the hollow portion, and a second opening communicating with the hollow portion, with rear end outer peripheral portions of the plurality of nozzles being fitted to the lower surface A jig,
A liquid tank provided below the suction jig and filled with a liquid agent for imparting liquid repellency;
A pressure control unit that is attached to the second opening and controls the pressure inside the plurality of nozzles when the tip portions of the plurality of nozzles are immersed in the liquid agent;
A liquid repellent film forming apparatus comprising: a moving mechanism that moves either the suction jig or the liquid tank to immerse the tip portions of the plurality of nozzles in the liquid agent.

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