JP2009239155A - Positioning device and controlling method of positioning device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a positioning device capable of obtaining a high performance and high yield material to be processed by accurately positioning the processing position of a processing apparatus based on the measured positioning information of a surface to be processed of the material to be processed. <P>SOLUTION: The positioning device includes control parts (23, 26, 27, 28, 29) for controlling a main-scanning shaft 3 and sub-scanning shaft 10 so that the processing position of the inkjet head 4 is brought to the target position by a correction action which moves the processing position of an inkjet head 4 to the sub-scanning direction relative to the surface to be processed by the sub-scanning shaft 10, when the processing position of the inkjet head 4 is moved to the main-scanning direction toward a target position on the surface to be processed on a substrate 1 by the main-scanning shaft 3, and if the target position is shifted to the sub-scanning direction based on the position of the site to be processed on the surface to be processed of the substrate 1 stored in a substrate position memory part 25. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a positioning apparatus and a control method for the positioning apparatus, and more particularly to a positioning apparatus that performs processing on the surface of a substrate or sheet on which a pattern is generated, and a control method for the positioning apparatus.

  Conventionally, as a positioning control device, there is one used for positioning a substrate of a substrate manufacturing apparatus (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3372671 (Patent Document 1)).

  This substrate manufacturing apparatus is used to manufacture a color filter substrate of a flat display panel while correcting the position at the time of manufacturing corresponding to the change in expansion and contraction of the substrate. The correction method of the substrate manufacturing apparatus is such that when the color filter constituent member is applied to the substrate surface and colored by an inkjet method or the like, the positional deviation of the relative position between the center line of the filter element and the discharge nozzle is determined by three pixels of the optical position sensor. This is a technique for detecting the magnitude of the output signal and the combination thereof, and correcting the positional deviation of the relative position between the discharge nozzle and the filter element by moving the XY stage on which the substrate is mounted based on the detected positional deviation.

  In this substrate manufacturing apparatus, measurement data for correcting the relative position according to information on the direction of the positional deviation of the center of the opening of the filter element is obtained by an optical position sensor arranged around the discharge nozzle. The XY stage is finely adjusted based on the data of the direction immediately measured. This operation is repeated until the relative displacement between the center line of the filter element and the discharge nozzle is determined to be corrected by comparing the output signals of the three pixels.

  At this time, the center position of the filter element on the substrate measured by the optical position sensor is located away from the discharge position of the discharge nozzle, and the measured position is between the optical position sensor and the discharge nozzle by relative movement. After moving the distance, the nozzle reaches the discharge nozzle position.

  However, since the positional deviation information measured by the optical position sensor is immediately reflected in the correction operation, the location positioned as a result of the positional deviation at the center position of the filter element is not the location of the discharge nozzle but the location of the optical position sensor. Thus, the effect of correction is reduced.

  As a means for solving this problem, in the third embodiment of the substrate manufacturing apparatus, the position of the filter element is stored in the memory, so that the tracking accuracy can be improved even for a distant discharge nozzle. However, the accuracy cannot be improved only by storing the data in the memory, and there is no embodiment that takes measures necessary to use the data stored in the memory for a specific correction operation.

  Moreover, in the said board | substrate manufacturing apparatus, it senses with the reflection type sensor provided with the light emission part in the adjacent position and line sensors, such as CCD, in the optical position sensor. However, since the light emitted from the light emitting unit is reflected by the filter element surface of the substrate and sensed without image formation, information indicating the center position of the filter element surface of the substrate includes 3 pixels including the adjacent pixels. There is a problem that the center position of the filter element cannot be accurately sensed because the accuracy of conversion into the input light quantity is extremely low.

  In recent years, as the substrate size of large LCD TVs equipped with flat panel displays has increased, the size of display pixel apertures has increased, and the demand for higher display quality has increased. Since the formation pitch of the formation pattern around the opening portion has been made finer, the area of the opening portion has increased, and the area of the opening peripheral pattern with respect to the opening portion has become extremely small. With the increase in the size of this flat panel display, the problem that the center position of the filter element cannot be accurately sensed has become particularly large.

  Therefore, the imaging unit is required for the sensing unit. However, the use of the imaging unit increases the distance between the optical position sensor and the discharge nozzle, and further increases the decrease in correction accuracy. is there.

In addition, the method for correcting the discharge timing using the position sensor in the height direction of the substrate is provided by the same means, but it has the same problem, and the sensing position and the position for correcting the discharge timing are separated, Correction accuracy decreases.
Japanese Patent No. 3372671

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to obtain a high-performance and high-yield processing object by accurately positioning the processing position of the processing device based on the measured position information of the processing surface of the processing object. It is an object of the present invention to provide a positioning device and a positioning device control method.

In order to solve the above problems, a positioning control device of the present invention is
A processing position of a processing apparatus that performs processing on a processing surface of an object to be processed is moved relative to the processing surface in a first direction along a plane substantially parallel to the processing surface. A moving part of
A second moving unit that moves the processing position of the processing apparatus in a second direction relative to the processing surface;
When processing by the processing device is performed while moving in the first direction by the first moving unit, the processing device is positioned in front of the processing position of the processing device and from the processing position of the processing device. A position measuring unit that sequentially measures the position of the processing location on the processing surface of the processing object at a position spaced by a predetermined distance;
A storage unit for sequentially storing the positions of the processing points on the processing surface of the processing object measured by the position measuring unit;
When the processing position of the processing device is moved in the first direction toward the target position on the processing surface of the processing object by the first moving unit, the processing object stored in the storage unit When the target position is shifted in the second direction based on the position of the processing location on the processing surface, the processing position of the processing device is moved in the second direction by the second moving unit. And a control unit that controls the first and second moving units so as to reach the target position by a correction operation that moves the processing surface relative to the processing surface.

  According to the positioning control device having the above configuration, the processing position of the processing device is accurately positioned with respect to the processing object based on the position of the processing location on the processing surface of the processing object stored in the storage unit. Therefore, a high positioning correction effect can be obtained. Thereby, the performance of a to-be-processed object can be maintained high, and the high yield of a product can be obtained. In addition, the 1st direction by the said 1st moving part and the 2nd direction by the 2nd moving part are not restricted to a linear direction, The moving direction of a direction which draws a circular arc may be sufficient. The positioning control apparatus of the present invention can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus that applies a substrate forming member to a substrate surface of a flat display panel represented by a liquid crystal display panel by an inkjet method, for example.

  Moreover, in the positioning control device of one embodiment, the control unit is configured such that the processing position of the processing device is a section from a current position to a processing location on the processing surface of the processing object stored in the storage unit. The time required for moving in the first direction by the first moving unit and the time required for moving in the second direction by the second moving unit are sequentially compared, and the first The target position is determined as the target position where the time required for movement in the second direction is smaller than the time required for movement in the first direction.

  According to the above embodiment, positioning considering the time required for moving in the second direction is possible, and accurate positioning can be performed without increasing the positioning error amount with respect to the target position.

  Moreover, in the positioning control apparatus of one Embodiment, the said position measurement part has an imaging lens for imaging a two-dimensional image.

  According to the above-described embodiment, for example, even when the opening size of the display pixel as the object to be processed is increased or the fine pitch of the formation pattern around the pixel is advanced, the object is accurately processed using the imaging lens. The position of an object can be measured and accurate positioning can be performed.

In the positioning control device of one embodiment,
The control unit moves the processing position of the processing device relative to the processing surface in the second direction by the second moving unit with respect to the second moving unit. It is assumed that a positioning control unit that outputs a pulse command signal corresponding to the correction operation amount is provided, and the correction operation is ended when the output of the pulse command signal corresponding to the correction operation amount is completed from the positioning control unit.

  According to the embodiment, the positioning control response accuracy can be improved by shortening the response time of the positioning control by the settling waiting time for the vibration and the minute deviation accompanying the physical movement in the second direction.

  In the positioning control device of one embodiment, the second direction is a straight line that is the same as the first direction, is parallel to the processing surface of the workpiece, and is orthogonal to the first direction. A direction or at least one direction along a straight line connecting the processing surface of the workpiece and the processing apparatus.

  According to the above embodiment, the relative error between the object to be processed and the processing position, that is, the formation position deviation error of the shape that becomes the target position when the object to be processed is generated, the dimension error of the object to be processed, Error in position and tilt posture when the workpiece is placed on the positioning device, dimensional error in the thickness direction of the workpiece, and movement in the first direction during relative movement in the first direction The error and the displacement error in the second direction can be corrected.

In the positioning control device of one embodiment,
The position measuring unit is moved relative to the processing surface in the first direction by the first moving unit together with the processing position of the processing device,
The control unit is configured to process the object to be processed by the position measurement unit while moving the processing position of the processing apparatus relative to the processing surface in the first direction by the first moving unit. A measurement section for measuring the position of the processing location on the surface and a correction movement section for correcting the deviation of the target position in the second direction are distinguished and provided alternately to measure the position measurement unit in the measurement section. Based on the result, in the next correction movement section, the processing position of the processing apparatus is moved relative to the processing surface in the second direction by the second moving unit.

  According to the above-described embodiment, even when the position measuring unit moves together with the processing position of the processing apparatus as the second direction moves, the error in the position measurement value due to the movement in the second direction can be reduced. Since mixing can be prevented, the manufacturing cost and the moving means can be simplified and reduced in weight by adopting a configuration in which the position measuring unit moves together with the processing position along with the movement in the second direction.

  Further, in the positioning control device of an embodiment, the control unit is configured to start the reference object from a section where there is no reference object for measuring the position of the processing location on the processing surface of the processing object by the position measurement unit. In the boundary region that transitions to the section where the reference object exists, the processing device is based on the position of the processing location on the processing surface of the processing object measured by the position measuring unit at the beginning of the section where the reference object exists. The correction operation is performed before the processing position moves to a section where the reference object exists.

  According to the above-described embodiment, the processing position can be moved so as to reach the target position even when the movement amount during the correction operation to the first position where the reference object exists is large and the required movement time is large.

In the control method of the positioning device of the present invention,
A processing position of a processing apparatus that performs processing on a processing surface of an object to be processed is moved relative to the processing surface in a first direction along a plane substantially parallel to the processing surface. A moving part of
A second moving unit that moves the processing position of the processing apparatus relative to the processing surface in a second direction;
In the step of moving in the first direction by the first moving unit, when the processing by the processing device is performed, the processing by the processing device is ahead of the processing position of the processing device and in the first direction. A position measuring unit that sequentially measures the position of the processing location on the processing surface of the processing object at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the position;
A storage unit for sequentially storing the positions of the processing points on the processing surface of the processing object measured by the position measuring unit;
A control method for a positioning device comprising a control unit for controlling the first and second moving units,
By controlling the first and second moving units by the control unit, the processing position of the processing apparatus is moved by the first moving unit toward the target position on the processing surface of the workpiece. When the target position is shifted in the second direction based on the position of the processing location on the processing surface of the processing object stored in the storage unit when moving in the first direction, The processing position of the processing device may reach the target position by a correction operation for moving the processing position relative to the processing surface in the second direction by the second moving unit.

  According to the above configuration, the processing position of the processing apparatus can be accurately positioned with respect to the processing object based on the position of the processing location on the processing surface of the processing object stored in the storage unit. Therefore, a high positioning correction effect can be obtained. Thereby, the performance of a to-be-processed object can be maintained high, and the high yield of a product can be obtained.

  As is clear from the above, according to the positioning control device and the positioning device control method of the present invention, the processing position of the processing device is accurately positioned based on the measured position information of the processing surface of the workpiece. It is possible to realize a positioning apparatus and a positioning apparatus control method capable of obtaining a high-performance and high-yield workpiece.

  Hereinafter, a positioning device and a control method for the positioning device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

  In this description, a droplet having a function is discharged onto a substrate having a pattern formed on the surface, and is applied to a predetermined region of the substrate surface and applied to a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) liquid crystal panel substrate that is manufactured. An example of a droplet discharge device will be described.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a discharge processing unit of a droplet discharge device as an example of a positioning device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, this droplet discharge apparatus is a two-axis automatic system in which an inkjet head 4 as an example of a processing apparatus that performs inkjet coating and a substrate 1 as an example of an object to be processed are perpendicular to each other. A member pattern is formed on the substrate surface by being moved by a moving stage and discharging member ink from the inkjet head 4 to the processing surface of the substrate 1 during the movement. A color filter is applied as the member of the first embodiment. In the droplet discharge device, the inkjet head 4 and the substrate 1 are mounted on separate axes.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate 1 is sucked and fixed to the suction positioning unit 2. The suction positioning unit 2 sucks and fixes the substrate 1 placed on the suction positioning unit 2 from a substrate transport device (not shown). Further, the suction positioning unit 2 measures the position in the orthogonal direction of the apparatus, the positional shift amount and the tilt amount of the substrate 1 with a substrate position measuring camera (not shown), and XYθ axes for finely adjusting the position and posture of the substrate 1 It has.

  The main scanning axis 3 as an example of the first moving unit is an axis on which the substrate 1 is automatically moved in the left-right direction in FIG. The main scanning axis 3 causes the inkjet head 4 and the substrate 1 that perform inkjet coating to move relative to each other at an arbitrary speed in the main scanning direction (first direction) along a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate 1. Move. In this embodiment, a linear motor is used for the propulsion shaft, an encoder function using a linear scale is mounted, an operation command is issued by a pulse command, and motor drive control is performed by a servo driver.

  On the inkjet head 4, a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzle holes as an example of processing positions is bonded to an opposing surface parallel to the surface of the substrate 1. The nozzle holes of the nozzle plate are set to have a diameter of 10 to 20 μm. A piezo actuator and its electrode are formed on a part of the side wall of the partition wall in the nozzle hole. A voltage is applied to the piezo actuator and its electrodes to generate an electric field between both sides of the partition wall, and the partition wall itself is subjected to shear deformation, thereby generating discharge energy and discharging ink as droplets from the nozzle holes. . A plurality of nozzle holes are arranged in a straight line to constitute a nozzle row. A drive signal is given to each nozzle hole, and dot patterns of various coating droplets can be formed on the substrate surface by outputting the drive signal to each nozzle hole. An ink supply unit 22 (shown in FIG. 2) is connected to the inkjet head 4. The ink supply unit 22 stably supplies ink to the inkjet head 4 but is not shown here because it is not directly related to the positioning operation.

  The head rotation axis 5 is an axis for tilting the nozzle row of the inkjet head 4 with respect to the main scanning axis feed direction of the substrate 1, and the density of discharged droplets in the direction orthogonal to the main scanning axis 3. Is to adjust. The head rotation shaft 5 is mounted on the head Z-axis 6. The head Z-axis 6 adjusts the gap between the surface of the inkjet head 4 and the substrate 1 by moving up and down. The distance between the droplet discharge surface, which is the lowermost surface of the nozzle plate of the inkjet head 4, and the upper surface of the substrate 1 is adjusted to be 0.5 to 1 mm.

  The measurement camera 8 is a camera that is attached to the autofocus microscope 7 and is equipped with a one-dimensional CCD line sensor that can image the pattern of the surface of the substrate 1. The camera Z-axis 9 moves the measurement camera 8 up and down to adjust the focus with respect to the substrate 1 and is driven based on a signal command in the autofocus microscope 7. The autofocus microscope 7 and the measurement camera 8 constitute a position measurement unit.

  The autofocus microscope 7 projects a comb-shaped shading pattern shape on the substrate surface, measures the pattern image projected by the CCD line sensor in the microscope cylinder, finds the in-focus position, and drives the camera Z axis 9 The thing of the method to use is used. The autofocus microscope 7 can perform an autofocus operation even during the main scanning operation. As a product using the same principle, there is an autofocus microscope called AF-I of Chuo Seiki Co., Ltd.

  The sub-scanning axis 10 as an example of the second moving unit is an axis that moves the ink-jet head 4 in the sub-scanning direction (second direction) orthogonal to the main scanning axis 3, and to the designated arbitrary position. It has a function that enables movement control by an arbitrary speed control method according to an operation command. Like the main scanning axis 3, it is equipped with an encoder function using a linear motor and a linear scale, and commands operation by pulse commands and motor drive control by a servo driver.

  Here, “main scanning” indicates the direction of axis movement when processing is performed on the substrate 1, and “sub-scanning” indicates that the processing is not performed on the substrate 1, but the position where main scanning is performed is moved or The direction of axis movement for fine adjustment is shown.

  The gantry beam 15 fixes the sub-scanning axis 10, forms a long beam in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning axis 3, and is fixed to the apparatus surface plate 17.

  In the coating process, when the substrate 1 is moved in the main scanning direction by the main scanning axis 3, droplets of functional ink are ejected by the inkjet head 4 in synchronization with the position of the main scanning axis 3, and the inkjet is applied to the substrate 1. This is done by applying the nozzle width of the head 4. The range that can be applied by one operation of the main scanning axis 3 is defined by the nozzle width of the inkjet head 4 in the direction orthogonal to the main scanning axis 3, so that the sub-scanning axis 10 is moved by the specified width. Then, by repeating the main scanning operation again, ink is applied to a necessary area of the substrate.

  The substrate position measurement camera 8, the autofocus microscope 7, and the camera Z axis 8 are used when the substrate moves from the left side to the right side in FIG. The measurement camera 8, the autofocus microscope 7 and the camera Z axis 8 measure the pattern position on the substrate surface from the image data captured by the measurement camera 8, and then the inkjet head 4 arrives at the measured substrate position. It is arranged so that ink can be discharged.

  When the substrate 1 moves from the right side to the left side in FIG. 1, the measurement camera 12, the autofocus microscope 11, and the camera Z axis 13 arranged on the opposite side of the gantry beam 15 are used as a similar image measurement unit.

  Further, the ink jet maintenance unit 16 performs a maintenance operation for keeping the ejection condition of the ink jet head 4 constant. The inkjet head 4 is disposed on the inkjet maintenance unit 16 by the sub-scanning shaft 10 in a standby state where ejection is not performed. In this maintenance operation, the ink jet head 4 waits in the solvent atmosphere by a cap mechanism or the like by the ink jet maintenance unit 16 or discarding discharge activated by a predetermined condition, discharge inspection for determining whether the discharge is good, nozzle surface wiping, A maintenance operation such as suction priming is performed to remove and remove the deteriorated ink on the meniscus surface due to the pressure difference of the piping such as suction. Thereby, the inkjet head 4 is. High-quality discharge conditions are always maintained.

  The wiping operation is to remove unnecessary matters such as ink and foreign matters that are high-viscosity residues in the vicinity of the ejection holes and the ejection holes of the nozzles of the inkjet head 4, and keep the ejection conditions in a good state. it can. Here, for the removal of unnecessary materials, a blade of a contact-type elastic material that contacts the nozzle surface or means such as a liquid and its vibration are used.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the droplet discharge device. In FIG. 2, “inkjet head” is abbreviated as “IJ”.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the ink supply unit 22 is a mechanism unit that stably supplies ink to the inkjet head 4, and is controlled by the inkjet control device 23. The ink jet control device 23 controls the ink supply unit 22 and controls the ink jet head 4, the head rotation shaft 5 (shown in FIG. 1), and the head Z axis 6 (shown in FIG. 1). Further, the ink jet control device 23 counts the encoder signal of the main scanning axis 3 (shown in FIG. 1) with respect to the ink jet head 4 to generate a synchronization signal, and the drive signal is sent to the piezoelectric actuator at a necessary timing by the synchronization signal. The function to output is provided. The drive signal can be output at a predetermined timing with respect to the operation of the main scanning axis 3, and the signal can be output and discharged at an arbitrary timing when the main scanning axis 3 is stopped. Is possible.

  Moreover, the inkjet control apparatus 23 controls the inclination angle of the nozzle row of the inkjet head 4 with respect to the axis in the orthogonal coordinate system in the substrate plane with respect to the head rotation axis 5 as necessary. Further, the ink jet control device 23 controls the head Z axis 6 to move up and down as necessary so as to keep the distance between the substrate 1 and the ink jet head 4 constant.

  The image processing unit 24 receives image data captured by the measurement camera 8 or 12, and performs calculation processing while inputting the image data. The image data counts the encoder signal of the main scanning axis 3 to generate a synchronization signal, and uses the synchronization signal as the signal of the one-dimensional sensor as the main scanning axis 3 moves, and continuously outputs the image to the image processing unit 24. Enter as data. At this time, the synchronization signal has a count value of the counted encoder signal, that is, information on the position of the main scanning axis 3 when image data is sensed.

  For example, the counter is reset immediately before the movement of the main scanning axis 3 is started, and when the main scanning axis 3 starts operation, the number of output pulses of the encoder signal to be output is counted, and the encoder signal is calculated with respect to the count value of the counter. Only the value obtained by multiplying the actual moving distance per pulse is regarded as the main scanning axis 3 moving, and is used as position information. When performing the positioning control according to the present invention, the image processing unit 24 can process the image data continuously input to measure the position of the pattern formed on the substrate 1, and the measured pattern position and the synchronization signal can be measured. Are associated with each other and stored in the substrate position storage unit 25 as an example of a storage unit.

  Further, the image processing unit 24 uses the coordinate position in the sub-scanning axis direction when the measurement camera 8 or 12 captures an image as the sub-scanning axis position at the time of measurement, and the orthogonal axis as an example of a positioning control unit from the main controller 20 described later. This is received as position coordinates during the main scanning operation of the control unit 27. The coordinate position in the image in the sub-scanning axis direction obtained as a result of the calculation processing of the image data can be associated with the sub-scanning axis position at the time of measurement and used as the position information of the substrate pattern in the sub-scanning axis direction.

  In addition, the image processing unit 24 arbitrarily adjusts the amount of illumination light for the autofocus microscope 7 or 11 and automatically performs focusing control. This autofocus control can be performed even while the substrate 1 is moving. The positions of the camera Z axes 9 and 13 when the autofocus microscope 7 or 11 is in focus can be acquired, and can be obtained as substrate pattern position information.

  The substrate position storage unit 25 associates and stores the measured substrate pattern position output from the image processing unit 24 and the position of the main scanning axis 3 as substrate position information. Substrate position information can be stored each time it is output from the image processing unit 24, and can be stored in three types of substrates: a position in the sub-scanning axis direction, a position in the main scanning axis direction, and a position in the height direction of the substrate surface by autofocus. The position information is stored in the storage area in the order of input. The substrate position storage unit 25 has a capacity capable of storing all the substrate position information output within the movement section of the main scanning axis 3. The image processing unit 24 outputs a processing timing signal to the timing control unit 26 every time the substrate position information is output to the substrate position storage unit 25, and can transmit the processing cycle timing on the image processing side.

  The timing control unit 26 takes out the substrate position information stored in the substrate position storage unit 25, and uses the position of the substrate 1 as a reference, and the inkjet head 4 moves to a position necessary for ejecting ink onto the substrate surface. 4 is moved by the sub-scanning axis 10 to perform positioning. The timing control unit 26 can count and control the encoder signal of the main scanning axis 3 and instruct the orthogonal axis control unit 27 in synchronization with the position timing of the moving main scanning axis direction.

  Regarding the processing timing, the substrate position information is extracted using the processing timing signal from the image processing unit 24, the function used for the timing of the event for performing the control processing, and the timing for starting the correction operation are calculated. A timing coincidence determination function is provided that can output a correction operation command when the values coincide with the count value of the encoder signal. The timing coincidence determination function can also compare the processing timing signal based on the input count value using the processing timing signal from the image processing unit 24 as a method other than the determination based on the encoder count.

  The orthogonal axis control unit 27 is a control unit that controls the main scanning axis 3 and the sub-scanning axis 10. Based on a command from the main controller 20 or a command from the timing controller 26, the orthogonal axis controller 27 controls the main scanning axis 3 and the sub-scanning axis 10.

  The suction positioning control unit 28 sucks and fixes the substrate 1 when the substrate 1 is placed on the suction positioning unit 2, and controls the position and posture of the substrate 1.

  The ink jet maintenance unit 16 performs a maintenance operation for keeping the discharge condition of the ink jet head 4 constant under the control of the ink jet maintenance control unit 29.

  The main control device 20 performs system control of the device by combining various control units constituting the device described in the description of FIG. 2, and the control conditions and program are stored in the main storage device 21. .

  Next, the positioning control operation of this droplet discharge device will be described with reference to FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a bird's-eye view showing the relationship between the measurement camera 8 and the inkjet head 4 when positioning control is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in order to constitute a TFT array circuit, wiring patterns of gate bus lines 30 and source bus lines 31 as an example of a reference object are formed on the surface of the substrate 1 in a lattice pattern. When performing the main scanning operation, the measurement camera 8 preceding the inkjet head 4 images the substrate surface, and records the positions of the gate bus line 30 and the source bus line 31 in the image data. An arrow in the main scanning direction shown in FIG. 3 indicates the moving direction of the substrate 1. The ink-jet head 4 is disposed behind the measurement camera 8 along the main scanning axis 3 (shown in FIG. 1) so as to perform application by ejecting liquid droplets at a location imaged by the measurement camera 8. The distance 32 between the measurement camera 8 and the inkjet head 4 is a distance between a predetermined pixel position of the measurement camera 8 and the nozzle hole 33 at the end of the inkjet head 4. In the present embodiment, the arrangement is 50 [mm] away in the main scanning axis direction and 0 [mm] away in the sub scanning axis direction, and the outer dimensions of the measurement camera 8, the autofocus microscope 7 and the inkjet head 4 are taken into consideration. Installed as close as possible.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram when the arrangement described in FIG. 3 is viewed from above. In FIG. 4, the main scanning direction is interchanged with that of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the range captured by the measurement camera 8 is an image of the substrate surface imaged on the CCD line sensor in the measurement camera 8. In FIG. 4, the range of the sensing range (pixel group 34). Can be imaged. In this embodiment, the pixel of the CCD line sensor is 512 [pixel], and the pixel size of the 1 [pixel] CCD line sensor surface is 14 × 14 [μm]. The autofocus microscope 7 is provided with a microscope section with a magnification of 20 times, and the range of the substrate surface that can be imaged is 358.4 [μm] wide. The sampling frequency at which the measurement camera 8 exposes the received light image in the main scanning direction and can be output as data is 98 [kHz]. In this embodiment, the moving speed of the constant speed section of the main scanning axis 3 is 68.6 [mm / sec], and when sampling is performed at a frequency of 98 [kHz], the width in the sub-scanning axis direction is 358.4 [μm]. Thus, an image having a resolution of 0.7 [μm] in the main scanning direction and a resolution of 0.7 [μm] in the sub-scanning axis direction can be taken continuously with respect to the operation of the main scanning axis.

  In this droplet discharge device, a gate bus line 30 and a source bus line formed on the surface of the substrate 1 are used to capture an image of the light emitted to the substrate surface imaged on the CCD line sensor surface by the imaging lens. For 31, the real image can be sensed with the accuracy of the image sensor resolution. Although the width of the bus line varies depending on the substrate, the width is 2 to 10 [μm], and the position of the bus line can be measured with an accuracy of image sensor resolution of 0.7 [μm].

  4, pixels 36, 37,... Are arranged in order from the pixel 35 at the end of the pixel group 34 at the end of the CCD line sensor of the measurement camera 8. In FIG. The pixel 36 adjacent to the pixel 35 at the end of the measurement camera 8 is set as the reference position of the camera, the position of the nozzle hole 33 at the end of the inkjet head 4 is set as the reference position of the head, and the distance between the reference positions is measured by the measurement camera 8. And a distance 32 between the inkjet head 4 and the inkjet head 4. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the gate bus line 30 is observed at the pixel 36 of the CCD line sensor. The inkjet head 4 is normally disposed at a position 32 away from the location of the substrate 1 being observed by the measurement camera 8 by a distance 32 between the measurement camera 8 and the inkjet head 4 according to the present invention. During the positioning operation, the relative positional relationship changes depending on the positioning operation. In this embodiment, since the inkjet head 4 traces on the gate bus line 30 and applies a functional liquid droplet to a necessary portion on the gate bus line 30, the distance between the nozzles is set at an interval between the gate bus lines 30. Coating is performed in a state where the inkjet head 4 is tilted by the head rotation shaft 5 so as to match.

  Next, the positioning control operation in the sub-scanning direction will be described with reference to FIG. The pattern 50 is an image obtained by capturing the pattern corresponding to the gate bus line 30 (shown in FIG. 4) described in FIG. 4 with the measurement camera 8 (shown in FIG. 1), and is used as a measurement reference for the substrate surface position. . The movement in the main scanning direction moves from right to left in FIG. 5, and the sub-scanning axis direction is indicated by vertical movement. Due to errors in the mounting position and orientation of the substrate 1, changes in size due to expansion and contraction of the substrate 1 when moving in the main scanning direction, errors in the pattern formation position, and axial movement errors such as horizontal straightness of the main scanning axis 3, An error in the relative position occurs in the sub-scanning axis direction, and the substrate position moves downward due to an error in the first half of the main scanning movement range with respect to the orthogonal coordinates of the main scanning axis 3 and the sub-scanning axis 10 of the apparatus, and the second half is the upper side. This shows how the substrate position moves.

  S <b> 1 to S <b> 12 indicated by vertical lines written in the vertical direction with respect to the pattern 50 indicate positions at which the measurement position of the substrate is measured by the measurement camera 8. When the main scanning operation is started, here, every time 10 [mm] scanning is performed, the image processing unit 24 processes the image captured in the section scanned 10 [mm], and the position of the pattern 50 on the substrate 1 in the sub scanning direction is determined. measure. The image processing unit 24 starts measurement from the start of the main scanning operation, sequentially measures the position of the substrate 1 every 10 [mm] along with the main scanning operations S1, S2, S3,. Sequentially store data.

  The image data processing method of the image processing unit 24 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The lattice shape of FIG. 8 is the gate bus line 30 and the source bus line 31 formed on the substrate surface, and the square surrounding the bus line is the captured image region 41. The captured image area 41 indicates a scanning range of 10 [mm] in the main scanning direction, which is a unit in which the image processing unit 24 performs processing. In FIG. 8, data captured by main scanning from the upper side to the lower side is sequentially displayed. it's shown.

  The sub-scanning direction is 358.4 [μm]. However, in the example of FIG. 8, for ease of explanation, the area in the main scanning direction is described as a reduced area instead of the actual aspect ratio.

  The image processing unit 24 (shown in FIG. 2) calculates data obtained by projecting an image in the vertical direction (main scanning direction) and the horizontal direction (sub-scanning direction) in the captured image region 41. The profile of the projected data is shown on the lower side and the right side of FIG. Since the brightness projection value of the image where the pattern is located becomes large, the projection data is binarized with a brightness threshold that can separate the presence or absence of the pattern, and the pattern area is obtained.

  A pattern edge position is calculated for the obtained pattern area, and an intermediate point between the edge positions at both ends of the pattern is output as the pattern position. The position in the sub-scanning axis direction is determined by the position of the gate bus line 30, and the position in the main scanning axis direction is determined by the position of the source bus line 31.

  The substrate position in the sub-scanning axis direction is measured with respect to the position of the leftmost gate bus line 30 in the image. However, the data position may be individually measured for a plurality of patterns, and the averaged position may be output. For the measured pattern position, an offset amount from the pixel 36 that is the reference position of the measurement camera 8 is calculated, and the sub-scanning axis coordinate position is added to the sub-scanning axis coordinate position at the start time of the main scanning that is not being corrected. The coordinate position is obtained as the sub-scanning position and stored in the substrate position storage unit 25 (shown in FIG. 2). If the coordinate direction of the image and the coordinate direction of the sub-scanning axis are not the same, the sub-scanning position is obtained by subtracting the offset amount from the coordinate position of the sub-scanning axis at the start of scanning. Here, the offset amount is an error amount of the relative positional relationship between the reference position of the measurement camera 8 and the substrate pattern, but since the measurement camera 8 is fixed, an error of the relative positional relationship of the substrate pattern with respect to the apparatus. It is also an amount. Therefore, by relatively moving the sub-scanning axis 10 by this amount of error, the head reference position is moved in the main scanning direction by the distance 32 between the measurement camera 8 and the inkjet head 4 and then moved to the measured pattern position. The movement coordinate value of the sub-scanning axis 10 at the time of correction can be obtained by associating this error amount with the coordinate position of the sub-scanning axis 10 at the start of scanning.

  The substrate position in the main scanning axis direction is measured with respect to the position of the uppermost source bus line 31 in the image. However, as with the gate bus line 30, the average position of a plurality of patterns may be output. As for the substrate position in the height direction, the height information of the camera Z axis 9 when the autofocus microscope 7 is in focus is acquired.

  In addition, the bus line is not actually a straight straight line as shown in FIG. 8, but has a branching or the like. However, since the bus line is convolved with data in the same pixel column by projection processing, It can be removed by adjusting.

  The substrate position storage unit 25 (shown in FIG. 2) has the structure shown in FIG. 6. Here, for simplification, a one-dimensional array for each type of substrate position information that can store the substrate positions measured in order from S1. It has a structure. Since the position information measured at this time can be measured in units of 10 [mm], S1 starts the main scan and the position of 10 [mm], S2 is the position of 20 [mm], and the order of arrangement. The position can be specified.

  At this time, the pattern 50 is imaged on the pixel 36 of the CCD line sensor in a state where there is no error. However, if there is an error, the pattern 50 is imaged by the number of pixels obtained by dividing the error amount by the pixel pitch of the image. Since the position moves, if the pixel position where the pattern 50 is imaged is measured, the variation amount of the substrate position with respect to the measurement camera 8 can be calculated. Therefore, when there is no error, the substrate position detected by the CCD line sensor is determined in advance as a reference position, and the fluctuation amount of the substrate position that needs to be corrected during main scanning with respect to the reference position is calculated as a correction amount. Used as a value for performing correction control.

  With respect to the preceding measurement camera 8, the inkjet head 4 is at a position delayed in the moving direction of the main scanning axis 3 by 50 [mm], which is the distance between the measurement camera 8 and the inkjet head 4. When the ink jet head 4 reaches the S0 pattern position, it is desirable to move to the S1 pattern position next. However, in order to move from the S0 position to start the correction operation to the S1 position, the sub scanning axis 10 Depending on the amount of movement, the movement time may not be in time. Therefore, a correction time table corresponding to the movement distance of the sub-scanning axis 10 shown in FIG. 7 is measured in advance, and movement data of a one-dimensional array in which two pieces of movement time with respect to the movement amount are stored. deep.

  This movement time is in addition to the time proportional to the movement distance, the command control transmission time, and the axis movement is the settling time within which the acceleration / deceleration / servo driver deviation amount falls within the prescribed range and the vibration caused by the operation. It takes into account the decay time and is not proportional to the travel distance. Of these, the settling time and the vibration attenuation time associated with the operation vary somewhat with each operation. For this reason, the movement is performed a plurality of times, the time is actually measured, and the maximum time is set. In addition, regarding the settling / damping of vibrations, it may be determined that the operation is completed before the condition is satisfied within a range in which the influence is acceptable.

  In general, during the interval from pulse command to settling, the servo driver often performs control to minimize the minute deviation amount, and the influence amount can be ignored for the position accuracy during processing operation. If it is a level, there is no need to consider the settling / vibration decay time. That is, the control may be performed using only two types of time, that is, the command time and the movement time, and if a pulse command is given, the movement may be terminated when a predetermined number of pulses are output to the servo driver. As a result, the control time can be shortened while maintaining the required accuracy, and the control response time can be shortened.

  When the position of the inkjet head 4 with respect to the main scanning axis 3 comes to S0, the timing control unit 26 (shown in FIG. 2) sets the sub-scanning axis from the current position with respect to the substrate position of S1, which is the next measurement position. The movement amount of 10 is calculated, and the movement time of the sub-scanning axis 10 corresponding to the movement amount is obtained from the value of the correction time table. At this time, if there is no movement amount that matches the value in the correction time table, the movement of the sub-scanning axis 10 is performed by linear interpolation using the movement time of the sub-scanning axis 10 of the movement amount before and after the movement amount closest to the movement amount. Calculate time. When the correction movement time of the sub-scanning axis 10 is longer than the movement time of the main scanning axis 3 from the inkjet head 4 to the measurement position S1 as the correction target position, the correction movement to the measurement position is not performed and the next For the correction movement to the measurement position, the movement time of the sub-scanning axis 10 is calculated in the same manner, and the search is performed until the movement time of the main scanning axis 3 is met.

  In FIG. 5, when the inkjet head 4 is not in time for the movement to S1 at the position of S0, similarly, the movement of the sub-scanning shaft 10 to the position of S4 is not in time for S2 and S3. The correction operation A1 of the sub-scanning shaft 10 toward the position of S4 is started at a position that is earlier by the moving time of the sub-scanning shaft 10. In this movement start, the count value of the encoder signal of the main scanning axis 3 counted by the timing control unit 26 is set to a value equivalent to the position before the position of the sub-scanning axis 10 from the position of S4 in the counter comparison circuit. This is realized by setting and starting a command when the count value becomes the same value.

  Further, this count value can be compared by the input count value of the processing timing signal using the processing timing signal from the image processing unit 24 instead of the encoder signal count value. In other words, it may be determined by counting every measurement section 10 [mm]. In this case, although the control resolution in the time axis direction of the timing control is lowered, the timing can be controlled in synchronization with the processing timing of the image processing unit 24, so that the structure of the timing control unit 26 can be simplified. is there.

  The correction operations A1, A2, A3,..., An show such a correction operation of the sub-scanning axis 10, and the correction operation is performed when the correction operation is possible together with the operation of the main scanning axis 3. Is shown. Here, the correction operation An is an operation in trapezoidal speed control, and the speed is expressed as a component of v in the downward direction of the figure. In actual operation, after the pulse movement command, if the number of deviation pulses of the servo driver falls within the specified range, the setting is set (moving completed) .However, for the sake of easy explanation, the setting generally varies with each operation. Time is not shown.

  When the correction operation A1 is completed by a command from the timing control unit 26 (shown in FIG. 2), the inkjet head 4 is moved to the position of the pattern 50 in S4. Since the operation time of the correction operation A1 varies slightly with each movement, the end position of the correction operation A1 may move back and forth from the position of S4.

  The timing control unit 26 searches for the measurement position and the next measurement position after the position of the main scanning axis 3 when the correction operation A1 ends, that is, the measurement positions S5 and S6 after the position of S4, and corrects them. Using the position of the sub-scanning axis 10 when the operation A1 is completed as a reference, the position of Sn in time for the next correction operation is obtained, and in the example, the correction operation A2 is performed as the correction operation to the measurement position of S8.

  In this way, after the end of the correction operation, a position where the next correction operation can be performed is found, and the next correction operation is repeated to perform correction control in the sub-scanning axis direction following the operation of the main scanning axis 3.

  In this positioning control operation, the pattern 50 does not exist at a position before the position S0. The operation in this case will be described with reference to FIG. Since the measurement of the pattern 50 cannot be performed correctly until the substrate position by the measurement camera 8 reaches S0, the position measurement in the sub-scanning direction is not performed, and a value indicating that it is invalid is displayed on the substrate position storage unit 25 (shown in FIG. 2). ) So that the timing control unit 26 does not perform the correction operation. When S0 is reached, the measurement operation is started. At this time, the inkjet head 4 is at a position delayed by a distance 32 between the measurement camera 8 and the inkjet head 4 as shown in FIG. In the above operation, the correction operation starts the movement at a timing before S0 for the movement time required when moving from the current position to the position S0. However, as in S0, the interval from the current position to the measurement position. In a section where there is no value that can be normally measured and no application processing is performed until S0, there is no problem even if the correction operation is immediately started at a position that can be measured after the section ends.

  Therefore, when searching for the measurement position from the current position, the timing control unit 26 corrects the measurement position that can be inspected if the section from the current position to the position where the measurement can be performed is a section where the application process is not performed. Without performing control related to the operation, the correction operation A0 toward the position S0 is started immediately. From the end of the correction operation A0 to S0, the position that can be measured even after searching is detected again, so that the correction operation is not performed and the position reaches S0. When the position reaches S0, the next movable position is searched again by the above method, and the correction operation A1 is performed.

  Such an operation may occur at a position where the main scanning operation is started. In the case of a TFT panel substrate, a liquid crystal panel is generally formed on a single substrate with a plurality of surfaces. It also occurs between the TFT panels formed on the substrate, and the distance and time required for the correction movement at that time are usually within the panel due to the mixing of the step movement error of the exposure equipment that patterns the panel. In many cases, the measurement and correction are larger than in the case of repeating the measurement and correction, and the correction operation takes time. By starting the correction operation in advance by this control, it is possible to eliminate the influence of the variation in time required for the correction movement.

  The positioning control operation by the correction in the sub-scanning axis direction in the present invention has been described above.

  This positioning control can also be applied in the main scanning axis direction and the substrate height direction.

  Next, the positioning control operation in the main scanning axis direction will be described. The basic position measurement / control timing operation is the same as the correction in the sub-scanning axis direction, and the timing control is performed based on the substrate position information in the main scanning axis direction measured by the image processing unit 24 (shown in FIG. 2). The timing of the correction operation is controlled by the unit 26 (shown in FIG. 2). The correction means in the main scanning axis direction does not use a linear motor as in the sub-scanning axis direction, and the ejection driving in the inkjet control device 23 (shown in FIG. 2) that controls the ejection driving timing of the inkjet head 4. This is done by delaying or speeding up the timing. The timing adjustment means is direction dependent, that is, the adjustment time is long when delayed, the adjustment time is shortened when it is advanced, and there is a difference in the adjustment time for obtaining the adjustment effect. Two types of cases, delay and advance, are provided and used.

  Next, a method for controlling the position based on the substrate height information will be described.

  The basic position measurement / control timing operation is the same as the correction in the main scanning axis direction, and is based on the substrate position information in the substrate height direction by autofocus measured by the image processing unit 24 (shown in FIG. 2). The timing control unit 26 (shown in FIG. 2) controls the timing of the correction operation. The height reference position of the camera Z-axis, which is the reference for the height of the substrate, is obtained in advance, and the difference from the stored value by measuring the height at the time of focusing during the main scanning operation from the height reference position is calculated. The amount of change in the gap between the surface and the inkjet head 4 is assumed. The ink droplets ejected from the inkjet head 4 by the gap variation amount fluctuate on the substrate surface, and the substrate 1 moves by the variation time, so that the ink landing position is shifted. The amount by which the landing position shifts is determined by the combination of the main scanning speed and the ink droplet ejection speed. Therefore, based on the gap fluctuation amount calculated by the timing control unit 26, the ink jet head as well as the correction in the main scanning axis direction. 4 is performed by delaying or advancing the timing of ejection driving in the inkjet control apparatus 23 that controls the timing of ejection driving of No. 4. In addition, since the timing adjustment means has a direction dependency, that is, there is a difference in adjustment time when it is delayed and when it is advanced, the movement time described in FIG. 7 is provided for two types of cases of delay and acceleration. To do.

  Next, the operation of the droplet discharge device will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The suction positioning controller 28 sucks and fixes the substrate 1 mounted on the substrate transfer device and the droplet discharge device (not shown) by the suction positioning unit 2 according to an instruction from the main controller 20. If necessary, the position and orientation of the substrate 1 are finely adjusted by the suction positioning control unit 28 based on the substrate position information measured by a substrate position measurement camera (not shown). At this time, the inkjet head 4 is disposed directly above the inkjet maintenance unit 16 by the sub-scanning shaft 10.

  Next, the main control device 20 instructs the ink jet control device 23 and the ink jet maintenance control unit 29 to perform a maintenance operation for adjusting the discharge condition of the ink jet head 4 immediately before application.

  Next, the main control device 20 instructs the orthogonal axis control unit 27 to move the main scanning axis 3 and the sub-scanning axis 10 to the start position of the main scanning operation for application.

  Next, the main control device 20 transfers the timing data of the ejection drive signal of the inkjet head 4 stored in advance in the main storage device 21 to the inkjet control device 23, and commands the application preparation operation. The timing data of the ejection drive signal is the drive signal for each nozzle of the inkjet head 4 so that the ink lands on the position where the ink droplet is applied to the substrate 1 in synchronization with the count of the encoder signal of the main scanning axis 3. It is the data necessary to generate. The inkjet control device 23 changes the angle of the head rotation shaft 5 in accordance with the application density of ink to be applied to the substrate. Further, since the substrate 1 includes substrates having different thicknesses, an operation such as changing the height of the head Z-axis 6 according to the type of the substrate is performed to prepare for the start of the main scanning operation.

  Next, main controller 20 instructs image processing unit 24 to set position information in the captured image and information necessary for position detection for a gate pattern that is a reference for positioning correction operation according to the type of substrate, Prepare for the start of the main scanning operation. The autofocus operation of the autofocus microscope 11 is also started.

  Next, the main control device 20 instructs the orthogonal axis control unit 27 to cause the main scanning axis 3 to start the main scanning operation. The image processing unit 24 measures the position of the gate pattern in synchronization with the operation of the main scanning axis 3, and the timing control unit 26 performs a correction operation via the substrate position storage unit 25. The ink jet control device 23 ejects ink by the ink jet head 4 in synchronization with the operation of the main scanning shaft 3 and performs a coating process.

  Next, the main controller 20 instructs the orthogonal axis controller 27 to move the main scanning axis 3 to the substrate transport position and move the sub-scanning axis 10 directly above the inkjet maintenance unit 16.

  Next, the main control device 20 instructs the suction positioning control unit 28, and the suction positioning unit 2 releases the suction fixing of the substrate 1 so that the substrate transfer device (not shown) can transfer the substrate 1.

  Further, the main control device 20 instructs the ink jet control device 23 and the ink jet maintenance control unit 29 as necessary, and performs a maintenance operation for adjusting the discharge condition of the ink jet head 4.

  The above operation is repeated for each substrate.

  The positioning control operation by correction in the droplet discharge device having the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 has been described above. In the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the sub-scanning shaft 10 of the inkjet head 4 is changed to a gantry structure beam. Although fixed, the width that can be applied in one scan is limited, so that when the coating process is performed on the entire surface of the substrate, the camera Z axis 9 is also provided with a sub-scan axis, and one scan is completed. Each time, the sub-scanning axis for the inkjet head 4 and the sub-scanning axis for the camera Z axis are moved by the same distance, and then an operation of repeating scanning and processing is necessary. However, this configuration requires three sub-scanning axes, which increases the size of the apparatus. For this reason, the structure which mounts a measurement camera and an inkjet head on the same subscanning axis | shaft, and moves is desirable.

  As described above, the droplet discharge device sets the processing position (nozzle hole) of the inkjet head 4 that performs processing on the processing surface of the substrate 1 in the main scanning direction along a plane substantially parallel to the substrate surface. The main scanning axis 3 that moves relative to the substrate surface, the sub-scanning axis 10 that moves the processing position of the inkjet head 4 relative to the substrate surface in the sub-scanning direction, and the main scanning by the main scanning axis 3 When processing by the inkjet head 4 is performed while moving in the direction, a predetermined distance (a distance between the measurement camera 8 and the inkjet head 4 from the processing position of the inkjet head 4 and in front of the processing position of the inkjet head 4 in the main scanning direction). A position measurement unit (autofocus microscope 7 and measurement camera 8) for sequentially measuring the position of the processing point on the substrate surface at a position where the distance 32) is provided, and its position meter A substrate position storage unit 25 that sequentially stores the positions of the processing points on the substrate surface measured by the measuring unit, and a main scanning axis 3 causes the processing position of the inkjet head 4 to be scanned toward the target position on the substrate surface. When the target position is shifted in the sub-scanning direction based on the position of the processing target position on the substrate surface stored in the substrate position storage unit 25 when moving in the direction, the processing position of the inkjet head 4 is changed to the sub-scanning direction. Control units (20, 23, 24, etc.) for controlling the main scanning axis 3 and the sub-scanning axis 10 so as to reach the target position by a correction operation for moving the scanning axis 10 relative to the substrate surface in the sub-scanning direction. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29), the processing position of the inkjet head 4 can be accurately determined based on the position of the processing location on the substrate surface stored in the substrate position storage unit 25. Relative to It can be caused to decide. As a result, a high positioning correction effect can be obtained, the performance of the substrate 1 can be maintained high, and a high product yield can be obtained. The main scanning direction by the main scanning axis 3 and the sub-scanning direction by the sub-scanning axis 10 are not limited to a linear direction, and may be a moving direction that draws an arc.

  Further, the control unit (20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29) is configured so that the processing position of the inkjet head 4 from the current position on the substrate surface stored in the substrate position storage unit 25 is the same. In the section up to the processing location, the time required for moving in the main scanning direction by the main scanning axis 3 and the time required for moving in the sub scanning direction by the sub scanning axis 10 are sequentially compared to move in the sub scanning direction. A target position is determined as a target position where the time required for the process is smaller than the time required for movement in the main scanning direction. Therefore, positioning considering the time required to move in the sub-scanning direction is possible, and accurate positioning can be performed without increasing the positioning error amount with respect to the target position.

  In addition, since the autofocus microscope 7 has an imaging lens for capturing a two-dimensional image, for example, the size of the pixel aperture of the display as the substrate 1 is increased, or the formation pattern around the pixel is made finer. Even if the process proceeds, the position of the substrate 1 can be accurately measured using the imaging lens, and accurate positioning can be performed.

  The orthogonal axis control unit 27 performs a correction operation on the sub-scanning axis 10 in a correction operation for moving the processing position of the inkjet head 4 relative to the substrate surface in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-scanning axis 10. The control unit (20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29) outputs a pulse command signal corresponding to the correction operation amount from the orthogonal axis control unit 27. It is assumed that the correction operation is completed at the time of completion. Thereby, the positional accuracy of the positioning control can be improved by shortening the response time of the positioning control due to the vibration accompanying the physical movement in the sub-scanning direction and the settling waiting time for the minute deviation.

  In the liquid droplet ejection apparatus, the sub-scanning direction is a linear direction that is parallel to the substrate surface and orthogonal to the main scanning direction, but is the same as the main scanning direction or the substrate surface and the inkjet head 4. May be at least one direction along a straight line connecting the two. Thereby, the relative error between the substrate 1 and the processing position, that is, the formation position deviation error of the shape that becomes the target position when the substrate 1 is generated, the dimensional error of the substrate 1, the substrate 1 is placed on the positioning device. Corrects errors in position and tilt orientation, dimensional errors in the thickness direction of the substrate 1, movement errors in the main scanning direction and displacement errors in the sub-scanning direction during relative movement in the main scanning direction can do.

  In addition, from the section where the reference object (gate bus line 30) for measuring the position of the processing point on the substrate surface by the position measuring unit (autofocus microscope 7, measurement camera 8) does not exist, to the section where the reference object exists. In the boundary region to be transferred, the processing position of the inkjet head 4 is determined based on the position of the processing location on the substrate surface measured by the autofocus microscope 7 and the measurement camera 8 at the beginning of the section where the reference object exists. The correction operation is performed before moving to the section where the. As a result, even when the amount of movement during the correction operation to the first position where the reference object exists is large and the time required for movement is large, the processing position can be moved so as to reach the target position.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 10 shows a configuration of a droplet discharge device as an example of the positioning device of the second embodiment, and FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the droplet discharge device. The droplet discharge device of the second embodiment has the same configuration as the droplet discharge device of the first embodiment except for the following differences, and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components. .

  1 differs from the apparatus configuration shown in FIG. 1 in that the sub-scanning shaft 110 is portable, and in addition to the inkjet head 4, the head rotation shaft 5, and the head Z axis 6, the measurement camera 8 and the auto The focus microscope 7 and the camera Z axis 109 are mounted, and the camera Z axis 113 is also provided with the sub-scanning axis 14.

  In such a configuration, the position of the substrate 1 measured by the measurement camera 8 is a relative positional relationship between the measurement camera 8 and the substrate 1 depending on the position where the sub-scanning axis for moving the inkjet head 4 is corrected and moved. Since the reference position becomes indefinite during the correction operation, the substrate position in the sub-scanning axis direction measured by the measurement camera 8 cannot be used as it is for the calculation of the correction amount. In this case, in addition to the problem that the sensing position and the correction position are separated from each other, it is necessary to deal with the change in the reference position and the invalid section.

  The correction operation in the droplet discharge device having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a correction operation similar to FIG.

  The measurement position in the measurement camera 8 and the correction operation are related with a delay of a distance 32 between the measurement camera 8 and the inkjet head 4, so that the correct measurement value of the measurement camera 8 can be obtained avoiding the correction operation interval. In order to obtain, it is necessary to avoid the correction operation in the measurement section of the measurement camera 8. For this reason, in the second embodiment, a plurality of sections are fixed as one cycle 42 with one measurement section as a unit, the first measurement section is defined as a section for substrate position measurement, and the second to subsequent sections are corrected. It is a moving section. The section of one cycle is five sections, the first measurement section of one cycle is set to S1 from S0, and the corrected movement section is set to S1 to S5. Originally, S1 to S5 are measurement sections, but the measurement sections are meaningless for the correction operation regardless of whether or not the substrate position is measured, and the measurement values are not used. The timing control unit 26 (shown in FIG. 11) identifies the measurement section and the correction movement section by the number of the measurement section, and uses only the measurement section information for correction control.

  The control for retrieving the substrate position measurement result described in the first embodiment and keeping the correction operation in time is unnecessary in the second embodiment, and the substrate position measurement result in the measurement section is used as it is for the correction control process. In other words, in the correction movement section in one cycle, a time longer than the longest time of the correction operation shown in FIG. 7 is set in consideration of the time required for the correction operation. As a result, the search of the measurement position in time for the correction operation shown in the first embodiment is not performed. Timing control at which the timing control unit 26 starts the correction operation in consideration of the movement time of the sub-scanning axis is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

  That is, the timing control unit 26 starts the correction operation An of the sub-scanning axis toward the Sn position at a position before the movement time of the sub-scanning axis from the position of Sn with respect to the value of the measurement section Sn of the substrate 1. .

  As described above, in the second embodiment, a pair of measurement sections and a correction movement section are provided as a cycle, a measurement section that is not affected by the correction operation is ensured, and the timing control of the correction operation that enables positioning control to a desired position. I do. Although one cycle has five sections, the number of combinations of these sections may be arbitrarily determined.

  In the second embodiment, the relative positional relationship between the measurement camera 8 and the substrate 1 changes with the position correction of the sub-scanning axis. Therefore, for the pattern position measured by the image processing unit 24, the coordinate position obtained by adding the offset amount from the pixel 36 that is the reference position of the camera and the coordinate position of the sub-scanning axis at the time of capturing the captured image is used as the sub-scanning position. Is stored in the substrate position storage unit 25. Thereby, it is possible to eliminate the influence of the change in the camera position due to the position correction in the sub-scanning axis direction. If the coordinate direction of the image and the coordinate direction of the sub-scanning axis are not the same, the sub-scanning position is obtained by subtracting the offset amount calculated from the coordinate position of the sub-scanning axis.

  The droplet discharge device of the second embodiment has the same effect as the droplet discharge device of the first embodiment.

  The position measurement unit (autofocus microscope 7, measurement camera 8) moves relative to the substrate surface in the main scanning direction by the main scanning axis 3 together with the processing position of the inkjet head 4, and the control unit (20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29), while moving the processing position of the inkjet head 4 relative to the substrate surface in the main scanning direction by the main scanning axis 3, the autofocus microscope 7, A measurement section for measuring the position of the processing point on the substrate surface by the measurement camera 8 and a correction movement section for correcting the deviation of the target position in the sub-scanning direction are distinguished and provided alternately, and the autofocus microscope 7, Based on the measurement result of the measurement camera 8, the processing position of the inkjet head 4 is moved relative to the substrate surface in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-scanning axis 10 in the next correction movement section. Thus, even in a configuration in which the autofocus microscope 7 and the measurement camera 8 move together with the processing position of the inkjet head 4 along with the movement in the sub-scanning direction, errors in position measurement values due to the movement in the sub-scanning direction are reduced. Since mixing can be prevented, the manufacturing cost and moving means can be simplified and reduced in weight by adopting a configuration in which the autofocus microscope 7 and the measuring camera 8 move together with the processing position as the sub-scanning direction moves. Can do.

  In the above description of the first and second embodiments, the positioning control technique of the present invention has been described with respect to the gate bus line and the source bus line of the TFT substrate. Any pattern may be used as long as the pattern can measure the position and the pattern that can measure the position in the main scanning direction and the position can be identified by processing the image data.

  In the first and second embodiments, the TFT substrate of the liquid crystal panel has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to, for example, a metal substrate in which grooves are formed in a straight shape by a processing machine using laser light. The substrate is not limited to the type and material of the substrate, and any substrate-like object and a pattern whose position can be measured with an image on the surface may be used.

  Specification values such as image resolution, orthogonal axis movement time, and measurement section length are not limited to the example described here, and may be freely combined depending on the required correction accuracy, error amount, and the like.

  In the first and second embodiments, an example in which there is one ink jet head 4 is shown. However, a plurality of ink jet heads 4 may be used, and the sub-scanning axis may be composed of a plurality of axes, or 1 A plurality of inkjet heads 4 and measurement cameras 8 may be mounted on one sub-scanning axis.

  In addition, the processing content of the processing apparatus has been described in the case of the functional liquid droplet applying apparatus by the ink jet method, but it may be a laser processing apparatus or a measuring means for the substrate surface. The content is not limited.

  Although this orthogonal axis positioning control has been described as a linear servo motor, even the propulsion means such as a stepping motor, the driving means such as a ball screw drive, and the control means such as an open loop are not affected by the type of positioning means. .

  In the first and second embodiments, the ink jet control unit 23, the image processing unit 24, the substrate position storage unit 25, and the timing control unit 26 are all described individually, but may be configured by combining a plurality of functions. In addition, the function of one control unit may be realized by a plurality of control devices, and if the respective functions can operate in conjunction with each other, the embodiment of the present description is not affected.

  Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a discharge processing unit of a droplet discharge device as an example of a positioning device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the droplet discharge device. FIG. 3 is a bird's eye view schematically showing the relationship between the measurement camera and the inkjet head when positioning control of the droplet discharge device is performed. FIG. 4 is a top view of the schematic diagram of FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the positioning control operation in the sub-scanning direction. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the structure of the substrate position storage unit. FIG. 7 is a correction time table corresponding to the movement distance of the sub-scanning axis. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the captured image and processing of the substrate surface in the measurement section. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of processing at a boundary portion of a region where a pattern is formed from a region where no pattern is formed on the substrate. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a discharge processing unit of a droplet discharge device as an example of a positioning device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the droplet discharge device. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the positioning control operation in the sub-scanning direction of the droplet discharge device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Substrate to be processed 2 ... Suction positioning part 3 ... Main scanning axis 4 ... Inkjet head 5 ... Head rotation axis 6 ... Head Z axis 7 ... Auto focus microscope 8 ... Measurement camera 9, 109 ... Camera Z axis 10, 14, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 110 ... Sub-scanning axis | shaft 11 ... Autofocus microscope 12 ... Measuring camera 13,113 ... Camera Z axis 15 ... Gantry beam 16 ... Inkjet maintenance part 17 ... Apparatus surface plate part 20 ... Main controller 21 ... Main memory device 22 ... Ink supply 23: Inkjet control device 24 ... Image processing unit 25 ... Substrate position storage unit 26 ... Timing control unit 27 ... Orthogonal axis control unit 28 ... Suction positioning control unit 29 ... Inkjet maintenance control unit 30 ... Gate bus line 31 ... Source bus line 32 ... Distance between measurement camera and inkjet head 33 ... Nozzle hole 34 ... Pixel group 5,36,37 ... pixel 41 ... captured image area 50 ... pattern

Claims (8)

A processing position of a processing apparatus that performs processing on a processing surface of an object to be processed is moved relative to the processing surface in a first direction along a plane substantially parallel to the processing surface. A moving part of
A second moving unit that moves the processing position of the processing apparatus in a second direction relative to the processing surface;
When processing by the processing device is performed while moving in the first direction by the first moving unit, the processing device is positioned in front of the processing position of the processing device and from the processing position of the processing device. A position measuring unit that sequentially measures the position of the processing location on the processing surface of the processing object at a position spaced by a predetermined distance;
A storage unit for sequentially storing the positions of the processing points on the processing surface of the processing object measured by the position measuring unit;
When the processing position of the processing device is moved in the first direction toward the target position on the processing surface of the processing object by the first moving unit, the processing object stored in the storage unit When the target position is shifted in the second direction based on the position of the processing location on the processing surface, the processing position of the processing device is moved in the second direction by the second moving unit. And a control unit that controls the first and second moving units so as to reach the target position by a correction operation that moves the processing surface relatively to the processing surface. The positioning device according to claim 1,
The control unit is configured such that the processing position of the processing device is a section from a current position to a processing location on a processing surface of the processing object stored in the storage unit, and the first moving unit performs the first processing. The time required for moving in the first direction and the time required for moving in the second direction by the second moving unit are sequentially compared, and the time required for moving in the second direction is A positioning apparatus characterized in that the processing target portion that is smaller than the time required for movement in the first direction is set as the target position. The positioning device according to claim 1 or 2,
The position measuring unit includes a focusing lens for capturing a two-dimensional image. In the positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The control unit moves the processing position of the processing device relative to the processing surface in the second direction by the second moving unit with respect to the second moving unit. It has a positioning control unit that outputs a pulse command signal corresponding to the correction operation amount, and the correction operation is ended when the output of the pulse command signal corresponding to the correction operation amount is completed from the positioning control unit. Characteristic positioning device. In the positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The second direction is the same direction as the first direction, a linear direction parallel to the processing surface of the workpiece and orthogonal to the first direction, or the processing surface of the workpiece And at least one direction along a straight line connecting the processing apparatus and the processing apparatus. In the positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The position measuring unit is moved relative to the processing surface in the first direction by the first moving unit together with the processing position of the processing device,
The control unit is configured to process the object to be processed by the position measurement unit while moving the processing position of the processing apparatus relative to the processing surface in the first direction by the first moving unit. A measurement section for measuring the position of the processing location on the surface and a correction movement section for correcting the deviation of the target position in the second direction are distinguished and provided alternately to measure the position measurement unit in the measurement section. Based on the result, the processing position of the processing device is moved relative to the processing surface in the second direction by the second moving unit in the next correction movement section. Positioning device. In the positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
In the boundary region where the control unit moves from the section where the reference object exists for measuring the position of the processing location on the processing surface of the object to be processed by the position measurement unit to the section where the reference object exists, Based on the position of the processing location on the processing surface of the processing object measured by the position measuring unit at the beginning of the section where the reference object exists, the processing position of the processing apparatus exists as the reference object. A positioning apparatus that performs the correction operation before moving to a section. A processing position of a processing apparatus that performs processing on a processing surface of an object to be processed is moved relative to the processing surface in a first direction along a plane substantially parallel to the processing surface. A moving part of
A second moving unit that moves the processing position of the processing apparatus relative to the processing surface in a second direction;
In the step of moving in the first direction by the first moving unit, when the processing by the processing device is performed, the processing by the processing device is ahead of the processing position of the processing device and in the first direction. A position measuring unit that sequentially measures the position of the processing location on the processing surface of the processing object at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the position;
A storage unit for sequentially storing the positions of the processing points on the processing surface of the processing object measured by the position measuring unit;
A control method for a positioning device comprising a control unit for controlling the first and second moving units,
By controlling the first and second moving units by the control unit, the processing position of the processing apparatus is moved by the first moving unit toward the target position on the processing surface of the workpiece. When the target position is shifted in the second direction based on the position of the processing location on the processing surface of the processing object stored in the storage unit when moving in the first direction, A positioning device characterized in that the processing position of the processing device reaches the target position by a correction operation for moving the processing position relative to the processing surface in the second direction by the second moving unit. Control method.

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