JP2024055453A - Inkjet device control method and inkjet device - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an inkjet device control method and inkjet device capable of landing a specified number of droplets on a coating target. [Solution] The inkjet device control method includes an observation step of observing the deviation in the positive and negative landing positions of droplets ejected from each nozzle relative to a target landing position preset for each nozzle in the nozzle arrangement direction, a generation step of selecting a driven nozzle to be driven from among a plurality of nozzles based on data on the design position of each nozzle, data on the position of the cell, and data on the landing position deviation for each nozzle, and generating nozzle rearrangement data, which is arrangement data for the driven nozzles, and a coating step of controlling a head unit using the nozzle rearrangement data to eject a specified number of droplets onto each of a plurality of cells. [Selected Figure] Figure 17

Description

This disclosure relates to a control method for an inkjet device and an inkjet device.

In recent years, the method of manufacturing devices using inkjet equipment has been attracting attention.

Patent Document 1 shows a method for manufacturing a color filter in which multiple filter elements are formed on a substrate by ejecting ink while an inkjet head scans the substrate relative to the substrate. This type of inkjet device moves multiple coloring heads that eject R, G, and B ink in a predetermined direction, ejecting ink from the ejection openings of each coloring head at a predetermined timing.

JP 2001-108820 A

In general, to reduce the number of scans of an inkjet head unit, an inkjet head unit that is long in the direction perpendicular to the printing scan direction is used. In this case, the inkjet unit is composed of a combination of multiple inkjet heads. Each inkjet head is provided with multiple nozzles.

However, as the inkjet head unit becomes longer, it becomes more susceptible to expansion, contraction, and distortion, which can result in a physical deviation from the ideal nozzle position.

Furthermore, ideally, the nozzles of an inkjet head eject droplets directly below the nozzle. However, nozzle quirks and other factors can cause deviations in the flight angle of droplets ejected from the nozzle.

Misalignment of the nozzle and deviation in the flight angle of the droplets cause deviation in the landing position of the droplets (deviation of the actual landing position from the target landing position). For this reason, with conventional technology, it was difficult to land the specified number of droplets on each cell when applying ink to the cells of a display panel. In recent years, as displays have become more highly image quality, the pitch of the cells has become narrower, making this problem more pronounced.

The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and provides an inkjet device and a control method for the inkjet device that can land a specified number of droplets on a coating target.

One aspect of the inkjet device control method of the present disclosure includes:
A method for controlling an inkjet device that ejects droplets from a plurality of nozzles provided in a head unit and arranged in a direction perpendicular to a scanning direction of the head unit, into cells formed on an object to be coated, comprising the steps of:
an observation step of observing a deviation in a landing position of the droplets ejected from each of the nozzles in a positive direction and a negative direction in the arrangement direction with respect to a target landing position previously set for each of the nozzles;
a generating step of selecting driven nozzles to be driven from the plurality of nozzles based on data on the design position of each nozzle, data on the position of the cell, and data on the landing position deviation for each nozzle, and generating nozzle rearrangement data which is data on the arrangement of the driven nozzles;
a coating step of controlling the head unit using the nozzle rearrangement data to eject the predetermined number of droplets onto each of the plurality of cells;
including.

One aspect of the inkjet device of the present disclosure is
An inkjet device comprising: a head unit; and a plurality of nozzles provided in the head unit and arranged in an arrangement direction perpendicular to a scanning direction of the head unit, the inkjet device ejecting droplets from the plurality of nozzles into cells formed on an object to be coated,
a calculation unit that calculates a landing position deviation in a positive direction and a negative direction in the arrangement direction of droplets ejected from each of the nozzles with respect to a target landing position previously set for each of the nozzles;
a generating unit that selects driven nozzles to be driven from the plurality of nozzles based on data on the design position of each nozzle, data on the position of the cell, and data on the landing position deviation for each nozzle, and generates nozzle rearrangement data which is data on the arrangement of the driven nozzles;
a drive control unit that uses the nozzle rearrangement data to control the head unit to eject the predetermined number of droplets onto each of the plurality of cells;
Equipped with.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to realize an inkjet device control method and an inkjet device that can land a specified number of droplets on a coating target even when there is a physical misalignment of the nozzles or a misalignment of the landing position due to the ink flight angle, for example, in an array direction perpendicular to the printing scanning direction.

Schematic diagram showing the general configuration of an inkjet device FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of nozzle positions in a head unit in a designed state. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of nozzle positions of a head unit after manufacture. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining positional deviation caused by nozzle discharge angle habit. Diagram showing the relationship between cells and the design nozzle position A chart showing an example of target coordinate data A chart showing an example of nozzle arrangement data A diagram explaining the accuracy assurance distance A diagram explaining the accuracy assurance distance A diagram showing cell positions, design nozzle positions, actual nozzle positions, and nozzle classification results. A chart showing an example of impact observation results FIG. 11 is a table showing the precision guaranteed distance for each nozzle. 1 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an inkjet device. A flowchart showing the details of the nozzle rearrangement process (generation process) performed in step S13. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of reordering destination candidate information used by a nozzle reordering data generating unit, and nozzle reordering information generated by the nozzle reordering data generating unit; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of reordering destination candidate information used by a nozzle reordering data generating unit, and nozzle reordering information generated by the nozzle reordering data generating unit; Diagram showing nozzle positions after rearrangement Nozzle reordering information chart A flowchart showing another example of the nozzle sorting process (generation process) performed in step S13. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing cell positions, nozzle positions after rearrangement, nozzle positions after head movement, and nozzle positions after rearrangement. A chart showing the results of impact observation after moving the head Nozzle reordering information chart FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the process of equalizing the nozzle arrangement in a cell;

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<1> Schematic configuration of the inkjet device Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the schematic configuration of an inkjet device 1. The inkjet device 1 includes a head unit (generally called a line head) 2 having a plurality of inkjet heads 3 (see Fig. 2), and a stage 7 on which a panel 8 is placed.

The inkjet device 1 is configured to be able to move the panel 8 on the stage 7 and the head unit 2 relative to each other in the scanning direction. During this relative movement, the inkjet device 1 applies ink to cells 81 on the panel 8 from nozzles N formed in the inkjet head 3. For example, the inkjet device 1 forms an organic functional layer by applying droplets of ink containing an organic functional material to the cells 81.

In this embodiment, a first cell row 82 is formed by arranging a plurality of cells 81 in the arrangement direction (which may be called the sub-scanning direction), a second cell row 83 is formed by arranging another plurality of cells 81 in the arrangement direction, and a third cell row 84 is formed by arranging yet another plurality of cells 81 in the arrangement direction. The second cell row 83 is adjacent to the first cell row 82 in the scanning direction. The third cell row 84 is adjacent to the second cell row 83 in the scanning direction. The second cell row 83 and the third cell row 84 are not offset from the first cell row 82 in the arrangement direction. However, the second cell row 83 and the third cell row 84 may be offset from the first cell row 82 in the arrangement direction.

In this embodiment, each cell 81 has an oval shape. However, each cell 81 may also have a circular, rectangular, hexagonal, or other shape.

The inkjet device 1 may apply ink to the first cell row 82, the second cell row 83, and the third cell row 84 in an RGB stripe arrangement, or may apply ink to the first cell row 82, the second cell row 83, and the third cell row 84 in a pentile arrangement.

In this embodiment, three types of cells for RGB (three types of cells from which different inks are ejected) are included, with the first cell row 82, the second cell row 83, and the third cell row 84 corresponding to RGB, respectively. However, this is not limited to this, and the panel 8 may include only one type of cell, or may include multiple types of cells. In the following, the cells corresponding to RGB, respectively, are referred to as red cells, green cells, and blue cells.

On the panel 8, cells (color-producing regions) are formed at a predetermined pitch (see CP in FIG. 2) in the arrangement direction. In this disclosure, the cell pitch in the arrangement direction is referred to as the "cell pitch CP."

The stage 7 is configured so that a panel 8, which is an object to be coated with ink, can be placed on it. The stage 7 has a movement mechanism (not shown) that moves the placed panel 8 in the scanning direction and an arrangement direction perpendicular to the scanning direction. The movement mechanism of the stage 7 operates, for example, based on a control signal output from a drive control unit, which will be described later. The movement mechanism of the stage 7 can have a configuration that is generally known in the art.

The upper part of Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of the head unit 2 in an ideal state, i.e., at the time of design. The head unit 2 has multiple inkjet heads 3 arranged in parallel to each other.

The inkjet heads 3 are long and are arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the scanning direction. Each inkjet head 3 has multiple nozzles N formed at equal pitch along the longitudinal direction. The multiple inkjet heads 3 are also arranged so that the nozzles N are spaced at equal pitches in the arrangement direction. The nozzle pitch NP in the arrangement direction is, for example, about 20 μm. In this way, by arranging the inkjet heads 3 at an angle, a head unit with a narrow pitch can be realized.

In this disclosure, the position of nozzle N ideally arranged so that the nozzle pitch NP is equal, as shown in FIG. 2, is referred to as the "design position of nozzle N." Ideally, droplets ejected from nozzle N land directly below. In other words, ideally, the design position of nozzle N and the landing position of droplets are equal in the array direction and scanning direction.

In the following explanation, for the sake of convenience, when each nozzle N is described separately, they may be labeled N1, N2, N3, ... from the left side of the drawing. In doing so, the position of each nozzle may be described using the same reference number as the nozzle. Furthermore, the number portion of N1, N2, N3, ... excluding N is called the logical nozzle number of each nozzle N. The same applies to drawings other than FIG. 2.

The upper part of Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration (actual state) of the head unit 2 after manufacturing.

As mentioned above, in an ideal state, the nozzles N are arranged at equal pitches in the arrangement direction. However, in reality, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 3, a positional deviation may occur between the "design position of the nozzle N" and the actual nozzle position due to expansion and contraction or distortion of the head unit 2. This positional deviation occurs, for example, due to (1) expansion and contraction of each inkjet head 3, (2) an attachment error of the inkjet head 3 when it is attached to the plate (head unit 2) that fixes the multiple inkjet heads 3, and (3) expansion and contraction or distortion of the fixing position of the inkjet head 3 due to expansion and contraction of the material of the plate that fixes the multiple inkjet heads 3 due to heat. As a result, the accuracy of the actually assembled nozzle position includes errors such as the absolute accuracy error of the plate and head to which the inkjet heads 3 are attached, and the assembly accuracy error when assembled.

Furthermore, deviations in the flight angle of droplets ejected from nozzle N may occur, causing the landing position to deviate from directly below the nozzle. In fact, when ejecting ink from nozzle N, the inkjet head 3 has its own ejection angle habit for each nozzle. Therefore, the ejection position is determined by the gap G between the inkjet head 3 and the panel 8 to be coated.

Figure 4 (a) is a top view of the landing positions on the panel 8 that are displaced due to the ejection angle habit based on the nozzle position of the inkjet head 3, and Figure 4 (b) is a side view of the same landing positions as in Figure 4 (a). In Figure 4 (a), N1 to N5 indicate the design positions of each nozzle. That is, in Figure 4, each nozzle N1 to N5 is assumed to be placed at the design position. As shown in Figures 4 (a) and 4 (b), the landing positions P1 to P5 of the corresponding droplets are displaced from the design positions N1 to N5 of each nozzle due to the ejection angle habit. The technology disclosed herein is characterized in that it is possible to land a specified number of droplets on the coating target even when the landing positions of the droplets are displaced due to such a physical positional displacement of the nozzle N and the ejection angle displacement of the nozzle N. Details will be described later in "Coating method using an inkjet device".

The calculation processing unit 4 executes processing for controlling the inkjet device 1. The calculation processing unit 4 includes a landing position calculation unit 41 and a nozzle rearrangement data generation unit 42. The calculation processing unit 4 is realized, for example, by a microcomputer or a CPU (processor) configured with one or more chips.

The landing position calculation unit 41 calculates the positional deviation of each landing position P from the target landing position based on the imaging results of the landing position P of the droplets ejected from each nozzle N. The target landing position is the landing position of each droplet when the droplet is ejected directly below the designed position of each nozzle N.

The nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 selects the driven nozzles to be driven from among the multiple nozzles, and generates nozzle sorting data, which is the arrangement data of the driven nozzles.

The memory unit 5 has the function of storing information such as programs for operating the CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the results of processing by the CPU.

The storage unit 5 (memory) may be provided in the same chip as the arithmetic processing unit 4, or may be provided as a separate chip from the arithmetic processing unit 4. The storage unit 5 may also be realized by a storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

The drive control unit 6 has the function of moving the stage on which the panel 8 is placed and controlling the drive of the nozzles N in a series of operations in which the inkjet head 3 is scanned relative to the panel 8 to eject ink. The drive control unit 6 is realized, for example, by a microcomputer or CPU (processor) configured with one or more chips.

Specifically, the drive control unit 6 reads the print data from the memory unit 5 and outputs a drive waveform received from a drive waveform signal generator (not shown) based on the print data to each nozzle N of the inkjet head 3. For example, if the print data indicates a first drive at a certain timing for a certain nozzle, the drive control unit 6 supplies a drive waveform for ejecting ink to that nozzle at that timing. If the print data indicates a second drive at a different timing for that nozzle, the drive control unit 6 supplies a drive waveform for preventing ink ejection to that nozzle at that timing.

The drive control unit 6 also has the function of moving the panel 8 or the head unit 2 in the array direction.

The drive control unit 6 may be configured as being divided into a module that controls the drive of the axis (stage, etc.) system and a module that controls the ejection drive of the head.

<2> Precision-guaranteed distance Here, the precision-guaranteed distance used in this embodiment will be described in detail.

Figure 5 shows the relationship between cells and design nozzle positions. For convenience of explanation, multiple types of cells are shown in Figure 5, but generally there is only one type of cell on the panel 8. However, the technology disclosed herein can also be applied to cases where multiple types (multiple widths) of cells are formed on the panel. For example, it is conceivable that cells of the same type (same width) are arranged in the scanning direction, and cells of different types (different widths) are arranged in the array direction, and the technology disclosed herein can also be applied to such cell arrangements.

In this embodiment, the nozzles are classified into the following: nozzles at the left end of the cell, nozzles at the right end of the cell, nozzles inside the cell, nozzles inside a single cell, and nozzles outside the cell. Note that in this embodiment, the negative direction, left direction, positive direction, and right direction are defined based on the nozzle arrangement direction.

The left end nozzle of a cell is a nozzle that exists at the left end of a cell 81 when there are multiple nozzles in the cell 81. The right end nozzle of a cell is a nozzle that exists at the right end of a cell 81 when there are multiple nozzles in the cell 81. The internal nozzle of a cell is a nozzle excluding the left end nozzle of the cell 81 and the right end nozzle of the cell 81 when there are three or more nozzles in the cell 81. The single internal nozzle of a cell is a nozzle that exists in a cell when there is one nozzle. The external nozzle of a cell is a nozzle that exists outside the cell.

The nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 of the calculation processing unit 4 classifies each nozzle into a nozzle at the left end of the cell, a nozzle at the right end of the cell, a nozzle inside the cell, a nozzle inside a single cell, and a nozzle outside the cell based on the data on the design position of the nozzle and the data on the position of the cell 81. In reality, the memory unit 5 stores target coordinate data such as that shown in FIG. 6 and nozzle arrangement data such as that shown in FIG. 7, and the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 uses these data to classify the nozzles.

The precision guarantee distance is the allowable range of deviation of the landing position for each nozzle. In this embodiment, the precision guarantee distance for each nozzle is determined according to the classification type of the nozzle. Simply put, if a droplet ejected from the nozzle at the left end of the cell 81 deviates to the left (negative direction), it will go outside the cell 81, so the allowable range (precision guarantee distance) for deviation in the left direction (negative direction) is reduced, and the allowable range (precision guarantee distance) for deviation in the right direction (positive direction) is increased. Similarly, if a droplet ejected from the nozzle at the right end of the cell deviates to the right (positive direction), it will go outside the cell, so the allowable range (precision guarantee distance) for deviation in the right direction (positive direction) is reduced, and the allowable range (precision guarantee distance) for deviation in the left direction (negative direction) is increased.

In this embodiment, the accuracy guarantee distance is determined as follows:

● Regarding the nozzle at the left edge of the cell; Precision guaranteed distance in the negative direction = distance between the left edge coordinate of the cell and the designed nozzle position, precision guaranteed distance in the positive direction = specified value ● Regarding nozzles inside the cell; Precision guaranteed distance in the negative direction = precision guaranteed distance in the positive direction = specified value ● Regarding nozzles at the right edge of the cell; Precision guaranteed distance in the negative direction = specified value, precision guaranteed distance in the positive direction = distance between the right edge coordinate of the cell and the designed nozzle position ● Regarding nozzles inside a single cell; Precision guaranteed distance in the negative direction = distance between the left edge coordinate of the cell and the designed nozzle position, precision guaranteed distance in the positive direction = distance between the right edge coordinate of the cell and the designed nozzle position ● Regarding nozzles outside the cell; As these are not used for printing, unlike the four types of nozzles above, it is possible to not specify a precision guaranteed distance for these nozzles and have them not eject, or it is possible to specify a precision guaranteed distance similar to that for nozzles inside the cell.

A specific example of determining the precision guarantee distance according to the above determination rules will be explained using Figures 8 and 9. The case where the specified value of the precision guarantee distance is 10 μm and the precision guarantee distance of the nozzle outside the cell is 5 μm in both the positive and negative directions will be explained.

The precision guaranteed distances for the 7th to 10th nozzles shown in FIG.
Nozzle No. 7: negative 0.002 mm, positive 0.01 mm
Nozzle No. 8: negative 0.01 mm, positive 0.01 mm
Nozzle No. 9: negative 0.01 mm, positive 0.01 mm
No. 10 nozzle: negative 0.01 mm, positive 0.006 mm
The precision guaranteed distance for the 19th nozzle shown in FIG. 9 is 0.04 mm in the negative direction and 0.009 mm in the positive direction.

<3> Rearrangement of nozzles using distances to ensure precision Next, rearrangement of nozzles using distances to ensure precision according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

Figure 10 shows the cell position, the design nozzle position, the actual nozzle position, and the nozzle classification results. Figure 11 is a chart showing an example of the impact observation results, and the actual nozzle positions in Figure 10 correspond to these impact observation results. Figure 12 is a chart showing the accuracy assurance distance for each nozzle in Figure 10.

First, the general operation of the inkjet device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 13. In step S11, the inkjet device 1 prints a pattern for detecting the landing position, and in step S12, performs an observation process to detect the deviation of the landing position from the design position.

The inkjet device 1 then performs a generation process to generate nozzle rearrangement data in step S13. The inkjet device 1 then calculates the head movement amount in step S14. Note that the process of step S14 is not necessarily required. The process of step S14 is performed as an option when the number of nozzles assigned to the cell in step S13 is less than the specified number.

In the next step S15, the inkjet device 1 generates print data, and in the next step S16, it performs a coating process by driving the nozzles using the nozzle sorting data and the print data.

Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the detailed contents of the nozzle sorting process (generation process) performed in step S13.

In step S21, the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 extracts as candidates those nozzles for which the distance between the nozzle design position and the impact position for all nozzles is within the range of the precision assurance distance defined for each nozzle type as described above.

In step S22, the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 increments the nozzle number sequentially from No. 1. In the embodiment, the nozzle numbers range from No. 1 to No. 21, so the nozzle number is incremented sequentially until it reaches No. 21. As a result, the following processing of steps S23-S32 is performed sequentially for each nozzle number.

In step S23, the nozzle rearrangement data generation unit 42 determines whether there are any rearrangement candidates, and if it determines that there are no rearrangement candidates (step S23; YES), it proceeds to step S24 and sets the nozzle currently being processed as a non-ejecting nozzle. On the other hand, if it determines in step S23 that there are rearrangement candidates (step S23; NO), it proceeds to step S25.

In step S25, the nozzle rearrangement data generation unit 42 determines whether there is one rearrangement candidate. If it determines that there is not one rearrangement candidate (step S25; NO), it proceeds to step S26. If it determines that there is one rearrangement candidate (step S25; YES), it proceeds to step S29.

In step S26, the nozzle rearrangement data generation unit 42 determines whether there are any candidates that are not candidates for rearrangement of nozzles other than the outside-cell nozzles, and if it determines that such candidates exist (step S26; YES), it proceeds to step S27, and if it determines that such candidates do not exist (step S26; NO), it proceeds to step S28.

In step S27, the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 determines a candidate that is not a sorting candidate for other nozzles as the sorting destination. In step S28, the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 determines a candidate that has a landing position closest to the design position as the sorting destination.

In step S29, the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 determines whether the nozzle currently being processed is an outside-cell nozzle, and if it determines that it is not an outside-cell nozzle (step S29; YES), it proceeds to step S33 and determines the sorting candidate as the sorting destination.

On the other hand, if the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 determines in step S29 that the nozzle currently being processed is an outside-cell nozzle (step S29; NO), it proceeds to step S30. In step S30, the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 determines whether there is a candidate that is not a candidate for sorting nozzles other than other outside-cell nozzles, and if it determines that there is such a candidate (step S30; YES), it proceeds to step S31, and if it determines that there is not such a candidate (step S30; NO), it proceeds to step S32.

In step S31, the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 determines a nozzle that is not a candidate for sorting other nozzles as the sorting destination. On the other hand, in step S32, the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 sets the nozzle currently being processed as a non-ejecting nozzle.

Figure 15 shows an example of sorting destination candidate information C0 to C3 used by the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 to sort nozzles No. 1 to No. 3, and nozzle sorting information D1 to D3 generated by the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42.

The sorting destination candidate information C0 in the figure is information extracted as a processing result of step S21. The sorting destination candidate information C0 is used as sorting destination candidate information for nozzle No. 1 in step S33, and nozzle sorting information D1 for nozzle No. 1 is generated in step S33. Similarly, the sorting destination candidate information C1 from which nozzle No. 1 is excluded as a candidate nozzle is used as sorting destination candidate information for nozzle No. 2 in step S28, and nozzle sorting information D2 for nozzle No. 2 is generated in step S28. Similarly, the sorting destination candidate information C2 from which nozzle No. 1 and nozzle No. 2 are excluded as candidate nozzles is used as sorting destination candidate information for nozzle No. 3 in step S27, and nozzle sorting information D3 for nozzle No. 3 is generated in step S27.

Figure 16 shows examples of candidate sorting destination information C4 to C7 used by the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 to sort nozzles No. 7 to No. 9, and examples of nozzle sorting information D4 to D7 generated by the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42.

The reordering candidate information C4 is used as the reordering candidate information for nozzle No. 7 in step S33, and nozzle reordering information D5 for nozzle No. 7 is generated in step S33. Similarly, the reordering candidate information C5, from which the processed nozzle Nos. are excluded, is used as the reordering candidate information for nozzle No. 8 in step S33, and nozzle reordering information D6 for nozzle No. 8 is generated in step S33. Similarly, the reordering candidate information C6, from which the processed nozzle Nos. are excluded, is used as the reordering candidate information for nozzle No. 9 in step S33, and nozzle reordering information D7 for nozzle No. 9 is generated in step S33.

Figure 17 shows the nozzle positions after rearrangement, and Figure 18 is a chart showing the nozzle rearrangement information.

Note that the process of generating nozzle rearrangement data from step S23 onwards is not necessarily limited to the process shown in FIG. 14, and may be performed, for example, by the process of FIG. 19, in which the same reference numerals are used for corresponding parts in FIG. 14. The process of FIG. 19 differs from the process of FIG. 14 in that the process of step S29 is performed before the process of step S23. Even when the process of FIG. 19 is performed, it is possible to obtain nozzle rearrangement data similar to that of FIG. 14.

In essence, the nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 extracts as candidates nozzles where the distance between the nozzle design position and the observed landing position is within the range of the precision guarantee distance defined for each nozzle type, and performs nozzle sorting processing on these extracted nozzles.

<4> Moving the head and rearrangement If, as a result of generating the nozzle rearrangement information, the number of nozzles assigned to a cell is less than a specified number, it is advisable to update the nozzle rearrangement information by moving the head in the nozzle array direction and rearranging the nozzles again.

Figure 20 shows the cell position, the nozzle position after rearrangement, the nozzle position after head movement, and the nozzle position after rearrangement. Also, Figure 21 is a chart showing the landing observation results after head movement, and Figure 22 is a chart showing nozzle rearrangement information.

If the prescribed number of nozzles to be assigned to cell 81 with a large cell size in FIG. 20 is 4, and the prescribed number of nozzles to be assigned to cell 81 with a small cell size in FIG. 20 is 1, there will be cells 81 for which the number of nozzles is insufficient with just the nozzle rearrangement described above. Therefore, the head is moved in the nozzle arrangement direction, and the nozzles are rearranged again.

For example, when the head is moved 0.004 mm in the positive direction of the nozzle arrangement, the entire nozzle shifts to the position shown in the nozzle position after head movement in FIG. 20, and the landing observation results are updated as shown in FIG. 21, so that the number of nozzles assigned to cell 81 satisfies the specified number. The nozzle sorting data generation unit 42 uses the updated landing observation results and the accuracy assurance distance after the update to update the nozzle sorting information in the same manner as described above, and generates re-sorting information.

In this way, by recursively executing the movement process of moving the head unit 2 in the array direction and the process of generating nozzle rearrangement data, which is the array data for the driven nozzles, it becomes possible to land a specified number of droplets on the object to be coated.

Here we explain an example of how to calculate the head movement amount.

First, in the first step, it is determined whether the sorting result meets the specified required number of nozzles in the cell. If it is determined in the first step that the required number of nozzles in the cell is not met, in the second step, the sorting result is recalculated for all head movement amounts within the specified head movement range.

If any of the rearrangement results calculated in the second step satisfy the required number of nozzles in a cell, then that head movement amount and rearrangement result are used. If there are multiple results that satisfy the required number of nozzles in a cell, or if none of the results satisfy the required number of nozzles in a cell, then the head movement amount is determined according to the following conditions.

a. Calculate the minimum number of nozzles in a cell for each cell type (two types in this embodiment).
b. The sorting result for the head movement amount that maximizes the minimum number of nozzles in a cell of a prioritized cell type (for example, the type that requires the fewest number of nozzles in a cell by regulation) is adopted.
If c and b do not determine one cell type, then b is performed with the cell type of the next priority.
If it is not possible to determine one by dc, the one that results in the smallest amount of head movement is adopted.

<5> Processing to equalize nozzle arrangement within a cell As shown in Figure 23, if the distance between the coordinates of the cell center and the center of gravity of the assigned nozzle at the nozzle position after rearrangement exceeds a threshold value due to the influence of non-ejecting nozzles, etc., it is advisable to consider the impact on the uniformity of the film thickness within the cell and move the head in the arrangement direction and rearrange the nozzles again.

In the example of Figure 23, the distance between the center coordinates of the center of gravity of nozzle numbers 7, 8, and 9 and the center coordinates of the cell exceeds the threshold, so the head is moved in the negative direction in the array direction and the nozzles are rearranged again.

explain in detail.

The first step is to calculate the center of gravity coordinates of the nozzles in all cells.

If in the second step the distance between the center coordinates of a cell and the center of gravity coordinates of a nozzle within the cell exceeds a threshold, the head is moved in the following step and the nozzles are rearranged again.

In other words, in the third step, the sorting results are recalculated for all head movement amounts within the specified head movement range, excluding the current head movement amount.

In the fourth step, if any of the rearrangement results calculated in the third step satisfy the required number of nozzles in a cell, then that head movement amount and rearrangement result are used. If there are multiple results that satisfy the required number of nozzles in a cell, or if none of the results satisfy the required number of nozzles in a cell, then the head movement amount is determined according to the following conditions.

a. Calculate the minimum number of nozzles in a cell for each cell type.
b) The rearrangement result for the head movement amount that maximizes the minimum number of nozzles in a cell of a prioritized cell type (e.g., the type that requires the fewest number of nozzles in a cell, etc.) is adopted.
If one cell type cannot be determined by steps c and b, step b is carried out with the cell type having the next highest priority.
If it is not possible to determine one by d.c., the one that results in the smallest amount of head movement is adopted.

<6> Summary As described above, according to this embodiment, a generation process is included in which driven nozzles to be driven are selected from a plurality of nozzles based on data on the design position of each nozzle, data on the cell position, and data on the landing position deviation for each nozzle, and nozzle rearrangement data, which is array data for the driven nozzles, is generated.

In addition, according to this embodiment, in the generation process, a precision guarantee distance, which is the allowable range of deviation in the landing position for the nozzle, is set based on the relationship of the nozzle to the cell obtained from data on the design position of the nozzle and data on the position of the cell, and a driven nozzle is selected based on the deviation in the landing position of the nozzle and the precision guarantee distance.

The precision assurance distance also differs depending on whether the relationship between the cells and the design positions of the nozzles is such that one nozzle corresponds to one cell, or whether the relationship between the cells and the design positions of the nozzles is such that multiple nozzles correspond to one cell. In other words, when the relationship between the cells and the design positions of the nozzles is such that one nozzle corresponds to one cell, the precision assurance distance is determined simply by the cell coordinates and the design position of the nozzle. In contrast, when the relationship between the cells and the design positions of the nozzles is such that multiple nozzles correspond to one cell, the way in which the precision assurance distance for each nozzle is determined differs depending on the nozzle position within the cell (whether the nozzle is at the left end, the right end, or somewhere else).

In addition, if the design position of a nozzle is at a specified position from the end of a cell, the precision guarantee distance for that nozzle may be set from the design position of that nozzle to the end of the cell. For example, the precision guarantee distance for a nozzle located at the leftmost position in a cell in terms of design may be set from the design position of the nozzle to the left end of the cell. The precision guarantee distance to the right of this nozzle may be set to, for example, a predetermined value. In other words, the precision guarantee distance for that nozzle may be changed depending on the design position of the nozzle in the cell.

The above-described embodiments are merely examples of the implementation of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted in a limiting manner based on these. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its gist or main characteristics.

The present disclosure has the effect of being able to land a specified number of droplets on a coating target even when there is a physical misalignment of the nozzle or a misalignment of the landing position due to the ink flight angle, and is suitable for inkjet devices used for printing organic electroluminescent emitters, hole transport layers, electron transport layers, color filter printing, or printing to form uniform films.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Inkjet device 2 Head unit 3 Inkjet head 4 Arithmetic processing unit 41 Landing position calculation unit 42 Nozzle sorting data generation unit 5 Storage unit 6 Drive control unit 7 Stage 8 Panel 81 Cell N Nozzle

Claims (9)

A method for controlling an inkjet device that ejects droplets from a plurality of nozzles provided in a head unit and arranged in an arrangement direction perpendicular to a scanning direction of the head unit, into cells formed on an object to be coated, comprising the steps of:
an observation step of observing a deviation in a landing position of the droplets ejected from each of the nozzles in a positive direction and a negative direction in the arrangement direction with respect to a target landing position previously set for each of the nozzles;
a generating step of selecting driven nozzles to be driven from the plurality of nozzles based on data on the design position of each nozzle, data on the position of the cell, and data on the landing position deviation for each nozzle, and generating nozzle rearrangement data which is data on the arrangement of the driven nozzles;
a coating step of controlling the head unit using the nozzle rearrangement data to eject a predetermined number of droplets onto each of the plurality of cells;
A method for controlling an inkjet device, comprising: In the generating step,
setting a precision guarantee distance, which is a permissible range of deviation of the impact position with respect to the nozzle, based on a relationship of the nozzle with respect to the cell obtained from data on a design position of the nozzle and data on a position of the cell;
selecting the driven nozzle based on the landing position deviation of the nozzle and the accuracy guaranteed distance;
The method of controlling the ink jet device according to claim 1 . The accuracy assurance distance is
the relationship between the cells and the design positions of the nozzles is different between a case where one nozzle corresponds to one cell and a case where a plurality of nozzles correspond to one cell;
The method for controlling the ink jet device according to claim 2. When the design position of the nozzle is at a predetermined position from an end of the cell, the precision assurance distance for the nozzle is set from the design position of the nozzle to the end of the cell.
The method for controlling the ink jet device according to claim 2. When the relationship between the cells and the design positions of the nozzles is such that one nozzle corresponds to one cell,
the precision assurance distance in a negative direction in the arrangement direction of the nozzle is the distance between the coordinate of the end of the cell in the negative direction and the design position of the nozzle, and the precision assurance distance in a positive direction in the arrangement direction of the nozzle is the distance between the coordinate of the end of the cell in the positive direction and the design position of the nozzle.
The method for controlling the ink jet device according to claim 2. When the relationship between the cells and the design positions of the nozzles is such that two or more nozzles correspond to one cell,
the precision assurance distance of a nozzle located in the most negative direction in the arrangement direction among the two or more nozzles is the distance between the coordinate of the end of the cell in the negative direction and a design position of the nozzle, and the precision assurance distance of a nozzle located in the most positive direction in the arrangement direction among the two or more nozzles is the distance between the coordinate of the end of the cell in the positive direction and a design position of the nozzle.
The method for controlling the ink jet device according to claim 2. When the relationship between the cells and the design positions of the nozzles is such that three or more nozzles correspond to one cell,
the precision assurance distance of each of the three or more nozzles, excluding the nozzles positioned in the most negative direction and the most positive direction in the arrangement direction, is a predetermined specified value;
A method for controlling the ink jet device according to claim 2 or 6. The method further includes a moving step of moving the head unit in the arrangement direction,
The generating step and the moving step are executed recursively.
The method of controlling the ink jet device according to claim 1 . An inkjet device comprising: a head unit; and a plurality of nozzles provided in the head unit and arranged in an arrangement direction perpendicular to a scanning direction of the head unit, the inkjet device ejecting droplets from the plurality of nozzles into cells formed on an object to be coated,
a calculation unit that calculates a landing position deviation in a positive direction and a negative direction in the arrangement direction of droplets ejected from each of the nozzles with respect to a target landing position previously set for each of the nozzles;
a generating unit that selects driven nozzles to be driven from the plurality of nozzles based on data on the design position of each nozzle, data on the position of the cell, and data on the landing position deviation for each nozzle, and generates nozzle rearrangement data which is data on the arrangement of the driven nozzles;
a drive control unit that uses the nozzle rearrangement data to control the head unit to eject a predetermined number of droplets from each of the plurality of cells;
An inkjet device comprising:

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