JP4844517B2 - Pattern forming apparatus and pattern forming method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pattern forming apparatus including a pattern forming substrate having a predetermined pattern formed on a surface, and a pattern forming method for forming a predetermined pattern of a conductive liquid on a print medium.

  An ink jet head for ejecting ink, in which a plurality of ink flow paths including a nozzle for ejecting ink and a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle are formed, and an actuator is disposed at a position facing each pressure chamber. There is an ink jet printer having an ink jet head arranged respectively. In such an ink jet printer, each actuator is connected to a driver IC. When each actuator is driven based on a drive signal output from the driver IC, the volume of the corresponding pressure chamber varies, and ejection energy is applied to the ink in the pressure chamber. Thus, ink is ejected from the nozzle communicating with the pressure chamber.

  In recent years, in order to improve printing speed and printing quality, the degree of integration of actuators in the ink jet printer as described above has been increasing year by year. Along with this, it is necessary to reduce the pitch of the wiring for connecting the electrode on the actuator and the connection terminal of the driver IC. Therefore, it is desired to form a wiring pattern with a small pitch at a low cost.

Patent Document 1 (FIG. 5 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-163499) discloses a technique for forming a wiring pattern at a low cost by discharging conductive ink as a wiring forming material from an ink jet printer onto a substrate. A method (inkjet method) for forming a wiring pattern is disclosed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-163499 (FIG. 5)

  Here, for example, in an inkjet printer in which 1200 actuators are arranged in a 1-inch width, when the electrodes on the actuator and the connection terminals of the driver IC are connected by a 1-inch-wide flexible printed circuit (FPC). It is necessary to wire with a fine pitch of 20 μm or less. However, when an FPC is manufactured using the above-described inkjet method, the limit of the wiring pitch that can be manufactured is about 40 μm. In addition to inkjet heads, there is a desire to form wiring with a fine pitch on a wiring board, a circuit board, and the like in other electronic devices.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a pattern forming apparatus and a pattern forming method capable of forming a fine pattern at low cost.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pattern forming apparatus for forming a predetermined pattern of a conductive liquid on a print medium, comprising a substrate having insulation properties and a plurality of electrodes arranged on the substrate. A first potential that makes the liquid repellency of the overlapping region overlapping each electrode on the surface of the pattern forming substrate a first liquid repellency, and the overlapping region A potential applying mechanism that selectively applies a second potential that makes the second liquid repellency lower than the first liquid repellency; and controlling the potential applying mechanism to adjust the potential of the electrode corresponding to the pattern. A potential control mechanism for setting the potential to the second potential and the potential of the electrode out of the pattern to the first potential, and the conductivity formed in the pattern on the surface of the pattern forming substrate. Let the liquid contact the print media. Pattern forming apparatus is provided with a transfer mechanism for transferring the print medium by.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the pattern forming substrate has a plurality of electrodes arranged on an insulating substrate, and the conductive liquid arranged on the surface of the pattern forming substrate is used. In order to obtain a desired pattern on the surface, a first potential and a second potential can be selectively applied to these electrodes. At this time, the liquid repellency of the overlapping region overlapping with the electrode of the pattern formation substrate can be switched between the first and second liquid repellency by the electrowetting phenomenon. As described above, since the liquid repellency of the overlapping region can be adjusted according to the potential applied to the electrode, the pattern of the conductive liquid spreading on the surface of the pattern forming substrate can be adjusted. For example, a fine pattern of conductive liquid is formed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate by finely arranging the electrodes, and the fine pattern is formed on the print medium by transferring the pattern to the print medium. be able to.

  Here, the “first potential” and the “second potential” are not uniquely determined values but may take values in a certain range. However, in this case, ranges of values that the “first potential” and the “second potential” can take do not overlap each other. In addition, the “conductive liquid” is not limited to a liquid having relatively high conductivity, such as a liquid in which nano-conductive particles such as copper are dispersed. Of “liquid having conductivity”. Furthermore, the “surface of the pattern forming substrate” means a surface of the pattern forming substrate on the side where the electrodes are arranged with respect to the substrate.

  In the pattern forming apparatus of the present invention, the plurality of electrodes may be separated from each other on the substrate, may be regularly arranged, or may have the same shape.

  In this case, since the plurality of electrodes are regularly spaced from each other on the substrate and have the same shape as each other, a pattern of a conductive liquid having a predetermined shape can be easily formed on the surface of the pattern formation substrate. Can be formed.

  In the pattern forming apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the potential control mechanism may set the potential of the electrode corresponding to the desired pattern after the transfer mechanism causes the conductive liquid formed in the pattern to contact the print medium. The first potential may be used.

  In this case, by setting the potential of the electrode corresponding to the desired pattern to the first potential, the liquid repellency of the overlapping region corresponding to the pattern on the surface of the pattern forming substrate is increased, so the electrode is formed in the desired pattern. The conducted conductive liquid is reliably transferred to the print medium.

  Further, in the pattern forming apparatus of the present invention, even if the liquid repellency of the overlapping region corresponding to the electrode to which the first potential is applied by the potential applying mechanism is higher than the liquid repellency of the print medium. Good. In this case, since the liquid repellency of the overlapping area (opposite area facing the electrode) corresponding to the pattern on the surface of the pattern forming substrate is higher than the liquid repellency of the print medium, the conductive liquid can be printed reliably. It becomes possible to transfer to a medium.

  In the pattern forming apparatus of the present invention, the potential control mechanism is disposed on the surface before controlling the potential applying mechanism so as to make the conductive liquid disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate have the pattern. In order to obtain an intermediate pattern having an intermediate shape between the conductive liquid pattern and the desired pattern, the potential of the electrode corresponding to the intermediate pattern is set to the second potential, and the electrode deviated from the intermediate pattern The potential applying mechanism may be controlled so that the potential is the first potential. In this case, by passing through the intermediate pattern, the conductive liquid disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate can be smoothly formed into a desired pattern.

  The pattern forming apparatus of the present invention may further include a liquid supply mechanism for supplying a conductive liquid onto the surface of the pattern forming substrate. In this case, since the pattern forming apparatus includes the liquid supply mechanism, the conductive liquid can be easily disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate.

  In the pattern forming apparatus of the present invention, the pattern forming substrate may have one opening on the surface of the pattern forming substrate, and a through-hole penetrating the pattern forming substrate may be formed. A liquid supply mechanism may supply a conductive liquid onto the surface of the pattern forming substrate through the through hole. In this case, since the conductive liquid is supplied onto the surface of the pattern forming substrate through the through-hole, there is no need to move the pattern forming substrate to a position off from directly below the print medium, and the apparatus can be made compact. Can be

  In the pattern forming apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the potential control mechanism may control the potential applying mechanism so that the conductive liquid supplied onto the surface of the pattern forming substrate by the liquid supply mechanism is initially set to a predetermined initial level. In order to obtain a pattern, the potential of the electrode corresponding to the initial pattern may be the second potential, and the potential of the electrode that is out of the initial pattern may be the first potential. When the liquid is disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate, if the liquid repellency on the surface is relatively high over the entire surface, the liquid rolls on the surface due to vibration of the pattern forming substrate or the like. There is a risk of falling from the surface. In addition, when the liquid repellency on the surface of the pattern forming substrate is relatively low over the entire surface, the liquid wets and spreads over the entire surface. According to the above configuration, it is possible to keep the liquid in the region corresponding to the predetermined initial pattern on the surface of the pattern forming substrate. Therefore, after that, the conductive liquid can be smoothly changed to a different pattern.

  In the pattern forming apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the potential control mechanism may control the potential applying mechanism to set a potential of a group of electrodes in a central portion of the plurality of electrodes so that a conductive liquid has the initial pattern. The second potential may be used, and the potential of the other electrodes excluding the group of electrodes may be the first potential. In this case, the liquid can remain in the central portion of the surface of the pattern forming substrate. Therefore, after that, the conductive liquid can be changed more smoothly into different patterns.

  In the pattern forming apparatus of the present invention, the droplet supply mechanism may be capable of supplying a conductive liquid in an amount corresponding to the pattern, and the potential control mechanism has a large amount of conductive liquid to be supplied. The potential applying mechanism may be controlled so that the number of electrodes to which the second potential is applied is increased and the number of electrodes to which the first potential is applied is decreased. For example, when the conductive liquid disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate is used as an intermediate pattern or an initial pattern, if the area of the pattern is too small relative to the amount of liquid, the liquid from the region corresponding to the pattern Will stick out. On the other hand, if the area of the pattern is too large with respect to the amount of liquid, the pattern cannot be formed with the liquid. According to the above-described configuration, the liquid can be spread over the entire surface of the region without overflowing from the region corresponding to the electrode to which the second potential is applied by the potential applying mechanism.

  The pattern formation apparatus of this invention WHEREIN: The said pattern formation base material may further be provided with the insulating layer which covers these electrodes. When the electrode is covered with the insulating layer, the liquid repellency (first repellency) of the overlapping region when the first potential is applied by the potential applying mechanism is compared with the case where the electrode is not covered with the insulating layer. The difference between the liquid property and the liquid repellency (second liquid repellency) of the overlapping region when the second potential is applied is increased. Therefore, according to the above-described configuration, it is possible to increase the response when the liquid arranged on the insulating layer, which is the surface of the pattern forming substrate, is changed to a desired pattern (initial pattern, intermediate pattern) by the potential control mechanism. it can.

  In the pattern forming apparatus of the present invention, the pattern forming substrate may be formed with a through-hole that opens on the insulating layer and penetrates the substrate and the insulating layer. In this case, the responsiveness of the conductive liquid can be improved, and the conductive liquid can be supplied through the through hole.

  In the pattern forming apparatus of the present invention, the plurality of electrodes may be arranged in a matrix on the substrate. In this case, a two-dimensional pattern can be formed by one transfer.

  In the pattern forming apparatus of the present invention, the electrode may be a flat plate, and the plurality of electrodes may be arranged on the same plane. In this case, manufacture is easier than in the case where the electrode is disposed on a surface having irregularities.

  The pattern formation apparatus of this invention WHEREIN: The several recessed part is formed in the said board | substrate, The said electrode may have the concave shape along the said recessed part. In this case, the conductive liquid that is disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate and spreads in the facing area corresponding to the electrode having the second potential is stabilized without protruding from the facing area. Therefore, the performance for forming the liquid pattern is improved.

  The pattern forming apparatus of the present invention may further include a moving mechanism that places the pattern forming substrate and moves between the liquid supply mechanism and the transfer mechanism. In this case, for example, even when the liquid supply mechanism supplies liquid onto the surface of the pattern forming substrate by dropping the liquid from a liquid dropping device arranged above the pattern forming substrate, The pattern forming apparatus prints the pattern forming substrate when transferring the liquid so that the pattern forming substrate is positioned directly below the print medium and disposing the liquid on the surface of the pattern forming substrate. It can be removed from just below the medium and moved to just below the liquid dropping device.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pattern forming method for forming a pattern of a conductive liquid on a print medium, wherein the pattern formation includes an insulating substrate and a plurality of electrodes arranged on the substrate. A step of preparing a substrate, a step of disposing a conductive liquid on the surface of the pattern forming substrate, and a pattern of the conductive liquid disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate on the surface. Therefore, the potential of the electrode that deviates from the pattern is set to a first potential that sets the liquid repellency of the facing region of the surface of the pattern forming substrate facing the electrode to a predetermined liquid repellency, and corresponds to the pattern. The first potential is applied to each electrode so that the potential of the electrode is a second potential that makes the opposite region of the electrode a second liquid repellency lower than the first liquid repellency. Potential and the second potential And transferring the pattern of the conductive liquid to the print medium by bringing the conductive liquid formed in the pattern into contact with the print medium on the surface of the pattern forming substrate. There is provided a pattern forming method comprising the step of:

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the pattern is formed on the print medium only by the step of disposing the conductive liquid, the step of applying a potential to the electrode, and the step of transferring the formed pattern to the print medium. Can be made at low cost.

  In the pattern forming method of the present invention, the plurality of electrodes may be regularly arranged on the substrate so as to be separated from each other, and may have the same shape. In this case, since the plurality of electrodes are regularly spaced from each other on the substrate and have the same shape as each other, a pattern of a conductive liquid having a predetermined shape can be easily formed on the surface of the pattern formation substrate. Can be formed.

  In the pattern forming method of the present invention, the step of disposing the conductive liquid on the surface of the pattern forming substrate, the step of applying first and second potentials to the electrodes, and the pattern of the conductive liquid The process of transferring to the print medium may be performed a plurality of times in this order. In this case, a pattern larger than the area of the surface of the pattern forming substrate on which the conductive liquid is disposed can be created on the print medium.

  In the pattern formation method of the present invention, the first liquid repellency of the facing region corresponding to the electrode to which the first potential is applied may be higher than the liquid repellency of the print medium, and the conductivity When the pattern of liquid is transferred to the print medium, the conductive liquid formed in the pattern is brought into contact with the print medium, and the potential of the electrode corresponding to the pattern is set as the first potential. Also good. In this case, by setting the potential of the electrode corresponding to the desired pattern to the first potential, the liquid repellency of the overlapping region corresponding to the pattern on the surface of the pattern forming substrate is increased, so the electrode is formed in the desired pattern. The conducted conductive liquid is reliably transferred to the print medium. In addition, since the liquid repellency of the overlapping area corresponding to the pattern (opposite area facing the electrode) on the surface of the pattern forming substrate is higher than the liquid repellency of the print medium, the conductive liquid can be reliably transferred to the print medium It becomes possible to do.

  In the pattern forming method of the present invention, when applying the first and second potentials to the electrodes, the conductive liquid disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate is formed on the surface before forming the pattern. In order to obtain an intermediate pattern having an intermediate shape between the initial pattern of the conductive liquid disposed in the pattern and the pattern, the potential of the electrode corresponding to the intermediate pattern is set to the second potential and deviated from the intermediate pattern. The potential of the electrode may be the first potential. In this case, by passing through the intermediate pattern, the conductive liquid disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate can be smoothly formed into a desired pattern.

  In the pattern forming method of the present invention, when applying the first and second potentials to the electrodes, the conductive liquid disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate is first set to a predetermined initial pattern. The potential of the electrode corresponding to the initial pattern may be the second potential, and the potential of the electrode outside the initial pattern may be the first potential. In this case, the liquid can be retained in the region corresponding to the predetermined initial pattern on the surface of the pattern forming substrate, and then the conductive liquid can be smoothly changed to a different pattern.

  In the pattern forming method of the present invention, when applying the first and second potentials to the electrodes, in order to make the conductive liquid have the initial pattern, the electrodes forming a group in the central portion of the plurality of electrodes are used. The potential may be the second potential, and the potentials of the other electrodes excluding the electrodes forming a group in the central portion may be the first potential. In this case, the liquid can remain in the central portion of the surface of the pattern forming substrate, and then the conductive liquid can be changed more smoothly into different patterns.

  In the pattern forming method of the present invention, when the conductive liquid is arranged on the surface of the pattern forming substrate, an amount of the conductive liquid corresponding to the pattern is arranged on the surface of the pattern forming substrate. In addition, when the first and second potentials are applied to the electrodes, the larger the amount of the conductive liquid disposed on the surface, the greater the number of electrodes that apply the second potential, In addition, the number of electrodes to which the first potential is applied may be reduced. In this case, the liquid can be spread over the entire surface of the region without protruding from the region corresponding to the electrode to which the second potential is applied.

  In the pattern forming method of the present invention, the pattern forming substrate may further include an insulating layer covering the plurality of electrodes. When the electrode is covered with the insulating layer, compared to the case where the electrode is not covered with the insulating layer, the liquid repellency of the overlapping region when the first potential is applied by the potential applying mechanism, and the second The difference from the liquid repellency of the overlapping region when a potential is applied increases. Therefore, according to the above-described configuration, it is possible to increase the responsiveness when the liquid arranged on the insulating layer which is the surface of the pattern forming substrate is changed to a desired pattern (initial pattern, intermediate pattern) by the potential control means. .

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a pattern forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the pattern forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment drops a pattern forming substrate 10 having a horizontal pattern forming surface 15 a, and drops the conductive liquid 3 onto the pattern forming surface 15 a of the pattern forming substrate 10. And a transfer mechanism that supports the pattern forming substrate 10 and displaces the conductive liquid 3 on the pattern forming surface 15a on the print medium 5 by displacing the print head 20 in the vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1). 30, a moving mechanism 40 that moves the pattern forming substrate 10 in a horizontal plane, and a base 50 that supports the moving mechanism 40. And the pattern formation apparatus 1 is controlled by the controller 60 (refer FIG. 4) mentioned later. The conductive liquid 3 includes, for example, a liquid having a relatively high conductivity in which nano conductive particles such as copper are dispersed, and is always kept at the ground potential in this embodiment. In the present embodiment, the print medium 5 is a polyimide film.

  Here, the pattern forming substrate 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 is a perspective view of the pattern forming substrate 10, FIG. 3 (a) is a top view of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 (b) is a cross section taken along line IIIb-IIIb of FIG. 3 (a). FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pattern forming substrate 10 is a substantially square plate-like member, and includes an insulating substrate 11 and a plurality of electrodes 13 arranged on the substrate 11 so as to be separated from each other. And an insulating layer 15 covering the plurality of electrodes 13. The surface of the pattern forming substrate 10 on which the plurality of electrodes (electrode pieces) 13 are arranged with respect to the substrate 11, that is, the surface of the insulating layer 15 becomes the pattern forming surface 15 a. In the present embodiment, the insulating layer 15 is made of a fluororesin.

  The electrodes 13 are substantially square plate electrodes and are arranged in a matrix on a plane parallel to the pattern formation surface 15a. In the present embodiment, the length of one side of the electrode 13 is 5 μm. The plurality of electrodes 13 are electrically connected to the driver IC 14 (see FIG. 4) via wirings 13a. A potential signal is supplied to each electrode 13 by the driver IC 14. This potential signal is a pulse train signal that alternately takes a ground potential and a predetermined positive potential. Note that the magnitude of the positive potential of the potential signal supplied by the driver IC 14 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value that causes an electrowetting phenomenon to be described later.

  In a state where the conductive liquid 3 held at the ground potential is dropped on the pattern formation surface 15a, the potential of the electrode 13 located in the predetermined region is set to a positive potential, and the potential of the electrode 13 located in a region other than the predetermined region is set to the positive potential. Set to ground potential. Due to the electrowetting phenomenon, the contact angle of the conductive liquid 3 with respect to the pattern formation surface 15a becomes small in the region (voltage application region) facing the positive electrode 13 on the pattern formation surface 15a. In other words, the liquid repellency (first liquid repellency) of the voltage application region on the pattern forming surface 15a is a region opposite to the grounded electrode 13 (the potential difference between the electrode 13 and the conductive liquid 3). This is lower than the liquid repellency (second liquid repellency) of the non-applied state and the voltage non-applied region. Accordingly, the conductive liquid 3 on the pattern forming surface 15a moves to the predetermined area (voltage application area). Here, in the present embodiment, the liquid repellency of the voltage non-application region of the pattern forming surface 15 a is higher than the liquid repellency of the print medium 5.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the print head 20 is held by a holding mechanism (not shown), and the conductive liquid 3 is dropped onto the pattern forming surface 15a of the pattern forming substrate 10 located immediately below. As will be described in detail later, the print head 20 drops an amount of the conductive liquid 3 corresponding to the pattern transferred to the print medium 5 onto the pattern forming surface 15a.

  The transfer mechanism 30 includes a Z-direction moving stage 31 that can be moved in the vertical direction (Z direction) by a motor 31a (see FIG. 4). The pattern forming substrate 10 is placed on the Z direction moving stage 31. In addition, the Z-direction moving stage 31 is moved by a moving mechanism 40, which will be described in detail later, on the dropping position immediately below the print head 20, and on the print medium 5 held in parallel with the pattern forming surface 15a by a holding mechanism (not shown). It is possible to move between the transfer positions immediately below the transfer location. Then, the transfer mechanism 30 moves the Z-direction moving stage 31 upward at the transfer position to bring the conductive liquid 3 on the pattern forming surface 15a into contact with the print medium 5.

  The moving mechanism 40 is parallel to the horizontal plane by an X-direction moving stage 41 that can be moved in the X direction (left and right direction in FIG. 1) parallel to the horizontal plane by a motor 41a (see FIG. 4) and a motor 43a (see FIG. 4). And a Y-direction moving stage 43 that is movable in the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the Y-direction moving stage 43 is placed on the X-direction moving stage 41, and the Z-direction moving stage 31 is placed on the Y-direction moving stage 43. Therefore, the moving mechanism 40 can move the Z-direction moving stage 31 on which the pattern forming substrate 10 is placed in the horizontal plane.

  Here, the controller 60 will be described. The controller 60 is constituted by a general-purpose personal computer, for example. Such a computer stores hardware such as a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a hard disk, and various software including a program for controlling the overall operation of the pattern forming apparatus 1 is stored in the hard disk. By combining these hardware and software, an overall pattern storage unit 61, a partial pattern storage unit 62, a liquid amount determination unit 63, a potential control unit 64, a transfer control unit 65, and a positioning unit 66 (see FIG. 4) is constructed.

  Next, the controller 60 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 which is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the controller 60. As shown in FIG. 4, the controller 60 includes an overall pattern storage unit 61, a partial pattern storage unit 62, a liquid amount determination unit 63, a potential control unit 64, a transfer control unit 65, and a positioning unit 66. The controller 60 is connected to the print head 20, the driver IC 14, the motor 31 a of the transfer mechanism 30, and the motors 41 a and 43 a of the moving mechanism 40.

  The overall pattern storage unit 61 stores a pattern to be formed on one print medium 5. The partial pattern storage unit 62 stores a pattern (referred to as “formation pattern” in the following description) that is a part of the pattern stored in the overall pattern storage unit 61 and is formed on the print medium 5 by one transfer. To do. The content stored in the partial pattern storage unit 62 is updated every time it is transferred.

  Based on the formation pattern stored in the partial pattern storage unit 62, the liquid amount determination unit 63 is a conductive agent that drops the amount of the conductive liquid 3 necessary to create the formation pattern onto the pattern formation surface 15a. The amount of liquid 3 is determined and output to the print head 20.

  The potential control unit 64 controls the potential of the electrode 13 by outputting a control signal to the driver IC 14. More specifically, the potential control unit 64, when making the conductive liquid 3 on the pattern forming surface 15a into any pattern, the amount of the conductive liquid 3 dripped onto the pattern forming surface 15a, that is, a liquid amount determining unit. As the amount of the conductive liquid 3 determined by 63 increases, the number of electrodes 13 to which a positive potential is applied is increased and the number of electrodes 13 to which a ground potential is applied is decreased.

  Specifically, before the conductive liquid 3 is dropped on the pattern forming surface 15a, the potential control unit 64 is applied to the group of electrodes 13 in the central portion of the plurality of electrodes 13 arranged in a matrix. A control signal for applying a potential and applying a ground potential to the other electrodes 13 is output to the driver IC 14. Thereby, the liquid repellency of the area | region facing the electrode 13 to which the positive potential was provided of the pattern formation surface 15a falls. The conductive liquid 3 dropped on the pattern forming surface 15a spreads wet in the central portion of the pattern forming surface 15a (a region of the pattern forming surface 15a facing the electrode 13 to which a positive potential is applied). At this time, the pattern of the conductive liquid 3 that is solidified at the central portion of the pattern forming surface 15a is referred to as an “initial pattern”. In this embodiment, the number of the electrodes 13 to which a positive potential is applied at this time is the number of the electrodes 13 facing the region corresponding to the formation pattern stored in the partial pattern storage unit 62 on the pattern formation surface 15a. It is the same number as the number.

  Further, the potential control unit 64 forms a pattern based on the formation pattern stored in the partial pattern storage unit 62 in order to bring the shape of the conductive liquid 3 arranged on the pattern formation surface 15a closer to the formation pattern. A positive potential is applied to the electrode 13 facing the region corresponding to the formation pattern on the surface 15a, and a control signal for applying a ground potential to the electrode 13 facing the region outside the formation pattern is output to the driver IC 14. .

  Further, when the formation pattern stored in the partial pattern storage unit 62 has a plurality of parts separated from each other, the potential control unit 64 applies a positive potential to the electrode 13 facing the region corresponding to the formation pattern. Prior to application, the shape of the conductive liquid 3 can be an intermediate pattern which is an intermediate shape between the initial pattern and the formation pattern. In this case, a control for applying a positive potential to the electrode 13 facing the region corresponding to the intermediate pattern on the pattern forming surface 15a and applying a ground potential to the electrode 13 facing the region outside the intermediate pattern. The signal is output to the driver IC 14. At this time, in the present embodiment, the number of electrodes 13 to which a positive potential is applied is the same as the number of electrodes 13 facing the region corresponding to the formation pattern on the pattern formation surface 15a.

  The potential control unit 64 outputs, to the driver IC 14, a control signal for applying the ground potential to all the electrodes 13 after the conductive liquid 3 on the pattern forming surface 15 a contacts the print medium 5 by the transfer mechanism 30. To do.

  The transfer control unit 65 applies a positive potential to the electrode 13 facing the region corresponding to the formation pattern stored in the partial pattern storage unit 62 on the pattern formation surface 15a, and then sends a control signal to the motor 31a of the transfer mechanism 30. Then, the pattern forming substrate 10 is moved upward to bring the conductive liquid 3 on the pattern forming surface 15a into contact with the print medium 5.

  The positioning unit 66 outputs control signals to the motor 41a of the X direction moving stage 41 and the motor 43a of the Y direction moving stage 43 to position the pattern forming substrate 10 in a horizontal plane parallel to the pattern forming surface 15a. Move. Specifically, when the conductive liquid 3 is dropped on the pattern forming surface 15 a, the pattern forming substrate 10 is moved to a dropping position directly below the print head 20. Then, after the conductive liquid 3 is dropped on the pattern formation surface 15a, the pattern formation substrate 10 is moved directly below the print medium 5 supported on the right side of the print head 20 in FIG. More specifically, the pattern forming substrate 10 is moved to a position immediately below (transfer position) to which the formed pattern formed on the pattern forming surface 15a of the print medium 5 is to be transferred.

  Next, referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, which are flowcharts showing a processing procedure in the pattern forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, a conductive film 3 is used to form a polyimide film print medium 5 as shown in FIG. A procedure for forming a wiring pattern and manufacturing an FPC will be described.

  As a premise, it is assumed that the pattern as shown in FIG. The partial pattern storage unit 62 stores, for example, patterns in the regions A and B indicated by broken lines in FIG. 5 as formation patterns. The liquid amount determination unit 63 stores the conductive liquid based on the formation patterns. An amount of 3 is determined.

  First, under the control of the potential control unit 64, the driver IC 14 has electrodes 13 corresponding to the initial pattern determined according to the amount of the conductive liquid 3 determined by the liquid amount determination unit 63 (FIG. 7), as shown in FIG. A positive potential is applied to the electrodes 13) indicated by the oblique grids in FIG. 5 and a potential signal for applying a ground potential to the electrodes 13 deviating from the initial pattern is supplied to each electrode 13 (step S 101). Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the pattern forming substrate 10 is at the dropping position (step S102). If it is determined that the position is the dropping position (step S102: YES), step S103 described later is omitted, and the process proceeds to step S104. On the other hand, if it is determined that the position is not at the dropping position (step S102: NO), the moving mechanism 40 moves the pattern forming substrate 10 to the dropping position under the control of the positioning unit 66 (step S103).

  Next, the print head 20 drops the amount of the conductive liquid 3 determined by the liquid amount determination unit 63 onto the pattern forming surface 15a (step S104). The above steps S101 to S104 correspond to the conductive liquid arrangement step. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the shape of the conductive liquid 3 dropped on the pattern formation surface 15a is the same as the initial pattern. Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the formation pattern stored in the partial pattern storage unit 62 has a plurality of parts separated from each other (step S105). Here, when the pattern corresponding to the area A surrounded by the broken line in FIG. 5 is stored in the partial pattern storage unit 62, that is, when the formation pattern does not have a part separated from each other (step S105: NO), step S106 described later is omitted.

  Subsequently, under the control of the potential control unit 64, the driver IC 14 causes the electrode 13 corresponding to the formation pattern stored in the partial pattern storage unit 62 (the electrode 13 indicated by an oblique grid in FIG. 9) as shown in FIG. A potential signal for applying a ground potential to the electrodes 13 deviating from the formation pattern is supplied to each electrode 13 (step S107). At this time, the liquid repellency of the region facing the electrode 13 to which a positive potential is applied on the pattern forming surface 15a is lower than the liquid repellency of other regions. Therefore, after a positive potential is applied to the electrode 13 corresponding to the formation pattern in step S107, the conductive liquid 3 on the pattern formation surface 15a tends to wet and spread in the region corresponding to the formation pattern (FIG. 9A). )reference). Then, when a sufficient time has elapsed after the potential of the electrode 13 corresponding to the formation pattern is set to a positive potential (for example, several tens of milliseconds to several seconds), the conductive liquid 3 spreads in a region corresponding to the formation pattern. (See FIG. 9B).

  On the other hand, when the pattern corresponding to the region B surrounded by the broken line in FIG. 5 is stored in the partial pattern storage unit 62, that is, when the formation pattern has a plurality of parts separated from each other (step S105: YES), the driver IC 14 controls the electrode 13 corresponding to the intermediate pattern having an intermediate shape between the initial pattern and the formation pattern as shown in FIG. In addition to applying a positive potential to 13), a potential signal for applying a ground potential to the electrode 13 deviating from the intermediate pattern is supplied to each electrode 13 (step S106). At this time, the liquid repellency of the region facing the electrode 13 to which a positive potential is applied on the pattern forming surface 15a is lower than the liquid repellency of other regions, so that the conductivity on the pattern forming surface 15a is reduced. As shown in FIG. 10, the liquid 3 wets and spreads in a region corresponding to the intermediate pattern.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S107, and as shown in FIG. 11, a positive potential is applied to the electrode 13 corresponding to the formation pattern (the electrode 13 shown by an oblique lattice in FIG. 11). At this time, the conductive liquid 3 that has spread in the shape of the intermediate pattern tends to wet and spread in the region corresponding to the formation pattern (see FIG. 11A). Then, after applying a positive potential to the potential of the electrode 13 corresponding to the formation pattern, when a sufficient time has passed, the conductive liquid 3 spreads in the region corresponding to the formation pattern (see FIG. 11B). The above steps S105 to S107 correspond to the potential application step.

  Next, the movement mechanism 40 moves the pattern forming substrate 10 to the transfer position under the control of the positioning unit 66 (step S108). Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the transfer mechanism 30 moves the pattern forming substrate 10 upward by the control of the transfer control unit 65, so that the conductive liquid 3 formed in the formed pattern and the print medium 5 come into contact with each other. (Step S109). Subsequently, under the control of the potential control unit 64, the driver IC 14 supplies a potential signal for applying a ground potential to all the electrodes 13 (step S110). At this time, the liquid repellency of the region of the pattern formation surface 15a facing the electrode 13 corresponding to the formation pattern is higher than that in the case where a positive potential is applied to the electrode 13 in the region. The liquid repellency is uniform. Further, as described above, since the liquid repellency of the pattern formation surface 15a when the ground potential is applied to the electrode 13 is higher than the liquid repellency of the print medium 5, the conductive liquid 3 on the pattern formation surface 15a. Is reliably transferred to the print medium 5.

  Subsequently, the transfer mechanism 30 lowers the pattern forming substrate 10 under the control of the transfer control unit 65 (step S111). The above steps S108 to S111 correspond to the transfer process. Further, it is determined whether or not the entire pattern stored in the entire pattern storage unit 61 has been formed on the print medium 5 (step S112). Here, if it is determined that the pattern stored in the overall pattern storage unit 61 has not yet been formed (step S112: NO), the formation pattern stored in the partial pattern storage unit 62 is the entire pattern. Of the patterns stored in the storage unit 61, the pattern is rewritten to a pattern corresponding to a portion that has not yet been formed (step S113). Thereafter, returning to step S101, the potential of the electrode 13 corresponding to the initial pattern determined based on the formation pattern rewritten in step S113 is set to a positive potential. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S112 that the entire pattern stored in the overall pattern storage unit 61 has been formed (step S112: YES), the processing in the pattern forming apparatus 1 ends.

  As described above, the pattern forming substrate 10 of the present embodiment includes the insulating substrate 11, the plurality of electrodes 13 arranged in a matrix so as to be separated from each other on the substrate 11, and the plurality of electrodes 13. And an insulating layer 15 covering the. In the pattern forming apparatus 1 and the pattern forming method of the present embodiment, the potential control unit 64 selectively applies a ground potential and a predetermined positive potential to the plurality of electrodes 13 of the pattern forming substrate 10. The driver IC 14 to be controlled is controlled. Specifically, the potential control unit 64 applies a positive potential to the electrode 13 corresponding to the formation pattern in a state where the conductive liquid 3 is disposed on the pattern formation surface 15a of the pattern formation substrate 10, and forms the formation pattern. A control signal for applying a ground potential to the electrode 13 that is out of the range is output to the driver IC 14. Then, the transfer mechanism 30 transfers the conductive liquid 3 wetted and spread in the same shape as the formation pattern on the pattern formation surface 15 a to the print medium 5 while coming into contact with the print medium 5. Therefore, by arranging the fine electrodes 13, a fine two-dimensional pattern of the conductive liquid 3 can be formed on the pattern forming surface 15 a, and by transferring the pattern to the print medium 5, the print medium 5 can form a fine pattern. In addition, the pattern is formed on the print medium 5 only by placing the conductive liquid 3 on the pattern forming substrate 10, applying a potential to the electrode 13, and transferring the formed pattern to the print medium 5. Can be made at low cost.

  In the pattern forming apparatus 1 and the pattern forming method of the present embodiment, when the ground potential is applied to the electrode 13, the liquid repellency of the region facing the electrode 13 on the pattern forming surface 15a is printed. It is higher than the liquid repellency of the medium 5. After the conductive liquid 3 on the pattern forming surface 15 a comes into contact with the print medium 5, the ground potential is applied to all the electrodes 13 by the control of the potential control unit 64, so that the conductive liquid 3 is applied to the print medium 5. Reliable transfer.

  Furthermore, in the pattern forming apparatus 1 and the pattern forming method according to the present embodiment, when the formation pattern has a plurality of portions separated from each other, the potential control unit 64 controls the electrode 13 corresponding to the formation pattern. Before the positive potential is applied, the positive potential is applied to the electrode 13 corresponding to the intermediate pattern, and the ground potential is applied to the electrode 13 that is out of the intermediate pattern. Therefore, the conductive liquid 3 disposed on the pattern formation surface 15a can be smoothly transferred to the formation pattern.

  In addition, the pattern forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a print head 20 that drops the conductive liquid 3 onto the pattern forming surface 15a. Therefore, the conductive liquid 3 can be easily disposed on the pattern forming surface 15a.

  In the pattern forming apparatus 1 and the pattern forming method of the present embodiment, the electrode 13 corresponding to the initial pattern is controlled by the potential control unit 64 before the conductive liquid 3 is dropped on the pattern forming surface 15a. That is, among the plurality of electrodes 13, a positive potential is applied to a group of electrodes 13 in the central portion, and a ground potential is applied to the other electrodes 13. Therefore, the conductive liquid 3 can be kept at the central portion of the pattern forming surface 15a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the conductive liquid 3 from falling from the pattern forming surface 15a. Furthermore, the pattern of the conductive liquid 3 can be smoothly changed to an intermediate pattern or a formation pattern.

  Further, in the pattern forming apparatus 1 and the pattern forming method of the present embodiment, the print head 20 patterns the amount of the conductive liquid 3 necessary for creating the formation pattern stored in the partial pattern storage unit 62. It is dropped on the formation surface 15a. The potential control unit 64 has the same number of electrodes 13 as opposed to the region corresponding to the formation pattern on the pattern formation surface 15a, and the number of electrodes 13 corresponding to the initial pattern and the number of electrodes 13 corresponding to the intermediate pattern. The driver IC 14 control signal is output so that Therefore, when applying a positive potential to the electrode 13 corresponding to the initial pattern or the intermediate pattern, the conductive liquid 3 does not protrude from the pattern, and the liquid can spread over the entire surface of the pattern.

  In addition, in the pattern forming apparatus 1 and the pattern forming method of the present embodiment, the plurality of electrodes 13 are covered with the insulating layer 15. Here, the plurality of electrodes 13 are not covered with the insulating layer 15, and the ground is formed on the pattern forming surface 15 a of the pattern forming substrate 10 (that is, the surface on the side where the plurality of electrodes 13 of the substrate 11 are arranged). It is known that the electrowetting phenomenon occurs even when the potential of the electrode 13 is set to a positive potential while the liquid 3 held at the potential is dropped. The region of the pattern forming surface 15a facing the electrode 13 is less lyophobic than the region where there is no potential difference between the electrode 13 and the liquid 3. However, at this time, as compared with the case where the insulating layer 15 is present, the degree of decrease in the liquid repellency of the region facing the positive electrode 13 is reduced, and the robustness and reproducibility are reduced (Source: C) Quilliet, B. Berge, “Electrowetting: a recent outbreak”, Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science 6 (2001) 34-39). Therefore, in the present embodiment, the liquid repellency of the region of the pattern forming surface 15a facing the electrode 13 to which a positive potential is applied can be greatly reduced, so that the liquid disposed on the pattern forming surface 15a can be reduced. 3 is controlled by the potential control unit 64, and the response when the initial pattern, the intermediate pattern, or the formation pattern is formed can be increased.

  Furthermore, in the pattern forming method of the present embodiment, the step of placing the conductive liquid 3 on the pattern forming surface 15a, the step of applying a positive potential to the electrode 13 corresponding to the forming pattern, and the conductivity formed in the forming pattern The process of transferring the liquid 3 to the print medium 5 is performed a plurality of times in this order. Therefore, the whole pattern as shown in FIG. 5 can be created.

  Moreover, in the pattern formation base material 10 of this Embodiment, the electrode 13 is a flat plate whose planar view shape is a square, and is arrange | positioned on one plane. Therefore, it can manufacture easily compared with the case where the electrode 13 is arrange | positioned on the surface which has an unevenness | corrugation.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 13A and 13B. FIG. 13A is a top view of the pattern forming substrate 110 included in the pattern forming apparatus 101 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XIIIb-XIIIb in FIG. It is. The main differences between the configuration of the pattern forming apparatus 101 according to the second embodiment and the configuration of the pattern forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment are as follows. In the pattern forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the conductive liquid 3 disposed on the pattern forming surface 15a is dropped from the print head 20, but in the pattern forming apparatus 101 of the second embodiment, the pattern is formed. The conductive liquid 3 disposed on the formation surface 115a is supplied through a supply hole 117 having one opening on the pattern formation surface 115a. Other configurations are almost the same as those in the first embodiment. Components having substantially the same configuration as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  As shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, a supply hole 117 penetrating the pattern forming substrate 110 is formed in the central portion of the pattern forming substrate 110 of the plate-like member having a square plan view. Yes. That is, the supply hole 117 penetrating the substrate 111 and the insulating layer 115 is a surface opposite to the pattern forming surface 115a of the insulating layer 115 and the side on which the electrodes 113 of the substrate 111 are arranged (hereinafter referred to as “back surface”). ) Each open.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13B, the pattern forming apparatus 101 includes a liquid feeding mechanism 120 that supplies the conductive liquid 3 onto the pattern forming surface 115 a via the supply hole 117. The liquid feeding mechanism 120 communicates with an ink tank (not shown), and is connected to the other end of the supply hole 117 on the back surface of the substrate 111, and the liquid in the liquid flow path 121 is used as a pattern forming base material. And a pump 122 for sending to the 110 side. In the present embodiment, the amount of the conductive liquid 3 determined by the liquid amount determination unit 63 is output to the pump 122.

  As described above, the pattern forming apparatus 101 according to the present embodiment can form a fine pattern at a low cost, as with the pattern forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

  In the pattern forming apparatus 101 of the present embodiment, the conductive liquid 3 is supplied onto the pattern forming surface 115 a through the supply hole 117 provided in the pattern forming substrate 110. Therefore, the moving mechanism 40 moves the pattern forming substrate 110 immediately below the print medium 5. That is, since it is not necessary to move the pattern forming substrate 110 to a position off from directly below the print medium 5, it is possible to reduce the size of the apparatus.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14A is a top view of the pattern forming substrate 210 provided in the pattern forming apparatus 201 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 14B is along the XIVb-XIVb line in FIG. It is sectional drawing. The main differences between the configuration of the pattern forming apparatus 201 according to the third embodiment and the configuration of the pattern forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment are as follows. In the pattern forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the electrodes 13 are flat plates that are square in plan view and are arranged on the same plane, but in the pattern forming apparatus 201 of the third embodiment, A plurality of recesses 212 are formed in the substrate 211, and the electrode 213 has a recess shape along the recesses 212. Other configurations are almost the same as those in the first embodiment. Components having substantially the same configuration as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the substrate 211 has a plurality of recesses 212 having a square bottom shape formed in a matrix. In each recess 212, concave electrodes 213 are arranged along the recess 212, and the insulating layer 215 covers the plurality of electrodes 213. That is, the region facing the electrode 213 on the pattern formation surface 215a is inside the plurality of depressions 216 formed on the pattern formation surface 215a.

  As described above, in the pattern forming apparatus 201 of the present embodiment, a fine pattern can be formed at a low cost, similarly to the pattern forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment.

  In the pattern forming apparatus 201 of the present embodiment, when a positive potential is applied to the electrode 213 corresponding to the formation pattern by the potential control unit 64, the conductive liquid 3 disposed on the pattern formation surface 215a is , And spreads in the recess 216 corresponding to the electrode 213 to which a positive potential is applied. Since the conductive liquid 3 that has spread out in the recess 216 does not protrude from the region facing the electrode 213 to which a positive potential is applied, the performance of forming a liquid pattern is improved.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made as long as they are described in the claims. Is. For example, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the case where the moving mechanism 40 moves the pattern forming substrate 10 (110, 210) has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the print medium 5 (and the print head). 20) and the relative position between the pattern forming substrate 10 (110, 210) may be changed. Therefore, the print medium 5 (and the print head 20) may be moved.

  In the first to third embodiments described above, the case where the plurality of electrodes 13 (113, 213) are arranged in a matrix on the substrate 11 (111, 211) has been described. I can't. For example, as a modification of the pattern forming substrate 10 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, a pattern forming substrate in which a plurality of electrodes 313 are arranged along one direction. 310 may be used to form a pattern one by one and transfer it to the print medium 5. In the above embodiment, each of the plurality of electrodes has the same shape (a square having a side length of 5 μm). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may have any shape. For example, a square with a side length of 0.5 μm may be used, and the shape of each electrode may be any shape such as a circle, a triangle, or a rhombus. Further, the shape of each electrode may be different.

  Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments described above, the conductive liquid 3 is held at the ground potential, and the driver IC 14 applies a potential signal that takes the ground potential and the positive potential to the electrode 13 (113, 213). Although the case where it gives is demonstrated, it is not restricted to this. The region of the pattern forming surface 15a (115a, 215a) facing the electrode 13 (113, 213) is the potential of the conductive liquid 3 and the two types of potential applied to the electrode 13 (113, 213) by the driver IC 14. However, what is necessary is just a value which can take the case where it becomes predetermined liquid repellency and the case where it becomes lower than predetermined liquid repellency. Further, the two kinds of potentials that the electrode 13 (113, 213) can take may be values that are uniquely determined, or may be values in a certain range that do not overlap each other. As shown in FIG. 16, a surface electrode 313 for applying a predetermined potential to the conductive liquid 3 may be formed in a region that does not overlap the electrode 13 of the pattern formation surface 115a. In this case, a predetermined potential (for example, a ground potential) can be stably applied to the conductive liquid 3, and the responsiveness when forming the liquid pattern can be improved. Here, the shape of the surface electrode is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 16, and may be any shape.

  In the first to third embodiments described above, when the electrode 13 (113, 213) is at the ground potential, it faces the electrode 13 (113, 213) on the pattern formation surface 15a (115a, 215a). The liquid repellency of the region is higher than the liquid repellency of the print medium 5, and after the conductive liquid 3 on the pattern formation surface 15 a (115 a, 215 a) comes into contact with the print medium 5 by the control of the potential control unit 64, Although the case where the ground potential is applied to all the electrodes 13 (113, 213) has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. After the conductive liquid 3 and the print medium 5 come into contact with each other, the potential of the electrode 13 (113, 213) is such that the liquid repellency of the insulating layer 15 (115, 215) is higher than the liquid repellency of the print medium 5. Such a potential may be used. Furthermore, when the surface of the print medium 5 has irregularities, or when the print medium 5 is highly absorbent, such as when the print medium 5 is formed of a porous material, the insulating layer 15 (115, 215) is not necessarily required. May not be higher than the liquid repellency of the print medium 5.

  In the first to third embodiments described above, when the formation pattern has a plurality of portions separated from each other, the case where the intermediate pattern is formed before the formation pattern is formed has been described. Not limited. Even when the formation pattern has a plurality of parts spaced apart from each other, the intermediate pattern may not be formed, and even when the formation pattern does not have a plurality of parts spaced apart from each other, the intermediate pattern may be formed.

  Furthermore, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the conductive liquid 3 is arranged in order to make the conductive liquid 3 arranged on the pattern forming surface 15a (115a, 215a) the same shape as the initial pattern. Prior to the description, the case where a positive potential is applied to the group of electrodes 13 (113, 213) arranged in the central portion of the plurality of electrodes 13 (113, 213) has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the initial pattern may not be gathered at the central portion of the pattern forming surface 15a (115a, 215a), and may be scattered at a plurality of locations, for example. Further, the timing for controlling the potential of the electrode 13 (113, 213) to be the initial pattern may be after the conductive liquid 3 is disposed. In addition, the initial pattern may not be created. In this case, the same potential (for example, a ground potential or a predetermined positive potential) may be applied to all the electrodes 13 (113, 213) before the conductive liquid 3 is disposed.

  In the first to third embodiments described above, the number of electrodes 13 (113, 213) corresponding to the formation pattern, the number of electrodes 13 (113, 213) corresponding to the initial pattern and the intermediate pattern, respectively, However, the number of the electrodes 13 (113, 213) corresponding to the initial pattern and the intermediate pattern is not limited to this, and the supply of the conductive liquid 3 determined based on the formation pattern is described. It only needs to be controlled to increase as the amount increases. Further, the number of electrodes 13 (113, 213) corresponding to the initial pattern and the intermediate pattern may be independent of the supply amount of the conductive liquid 3.

  In the first to third embodiments described above, the step of disposing the conductive liquid 3 on the pattern formation surface 15a (115a, 215a) and the potential of the electrode 13 (113, 213) corresponding to the formation pattern are positive. Although the case where the step of setting the potential and the step of transferring the conductive liquid 3 formed in the formation pattern to the print medium 5 are performed a plurality of times in this order have been described, the present invention is not limited thereto. The entire pattern may be formed in a single process.

  In addition, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the case where the plurality of electrodes 13 (113, 213) are covered with the insulating layer 15 (115, 215) has been described, but the insulating layer 15 ( 115, 215) may be omitted. In such a case, as described above, the decrease in the liquid repellency of the opposing region of the pattern forming surface 15a (115a, 215a) facing the electrode 13 (113, 213) to which a positive potential is applied is small. Therefore, the responsiveness when the liquid 3 arranged on the pattern formation surface 15a (115a, 215a) is made an initial pattern, an intermediate pattern, or a formation pattern by the control of the potential control unit 64 is lowered. However, since the pattern forming apparatuses 1, 101, and 201 of the present invention do not require high responsiveness, they can be applied even when the insulating layer 15 (115, 215) is not provided.

  Furthermore, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the case where an FPC is manufactured by forming a wiring pattern with a conductive liquid 3 on a polyimide film has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention can also be applied to the production of an electric wiring substrate such as a silicon substrate. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to the production of a micro waveguide or a three-dimensional model, the production of a high-definition flat display, the formation of a fine pattern of a biomaterial or a chemical solution in a DNA chip or μ-TAS. Here, after the pattern is formed on the substrate using the conductive UV curable ink, the UV curable ink is cured by irradiating predetermined UV light, and the UV curable ink is repeatedly applied. Therefore, three-dimensional modeling can be easily performed. Moreover, an optical waveguide can be easily formed by forming a desired pattern using a transparent liquid (dielectric material) having conductivity and a predetermined refractive index. When the present invention is applied to other than the production of the electric wiring board, the conductive liquid 3 used in the above-described embodiment is relatively conductive in which nano-conductive particles such as copper are dispersed. Any liquid can be used as long as it is not a high liquid but has a conductivity sufficient to cause an electrowetting phenomenon.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the pattern formation apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the pattern formation base material shown in FIG. (A) is a top view of the pattern formation base material shown in FIG. 1, (b) is the IIIB-IIIB sectional view taken on the line of (a). It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the controller which controls the pattern formation apparatus shown in FIG. It is an example of the pattern formed using the pattern formation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in the pattern formation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which made the electric potential of the electrode corresponding to an initial pattern positive electric potential in the pattern formation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure showing the liquid arrangement | positioning process in the pattern formation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows a mode that the conductive liquid which has an initial pattern shown in FIG. 8 is used as a formation pattern. It is a figure which shows the state which made the conductive liquid arrange | positioned at the process shown in FIG. 8 the intermediate pattern. It is a figure which shows a mode that the electroconductive liquid which has the intermediate | middle pattern shown in FIG. 10 is used as a formation pattern. It is a figure showing the transfer process in the pattern formation apparatus shown in FIG. (A) is a figure which shows the pattern formation base material with which the pattern formation apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention was equipped, (b) is the liquid feeding concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows a mechanism. (A) is a figure which shows the pattern formation base material with which the pattern formation apparatus which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention was equipped, (b) is the XIVB-XIVB sectional view taken on the line of (a). . It is a figure which shows the modification of the pattern formation base material which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure equivalent to Drawing 3 (a) showing a surface electrode.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 101, 201 Pattern formation apparatus 3 Conductive liquid 5 Print medium 10, 110, 210, 310 Pattern formation base material 11, 111, 211 Board | substrate 13, 113, 213, 313 Electrode 14 Driver IC (potential provision means)
15, 115, 215 Insulating layer 20 Print head (liquid supply means)
30 Transfer mechanism 64 Potential control unit (potential control means)
117 Supply hole (through hole)
120 Liquid feed mechanism (liquid supply means)
212 recess

Claims (25)

A pattern forming apparatus for forming a predetermined pattern of conductive liquid on a print medium,
A substrate having insulation, and a pattern forming substrate having a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate;
Each electrode has a first potential that makes the liquid repellency of the overlapping region that overlaps each electrode on the surface of the pattern forming substrate the first liquid repellency, and the overlapping region has the first liquid repellency. A potential applying mechanism that selectively applies a second potential that makes the liquid repellency lower than the second potential;
A potential control mechanism that controls the potential application mechanism so that the potential of the electrode corresponding to the pattern is the second potential, and the potential of the electrode that is out of the pattern is the first potential;
A pattern forming apparatus comprising: a transfer mechanism configured to transfer a conductive liquid formed in the pattern on the surface of the pattern forming substrate to the print medium by bringing the conductive liquid into contact with the print medium.   The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes are spaced apart from each other on the substrate, are regularly arranged, and have the same shape.   The potential control mechanism makes the potential of the electrode corresponding to the pattern the first potential after the transfer mechanism makes the conductive liquid formed in the pattern contact the print medium. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 2.   The first liquid repellency of the overlapping region corresponding to the electrode to which the first potential is applied by the potential applying mechanism is higher than the liquid repellency of the print medium. The pattern forming apparatus as described.   The potential control mechanism controls the potential applying mechanism to make the conductive liquid disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate into the pattern before the initial pattern of the conductive liquid disposed on the surface. The potential is applied so that the potential of the electrode corresponding to an intermediate pattern having an intermediate shape between the first pattern and the pattern is the second potential, and the potential of the electrode outside the intermediate pattern is the first potential. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the mechanism is controlled.   The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a liquid supply mechanism that supplies a conductive liquid onto the surface of the pattern forming substrate. The pattern forming substrate has one opening on the surface of the pattern forming substrate, and a through-hole penetrating the pattern forming substrate is formed,
The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the liquid supply mechanism supplies a conductive liquid onto the surface of the pattern forming substrate through the through hole.   The potential control mechanism controls the potential applying mechanism to set the potential of the electrode corresponding to a predetermined initial pattern as the second potential, and set the potential of the electrode out of the initial pattern as the first potential. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the conductive liquid supplied onto the surface of the pattern forming substrate by the liquid supply mechanism is first used as the initial pattern.   The potential control mechanism controls the potential applying mechanism to set a potential of a group of electrodes in a central portion of the plurality of electrodes as the second potential in order to make the conductive liquid have the initial pattern, 9. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a potential of other electrodes excluding a group of electrodes is set to the first potential.   The droplet supply mechanism can supply an amount of conductive liquid corresponding to the pattern, and the potential control mechanism is applied with the second potential as the amount of the conductive liquid supplied increases. 10. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the potential applying mechanism is controlled to increase the number of electrodes and decrease the number of electrodes to which the first potential is applied.   The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pattern forming substrate further includes an insulating layer that covers the plurality of electrodes.   The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the pattern forming substrate has a through hole that opens on the insulating layer and penetrates the substrate and the insulating layer.   The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes are arranged in a matrix on the substrate.   The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are flat plates, and the plurality of electrodes are arranged on the same plane.   The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of recesses are formed in the substrate, and the electrodes have a recess shape along the recesses.   The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a moving mechanism that places the pattern forming substrate and moves between the liquid supply mechanism and the transfer mechanism. . A pattern forming method for forming a pattern of a conductive liquid on a print medium,
Preparing a substrate having insulation, and a pattern forming substrate having a plurality of electrodes arranged on the substrate;
Disposing a conductive liquid on the surface of the pattern forming substrate;
The potential of the electrode that deviates from the pattern is defined as a first potential that makes the liquid repellency of the opposing region of the surface of the pattern forming substrate that the electrode is opposed to a predetermined liquid repellency, and corresponds to the pattern The first potential is applied to each electrode so that the potential of the electrode is a second potential that makes the opposite region of the electrode have a second liquid repellency lower than the first liquid repellency. And selectively applying the second electric potential, and making the conductive liquid disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate the pattern on the surface;
A step of transferring the pattern of the conductive liquid to the print medium by bringing the conductive liquid formed in the pattern into contact with the print medium on the surface of the pattern forming substrate; A pattern forming method.   The pattern forming method according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of electrodes are regularly arranged on the substrate so as to be spaced apart from each other and have the same shape.   Disposing the conductive liquid on the surface of the pattern forming substrate, applying first and second potentials to the electrodes, and transferring the pattern of the conductive liquid to the print medium. The pattern forming method according to claim 18, wherein the pattern forming method is performed a plurality of times in this order. The first liquid repellency of the facing region corresponding to the electrode to which the first potential is applied is higher than the liquid repellency of the print medium;
When transferring the pattern of the conductive liquid to the print medium, the conductive liquid formed in the pattern is brought into contact with the print medium, and then the potential of the electrode corresponding to the pattern is set to the first. The pattern forming method according to claim 18, wherein the potential is set to the following potential.   When the first and second potentials are applied to the electrodes, before the conductive liquid disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate is used as the pattern, the conductive liquid disposed on the surface is The potential of the electrode corresponding to an intermediate pattern having an intermediate shape between the initial pattern and the pattern is set as the second potential, and the potential of the electrode outside the intermediate pattern is set as the first potential. The pattern formation method according to any one of claims 18 to 20.   When applying the first and second potentials to the electrode, the potential of the electrode corresponding to a predetermined initial pattern is set as the second potential, and the potential of the electrode that is out of the initial pattern is set as the first potential. The pattern forming method according to any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein a conductive liquid disposed on a surface of the pattern forming substrate is first used as the initial pattern as an electric potential.   When applying the first and second potentials to the electrodes, the potential of a group of electrodes in the central portion of the plurality of electrodes is set to the second potential in order to make the conductive liquid have the initial pattern. 23. The pattern forming method according to claim 22, wherein a potential of other electrodes excluding the group of electrodes in the central portion is set to the first potential. When disposing the conductive liquid on the surface of the pattern forming substrate, an amount of the conductive liquid corresponding to the pattern is disposed on the surface of the pattern forming substrate,
When the first and second potentials are applied to the electrodes, the larger the amount of the conductive liquid disposed on the surface, the greater the number of electrodes that apply the second potential, and The pattern forming method according to claim 22, wherein the number of electrodes to which the first potential is applied is reduced.   The pattern forming method according to any one of claims 18 to 24, wherein the pattern forming substrate further includes an insulating layer covering the plurality of electrodes.

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