JP6026848B2 - Pattern forming method and letterpress - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pattern forming method for forming a reverse printing pattern and a relief printing plate for forming the reverse printing pattern.

  As a technique for forming a pattern of a device such as a liquid crystal display on a glass substrate or a film substrate, a technique using a printing method has been proposed. In recent years, such device patterns have been required to have high dimensional accuracy, for example, as the pixels of a liquid crystal display become finer. As a printing method capable of printing a pattern having high dimensional accuracy, reverse printing has been required. A method has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  As a printing method using the reverse printing method, there is a method using a roller transfer cylinder. In the case of using a roller transfer cylinder, for example, an application process in which ink is applied to a roller transfer cylinder surface having silicone resin as a surface to form an application surface, and a roller transfer cylinder that has undergone the application process has a convex portion in a predetermined shape. Rolling on the formed relief plate (master plate) to remove and remove the ink on the application surface on the roller transfer cylinder side corresponding to the convex portion of the relief plate, and to remove the ink remaining on the application surface (printed body) Some have a transfer step of transferring to a workpiece plate (for example, see Patent Document 2).

  In the reversal printing method using such a roller transfer cylinder, the relief printing pattern formed by moving the relief transfer plate made of a glass substrate or a film substrate and the roller transfer cylinder relative to each other and rolling the roller transfer cylinder on the relief printing plate. Transfer to the roller transfer cylinder. Then, the pattern transferred to the roller transfer cylinder is moved by relatively moving the printing medium composed of a glass substrate or a film substrate and the roller transfer cylinder, and rolling the roller transfer cylinder on the printing medium. Transfer to the substrate. Therefore, it is possible to easily obtain the same dimensional accuracy as the pattern formed by the photolithography method.

JP-A-4-279349 Japanese Patent No. 3689536

  However, when manufacturing color filters, thin film transistors, etc. by photolithography or printing, various defects are likely to occur in the process due to the increase in size of the substrate, making it difficult to maintain a high yield. It has become.

  For example, when looking at defects in the manufacturing process of color filters, “area defects” in which foreign matters remain in unnecessary parts, “protrusion defects” in which foreign matters become protrusions and become uneven in height, coating defects There are various things such as “adhesion defects” in which the continuity of the pattern is impaired due to contamination of foreign matter and foreign matters, and “color defects” that occur due to color loss or repelling, which have a great influence on the yield.

  Therefore, development of a technique for reducing defects of members constituting a liquid crystal display such as a color filter and a thin film transistor is also beneficial, but at the same time, a technique for correcting a generated defect to make it non-defective is important.

  As a solution to the above problem, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-64380 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-64381 do not require an advanced defect identification system, can easily perform highly accurate defect correction, and have a small loss of a printing medium. A printing method with a correction technique is disclosed.

  However, even if this method is used, the print pattern left on the blanket of the transfer roller is transferred onto the print medium, and one of the print patterns on the print medium generated when the print pattern is formed on the print medium. A so-called white defect in which a part is missing cannot be eliminated, and an apparatus for inspecting and correcting a pattern as a final product is required.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a pattern forming method and a relief plate that can reduce defects in a pattern formed by reversal printing.

In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention,
Using a pattern forming apparatus having a holding mechanism for holding a relief plate and a transfer roller coated with ink, a pattern formation method for forming a reverse printing pattern by pressing the relief plate against the transfer roller,
An X′Y ′ coordinate of a pattern having two axes of an X ′ axis that goes in a direction parallel to the moving direction of the holding mechanism and a Y ′ axis that goes in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction in the inversion pattern of the relief printing plate. An arrangement step of disposing the relief plate on the holding mechanism so as to deviate from the XY coordinates of the mechanical axis having an X axis perpendicular to the rotation center axis of the transfer roller and a Y axis parallel to the rotation center axis as two axes; When,
A pattern forming step of forming the pattern with the ink left on the transfer roller by rolling the transfer roller on the relief plate after the arranging step;
A pattern forming method is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention,
A letterpress for forming a reversal printing pattern by pressing the letterpress against a transfer roller coated with ink,
The xy coordinate of the alignment mark with the xy axis defined by the alignment mark on the relief plate as two axes, the X ′ axis toward the direction parallel to the movement direction of the holding mechanism for placing the relief plate, and the movement direction The letterpress provided with the alignment mark so as to deviate from the X′Y ′ coordinate of the pattern having the Y ′ axis in the vertical direction as two axes.

According to another aspect of the present invention,
A pattern forming method for forming a reverse printing pattern by pressing a relief plate onto a transfer roller coated with ink,
A pattern forming step of rolling the transfer roller on the relief plate and forming the pattern with ink left on the transfer roller;
Before transferring the pattern to the printing medium, a repairing step of pressing the resized relief plate having a convex portion slightly smaller than the convex portion of the relief plate against the concave portion of the pattern on the transfer roller one or more times;
A pattern forming method is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention,
A pattern forming apparatus that has a holding mechanism for holding a relief plate and a transfer roller coated with ink, and forms a reverse printing pattern by pressing the relief plate against the transfer roller,
An X′Y ′ coordinate of a pattern having two axes of an X ′ axis that goes in a direction parallel to the moving direction of the holding mechanism and a Y ′ axis that goes in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction in the inversion pattern of the relief printing plate. The relief plate is disposed on the holding mechanism so as to be displaced from the XY coordinates of the mechanical axis having the X axis perpendicular to the rotation center axis of the transfer roller and the Y axis parallel to the rotation center axis as two axes,
After the arrangement step, there is provided a pattern forming apparatus that forms the pattern with the ink left on the transfer roller by rolling the transfer roller on the relief printing plate.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the defect of the pattern formed by reversal printing can be reduced.

The perspective view which showed the pattern formation apparatus concerning 1st-4th embodiment. The figure which showed the (a) application | coating process, (b) removal process, and (c) transfer process by the pattern formation apparatus concerning 1st-4th embodiment. Example of pattern photograph by reverse printing method. An example of a pattern photo defect by reversal printing. An example of a pattern photo defect by reversal printing. An example of a pattern photo defect by reversal printing. An example of a pattern photo defect by reversal printing. An example of a pattern photo defect by reversal printing. An example of a pattern photo defect by reversal printing. An example of a pattern photo defect by reversal printing. An example of a pattern photo defect by reversal printing. An example of a pattern photo defect by reversal printing. An example of a pattern photo defect by reversal printing. An example of a pattern photo defect by reversal printing. An example of a pattern photo defect by reversal printing. Explanatory drawing of the pattern formation method concerning 1st Embodiment. Explanatory drawing of the pattern formation by the reverse printing method concerning 2nd Embodiment. Explanatory drawing of the black defect pattern repair by the reverse printing method concerning 3rd Embodiment. Explanatory drawing of the black defect pattern repair by the reverse printing method concerning 3rd Embodiment. Explanatory drawing of the pattern repair of the white defect by the reverse printing method concerning 4th Embodiment. The perspective view which showed the pattern formation apparatus concerning 5th Embodiment. The example of the observation image of the blanket surface. An example of the result of magnifying the used blanket surface with a laser microscope. An example of the extraction result of the singular point seen as the defect by image processing. An example of a pattern photo defect by reversal printing. Examples of defects in pattern photographs caused by steps or irregularities on the blanket surface. The reversal printing blanket replacement process flow according to the fifth embodiment.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in this specification and drawing, about the component which has the substantially same function structure, duplication description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

[Overall configuration of pattern forming apparatus]
First, the overall configuration of a pattern forming apparatus according to first to fourth embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a pattern forming apparatus according to first to fourth embodiments. The pattern forming apparatus 1 is an example of a reversal printing machine used when manufacturing a printed electronics device. In the pattern forming apparatus 1, for example, a pattern such as line and space, which is frequently used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, is printed on a substrate by using a reverse printing method.

  The pattern forming apparatus 1 includes a roller transfer cylinder 3 (transfer roller). A master table 4 and a work table 5 connected to the main body 9 of the pattern forming apparatus 1 are movably installed. On the master table 4, a relief plate 10 which is a master plate (plate plate) is placed. A work plate (plate-like film) 11 is placed on the work table 5. The master table 4 is an example of a holding mechanism that holds the relief plate.

  The relief plate 10 is a plate having a flat shape and a reverse pattern of the pattern printed on the work plate 11 formed by the projections. The relief plate 10 is a plate for transferring and removing the ink corresponding to the reversal pattern from the roller transfer cylinder 3 by rolling the roller transfer cylinder 3 coated with ink on the relief plate 10. The relief plate 10 is held in a fixed state on the master table 4.

  The work plate 11 is a substrate to be printed formed from a flat film or a glass substrate, and ink corresponding to the print pattern is transferred from the roller transfer cylinder 3. The work plate 11 is fixed on the work table 5. The work board is an example of a printing medium.

  The roller transfer cylinder 3 is a blanket cylinder having a silicone water-repellent blanket wound around the outer periphery thereof. Therefore, the “roller transfer cylinder 3 coated with ink” includes a state where a blanket coated with ink is wound around the roller transfer cylinder 3.

  The roller transfer cylinder 3 is supported by a bearing whose rotation center axis RC is fixed to the bracket 13. A pinion 12 is attached between the bracket 13 and the roller transfer cylinder 3, and the clutch 7 which will be described later moves in conjunction with or not in conjunction with the rotation center axis RC. The other end of the rotation center axis RC is connected to a drive unit 6 with a speed reducer fixed to the bracket 13 and a clutch 7 is attached to the other end. When the clutch 7 is connected, the roller transfer cylinder 3 and the pinion 12 rotate in conjunction with each other. When the clutch 7 is disengaged, only the roller transfer cylinder 3 rotates. Although not shown in detail, the ink coater 8 is also fixed to the bracket 13. The entire bracket 13 moves up and down in a direction perpendicular to the tables 4 and 5 by the bracket up-and-down mechanism 14. Thereby, the engagement relationship between the rack 2 and the pinion 12 can be selected from three states of meshing, separation, and separation.

  On the main body 9, linear guides 15 of linear bearings parallel to the rack 2 are fixed, and tables 4 and 5 connected on the linear guides 15 are fixed movably. The direction in which the tables 4 and 5 move is defined as the X axis, the axis orthogonal to the X axis is defined as the Y axis, and the axis perpendicular to the XY plane is defined as the Z axis. The rotation around the Z axis is represented by θ. The roller transfer cylinder 3 rotates around the central axis along the Y-axis direction. The X axis is an axis perpendicular to the central axis of the roller transfer cylinder 3, and the Y axis is an axis parallel to the central axis of the roller transfer cylinder 3. The tables 4 and 5 each incorporate a mechanism (not shown) that can finely move the relief plate 10 and the work plate 11 placed thereon in the rotation θ direction around the X, Y, Z, and Z axes. Using this function, the Z-direction spacing, X-direction deviation, θ-direction inclination between the relief plate 10 and the work plate 11 with respect to the roll transfer cylinder 3, and the Y-direction distance between the relief plate 10 and the work plate 11 are adjusted. be able to.

  Next, the operation of the pattern forming apparatus configured as described above will be briefly described with reference to FIG. First, the connected tables 4 and 5 are returned to the origin (the state of the positions of the tables 4 and 5 in FIG. 1), and the work plate 11 and the relief plate 10 are placed and fixed at predetermined positions of the tables 5 and 4 respectively. Fixing is performed by a vacuum chuck or a mechanical fixing method not shown.

  Next, a mechanism (not shown) that is finely moved in the rotation θ direction around the X, Y, Z, and Z axes incorporated in the tables 4 and 5 is operated, and the relief plate 10 and the work plate 11 with respect to the roll transfer cylinder 3 are operated. The Z-direction interval, the X-direction deviation, the θ-direction inclination, the Y-direction distance between the work plate 11 and the relief plate 10 are adjusted, and the water repellency of the roll transfer cylinder 3 is synchronized with the rotation of the roll transfer cylinder 3. The ink on the blanket 16 can be transferred at a desired position between the work plate 11 and the relief plate 10 on the tables 4 and 5.

  The bracket up-and-down mechanism 14 is operated to raise the bracket 13 and completely separate the pinion 12 and the rack 2 so that the teeth of the rack 2 do not mesh with each other. The clutch 7 is disengaged, the roller transfer cylinder 3 is rotated by the drive unit 6 with a reduction gear, and the roller transfer cylinder 3 is returned to the origin position. The roller transfer cylinder 3 is further rotated, the ink coater 8 is brought close to the roller transfer cylinder 3 at a predetermined position as shown in FIG. 2A, and the distance between the tip of the ink coater 8 and the roller surface is set to a set value. The transfer cylinder 3 is rotated, and an ink film 17 having a constant film thickness is formed in a required area region on the rotor surface by the meniscus method. After the formation, the ink coater 8 is returned to a predetermined position. The rotor transfer cylinder 3 is further rotated, the clutch 7 is connected at a predetermined position, the bracket vertical mechanism 14 is operated, the bracket 13 is lowered, and the rack 2 and the pinion 12 are engaged. The drive unit 6 with a speed reducer is operated to move the roller rotating drum 3 in conjunction with the tables 4 and 5. Since the rack 2 and the pinion 12 are engaged with each other, and the radius of the roller and the pinion 12 are matched, the outer peripheral speed of the roller transfer cylinder 3 matches the moving speed of the table 4. For this reason, the relief plate 10 on the table 4 proceeds so as to peel off the ink contacted from the ink layer applied to the roller transfer cylinder 3 on the surface of the relief region (convex portion) of the relief plate in a region that is substantially in line contact. As a result, a reversal pattern of the relief printing remains on the surface of the water-repellent blanket 16 of the roller transfer cylinder 3 as shown in FIG.

  Next, the bracket up-and-down mechanism 14 is raised, the meshing between the rack 2 and the pinion 12 is released, and only the roller transfer cylinder 3 is rotated to a predetermined position. Thereafter, the bracket 13 is lowered again by the bracket up-and-down mechanism 14, and the rack 2 and the pinion 12 are meshed. The roller transfer cylinder 3 and the table 5 are moved in conjunction with each other by the drive unit 6 with a speed reducer, and the ink on the water-repellent blanket 16 as shown in FIG. Thereby, the reverse printing on the work board 11 is completed.

  The mark detector 22 shown in FIG. 1 aligns the coordinate system of the alignment mark on the relief plate 10 held by the table 4 with the coordinate system of the mechanical axis of the pattern forming apparatus 1. The mark detector 22 aligns the coordinate system of the alignment mark on the work plate 11 held by the table 5 with the coordinate system of the mechanical axis of the pattern forming apparatus 1.

  If the pattern forming apparatus 1 having such a function is used, pattern printing excellent in resolution and fidelity can be performed on a desired substrate as shown in FIG. However, as described above, various defects are generated in the pattern, which may cause a decrease in yield.

FIG. 4 is an optical micrograph of various defects generated when a printing image pattern (hereinafter referred to as a printing pattern) is formed on a printing medium using the pattern forming apparatus 1 described above. As a result of careful observation of pattern defects printed by the reverse printing method, it was found that the occurrence of defects has the following characteristic tendency.
(1) Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the pattern in the X-axis direction (table movement direction) has fewer defects than the pattern in the Y-axis direction (direction perpendicular to the X-axis). The pattern in the Y-axis direction is not formed more linearly than the pattern in the X-axis direction, and there are many jagged portions (FIGS. 4 and 5). The oblique pattern is formed more linearly than the pattern in the Y-axis direction and has fewer defects (FIG. 6).
(2) Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a defect is likely to occur in a pattern portion having a large angle change. For example, a sharply bent pattern PA is likely to have a defect.
(3) In the reverse printing, unnecessary ink is removed 100% by the convex portions of the relief plate 10 from the ink uniformly applied on the blanket 16, thereby generating a pattern on the blanket 16. However, referring to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, there may be a black defect PB in which ink remains where it is not necessary on the blanket 16 due to dust or variations in both surface states of the blanket 16 and the relief plate 10.
(4) The ink patterned on the blanket 16 is 100% transferred to the work plate 11. However, referring to FIG. 11, a white defect PC having no ink in a necessary portion of a pattern transferred to the work plate 11 is generated due to variations in both surface states of the dust and the blanket 16 and the work plate 11. And transfer to the work plate 11 becomes defective.
(5) Referring to FIGS. 12 to 15, dust adhesion and scratches generated during wet cleaning of the surface of the blanket 16 and the relief plate 10 increase the frequency of occurrence of defects.

Below, the 1st-4th embodiment of this invention created based on such an experimental result is described in order. First, a pattern forming method according to the first embodiment for reducing the defects shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIGS. 4 to 6 show the difference in edge roughness between the printing pattern on the substrate to be printed that overlaps the orthogonal axis (Y axis) of the machine coordinate system of the pattern forming apparatus 1 and the printing pattern inclined from the orthogonal axis. Is shown. The straight line in the Y-axis direction shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 is better than the straight line in the Y-axis direction shown in FIG.

  When forming a printing pattern on the blanket 16, an ink film is formed by coating and pre-drying ink on the blanket 16 wound around the roller transfer cylinder 3, and then the relief plate 10 formed with the printing pattern as a recess is formed. Press against the ink film and pull away. At that time, the edge of the print pattern parallel to the rotation center axis RC of the roller transfer cylinder 3 (Y-axis direction) is poor, and the print pattern is perpendicular to the rotation center axis RC of the roller transfer cylinder 3 (X-axis direction). It was found that more defects were generated.

  Therefore, in the pattern forming method according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in order to improve the pattern edge cutability and improve the pattern fidelity, the XY coordinates of the XYZ axis system of the mechanical axis of the pattern forming apparatus 1 The printing pattern of the relief plate 10 is arranged so that the X′Y ′ axis of the X′Y′Z ′ axis system of the printing pattern does not overlap, so that the occurrence of defects shown in FIG. 4 is suppressed.

  FIG. 16A is a diagram showing a mechanical axis (reference axis) of the pattern forming apparatus 1. This is the same as the mechanical shaft shown in the pattern forming apparatus 1 of FIG. The X axis indicates the movement direction of the table 4, that is, the axis perpendicular to the rotation center axis RC of the roller transfer cylinder 3, and the Y axis indicates the direction orthogonal to the movement direction of the table 4, that is, the rotation center axis of the roller transfer cylinder 3. An axis parallel to RC is shown, the Z axis shows the vertical movement axis of the roller transfer cylinder 3, and the θ axis shows the rotation direction around the Z axis in the XY axis plane.

  FIG. 16B shows the axial relationship between the reverse pattern on the relief plate 10 and the alignment mark according to the present embodiment. The four alignment marks M in the cross define xy coordinates for alignment with the x axis and the y axis as two axes. The xy coordinates of the alignment mark M are formed on the same axis as the XY axis of the mechanical axis of the pattern forming apparatus 1.

  On the other hand, the X′Y ′ coordinate of the pattern thus defined is slightly shifted from the XY coordinate of the machine axis, that is, the pattern is based on the X′Y ′ axis slightly rotated around the Z axis. Is arranged. The X′Y ′ coordinate of the pattern is determined with the X ′ axis in the direction of the line pattern parallel to the moving direction of the table 4 and the Y ′ axis perpendicular to the line pattern as two axes. For example, in the inverted pattern RP of FIG. 16B, the direction of two parallel line patterns in “H” is the X ′ axis, and one line pattern perpendicular to the two parallel line patterns is displayed. The direction is the Y ′ axis.

  Thus, the X′Y ′ coordinate of the pattern is slightly shifted from the xy coordinate of the alignment mark. As a result, the position of the reverse pattern VP when the X′Y ′ coordinate of the pattern coincides with the xy coordinate of the alignment mark and the case where the X′Y ′ axis is slightly shifted by rotating around the Z axis as the central axis. The position is slightly shifted from the position of the reverse pattern RP.

  In this way, after the relief plate 10 is placed on the table 4 so that the X′Y ′ coordinate of the reverse pattern deviates from the xy coordinate of the alignment mark, that is, the XY coordinate of the mechanical axis, the table 4 is moved and the roller transfer cylinder is moved. 3 is rotated to roll the roller transfer cylinder 3 on the relief plate 10, whereby a printing pattern is formed by the ink left on the roller transfer cylinder 3.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the coordinate system (xy coordinate) of the alignment mark is different from the coordinate system (X′Y ′ coordinate) of the pattern (there is a slight angular deviation). ), Printing is performed so that the machine coordinate system (XY coordinate) of the pattern forming apparatus 1 and the coordinate system (xy coordinate) of the alignment mark are overlapped.

  According to such a configuration, the reverse pattern of the relief plate 10 is arranged on the basis of the pattern coordinates (X′Y ′ axis) slightly deviated from the XY axes of the mechanical axes, so that the roller transfer cylinder 3 of the pattern forming apparatus 1 is arranged. There are almost no print pattern lines arranged in parallel with the rotation center axis RC. Thereby, it is possible to improve the phenomenon that the pattern parallel to the Y axis perpendicular to the traveling direction is not cut. As a result, the edge cutability is improved, defects that easily occur at the edge are eliminated, and a better pattern can be formed.

  In particular, since the line and space frequently used as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is a pattern in the XY axis direction, the effects of the present application are easily obtained.

On the other hand, the xy axes of the alignment marks for overprinting are aligned with the XY axes of the mechanical system. This makes it possible to easily match the mark position deviation by moving the stage without performing correction calculation such as coordinate conversion.
(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining pattern formation by the reverse printing method according to the second embodiment. In the pattern forming method according to the second embodiment of the present invention, an auxiliary pattern is provided at the apex of a pattern having an interior angle of 180 ° or less in order to faithfully print the pattern and to improve pattern edge cutting. The edge cutting performance is improved, for example, the occurrence of defects of the type shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is suppressed. 7 and 8 show the pattern resolution of the vertices of the pattern in the print pattern formed on the substrate. Comparing various patterns with different interior angles, it was found that the pattern with an interior angle of 180 ° or less suffered edge cutting near the top of the interior angle, that is, many defects occurred. When the relief plate 10 is manufactured by wet etching, all the vertices of the pattern having an outer angle of 180 ° or more are rounded. In this case, no defect occurs. A second embodiment of the present invention created based on such experimental results will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 17A is a first example of a print pattern P to which an auxiliary pattern is added. The print pattern P is a pattern to which an auxiliary pattern PD is added. With respect to the convex portion 10a of the relief plate 10 shown in FIG. 17B, the portion 10b where the auxiliary pattern PD is formed is scraped into the shape of the convex portion 10a shown in FIG. As a result, as shown in FIG. 17A, the triangular auxiliary pattern PD is added to the printing pattern P having an inner angle of 90 °, thereby eliminating a sudden angle change at the apex. With such a configuration, the sharpness of the edge at the acute angle portion is improved, and the occurrence of white defects and black defects can be suppressed. Here, the triangular auxiliary pattern PD is added to the printing pattern P having an inner angle of 90 °, but the triangular auxiliary pattern PD may be added to the printing pattern P having an inner angle of 180 ° or less.

  FIG. 17D is a second example of the print pattern P to which the auxiliary pattern is added. In the print pattern P, the auxiliary pattern portion PE is deleted. With respect to the convex portion 10a of the relief plate 10 shown in FIG. 17 (e), a triangular auxiliary pattern 10c is added to the projection pattern in which the outer angle of the printed pattern P is 180 ° or more, and FIG. ), The sharp angle change is eliminated by deleting the projection at the apex of the print pattern P from the shape of the convex portion 10a. By setting it as such a structure, the cutting property of the edge in an acute angle part improves, and it can suppress generation | occurrence | production of a defect.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the print pattern formed on the substrate to be printed, the auxiliary pattern is provided at the vertex having an inner angle of 180 ° or less among the vertexes of the pattern. Alternatively, an auxiliary pattern is provided at a vertex having an outer angle of 180 ° or more among the vertices of the pattern. Thereby, the defect which is easy to generate | occur | produce at an edge is eliminated, and a more favorable pattern can be formed. Further, according to such a configuration, an advanced defect identification system is unnecessary, and defects can be reduced easily and inexpensively.
(Third embodiment)
Next, black defect pattern repair according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining black defect pattern repair by the reverse printing method according to the third embodiment.

  As described above, FIGS. 9 and 10 show black defects between patterns. The black defect occurs when the relief plate 10 cannot completely peel the ink from the surface of the blanket 16. In the case of a white defect, it is sufficient to replenish ink, but in the case of a black defect, since it is necessary to remove the ink, the correction is more difficult than the white defect.

  In the pattern forming method according to the third embodiment of the present invention created on the basis of such an experimental result, the letterpress 10 is not able to completely peel the ink from the surface of the blanket 16, such as a black defect between patterns. It is possible to reduce defects that occur.

  In the present embodiment, the resized relief plate 100 in which the printing pattern is resized is used in consideration of the placement reproduction accuracy of the relief plate 10. In order to remove black defects existing between the patterns by pressing and pulling the resized relief plate 100 at least once against the print pattern formed on the blanket 16 wound around the roller transfer cylinder 3 by the relief plate 10. It is a thing.

  18A to 18C show the resized relief printing plate 100, and FIGS. 19A to 19E show a correction method using the resized relief printing plate 100. FIG. As shown in FIG. 18B, the printing pattern P shown in FIG. 18A is formed on the blanket 16 by pressing the reverse pattern 10a of the relief plate 10 produced according to the design data against the blanket 16. Is formed. In many cases, the pattern is dotted with black defects that are generated when the relief printing plate 10 cannot completely peel the ink from the surface of the blanket 16. FIG. 19A shows an example of the printing pattern P on the blanket 16 after pressing the relief plate 10. The print pattern P is dotted with black defects PB.

  It is also possible to remove black defects by pressing the same relief plate 10 against the blanket again and pulling it apart. However, due to the alignment of the relief plate 10 and the placement accuracy on the machine and the stop position accuracy of the table on which the relief plate 10 is placed, the pattern formation positions when the same relief plate 10 is pressed a plurality of times do not completely coincide. For this reason, it may happen that a part of the necessary printing pattern is removed by pressing the same relief plate 10 a plurality of times.

  In this embodiment, in order to solve such a problem, the resized relief printing plate 100 used for removing the black defects has a line width of the resized relief printing plate 100 as compared with the basic relief printing plate 10 as shown in FIG. It is a little thinner.

  The position where the resized relief plate 100 is arranged is not different from the arrangement position of the relief plate 10. That is, the alignment mark on the relief plate 10 and the alignment mark on the resized relief plate 100 are aligned with the mechanical axis. However, the resized relief printing plate 100 is manufactured by removing the peripheral portion of the convex portion 10a of the relief printing plate 10 and resizing it slightly. As a result, the pattern PR of the resized relief plate 100 becomes smaller than the pattern P of the relief plate 10 by the resize amount W shown in FIG.

  As a result, even if the resizing relief 100 is pressed and contacted with the printing pattern P on the blanket shifted by the placement accuracy of each relief and the stop position accuracy of the table on which each relief is placed, a part of the necessary printing pattern is missing. Can be avoided. In this case, the black defect near the edge of the printed pattern P may not be completely removed, but the black defect near the edge does not affect the device performance, and it is understood that there is no problem even if it remains. Yes.

  FIG. 19A to FIG. 19E are process flow diagrams of a pattern forming method for removing black defects. First, ink is applied on the blanket 16 wound around the roller transfer cylinder 3 and preliminarily dried to form an ink film 17. After that, the printing plate P formed with the printing pattern as a recess is pressed against the ink film and pulled away to form the printing pattern P on the blanket 16 (FIG. 19A).

  Next, the relief plate 10 is replaced with the resize relief plate 100. The resized relief printing plate 100 is pressed against the printing pattern P on the blanket (FIG. 19B) and pulled away (FIG. 19C). This pressing and peeling with the resized relief printing plate 100 is repeated once or a plurality of times.

  When the placement of the relief plate 10 is reproduced (when the resize relief plate 100 is successfully placed), as shown in FIGS. 19B and 19C, the placement of the relief plate 10 is out of order ( FIG. 19 (d) and FIG. 19 (e) show a case in which a shift occurs in the placement of the resized relief printing plate 100). Although not shown in the figure, finally, the printing pattern P formed on the blanket is brought into contact with the printing medium to transfer the printing pattern to the printing medium.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, ink is applied to a blanket wound around a transfer cylinder and pre-dried to form an ink film, and then the relief plate formed with a pattern as a recess is used as the ink film. In the process of peeling the ink film of the part in contact with the convex part from the blanket and leaving the pattern on the blanket by leaving the pattern on the blanket, the relief plate formed with the pattern as a concave part is formed into the ink film at least twice. In addition to pressing and pulling away, the resized relief printing plate 100 is used in the second and subsequent steps.

  By adopting such a configuration, the black defect factor left on the blanket can be easily removed. Further, it is possible to easily remove black defects left on the blanket, which are generated between patterns, without causing a missing part of a necessary print pattern. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of a black defect can be repaired and the performance of the device produced by the printing pattern can be improved. Further, it is advantageous in terms of cost because it is not necessary to provide a special cleaning device or the like for removing ink residue remaining on the blanket surface.

In addition, the restoration process by the resized relief printing plate 100 can be automatically controlled after the normal pressing operation of the relief printing plate 10. Since it is a short-term process, there is no problem in throughput. However, the repairing process using the resized relief printing plate 100 may be performed only when a black defect is detected. Note that the black defect detection step may or may not be executed.
(Fourth embodiment)
Next, white defect pattern repair according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining pattern repair of a white defect by the reverse printing method according to the fourth embodiment.

  As described above, FIGS. 13 to 15 show defects caused by the ink residue at the time of the previous printing on the blanket surface or the fine scraps of the non-woven fiber used at the time of cleaning the blanket surface after the printing. These defects are all due to defective regeneration of the blanket surface. Therefore, in order to reduce the defects caused by these factors, it is required to improve the blanket surface regeneration work after the end of printing. A fourth embodiment of the present invention created based on such experimental results will be described with reference to the drawings.

  Common regeneration methods include removing the residue by bringing the adhesive tape into contact with the blanket surface, or removing the residue by wiping with a non-woven fabric containing ethanol or the like. However, both methods damage the blanket surface. In the former, the pressure-sensitive adhesive remains on the blanket surface and becomes a cause of new defects. The latter causes the occurrence of surface laceration, that is, the cause of new defects, by applying a wiping force to the place where the blanket material is swollen and softened by the chemical solution.

  In order to solve such problems, the present embodiment incorporates a cleaning method that does not damage the blanket surface as much as possible and does not induce a new cause of defects. That is, after ink is applied and pre-dried on the blanket 16 wound around the roller transfer cylinder 3 (FIG. 20A), the transfer of the print pattern to the work board 11 is completed (FIG. 20B). 20 (c)), a substrate larger than the area of the formed ink film 17 is pressed against the blanket 16 (FIG. 20 (d)). Thereby, the residue 18 such as ink remaining on the surface of the blanket 16 can be removed (FIG. 20E). If the number of pressing contacts is increased as necessary, the degree of removal of the residue can be controlled.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, ink is applied to a blanket wound around a transfer cylinder and pre-dried to form an ink film, and then the relief plate formed with a pattern as a recess is used as the ink film. The blanket wound around the roller transfer cylinder 3 from which the pattern has been peeled off as a subsequent step of peeling the ink film at the portion in contact with the convex portion from the blanket and leaving the pattern on the blanket And a step of pressing and contacting the plain glass substrate.

  According to this, the ink is applied on the blanket wound around the transfer cylinder and pre-dried to form an ink film, and then the convex plate formed with the pattern as a concave portion is pressed against the ink film and pulled away, thereby forming the convex portion. The blanket 16 wound around the roller transfer cylinder 3 from which the pattern has been peeled off and a plain third substrate are provided as a post-process of the step of peeling the ink film of the portion in contact with the blanket and leaving the pattern on the blanket. A step of pressing and contacting is added.

  Thereby, since a residue can be removed without using an adhesive or a chemical | medical solution, a new defect generating factor is not left on the blanket surface. Thereby, the residue can be more completely removed from the blanket surface, and the blanket surface can be regenerated. A desirable form for the substrate is that having a surface with a contact angle as small as possible. Specifically, a glass substrate that can be recycled and reused is most suitable.

As described above, in the first to fourth embodiments, a pattern forming method having a simple and inexpensive defect reduction and correction function when forming a print pattern with fewer defects on a substrate to be printed using a printing method has been described. .
(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a pattern forming apparatus according to a fifth embodiment will be described. As described above, in the reversal printing method used in the manufacture of printed electronics devices, a coating process is performed in which ink is applied to a roller transfer cylinder surface having a silicone resin surface, and a convex portion is formed in a predetermined shape. And a step of removing the ink corresponding to the convex portion of the relief plate from the application surface, and the ink having the pattern information applied to the surface of the roller transfer cylinder to be printed (workpiece) A step of transferring to a plate).

  In this reversal printing method, the surface of the roller transfer cylinder 3 having a silicone resin surface and the relief plate 10 and the work plate 11 are moved synchronously to transfer the ink pattern. At this time, the silicone resin of the roller transfer cylinder 3 is slightly crushed and comes into contact with the relief plate 10 and the work plate 11. The soft silicone resin is gradually damaged by rubbing against the convex edge of the relief plate 10 and the surface of the work plate, and the resin surface becomes rough. Roughness on the surface of the silicone resin degrades printing performance. Specifically, pattern loss and black defects occur. This significantly reduces the reliability of the printed electronics device.

  In the pattern forming apparatus according to the fifth embodiment described below, the surface is always observed to see whether or not the surface of the roller transfer cylinder 3 has been deteriorated by printing for the purpose of ensuring stable printing performance. A pattern forming device is proposed in which the blanket 16 can be replaced before the allowable value is exceeded based on the determination result. To do.

  In the pattern forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, the blanket 16 affixed to the surface of the roller transfer cylinder 3 comes into contact with the relief plate 10 having a convex portion and the work plate 11 in a pressed state for each printing. For this reason, as the number of times of printing increases, the surface of the blanket 16 is damaged and deteriorates. Such deterioration of the blanket surface induces pattern defects and causes a decrease in printing performance. For this reason, in order to ensure stable printability, it is preferable that the blanket surface is always managed in a good state.

  Therefore, the pattern forming apparatus according to the present embodiment has a function of managing the blanket surface. The pattern forming apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a pattern forming apparatus according to the fifth embodiment. In FIG. 21, the same parts as those of the pattern forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. Only the parts newly added according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

  A detection means 51 for observing the surface of the blanket wound around the surface of the roller transfer cylinder 3 is installed above the roller transfer cylinder 3 of the pattern forming apparatus 20. This detection means 51 is an optical detection means comprising differential interference microscopy. You may implement | achieve with a highly accurate camera. In addition to differential interference microscopy, detection methods such as laser confocal microscopy and scanning optical interference microscopy are also effective. The detection means 51 according to the present embodiment monitors how the surface is uneven using the autofocus function of the camera.

  The detection means 51 is fixed to a fixed portion (for example, a guide rail 53) of the pattern forming apparatus 20 via a multi-degree-of-freedom drive mechanism 52 so that a desired position on the blanket surface can be observed at a focal point. The rotation accuracy of the roller transfer cylinder 3 is generally high, and it is often unnecessary to perform autofocus. However, in some cases, the multi-degree-of-freedom drive mechanism 52 can be used to control the focal point of the camera in conjunction with the vertical fluctuation accompanying the rotation of the surface of the roller transfer cylinder 3. The image information on the blanket surface obtained by the detection means 51 is compared with the image information on the blanket surface at the same unused position acquired in advance by the image processing device 54 in the comparison circuit 55, and the difference information is displayed on the display device, for example, It is displayed on the display of the computer 56. Whether or not the blanket needs to be replaced is determined by comparing with an allowable value already input to the computer, that is, a value set by the user. The roller controller 57 controls the roller transfer cylinder 3.

  Next, the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 20 configured as described above will be described. Immediately after attaching the blanket 16 to the surface of the roller transfer cylinder 3, the surface of the determined position (designated position) is observed using the detecting means 51. FIG. 22 is an example of the acquired image. The left image in FIG. 22 is an image of an unused blanket surface, and this is recorded in the comparison circuit 55 as a reference image. The features of the unused blanket surface are spots and wrinkles. The speckled pattern reflects the space formed between the back surface and the underlying layer, not the blanket surface. The ridge is on the surface of the blanket and is thought to be formed mainly by how the blanket is applied.

  The detecting unit 51 acquires such blanket images at a designated position (actually, an image near the designated position) after each printing, compares the blanket image with a reference image, and obtains difference information. There is no change in the difference information after printing several tens of times. An image of the blanket surface after several hundred printings is shown on the right side of FIG. Since the same part cannot be observed completely, it is different from the reference image, but it is confirmed that various kinds of scratches are generated on the surface as compared with the reference image. In addition to the features seen in the reference image, new features such as line marks, crushing, and black spots are observed. FIG. 23 shows an example in which the used blanket surface is enlarged and observed with a laser microscope. It can be seen from the blanket cross-sectional profile that the deterioration is significant.

  FIG. 24 shows the result of extracting a singular point that seems to be a defect from the difference information between the images using various image processing methods. Although the results differ depending on the image processing method, it can be clearly seen that the blanket surface is deteriorated as the number of printing increases. The image processing method used here is described in the figure.

  When the blanket 16 deteriorates, many defects occur in the printed pattern. FIG. 25 is a photograph showing an example of a pattern defect. It is not clear which of the difference information extracted in FIG. 24 induces the pattern defect shown in FIG. However, it is clear that the number of defects increases when the blanket 16 deteriorates, and it is recognized that there is a correlation between the two.

  Therefore, the correlation between the blanket degradation status (number of scratches, etc.) and the number of pattern defects is determined, and the blanket degradation status that reaches the allowable number of defects is determined. The critical degradation situation can be determined.

  Therefore, the blanket 16 can be obtained by observing the surface state of the blanket 16 after each printing using the detecting means 51, capturing the image information, and checking the increase in the difference information compared with the reference image on the surface of the blanket 16. The blanket 16 can be replaced before reaching the critical degradation situation. Thereby, stable printing performance can be maintained.

  Furthermore, if this detection means 51 is used, it can also be judged whether the blanket 16 was correctly attached to the roller transfer cylinder 3. In order to focus on the surface of the blanket 16, the multi-degree-of-freedom drive mechanism 52 is used to control the distance between the blanket 16 and the detection means 51 to be constant. If the control amount at this time is plotted in synchronization with the rotation of the roller transfer cylinder 3, the roundness of the surface of the roller transfer cylinder 3 is obtained. As can be seen from the photograph on the left in FIG. 22, irregularities such as wrinkles are visible on the blanket surface even immediately after pasting. Such a step causes disconnection of the pattern during printing. FIG. 26 is a photograph showing an example of a pattern defect caused by a step or unevenness, although it is not a disconnection caused by the wrinkle of FIG. The reverse printing method has low printability with respect to minute steps. For this reason, attention should be paid to the occurrence of local irregularities when the blanket 16 is affixed to the roller transfer cylinder 3.

  By using the detection means 51 according to the present embodiment, such unevenness can be observed and measured as described above, and whether or not the blanket 16 is stuck to the roller transfer cylinder 3 can be determined. In this case, since it is necessary to observe the entire surface of the blanket 16, the detection means 51 can move on a guide rail 53 installed in parallel with the roller transfer cylinder 3 as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 27.

  With such a configuration, the surface of the blanket 16 can be divided into strips, and one strip region can be observed while moving the detection means 51 on the guide rail 53. After moving to the other end of the strip, the roller transfer cylinder 3 is rotated, and the next strip region and the detecting means 51 are moved and observed.

  By repeating this operation, it is possible to determine whether or not the blanket front surface is pasted. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the pattern defect due to the level difference or unevenness of the blanket as shown in FIG.

  The left diagram in FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing the blanket replacement process according to the present embodiment. Before the details of the blanket replacement process are described using the flowchart of FIG. 27, the defect number determination process shown in the right diagram of FIG. 27 is executed in advance and the allowable defect number is determined as a premise. Specifically, in the defect number determination process, the defect number obtained from the difference information based on the experiment is compared with the defect number of the print pattern (step S30), and the allowable defect number is determined (step S32).

  In the blanket replacement process of the present embodiment, an unused blanket 16 is first attached to the roller transfer cylinder 3 of the pattern forming apparatus 20 (step S10). After the attachment, the detecting means 51 is used to inspect the blanket surface for any steps, dirt, scratches, etc. that induce defects (step S12).

  Based on the inspection result, it is determined whether or not there is a problem with the attachment (step S14). If it is determined that there is a problem, the process returns to step S10 and the blanket is re-applied. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no defect (when the blanket is normally pasted), the image information on the blanket surface at the designated position is captured using the detecting means 51 and registered as reference data (step S16).

  Next, printing is started (step S18). After the printing is completed, image information at the designated position on the blanket surface is captured using the detecting means 51 (step S20), and compared with the reference data to determine the number of defects (step S22). This value is compared with the allowable defect number obtained in the defect number determination process (step S24). If the number of defects obtained from the image is smaller than the allowable number of defects, it is determined that there is no problem with the blanket surface, and the process returns to step S18 to resume the next printing.

  In this way, while the number of defects is smaller than the allowable number of defects, the printing process of step S18 to step S24 is repeated. When it is determined in step S24 that the number of defects is larger than the allowable number of defects, printing is stopped and the blanket The replacement work is started (step S26). Specifically, the used blanket is removed and a new blanket is attached. After installation, as in the beginning, observe the entire blanket surface to confirm that it is installed properly. If it is confirmed that the attachment is good, printing is started.

  As described above, as the pattern forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, the means for observing the roller surface and the means for comparing the image information obtained by the observing means with the reference image information to determine the degree of deterioration. It was characterized by comprising. By determining the deterioration of the surface of the roller transfer cylinder 3 with this configuration, the blanket 16 can be replaced with a new one before the number of defects indicating the deterioration of the blanket 16 exceeds the allowable number of defects. Thereby, according to the pattern formation apparatus 20 which concerns on this embodiment, it can print in the state which the pattern printability was always stable and there is no pattern defect and dimensional accuracy degradation.

  By performing printing in such a process, it is possible to secure stable printing performance that is not affected by improper blanket attachment or deterioration, and it is possible to produce printed electronics devices while maintaining high yields. .

  In the present embodiment, the camera can be moved up and down and left and right by the multi-degree-of-freedom drive mechanism 52 when monitoring using an autofocus function of a camera which is an example of the detection unit 51. Therefore, it is possible to measure how uneven the surface of the roller transfer cylinder 3 is by measuring the focused camera position (height) by the camera autofocus function. Specifically, first, the surface of the roller transfer cylinder 3 is observed by measuring the position of the camera, an image of the surface is acquired, and deterioration of the surface of the blanket 16 is determined. At that time, if the distance between the blanket 16 and the roller transfer cylinder 3 is recorded by using the auto-focus function of the camera, the uneven state of the surface of the blanket 16, that is, the surface of the blanket 16, depending on the distance variation. The deterioration state can be grasped. The same determination can be made when a distance measuring device is separately attached in addition to the camera and the surface of the roller transfer cylinder 3 is scanned using the device. The detecting means 51 is not limited to a camera, and any optical measuring device may be used.

  As described above, in the first to fifth embodiments, an example of the following method and apparatus has been disclosed.

(First embodiment)
1. At least a step of applying an ink liquid on a blanket, pre-drying the ink liquid to form a pre-dried ink film, and pressing and pulling the relief plate with the image pattern as a recess against the pre-dried ink film, Transferring the dry ink film to the convex portions of the relief plate, leaving the image pattern on the blanket, transferring the rewritten image pattern to the substrate to be printed;
In a pattern forming method having
In the relief printing with the image pattern as a recess, the coordinate system of the alignment mark for overprinting and the coordinate system of the image pattern are slightly shifted in a rotation method, and the coordinate system of the alignment mark for overprinting is A pattern forming method characterized by using a relief plate that matches the driving coordinate system.

(Second Embodiment)
1. At least a step of applying an ink liquid on a blanket, pre-drying the ink liquid to form a pre-dried ink film, and pressing and pulling a relief plate with an image pattern as a concave portion against the pre-dried ink film to In a pattern forming method having a step of transferring a dry ink film to a convex portion of the relief plate, leaving an image pattern on the blanket, and a step of transferring the remaining image pattern to a substrate to be printed,
A pattern forming method characterized in that, in a relief plate having the image pattern as a recess, a relief plate with an auxiliary pattern added is used for an image pattern having an inner angle of 180 ° or less.

(Third embodiment)
1. At least a step of applying an ink liquid on a blanket, pre-drying the ink liquid to form a pre-dried ink film, and pressing and pulling a relief plate with an image pattern as a concave portion against the pre-dried ink film to In a printing method having a step of transferring a dry ink film to a convex portion of the relief plate and leaving an image pattern on the blanket, and a step of transferring the left image pattern to a substrate to be printed,
Before transferring the image pattern left on the blanket to the substrate to be printed, the pattern forming method includes a step of pressing at least once a relief plate that has been subjected to a resize process on the image pattern.

(Fourth embodiment)
1. At least contact with the ink by applying the ink liquid on the blanket, pre-drying the ink liquid to form a pre-dried ink film, and pressing and pulling the relief plate with the image pattern as a recess against the pre-dried ink film In the printing method comprising: transferring the dried ink film to the convex portion of the relief plate, leaving the image pattern on the blanket, and transferring the left image pattern to the substrate to be printed.
And a step of pressing a third substrate larger than the area of the ink film applied in the ink film forming step at least once after transferring the image pattern left on the blanket to the substrate to be printed. A pattern forming method.

(Fifth embodiment)
1. Laura,
A table on which a flat plate-like body is placed;
A switching drive unit that translates the roller and the table in conjunction with each other, or rotationally moves only the roller without interlocking;
A mechanism for allowing the plate-like body attached to the table to move with respect to the table, and moving the roller and the table relative to each other while moving the roller and the table relative to each other. In a pattern forming apparatus for transferring
Means for observing the roller surface;
Means for determining whether printing can be continued based on information from the observing means.
2. A step of applying an ink to the silicone resin (blanket) surface of the transfer cylinder to form an application surface, and a transfer cylinder that has undergone the above-described application step is rolled on a relief plate having a convex portion formed in a predetermined shape; The removal process of transferring and removing the ink on the coated surface corresponding to the convex portions of the relief printing plate, and the transfer cylinder that has undergone the removal process are rolled on the substrate to transfer the ink remaining on the coated surface to the substrate. A pattern forming method by printing consisting of a transfer process,
Observing the silicone resin (blanket) surface;
Adding the difference information of the old and new information obtained by the observation;
The step of comparing the added difference information with preset reference information;
The pattern forming method further comprising:

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. Of course, it is understood that these also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 20 Pattern formation apparatus 3 Roller transfer cylinder 4 Master table 5 Work table 10 Letter plate 11 Work board 13 Bracket 16 Blanket 17 Ink film 22 Mark detector 100 Resizing letter M M Alignment mark P Pattern RC Rotation center axis 20 Pattern formation apparatus 51 Detection Means 52 Multi-degree-of-freedom drive mechanism 53 Guide rail 54 Image processing device 55 Comparison circuit 56 Computer 57 Roller controller

Claims (7)

Using a pattern forming apparatus having a holding mechanism for holding a relief plate and a transfer roller coated with ink, a pattern formation method for forming a reverse printing pattern by pressing the relief plate against the transfer roller,
With respect to the XY coordinates of the mechanical axis having two axes: an X axis that is parallel to the moving direction of the holding mechanism and a Y axis that is perpendicular to the moving direction, the Z axis of the mechanical axis An arrangement in which the relief plate is arranged on the holding mechanism with reference to an X′Y ′ coordinate with the X ′ axis shifted around the axis and the Y ′ axis shifted from the Y axis around the Z axis of the mechanical axis as two axes. Steps,
After the placing step, a pattern forming step of forming the reverse printing pattern with the ink left on the transfer roller by rolling the transfer roller on the relief plate;
A pattern forming method.   2. The pattern according to claim 1, wherein the alignment mark is attached such that an xy coordinate of the alignment mark having two xy axes defined by an alignment mark on the relief plate deviates from the X′Y ′ coordinate. 3. Forming method. The pattern forming method according to claim 2 , further comprising an alignment step of aligning an xy coordinate of the alignment mark and an XY coordinate of the mechanical axis before rolling the transfer roller on the relief plate.   In the arranging step, the X′Y ′ coordinate is rotated from the XY coordinate of the mechanical axis by rotating the X′Y ′ coordinate with the vertical Z ′ axis passing through the intersection of the X′Y ′ axes as a central axis. The pattern forming method according to claim 1, wherein the pattern forming method is shifted. A letterpress for forming a reversal printing pattern by pressing the letterpress against a transfer roller coated with ink,
The xy coordinate of the alignment mark with the xy axis defined by the alignment mark on the relief plate as two axes is from the X axis toward the direction parallel to the moving direction of the holding mechanism on which the relief plate is placed. The X′-axis shifted about the axis and the Y′-axis shifted about the Z-axis of the mechanical axis from the Y-axis directed in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction are shifted from the X′Y′-coordinate with two axes. The letterpress with the alignment mark. A pattern forming method for forming a reverse printing pattern by pressing a relief plate onto a transfer roller coated with ink,
A pattern forming step of forming the reverse printing pattern with ink left on the transfer roller by rolling the transfer roller on the relief plate and pressing the relief plate against the transfer roller;
After executing the pattern forming step, before transferring the reverse printing pattern to the printing medium, by pressing a resized relief printing plate having a convex portion slightly smaller than the convex portion of the relief printing plate at least once to the transfer roller. A step of repairing the reverse printing pattern by pressing the convex portion narrower than the concave portion one or more times to the concave portion of the reverse printing pattern on the transfer roller;
A pattern forming method. A pattern forming apparatus having a holding mechanism for holding a relief plate and a transfer roller coated with ink,
With respect to the XY coordinates of the mechanical axis having two axes: an X axis that is parallel to the moving direction of the holding mechanism and a Y axis that is perpendicular to the moving direction, the Z axis of the mechanical axis An arrangement in which the relief plate is arranged on the holding mechanism with reference to an X′Y ′ coordinate with the X ′ axis shifted around the axis and the Y ′ axis shifted from the Y axis around the Z axis of the mechanical axis as two axes. And
After placement the relief plate on the holding mechanism, and control the rolling of the transfer roller roller controller is on the relief plate to form a reverse printing pattern by ink left on the top of the transfer roller, patterned apparatus.