KR20110058567A - Treating fluid dispensing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A treatment solution discharge method is provided to form a filter component of a dot image arrangement by discharging ink of a filter element in an inkjet method. CONSTITUTION: A length direction of a pixel is formed in a substrate in an inkjet method. It is determined whether to match a longitudinal direction with a process direction of a discharging process. The process liquid is discharged to the substrate according to the rotation of the substrate.

Description

Treatment solution discharging method {TREATING FLUID DISPENSING METHOD}

The present invention relates to a process liquid ejecting method, and more particularly, to a method of ejecting droplets of a process liquid by an inkjet method.

In recent years, display devices which are electro-optical devices called liquid crystal devices, electroluminescent devices, and the like have been widely used in the display portions of electronic devices such as mobile phones and portable computers, and display of full colors has been increasing by display devices. .

Full color display by a liquid crystal device is displayed by, for example, passing light modulated by the liquid crystal layer through a color filter. The color filter is, for example, a filter element of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) dots on the surface of a substrate formed of glass or the like as a so-called stripe arrangement, delta arrangement, or mosaic arrangement. Formed by side by side in a predetermined arrangement.

It is known that the photolithographic method is conventionally used when patterning various filter elements, such as R, G, and B of a color filter. However, in the case of using the photolithography method, the process is complicated, or a large amount of various materials, photoresist, and the like are consumed, so that there is a problem such as high cost.

In order to solve such a problem, the method of forming the filter element of a dot arrangement by the discharge of the material (ink) of a filter element in a dot form by the inkjet system which discharges a droplet is proposed.

The present invention is to provide a processing liquid discharge method that can improve the reliability of the processing liquid discharge step.

The objects of the present invention are not limited thereto, and other objects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In order to achieve the above object, the processing liquid discharge method according to an embodiment of the present invention, the method for discharging the processing liquid to the substrate by the inkjet method, comprising: checking the longitudinal direction of the pixel formed on the substrate; Determining whether the substrate is rotated according to whether the advancing direction of the processing liquid discharge process coincides with the longitudinal direction of the pixel; And discharging the processing liquid to the substrate whose positions are aligned according to the determination of the rotation.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the advancing direction of the processing liquid discharge process and the longitudinal direction of the pixel are different, rotating the substrate so that the longitudinal direction of the pixel is aligned with the advancing direction of the processing liquid discharge process. It may include.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, checking the pitch of the pixel; And rotating the head so that the treatment liquid discharge pitch of the nozzles provided in the head matches the pitch of the pixel.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate is a color filter (CF) substrate for an LCD (LCD), and the treatment liquid may be any one of red ink, green ink, blue ink, and a combination thereof.

According to the present invention, by changing the longitudinal direction of the pixel in the advancing direction of the processing liquid discharge step, it is possible to minimize the change in the processing liquid discharge step conditions.

And according to this invention, the quality deterioration of a process liquid discharge process can be prevented.

Hereinafter, a processing liquid discharge method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail. First, in adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as much as possible, even if shown on different drawings. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

(Example)

1 is a view showing the configuration of a treatment liquid application facility in which a treatment liquid discharge method according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. The treatment liquid applying equipment 1 of FIG. 1 applies a treatment liquid to an object by an inkjet method. For example, the object may be a color filter substrate of a liquid crystal display panel, and the treatment liquid may be red (R), green (G), or blue (B) ink in which pigment particles are mixed in a solvent. The ink may be applied to the interior regions of the black matrix arranged in a grid pattern on the color filter substrate.

Referring to FIG. 1, the treatment liquid applying apparatus 1 may include a treatment liquid discharge part 10, a substrate transfer part 20, a baking part 30, a loading part 40, an unloading part 50, and a treatment liquid supply part. 60, and a control unit 70. The processing liquid discharge part 10 and the substrate transfer part 20 may be arranged in a line in the first direction I and may be adjacent to each other. The processing liquid supply unit 60 and the control unit 70 are disposed at positions facing the substrate transfer unit 20 around the processing liquid discharge unit 10, and the processing liquid supply unit 60 and the control unit 70 are in the second direction. It can be arranged in line with (II). The loading part 40 and the unloading part 50 are disposed at a position facing the processing liquid discharge part 10 with respect to the substrate transfer part 20, and the loading part 40 and the unloading part 50 are formed of a substrate. It can be arranged in two directions (II). The bake unit 30 may be disposed adjacent to one side of the substrate transfer unit 20.

Here, the first direction (I) is an arrangement direction of the processing liquid discharge unit 10 and the substrate transfer unit 20, the second direction (II) is a direction perpendicular to the first direction (I) on a horizontal plane, and the third direction The direction III is a direction perpendicular to the first direction I and the second direction II.

The substrate to which the treatment liquid (ink) is to be applied is loaded into the loading part 40. The substrate transfer part 40 transfers the substrate carried in the loading part 40 to the processing liquid discharge part 10. The processing liquid discharge unit 10 receives the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply unit 60 and discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate by an inkjet method. The substrate transfer unit 20 transfers the substrate from the processing liquid discharge unit 10 to the bake unit 30. The baking unit 30 heats the substrate to evaporate the remaining liquid substance (solvent) except for the solid component of the processing liquid (ink) discharged on the substrate. The substrate transfer unit 20 transfers the substrate from the bake unit 30 to the unloading unit 50. The substrate to which the treatment liquid is applied is carried out from the unloading part 50. In addition, the control unit 70 performs overall operations of the processing liquid discharge unit 10, the substrate transfer unit 20, the baking unit 30, the loading unit 40, the unloading unit 50, and the processing liquid supply unit 60. To control.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the processing liquid discharge part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the processing liquid discharge part of FIG. 2. 2 and 3, the processing liquid discharge part 10 may include a substrate support unit 100, a head unit 200, a moving unit 300 and 400, a first head cleaning unit 500, and a second head cleaning. Unit 600.

The substrate support unit 100 has a support plate 110 on which a substrate is placed. The support plate 110 may be a rectangular plate. The lower surface of the support plate 110 is connected to the rotation axis of the rotation drive motor 120. The rotation drive motor 120 rotates the support plate 110 so that the substrate placed on the support plate 110 is aligned at a predetermined position.

The support plate 110 and the rotation drive motor 120 are linearly moved in the first direction I by the linear drive member 130. The linear drive member 130 includes a slider 132 and a guide member 134. The rotation drive motor 120 is installed on the upper surface of the slider 132. The guide member 134 extends in the first direction (I) at the central portion of the upper surface of the base (B). A linear motor (not shown) is built in the slider 132, and the slider 132 linearly moves in the first direction I along the guide member 134.

The head unit 200 discharges the processing liquid onto the substrate. The head unit 200 includes inkjet heads 210a and 210b and a bracket 220. One inkjet head 210a of the inkjet heads 210a and 210b is installed at one side facing the first direction I of the bracket 220, and the other inkjet head 210b is disposed at the bracket 220. It may be installed on the other side facing in the first direction (I).

Each of the inkjet heads 210a and 210b has a red (R) head 212, a green (G) head 214 and a blue (B) head 216. The red (R) head 212, the green (G) head 214, and the blue (B) head 216 are arranged in a line in the second direction (II), and the support plate 110 by an inkjet method of ejecting droplets. The processing liquid is discharged to the substrate S placed on the substrate.

The moving units 300 and 400 may move the head unit 200 in the upper portion of the path in which the support plate 110 is moved. The first moving unit 300 linearly moves the head unit 200 in the first direction (I), and the second moving unit 400 moves the head unit 200 in the second direction (II) and the third direction ( Can be moved linearly.

The second moving unit 400 includes a horizontal support 410 and a slider 420. The horizontal support 410 is positioned above the base B such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the second direction II. The horizontal support 410 is provided with a guide rail 412 along the longitudinal direction. A linear motor (not shown) may be built in the slider 420, and the slider 420 moves linearly in the second direction II along the guide rail 412. The bracket 220 of the head unit 200 is connected to the slider 420, and the inkjet heads 210a and 210b installed on the bracket 220 are moved in the second direction II by the linear movement of the slider 420. Go straight. On the other hand, the slider 420 may be provided with a driving member (not shown) for linearly moving the bracket 220 of the head unit 200 in the third direction (III).

The first moving unit 300 includes a guide rail 310 and a slider 320. The guide rail 310 has a longitudinal direction toward the first direction (I), and is disposed on both side edge portions of the upper surface of the base B with respect to the guide member 134 of the substrate support unit 100. The slider 320 includes a linear motor (not shown) and linearly moves in the first direction I along the guide rail 310. Both ends of the horizontal support 410 of the second moving unit 400 are connected to the slider 320, respectively. The second moving unit 400 including the horizontal support 410 is moved in the first direction I by the linear movement of the slider 320, and the second moving unit is moved by the movement of the second moving unit 400. The head unit 200 connected to 400 is linearly moved in the second direction (II).

The head unit 200 may linearly move in the first direction (I), the second direction (II), and the third direction (III) by the first moving unit 300 and the second moving unit 400, The support plate 110 on which the substrate is placed may linearly move in the first direction I by the slider 132 and the guide member 134. When discharging the processing liquid onto the substrate, the head unit 200 may be fixed at a predetermined position, and the supporting plate 110 on which the substrate is placed may move in the first direction (I). Alternatively, the support plate 110 on which the substrate is placed may be fixed at a predetermined position, and the head unit 200 may be moved in the first direction (I).

The first and second head cleaning units 500 and 600 periodically clean the processing liquid discharge surfaces of the inkjet heads 210a and 210b, that is, the surfaces on which nozzles for discharging the processing liquid are formed. Typically, after the process liquid ejecting process is performed on one substrate, cleaning of the process liquid ejecting surfaces of the inkjet heads 210a and 210b may proceed.

The first head cleaning unit 500 and the second head cleaning unit 600 may be provided on one side of the substrate support unit 100 on the upper surface of the base B, and may be arranged in a line in the first direction (I). have. The inkjet heads 210a and 210b are moved to the top of the first and second head cleaning units 500 and 600 by the first moving unit 300 and the second moving unit 400, and the first during the cleaning process. And in the first direction I from the second head cleaning unit 500, 600.

The first head cleaning unit 500 performs a purging process and a blading process, and the second head cleaning unit 600 performs a blotting process. The purging process, the blading process, and the blotting process are performed sequentially. The purging process is a process of spraying a portion of the processing liquid contained in the inkjet heads 210a and 210b at a high pressure. The blading process is a process of removing the process liquid remaining on the process liquid discharge surfaces of the inkjet heads 210a and 210b in a non-contact manner after a purging process. The blotting process is a process of removing the treatment liquid remaining on the treatment liquid discharge surfaces of the inkjet heads 210a and 210b by a contact method after the blading process.

Referring to the process of discharging the processing liquid to the substrate using the processing liquid discharge unit 10 having the above configuration as follows.

4 is a flowchart showing a flow of a process liquid discharge process. 5 is a view showing a substrate loaded on the support plate, Figure 6 is a view showing an example in which the substrate is rotated by the rotation of the support plate.

4 to 6, the substrate S is first loaded on the support plate 110. Information about the pixel Pi of the loaded substrate S may be read from information displayed on the substrate or input to the main controller 70 that controls the operation of the processing liquid discharge unit 10. The longitudinal direction of the pixel is confirmed from the pixel information of the substrate. In the case of the substrate S shown in FIG. 5, the longitudinal direction of the pixel Pi is directed in the second direction II perpendicular to the first direction I, which is a progressing direction of the processing liquid discharge process.

After confirming the longitudinal direction of the pixel, it is determined whether or not the longitudinal direction of the pixel coincides with the advancing direction (also referred to as printing direction) of the processing liquid discharge process. As a result, when the two directions coincide, the pixel pitch is checked from the pixel information of the substrate. In contrast, when the two directions do not coincide with each other, as shown in FIG. 6, the substrate is rotated to align the longitudinal direction of the pixel with the advancing direction of the processing liquid discharge process, and then the pixel pitch is confirmed from the pixel information of the substrate. .

After checking the pixel pitch, it is determined whether or not the pitch of the nozzles of the head aligned in the second direction (II) coincides with the pixel pitch. As a result of the determination, when the pitches match, the process liquid ejecting process for the substrate is performed while moving the head and / or the substrate in the first direction (I). Alternatively, if the pitch does not match, the head is rotated on the horizontal plane so that the treatment liquid ejection pitch of the nozzles coincides with the pixel pitch. Subsequently, the process liquid discharge process to the substrate is performed while moving the head and / or the substrate in the first direction (I). After the process liquid discharge step is completed, the processed substrate is unloaded.

When the processing liquid ejecting process is performed while the longitudinal direction of the pixels is aligned with the advancing direction of the processing liquid discharging process, the processing liquid discharging process conditions such as the on / off number of nozzles can be minimized. The quality deterioration of a liquid discharge process can be prevented.

The foregoing description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention, and various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present invention but to describe the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The protection scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the equivalent scope should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

The drawings described below are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

1 is a view showing the configuration of a treatment liquid application facility in which a treatment liquid discharge method according to an embodiment of the present invention is used.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the processing liquid discharge part of FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a plan view of the processing liquid discharge part of FIG. 2.

4 is a flowchart showing a flow of a process liquid discharge process.

5 shows a substrate loaded on a support plate.

6 is a view showing an example in which the substrate is rotated by the rotation of the support plate.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

S: Substrate Pi: Pixel

100: substrate support unit 110: support plate

200: head unit 300: first moving unit

400: second moving unit 500: first head cleaning unit

600: second head cleaning unit

Claims (4)

In the method of discharging a processing liquid to a substrate by an inkjet method, Identifying the longitudinal direction of the pixels formed on the substrate; Determining whether the substrate is rotated according to whether the advancing direction of the processing liquid discharge process coincides with the longitudinal direction of the pixel; And And discharging the processing liquid to the substrate whose positions are aligned according to the determination of the rotation. The method of claim 1, And rotating the substrate so that the longitudinal direction of the pixel is aligned with the advancing direction of the processing liquid discharging process when the advancing direction of the processing liquid discharging process is different from the longitudinal direction of the pixel. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Checking the pitch of the pixel; And And rotating the head so that the processing liquid discharge pitch of the nozzles provided in the head coincides with the pitch of the pixel. The method of claim 3, wherein The substrate is a color filter (CF) substrate for LCD (LCD), And the treatment liquid is any one of red ink, green ink, blue ink, and a combination thereof.

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