WO2018030256A1

WO2018030256A1 - Film formation method and film formation apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2018030256A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/028188
Authority: WO
Inventors: 剛野本; 裕司岡本
Original assignee: 住友重機械工業株式会社
Priority date: 2016-08-10
Filing date: 2017-08-03
Publication date: 2018-02-15
Also published as: JP2018026443A; TW201805069A; JP6862041B2; KR20190040960A; TWI688431B; CN109475895A

Abstract

While a substrate is moved relative to an inkjet head, a film is formed on the substrate by discharging droplets from the inkjet head toward the substrate on the basis of pattern data defining a pattern for a film to be formed. The direction of the relative motion of the inkjet head and the substrate is orthogonal to the direction of the smallest measurement in the pattern that is defined by the pattern data. The present invention is capable of forming with high resolution the edges that set the smallest measurement of a pattern using inkjet printing technology.

Description

Film forming method and film forming apparatus

The present invention relates to a film forming method and a film forming apparatus.

Photolithography technology or screen printing technology is used to form a resist pattern for patterning the transparent conductive film of the touch panel. In the method using the photolithography technique, a high-definition pattern can be formed, but the apparatus cost, the waste liquid processing cost, and the like increase. The method using the screen printing technique is more advantageous than the method using the photolithography technique in terms of apparatus cost and waste liquid treatment cost, but it is difficult to form a high-definition pattern. A technique for forming a resist pattern using an inkjet printing technique has been proposed (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 5797277

There is a need for a technique for patterning transparent conductive films with higher precision. An object of the present invention is to provide a film forming method and a film forming apparatus capable of forming an edge giving a minimum dimension of a pattern with high definition using an ink jet printing technique.

According to one aspect of the invention,
While moving the substrate relative to the inkjet head, a film is formed on the substrate by ejecting droplets from the inkjet head toward the substrate based on pattern data that defines the pattern of the film to be formed. A film forming method for
A film forming method is provided in which the relative movement direction of the inkjet head and the substrate is orthogonal to the direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern defined by the pattern data.
According to another aspect of the invention,
A support for supporting the substrate;
An inkjet head that ejects droplets toward the substrate;
A moving mechanism for moving one of the substrate supported by the support portion and the inkjet head in at least a one-dimensional direction with respect to the other;
A control device for controlling the inkjet head and the moving mechanism;
The control device stores pattern data defining a pattern of a film to be formed on the substrate, controls the inkjet head and the moving mechanism, and moves the substrate relative to the inkjet head. A film is formed by ejecting droplets from the inkjet head toward the substrate based on the pattern data while moving in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern defined by the pattern data. A film forming apparatus is provided.

It is possible to improve the relative positional accuracy of a pair of edges that gives the minimum dimension of the film pattern to be formed.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a resist pattern used as an etching mask when patterning a transparent electrode of a touch panel as an example of a film to be formed. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a target landing position of a droplet and a variation in the landing position, and FIG. 3B is a diagram showing an example of a film shape when a band-shaped film is formed while moving the substrate in the y direction. It is. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the resist film to be formed and the inkjet head. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the arrangement of the inkjet head of a film forming apparatus according to another embodiment and the resist film to be formed. FIG. 6 is a view showing the positional relationship between the arrangement of the inkjet head of a film forming apparatus according to still another embodiment and the resist film to be formed. 7A and 7B are views showing the positional relationship between an inkjet head and a resist film to be formed in a film forming apparatus according to still another embodiment. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing another positional relationship between the ink jet head of the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B and the resist film to be formed. 9A and 9B are views showing the positional relationship between an inkjet head and a resist film to be formed in a film forming apparatus according to still another embodiment. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing another positional relationship between the inkjet head and the resist film to be formed in the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a film pattern to be formed by a film forming method according to another embodiment. 12A and 12B are views showing the positional relationship between the ink jet head of the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 and the resist film to be formed. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing another positional relationship between the inkjet head of the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B and the resist film to be formed. 14A and 14B are views showing the positional relationship between an inkjet head and a resist film to be formed in a film forming apparatus according to still another embodiment. FIG. 15A is a diagram showing another positional relationship between the ink jet head of the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B and the resist film to be formed. FIG. 16A is a schematic view of a film forming apparatus according to still another embodiment, and FIG. 16B is a diagram showing an example of a film pattern formed on a flexible substrate. FIG. 17 is a flowchart of a procedure executed by the control device of the film forming apparatus according to still another embodiment.

A film forming method and a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment. A support portion 23 is supported on the base 20 via a moving mechanism 21. The substrate 50 is supported on the upper surface (support surface) of the support portion 23. The moving mechanism 21 can move the substrate 50 in a two-dimensional direction by moving the support portion 23 in a two-dimensional direction parallel to the support surface. Usually, the support surface of the support part 23 is kept horizontal. An xyz orthogonal coordinate system in which two directions parallel to the support surface are defined as an x axis and ay axis is defined.

The inkjet head 25 is disposed above the substrate 50 supported by the support portion 23. The ink jet head 25 is supported on the base 20 by a portal frame 24. The inkjet head 25 includes a plurality of head blocks 26. The plurality of head blocks 26 are attached to a common support member 28. Each head block 26 is provided with a plurality of nozzle holes. A droplet of the film material is discharged from the nozzle hole toward the substrate 50.

A film is formed by curing the liquid film material adhering to the substrate 50. As the film material, a photocurable resin, a thermosetting resin, or the like can be used. A light source or a heat source for curing the film material attached to the substrate 50 is disposed on the side of the inkjet head 25.

The control device 30 controls the movement of the support portion 23 by the moving mechanism 21 and the discharge of the film material from the nozzle holes of the inkjet head 25. The control device 30 includes a storage device 31, and the storage device 31 stores film pattern data to be formed. The control device 30 controls the moving mechanism 21 and the inkjet head 25 based on the pattern data, so that a film having a desired pattern can be formed on the substrate 50.

Various commands and data are input from the input device 35 to the control device 30. As the input device 35, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device, a USB port, a communication device, or the like is used. Various information regarding the operation of the film forming apparatus is output to the output device 36. As the output device 36, for example, a liquid crystal display, a speaker, a USB port, a communication device, or the like is used.

FIG. 2 shows a resist film 53 used as an etching mask when patterning a transparent electrode of a touch panel as an example of a film to be formed. The transparent electrode is formed by etching a transparent conductive film made of ITO or the like using the resist film 53 as an etching mask. In FIG. 2, a dot pattern is added to the region where the resist is applied.

The plurality of pad portions 51 are arranged in a matrix, and the connection portion 52 connects the plurality of pad portions 51 in the column direction. In the xyz orthogonal coordinate system defined in FIG. 1, the row direction corresponds to the x direction and the column direction corresponds to the y direction. An interval G between the pad portions 51 adjacent in the x direction is the minimum dimension of the pattern. The direction of this minimum dimension is the x direction, and its size is, for example, about 30 μm.

When the landing positions of the droplets for forming the pair of edges 54 that give the minimum dimension of the pattern are shifted in the x direction, the pad portions 51 adjacent in the x direction are connected. If the two pad portions 51 that should originally be separated from each other are connected, the touch panel does not operate normally. However, even if the landing position of the liquid droplet is shifted in the y direction, the two pad portions 51 that are separated in the x direction are not connected. Therefore, it is preferable that the positional accuracy in the x direction of the droplet forming the pair of edges 54 that give the minimum dimension of the pattern is higher than the positional accuracy in the y direction.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the landing position accuracy of the droplets in the x direction and the y direction will be described.

FIG. 3A shows the landing target position of the droplet and the variation of the landing position. The landing target position 55 is represented by a solid line, and a plurality of scattered landing positions are represented by broken lines. At the time of applying the film material, droplets of the film material are ejected from a predetermined nozzle hole of the inkjet head 25 while moving the substrate 50 (FIG. 1) in the y direction. Possible causes of variation in the landing position of the droplet include variation in the ejection direction from the nozzle hole, variation in the moving speed of the substrate 50, variation in the ejection timing from the nozzle hole, variation in the droplet ejection speed, and the like.

Of these variation factors, variation in the ejection direction from the nozzle hole causes variation in position in both the x and y directions. The other three variation factors cause a variation in position in the y direction, but do not cause a variation in position in the x direction. For this reason, the maximum variation width Dx in the x direction is smaller than the maximum variation width Dy in the y direction.

FIG. 3B shows an example of the shape of the film when the band-like film is formed while moving the substrate 50 (FIG. 1) in the y direction. The inkjet head 25 is provided with a plurality of nozzle holes 27 arranged at equal intervals in the x direction. Since the variation in the droplet landing position in the x direction is smaller than the variation in the y direction, the edges on both sides of the strip film 56 long in the y direction are higher in linearity than the edges on both sides of the strip film 57 long in the x direction. The variation in the width of the film 56 (the variation in the position in the x direction) is smaller than the variation in the width of the film 57 (the variation in the position in the y direction).

Next, a resist film forming method for forming a transparent electrode for a touch panel will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 shows the positional relationship between the resist film 53 to be formed and the inkjet head 25. Pattern data is created so that the direction of the minimum dimension of the resist film 53 coincides with the x direction. A minimum dimension is given by a pair of edges 54 of the resist film 53. Based on the pattern data, the control device 30 (FIG. 1) controls the moving mechanism 21 to move the substrate 50 (FIG. 1) in the y direction, while dropping the film material from each nozzle hole 27 of the inkjet head 25. To discharge. If the entire resist film 53 cannot be formed over the entire area of the substrate 50 by one movement (hereinafter referred to as scanning) of the substrate 50 in the y direction, the substrate 50 is shifted in the x direction and the second and subsequent scans are performed. As a result, the entire resist film 53 can be formed.

Next, the excellent effect of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 will be described.

The direction of the edge 54 (FIG. 4) and the substrate 50 when the film is formed while moving the substrate 50 in the direction (y direction) orthogonal to the direction of the minimum dimension (x direction) of the pattern of the film to be formed. The relationship with the direction of movement is the same as the relationship between the direction of the edge of the film 56 in FIG. 3B and the direction of movement of the substrate. Therefore, as described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the variation in the position in the x direction of the pair of edges 54 (FIG. 4) that gives the minimum dimension of the pattern can be reduced, and the edge 54 The degree of straightness can be increased. Thereby, it can suppress that the two pad parts 51 adjacent to a x direction on both sides of the part of a minimum dimension will mutually continue.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the film is formed while the inkjet head 25 is stationary with respect to the base 20 and the support portion 23 is moved in the y direction. When the ink jet head 25 is moved with respect to the base 20, a slight change occurs in the posture due to the movement of the ink jet head 25. The change in the posture of the ink jet head 25 causes a variation in the positional accuracy of the landing position because it changes the ejection direction of the droplets. In the above embodiment, since the ink jet head 25 is stationary with respect to the base 20 at the time of film formation, it is possible to reduce the variation in the landing position due to the change in the posture of the ink jet head 25.

In the above embodiment, the resist film is formed using the ink jet printing technique, but other films may be formed. In the above embodiment, the minimum dimension is given by the gap between the areas where the resist is applied. However, the minimum dimension may be given by the area where the resist is applied. For example, it is possible to form a film in which the width of the thin line made of resist is the minimum dimension. In this case, by applying the method according to the embodiment, occurrence of disconnection in the thin line can be suppressed.

In the above embodiment, the inkjet head 25 is stationary and the substrate 50 is moved during film formation. Conversely, the substrate 50 may be stationary and the inkjet head 25 may be moved. In this case, although there may be variations in the landing position due to variations in the posture of the inkjet head 25, the direction orthogonal to the direction of the minimum dimension (x direction) of the film pattern to be formed The effect of suppressing variation in position due to relative movement of the substrate 50 and the inkjet head 25 in the (y direction) can be obtained.

Next, another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Hereinafter, differences from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 will be described, and descriptions of common configurations will be omitted.

FIG. 5 shows the positional relationship between the arrangement of the inkjet head 25 of the film forming apparatus according to this embodiment and the resist film 53 to be formed. The pattern of the resist film 53 is the same as the pattern of the resist film 53 in the embodiment shown in FIGS. In this embodiment, the inkjet head 25 is provided with a plurality of nozzle holes 27y arranged in a direction (y direction) orthogonal to the direction of the minimum dimension (x direction) of the resist film 53. In addition, similarly to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of nozzle holes 27x arranged at equal intervals in the x direction are provided. The plurality of nozzle holes 27y arranged in the y direction are arranged in two rows, and the plurality of nozzle holes 27y in each row are arranged at the same x coordinate.

For example, each of the head blocks 26 is provided with a plurality of nozzle holes 27 arranged in a line. The two head blocks 26 are arranged in such a posture that the arrangement direction of the nozzle holes 27 is parallel to the y direction. Thereby, the nozzle holes 27y for two rows are realized. By arranging the plurality of head blocks 26 in such a posture that the arrangement direction of the nozzle holes 27 is parallel to the x direction, the plurality of nozzle holes 27x are realized.

The distance between the two rows of nozzle holes 27 y in the x direction corresponds to the minimum dimension of the resist film 53. Here, “corresponding” does not mean that the interval in the x direction of the nozzle holes 27y is equal to the minimum dimension, but the edge of the film formed by the droplets ejected from the nozzle holes 27y in one row, This means that the distance from the edge of the film formed by the droplets ejected from the nozzle holes 27y in the other row is equal to the minimum dimension.

The control device 30 (FIG. 1) controls the inkjet head 25 and the moving mechanism 21 (FIG. 1), and the droplets discharged from some of the nozzle holes 27y of the plurality of nozzle holes 27y are used in the resist film 53. A pair of edges 54 are formed that give the smallest dimension. Portions other than the edge 54 are formed by droplets ejected from the nozzle hole 27x.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, even if one of the plurality of nozzle holes 27y fails, the edge 54 giving the minimum dimension can be formed using the other nozzle holes 27y in the same row. Thereby, the exchange frequency of the head block 26 for edge formation can be decreased.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of nozzle holes 27y arranged in the y direction are configured in two rows, but may be configured in one row. In this case, one edge 54 may be formed by the first scanning and the other edge 54 may be formed by the second scanning.

Next, still another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Hereinafter, differences from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 will be described, and descriptions of common configurations will be omitted.

FIG. 6 shows the positional relationship between the arrangement of the inkjet head 25 of the film forming apparatus according to this embodiment and the resist film 53 to be formed. The inkjet head 25 has a plurality of nozzle holes 27 arranged in a direction parallel to the direction of the minimum dimension (x direction). The pitch of the nozzle holes 27 that discharge droplets for forming a pair of edges 54 that give the minimum dimension of the pattern of the resist film 53 is defined as a first pitch P1. The row of the plurality of nozzle holes 27 includes a portion arranged at a second pitch P2 shorter than the first pitch P1, and a portion where the first pitch P1 is secured. No other nozzle hole is arranged between the two nozzle holes 27 arranged at the first pitch P1.

For example, the nozzle holes 27 arranged at the second pitch P <b> 2 are provided in each of the plurality of head blocks 26. The pitch between the nozzle hole 27 at the end (right end in FIG. 6) of one head block 26 and the nozzle hole 27 at the end (left end in FIG. 6) of the other head block 26 is the first pitch P1. Two head blocks 26 are positioned.

The control device 30 (FIG. 1) forms a pair of edges 54 that give the minimum dimension in the resist film 53 with droplets ejected from the two nozzle holes 27 in which the first pitch P1 is secured. The inkjet head 25 and the moving mechanism 21 (FIG. 1) are controlled.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the nozzle hole 27 is not disposed between the edges 54 that give the minimum dimension. For this reason, it is possible to prevent droplets from landing between the edges 54 due to a malfunction of the nozzle hole 27 or the like. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem that the portions to be separated of the resist film 53 are continuous.

Next, still another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 8B. Hereinafter, differences from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 will be described, and descriptions of common configurations will be omitted.

FIG. 7A shows the positional relationship between the inkjet head 25 of the film forming apparatus according to this embodiment and the resist film 53 to be formed. A region indicated by a broken line in the resist film 53 indicates a region where the resist is not yet applied. Two head blocks 26 are arranged side by side in the y direction. Each head block 26 is provided with a plurality of nozzle holes 27 arranged at equal intervals in the x direction. One head block 26 is fixed to the other head block 26 so as to be displaced in the x direction by half the pitch of the nozzle holes 27. For this reason, as a whole, the pitch of the nozzle holes 27 in the x direction is narrowed to half the pitch of the nozzle holes 27 of one head block 26 as the entire inkjet head 25.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the resist film 53 is formed while moving the substrate 50 (FIG. 1) in a direction (y direction) orthogonal to the direction of the minimum dimension (x direction). In FIG. 7B, the dot pattern is given to the area | region where the resist was apply | coated. One edge 54 giving the minimum dimension in the resist film 53 is formed by droplets ejected from one nozzle hole 27 of one head block 26.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the substrate 50 (FIG. 1) is shifted in the minimum dimension direction (x direction). As a result, it becomes possible to apply the droplets ejected from the inkjet head 25 to the region where the resist is not applied in the first scanning.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the resist film 53 is formed while moving the substrate 50 (FIG. 1) in a direction (y direction) orthogonal to the direction of the minimum dimension (x direction). By this scanning, the edge 54 that is not formed in the step of FIG. 7B among the pair of edges 54 that give the minimum dimension in the resist film 53 is formed. At this time, the head block 26 that ejects the droplets that form the edge 54 is the same as the head block 26 that ejects the droplets that form the other edge 54 in the step of FIG. 7B.

When the pair of edges 54 are formed by droplets ejected from different head blocks 26, the positional accuracy is affected by the mounting accuracy of the head block 26 to the support member 28 (FIG. 1). In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A to 8B, since the pair of edges 54 are formed by droplets ejected from the same head block 26, the relative positional accuracy of the pair of edges 54 is the mounting position of the head block 26. Not affected by tolerances. Thereby, the fall of the relative positional accuracy of a pair of edge 54 can be suppressed.

In the example shown in FIGS. 7A to 8B, the pair of edges 54 that give the minimum dimension are formed by two scans. When the pitch of the nozzle holes 27 of one head block 26 corresponds to the interval between the pair of edges 54 that gives the minimum dimension, the pair of edges 54 may be formed by one scan.

Next, still another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 10B. Hereinafter, differences from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A to 8B will be described, and description of common configurations will be omitted.

FIG. 9A shows the positional relationship between the inkjet head 25 of the film forming apparatus according to this embodiment and the resist film 53 to be formed. A region indicated by a broken line in the resist film 53 indicates a region where the resist is not yet applied. The inkjet head 25 is provided with a plurality of nozzle holes 27 arranged at equal intervals in the x direction.

As shown in FIG. 9B, the resist film 53 is formed while moving the substrate 50 (FIG. 1) in a direction (y direction) orthogonal to the direction of the minimum dimension (x direction). In FIG. 9B, a dot pattern is given to the region where the resist is applied. One edge 54 giving the minimum dimension in the resist film 53 is formed by droplets ejected from one nozzle hole 27 </ b> A of the inkjet head 25.

As shown in FIG. 10A, the substrate 50 (FIG. 1) is shifted in the minimum dimension direction (x direction) by a distance corresponding to the minimum dimension. As a result, the edge 54 that has not been formed by the first scan can be formed by the droplets ejected from the nozzle hole 27A.

As shown in FIG. 10B, the resist film 53 is formed while moving the substrate 50 (FIG. 1) in a direction (y direction) orthogonal to the direction of the minimum dimension (x direction). By this scanning, the edge 54 that is not formed in the step of FIG. 9B among the pair of edges 54 that give the minimum dimension in the resist film 53 is formed. The nozzle hole 27A that discharges the droplet that forms the edge 54 is the same as the nozzle hole 27A that discharges the droplet that forms one edge 54 in the step of FIG. 9B.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9A to 10B, the position of the edge 54 is not affected by the variation in the discharge direction of the droplets for each nozzle hole 27. For this reason, variation in the relative positional relationship between the pair of edges 54 can be further reduced.

Next, still another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13B. Hereinafter, differences from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 will be described, and descriptions of common configurations will be omitted. In the present embodiment, the moving mechanism 21 (FIG. 1) has a function of rotating the substrate 50 in the in-plane direction of the support surface (rotation direction about an axis perpendicular to the support surface).

FIG. 11 shows a pattern of the film 60 to be formed. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the direction of the minimum dimension of the resist film 53 is only one direction in the x direction. In the present embodiment, the interval G in the row direction (x direction) and the interval G in the column direction (y direction) of a plurality of isolated patterns arranged in a matrix are equal, and the interval G is the minimum dimension of the pattern. That is, the direction of the minimum dimension is two directions, the x direction and the y direction.

FIG. 12A shows the positional relationship between the inkjet head 25 and the film 60 to be formed in the film forming apparatus according to this embodiment. A region indicated by a broken line in the film 60 indicates that the film material has not been applied yet. The inkjet head 25 is provided with a plurality of nozzle holes 27 arranged at equal intervals in the x direction.

As shown in FIG. 12B, a part of the film 60 is formed while moving the substrate 50 (FIG. 1) in a direction (y direction) perpendicular to the direction of one minimum dimension (x direction). In FIG. 12B, a dot pattern is given to the area where the film material is applied. A film material is applied to a region including a pair of edges 61 that give a minimum dimension in the x direction. No film material is applied to the region including the pair of edges 62 that gives the minimum dimension in the y direction.

As shown in FIG. 13A, the control device 30 (FIG. 1) controls the moving mechanism 21 to rotate the substrate 50 by 90 °. As a result, the already formed edge 61 gives the minimum dimension in the y direction, and the unformed edge 62 gives the minimum dimension in the x direction.

As shown in FIG. 13B, the film 60 is formed while moving the substrate 50 (FIG. 1) in the direction (y direction) orthogonal to the direction (x direction) of the minimum dimension given by the unformed edge 62. By this scanning, the film material is applied to a region including a pair of edges 62 that give the minimum dimension of the pattern of the film 60.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 13B, all of the edges that give the minimum dimension in the direction orthogonal to each other are formed when the substrate is scanned in the direction orthogonal to the direction of the minimum dimension. For this reason, the straightness can be increased at any edge, and the relative positional accuracy of the pair of edges can be increased.

Next, still another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14A to 15A. Hereinafter, differences from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 13B will be described, and descriptions of common configurations will be omitted.

FIG. 14A shows the positional relationship between the inkjet head 25 of the film forming apparatus according to this embodiment and the film 60 to be formed. A region indicated by a broken line in the film 60 indicates that the film material has not been applied yet. The ink jet head 25 includes a head block 26 provided with a plurality of nozzle holes 27 arranged at equal intervals in the x direction and another head block 26 provided with a plurality of nozzle holes 27 arranged at equal intervals in the y direction. .

As shown in FIG. 14B, a part of the film 60 is formed while moving the substrate 50 (FIG. 1) in a direction (y direction) perpendicular to the direction of one minimum dimension (x direction). In FIG. 14B, a dot pattern is attached to the area where the film material is applied. The film material discharged from the head block 26 having the nozzle holes 27 arranged in the x direction is applied to a region including the pair of edges 61 that give the minimum dimension in the x direction.

As shown in FIG. 15A, the region where the film material is not applied in the process of FIG. 14B while moving the substrate 50 (FIG. 1) in the direction (x direction) perpendicular to the direction of the other smallest dimension (y direction). A film material is applied to the film 60 to complete the film 60. In FIG. 15A, a dot pattern is attached to the area where the film material is applied. This scanning forms a pair of edges 62 that give the minimum dimension in the y direction.

In this embodiment, as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 13B, both of the edges that give the minimum dimension in the direction orthogonal to each other scan the substrate in the direction orthogonal to the direction of the minimum dimension. Formed when. For this reason, the straightness can be increased at any edge, and the relative positional accuracy of the pair of edges can be increased.

Next, still another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 16A and 16B. Hereinafter, differences from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 will be described, and descriptions of common configurations will be omitted.

FIG. 16A shows a schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus according to this example. The flexible substrate 70 is sent from the feeding roll 71 to the winding roll 72. When the moving mechanism 73 is controlled by the control device 30, the feeding roll 71 and the winding roll 72 are rotated. The inkjet head 25 is disposed above the flexible substrate 70 while being fed from the feed roll 71 and wound on the take-up roll 72. The configuration of the inkjet head 25 is the same as the configuration of the inkjet head 25 of the embodiment shown in FIGS.

The feeding direction of the flexible substrate 70 corresponds to the scanning direction (y direction) of the substrate 50 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, and the width direction of the flexible substrate 70 is in the x direction in the embodiments of FIGS. Correspond. A film can be formed on the flexible substrate 70 by discharging droplets of the film material from the inkjet head 25 while feeding the flexible substrate 70 in the y direction.

FIG. 16B shows an example of the pattern of the film 75 formed on the flexible substrate 70. The direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern of the film 75 is the width direction (x direction). The control device 30 (FIG. 16A) controls the feeding speed of the flexible substrate 70 and the ejection of the film material from the inkjet head 25.

Also in this embodiment, as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the relative movement direction of the inkjet head 25 and the flexible substrate 70 is relative to the direction of the minimum dimension of the film pattern to be formed. Orthogonal. Therefore, the same effect as that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 can be obtained.

FIG. 17 shows a flowchart of a procedure executed by the control device 30 of the film forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. First, pattern data input from the input device 35 (FIG. 1) is stored in the storage device 31 (FIG. 1) (step S1). The direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern defined by the input pattern data is detected (step S2). The direction of the minimum dimension is compared with the moving direction of the substrate during film formation (step S3). The moving direction of the substrate during film formation is stored in the control device 30 in advance.

If the two are orthogonal, film formation is executed (step S4). If the two are not orthogonal, the control device 30 outputs information notifying the output device 36 (FIG. 1) that the direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern data is deviated from the optimum direction (step S5).

The operator can know that the direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern data is deviated from the optimum direction by looking at the information output to the output device 36. The operator corrects the pattern data so as to rotate the direction of the minimum dimension. The corrected pattern data is input from the input device 35 again. Thereby, the fall of the relative position accuracy of the edge of the pattern which gives a minimum dimension can be suppressed.

The direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern defined by the current pattern data may be output as information output to the output device. If the direction of the minimum dimension and the moving direction of the substrate during film formation are not orthogonal, the pattern data may be automatically corrected so that they are orthogonal.

Each of the above-described embodiments is an exemplification, and needless to say, partial replacement or combination of the configurations shown in the different embodiments is possible. About the same effect by the same composition of a plurality of examples, it does not refer to every example one by one. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, improvements, combinations, and the like can be made.

20 base 21 moving mechanism 23 support section 24 portal frame 25 inkjet head 26 head block 27 nozzle hole

27A nozzle hole

27x nozzle hole 27y aligned in the x direction nozzle hole 28 aligned in the y direction support member 30 control device 31 storage device 35 input Device 36 Output device 50 Substrate 51 Pad portion 52 Connection portion 53 Resist film 54 Edge 55 giving minimum dimension

Landing target position

56, 57 Band-shaped film 60

Film

61, 62 Edge 70 Flexible substrate 71 Feeding roll 72 Winding roll 73 Moving mechanism 75 membranes

Claims

While moving the substrate relative to the inkjet head, a film is formed on the substrate by ejecting droplets from the inkjet head toward the substrate based on pattern data that defines the pattern of the film to be formed. A film forming method for
A film forming method in which a relative movement direction of the inkjet head and the substrate is orthogonal to a direction of a minimum dimension of the pattern.
The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein the inkjet head is supported on a base, and the substrate is moved relative to the base when the film is formed.
The inkjet head includes a plurality of nozzle holes for discharging droplets,
While moving the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the minimum dimension, forming one edge that gives the minimum dimension of the pattern;
Then, the substrate is shifted in the direction of the minimum dimension,
Then, while moving the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the minimum dimension, forming the other edge that gives the minimum dimension of the pattern,
The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid droplets forming the one edge and the other edge are ejected from the same nozzle hole among the plurality of nozzle holes.
A support for supporting the substrate;
An inkjet head that ejects droplets toward the substrate;
A moving mechanism for moving one of the substrate supported by the support portion and the inkjet head in at least a one-dimensional direction with respect to the other;
A control device for controlling the inkjet head and the moving mechanism;
The control device stores pattern data defining a pattern of a film to be formed on the substrate, controls the inkjet head and the moving mechanism, and moves the substrate relative to the inkjet head. A film forming apparatus for forming a film by discharging droplets from the inkjet head toward the substrate based on the pattern data while moving in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern.
The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the moving mechanism moves the substrate supported by the support portion.
Furthermore, it has a base for supporting the inkjet head,
The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the moving mechanism moves the substrate relative to the base.
The inkjet head includes a plurality of first nozzle holes arranged in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern,
The control device controls the inkjet head and the moving mechanism to give a minimum dimension of the pattern by droplets ejected from the first nozzle holes of a part of the plurality of first nozzle holes. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a pair of edges are formed.
The inkjet head has a plurality of second nozzle holes arranged in a direction parallel to the direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern, and discharges droplets for forming a pair of edges that give the minimum dimension of the pattern When the pitch of the second nozzle holes is the first pitch, the plurality of rows of the second nozzle holes includes a portion arranged at a second pitch shorter than the first pitch, and the first pitch is Including secured parts,
8. The control device according to claim 4, wherein the control device forms a pair of edges that give a minimum dimension of the pattern by droplets ejected from the two second nozzle holes in which the first pitch is secured. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1.
The inkjet head includes a plurality of head blocks attached to a common support member, and the plurality of head blocks have a plurality of nozzle holes for discharging droplets,
The control device forms a pair of edges that give a minimum dimension of the pattern by droplets ejected from any one of the plurality of nozzle holes of the same head block among the plurality of head blocks. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6.
The moving mechanism has a function of moving the substrate in a two-dimensional direction,
The inkjet head includes a plurality of nozzle holes for discharging droplets,
The control device includes:
While moving the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern, forming one edge that gives the minimum dimension of the pattern;
Then, the substrate is shifted in the direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern,
Then, while moving the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern, forming the other edge that gives the minimum dimension of the pattern,
The film according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein droplets forming one edge and the other edge that give the minimum dimension of the pattern are discharged from the same nozzle hole among the plurality of nozzle holes. Forming equipment.
The moving mechanism further has a function of rotating the substrate supported by the support portion in an in-plane direction,
The minimum dimension of the pattern appears in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other,
When forming the film, the control device controls the inkjet head and the moving mechanism to move the substrate in the first direction, while moving the minimum dimension of the pattern in the second direction. Then, the substrate is rotated by 90 °, and then the substrate is moved in the second direction to form an edge that gives the minimum dimension of the pattern in the first direction. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4.
The moving mechanism has a function of moving the substrate in a two-dimensional direction,
The minimum dimension of the pattern appears in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other,
The inkjet head includes a first head block having a plurality of first nozzle holes arranged in the first direction and a second head block having a plurality of second nozzle holes arranged in the second direction. Including
When forming the film, the control device controls the inkjet head and the moving mechanism to move the substrate in the first direction, while moving the minimum dimension of the pattern in the second direction. Forming an edge to be provided by droplets ejected from the plurality of second nozzle holes of the second head block, and then moving the substrate in the second direction while moving the substrate in the pattern. 7. The film according to claim 4, wherein an edge that gives a minimum dimension in the first direction is formed by droplets ejected from the plurality of first nozzle holes of the first head block. 8. Forming equipment.
Furthermore, it has an input device and an output device,
The control device includes:
Storing the moving direction of the substrate relative to the inkjet head when forming the film;
Detecting the direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern input from the input device;
The direction of the detected minimum dimension and the moving direction of the substrate are compared, and when the two are not orthogonal, the information for notifying that the direction of the minimum dimension of the pattern is deviated from the optimum direction is output. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the film forming apparatus outputs an output from the apparatus.