Apparatus and method for producing color filters by discharging material

• US 20020105688A1
• Filed: 01/14/2002
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Ito, Tatsuya, Kiguchi, Hiroshi, Shimizu, Masaharu, Katagami, Satoru, Kawase, Tomomi, Aruga, Hisashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,182,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/505
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2103 Features not dealing with the colouring process per se, e.g. construction of printers or heads, driving circuit adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/09 Ink jet technology used for manufacturing optical filters
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 Modules
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133516 Methods for their manufacture, e.g. printing, electro-deposition or photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element covered by group H10K50/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/135 using ink-jet printing

Abstract

The present invention provides a system which shortens the scanning time with an ink jet head for forming a pattern of filter elements of a color filter, picture element pixels of an electroluminescence (EL) device, or the like. An apparatus for producing a color filter can include a plurality of filter elements arranged on a substrate. The apparatus can further include a plurality of heads each having a nozzle row having a plurality of nozzles arranged, an ink supply device for supplying a filter element material to the heads, a carriage supporting the heads arranged thereon, a main scanning driving device for moving the carriage by main scanning in the X direction, and a sub-scanning driving device for moving the carriage by sub-scanning in the Y direction. The carriage supports the plurality of heads each of which is inclined at an in-plane inclination angle θ.

Claims

1. An apparatus for discharging a material to an object, comprising:

a plurality of heads each having a nozzle row, the nozzle row having an arrangement of a plurality of nozzles;

a supporting mechanism that supports the plurality of heads; and

a mechanism that scans at least one of the object and the supporting mechanism relative to each other in a scanning direction,

wherein the nozzle row is inclined relative to the scanning direction.

2. An apparatus for discharging a material according to claim 1, the plurality of the heads being supported obliquely relative to a longitudinal direction of the supporting mechanism.

3. An apparatus for discharging a material according to claim 1, at least one of the object and the supporting mechanism being scanned relative to the other in at least one of a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction crossing the main scanning direction.

4. An apparatus for discharging a material according to claim 1, the plurality of the heads having substantially a same nozzle pitch of the nozzle rows, and substantially a same inclination angle of the nozzle rows.

13. An apparatus for producing a color filter comprising a discharging apparatus according to claim 1,

a color filter material being the material that is discharged to a substrate serving as the object.

14. An apparatus for manufacturing an EL device comprising a discharging apparatus according to claim 1,

an EL luminescent material being the material that is discharged to a substrate serving as the object.

5. An apparatus for discharging a material to an object, comprising:

a plurality of heads each having a nozzle row, the nozzle row having an arrangement of a plurality of nozzles;

a supporting mechanism that supports the plurality of the heads;

a mechanism that scans at least one of the object and the supporting mechanism relative to each other; and

a mechanism that controls an angle formed by at least one of the nozzle rows and the scanning direction.

6. An apparatus for discharging a material according to claim 5, further comprising:

a mechanism for controlling a spacing between the plurality of the nozzle rows.

7. An apparatus for discharging a material according to claim 5, the mechanism that controls the angle between at least one nozzle row and the scanning direction controlling the angle in such a manner that the plurality of the heads have substantially the same nozzle pitch of the nozzle rows and substantially the same inclination angle of the nozzle rows.

8. A method of discharging a material to an object, comprising:

scanning at least one of a plurality of heads and a supporting mechanism that supports the plurality of the heads relative to each other, the heads each having a nozzle row including an arrangement of a plurality of nozzles; and

discharging the material to the object,

wherein at least one of the nozzle rows is inclined relative to the scanning direction.

9. A method for discharging a material according to claim 8, one of the object and the supporting mechanism being scanned relative to the other in at least one of a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction crossing the main scanning direction.

10. A method for discharging a material according to claim 8, the plurality of the heads having substantially the same nozzle pitch and substantially the same inclination angle of the nozzle rows.

11. A method for discharging a material according to claim 8, further comprising:

controlling the angle formed by at least one of the nozzle rows and a scanning direction.

12. A method for discharging a material according to claim 8, further comprising:

controlling a spacing between the plurality of the nozzle rows.

15. An electronic apparatus comprising a component manufactured by a manufacturing method comprising a method of discharging a material according to claim 10.

17. An apparatus for producing a color filter according to claim 16, the supporting mechanism supporting the heads in a fixed state.

18. An apparatus for producing a color filter according to claim 16, the plurality of the heads having substantially a same nozzle pitch of the nozzle rows, and substantially a same inclination angle of the nozzle rows.

20. An apparatus for producing a color filter according to claim 19, the plurality of the heads having substantially a same nozzle pitch and substantially a same inclination angle of the nozzle rows.

16. An apparatus for producing a color filter, comprising:

a plurality of heads each having a nozzle row, the nozzle row including an arrangement of a plurality of nozzles;

a mechanism that supplies a filter material to the heads; and

a supporting mechanism that supports the plurality of the heads, wherein the supporting mechanism supports the plurality of the heads in an inclined state.

19. An apparatus for producing a color filter, comprising:

a plurality of heads each having a nozzle row, the nozzle row including an arrangement of a plurality of nozzles;

a mechanism that supplies a filter material to the heads;

a supporting mechanism that supports the plurality of the heads;

a main scanning mechanism that moves the supporting mechanism by main scanning;

a sub-scanning mechanism that moves the supporting mechanism by sub-scanning;

a nozzle row angle control mechanism that controls the inclination angles of the plurality of the nozzle rows; and

a nozzle row spacing control mechanism that controls a spacing between the plurality of the nozzle rows.

21. A method of producing a color filter, comprising:

moving, in a main scanning direction, a head having a nozzle row comprising an arrangement of a plurality of nozzles while discharging a filter material from the plurality of nozzles to form a filter element on a substrate,

wherein a plurality of the heads are provided to be arranged in an inclined state.

22. A method for producing a color filter according to claim 21, the plurality of the heads have substantially a same nozzle pitch of the nozzle rows, and substantially a same inclination angle of the nozzle rows.

23. An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal device, comprising:

a plurality of heads each having a nozzle row, the nozzle row including an arrangement of a plurality of nozzles;

a mechanism that supplies a filter material to the heads;

a supporting mechanism that supports the plurality of the heads;

a main scanning mechanism that moves the supporting mechanism by main scanning; and

a sub-scanning mechanism that moves the supporting mechanism by sub-scanning,

wherein the supporting mechanism supports the plurality of the heads in an inclined state.

24. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device, comprising:

moving, in a main scanning direction, a head having a nozzle row having an arrangement of a plurality of nozzles while discharging a filter material from the plurality of nozzles to form a filter element on a substrate,

wherein a plurality of the heads are provided to be arranged in an inclined state.

25. An apparatus for manufacturing an EL device, comprising:

a plurality of heads each having a nozzle row, the nozzle row having an arrangement of a plurality of nozzles;

a mechanism that supplies an EL luminescent material to the heads;

a supporting mechanism that supports the plurality of the heads;

a main scanning mechanism that moves the supporting mechanism by main scanning;

a sub-scanning mechanism that moves the supporting mechanism by sub-scanning;

a nozzle row angle control mechanism that controls the inclination angles of the plurality of the nozzle rows; and

a nozzle row distance control mechanism that controls a spacing between the plurality of the nozzle rows.

26. A method of manufacturing an EL device, comprising:

moving, in a main scanning direction, a head having a nozzle row including an arrangement of a plurality of nozzles while discharging an EL luminescent material from the plurality of nozzles to form an EL luminescent layer on a substrate,

wherein a plurality of the heads are provided to be arranged in an inclined state.