METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING IRREGULARITIES IN COLOR FILTERS

• US 20070182775A1
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Kurita, Shinichi, Shamoun, Bassam
• Granted Patent: US 7,923,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/15
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/223 containing organic substances, e.g. dyes, inks or pigments
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133516 Methods for their manufacture, e.g. printing, electro-deposition or photolithography

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and systems are disclosed for printing color filters for flat panel displays and avoiding mura effects by depositing a plurality of ink drops on a substrate within a column of pixel wells and intentionally varying the size and/or the relative lateral position of the ink drops deposited in the pixel wells. Numerous other aspects are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

depositing a plurality of ink drops on a substrate within a column of pixel wells; and

intentionally varying a size of the ink drops deposited in the pixel wells.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the size of the ink drops is varied randomly to prevent an occurrence of a mura irregularity.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a nominal tolerance of the size of the ink drops is increased to prevent an occurrence of a mura irregularity.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the size of the ink drops is varied based on a function of a position of the substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the size of the ink drops is varied based on a function of time.

6. The method of claim 1 further including intentionally varying a relative lateral position of the ink drops deposited in the pixel wells.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein intentionally varying a relative lateral position of the ink drops includes varying a lateral position of a print head during printing.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the size of the ink drops is varied between each ink drop.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the size of the ink drops is varied between groups of ink drops.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the size of the ink drops is varied between pixel wells.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a print head adapted to deposit a plurality of ink drops on a substrate within a column of pixel wells; and

a controller adapted to vary a size of the ink drops deposited in the pixel wells by the print head.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller is adapted to vary the size of the ink drops randomly to prevent an occurrence of a mura irregularity.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller is adapted to increase a nominal tolerance of the size of the ink drops to prevent an occurrence of a mura irregularity.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller is adapted to vary the size of the ink drops based on a function of a position of the substrate.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller is adapted to vary the size of the ink drops based on a function of time.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller is adapted to vary a relative lateral position of the ink drops deposited in the pixel wells by varying a lateral position of a print head during printing.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller is adapted to vary the size of the ink drops between each ink drop.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller is adapted to vary the size of the ink drops between groups of ink drops.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller is adapted to vary the size of the ink drops between pixel wells.

20. A method comprising:

depositing a plurality of ink drops on a substrate within a column of pixel wells; and

intentionally varying a relative lateral position of the ink drops deposited in the pixel wells.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the relative lateral position of the ink drops is varied randomly to prevent an occurrence of a mura irregularity.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein a nominal tolerance of the relative lateral position of the ink drops is increased to prevent an occurrence of a mura irregularity.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the relative lateral position of the ink drops is varied based on a function of a position of the substrate.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the relative lateral position of the ink drops is varied based on a function of time.

25. The method of claim 20 further including intentionally varying a size of the ink drops deposited in the pixel wells.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein intentionally varying a size of the ink drops includes varying a volume of ink jetted by a print head during printing.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein the relative lateral position of the ink drops is varied between each ink drop.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein the relative lateral position of the ink drops is varied between groups of ink drops.

29. The method of claim 20 wherein the relative lateral position of the ink drops is varied between pixel wells.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a print head adapted to deposit a plurality of ink drops on a substrate within a column of pixel wells; and

a controller adapted to vary a relative lateral position of the ink drops deposited in the pixel wells by the print head.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the controller is adapted to vary the relative lateral position of the ink drops randomly to prevent an occurrence of a mura irregularity.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the controller is adapted to increase a nominal tolerance of the relative lateral position of the ink drops to prevent an occurrence of a mura irregularity.

33. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the controller is adapted to vary the relative lateral position of the ink drops based on a function of a position of the substrate.

34. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the controller is adapted to vary the relative lateral position of the ink drops based on a function of time.

35. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the controller is adapted to vary a size of the ink drops deposited in the pixel wells by varying a volume of ink jetted by a print head during printing.

36. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the controller is adapted to vary the relative lateral position of the ink drops between each ink drop.

37. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the controller is adapted to vary the relative lateral position of the ink drops between groups of ink drops.

38. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the controller is adapted to vary the relative lateral position of the ink drops between pixel wells.