Apparatus for producing color filter with alignment error detection

• US 5,984,470 A
• Filed: 04/18/1996
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakino, Shigeo, Masuda, Kazuaki, Tsuruoka, Shinsuke, Sakai, Toshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, L.
• Application Number:
  US08/634,409
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 347/106, 347/105, 347/1, 347/107, 347/8, 347/16, 347/2, 347/37, 347/43, 427/510, 427/511, 427/514, 427/555, 427/164, 349/889, 349/890, 349/891, 349/892, 358/296, 358/528, 430/7, 430/321
• US Class Current: 347/106
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14016 Structure of bubble jet print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/09 Ink jet technology used for manufacturing optical filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays

Abstract

This invention relates to a highly precise and efficient color filter producing apparatus, which is provided with at least a set of drawing heads for respectively generating ink jets of red, green and blue colors, movement device for moving, with a substrate on which a color filter is to be formed by drawing with said ink jets, in a plane having a predetermined distance from the drawing heads, displacement detection device for detecting relative displacement between the substrate and the drawing heads in directions of six degrees of freedom, device for detecting the reaching position on the substrate of the ink jet discharged from the drawing head, and alignment device for effecting alignment between the substrate and the drawing heads in directions of six degrees of freedom, based on the results of detection of the reaching position and of the relative displacement between the substrate and the drawing head in directions of six degrees of freedom.

Claims

1. A color filter producing apparatus comprising:

a set of drawing heads for respectively generating ink jets of red, green and blue colors;

distance detection means for detecting a distance in a Z-direction between a substrate on which a color filter is to be formed by drawing with said ink jets and said set of drawing heads;

reaching position detecting means for detecting a reaching position on said substrate of each of ink jets discharged from said drawing heads;

alignment error detecting means for detecting an error of alignment between said substrate and said drawing head in an XY-plane intersecting said Z-direction; and

alignment means for effecting alignment between said substrate and said set of drawing heads in said Z-direction based on said detected distance by said distance detection means and effecting alignment between said substrate and said set of drawing heads in said XY-plane based on said detected alignment error by said alignment error detecting means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drawing heads are fixed above said substrate, and said alignment means is adapted to move said substrate.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, said drawing heads are aligned to predetermined positions to a surface of said substrate.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a length of said drawing heads of red, green and blue colors is equal to a width of said substrate in a drawing direction.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein plural sets of the drawing heads are arranged in parallel manner, with an entire length thereof being equal to a width of said substrate in a drawing direction.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drawing heads are adapted to independently generate ink jets of red, green and blue colors, said alignment means is adapted to maintain a predetermined distance from said drawing heads to said substrate, and said relative displacement and said alignment are performed in directions of six degrees of freedom.

7. A color filter producing method comprising steps of:

providing a color filter producing apparatus, said color filter producing apparatus comprising a set of drawing heads for respectively generating ink jets of red, green and blue colors;

distance detection means for detecting a distance between a substrate on which a color filter is to be formed by drawing with said ink jets and said set of drawing heads in a Z-direction;

reaching position detecting means for detecting a reaching position on said substrate of each of ink jets discharged from said drawing heads;

alignment error detecting means for detecting an error of alignment between said substrate and said drawing head in an XY-plane intersecting said Z-direction; and

alignment means for effecting alignment between said substrate and said at least a set of drawing heads in said Z-direction and effecting alignment between said substrate and said at least a set of drawing heads in said XY-plane based on said detected alignment error by said alignment error detecting means and said detected reaching position by said reaching position detecting means;

detecting said reaching position on said substrate of said ink jet discharged from said drawing head; and

effecting alignment between said substrate and said drawing head in said XY-plane based on said detected alignment error by said alignment error detecting means and said detected reaching position by said reaching position detecting means.

8. A method for producing a color filter by discharging a coloring material from an ink jet head to an optically translucent substrate thereby forming a plurality of colored filter elements with said coloring material, comprising:

a first discharge step of discharging the coloring material with a predetermined pattern from said ink jet head under a scanning motion thereof relative to said optically translucent substrate for coloring said substrate;

a detection step of detecting a reaching position of said coloring material in said first discharge step;

a timing adjustment step of adjusting a timing of discharge of said ink jet head based on a result of detection of the reaching position of said coloring material detected in said detection step; and

a second discharge step of discharging the coloring material from said ink jet head with the timing set in said timing adjustment step and scanning said ink jet head relative to said substrate, thereby coloring the filter elements on said substrate.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said ink jet head discharges the coloring material by utilizing thermal energy, and is provided with a thermal energy conversion member for generating thermal energy to be given to the coloring material.

10. A method for producing a color filter by discharging a coloring material from an ink jet head having plural discharge nozzles to an optically translucent substrate thereby forming a plurality of colored filter elements with said coloring material arranged on said substrate comprising:

a first discharge step of discharging the coloring material with a predetermined pattern from said ink jet head while scanning said ink jet head relative to said optically translucent substrate for coloring;

a detection step of detecting a reaching position on said optically translucent substrate of said coloring material in said first discharge step;

a posture adjustment step of adjusting a posture of said ink jet head based on the result of detection of the reaching position of said coloring material detected in said detection step; and

a second discharge step of discharging the coloring material from said ink jet head with the posture set in said posture adjustment step and scanning said ink jet head relative to said substrate, thereby coloring the filter elements on said substrate.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said ink jet head discharges the coloring material by utilizing thermal energy, and is provided with a thermal energy conversion member for generating thermal energy to be given to the coloring material.

12. A color filter produced by the process of any of claims 7-11.

13. A liquid crystal display device, comprising

the color filter according to claim 12;

a substrate opposed to said color filter; and

a liquid crystal compound sealed between said color filter and said substrate.

14. A liquid crystal apparatus, comprising:

the liquid crystal display device according to claim 13; and

image signal output means for outputting an image signal to said liquid crystal display device.

15. An apparatus for producing a color filter by forming a plurality of colored filter elements arranged on an optically translucent substrate comprising:

an ink jet head having a plurality of discharging nozzles for discharging a coloring material, moving relative to said substrate to color said filter elements;

detecting means for detecting a liquid droplet of said coloring material so as to detect a reaching position of said coloring material discharged by said ink jet head; and

adjustment means for adjusting the posture of said ink jet head and a positional relationship among said plurality of discharging nozzles based on the result of detection of the reaching position of said coloring material detected by said detecting means.

16. An apparatus for producing a color filter by forming a plurality of colored filter elements arranged on an optically translucent substrate comprising:

an ink jet head for discharging a coloring material, moving relative to said substrate to color said filter elements;

detection means for detecting a liquid droplet of said coloring material so as to detect a reaching position of said coloring material discharged by said ink jet head; and

adjustment means for adjusting the timing of discharge of said ink jet head based on the result of detection of the reaching position of said coloring material detected by said detection means,

wherein said ink jet head is adapted to discharge the coloring material by utilizing thermal energy and provided with a thermal energy conversion member for generating thermal energy to be given to the coloring material.

17. An apparatus for producing a color filter by forming a plurality of colored filter elements arranged on an optically translucent substrate, comprising:

an ink jet head provided with plural discharge nozzles for discharging a coloring material onto said substrate, moving relative to said substrate to color said filter elements;

detection means for detecting a liquid droplet of said coloring material so as to detect a reaching position of said coloring material discharged by said ink jet head; and

adjustment means for adjusting a position of one of said plurality of discharging nozzles of said ink jet head relative to a position of the other one thereof based on the result of detection of the reaching position of said coloring material detected by said detection means.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said ink jet head is adapted to discharge the coloring material by utilizing thermal energy and is provided with a thermal energy conversion member for generating thermal energy to be given to the coloring material.

19. An apparatus for producing a color filter by forming a plurality of colored filter elements arranged on an optically translucent substrate comprising:

an ink jet head provided with plural discharge nozzles for discharging a coloring material moving relative to said substrate to color said filter elements; and

adjustment means for three-dimensionally adjusting the posture of said ink jet head and a positional relationship among said plural discharge nozzles of said ink jet head.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19 further comprising detection means for detecting a reaching position of the coloring material discharged by said ink jet head.