Methods and apparatus for making color filter by discharging a filter material

• US 6,660,332 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kiguchi, Hiroshi, Shimizu, Masaharu, Katagami, Satoru, Kawase, Tomomi, Aruga, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Parker, Fred J.
• Application Number:
  US09/988,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20020067400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 427/466, 427/469, 427/470, 427/483, 427/266, 427/287, 427/164, 427/165, 427/167, 347/13, 347/43, 347/47, 347/106, 347/107
• US Class Current: 427/266
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/15 for serial printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2132 Print quality control characterised by dot disposition, e.g. for reducing white stripes or banding methods for local corrections by dot omission, image edge enhancement, or multi-pass mask selection G06K15/102; colour conversion H04N1/40
• 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

A method is provided for making a color filter having a plurality of filter elements aligned in a dot-matrix on a substrate. The method has a first-scanning step of moving the inkjet head having a nozzle line including a plurality of nozzles relative to the substrate while selectively discharging a filter material from the plurality of nozzles so as to form filter elements on filter element forming regions of the substrate and a second-scanning step of moving the inkjet head by a second-scanning distance δ in a second-scanning direction. The plurality of nozzles are divided into a plurality of groups and the first-scanning step and the second-scanning step are repeated so that all the nozzle groups scan the same section of the substrate.

Claims

1. A method for making a color filter with a plurality of filter elements aligned on a substrate, comprising:

moving an inkjet head relative to the substrate or moving the substrate relative to the inkjet head in a first-scanning direction, wherein the inkjet head has a nozzle line having a plurality of nozzle groups, the nozzle groups including a first nozzle group and a second nozzle group, each nozzle group including a plurality of nozzles;

selectively discharging a plurality of filter materials from the plurality of nozzles to form the plurality of filter elements; and

moving the inkjet head relative to the substrate or moving the substrate relative to the inkjet head in a second-scanning direction so that a filter material discharged from a first nozzle of the first nozzle group and a filter material discharged from a second nozzle of the second nozzle group coincide with the same filter element on the substrate, the first-scanning direction and the second-scanning direction intersecting each other,

wherein the inkjet head moves relative to the substrate or the substrate moves relative to the inkjet head by a distance corresponding to an integral multiple of the length of one of the nozzle groups in the second-scanning direction.

2. The method for making a color filter according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle line is tilted relative to the second-scanning direction.

3. The method for making a color filter according to claim 1, wherein a second-scanning distance δ

satisfies the equation;

4. The method for making a color filter according to claim 1, wherein some of the nozzles located at each of two end portions of the nozzle line do not discharge the filter material.

6. The method for making a color filter according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the inkjet heads, each discharging a filter material of a different color from the nozzle line.

7. The method for making a color filter according to claim 1,

wherein the inkjet head has a plurality of nozzle lines each discharging a filter material of a different color.

5. The method for making a color filter according to claim 5, wherein a second-scanning distance δ

satisfies the equation;

8. A method for making a liquid crystal device, the liquid crystal device comprising:

a plurality of substrates for enclosing liquid crystal; and

a plurality of filter elements aligned on at least one of the substrates, and the method comprising;

moving an inkjet head relative to the substrate or moving the substrate relative to the inkjet head in a first-scanning direction, wherein the inkjet head has a nozzle line comprising a plurality of nozzle groups, the nozzle groups including a first nozzle group and a second nozzle group, each nozzle group including a plurality of nozzles;

selectively discharging a plurality or filter materials from the plurality of nozzles to form the plurality of filter elements; and

moving the inkjet head relative to the substrate or moving the substrate relative to the inkjet head in a second-scanning direction so that a filter material discharged from a first nozzle of the first nozzle group and a filter material discharged from a second nozzle of the second nozzle group coincide with the same filter element on the substrate, the first-scanning direction and the second-scanning direction intersecting each other,

wherein the inkjet head moves relative to the substrate or the substrate moves relative to the inkjet head by a distance corresponding to an integral multiple of the length of one of the nozzle groups in the second scanning direction.

9. A method for making an electro-luminescent device, the device comprising a plurality of pixels, each including an electro-luminescent layer, aligned on a substrate, the method comprising:

moving an inkjet head relative to the substrate or moving the substrate relative to the inkjet head in a first-scanning direction, wherein the inkjet head has a nozzle line comprising a plurality of nozzle groups, the nozzle groups including a first nozzle group and a second nozzle group, each of the nozzle groups including a plurality of nozzles;

selectively discharging a plurality of electro-luminescent materials from the plurality of nozzles to form the plurality of filter elements; and

moving the inkjet head relative to the substrate or moving the substrate relative to the inkjet head in a second-scanning direction so that an electro-luminescent material discharged from a first nozzle of the first nozzle group and an electro-luminescent material discharged from a second nozzle of the second nozzle group coincide with the same filter element on the substrate, the first-scanning direction and the second-scanning direction intersecting each other,

wherein the inkjet head moves relative to the substrate or the substrate moves relative to the inkjet head by a distance corresponding to an integral multiple of the length of one of the nozzle groups in the second scanning direction.

10. A method for discharging a material towards an object, comprising:

moving a head relative to the object or moving the object relative to the head in a first-scanning direction, wherein the head has a nozzle line comprising a plurality of nozzle groups, the nozzle groups including a first nozzle group and a second nozzle group, each nozzle group including a plurality of nozzles;

selectively discharging a plurality of materials from the plurality of nozzles to form a plurality of filter elements; and

moving the head relative to the object or moving the object relative to the head so that a material discharged from a first nozzle of the first nozzle group and a material discharged from a second nozzle of the second nozzle group coincide with the same material on the object, the first-scanning direction and the second-scanning direction intersecting each other,

wherein the head moves relative to the object or the object moves relative to the head by a distance corresponding to an integral multiple of the length of one of the nozzle groups in the second scanning direction.

11. The method for discharging material according to claim 10, wherein the nozzle line is tilted relative to the second-scanning direction.

12. The method for discharging a material according to claim 10, wherein the second-scanning distance δ

satisfies the equation;

13. The method for discharging a material according to claim 10, wherein some of the nozzles located at each of two end portions of the nozzle line do not discharge the material.

14. The method for discharging a material according to claim 13, wherein a second-scanning distance δ

satisfies the equation;

 

δ

≈

(L/n)cos θ

wherein L represents the length of the nozzle line excluding the two end portions of the nozzle line at which the nozzles not discharging the filter material are located, n represents a number of nozzle groups, and θ

represents an angle defined by the nozzle line and the second-scanning direction.