System for dispensing liquids

• US 7,252,715 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mii Newco, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sreenivasan, Sidlgata V., Choi, Byung-Jin, Watts, Michael P. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): KOCH, GEORGE R
• Application Number:
  US10/868,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20040241324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 118/688, 118/691, 118/695, 118/696, 118/697, 118/707, 700/239, 700/240, 700/241
• US Class Current: 118/688
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/24 for applying particular liquids or other fluent materials
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0002 Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping

Abstract

The present invention provides a system to dispense a liquid, contained in a cartridge, onto a substrate employing a dispensing system under control of a processor in data communication with a memory.

Claims

1. A system for dispensing a liquid onto a substrate, said system comprising:

a source of said liquid;

a control system to selectively authorize dispensing of said liquid from said source upon verifying said liquid contains characteristics matching characteristics of liquids previously dispensed from said source, wherein said source further includes data concerning characteristics of said liquid, defining verifiable characteristics data, with said control system further including an authorization station to generate an authorization code in response to verifying that said verifiable characteristic data matches historical data stored by said authorization station, with said historical data including information concerning characteristics of liquids previously associated with said system.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said source further includes a primary cartridge containing said liquid, a dispensing nozzle system in fluid communication with said primary cartridge, and a pump to create a flow of said liquid from said primary cartridge to exit said nozzle system.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 wherein said dispensing nozzle has a surface treatment to allow formation of a drop having a desired shape.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said source further includes a primary cartridge containing said liquid, a dispensing nozzle system in fluid communication with said primary cartridge, and a pump to create a flow of said liquid from said primary cartridge to exit said nozzle system and said control system further includes a processor in data communication with said pump, a memory in data communication with said processor, with said memory including a program to be operated on by said processor to produce a request for an authorization code to enable said pump to create said flow, with said request including information concerning said system, defining system data.

5. The system as recited in claim 4 wherein said program further includes an embedded authorization code and a sub-routine to be operated on by said processor to compare said embedded authorization code with said requested authorization code and activate said pump in response to ascertaining that said embedded authorization code and said requested authorization code match.

6. The system as recited in claim 4 wherein said verifiable characteristic data includes a chemical description of said liquid and said cartridge is formed from a material that is opaque to ultra violet radiation.

7. A system for dispensing a liquid onto a substrate, said system comprising:

a primary cartridge containing said liquid, said primary cartridge including an identification code that includes data concerning characteristics of said liquid, defining verifiable characteristic data;

a dispensing system in fluid communication with said primary cartridge;

a control system, in data communication with said dipensing system, to selectively authorize dispensing of said liquid upon verifying said liquid contains characteristics matching characteristics of liquids previously dispensed from said source, wherein said dispensing system includes a dispensing nozzle system in fluid communication with said primary cartridge and a pump to create a flow of said liquid from primary cartridge to exit said nozzle system, wherein said substrate lies in a plane, and said nozzle system that defines a dispensing axis along which said liquid propagates, with said nozzle system including means for selectively changing an orientation of said dispensing axis to move between a dispensing orientation and a cleaning orientation, with said dispensing axis extending transversely to said plane in said dispensing orientation and said dispensing axis extending parallel to said plane in said cleaning orientation.

8. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein said dispensing nozzle has a surface treatment to allow formation of a drop having a desired shape.

9. A system for dispensing a liquid onto a substrate, said system comprising:

a primary cartridge containing said liquid, said primary cartridge including an identification code that includes data concerning characteristics of said liquid, defining verifiable characteristic data;

a dispensing system in fluid communication with said primary cartridge;

a control system, in data communication with said dipensing system, to selectively authorize dispensing of said liquid upon verifying said liquid contains characteristics matching characteristics of liquids previously dispensed from said source, wherein said dispensing system includes a dispensing nozzle system in fluid communication with said primary cartridge and a pump to create a flow of said liquid from primary cartridge to exit said nozzle system, further including a cleaning station having a chamber with a supply of cleaning liquid and an evacuation system both of which are in fluid communication therewith, with said nozzle system being disposed in said chamber when said dispensing axis is in said cleaning orientation.

10. A system for dispensing a liquid onto a substrate, said system comprising:

a primary cartridge containing said liquid, said primary cartridge including an identification code that includes data concerning characteristics of said liquid, defining verifiable characteristic data;

a dispensing system in fluid communication with said primary cartridge;

a control system, in data communication with said dipensing system, to selectively authorize dispensing of said liquid upon verifying said liquid contains characteristics matching characteristics of liquids previously dispensed from said source, wherein said dispensing system includes a dispensing nozzle system in fluid communication with said primary cartridge and a pump to create a flow of said liquid from primary cartridge to exit said nozzle system, wherein said control system further includes a processor in data communication with said pump and a memory in data communication with said processor, with said memory including a program to be operated on by said processor to produce a request for an authorization code to enable said pump to create said flow, with said request including information concerning said system, defining system data.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 further including an authorization station including means for generating said authorization code in response to said request, and means for communicating said request for said authorization code to said authorization station, with said means for generating said authorization code including a database having historical information including identification codes of cartridges previously associated with said system, defining historical identification codes that include historical data concerning characteristics of liquids contained in said cartridges previously associated with said system and means for comparing said verifiable identification code and said system data to said historical information and means for producing said requested authorization code in response to determining that said historical data matches said verifiable characteristic data.

12. The system as recited in claim 11 further includes means for transmitting said requested authorization code to said system to facilitate activation of said dispensing system in furtherance of dispensing said liquid.

13. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein said program further includes an embedded authorization code and a sub-routine to be operated on by said processor to compare said embedded authorization code with said requested authorization code and activate said pump in response to ascertaining that said embedded authorization code and said requested authorization code match.

14. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein said verifiable characteristic data includes a chemical description of said liquid and said cartridge is formed from a material that is opaque to ultra violet radiation.

15. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein said system data and said historical information further includes a system identification number, with said comparing means further including means for comparing said system identification number in said system data with said system identification number contained in said historical information, and said generating means further includes means for generating said requested authorization code in response to ascertaining that said system identification number in said system data matches said system identification number contained in said historical information and said historical data matches said verifiable characteristic data.

16. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein said system data and said historical information further includes information that uniquely identifies said dispensing system, defining a system identifier, with said comparing means further including means for comparing the system identifier included in said system data with the system identifier included in said historical information, and said generating means further includes means for generating said requested authorization code in response to ascertaining that said system identifier included in said system data matches said system identifier included in said historical information and said historical data matches said verifiable characteristic data.

17. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein said system data includes an additional identification code associated with an additional cartridge, containing an additional liquid, coupled to be selectively placed in fluid communication with said pump, with said additional identification code including data concerning additional characteristics associated with said additional liquid, with said comparing means further including means for comparing said additional identification code with verifiable identification code and generating means further including means for generating said requested authorization code in response to ascertaining that said historical data matches said verifiable characteristic data and said additional characteristics.

18. A system for dispensing a liquid onto a substrate, said system comprising:

a supply containing said liquid, and having an identification code that includes data concerning characteristics of said liquid, defining verifiable characteristic data;

a reader connected to sense said identification code and create a reader signal including information concerning said identification code;

a dispensing nozzle system in fluid communication with said supply;

a pump to create a flow of said liquid from said supply to exit said dispensing nozzle system;

a detector to sense a level of said liquid in said supply and generate a detector signal in response to said level reaching a minimum quantity; and

a processor to receive said detector signal and maintain a continuous flow of said liquid, which is substantially free of gas, to said dispensing nozzle system.

19. The system as recited in claim 18 wherein said supply includes a primary supply of said liquid and a secondary supply of said liquid, with said identification code including a primary identifier, associated with said primary supply, a secondary identifier associated with said secondary supply, said pump creating flow of said liquid from said supply to exit said nozzle system and said processor maintaining said continuous flow by commencing propagation of the liquid from said secondary supply once said detector signal is received.

20. The system as recited in claim 19 further including a valve connected between said first and secondary liquid supplies and said dispensing nozzle system, with said primary supply further including a first receptacle and a first cartridge removably mounted with respect to said first receptacle and said secondary supply includes a second receptacle and a second cartridge removably mounted with respect to said second receptacle.

21. The system as recited in claim 19 wherein said primary supply further includes a reservoir in fluid communication with said dispensing nozzle system and said secondary supply includes a receptacle and a cartridge removably mounted with respect to said receptacle and is in fluid communication with said reservoir.

22. The system as recited in claim 19 further including a memory in data communication with said processor, with said memory including a program to be operated on by said processor to produce a request for an authorization code to enable said pump to create said flow, with said request including information concerning said system and information contained in said reader signed, defining system data;

an authorization station including means for generating an authorization code in response to said request;

means for communicating said request for said authorization code to said authorization station, with said means for generating an authorization code including a database having historical information including identification codes of cartridges previously associated with said system, defining historical identification codes that include historical data concerning characteristics of liquids contained in said cartridges previously associated with said system and means for comparing said verifiable identification code and said system data to said historical information and means for producing said requested authorization code in response to determining that said historical data matches said verifiable characteristic data; and

means for transmitting said requested authorization code to said system to facilitate activation of said dispensing system in furtherance of dispensing said liquid.

23. The system as recited in claim 19 wherein said substrate lies in a plane, and said dispensing nozzle system defines a dispensing axis along which said liquid propagates, with said dispensing nozzle system including means for selectively changing an orientation of said dispensing axis to move between a dispensing orientation and a cleaning orientation, with said dispensing axis extending transversely to said plane in said dispensing orientation and said dispensing axis extending parallel to said plane in said cleaning orientation.

24. The system as recited in claim 23 further including a cleaning station having a chamber with a supply of cleaning liquid;

and an evacuation system both of which are in fluid communication therewith, with said dispensing nozzle system being disposed in said chamber when said dispensing axis is in said cleaning orientation.