Ejection device, imprint apparatus, and detection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11465350-B2
Application number	US-202017012279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2020
Priority date	Sep 11, 2019
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

An ejection device includes: an ejection unit provided with an ejection port configured to eject an ejection material; a piezoelectric element configured to cause the ejection material to be ejected from the ejection unit; a first liquid chamber connected to the ejection unit and configured to supply the ejection unit with the ejection material; a pressure control unit configured to control a pressure in the ejection unit by controlling a pressure in the first liquid chamber; and a detection unit configured to detect a wetness of an ejection port side surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ejection device, including:
an ejection unit provided with an ejection port configured to eject an ejection material;
a piezoelectric element provided in the ejection unit and configured to cause the ejection material to be ejected from the ejection port;
a first liquid chamber connected to the ejection unit and configured to supply the ejection unit with the ejection material;
a pressure control unit configured to control a pressure in the ejection unit by controlling a pressure in the first liquid chamber and control the first liquid chamber to have a negative pressure while the ejection material is ejected by the piezoelectric element; and
a detection unit configured to detect a wetness on a surface of the ejection port with a back electromotive force obtained by the piezoelectric element.

2. The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is configured to detect the wetness in a state where the pressure control unit controls the first liquid chamber to have a positive pressure.

3. The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is configured to detect that the surface of the ejection port is wet according to a change of a back electromotive force waveform obtained by the piezoelectric element in a state where the ejection is not performed from a back electromotive force waveform in a normal state.

4. The ejection device according to claim 3 , wherein the change of the back electromotive force waveform is that an amplitude is increased more and a phase is slower than that of the back electromotive force waveform in the normal state.

5. The ejection device according to claim 3 , wherein the change of the back electromotive force waveform is that an amplitude is increased more and a cycle is shorter than that of the back electromotive force waveform in the normal state.

6. The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is configured to detect that surfaces of a plurality of ejection ports that are at least continuous are wet in a case where any one of back electromotive force waveforms obtained by a plurality of the piezoelectric elements corresponding to the plurality of ejection ports is changed from a back electromotive force waveform in a normal state.

7. The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric element is configured to obtain a back electromotive force waveform by applying a driving pulse of a voltage lower than a voltage used in a case where the piezoelectric element causes the ejection of the ejection material.

8. The ejection device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storing container that includes the first liquid chamber and a second liquid chamber that is separated from the first liquid chamber by a flexible member and stores filling liquid,
wherein the pressure control unit is configured to control a pressure by supplying the second liquid chamber with the filling liquid according to a decrease of the ejection material stored in the first liquid chamber.

9. The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein error displaying is performed if the detection unit detects leaking of the ejection material.

10. The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein an ejection port in which leaking of the ejection material is detected is set as an unavailable ejection port if the detection unit detects leaking of the ejection material.

11. The ejection device according to claim 10 , wherein ejection from the ejection port set as the unavailable ejection port is compensated by ejection from another ejection port.

12. The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure control unit is configured to increase an absolute value of a negative pressure in the ejection unit by increasing an absolute value of a negative pressure in the first liquid chamber if the detection unit detects leaking of the ejection material.

13. The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein displaying to indicate replacement of the ejection unit is performed if the detection unit detects leaking of the ejection material.

14. The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is configured to perform the detection before an ejection operation from the ejection port is performed.

15. The ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is configured to perform the detection while the ejection unit is positioned at a standby position.

16. An imprint apparatus configured to use the ejection device according to claim 1 to eject a resin as the ejection material on a substrate, put a surface of a mold on which a bumpy pattern is formed in contact with the resin ejected on the substrate, and cure the resin to form a bumpy pattern.

17. The imprint apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the detection unit is configured to perform the detection during standby time of the imprint operation including a timing between shots.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Iimura Akiko
• Hasegawa Noriyasu
• Araki Yoshimasa

Classifications

• B29C64/209 Primary

  Heads; Nozzles · CPC title

• B41J2/0451

  for detecting failure, e.g. clogging, malfunctioning actuator · CPC title

• B29L2031/34

  Electrical apparatus, e.g. sparking plugs or parts thereof · CPC title

• B41J3/543

  with multiple inkjet print heads (B41J2/17503, B41J2/2103 take precedence) · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title