Method of filling liquid into function liquid droplet ejection head, and ejection apparatus; method of manufacturing lcd device, organic el device, electron emission device, pdp device, electrophoretic display device, color filter, and organic el; and method of forming spacer, metallic wiring, lens, resist, and light diffusion member

Abstract

An ejection apparatus has a carriage which moves relative to a workpiece. A function liquid droplet ejection head is held by the carriage and is provided with an ejection nozzle formed in a nozzle forming surface of a head main body. A liquid supply tank is connected to the ejection head. A cap unit is disposed in a position away from the workpiece and is provided, in a position corresponding to the function liquid droplet ejection head, with a cap which is connected to the suction pump and which is brought into intimate contact with the nozzle forming surface of the function liquid droplet ejection head so that the liquid of the liquid supply tank is filled into a flow passage inside the ejection head by a suction force to be operated upon through the cap. A gate valve is interposed in the liquid supply passage between the ejection head and the liquid supply tank. The gate valve is temporarily closed in the course of filling the liquid into the flow passage inside the ejection head, while maintaining suction by the cap.

1 . A method of forming a device in which a layer is formed over a substrate comprising: 
 in an ejection apparatus having: 
 a carriage which moves relative to a substrate;  
 a function liquid droplet ejection head which is held by the carriage and which is provided with an ejection nozzle formed in a nozzle forming surface of a head main body, the function liquid droplet ejection head ejects droplets of material of the layer from the ejection nozzle to the substrate while carrying out a relative movement between the carriage and the substrate;  
 a liquid supply tank which is connected to the function liquid droplet ejection head;  
 a cap unit which is disposed in a position away from the substrate and which is provided, in a position corresponding to the function liquid droplet ejection head, with a cap which is connected to a suction pump and is brought into intimate contact with the nozzle forming surface of said function liquid droplet ejection head, in a state in which the carriage is moved to a position facing said cap unit, so that the material of the liquid supply tank is filled into a flow passage inside the function liquid droplet ejection head by a suction force to be operated upon through the cap;  
 a gate valve interposed in a liquid supply passage between the function liquid droplet ejection head and the liquid supply tank, wherein the gate valve is temporarily closed in a course of filling the material into the flow passage inside the function liquid droplet ejection head while maintaining suction by the cap, wherein the material inside the liquid supply tank is sucked at least up to the cap, then the liquid supply passage is closed;  
   introducing a material into the liquid supply tank, carrying out a relative scanning between the function liquid droplet ejection head and the substrate, and selectively ejecting the material to the substrate to form the layer.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is a liquid crystal display device in which the layer is a filter element and the substrate is a color filter substrate, and the material is a filter material.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is an organic EL device in which the layer is an EL light emitting layer and the substrate includes a pixel thereon, and the material is a light emitting material.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is an electron emission device in which the layer is a fluorescent member and the substrate is an electrode substrate, and the material is a fluorescent material.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is a PDP device in which the layer is a fluorescent member and the substrate is a back substrate having a recessed portion, and the material is a fluorescent material.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is an electrophoretic display device in which the layer is an electrophoretic member and the substrate is a recessed portion on an electrode substrate, and the material is an electrophoretic material.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is a color filter in which the layer is a filter element arrayed on the substrate and the material is a filter material.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , in which an overcoat layer is coated on the filter element, further comprising the steps of: 
 introducing a translucent coating into the function liquid droplet ejection head after the filter element has been formed;    carrying out a relative scanning between the function liquid droplet ejection head and the substrate; and    selectively ejecting the coating to form the overcoat layer.    
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is an organic EL in which the layer is a pixel inclusive of an EL light emitting layer arrayed on the substrate.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , in which a pixel electrode is formed to correspond to the EL light emitting layer, the method further comprising the steps of: 
 introducing the liquid electrode into the function liquid droplet ejection head;    carrying out a relative scanning between the function liquid droplet ejection head and the substrate; and    selectively ejecting the liquid electrode to form the pixel electrode.    
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is a spacer in which the layer is a particulate spacer between two substrates forming a cell gap, the relative scanning is carried out between the function liquid droplet ejection head and at least one of the two substrates, and the material is a particulate material.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is a metallic wiring in which the layer is a metallic wiring layer and the material is a wiring material.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is a lens in which the layer is a microlens and the material is a lens material.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is a resist in which the layer is a resist having an arbitrary shape and the material is a resist material.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is a light diffusion layer in which the layer is a light diffusion layer and the material is a light diffusion material.