Method for forming mark and liquid ejection apparatus

Abstract

A method for forming a mark includes ejecting a droplet of a liquid from a nozzle onto an ejection target position on a surface of an object along an ejecting direction; radiating a laser beam from a radiation port onto the ejection target position along a radiating direction; and pivoting the nozzle and the radiation port together about the ejection target position as a pivot center, thereby changing the angle between a normal line of the surface of the object and the ejecting direction and the angle between the normal line and the radiating direction while maintaining the angle between the ejecting direction and the radiating direction.

1 . A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:
 a liquid ejection head having a nozzle, the liquid ejection head ejecting a droplet of a liquid from the nozzle onto an ejection target position on a surface of an object along an ejecting direction;   a laser radiation device having a radiation port, the laser radiation device radiating a laser beam from the radiation port onto the ejection target position along a radiating direction; and   a pivot device that pivots the nozzle and the radiation port together about the ejection target position as a pivot center, thereby changing the angle between a normal line of the surface of the object and the ejecting direction and the angle between the normal line and the radiating direction while maintaining the angle between the ejecting direction and the radiating direction.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the pivot device pivots the nozzle and the radiation port together in such a manner that the radiating direction becomes substantially parallel with the normal line. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the pivot device has a pivot stage that pivots about the ejection target position as a pivot center, the liquid ejection head and the laser radiation device being mounted on the pivot stage, the liquid ejection apparatus further including a carriage movable relative to the surface of the object, the pivot stage being mounted on the carriage.