Liquid droplet discharging apparatus

Abstract

A liquid droplet discharging apparatus includes a transfer device, a discharging head, a first medium supply, a second medium supply and an imaging device. The transfer device is configured to transfer a work along a transfer direction. The discharging head is configured to discharge a liquid droplet of a functional liquid to the work. The first medium supply is configured to supply a first inspection medium, which receives the liquid droplet, in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction. The second medium supply is configured to supply a second inspection medium, which receives the liquid droplet and is arranged side by side with respect to the first inspection medium in the transfer direction, in the direction orthogonal to the transfer direction. The imaging device is configured to image the liquid droplet discharged to the first inspection medium and the liquid droplet discharged to the second inspection medium.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A liquid droplet discharging apparatus, comprising:
 a chamber room in which a nitrogen gas atmosphere is formed;   a floating-type transfer device configured to transfer a substrate while floating the substrate;   a discharging head configured to discharge a liquid droplet of a functional liquid to the substrate in the nitrogen gas atmosphere; and   an inspection device configured to inspect the liquid droplet discharged from the discharging head.   
     
     
         2 . The liquid droplet discharging apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the floating-type transfer device is configured to maintain the substrate by jetting compressed air toward the substrate from below.   
     
     
         3 . The liquid droplet discharging apparatus of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the floating-type transfer device is further configured to support a periphery of the substrate while maintaining the substrate horizontally.   
     
     
         4 . The liquid droplet discharging apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the floating-type transfer device is configured to transfer the substrate in a forward-backward direction.   
     
     
         5 . The liquid droplet discharging apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the discharging head is configured to perform a drawing operation on the substrate by an ink-jet method.   
     
     
         6 . The liquid droplet discharging apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the discharging head is plural in number arranged in a left-right direction orthogonal to a transfer direction of the substrate.   
     
     
         7 . The liquid droplet discharging apparatus of  claim 6 ,
 wherein each of the discharging heads is connected to different functional liquid bottles, and   each of the discharging heads discharges different kinds of functional liquids supplied from the different functional liquid bottles.   
     
     
         8 . The liquid droplet discharging apparatus of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the different kinds of functional liquids includes an ink, a liquid for forming a hole injection layer (HIL), or a liquid for forming a hole transport layer (HTL).   
     
     
         9 . The liquid droplet discharging apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising,
 a maintenance unit configured to perform a maintenance of the discharging head.   
     
     
         10 . The liquid droplet discharging apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising,
 a guide rail, extending in a left-right direction orthogonal to a transfer direction of the substrate, configured to allow the discharging head to be movable between a drawing position where the discharging head performs a drawing operation on the substrate and a maintenance position where the maintenance of the discharging head is performed by the maintenance unit.   
     
     
         11 . The liquid droplet discharging apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the inspection device comprises an imaging device configured to image the liquid droplet discharged from the discharging head.   
     
     
         12 . The liquid droplet discharging apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising,
 a control unit configured to adjust a discharge state of the discharging head based on an imaging result of the liquid droplet obtained by the imaging device.   
     
     
         13 . The liquid droplet discharging apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising,
 a guide rail extending in a left-right direction orthogonal to a transfer direction of the substrate,   wherein the imaging device is mounted on the guide rail.   
     
     
         14 . The liquid droplet discharging apparatus of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the inspection device further comprises a moving device configured to move the imaging device in the left-right direction.