Techniques for print ink volume control to deposit fluids within precise tolerances

摘要

An ink printing process employs per-nozzle droplet volume measurement and processing software that plans droplet combinations to reach specific aggregate ink fills per target region, guaranteeing compliance with minimum and maximum ink fills set by specification. In various embodiments, different droplet combinations are produced through different print head/substrate scan offsets, offsets between print heads, the use of different nozzle drive waveforms, and/or other techniques. Optionally, patterns of fill variation can be introduced so as to mitigate observable line effects in a finished display device. The disclosed techniques have many other possible applications.

主权项

1. A method of generating control data for nozzles of a print head to deposit an aggregate volume of ink in at least one target region of a substrate, the aggregate volume to be within a predetermined volume tolerance range, each of the nozzles generating at least one respective droplet volume, the method comprising:
receiving information representing the droplet volumes; calculating a combination of droplets for which corresponding droplet volumes sum to a value restricted to be within the predetermined tolerance range; and generating the control data dependent on the combination, the control data sufficient to instruct relative motion between the print head and substrate to bring each of the nozzles associated with the combination into proximity with a first target region of the at least one target region, and to instruct firing of each of the nozzles associated with the combination to deposit each droplet volume associated with the combination in the first target region; wherein the predetermined tolerance range comprises a range centered on a target volume, wherein the range is encompassed by a range represented by the target volume plus and minus two percent of the target volume, and wherein generating the control data comprises generating the control data in a manner adapted to use a combination of droplets from at least two of the nozzles to produce the aggregate target volume for a target region of the at least one target region.