Ulvac, Inc.

Litrex Corporation

James N Middleton

David Albertalli

Charles O Edwards

George H Fellingham

Paul Argus Parks

Howard Walter Bielich

Scott R Bruner

Oleg N Gratchev

Robert G Boehm, Jr

Perry West

Daniel Sramek

A drop analysis/drop check system allows a plurality of printheads to remain stationary during analysis to emulate operation of an actual piezoelectric microdeposition system. The system provides accurate tuning of individual nozzle ejectors and allows for substrate loading and alignment in parallel with drop analysis/drop check. The drop analysis/drop check system includes a motion controller directing movement of a stage, a printhead controller controlling a printhead to selectively eject drops of fluid material to be deposited on a substrate, and a camera supported by the stage for movement relative to the printheads. The camera receives a signal from the motion controller to initiate exposure of the camera and captures an image of the drops of fluid material ejected by the printheads. A light-emitting device includes a strobe controller that receives a signal from the camera to supply light to an area including the liquid drops during camera exposure.

Drop analysis system

The present invention relates to an integral printhead assembly for use in association with an industrial printing apparatus. The integral printhead assembly is a self-contained unit which can be quickly removed and replaced with another assembly with minimum downtime to the printing apparatus.

Integral printhead assembly

A microdeposition system and method includes a head with a plurality of nozzles. A controller generates nozzle firing commands that selectively fire the nozzles to create a desired feature pattern. Configuration memory stores voltage waveform parameters that define a voltage waveform for each of the nozzles. A digital to analog converter (DAC) sequencer communicates with the configuration memory and the controller and outputs a first voltage waveform for a first nozzle when a nozzle firing command for the first nozzle is received from the controller. A resistive ladder DAC receives the voltage waveforms from the DAC sequencer. An operational amplifier (opamp) communicates with the resistive ladder DAC and amplifies the voltage waveforms. The nozzles fire droplets when the voltage waveforms received from the opamp exceed a firing threshold of the nozzle.

Waveform generator for microdeposition control system

A microdeposition system () and method includes a head with a plurality of nozzles (). A controller () generates nozzle firing commands that selectively fire the nozzles to create a desired feature pattern. Configuration memory stores voltage waveform parameters that define a voltage waveform () for each of the nozzles. A digital to analog converter (DAC) sequencer communicates with the configuration memory and the controller and outputs a first voltage waveform for a first nozzle when a nozzle firing command for the first nozzle is received from the controller (). A resistive ladder DAC receives the voltage waveforms from the DAC sequencer. An operational amplifier (opamp) communicates with the resistive ladder DAC and amplifies the voltage waveforms. The nozzles fire droplets when the voltage waveforms received from the opamp exceed a firing threshold of the nozzle ().

A microdeposition system () and method deposits precise amounts of fluid material onto a substrate. A microdeposition head () includes a plurality of spaced nozzles. A positioning device controls a position of the microdeposition head relative to the substrate. A controller () includes a positioning module that communicates with the positioning device and that generates position control signals for the positioning device. A nozzle firing module communicates with the microdeposition head () and selectively generates nozzle firing commands to define features of at least one layer of an electrical device, such as resistors, traces and capacitors on a printed circuit board, polymer light emitting diodes, and light panels.

Industrial microdeposition system for polymer light emitting diode displays, printed circuit boards and the like

A microdeposition system () and method deposits precise amounts of fluid material onto a substrate. A microdeposition head () includes a plurality of spaced nozzles that fire droplets having a deposited width when deposited on the substrate. A positioning device moves the microdeposition head () relative to the substrate at a head speed. A controller () generates over-clocking signals at a rate that is substantially greater than the head speed divided by the droplet width to improve resolution. The controller () includes a positioning module that generates position control signals for the positioning device. The controller () includes a nozzle firing module () that generates nozzle firing commands based on the over-clocking rate to fire the nozzles to form droplets that define features on the substrate.

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Brentwood, CA, United States of America

James N Middleton