Abstract: A method of manufacturing gel particles adapted to apply a voltage to a liquid ejection head to eject a liquid including a polymeric material toward an ejection target liquid to thereby manufacture the gel particles, includes: raising the voltage from a first voltage to a second voltage at a first gradient; raising the voltage from the second voltage to a third voltage at a second gradient steeper than the first gradient at which the voltage is raised from the first voltage to the second voltage, and then holding the voltage at the third voltage; dropping the voltage from the third voltage to a fourth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the fourth voltage; raising the voltage from the fourth voltage to a fifth voltage at a third gradient, wherein the third gradient is gentler than the second gradient.

Abstract: A gel sensor includes a first region constituted by a material containing a stimulus-responsive gel and a second region containing fine particles at a higher content than the first region. It is preferred that the first region does not contain the fine particles. The gel sensor has the first region provided on the upstream side of the second region in the moving direction of a specimen, and when the area of the face of the first region on the upstream side is represented by S1 (mm2) and the area of the face of the second region on the side facing the first region is represented by S2 (mm2), it is preferred to satisfy the following relation: S2?S1.

Abstract: A method of driving a liquid ejection head adapted to apply a voltage to the liquid ejection head to eject a liquid including a polymer is provided. The method includes raising the voltage from a first voltage to a second voltage; raising the voltage from the second voltage to a third voltage at a gradient larger than that in raising the voltage from the first to the second voltage, and then holding the voltage at the third voltage; dropping the voltage from the third voltage to a fourth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the fourth voltage; raising the voltage from the fourth voltage to a fifth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the fifth voltage; dropping the voltage from the fifth voltage to a sixth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the sixth voltage; and raising the voltage from the sixth voltage to a seventh voltage.

Abstract: A film forming device forms a coated film on a substrate by discharging a liquid material in the form of liquid droplets, and causing the liquid droplets to impact on the substrate at a predetermined pitch. The predetermined pitch is determined based on the diameter of the liquid droplets after impact of the liquid droplets on the substrate. Drop marks are reduced and a uniform coated film is formed on the substrate.

Abstract: A method of driving a liquid ejection head adapted to apply a voltage to the liquid ejection head to eject a liquid including a polymer is provided. The method includes raising the voltage from a first voltage to a second voltage; raising the voltage from the second voltage to a third voltage at a gradient larger than that in raising the voltage from the first to the second voltage, and then holding the voltage at the third voltage; dropping the voltage from the third voltage to a fourth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the fourth voltage; raising the voltage from the fourth voltage to a fifth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the fifth voltage; dropping the voltage from the fifth voltage to a sixth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the sixth voltage; and raising the voltage from the sixth voltage to a seventh voltage.

Abstract: A method of driving a liquid ejection head adapted to apply a voltage to the liquid ejection head to eject a liquid including a polymer is provided. The method includes raising the voltage from a first voltage to a second voltage; raising the voltage from the second voltage to a third voltage at a gradient larger than that in raising the voltage from the first to the second voltage, and then holding the voltage at the third voltage; dropping the voltage from the third voltage to a fourth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the fourth voltage; raising the voltage from the fourth voltage to a fifth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the fifth voltage; dropping the voltage from the fifth voltage to a sixth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the sixth voltage; and raising the voltage from the sixth voltage to a seventh voltage.

Abstract: A gel production apparatus includes a liquid ejection device which ejects a gel forming solution containing 0.3 to 10 wt % of sodium alginate and 4 to 60 wt % of glycerin into either one of an aqueous calcium chloride solution containing 1.0 wt % or more of calcium chloride and an aqueous calcium acetate solution containing 1.0 wt % or more of calcium acetate, thereby forming a gel.

Abstract: A method of forming a thin film includes: forming a thin film on a substrate by discharging liquid material as a droplet; discharging the liquid material to a liquid material disposing-region that is wider than a thin film forming region; and drying the liquid material thereby to dispose a raising portion at the edge of the thin film in the outside of the thin film forming region.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing gel particles adapted to apply a voltage to a liquid ejection head to eject a liquid including a polymeric material toward an ejection target liquid to thereby manufacture the gel particles, includes: raising the voltage from a first voltage to a second voltage at a first gradient; raising the voltage from the second voltage to a third voltage at a second gradient steeper than the first gradient at which the voltage is raised from the first voltage to the second voltage, and then holding the voltage at the third voltage; dropping the voltage from the third voltage to a fourth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the fourth voltage; raising the voltage from the fourth voltage to a fifth voltage at a third gradient, wherein the third gradient is gentler than the second gradient.

Abstract: A gel manufacturing apparatus adapted to generate gel by making a first solution and a second solution react with each other includes: a flow mechanism adapted to make the second solution flow; an ejection mechanism having a nozzle plate provided with a nozzle adapted to eject the first solution to the second solution made to flow using a droplet ejection method; and a gap plate provided with a through hole communicated with the nozzle, wherein the gap plate is disposed between the flow mechanism and the ejection mechanism.

Abstract: A method for setting up a condition for a drive signal in a liquid ejection head that includes a plurality of linearly-arranged nozzles and driving elements provided for each of the nozzles, includes: calculating an ejection rate for each nozzle relating to a supply of the drive signal under a predetermined condition by using a moving average; classifying the plurality of nozzles into a plurality of groups based on the ejection rate calculated by using the moving average of each nozzle; calculating a proper condition for the drive signal corresponding to each group based on a statistical value of the ejection rate relating to the group; and selecting one proper condition among proper conditions corresponding to the groups so as to set the selected proper condition for each nozzle.

Abstract: A method for producing a gel includes a liquid droplet ejection step in which a first liquid is ejected in the form of a droplet to a second liquid to allow the first liquid and the second liquid to react with each other, thereby producing a gel. The first liquid is a gel forming solution containing an alcohol-based solvent, wherein the alcohol-based solvent is contained therein in an amount of 4% or more by weight and less than 70% by weight of the total amount of the gel forming solution.

Abstract: A method for setting up a condition for a drive signal in a liquid ejection head that includes a plurality of linearly-arranged nozzles and driving elements provided for each of the nozzles, includes: calculating an average value or a median value of ejection rates for each nozzle relating to a supply of the drive signal under a plurality of conditions; classifying the plurality of nozzles into a plurality of groups based on the average value or the median value of the ejection rates; calculating a proper condition for the drive signal corresponding to each group based on a statistical value of the ejection rate relating to the group; and selecting one proper condition among proper conditions corresponding to the groups so as to set the selected proper condition for each nozzle.

Abstract: A method for setting up a condition for a drive signal in a liquid ejection head that includes a plurality of linearly-arranged nozzles and driving elements provided for each of the nozzles, includes: calculating an average value or a median value of ejection rates for each nozzle relating to a supply of the drive signal under a plurality of conditions; classifying the plurality of nozzles into a plurality of groups based on the average value or the median value of the ejection rates; calculating a proper condition for the drive signal corresponding to each group based on a statistical value of the ejection rate relating to the group; and selecting one proper condition among proper conditions corresponding to the groups so as to set the selected proper condition for each nozzle.

Abstract: A method of driving a liquid ejection head adapted to apply a voltage to the liquid ejection head to eject a liquid including a polymer is provided. The method includes raising the voltage from a first voltage to a second voltage; raising the voltage from the second voltage to a third voltage at a gradient larger than that in raising the voltage from the first to the second voltage, and then holding the voltage at the third voltage; dropping the voltage from the third voltage to a fourth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the fourth voltage; raising the voltage from the fourth voltage to a fifth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the fifth voltage; dropping the voltage from the fifth voltage to a sixth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the sixth voltage; and raising the voltage from the sixth voltage to a seventh voltage.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a device having a pair of substrates fixed together with a sealing material being interposed therebetween includes ejecting a liquid on one of the substrates to form a film of the liquid in a first region disposed inside of a sealing part where the sealing material is disposed. The ejecting of the liquid includes ejecting the liquid so that an edge of the film is disposed inwardly of the sealing part and outwardly of the first region after the film is dried.

Abstract: A gel manufacturing apparatus adapted to generate gel by making a first solution and a second solution react with each other includes: a flow mechanism adapted to make the second solution flow; an ejection mechanism having a nozzle plate provided with a nozzle adapted to eject the first solution to the second solution made to flow using a droplet ejection method; and a gap plate provided with a through hole communicated with the nozzle, wherein the gap plate is disposed between the flow mechanism and the ejection mechanism.

Abstract: A deposit forming method including ejecting droplets of a deposit forming material onto a substrate, thereby forming a deposit by the droplets on the substrate, is provided. The droplets are ejected along a direction inclined at a predetermined angle in a predetermined direction with respect to a normal line of the substrate and at a predetermined pitch in the predetermined direction. The predetermined angle is set in correspondence with the diameter of each of the droplets and the predetermined pitch in such a manner that the dimension of a dot formed by each droplet on the substrate in the predetermined direction becomes greater than or equal to the predetermined pitch.

Abstract: A film formation method includes: ejecting liquid onto a substrate; and drying the liquid ejected onto the substrate by a drying device before an amount of a solvent evaporation of the liquid exceeds 40%.

Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus having a droplet ejection head, a cap casing, a pump, and a movement device is disclosed. The droplet ejection head ejects liquefied material containing functional material from nozzles as droplets. The cap casing has an accommodating portion in which a portion of the droplet ejection head including at least the nozzle forming surface is accommodated. The pump supplies liquid to the accommodating portion. The movement device moves at least one of the cap casing and the droplet ejection head relative with the other. When recovery is performed on the droplet ejection head or the droplet ejection head is held in a nonoperating state, the movement device arranges the cap casing relative to the droplet ejection head in such a manner that the nozzle forming surface is immersed in the liquid retained in the accommodating portion.