Abstract: A method for inspecting a liquid droplet ejection apparatus that ejects a liquid droplet from an ejection port includes (a) ejecting the liquid droplet toward an ejection target at an inspection drive frequency that is higher than an operation drive frequency set during a normal operation; (b) measuring a characteristic of the liquid droplet deposited on a surface of the ejection target; and (c) determining that the ejection port the characteristic of which is outside a predetermined range is defective.

Abstract: A method for inspecting a liquid droplet ejection apparatus that ejects a liquid droplet from an ejection port includes (a) ejecting the liquid droplet toward an ejection target at an inspection drive frequency that is higher than an operation drive frequency set during a normal operation; (b) measuring a characteristic of the liquid droplet deposited on a surface of the ejection target; and (c) determining that the ejection port the characteristic of which is outside a predetermined range is defective.

Abstract: A functional-film fabricating method includes applying a coating by ejecting droplets of functional liquid from plural nozzles to ejection areas for forming a functional film which are surrounded by bounded areas having a liquid repellent property, during a single scanning. In applying the coating, when there is a non-ejectable nozzle out of plural nozzles to be used for applying a coating to a single ejection area, the amount of droplets of the functional liquid ejected from another ejectable nozzle to be used for applying a coating to this ejection area is larger than that of cases where there is no non-ejectable nozzle.

Abstract: A wiping apparatus having a gas injection aperture that injects gas, and a guide section that has a convexly curved surface and has an apex and over which gas injected from the gas injection aperture is blown, and, in this wiping apparatus, foreign substance adhering to a nozzle plate of an ink-jet head placed above the guide section is blown away by gas guided along the curved surface of the guide section.

Abstract: Disclosed is an organic EL display panel which has: a substrate; two or more pixel electrodes arranged on the substrate; a bus electrode, which is positioned beside at least one pixel electrode and is disposed on the substrate; an organic layer which is formed on the pixel electrode by means of a coating method; two or more banks, which are disposed on the substrate and define the arrangement region of the organic layer; and a counter electrode, which is disposed on the organic layer and is connected to the bus electrode. The two or more banks include a bank disposed between the bus electrode and the pixel electrode, and a bank disposed between the pixel electrodes, and the lyophilicity of the surface of the bank disposed between the bus electrode and the pixel electrode is lower than that of the bank disposed between the pixel electrodes.

Abstract: A back face panel in a plasma display panel is provided with barrier-rib portions, fluorescent barrier-rib portions including a mixed material of a barrier-rib material and a phosphor material and formed on side faces thereof, and a phosphor portion including the phosphor material and formed in a manner so as to cover the fluorescent barrier-rib portions, and each of barrier ribs is formed by each barrier-rib portion and each fluorescent barrier-rib portion, while a phosphor layer is formed by each phosphor portion and each fluorescent barrier-rib portion.

Abstract: A wiping apparatus having a gas injection aperture that injects gas, and a guide section that has a convexly curved surface and has an apex and over which gas injected from the gas injection aperture is blown, and, in this wiping apparatus, foreign substance adhering to a nozzle plate of an ink-jet head placed above the guide section is blown away by gas guided along the curved surface of the guide section.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a functional-film fabricating method capable of forming uniform coating films without degrading the productivity, in the event of occurrence of non-ejectable nozzles, out of nozzles in an ink jet apparatus. A functional-film fabricating method includes the step of applying a coating by ejecting droplets of functional liquid (9) from plural nozzles (6) to ejection areas for forming a functional film which are surrounded by bounded areas (3) having a liquid repellent property, during a single scanning. In the step of applying the coating, when there is a non-ejectable nozzle out of plural nozzles to be used for applying a coating to a single ejection area, the amount of droplets of the functional liquid ejected form another ejectable nozzle to be used for applying a coating to this ejection area is made larger than that of cases where there is no non-ejectable nozzle.

Abstract: A back face panel in a plasma display panel is provided with barrier-rib portions, fluorescent barrier-rib portions including a mixed material of a barrier-rib material and a phosphor material and formed on side faces thereof, and a phosphor portion including the phosphor material and formed in a manner so as to cover the fluorescent barrier-rib portions, and each of barrier ribs is formed by each barrier-rib portion and each fluorescent barrier-rib portion, while a phosphor layer is formed by each phosphor portion and each fluorescent barrier-rib portion.

Abstract: An electrical discharge machining apparatus includes a work electrode adapted to support a work immersed in a working fluid, a tool electrode located opposing the work electrode with a predetermined gap therebetween, a capacitor that is connected between the work electrode and the tool electrode to provide a series of voltage pulses, a charging circuit having a power supply and a first switching element which are connected in series to the capacitor, a charge regulating circuit having a second switching element connected in series to the capacitor, and a control unit that controls the first and second switching elements, such that the first switching element turns on, and then the second switching element turns on before the first switching element turns off. Then, one voltage pulse, having a leading edge corresponding to the turning on of the first switching element and a trailing edge corresponding to the turning on of the second switching element, is generated.

Abstract: An electrical discharge machining apparatus includes a work electrode adapted to support a work immersed in a working fluid, a tool electrode located opposing the work electrode with a predetermined gap, a capacitor that is connected between the work electrode and the tool electrode to provide a series of voltage pulses, a charging circuit having a power supply and a first switching element which are connected in series to the capacitor, a charge regulating circuit having a second switching element connected in series to the capacitor, and a control unit that controls the first and second switching elements, such that the first switching element turns on, and then the second switching element turns on before the first switching element turns off. Then, one voltage pulse, having a leading edge corresponding to the turn on of the first switching element and a trailing edge corresponding to the turn on of the second switching element, is generated.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for manufacturing a highly-versatile solar cell with excellent yields and productivity are provided. The method includes forming a belt-like first electrode layer on a substrate, forming a belt-like semiconductor layer on the first electrode layer, and forming a belt-like second electrode layer on the semiconductor layer. At least one electrode layer selected from the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is divided by (a) applying a liquid resist so as to form a striped resist pattern, (b) forming the at least one electrode layer so as to cover the resist pattern, and (c) removing both the resist pattern and the at least one electrode layer formed on the resist pattern.

Abstract: A machining program is prepared based on design data obtained by CAD and machining conditions stored in advance in a data base, while machining status information is obtained from a machining site. Based on the machining program and the machining status information, a machining status is simulated in order to subsequently prepare machining commands required for appropriate NC control.

Abstract: An overlay measurement pattern, which is formed in a master pattern of a mask, is selectively transferred by exposure processing onto a resist film on a wafer of semiconductor material. This is followed by detecting, by means of a two-beams interference method, a reference position for the overlay measurement pattern formed by the variation in film thickness occurring at an exposed resist region, with performing no development processing. A reference position for an overlay reference pattern, which is pre-formed in the semiconductor wafer, is detected using an interference pattern produced by white light, to detect an overlay difference between the patterns. Since neither a test exposure process nor a development process is needed to be carried out, this results in not only providing a higher throughput rate but also eliminating factors that contribute to degradation of the accuracy of overlay caused by base line stability and mask alignment repeatability. A higher overlay accuracy is achieved accordingly.

Abstract: In an electric discharge machine and machining method for processing an object through electric discharge by impressing a voltage between a processing electrode and the object, the processing electrode and object are relatively vibrated by a vibrating part using a piezoelectric element while a gap between the processing electrode and object is properly retained at all times. The electric discharge is accelerated when the gap is small, whereas the insulated state is maintained when the gap is large. This kind of condition is stably produced in accordance with a frequency of the vibration. If the frequency is set in the range of 50-500 Hz, a shortcircuit or an arc state is less likely to occur. The vibration is effective to quickly discharge processing debris at the discharging gap.