Patents by Inventor Yuji Iwata

Yuji Iwata has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20080129773
    Abstract: A method for ejecting liquid crystal from a droplet ejection head onto a mother glass substrate is disclosed. The ejecting method includes: substantially equalizing the temperature in the proximity of the droplet ejection head when the droplet ejection head is held in a standby state at a standby position with the temperature in the proximity of the droplet ejection head at the time when the droplet ejection head ejects the liquid crystal onto the mother glass substrate; and moving the droplet ejection head from the standby position to a position at which the mother glass substrate is located, thereby performing ejection of the liquid crystal onto the mother glass substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji Iwata
  • Patent number: 7349061
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention can include an imaging step for imaging a region including a plurality of substrates arranged on a pallet having a plurality of housing units by an imaging unit, an actual applying region detecting step for detecting a region corresponding to the plurality of substrates as an actual applying region based on the result of the imaging in the imaging step, and an applying step for applying an orientation film ink from an ink jet head to the plurality of substrates based on the actual applying region. Accordingly, the invention can improve yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Iwata
  • Publication number: 20070197119
    Abstract: A method for forming a pattern on a substrate by ejecting droplets containing a pattern forming material from an ejection head onto the substrate is disclosed. The ejection head has ejection ports that are aligned along a surface of the substrate. While the substrate is being moved relative to the ejection head, droplets containing the pattern forming material are ejected from the ejection ports along a direction of ejection that is inclined with respect to a normal line of the substrate. The ejection of the droplet is performed in a state where the alignment direction of the ejection ports is inclined with respect to the movement direction of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Inventor: Yuji Iwata
  • Publication number: 20070195118
    Abstract: A pattern formation method for forming a pattern by ejecting a liquid droplet of a pattern forming material in a pattern formation region of a substrate includes: ejecting the liquid droplet at an outer periphery of the pattern formation region in an ejection direction directing from an inside of the pattern formation region toward an outside thereof when viewed from a normal line direction of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji Iwata
  • Publication number: 20070188534
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Inventors: Kei Hiruma, Osamu Kasuga, Yuji Iwata
  • Publication number: 20070190252
    Abstract: A method for forming a pattern on a substrate by ejecting droplets containing pattern forming material onto the substrate is disclosed. First droplets containing the pattern forming material are ejected in a first ejecting direction inclined with respect to a normal line of the substrate from a plurality of first ejection ports, which are aligned along a certain direction with respect to a surface of the substrate. Second droplets containing the pattern forming material are ejected in a second ejecting direction and onto areas between adjacent pairs of the first droplets on the substrate from a plurality of second ejection ports, which are aligned along the certain direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Inventor: Yuji Iwata
  • Publication number: 20070120892
    Abstract: A droplet discharge device includes an inkjet head including a nozzle plate having a nozzle, the inkjet head aligned so that a droplet of a function liquid discharged from the nozzle is placed on a surface of a target, a heater applying heat to the function liquid at the inkjet head, and an insulating member having an opening corresponding to the nozzle, the insulating member positioned between the target and the nozzle plate so as to prevent heat transmission from the inkjet head to the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji IWATA
  • Publication number: 20070117038
    Abstract: A method for forming a mark includes ejecting a droplet of a liquid containing a mark forming material onto a surface of an object; radiating a laser beam from a radiation port to a predetermined radiation target position; moving at least one of the object and the radiation port relative to the other in such a manner that the laser beam radiated from the radiation port is radiated onto the droplet on the surface, wherein the droplet forms a mark on the surface by being irradiated with the laser beam; and pivoting the radiation port about the radiation target position as a pivot axis so as to set a radiation angle of the laser beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Inventor: Yuji Iwata
  • Publication number: 20070115309
    Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus has an ejection unit that ejects a droplet of liquid onto a target. The ejection unit is arranged in a multi-joint robot. The robot moves the ejection unit in a two-dimensional direction above the target. The ejection unit includes a droplet ejection head, a liquid tank, and an auto-seal valve. The auto-seal valve adjusts the pressure of the liquid supplied from the liquid tank to the droplet ejection head to a predetermined pressure. The auto-seal valve has a valve body that is movable between a closing position and an opening position in correspondence with the difference between the pressure of the liquid in the droplet ejection head and the pressure of the liquid in the liquid tank. The valve body is arranged such that the direction of acceleration that produces force capable of moving the valve body from the closing position to the opening position differs from the direction of acceleration of the ejection unit moving in the two-dimensional direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Inventors: Hirotsuna Miura, Yuji Iwata
  • Patent number: 7218401
    Abstract: A surface plasmon sensor includes a plurality of light supply devices for irradiating a beam, a plurality of surface plasmon resonance detection surfaces where the beam irradiated from the light supply means being incident to, a plurality of light detection devices for detecting the beam reflected at the surface plasmon resonance detection surface, a plurality of reflective surfaces provided at respective optical paths from the light supply devices to the light detection devices, the reflective surfaces being arranged opposing to the respective surface plasmon resonance detection surfaces, a wave formed multiwell formed with the surface plasmon resonance detection surfaces and the reflective surfaces, and the light detection devices positioned close to the light supply means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Iwata, Takahiro Tohyama, Tsuneo Chinzei, Hidemoto Nakagawa, Isao Shimoyama, Kiyoshi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20070103512
    Abstract: A cleaning bath is provided on a base of a liquid ejection apparatus. A cleaning liquid supply section and a cleaning liquid discharge section are connected to the cleaning bath. The cleaning liquid supply section supplies cleaning liquid to the cleaning bath. The cleaning liquid discharge section drains the cleaning liquid from the cleaning bath. After having formed dots, a head unit is moved to the position immediately above the cleaning bath. Reflective mirrors are then immersed in the cleaning bath in the vicinity of an inlet pipe through which the cleaning liquid is introduced into the cleaning bath. An ejection head is also immersed in the cleaning bath in the vicinity of an outlet pipe through which the cleaning liquid is drained from the cleaning bath.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Inventors: Hirotsuna Miura, Yuji Iwata
  • Publication number: 20070097198
    Abstract: A method for forming a mark includes ejecting a droplet of a liquid from a nozzle onto an ejection target position on a surface of an object along an ejecting direction; radiating a laser beam from a radiation port onto the ejection target position along a radiating direction; and pivoting the nozzle and the radiation port together about the ejection target position as a pivot center, thereby changing the angle between a normal line of the surface of the object and the ejecting direction and the angle between the normal line and the radiating direction while maintaining the angle between the ejecting direction and the radiating direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Publication date: May 3, 2007
    Inventor: Yuji Iwata
  • Publication number: 20070076078
    Abstract: A reflective mirror is provided between an ejection head and a substrate. A laser beam radiated by a laser head is multiply reflected between the reflective mirror and the ejection head and led to a radiating position on a surface of the substrate. This decreases the incident angle of the laser beam with respect to the reflective mirror, thus reducing the radiation angle of the laser beam at the radiating position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Inventors: Yuji Iwata, Hirotsuna Miura
  • Patent number: 7182429
    Abstract: To provide a liquid discharger and a method to discharge liquid in which lowering of the precision of the assembly and the discharge accuracy of the high-viscosity liquid caused by thermal deformation, such as thermal expansion, is suppressed when the discharge heads of the inkjet apparatus are heated to accurately discharge the high-viscosity liquid, a liquid discharger having discharge heads to pressurize functional liquid contained in cavities communicating with nozzles and discharge the functional liquid from the nozzles, a mounting plate having openings to mount the discharge heads, a tank to contain the functional liquid discharged from discharge heads, and a liquid supply channel to supply the functional liquid from the tank to the discharge heads, the discharge heads mounted to the openings of the mounting plate at a same temperature as the temperature the functional liquid is discharged from the discharge heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Iwata
  • Patent number: 7156515
    Abstract: A discharging apparatus has a substrate holding part 32 which holds a substrate S; an discharging head 34 which discharges a liquid material onto the substrate S; an ion producing device 38 which provides an ionized wind on the substrate S; an exhaust device 40 which is placed on a direction where the ionized wind from the ionized wind producing device 38 is blowing, and the ionized wind is provided toward the liquid material on the substrate S, at least, immediately after discharging the liquid material onto the substrate S.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Iwata
  • Publication number: 20060284920
    Abstract: To provide a liquid discharger and a method to discharge liquid in which lowering of the precision of the assembly and the discharge accuracy of the high-viscosity liquid caused by thermal deformation, such as thermal expansion, is suppressed when the discharge heads of the inkjet apparatus are heated to accurately discharge the high-viscosity liquid, a liquid discharger having discharge heads to pressurize functional liquid contained in cavities communicating with nozzles and discharge the functional liquid from the nozzles, a mounting plate having openings to mount the discharge heads, a tank to contain the functional liquid discharged from discharge heads, and a liquid supply channel to supply the functional liquid from the tank to the discharge heads, the discharge heads mounted to the openings of the mounting plate at a same temperature as the temperature the functional liquid is discharged from the discharge heads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji Iwata
  • Publication number: 20060283385
    Abstract: A functional droplet coating apparatus includes a functional droplet discharge head for discharging a functional droplet, a stage for setting thereon a board to be coated with the functional droplet discharged from the functional droplet discharge head, and a drying unit for covering one or entire part of the board set on the stage, the drying unit for drying the functional droplet ejected from the functional droplet discharge head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji IWATA, Manabu NAGASAKA
  • Publication number: 20060221104
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, a liquid ejection apparatus including a head unit is provided. The head unit is movable on an object at least in two-dimensional directions. The head unit includes an ejecting portion and a radiating portion. The ejecting portion ejects droplets onto the object. The radiating portion radiates a laser beam onto the droplet received by the object. A controller adjusts the position of the ejecting portion and the position of the radiating portion in correspondence with a movement direction of the head unit. Thus, productivity is improved by efficiently drying and baking ejected liquid droplets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Yuji Iwata, Hirotsuna Miura
  • Publication number: 20060215006
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus has an ejecting portion that ejects a droplet of a liquid containing a functional material onto an object. The ejecting portion includes a transmittable member. A laser radiating portion radiates a laser beam onto the transmittable member. The transmittable member divides the laser beam into a first laser beam and a second laser beam. The first laser beam transmits through the transmittable member in such a manner that a radiating position of the first laser beam coincides with a droplet receiving position at which the droplet is received by the object or a position in the vicinity of the droplet receiving position. The second laser beam reaches a position defined on the object different from the radiating position of the first laser beam. This structure ensures accurate laser radiation onto the droplet and efficient drying and baking of the droplet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Inventor: Yuji Iwata
  • Publication number: 20060214993
    Abstract: An ejection head 30 is formed in a carriage 29 as inclined at an ejection angle ?1. This permits a microdroplet Fb, which is ejected from the ejection head 30, to travel in an ejecting direction J1 that is inclined at the ejection angle ?1 with respect to a normal line of the substrate 2. Thus, the position at which the microdroplet Fb is received by a backside 2b of the substrate 2, or a receiving position Pa, is brought closer to a radiating position of a laser beam B, or located offset from a nozzle position PN toward the radiating position of the laser beam B, by a first offset amount L1. This adjusts the size of a dot formed by drying the microdroplet Fb to a desired size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Inventor: Yuji Iwata