IP Library Granted Patent US 12668054
Granted Patent B2
US 12668054 · App. 18/411,107 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Substrate processing method and substrate processing system using the same

Inventors: Solmin Park (Cheonan-si, KR); Hyunmin Lee (Anyang-si, KR); Junho Kim (Cheonan-si, KR); Sujin Kim (Cheonan-si, KR)
Assignee: SEMES CO., LTD.
B41J2/0451B41J2/04558B41J2/0457B41J2/04581B41J2/04588
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12668054
App. No.
18/411,107
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate processing method includes determining a first impact of an ink droplet ejected toward a substrate moving at a first speed, determining a second impact of an ink droplet ejected toward the substrate moving at a second speed, determining a reference ejection speed based on the first impact and the second impact, determining a plurality of third impacts of a plurality of ink droplets respectively ejected from a plurality of nozzles toward the substrate moving at a third speed, determining an ink ejection speed of each of the plurality of nozzles based on the first impact and the plurality of third impacts, and comparing the ink ejection speeds of the plurality of nozzles with the reference ejection speed and determining whether ink ejection performance of the plurality of nozzles is abnormal.

Claims (125)

1 . A substrate processing method comprising:

determining a first impact of an ink droplet ejected toward a substrate moving at a first speed;

determining a second impact of an ink droplet ejected toward the substrate moving at a second speed;

determining a reference ejection speed based on the first impact and the second impact;

determining a plurality of third impacts of a plurality of ink droplets respectively ejected from a plurality of nozzles toward the substrate moving at a third speed;

determining an ink ejection speed of each of the plurality of nozzles based on the first impact and the plurality of third impacts; and

comparing the ink ejection speeds of the plurality of nozzles with the reference ejection speed and determining whether ink ejection performance of the plurality of nozzles is abnormal.

2 . The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ink droplets respectively ejected from the plurality of nozzles are ejected simultaneously.

3 . The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein, during the determining of the ink ejection speed of each of the plurality of nozzles, the ink ejection speeds of the plurality of nozzles are simultaneously determined.

4 . The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the first impact and the second impact are generated by ink droplets ejected from a first nozzle toward the substrate, and

during the determining of the reference ejection speed using the first impact and the second impact,

the first speed, the second speed, a distance from the first nozzle to the substrate, and a distance between the first impact and the second impact are used.

5 . The substrate processing method of claim 4 , wherein, during the determining of the reference ejection speed, Equation (1) below is used

Reference

ejection

speed

=

(

First

speed

-

Second

speed

)

×

Distance

from

first

nozzle

to

substrate

Distance

between

first

impact

and

second

impact

.

(

1

)

6 . The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate moves in a first direction parallel to an upper surface of the substrate, and

the ink droplets are ejected in a second direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate.

7 . The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein, during the determining of whether the ink ejection performance of the plurality of nozzles is abnormal,

at least one of a median value and a standard deviation of the ink ejection speeds of the plurality of nozzles is used.

8 . The substrate processing method of claim 1 , further comprising, after the determining of whether the ink ejection performance of the plurality of nozzles is abnormal,

correcting the ink ejection performance based on abnormalities in the ink ejection performance.

9 . A substrate processing system comprising:

a nozzle head unit comprising a plurality of nozzles that eject ink droplets on a substrate using an inkjet method; and

an inspection device determining an ink ejection speed of each of the plurality of nozzles based on impacts of ink droplets ejected from the nozzle head unit to the substrate, wherein the inspection device;

determines a first impact of an ink droplet ejected toward a substrate moving at a first speed;

determines a second impact of an ink droplet ejected toward the substrate moving at a second speed;

determines a reference ejection speed based on the first impact and the second impact;

determines a plurality of third impacts of a plurality of ink droplets respectively ejected from a plurality of nozzles toward the substrate moving at a third speed;

determines an ink ejection speed of each of the plurality of nozzles based on the first impact and the plurality of third impacts; and

compares the ink ejection speeds of the plurality of nozzles with the reference ejection speed and determining whether ink ejection performance of the plurality of nozzles is abnormal,

wherein the inspection device, after the determining of whether the ink ejection performance of the plurality of nozzles is abnormal, the inspection device corrects the ink ejection performance by changing voltages applied to each of the plurality of nozzles.

10 . The substrate processing system of claim 9 , wherein the inspection device simultaneously inspects the impacts of the ink droplets simultaneously ejected from the plurality of nozzles.

11 . The substrate processing system of claim 9 , wherein, during the determining of the ink ejection speeds, Equation (2) below is used

Ink

ejection

speed

=

(

First

speed

-

Second

speed

)

×

Distance

from

each

of

plurality

of

nozzles

to

substrate

Distance

between

first

impact

and

second

impact

.

(

2

)